THE Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) has congratulated the Government of Guyana and in particular Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, for the presentation of the largest Budget ever in the National Assembly.Each consecutive National Budget since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) came into office in 1992, the RPA said, has brought a new dynamism to the developmental paradigm of Guyana which has been accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Stabilised macro-economic fundamentals and sustained growth indices have been consistently achieved over the past eight years, even as many countries are facing recession on a global scale. The discerning can draw a nexus between the PPP Party and the PPP/C Government, because of the vision and legacy of the founding father of the PPP, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, and other leaders that continue to drive the phenomenal patterns of progress in this country.
“The struggles for viability in the agricultural sector, with the RPA’s obvious emphasis on the rice industry, and the struggle by the PPP for the restoration of democratic norms and for boosting development in Guyana, are symbiotic. This does not diminish the achievements in every sector of national endeavour by the PPP/C Government, since they all go in tandem. PPP/C budgets show clearly that the Party works for all the people in the land without fear, favour or prejudice. The challenge is that constrained funds may sometimes force the prioritization of projects,” the RPA noted.
It added: “Of recent times the agricultural sector in general and the rice industry in particular, have taken on a development trajectory directly in line with national development under the PPP/C Government. The RPA is therefore proud to be associated with a governmental construct that is a vital force and one which is not static or stagnant. This construct is inexorably taking Guyana to the ultimate goal of peace, progress and prosperity, through the confluences of development with a human face; a concept dear to Dr. Jagan and the party.”
The RPA said over the past two decades, the PPP Government has achieved a near-miraculous turnaround of Guyana’s social development and economic growth, and as a matter of public record, Guyana was worse than the famous Augean stables when the Party took office in 1992. Every sector has since been catalysed through transformative processes that moved the country from an international rating lower or on par with Haiti, to one which is today ranked as a middle income developing country. With now stable macro-economic fundamentals, major financing and other international bodies continue to laud the prudent fiscal management of the country which has resulted in sustained growth over the years. This has been achieved despite the actions of the Opposition to cause retrogression in all the gains made.
General Secretary of the RPA, Dharamkumar Seeraj said: “The rice sector, which I have primary interest in, has been achieving incrementally greater outputs as a direct result of the PPP Government’s interventions and facilitating measures implemented. When one considers that during the tenure of the former regime Guyana was forced to import low-quality rice for local consumption, the progress made today in this sector, is amazing as the export market share has increased tremendously. This was only possible as a result of the support availed to the agriculture sector by successive budgets of the PPP Government.”
“The rice industry continues to remain one of the main pillars of Guyana’s economy and maintain its rating as the second most important agricultural industry in Guyana. The significant interventions in the areas of drainage and irrigation with improved facilities, along with ongoing works being undertaken to mitigate the effects of the climate change phenomenon and other anomalies detrimentally affecting the agricultural sector, have redound to tremendous benefits in the sector. The RPA also takes the opportunity to denounce the anti-developmental actions and destructive strategies, in and out of Parliament, taken by those who are intent on stymieing the development of the nation and the upward mobility of its people.”
The RPA asserted that Budget 2014 has proven once again that the PPP/C Administration is a Government of the people and no negative and anti-national actions will derail this country’s developmental trajectory under the PPP/C. While the Budget has some constraints since we are still a developing country with limited resources, given where we were in 1992 to where we are today, Guyana is on track and cannot be derailed any longer. Every man, woman and child has been provided for in incrementally larger budgets each year.
“Once again, the RPA extends kudos to the Guyana Government and Dr. Ashni Singh for an exceptionally visionary and people-oriented Budget for 2014, aptly labeled: A Better Guyana for all Guyanese.”