WITH strong support from the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, a region which had the second highest margin of victory recorded for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in terms of regions in the 2025 General and Regional Elections, when compared to the combined Opposition, Senior Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Wednesday told Berbicians that this was no surprise as Berbice had been the region that felt the brunt of  bad policies by the APNU/AFC administration.

This was in comparison to the development it is experiencing currently through good policies implemented by the ruling party. The minister who has commenced his second stint as Finance Minister under the Irfaan-Ali led administration was at the time speaking at the launch of the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair.

Addressing businesspersons at the Berbice Expo launch, Dr. Singh said, “It is a great pleasure to be home again in Region Six, it is the first time I am speaking publicly in Region Six since the first of September 2025 General and Regional Elections. I wish, on behalf of President Irfaan Ali and on behalf of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and the entire leadership and executive of the PPP, to thank all of Region Six for your very strong support on the first of September. At the results of the elections you will see that Region Six returned the PPP across all ten regions with the second highest margin…”

The minister compared the development Region Six residents experienced during the restoration and rebuilding efforts by the PPP/C of Guyana’s economy during the 1992-2015 period and he commended the Region for its continued support noting that it was as a result of them being able to see the difference between the two administrations in office and the impact on their Region.

“Region Six saw the return under the APNU/AFC during the 2015-2020 of the bad policies, closing of the sugar industry, the neglect of the environment for doing business, policies that saw the imposition of punitive taxes that caused hardship on businesses and households and the removal of benefits that took away income from families ….you saw this in Region Six, you saw what the closure of the sugar industry did to the market and market vendors, to the shops on the public roads and in the backstreets, with everybody having to struggle with reduced disposal income-what that did to every business, and it was therefore no surprise that Region Six played a critical role in returning the PPP into government,” Dr. Singh underscored. He expressed appreciation that citizens in that Region understood what continued development in their region would mean in terms of political choices.

“Over the years, Region Six has always stood with the PPP/C and this I believe is not an accidental occurrence. I believe the support for the PPP/C reflects the deep and profound  understanding amongst the people of Region Six that amongst all competing political alternatives, it is the PPP/C that on every occasion and in every period in our country’s history, that has stood on the side of the Guyanese people, whether it be on questions of democracy, economic growth and development and whether it be on the question of social improvement of the circumstances in which the well-being  with which our people live, and the circumstances of the Guyanese people,” Minister Singh concluded.

The PPP/C now has an expanded mandate gaining 36 seats in the National Assembly following the 2025 General and Regional elections compared to the 33 seats it had in its previous term.  (MoF)