Sugar workers and the ‘good life’ promise under the APNU+AFC

Dear Editor,

FIRSTLY, let me commend and congratulate the PPP\C Government for the recent package given to sugar workers.

Why couldn’t APNU+AFC (PNC) do the same? I will answer that question: because of the lazy system in the opposition leadership and its MPs.

The then government could not have done that because they had or should I say have no clue or vision when it comes to agriculture; or should I say how to govern a country. All they were thinking of is enriching the top brass through whatever means.

In their 2015 campaign at Whim, Corentyne, Berbice, in front of Dr.Veerasammy Ramayya’s house, the Coalition vowed and pledged that they would not close the sugar industry or any of the estates. They pledged and vowed that the sugar workers wouldn’t lose their jobs. They pledged and vowed that they were going to ensure that sugar workers were paid more because they are the backbone of this country and they will enjoy a good life.

Well soon after gaining the trust of the sugar workers, their families, relatives and friends who voted overwhelmingly for the Coalition, they went and started their very well planned destruction of the industry and its workers, because of race-baiting politics.

Due to the closing of the estates and the fact that workers lost their jobs, the economy plunged into what I will say depression. The spending power wasn’t there. Things started to go downhill for Guyana under the Coalition.

Those very workers who voted for the coalition in 2015 could not find jobs to sustain themselves and families.  Things went haywire for many. Income was not possible.  School drop-outs for their children were on the rise and problems started to be embedded into their lives.

The promise of the Coalition to sugar workers was just a cloud over their eyes and the AFC leadership contributed 100 per cent towards the workers’ destruction.  Moses Nagamootoo stood quietly as the PNC destroyed sugar and Guyana, while he enjoyed the good life at the top.

Ramjattan had to do what he was told to do in defending the closing of the estates and he had to return to Berbice weekly to talk on the television or keep meetings, or else he would have been fired by the PNC.

Today because of President Irfaan Ali and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s solid leadership, we once again see smiles on the faces of the thousands of sugar workers and their families.

The recent package that was announced by Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo is going to see a very significant rise in the spending power of those very workers. The business sector is going to benefit tremendously, because the spending power will be there.

The economy will see more significant growth in 2022 when that package will start to be rolled out to the workers and their families.

The Ministry of Agriculture is headed by a man that knows about the sugar industry and agriculture in general, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, MP, continues to show his determination for this sector to grow by being on the ground very often and listening to the people.

We must all commend the government for their vision for a better Guyana where all of our people can live that good life under the PPP that was promised by the lazy Coalition in 2015.

The Coalition has nothing educational to say that can even bring back an inch of the sugar workers to them, so they are now peddling what they have done to the sugar workers by saying that the PPP plans to close down the industry and that is why they are giving out those financial packages. It’s garbage that PPP is closing down the sugar industry.
Well, those lazy opposition officials won’t even get me to say a word on that, because they have no vision to counteract the great vision that the PPP has for a Better Guyana.

Yours sincerely,

Abel Seetaram
Former AFC Executive and
RDC Region Five Councillor

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