CABINET Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, has said that on the occasion of Guyana celebrating its 48th Independence Anniversary, no one can doubt the positive changes that have been wrought.

During his post -Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Luncheon said the changes over the last 22 years have been most demonstrative and most instructive.
“And of course the last 22 years constitute the time that the current PPP/C administration has been in office, there can be no useful effort in comparing our economic situation between those dark days of the 80s and 90s and what we enjoy today.”
Dr. Luncheon said for Guyanese, most important has been the measures by the administration to redistribute wealth, which he said, was created over the last 22 years.
“And those measures include the income tax rates that have been reduced since 1992, the income tax threshold that has been reduced, old age pension that has been increased, wages in the public service that have been annually increased for decades, a national minimum wage that has been successfully implemented.”
Dr. Luncheon added that the economic turnaround has seen incisive interventions by this administration in the social sector particularly in education, health, housing, and water.
“The private sector has prospered and progressed, indisputably, similarly the welfare of the poor and the disadvantaged and the vulnerable that has not gone unattended to.”
This administration, Dr. Luncheon said, challenges anyone to dispute these accomplishments as Guyanese celebrate 48 years of independence and reflect on tasks not yet completed and others not yet undertaken.
“The President in his address on the occasion in his message encouraged Guyanese to be proud of the accomplishments, and profoundly, he paid particular attention of the state of the body politic currently in Guyana.”
In his message, the President also repeated his earlier calls for more constructive engagement with the political opposition ultimately for the good of Guyana and Guyanese.
Guyana on Monday last celebrated its 48th Independence Anniversary with the symbolic flag raising ceremony which was held at the National Park and other flag raising ceremonies which were held in the ten administrative regions.

(GINA)