From left to right: Opposition Leader David Granger; Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul and Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Norris Witter at the Critchlow Labour College

Opposition Leader David Granger has once again reiterated that the cuts made to the 2012 budget were justified as there was not enough discussion amongst the three parliamentary parties prior to the presentation of the budget.

Granger addressing hundreds of workers at the Critchlow Labour College said the combined opposition begged the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) to have tripartite budget talks with the opposition before tabling the Budget, but this was not done.

“We were faced with a predetermined budget since December last year. I told Ramotar let us establish this tripartite budget committee – our economic spokesman Greenidge was willing to go, December passed no word; January passed no word; February passed no word then March come and somebody heard Greenidge out of the country… and 30th March we were presented with a readymade budget. That is why we had to take action; it was not a budget that came from the majority. It is not a budget that came from the people, not a budget that we had an input in; they say hea, we say hea back!” Granger said.

All actions he said taken by the opposition are aimed at ensuring that the PPP/ C sits down and talk about the budget, and all other developmental projects to ensure that Guyanese receive a “good life”.

Granger said too that as a result, the opposition acted to ensure that there is accountability and prudent management of the country’s finances, noting that had there been adequate discussions, government probably would not have seen more than Gy$ 20 billion being chopped from the budget.

The opposition leader noted that it is important the government through collaboration with the opposition move to ensure that the country’s poverty level is drastically reduced. Currently, he said one third of the country’s population lives in poverty.

“I am working with the GTUC to give Guyanese a good life… we cannot take this country forward when more than one third of the working people are poor… we have to get rid of poverty in this country,” he told the gathering.

He said, “Unless the budget deals with the problem of poverty, it is no budget at all”, noting that is the first test of the budget.

The combined opposition received harsh criticisms from Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on the cuts made to the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU).

However, Granger refuted those utterances saying, “We did not vote against CANU”. He said there is a need to bring the police force up to strength, but alleged that there are many activities that are being conducted outside of the parameters of the law. Granger said too that the allocations made by government to the University of Guyana is shameful, noting that Gy$ 800 million was not sufficient to properly administer the country’s premiere tertiary institution.

It is time Granger said that the university produce academics that are worth their salt. He pointed to the situation in the fields of geological engineering and manganese mining where the majority of the persons working at Matthews Ridge North West District (NWD) hail from foreign soil.

The opposition leader said that the combined opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) did not feel that the 2012 budget provided enough money to move education forward. “… and I have no apologies for saying that,” He said.

Breadline

According to Granger, the opposition had no intention to “send anybody on the breadline”. He said the opposition’s core interest is to ensure that citizens enjoy a better life. “We are going to restore the kind of life that you demand”. He stressed the need for there to be “freedom of communication”, noting that “We don’t want to send workers from GINA home, we don’t want to send workers from NCN home, in fact, I doubt that any of them will go home”.

But while that was said, Granger stressed that the identified media entities are not “free”. “We are the majority, it is not bullyism, it is fairness and GINA and NCN are being very biased. We are prepared brothers and sisters to restore anything that is cut as long as the reforms are put in place. We are not trying to bring government to a halt.”

Granger’s speech saw a standing ovation as public servants dressed in traditional red and white or red and black clothing, stood in the auditorium of Critchlow Labour College in approval of his message.

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Kavita Ganpat

Behind the frothy platitudes in Parliament by the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), lies a trail of human misery and desolation.

This was the opinion expressed by several state employees who spoke with Guyana Times International in the wake of the combined opposition’s “chopping spree” on the 2012 National Budget. “Ruthless” and “despicable” just to flex their political muscles on the government were some of the sentiments expressed.

Roopnarine Sammi, a Government Information Agency (GINA) Information Technology Officer flayed the decision taken by the combined opposition to lop off over Gy$ 20 billion from the budget.

Kawise Wishart

“Among the thousands of youths unemployed in Guyana, right now I am one of them because I have no job… I think what the opposition is trying to do is hurt the government but they are also hurting innocent people and people who are earning a daily living. It’s unfair.

According to the affected employees, both APNU and AFC have no heart for ordinary workers, pointing out that they did not even try to trim the allocations to their agencies, but saw it fit to bask in comfort and put them on the breadline.

Kavita Ganpat, who works as a secretary at the entity was nonplussed at the opposition’s hypocrisy. “I can remember Mr Granger saying that he will create job opportunities for young people but right now he is not doing that so I don’t know what I am going to do.” “I wish the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) that was so vocal during the elections would speak up now. Aren’t we youths?”

Anil Seelall

Kawise Wishart, a cameraman/ video editor expressed similar sentiments. “The opposition speaks of the new dispensation. If this is the new dispensation for the youths of Guyana who are employed by government agencies, this is not the new dispensation for the youths of Guyana. This is going to lead us into days where it will be dark for us and our families… I’m a father; my daughter depends on me for everything… is this creating jobs Mr Granger and Mr Ramjattan?

“Coming from a single parent home, it will be really hard to go home and tell my mom that I will not be able to maintain her and my other brothers, taking into consideration that this is my first job since I was trained at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre. What will I go and tell her?” a young cameraman Anil Seelall asked as his future was plunged into uncertainty.

Fabian Clowes

Most of the fired workers have found it difficult to comprehend how the opposition members with families would sleep knowing that they have voted to take bread from the mouths of innocent workers and their families, something they would never entertain for their own families.

Fabian Clowes, a long serving communications officer said irrespective of the political arguments put forward, the fact remains that people are out of jobs, noting that the opposition appears to now extend their hostility to poor state workers.

“This budget cut will affect me and my family and I just get a young one-month and two-days old child, and I don’t know how she is going to survive now without a job…”

“I don’t know what will happen now, one employee who gave his name as Leroy said.

His colleague, Shaundell, who appeared broken by the decision said, “I would like to say thanks to Mr Ramjattan for putting me on the bread line. I have three kids, I have a house loan to pay, I have a lot of bills on my head. I would just like to say thank you very much.”

Many ex-workers also found it bewildering that Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC in partnership with David Granger of the APNU will cut the allocations to their agencies when there is no financial crisis in the country.

“I think it’s very unfair – what was done because now most of us here are young people, what are we supposed to go and do now?” Tekia Higgins, a communications officer lamented.

“I am the sole breadwinner for my family. I have three persons at home depending on me,” another communications officer Ursulla Ramdayal said as she tried to hold back tears, noting that AFC/ APNU now appears to be the deciders of who should eat and who should not. “Is this what some people voted them in for?” she asked plaintively.

Kapil Dev Singh, an information technology officer, who appeared dejected and broken said, “I feel it’s really disappointing. What are we going to do with our lives now? What they want us to do now – thief, borrow, beg, drink rum and smoke?”

Ramjattan in explaining the decision by the opposition deemed the cuts affecting ordinary state workers as “collateral damage” with Carl Greenidge of the APNU saying the coalition has no apology for its action.

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