5% increase all round

– and AFC’s continued attacks on Amerindians

OLD Kai is pleased that Guyana’s economy has experienced growth over the past year by around 5%. This is a truly remarkable feat given all the challenges and efforts at sabotaging our economy by the ‘usual suspects.’We are only left to rue how much more those growth figures would have been had the AFC/APNU alliance not slashed over 25% of this year’s national budget, hampering and in some cases crippling major projects which are intended to consolidate our annual economic growth rate. Our Opposition in Guyana is best described by the hit Natural Black single, ‘far from reality.’  These people do not know anything about economics, they have ruined this country before and are back to do the very same thing again. One just has to simply look at their record in the National Assembly since the life of this current Parliament.
They have now moved up another notch in their attack as they are taking the fight directly to the private investors, with their move against the Berbice River Bridge consortium. This is a carefully directed tactic by the Opposition to send a message to potential investors to stay out of Guyana because the political risk will be great for doing business here. Same can be said for their refusal to support the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act which caused Guyana to be blacklisted. They want to make it as difficult as possible for current investors so as to cripple our private sector. The APNU and AFC believe this is one effective way to attack Guyana’s economy.
But who suffers in the end? Who will be out of jobs? When investors pack-up and leave and State revenue dries up and Government cannot sustain its wage bill much less provide increases, similar to what is happening in Barbados right now with 3000 workers being sent home; who suffers?
It is the average Guyanese man and woman out there and they have to decide how much longer they will allow themselves to be fooled by the opposition with their grand promises and semantics.

MOSES CRYING CROCODILE TEARS
Old Kai has observed that Moses is crying now that AFC donations dry up and things hard but the party is still vibrant. Who he expects will believe this lie? If your party is so vibrant, how come you broke? No one will want to give you a dime when you still can’t explain how your colleague used $5M of party resources to buy ‘bora and bhaaji’ in the space of couple days and then, you have the gall to come lecture others about transparency and accountability. How you expect to get any support from people when you telling them that they are ‘collateral damage’ in your quest for power? Quick question – which political party has changed headquarters more times than the fingers on your hand in the last five years because they kept getting evicted because of failure to honour their rental agreement? You can’t manage to pay your rent and you want to lecture others about managing the entire country and pretend that you are capable of controlling the reins of Government.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Old Kai will round off on a positive note because Old Kai already feeling the Christmas spirit. Garlic pork already soaked in the container since last week and I’m going to eat some pepper pot along Main Street by one of those tents set up by small entrepreneurs in collaboration with Irfaan Ali and the Ministry of Tourism.
This is what I like to see, initiative on how our people and Government can work together where our citizens are the ultimate beneficiaries.
Main Street looks very beautiful in the evening when the lights are on and while myself and Mrs. Kai were taking a stroll a few evenings ago; we even noticed that patrols were being carried out by ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
We need to appreciate what we have in this country because quite frankly we have a lot going on for us. I am feeling so good, even at my age I am tempted to join one of the masquerade bands on the street.
Quite unlike but maybe similar to what I hear the GPSU is trying to do depends on which way you look at it. Be safe and enjoy your shopping and I hope you invite Old Kai for black cake and ginger beer on Christmas day!