PPP/C’s Gill says… Budget not reflective of a good life – APNU/AFC’s Wade begs to differ

August 18, 2015, Source

PEOPLE’S Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) Representative Harry Gill is contending that Budget 2015 is not reflective of the “good-life” promise made by the coalition Government.

In his maiden presentation to the House, Gill said the meagre increase in Old Age Pension, the $300 reduction in the toll for crossing the Berbice River Bridge and the 5 % increase in wages and salaries given to public servants are in no way supportive of the Administration’s promise of a “good life.”

So, too, is the discontinuation of the $10,000 education grant given to all schoolchildren in the public education system, he said, and the decision to keep VAT at 16%.

Gill also said it is unfair to give millions of dollars in electricity subsidy to Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), without extending the same courtesy to coastland residents.

According to him, the APNU+AFC coalition had promised to double Old Age Pension, but it has failed to do so.

He also claimed that the Government has replaced the $10,000 education grant with a $500 increase in the school uniform voucher.

The Administration had explained that the education grant programme is under review, but said it is unsustainable in its current form.

The Government has also said that it is likely that any forthcoming assistance will be given to parents who are in real need of it, making it clear that the willy-nilly distribution of the grant to all and sundry will not continue.

HUGE MARKET
Gill, who will also be scrutinising developments in the security and tourism sectors, said there is a huge market for eco-tourism, and the Government should channel its attention there to capitalise on the opportunities available.

He said the former Administration is proud of its work in the area of tourism, and that during its time in office, more hotels were built and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport gained a creditable international image.

The image of the country as a whole, he said, also improved considerably under the PPP/C, and Region 5 in particular has seen vast improvements in the area of agricultural production, and access to healthcare and quality education.

But APNU+AFC Region 5 Representative, Jennifer Wade, who saw Gill as a veritable newcomer to the district, treated him as such and bade him a warm welcome.

She then apprised the House that the Administration has inherited a mess from the former Government, but through diligent work it will fix the woes affecting the people, including those in Region 5.

Budget 2015, she said, is a step in that direction, in that it will also provide jobs for the many unemployed youths.

She said that unlike the glorious picture Gill attempted to paint of Region 5, the region is faced with many troubles, such as the lack of electricity in some areas, and having to rely on flambeaux for light at night.

The region is also affected by deplorable roads, unreliable access to potable water, suicide and crime.

COMPLAINTS IGNORED
The former Administration, she said, had promised to address these matters but never did.

In her lively presentation, Wade also informed the House that the police did not have adequate resources to deal with crime, and that the region had to lend the police a vehicle to go after criminals.

Mind you, she said, the police do have a vehicle that goes “dug, dug dug” and struggles to move, so by the time they hear “Pow! Pow!” and jump into it, the bandits would have already fled comfortably to safety.

Rice in Region 5, she said, is facing serious problems, mainly because the former Administration was not aggressive enough in finding markets for farmers to sell their produce.

She said that the Government, in recognition of the plight of rice farmers and other farmers, will introduce an Agri-Bank-type system so as to give them meaningful financial help to improve their businesses.

But rice aside, Wade said the sugar industry is also going through trying times, which problem is compounded by the Skeldon Sugar Factory which continues to be a drain on the treasury.

She also told the House that the theatre at the hospital in the region will be resuscitated, and the region will have a centre to address malaria cases.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry said that many Berbicians are thankful for the relief they now enjoy from the decision by Government to waive the toll for the Berbice Bridge.

Old Age Pensioners, she said, are also thankful, with some saying that God does not come, but sends.

PPP/C Region 5 Representative,Harry Gill

APNU/AFC Region 5 Representative Jennifer Wade on the floor