By Bebi Shafeah Oosman

MEMBER of Parliament, Zamal Hussain, came out swinging on Tuesday evening in his maiden speech during the debate for budget 2026, as he corrected the opposition members of parliament for sharing inaccurate information to the National Assembly.
Hussain, in response to WIIN Member of Parliament Gobin Harbhajan, who had said that only 63,000 out of 73,000 acres of rice land are under cultivation, corrected him and stated that in actuality 70,030 acres of rice land are under cultivation.
In fact, Hussain noted that he was “shocked” that the Opposition MP had the audacity to come to the National Assembly and speak about rice when in fact during the 2015-2020 period, Harbhajan, who was the representative of the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, in Region Six, supported a government that said rice is a private business.
“Region Six didn’t even know we have an agriculture Minister (under APNU+AFC); the Minister come to Berbice three times, and the three meetings he had in Berbice were in the Nand Persaud boardroom with AC, where only fifteen farmers attended, and now he comes to this house to lecture about helping rice farmers.”
In contrast, Hussain stressed that the PPP/C has always supported rice farmers: “We have been supporting rice farmers, not only the last crop, we have been supporting rice farmers since we are in government from 1992 to 2015 when APNU+AFC made it a private business, and then we start to support rice farmers back from 2020 to present.”
He further noted the transformational work the Ministry of Agriculture continues to do in Berbice as he pointed out that thousands depend on agriculture in the county. “The honourable member come here and say fertiliser raised, but what he didn’t tell the house was that fertiliser was subsidised, given to farmers one bag per acre.”
The PPP/C Member of Parliament, who hails from Region Six, in representing his people, pointed out that Harbhajan in the last five years was given an opportunity in the form of employment to solve the issues he has come to raise now in the house, “to fix all those problems that he raised here, but he did nothing in five years, absolutely nothing.”
According to Hussain, the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission changed the land rental from $2,000 to $1,000, “that is an intervention this government made.”
He continued, “Mr. Speaker, 20,000 acres of land at the 52/74 savannah were surveyed and are made available for cattle farmers in Berbice, right where Harbhajan lives, but Harbhajan doesn’t know that.”
Moving along, Hussain noted that Harbhajan spoke about agro-processing but is unaware that in Black Bush Polder there is in fact an agro-processing facility operational.
Turning to land availability, Hussain noted that “we are engaging in a number of land clearing in the entire Berbice” as he pointed out that one of the largest projects is the Hope-like canals currently under construction in the region, “which will ensure we have thousands of acres of land protected from the floods.”
“We have lands right now that we are making available at Molsen Creek; we are doing an all-weather road there to open about 300–500 acres of land there and even more.”
Furthermore, taking the National Assembly on a journey through the development that has taken place in Region Six, Hussain started with pointing out that the government has made the Berbice Bridge toll-free.
“Every car that travels over that bridge, they give him a bill, and they say take $1900; every minibus operation takes $1900; every double cab pickup or SUV, $3600; the business people with trucks, $5800. That is the way we’re helping the residents of Region Six, putting people first.”
Going over the bridge, Hussain said you can either turn right or left or even go straight ahead, and there will be noticeable development. “As we go into Palmyra, there is a spanking new stadium, a spanking new stadium, a world-class facility” that brings a feeling of pride to Berbicians and Guyanese.
He noted that a tarmac is being constructed there, which will host the Berbice expo that attracts thousands of people; “that is putting people first.”
Hussain pointed out that the PPP/C government had to ensure the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra was “fixed,” as the base had collapsed while being constructed under the previous administration.
He then turned to the Centre for Equity, Opportunity, and Innovation, which caters to persons with disabilities and is the first of its kind in the Caribbean, currently operational, and employs persons with disabilities.
“Mr. Speaker, every neighbourhood democratic council in Region Six has experienced notable improvements in the last five years, from upgrading internal roads to enhancing drainage networks,” as he stressed that the local authorities have also been equipped with machinery to carry out their work and garbage collection.
According to Hussain, in New Amsterdam, “we had in this last election, we had the largest amount of votes ever in New Amsterdam… We have the East Canje main road now doing a four-lane highway, a four-lane highway going to the new municipal airport at Rose Hall Canje, that will improve so much, commerce, tourism, etc.”
Narrowing down on the transformation this government has done in the APNU+AFC township of New Amsterdam, Hussain stated, “Angoy’s Avenue, in 1999, the then President, (Vice President now) Honourable Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, went in with long boots. Mr. Speaker, now the honourable opposition leader can drive his Lamborghini through Angoy’s Avenue. We have transformed the entire Angoy’s Avenue with concrete roads; we have made tracks and put in lights on the community ground. We have transformed an area named Tannery.”
Hussain then called on the APNU members to “ease the people” and give them their title to the lands. “They deny them their title, but beside that we transform Tannery, we put in roads, we put in electricity, we put in water, we give them solar panels; that is what we are doing in New Amsterdam.”
Turning to the East Bank Berbice, Hussain noted that “massive transformation” has also been done there with the installation of electricity for the very first time in the country’s history from Lighttown through Mara to Jermaniah.
He said farmers on the East Bank of Berbice and in other areas of Berbice have received assistance to clear five acres of land each “to do farming.”
Heading to the Corentyne, Hussain said that there are two 3-megawatt solar farms, one in Prospect and one in Hampshire.
In Black Bush Polder, he stressed that there has been the implementation of a major pump station and another under construction, which has helped and will continue to help irrigate the area.
In supporting the passing of the 2026 budget, Hussain stressed that it was crafted from the interactions of citizens on the ground. “That is how we craft this budget with the people; that is how you do it.”
Meanwhile, APNU Parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul heckled Hussain and accused him of being a former member of the PNC, but Hussain, in a strong response, stated, “I never went in PNC, if I do that, something is wrong with me, something is really wrong with me, Mr Speaker that is one party I will advise nobody to join, the PNC, that is a sinking ship.”