AN emphatic rejoinder to criticisms levelled against the ruling party’s manifesto, Guyana 2.0, by Alliance For Change (AFC) leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, was delivered by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), General Secretary, Clement Rohee, yesterday at a news conference.And he underscored the fact that the “attack” by a “side-lined” Ramjattan is “designed to get some attention and does not reflect any careful thought.”
Ramjattan, in a missive yesterday, said, “This (Guyana 2.0) is a hollow document, made up of empty promises, rhetoric.”
Rohee returned, “(In) so far as specifics are concerned, more than 75 per cent (of what the political Opposition claims was a leaked version of its manifesto) was plagiarised from various PPP/C’s documents covering policies, strategic and business plans and implementation programmes.”
According to the AFC Leader, the PPP/C has “failed to deliver on reduced taxation, they have failed to hold Local Government Elections in 20 years, the fibre optic cable project has been a $3.6B failure, they have failed to establish the Public Procurement Commission, they have failed the sugar industry, they have failed the rice industry.”
ANSWERS TO CRITICISMS
However, Rohee answered each of these criticisms.
He underscored the fact that the plans detailed in Guyana 2.0 are realistic and achievable and will be financed with no new taxes.
On the question of Local Government elections, the ruling party’s manifesto commits to holding the long overdue local government elections by June 2016.
“We are taking advantage of the ICT (Information Communication Technology) Revolution,” Guyana 2.0 states, with reference to the services provided by the fibre optic cable project. The establishment of ICT parks and infrastructure across the country are also on the cards.
The establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is another commitment included in Guyana 2.0. Its non-establishment to date has been a result of the political Opposition’s refusal to allow the Administration to retain its no-objection say in the award of contracts. The Government of the day has argued that if it to be held responsible for the management of public finances; it ought to be allowed only the right of a ‘no-objection’ to contracts that are awarded by the Tender Board.No contracts are awarded by Cabinet; rather contracts above the $15M mark are taken to Cabinet for its no-objection.
Relative to the failures in the sugar and rice industry, Guyana 2.0 outlines in detail the plans for the two industries.
Rohee told media operatives yesterday that the record successes of the rice industry under the PPP/C are undoubted, as is the vision for the future, which includes focus on rice research.
He said, “Mr. Ramjattan needs to be reminded that rice is a success story in our country. This industry was crippled under the PNC, their lead party. The PPP/C restored the rice industry. We brought it to where each crop establishes new records and since 2012, each year we have established new export records.
“Each market destination offers better prices than world market prices. This crop is set to surpass 350,000 tons, the largest ever single crop production. The yield per acre is set to be about 5.8 tons, the highest national yield ever and thus far, we have exported more than 150,000 tons with contracts for immediate shipment of over 300,000 tons. At the present pace, we will attain export quantity of more than 600,000 this year, surpassing the target of 514,000 tons.”
Rohee acknowledged that the sector has its challenges, but highlighted that “specific proposals” to address these, in particular the challenge of timely payments to farmers, are outlined in Guyana 2.0.
“This is a matter which we have addressed in our manifesto, not with promises, but with specific proposals. The price stabilisation mechanism is designed to ensure that prices are stable and that payments are made on time,” he said.
On the question of sugar, the PPP General Secretary stated that the sugar industry was on “its death bed” when the PPP/C came to power in 1992.
Rohee said, “It is the PPP/C that brought sugar back to life in Guyana. Except for one year, we have surpassed the 200,000 tons production every year. Under the PNC, we almost dropped to less than 100,000 tons. Most times, throughout the 1980s, Guyana’s production fell far below 200,000 tons.
“Yet the PPP/C brought sugar back from the death bed to a robust industry. We have confronted major challenges such as climate change and the EU’s arbitrary ending of the sugar protocol. We have had to overcome the unconscionable reduction of 36 per cent in the price for sugar. But the industry has survived and last year again increased its production. In 2015, it will again meet its target and we have set out clearly our plans to attain 400,000 tons of sugar and to diversify GuySuCo’s product line by 2020. For this reason we have outlined a minimum of $20B for the sugar industry.”
All considered, Rohee concluded that: “When he (Mr Ramjattan) talks of failure, his definition of failure is topsy-turvy.”
CORRUPTION QUESTION
The AFC leader also raised questions on the move to tackle corruption.
“The cheap talk about what they will do about corruption bares them (PPP/C) naked,” Ramjattan declared.
However, continued efforts to fight against corruption at all levels of government and society was one of the major highlights of Guyana 2.0. The incumbent political party committed to the several measures that will up the ante, relative to the fight against corruption.
Among these are the: establishment of a Special Investigation of Corruption body with powers to investigate corruption and prosecute crimes of corruption; establishment of confidential complaints mechanisms to encourage people to report incidents of corruption; establishment of codes of conduct for public officials at all levels; strengthening laws and regulations with regard to bribery of public officers and officials; and support for and strengthening of Human Rights Commission, Police Complaints Authority, Office of the Ombudsman and the Integrity Commission.
Improved functioning of Parliament and the Judiciary and the appointment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), with the requisite Parliamentary support while retaining Cabinet’s oversight of ‘no objection’ were also listed as other undertakings envisioned over the next five years of a PPP/C administration.
OLD PROMISES
Ramjattan also criticised the ruling party on repeating old promises contained in the 2011 manifesto in Guyana 2.0.
“Now they rehash old promises and slap them alongside some new empty promises in an attempt to dupe the Guyanese people. But the people of Guyana will no longer be fooled. It is time for change and this PPP/C Government has just a few more days in office before they face the formal rejection from the people at the ballot box,” the AFC leader said.
Rohee, on the other hand, made it clear that many of the developmental plans outlined in its 2011 pact with the Guyanese people were stymied by the very political Opposition proffering criticisms.
He pointed to the Opposition’s disposition during the life of the 10th Parliament as evidence the baseless criticisms made by Ramjattan.
“The truth is that the PPP/C has brought progress to Guyana with programmes like the ones contained in our manifesto,” the PPP General Secretary said.
NO EMPTY PROMISES
Ramjattan also charged that the PPP/C manifesto is “the most glaring evidence yet that the PPP/C is devoid of ideas for the genuine development of Guyana and all its people.”
In response, Rohee stressed that the ruling party offers no empty promises to the Guyanese people.
“These are not empty promises…we advise him (Mr Ramjattan) that much of his talk about emptiness and a manifesto full of promises that are not meant to be kept fully and accurately describes the APNU+AFC’s manifesto that was released and eventually withdrawn. The PPP/C has a manifesto we are proud of. We are not embarrassed that we have to claim someone leaked it,” he quipped.
Meanwhile, the AFC leader disclosed that the political Opposition’s manifesto will be formally released in the coming week.
The PPP/C and the APNU+AFC Alliance are the major political contenders in the 2015 elections race.

By Vanessa Narine