–President Ali, Minister Manickchand upbraid Norton over comment about ‘conditions’ on grants for children
–points to APNU+AFC’s removal of support for Guyana’s youth

ASIDE from the political opportunism displayed by the Opposition, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali said that they are clueless about the policy matrix.
Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton is now promising cash transfers to school-aged children, if elected, although the APNU+AFC government, which he was a part of, took away the “Because We Care” grant in 2015.

President Ali, during the sod turning for a new modern West Demerara Regional Hospital, on Friday, told citizens that with it being election season, they will hear a lot of promises.
Norton on Friday said, if they were to assume governance, under his leadership, cash transfers for school-age students will be linked to their attendance.

The President said: “Today (Friday), they said, when we get to office, we will give you the Because We Care grant, but this must be linked to attendance…The very people who looked your children in their eyes and took away the Because We Care grant between 2015 and 2020, coming back now to tell you we will give you the grant.”

Unlike the Opposition, the government has shown interest in the children of Guyana and the President pointed to the investments being made to support this vision.
Speaking more on the Opposition, he said: “They don’t have a clue about the policy matrix and policy framework. And let me remind you of something. We gave that Because We Care grant without oil and gas and we increase it every single year. They [APNU+AFC] took it away when we found oil. They were in government when we found oil and they took it away. Running a government is not the fanciful luxury of luxuriously moving yourself around.”

Education Minister Priya Manickchand called the opposition out for being callous with their plans to place rigid conditions on the “Because We Care” grant that was reinstated by the PPP/C.
In response to the Norton’s plan to tie the children’s grant to attendance, the Education Minister reminded Guyanese of when the APNU+AFC removed the grant when they assumed office.
The minister stated that the only requirement is for the child to be on the register and for the school to submit it, which is then checked by other entities.

In response to the PNCR’s conditions for the grant, the Education Minister said: “They have no sympathy.”
APNU+AFC’s “shameful” past on the children’s grant is compounded by the lack of investments in the education sector, especially in terms of transportation and meals.
Under the PPP/C, the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant which is available to each private and public-school student annually, has increased to $50,000 from $40,000.

Also, the uniform voucher allowance of $5,000 will continue to be paid, meaning each schoolchild will now get $55,000 each.
Even though the APNU+AFC touted their 5 B’s initiative, Minister Manickchand stated that they did poorly in that area too.

It is important to understand that even after taking away the children’s grant and implementing the 5 B’s programme, the Opposition delivered only 34 buses from 2015 to 2020, the minister disclosed.
Notably, this was for 205,000 school-aged children, she reminded Guyanese.

However, from 2020 to now, the PPP/C has given more than 58 buses.
Also, from 2015-2020, APNU+AFC only gave 29 boats, the Education Minister said, noting that thus far, the PPP/C has given more than 94 boats.
As for the ‘B’ in breakfast, the minister said that the APNU did not give a single child breakfast on Essequibo Coast; East Bank Demerara; along with several other regions including One and Ten.

In 202, when the PPP/C returned to office, consistent with their promise of not only restoring the “Because We Care” cash grant and increasing it, every single child on the coast gets breakfast from grades three to six, the minister said.

In addition to this, every primary school child in the hinterland gets breakfast and a hot meal.
For nursery school children, they get juice and biscuits and for both the non-residents and residents of secondary school dormitories, those children are getting a hot meal.
Norton had said: “When we do cash transfer to children and family, you don’t want to do it for people to do their nails and their hair.”

In response to this, the minister said that this statement is insensitive.
She said that this statement by Norton does not reflect the reality on the ground, and he has no moral or ethical standing to tell parents how to manage their monies.

“You have never helped them when you were in government or otherwise, to look after their children,” she said to Norton, adding: “We (PPP/C) trust to look after your children,” adding: “We see the sacrifices you make every day.”