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THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has found the concerns by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Leader Mr. David Granger, in which he labeled youth unemployment in Guyana a “ticking time bomb”, incredulous, especially since his party only weeks ago voted against legislation crucial to the realisation of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), which would have created a multitude of employment opportunities.
During a PPP media briefing at Freedom House yesterday, Home Affairs Minister and PPP General Secretary, Mr. Clement Rohee, said that while the party finds the concern and statement by Granger “perplexing”, it hopes that this serves as “a reality check, that would move APNU into first gear as it relates to its participation in national development and the creation of job opportunities for all Guyanese.”
Noting that the nation by now is well aware of the unfortunate chain of events the action of the APNU in the National Assembly has triggered, thereby putting the AFHP in jeopardy, he stressed that it is a common understanding globally that cheap and reliable energy is a cornerstone for the economic development of any nation.
Rohee stated that cheap and reliable energy fuels particularly the expansion of the manufacturing sector, attracts both foreign and local investments and, as a result, creates numerous job opportunities in various fields and sectors for the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labor force. This, he said, is the vision which was behind the efforts to realise the hydrower project.
“Mr. Granger and his party cannot on one hand sabotage efforts which will lead to the creation of jobs for Guyanese, particularly youths, and at the same time, gripe about youth unemployment being a ‘ticking time bomb,’” he said.
He also reminded that the members of APNU were loud in praise of the many young skilled Guyanese who were employed in the construction of the Amaila Falls access road during a visit by the APNU leadership to the worksite.
”Then a few days later they voted against critical perquisites for the project which saw Sithe Global withdrawing from the venture, effectively putting the jobs of those very Guyanese youths at risk,” he lamented.
Rohee further said that in reality, it is really Granger who is sitting on a ‘time bomb’, as he is running out of excuses and every time he utters a word, the magnitude of his misinformation to his constituents is being revealed.
“Make no mistake about it; they know that the actions of the APNU leadership were against their best interest and that of the nation. That is the ticking time bomb Mr. Granger has to deal with, and we shall continue to monitor his attempts at diffusing the rising resentment and anger at his and his party’s anti-nationalistic actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh said that someone needs to tell Mr. Granger that job creation for the youth is not only about reintroducing national service.
He reiterated that there is no other project that is more important to job creation for the young people of Guyana than the AFHP.
“If you really want to be faithful to the objective of creating opportunities for Guyanese, anywhere in the country then it is projects like this that has to be supported,” he said.
Singh added that if the opposition is really concerned about youth unemployment, they would support a project which would reduce the cost of power, thus making it attractive for manufacturing enterprises to set up their businesses in Guyana, and create jobs in agro-processing and other such ventures.
During a PPP media briefing at Freedom House yesterday, Home Affairs Minister and PPP General Secretary, Mr. Clement Rohee, said that while the party finds the concern and statement by Granger “perplexing”, it hopes that this serves as “a reality check, that would move APNU into first gear as it relates to its participation in national development and the creation of job opportunities for all Guyanese.”
Noting that the nation by now is well aware of the unfortunate chain of events the action of the APNU in the National Assembly has triggered, thereby putting the AFHP in jeopardy, he stressed that it is a common understanding globally that cheap and reliable energy is a cornerstone for the economic development of any nation.
Rohee stated that cheap and reliable energy fuels particularly the expansion of the manufacturing sector, attracts both foreign and local investments and, as a result, creates numerous job opportunities in various fields and sectors for the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labor force. This, he said, is the vision which was behind the efforts to realise the hydrower project.
“Mr. Granger and his party cannot on one hand sabotage efforts which will lead to the creation of jobs for Guyanese, particularly youths, and at the same time, gripe about youth unemployment being a ‘ticking time bomb,’” he said.
He also reminded that the members of APNU were loud in praise of the many young skilled Guyanese who were employed in the construction of the Amaila Falls access road during a visit by the APNU leadership to the worksite.
”Then a few days later they voted against critical perquisites for the project which saw Sithe Global withdrawing from the venture, effectively putting the jobs of those very Guyanese youths at risk,” he lamented.
Rohee further said that in reality, it is really Granger who is sitting on a ‘time bomb’, as he is running out of excuses and every time he utters a word, the magnitude of his misinformation to his constituents is being revealed.
“Make no mistake about it; they know that the actions of the APNU leadership were against their best interest and that of the nation. That is the ticking time bomb Mr. Granger has to deal with, and we shall continue to monitor his attempts at diffusing the rising resentment and anger at his and his party’s anti-nationalistic actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh said that someone needs to tell Mr. Granger that job creation for the youth is not only about reintroducing national service.
He reiterated that there is no other project that is more important to job creation for the young people of Guyana than the AFHP.
“If you really want to be faithful to the objective of creating opportunities for Guyanese, anywhere in the country then it is projects like this that has to be supported,” he said.
Singh added that if the opposition is really concerned about youth unemployment, they would support a project which would reduce the cost of power, thus making it attractive for manufacturing enterprises to set up their businesses in Guyana, and create jobs in agro-processing and other such ventures.
