APNU creating smokescreen to mask govt’s cost of living interventions

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–Dr. Jagdeo once again highlights long-term investments that provide crucial relief

THE A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is attempting to create a smokescreen to cover the crucial investments being made by the government to cushion the impact of the rising cost of living fuelled by global economic conditions, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

While Dr. Jagdeo has remained firm in outlining the numerous incentives provided by the government to ensure that Guyanese are living a comfortable life, the Opposition has been concocting its own statements surrounding the state of cost of living in Guyana. During a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, the PPP General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President, once again painted the real image of what is happening. Addressing what he termed “a distortion” of what President Dr. Irfaan Ali recently said, the Vice-President said that while it is true that food prices have increased in Guyana, this is also happening globally. He then pointed out that the government has been able to mitigate some of these price increases in various ways, such as by removing taxes.

Additionally, the Vice-President highlighted that the Opposition is not focusing on the policy interventions undertaken by the ruling PPP since it took office, especially with how it managed the country during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The removal of the excise tax on gasoline, which is costing the government over $80 billion, was one of the policy implementations that Dr. Jagdeo pointed out. This is the polar opposite of what is ongoing in larger countries such as the United States of America (USA), where a large number of its citizens are battling the rising costs in various areas, such as housing, utility bills and gas for their vehicles. The PPP General Secretary said that this year, the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) will receive a US$66 million – US$70 million subsidy to cover fuel costs. Dr. Jagdeo related that if this is not done, the GPL would have to increase electricity costs. He also noted that water rates have dropped by five per cent since the PPP/C government assumed office, and new water plants among other investments are being made within the sector. Additionally, Internet services are cheaper and have been improved due to the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, Dr. Jagdeo said.

The PPP/C, just two months after being elected to office in 2020, issued Commencement Orders, fully bringing into force the Telecommunications Act 2016 and the Public Utilities Commission Act 2016. Essentially, this move ended a 30-year anti-competitive telecommunications monopoly that had left Guyanese weary, frustrated and lagging behind in the telecommunications arena.

Many telecommunications companies have since capitalised on the liberalisation of the sector, and made positive strides that have impacted not only their individual growth, but also the country’s overall technological advancement. Dr. Jagdeo later said: “APNU would never talk about these things, but in five areas I’ve already outlined, in spite of global changes in prices, in spite of COVID-19, because of direct government policies, we’ve seen lower mortgage rates; we’ve seen constant electricity prices, we’ve seen constant prices for fuel and transport prices, we’ve seen reduced water rates, and we’ve seen lower bandwidth cost.

“Every one of those five items goes into cost of living; not just food prices, and we acknowledge that food prices have gone up, and we’re trying to tackle this.” Guyana’s horizons are booming in areas such as construction, and with the increase in economic activities, Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that some prices will increase. As he continued to outline how Guyanese are standing on a solid foundation, the Vice-President underscored that while thousands were unemployed under the previous coalition government, 60,000 citizens have jobs under the PPP’s stewardship.

He went on to say: “They would never speak about the major government policies; they [APNU] had none. They had no policy whatsoever, and therefore they don’t want to point to these successes. So, what they will do is, at every press conference and every day, they will try to steer Guyanese away from the stewardship of the PPP; the changes we have made in almost every sector.”

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