Celebrating four years as a political party

Oct 04, 2009 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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On October 29, the AFC will observe its fourth year of being a political party. Many will recall the hour and the day at the Ocean View Convention Centre at Liliendaal, when a movement for Change was launched and became a registered political party to contest the 2006 General and Regional elections. Since then the party has continued to grow and to expand its reach to every Region of the country. The leadership is aware that it will be tough and tireless going but is proud of its record and is ever mindful that there is much, much more work to be done.
Despite the ongoing setbacks we face of being unable to utilise the Region 10 parliamentary seat, dealing with the harassment of our members and supporters, and the daily challenge of confronting the lawlessness and high-handedness of the administration, and the abject poverty endured by so many, we wish to thank the thousands who continue to embrace our cause and to give us succor and support in these difficult times.
The road ahead might be difficult at times but a rewarding one as we work as a party to enter government so as to bring stability, peace, and prosperity to every Guyanese; whether resident here or abroad.
During the month, the Party will be holding an Inter-Faith Religious Service, its annual Marlis Archer and Maxi Perreira Cycle Race, and a family fund day, aiding the indigent, and training its cadres/leaders in the 10 Regions. This will be capped off with a meeting of the National Executive Committee at the end of the month.

THE PPP/C AND HOUSE LOTS
Despite the ambiguous assertions of the Minister of Housing, the AFC maintains its claim that the PPP/C political party, which is the party that forms the government, has obtained three house lots in a less than transparent manner. The issue is not whether other NGOs obtain house lots as well or if they were paid for, but rather, whether the ruling political party should obtain the benefit of the state’s resources by being granted title to house lots which were set aside for persons without homes. We call again for the Minister to state in clear and unambiguous terms all of the details surrounding the acquisition of the three house lots by the PPP/C. The AFC cries shame on the government and the PPP/C for this latest act of corruption. The only decent thing to do would be to reverse the acquisition.

TOWARDS A MORE PROFITABLE AND LESS HEARTBREAKING RICE SECTOR IN GUYANA.
Over the last few months many issues concerning the mismanagement of the rice sector have surfaced. These range from the lack of a properly maintained system of drainage and irrigation; to a limp and ineffectual lobby to procure a first priority of our rice within the Caricom Regional Market; to a conscious denuding of democracy by the PPP/C administration of that all-important institution called the Rice Producers Association. This has resulted in rice farmers literally crying in pain, from Corentyne to Essequibo, concerning the low prices of paddy and general unprofitability of this crop. Rice farmers are in a rebellious mood as is evident in their recent protests, and almost violent outpourings against the Minister of Agriculture and his GRDB officials.

The AFC had to step in and help farmers resolve issues with the MMA in West Berbice in order to save their current crop. But this is only a temporary measure. The overhauling of the entire system is what is required, with the major voice as to what that overhaul should be, coming from farmers and millers through an authentic and genuinely representative RPA. Not the presently rigged Government-sponsored organ.
Additionally, the AFC looks upon the recent development of Minister Persaud’s promise to expend $400M into this faltering rice sector with some suspicion. There is no certainty as to the status of this $400M. It has not yet been given the green light from Parliament which must first approve of it through a Supplementary Provision, it never having been budgeted for. Right now it is a mere commitment to the farmers who are giving the Government no ends of trouble with protests countrywide and a major litigation in the High Court. So it might just be a soft-sop pronouncement to temporarily appease a rising number of discontents. There has also not been any concrete proposal as to how this money will be distributed, whether in the form of a subsidy for fertilizer, or fuel or direct payments to farmers at say $100 per bag.
It is very clear then that rice farmers, who need immediate assistance, will not see any of this money in the near future. And knowing how this Government is corrupt, it is not certain that the farmers will be the beneficiaries.
The AFC proposes that a number of new policies be considered and applied to the sector for a fuller realisation of its potential and greater profitability.

A) Re-gaining the respect within Caricom that Guyana can be a reliable supplier of a quality product. What can help in this regard is bringing to a halt the misconduct of the Government of Guyana in not complying with rules of trade concerning goods from Caricom like cement, even in the face of a ruling of the CCJ.
How can we ask Trinidad to buy our rice when we do not want to buy that country’s cement? So as we go outside of the Region for our cement, so too will other Caricom countries go outside for rice.

B) Better access to capital through the establishment of an Agricultural Development Bank. This institution will not only be for rice farmers but all spheres of agricultural activity including fishery, livestock, and animal farming, etc.

C) Planting and reproductive material being available to farmers by the authorities. NARI and even the University of Guyana must ensure production of disease-resistant varieties and generic planting material to ensure less dependence on imported pesticides, weedicides and fertilizers.

D) Value added products being manufactured e.g. rice cereals, flakes, flour with an attendant cultivation of culture to eat what we produce.
E) Support the World Bank Proposal on Agricultural Insurance. We need to increase agricultural competitiveness and these instruments could provide a sustainable market mechanism.

F) Upgrade our various domestic market venues – Stabroek Market, Bourda, Mon Repos, La Penitence and others to more farmer-friendly consumer markets. All these market venues where farmers sell their produce are in a deplorable state with substandard facilities even though government has awarded construction contracts over the years in some of these areas. The produce consumers’ purchase should be in a clean environment from farm to market.
G) Contract farmers themselves to maintain the canals next to their farms especially those in the rice industry.
H) Develop a plan to work on Brazil’s need for rice by looking at options in Region 9.

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