–says PPP/C remains committed to offering equal opportunities to all, regardless of race, political affiliation

GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo has blasted the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)/A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for undermining Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs who have secured work under the current administration.

During a press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo described a pattern of harassment directed at young Afro-Guyanese business owners by opposition elements, who, he claims, have consistently disregarded the contributions of these entrepreneurs when they receive legitimate work through contracts from the government.

Jagdeo was at the time referring to Statement Inc., an Afro-Guyanese-owned company responsible for building a new, modern school in Linden.
He said that the opposition targetted this company solely because of a perceived association with the PPP/C.
Jagdeo lamented that the opposition is targetting the company because it is owned by an Afro-Guyanese.

“These are the same people who say we don’t give young [Afro-Guyanese] men an opportunity, yet they’re the first to run them down,” Jagdeo said.
He said that this company, despite its efforts to complete the school project under challenging conditions such as cost escalations and the COVID-19 pandemic, faced relentless criticism from the opposition.
“The PNC went after them. For them, they should get nothing,” Jagdeo said, adding that the opposition sought to undermine the project’s success over perceived political ties.

In a detailed breakdown, Jagdeo pointed to the opposition’s attacks as part of a broader strategy to criticise PPP-led projects without acknowledging their economic impact.
He argued that these attacks contradict the opposition’s own statements on empowering Afro-Guyanese and supporting Afro-Guyanese-owned businesses.
“They wouldn’t do this for an Indo-Guyanese or a mixed-race business,” he said, adding, “yet they are relentless when it comes to companies like this.”

Jagdeo asserted that this behaviour by the opposition undermines the country’s broader developmental goals.
The school project, for instance, represents a significant public investment in Region Ten’s education infrastructure; a priority which, according to Jagdeo, has been met with pushback based on political motivations rather than genuine public interest.

Jagdeo highlighted that the PPP/C government remains committed to offering equal opportunities to all, regardless of race or political affiliation.
“But they [the opposition] would run down these companies all the time,” he added.

The General Secretary expressed pride in the progress being made by Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs under the current government, which, when compared to the opposition’s approach, has been consistent in fostering an inclusive environment for business growth and development across Guyana.

This is not the first time the PNC-led APNU has attacked Afro-Guyanese businesses.
The party recently came under heat while calling for a boycott of Guyanese businesses that engaged with President Dr. Irfaan Ali during his recent visit to New York.

The calls for boycotts originated with Rickford Burke of the Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy (C-GID), and political activist Mark Benschop, both of whom are known critics of the PPP/C.
This boycott, promoted under the guise of advocating for Afro-Guyanese rights, has drawn criticism for potentially harming the very community the opposition claims to support.