– MPs say during panel discussion
IN recapping last week’s debate on the 2014 National Budget, a panel of members on the Government side of the House felt that the debate on the part of the PPPC Members was of a high quality, and a lot of the statements of the political Opposition were loaded with innuendos.

“For the talk about a new dispensation and compromise, the Opposition buckled, and they owe us one; they should let this budget go ahead,” said Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
This view was expressed by the Prime Minister when he joined Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, PPP MP Manzoor Nadir and Presidential Advisor Odinga Lumumba, in discussing the presentations on a programme on the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) on Sunday evening.
According to the Prime Minister, the political Opposition has demonstrated their inability to keep their promises, citing the agreement to introduce new tariffs for Linden, then their subsequent back pedalling. “They have to think through a position as if they participate they may be constrained by the same objections they may raise later,” he noted.
Claims about “no consultations” on the 2014 budget that were raised during the debate were refuted as despite several invitations they did not participate, Minister Ramsammy recounted. He strongly objected to claims that the local economic performance was due to illegal activities such as the drug trade, noting that government through its public investments, has been driving the economy, along with input from a strong and thriving private sector that has played a “huge part”.

Many small businesses are thriving throughout Guyana, and making a difference, he added and, they are investing their hard earned dollars into their businesses. The “Drugs driving the local economy” statement shows that the Opposition is out of touch with the reality, he added. The sum of $300 in 1992 to $3600 in 2013 per capita growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is a “huge achievement” for the economy, he further noted.
Meanwhile, MP Nadir lauded the presentations by the PPP/C members so far during the debate, saying they demonstrated that they were all well prepared, unlike MPS from the Opposition benches. “I’m extremely proud of the level of debate presented by the government side,” Nadir declared.
Reacting to a clip of APNU Member, Carl Greenidge’s presentation during the budget debate, on the sugar sector, and the need for money to go directly to the sector and be conditional on government demonstrating long-term plans for its recovery and the need to remove political appointees, Agriculture Minister Dr. Ramsammy said that sugar was on its death bed and the present government “brought it back”.
It was unfortunate that the previous government extracted much from the industry, but didn’t reinvest it the sector, Minister Ramsammy asserted.
He pointed out that, in Region 3 alone, drainage and irrigation there are due to the inputs from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
Touching on the sugar price drop of 43% by the European Union (EU) preferential markets and the impacts wrought by on-going climate change, the Agriculture Minister said that while Skeldon has not performed as expected, money allocated in the present and previous budgets was needed to repair and revive the industry. He noted that the first crop has surpassed the crop figures for 2013 and this is evidence that the industry is turning around.
“I believe that we are doing what is necessary, and I would hope that the APNU and the AFC are not going to do anything to jeopardise this,” Dr Ramsammy posited. The industry was allocated $6B in the budget to help turn around its fortunes.
The money given by the EU to help improve and offset the costs is being funnelled into the sector, and that is what will be affected when or if the Opposition votes to cut GuySuCo’s funds, Dr Ramsammy stated.
Recapping the fortunes of the bauxite company, the Prime Minister said that government is still keen to ensure that the sector survives and thrives.
Meanwhile, Lumumba said that sugar has wide reaching effects and in addition to sugar workers, there are over 100,000 people who stand to benefit from the assistance to the sugar industry.
Basic economic decisions must not be made on ethnicity, as he noted that the political Opposition appears keen on supporting the mostly black community of Linden in terms of subsidising electricity rates and not favourable to the East Indian dominated sugar industry.
This could lead to serious implications as they appear to be racist in nature, Lumumba said, warning that this must be avoided by both sides at all costs.
Voting for what could lead to the destruction of the sugar sector and its effects on a large, mostly East Indian segment of the population could have serious far reaching implications, Lumumba explained, and this could spell trouble for the entire country.
The uproar over the heckle by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, her initial barring by Speaker Raphael Trotman and then the decision to allow her to speak the day after, were also discussed by the panel.
“There is a pattern of behaviour where, we make agreements and they do not honour these agreements,” said Minister Ramsammy. He noted that there was consensus after the Education Minister clarified her statements to the Speaker, hence the subsequent protest to prevent her presenting her budget speech, was uncalled for.
The move to prevent Minister Manickchand from speaking was also seen as “spineless” by her colleague minister who described it as “bullyism”. There was no proper example set by the Opposition which began chanting for the minister to apologise to former MP Jaipaul Sharma, when she attempted to speak, noted other members of the panel.
Commenting on this incident, Lumumba said that it was also a bad example to youths in particular. He said the Speaker’s authority was abused by them. “We now have a parliamentary problem as he cannot operate as Speaker unless he follows the guidelines set by the political Opposition”.
In closing, Minister Ramsammy said the Education Minister will speak as scheduled and the Opposition must respect this and respect the ruling of Speaker Trotman. He added that the budget has something for everyone and should be passed.
For Lumumba, politicians have to ensure that they don’t offend any race with their decisions, and a mechanism must be found to show balance whether it is a programme for GuySuCo, Linden or Amerindian communities. (GINA)