–highlights infrastructural push, carbon-credit success and youth engagement

FORMER Alliance For Change (AFC) executive member and son-in-law of former President, David Granger, Dominic Gaskin has acknowledged the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s aggressive investments and infrastructural drive as a step in the right direction.

Gaskin made this known during an episode of the Starting Point podcast over the weekend, during which he noted that any fair assessment of the government’s progress must consider how public funds are being used.

“So, the current government has been spending money and spending a lot of money. Certainly, a lot more money than we were able to spend in our period in government. So, I guess any assessment of this government’s progress has to do with how they’re spending that money,” Gaskin said.

He pointed to major works and initiatives currently being rolled out across the country, noting: “I would say… building a lot of schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, sea defence, cash grants, salary increases, developing housing areas, airstrips. So, a lot of infrastructure spending and also some spending directed at, you know, increasing disposable income. I think that’s generally good.”
While pointing this out, he noted that the real measure of success would be whether these investments deliver on their intended outcomes.
He said: “Generally, I think, that’s where the money should be spent. So, I will treat it as a positive for now.”

On the government’s climate policy, Gaskin commended the progress made under the updated Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), particularly its success in the international carbon markets.

“I like the Low Carbon Development Strategy’s emphasis on monetising our standing forests and our ecosystems and our biodiversity,” he stated, adding that he is pleased that the country is able to update the LCDS to find a mechanism to get carbon credits registered, certified and sold on international carbon markets.

He said: “It’s not something that gets around a lot, but we have actually earned money from it, and we will earn some more money from this. And that’s why I’m raising it. If it were just a document on paper, and it didn’t bring in any returns, I would have had to wait and see, but it’s actually proving successful.”

The former APNU+AFC minister also praised the administration’s visible engagement with the public, particularly young people, along with its support for a wide range of activities such as cultural, business and sporting activities.