IN expressing their disappointment in the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) manifesto, members of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), after examining the so-called ‘leaked’ document, adjudged it to be without cohesion and seemingly put together loosely by many people.Speaking Saturday during a press conference, PPP/C member, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy noted that there are many promises, some even irresponsible, and even promises that they cannot implement.
According to Dr. Ramsammy, “We note also that there are many proposals that have been taken from the PPP’s various strategies and work plans, including some programmes that are presently being implemented.”

Apart from that, the veteran PPP/C member stressed that it is highly audacious for the opposition coalition to be promoting things that they have voted against in the 10th parliament.
One of the promises highlighted in the APNU+AFC manifesto, which Dr. Ramsammy said left him intrigued, is the 20% salary increase for the military and police, and 10% for public servants, but yet they are questioning the wage bill of the sugar workers.
They questioned the fact that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) wage bill is too high, as they proposed in their recently disclosed manifesto that they are going to cut the wages of these workers.
“For us (PPP/C) all workers in Guyana and all public servants deserve pay increases, as we remind the public that under the PPP government we have an unbroken record of never failing to give an annual pay increase,” he said.
Elaborating more on the sugar industry Dr. Ramsammy expressed his continued disappointment on the equivocal decision by the opposition on sugar.
“On one occasion they made ambiguous proposals on sugar, some of which are taken out of context from the business plan of GuySuCo, as in the early part of last year one of their agricultural consultants proposed that the sugar industry be closed and replaced with tilapia cultivation because the sugarcane fields are conducive for rearing fish…they stressed the fact that the sugar industry is too big to fail but on the other hand they talk about fish in the sugar cane field,” he stated.
Meanwhile he emphasised the fact that under the PPP/C sugar will always remain a priority industry, given the fact that one of the major plans is to invest $20B into this industry.

CONTRADICTION MANIFESTO
Meanwhile, also speaking during the press briefing, PPP/C new comer, Clinton Urling deemed the APNU+AFC manifesto “a contradiction manifesto,” stating that the manifesto is very verbose and contradictory, as it also lacks coherence… it looks like a very crude cut and paste job, it is trying to obfuscate the message (rather) than to illuminate what are some of the solutions.”
He highlighted the fact that after examining the manifesto he discovered that there are no long term plans within it, particularly on their intentions to deal with taxes and tax reform.
“The contradiction comes when they talk about doing a comprehensive review of the current taxation structure, yet they go into saying they will cut the tax and raise the income tax threshold,” emphasised Urling.
According to Urling, another major point which should not be missed is the fact that the opposition coalition’s manifesto has only initiatives which point to spending but they do not illustrate how they’ll be able to finance these spending, “Not a single talk about how they’re going to make the money.”
He also highlighted the fact that APNU+AFC in their manifesto talks about cutting taxes, but the reality is you have to demonstrate that you have plans to generate income, and this basically proves that the opposition coalition lacks strategic insights.

By Navendra Seoraj