A confident Donald Ramotar talks of his plans for his second term
APRIL 12, 2015 | BY KNEWS | By Ralph Seeram – From the Diaspora…
Pres. Donald Ramotar
While many are predicting the demise of the PPP with the “Time for Change” campaign, incumbent President Donald Ramotar has plans in the works. He can’t wait for elections to be over so he can implement his party’s plans to move Guyana even further in his second term.
A confident Ramotar is looking not only to get over the 50 per cent mark but hoping to get substantially more.
I caught up with the President on his visit to Florida this past Easter weekend, and took the opportunity to interview him.
One of the main charges of the Opposition against the PPP administration is corruption, so naturally the first question I asked is what his administration will do to fight corruption at all levels.
His government, he said, will establish a “Special Investigation of Corruption Body” with powers to investigate corruption and prosecute crimes of corruption. The PPP will fight against all levels of corruption in Government and society by instituting mechanisms for transparency and accountability.
In addition, it will appoint a Public Procurement Commission with Parliamentary support.
Asked why voters should reelect him and the PPP to government come May 11, the President cited the progress the country has made since the PPP assumed office in 1992 after 28 years of PNC dictatorship.
From a totally bankrupt economy in 1992 the country reserves today are nearly US$700M. Before the PPP assumed power the country’s debt repayment required over 100% of the revenues. Today Guyana’s debt repayment is just four per cent of the GDP. Guyana’s economy has experienced an average growth of four per cent over the past years. This has been verified by the World Bank reports.
The World Bank has predicted positive growth for the Guyana economy.
In the field of education, President Ramotar said that Guyana has achieved Universal Primary Education status. This means that the country has a net enrollment/survival rate of over 90%, a remarkable figure. Guyana is also on the verge of achieving Universal Secondary Education status, at nearly 90% enrollment/survival rate. Full status will be achieved next year.
The PPP leader boasted that his government is spending over $24B on education which is 23 times the amount spent when the PPP took office.
The Education sector accounted for more than 4.6% of the Gross Domestic product (GDP) and has an allocation of over 15% of the National Budget. President Ramotar drew attention to the fact that Guyana has consistently been producing top students in the Caribbean over the years. Boasting again of the PPP success in the field of education he noted that in the Global Report 2014/15 Guyana ranked 37th for Quality of Primary Education, 31st for Secondary Education Enrollment (gross %) #54 for Quality of Education System. The country is also ranked 54th for Maths and Science Education.
In addition to free primary and secondary education the PPP government has subsidized school uniforms and transportation costs. Guyana’s budgetary allocation is one of the highest in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Citing more success under the PPP Government, Ramotar turned to the Housing Industry where approximately one in five Guyanese own their homes or house lots. His government has distributed over 100,000 house lots to residents.
His government’s success in housing can be seen all over Guyana, not only in residential housing but also in commercial buildings, in Georgetown and throughout the country. Guyanese have seen multiple shopping Mall Complexes constructed throughout the country, a sign of the confidence the Business sector has in the economy.
Unlike the days of the PNC government when consumer goods were non-existent and basic food items were in short supply, today stores are flourishing with goods. Many youths today take for granted what they see in stores; they may not know these goods were non-existent during the PNC government. This is all due to the PPP government success in managing the Guyanese economy over the past years.
Today not only more and younger Guyanese own homes at a younger age than their parents, but more young people own their own cars at an early age. Guyana has been registering an average of over 20,000 vehicles per year over the last few years. This could have never happened under the PNC regime, Ramotar explained.
Because of the boom in the construction industry, today fewer Guyanese are seeking jobs now in the Caribbean countries.
While the President boasted of the success of his government I asked him about some “bread and butter” issues that affect the everyday life of Guyanese. Like why people from as far as Essequibo and Crabwood Creek on the Corentyne have to travel to Georgetown for passports. It’s time consuming, expensive, and very inconvenient for applicants.
President Ramotar promised to look at decentralizing the system so applicants in Berbice and Essequibo do not have to travel to Georgetown for passports and certain other documents.
On old age pensioners, it was the PPP government that increased the pensions to nearly $14,000 and this should be over $15,000per month next year. Also, some 24,000 pensioners have subsidized water rates and other benefits.
High on the President’s agenda for his new term are Transformational Infrastructure, which includes completing the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the new Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and a new bridge across the Demerara River. Paving of the Linden/Lethem/Brazil Road Corridor, commence construction of the Georgetown bypass road from Mocha to Ogle and pursue the development of a Deep Water Harbour are also on the cards.
On the Economic front the president plans to review and simplify the impact of taxes and other factors on the Cost of Living; establish a National Rice Support System to ensure rice farmers are paid on time, liberalize the Telecommunications sector to reduce the cost of Voice and Data services, facilitate the development of three large gold mines as well as gas and oil explorations.
Of course this column cannot cover all the PPP plans or achievements, but the President said Guyanese need to know, what the state of the economy was under the PNC, which now leads the APNU/AFC coalition, and the state of the economy today.
President Ramotar feels that the PPP has a very good record to run on and the Guyanese people realize that their quality of life and standard of living have improved vastly under his Government and Party. He is confident that the Guyanese electorate will return his party to power, based on its performances over the years.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com and Facebook
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The world according to President Ramotar – By Christopher Ram
April 11, 2015 · By Staff Writer · 19 Comments Next Article »
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Dear Editor,
I was in Alexander Village to attend the wake of a friend two evenings ago which coincided with a meeting of the PPP/C held at the head of the street in which I grew up. I dropped in on the meeting at a point at which President Ramotar was speaking. I heard him tell the community which enjoys not a single public space for its hundreds of children to play, about his party’s plans for world class high-tech industrial parks covering hundreds of acres; and a community which for years has endured potholes at both points of entry, of his party’s plans for an international hub for trans-Atlantic airlines to facilitate South African Airways.
He told them of his government’s decision to expend billions on a five star hotel, but not why it deprives the country’s only national university of basic requirements for teaching and learning. And of the building of the Berbice Bridge but not of the discriminatory tolls Berbicians are made to pay. He told them too about all the food items banned by Burnham but not the unbanning by Hoyte. No, such truth would destroy the party line. He told them of what the party has given the country but not that it is taxpayers’ money that the party in government has spent, and as often as not mis-spent. Or worse, what the party officials have taken for themselves and their friends.
He boasted of his party’s democratic credentials but the villagers know that they have been deprived of local democracy since 1997. He boasted too about integrity but did not tell his audience that villagers have been cheated of their investment in New Guyana Company Limited, the party controlled company.
He boasted about procurement but not his party’s failure to establish the Public Procurement Commission for fourteen years.
It was a case of everything good being the PPP while everything bad is the fault of the PNC. And the reason suggested by the President for his party not getting the credit it deserves is because of the Stabroek News, the Kaieteur News for whose publisher he reserved some choice language, and – pointing directly at Gerhard Ramsaroop and me in the audience – those “misguided” individuals who malign the record and character of the PPP.
Many years ago political meetings in Alexander Village used to allow for questions. Not so any more. So at the close of the meeting I approached Mr Ramotar and asked him directly whether he thought verbally targeting individuals in an audience would help him to win over misguided individuals.
He could offer no response.
Alexander Villagers are polite to visitors, even those who visit them only at election time.
Yours faithfully,
Christopher Ram
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