WINSTON Jordan’s recent criticism of government subsidies for rice farmers as a “total misuse of taxpayers’ money” shows incredible hypocrisy since it was the APNU+AFC coalition that wrecked Guyana’s agricultural sector.
His critique sounds empty when compared to the coalition’s reckless spending and neglect of the very farmers he claims to support.
Jordan’s sudden concern for taxpayer funds is especially frustrating since his government dismissed rice farmers. Under APNU+AFC, rice was called “private business,” and officials told struggling farmers they were “on their own.”
This harsh approach left over 100,000 people, directly and indirectly related to the rice industry, without support. The coalition government not only failed to help but actively harmed the sector with numerous punishing measures that hurt agricultural productivity.
The APNU+AFC administration, under Jordan’s leadership, imposed over 350 new taxes and oppressive measures, stifling the private and household sectors. Agriculture suffered the most from this fiscal attack, with farmers facing higher VAT on essential inputs like pesticides, fertilisers, and machinery.
In Region Five alone, land and water charges grew threefold, while mining equipment that used to be exempt from VAT suddenly faced a 14 per cent tax.
These measures went against APNU+AFC’s promises to remove taxes from miners and support agricultural producers.
The coalition’s taxing strategy was so harsh that it caused businesses to slow investments and farmers to leave their fields. Over 20 per cent of small rice farmers reportedly exited agriculture between 2016 and 2019.
This was not a result of the private sector withholding support, as APNU leaders now claim; it was a natural reaction to a hostile policy environment.
Jordan’s newfound concern about misuse of taxpayers’ money also becomes ridiculous when we consider his involvement in the US$18 million ExxonMobil signing bonus scandal. The APNU+AFC government quietly collected and held this money while Jordan and other ministers claimed they had no knowledge of it.
The coalition kept this money outside the Consolidated Fund for over a year, breaking constitutional rules and basic financial transparency principles.
Only under pressure did they finally admit to receiving the funds and move them to the correct account. The whole situation showed the secretive and unaccountable governance of the APNU+AFC era.

The coalition’s agricultural record is clear. Rice production dropped by 22.3 per cent during their term, and sugar production fell by 60 per cent, from 231,071 tonnes in 2015 to 92,256 tonnes in 2019.
They failed to gain access to the Panama rice market, leaving farmers and millers unpaid for years. Infrastructure fell apart as drainage and irrigation systems were neglected, even though fees increased significantly.
The APNU+AFC government’s labeling of rice as “private business” was not just talk; it showed their complete disregard for agricultural policy. They canceled farmers’ field days, stopped the Paddy Bug Management Programme, and did nothing to recover outstanding payments worth billions.
Jordan’s attacks on rice farmer subsidies spotlight a man who seems disconnected from the reality of his own government’s failures. After being part of a government that oversaw the near-collapse of agriculture due to harsh taxes, neglect of infrastructure, and market losses, he now finds the nerve to lecture about fiscal responsibility.
His points about “misuse of taxpayers’ money” would have more credibility if his administration hadn’t secretly hidden millions in oil revenues while imposing heavy taxes on the very farmers he claims to protect.
The rice industry’s current struggles need government support because of the damage caused during the APNU+AFC years. Jordan’s hypocrisy serves as a reminder to Guyanese of the coalition’s harmful legacy and their unfitness to govern a nation that relies on agricultural success for the survival of its rural communities.