Brief comparison between APNU-led Coalition and the current administration

By Dr. Vishnu Bisram
NTERACTIONS with people across all spectrum of the society have revealed new confidence has been awakened in the country since the change in administration in August of last year. Life has been better under the PPP/C administration than it was under the APNU-led Coalition. Even critics accept that there has been a lot of positive change over the last 16 months. As some respondents say, they may have found that some decisions were not wise, but intentions were right. Just the policy needed tweaking.

As I gleamed from survey comments and from interactions, between 2015 and 2020, the country regressed. It was a remake of aspects of Burnhamite governance – tight control of the economy and strangulation of the private sector and the farming community. As under Burnham, people had lost faith in the government. There were complaints everywhere right after the government ministers gave themselves a hefty over 50 per cent increase while offering only five per cent raise to all other government workers. The government said they gave themselves the 50 per cent raise so there won’t be a need to ‘thief” to sustain themselves financially. It was as if the other government workers didn’t need a 50 per cent raise to discourage them from “thieving” (if they were thieving). Does that mean those who got the five per cent raise were licensed to thief. The sugar workers got nothing initially. The public asked: Didn’t some ministers still “thief” (collect drawbacks)?

A year into the APNU-led government, people became most disappointed as they lost hope in the leaders they voted.  They voted for positive change. They got worse change. As they said, it was most difficult to survive and make ends meet under the Coalition. It was even more difficult for anyone to do business. Farmers could not get buyers for their products as money was tight and not circulating; products perished. Too many people lost their jobs when the government closed four sugar estates putting 7,500 on the breadline and also fired 2,000 Amerindians; some 3,000 Indians were from civil service positions. The four estates provided an economic lifeline to some 30,000 families. Altogether, hundreds of thousands were affected. The economy slumped as government taxed away in ever decreasing incomes. Money was not circulating. Government went after the banking sector. The business community lost confidence. Businesses shrank by some 60 per cent. Corruption was rampant. The whole business environment was crippled by corruption and scams. Foreign investors were not coming (except for oil). Several businesses closed down. Some foreign investors pulled out. Inflation was skyrocketing. Taxes were the highest since independence. Democracy was slipping away right after the no-confidence vote on December 21, 2018. After committing to respect the outcome of the vote and prepare to hold elections within three months, the government went to court to drag out the process, probably hoping to put in place a structure for rigging. The CCJ had to compel the APNU+AFC Government to hold election which were held a whole year after its due date.  Repeated childish efforts to rig, failed! These were exposed and condemned by the international community.

Since the change in administration in August 2020, confidence in government has improved and business confidence has also been restored. Taxes have been cut or eliminated. The PPP/C has governed without the need to close estates or government businesses, albeit it has not re-hired the 10 thousand who lost their jobs. But it has not terminated professional people’s employment or hired people on account of ethnicity.

The government has been addressing the problems related to COVID-19. Testing-19 for COVID-19 and vaccines have been readily available. Test results are not hidden as under the previous regime. Government is open. Respondents note that programmes have been implemented to address challenges facing the poor, working class, retirees, and pensioners. The government rolled out several grants relating to COVID-19, flood relief, pension increments, NIS increments, salary increases for government workers including civil servants, teachers, and sugar workers. It has also given out special grants to pensioners, school grants, uniform grants, severance pay to sugar workers who have not been re-hired. Small businesses have access to government grants.  Infrastructure has been upgraded. New roads are being built. Over 10 thousand house lots or houses for the poor and working classes have been given out. These development measures of the poor, pensioners, and working class are essential for the improvement of the overall economy. Investment in welfare measures, aiding the business community, raising government workers salaries, etc., increases GDP.

And the government has committed to rapid transformation of the country. The government has committed support for development of private shore bases. The government should make efforts to increase research and development (R&D) in accordance with policy decisions.

There is more transparency now than under the previous regime. Democracy is increasingly becoming a way of life. Government is making efforts to protect democratic gains with legislation. More can and should be done in every area.

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