–Minister Walrond says in defence of PPP/C’s track record of development
–flays opposition for insulting Guyanese workers; emphasises Budget 2025 maintains platform for continued growth, resilience, prosperity

THE opposition’s inability to foster development was not a result of the unavailability of oil revenues, as they claim, but instead, it was the lack of effective governance and forward-thinking policies, Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond has said.
Minister Walrond made this known during her presentation on day two of the Budget 2025 debate during the 92nd sitting of the National Assembly.
Using compelling statistics, the minister stood firmly as she meticulously rebutted the claims made by APNU+AFC’s leading Members of Parliament, Amanza Walton-Desir and Juretha Fernandes.
Leaving no room for doubt, the minister deemed the opposition’s rhetoric as “vacuous” and “empty.”

She then flayed the opposition for continuously echoing criticisms without providing any concrete solutions, underscoring how ineffective this approach is when it comes to national discourses.
Addressing the spurious excuse by the opposition that they did not have oil revenues while they were in office from 2015-2020, the minister reminded them of the subsidies they removed and the taxes they had imposed on the backs of Guyanese.
“This has nothing to do with access to oil revenues versus lack of oil revenues, Mr Speaker, it is a matter of the contrast between competence and ineptitude. Mr Speaker, no amount of money can buy them competence,” she said, while flaying the opposition for its track record.
She reminded them that even before 2015, when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was in office, and without even the prospect of all the resources, there were grants and opportunities for the people provided by the PPP/C.
To be specific, she reminded the House that the children’s cash grant of $15,000 per year, started by the PPP/C, was discontinued under the APNU+AFC.

Walrond said: “Without money or anticipation of oil money, the PPP/C government found the money to pay a one-month bonus to the discipline services [and] the APNU+AFC came into office and took that bonus away.

“Without oil resources, sir, the PPP/C instituted subsidies on water bills for pensioners [and] the AFC+APNU took those subsidies away. Without oil resources, we found the money to subsidize electricity for pensioners $30,000 per year [and] the APNU+AFC took that subsidy away.
“To add insult to injury, the APNU+AFC, after removing all of those benefits, gave themselves a 50 per cent rise in salary.”

With or without oil resources, the Opposition’s track record speaks volumes, according to the minister, and despite the slew of promises being made by them, she noted that the Guyanese remember the hardships they faced under the APNU+AFC.
Moreover, although the private sector plays a great role in driving economic growth in any sector, the minister blazed the opposition for not recognising this.
The Opposition criticised the government for providing a $10,000 Universal Healthcare Voucher this year to every person in the country to help finance a basic menu of medical tests.
In response to what she termed as a “zero-sum” mentality, the minister said that this sort of rhetoric is expected from the Opposition.

Walrond said: “They cannot conceive public and private health care systems complementing each other, with each occupying an appropriate place in the national fabric. They want to take us back to the days where there was no private sector, where the state, according to them, must control the commanding heights of the economy. Where the state dominated all aspects of people’s lives. Where the state, their state did everything and did it badly.”

DOUBLING DOWN
MP Fernandes had stated that the PPP/C government’s job creation agenda sees Guyanese “washing hotel sheets or mopping hotel floors.”
Responding to this statement, Minister Walrond rebutted the comments made by the MP towards Guyanese who are doing honest, dignified work.
While the Opposition MP made criticisms towards Guyana’s hospitality sector, the minister reminded the other side of the House of how the-then administration perceived job creation.
To be specific, the minister recalled the news reports of former President David Granger saying that there were no numbers to provide of jobs created since he assumed office and he said: “It may start with plantain chips… small things could end up big.”
The increased cost hucksters had to pay for their licences under the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration was also emphasised by Walrond, who underscored how the economy was poorly managed.
In this regard, she said: “Then they come to this House, disparage jobs which offer steady employment, offer opportunities for advancement as well as inclusion in the social safety net through the NIS scheme.”
The attempt by the opposition to appeal to the voters by rebranding itself was also shrugged off by the minister who said that it still has the “same old” philosophy.

PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPMENT
The minister then highlighted how this year’s $1.38 trillion budget continues the PPP/C’s continued work towards bettering the people’s lives in every sphere.
She said: “Mr Speaker, Budget 2025 comes as we approach the five-year anniversary of the ascension of our government to office. And one cannot help but contrast the performance of the PPP/C administration with that of our predecessors who now occupy the other side of this honourable House.
“Mr Speaker, unlike that of the other side, our record has been one of delivery. It has been a record of achievement, our record of competence and execution and of promises kept.”

Additionally, Minister Walrond spoke of the over 2,000 small contractors across the country, who benefitted from approximately $27 billion in contracts to upgrade and enhance infrastructures in their communities.

She underscored the government’s investments in small business and industrial development, reporting that $3 billion has been allocated to support small businesses in Regions Two, Three, Four, and 10.
Notably, she said that the Onderneeming Industrial Estate is now 95 per cent complete and scheduled for rollout in early 2025, offering 90 business plots. Meanwhile, progress continues at the York Industrial Estate in Region 10, also slated for completion in 2025.

Minister Walrond noted the transformation of the Belvedere and Lethem Incubator Centres, which were once mere shells, in 2020. Today, these state-of-the-art agro-processing facilities are providing tangible benefits to the agro-processing sector in Regions Six and Nine.

She also highlighted the global recognition Guyana has received through numerous travel awards, coupled with improved air connectivity due to multiple airlines entering the market and launching new routes.

She further stated that the achievements and measures she outlined are at the heart of the transformation that is taking place in Guyana under the stewardship of the PPP/C government.
“We have worked tirelessly to create an environment where all our people thrive and prosper, from Region One to Region 10, Guyana’s economic future looks incredibly bright as we continue to make strategic investments in infrastructure, human capital, tourism development and support for local

businesses, among other areas, and as we continue to work towards that future, we are committed to building on our successes and ensuring that every citizen of Guyana benefits from the opportunities created in our new economy.
“Budget 2025 maintains the platform for continued growth, resilience and prosperity and I wholeheartedly commended [sic] to this honourable house and to the Guyanese people.”