First-time MP blazes PPP over squandered opportunities

Aug 19, 2015 News

– declares end to Linden’s repression

By Abena Rockcliffe
Region 10 and indeed the youth of Guyana were well represented as first-time parliamentarian Jermaine Figueira made his contributions to the ongoing 2015 Budget debates, during the first session of yesterday’s sitting.
The fact that he is a newbie obviously did not affect his presentation as it can be dubbed one of the better ones so far, with regards to content and delivery.

MP Jermaine Figueira

Opening with guns blazing, Figueira said that it was sad to see opposition members now offering all the solutions to Guyana’s problems after they would have “squandered their many opportunities with profound mismanagement and ineptness.”
Addressing the Speaker, the Lindener said that ill-conceived and “voodoo” projects were the order of the day during the PPP reign; yet, it (the party) now has the temerity to “claim our vision even though they had almost my entire lifetime to do what this government is on the path to achieving”.
He told the fellow Members of Parliament (MPs) that the citizens of Region Ten are now breathing a breath of fresh air.
“We in Region Ten were in a chokehold by the previous administration; we felt the blunt of their arrogance, injustice, marginalization, stifled development and their promotion of gross unemployment…our Region was battered and beaten, but never broken.”
The MP said that the shackles of bondage and obstacles of oppression have since been removed and replaced with an indomitable spirit of optimism.
He noted that Region 10, for the first time in 23 years, will finally get its budget request honoured to aid its development programmes.
However, Figueira sought to make it clear that Region 10 does not want to be a parasitical Region that is dependent on government handouts and assistance.
“It is the region’s ambition to become a region that is independent and self-sufficient.”
Staring into the eyes of those on the opposition benches, Figueira said that Region Ten, like most of Guyana, has been plagued for many years with unemployment and joblessness.
The MP then cited a recent study by the Caribbean Development Bank, which showed Guyana and Suriname as the countries in the region with the largest percentage of youth unemployment.
Referencing the World Bank study, Figueira said that Guyana tops the list in the region, with 89% of tertiary level graduates who leave their country in search of jobs elsewhere.
Further he noted that the stats on unemployment are not the only depressing ones, the youths are inordinately affected by Guyana’s record breaking rate of suicide that has gained worldwide attention.
“These statistics and unwanted realties all existed under the 23-year rule of the PPP/C administration,” said Figueira.
Rebutting earlier statements made by Charles Ramson Jr. to the effect that the new government has no concern for the youth. Figueira said, “my birth certificate and my being here, reflect the real youth of Guyana that is not connected or aligned to the hierarchy of party leadership even one of our former opposition members, has been given the opportunity to serve as opposition member, again.”
Further, the MP said that the National Youth Policy initiative proposed for the first time by the current government should be applauded and accepted by all Guyanese.
Figueira said that being his age, he understands the plight of the country’s youth and will work along with his government to ensure that the youth can meaningfully contribute to their personal and national development.
“Our national priority as a responsible government is clearly to stimulate economic growth, to generate employment, tackle crime and violence, and service our large inherited debt and secure the needed foreign exchange to satisfy the needs of the economy.”
Figueira lauded government’s incentives such as tax exemptions to medium and small scale miners, many of them being young people, from paying custom duties on fuel, ATVs, engines, pumps etc., as a giant step in helping them to succeed.
He also said that the 13 Amerindian communities in Region Ten and many others around Guyana are happy that government has seen it noteworthy to exempt customs duties on motor vehicles and ATVs for Toshaos in those communities.
The MP said that residents of Region Ten – especially the mothers, wives and grandmothers, who are the real economist in the homes – are overjoyed for the zero rated VAT on basic food items.
Further, Figueira said that the pensioners in the Region “particularly my 85-year-old grandfather, who makes it his duty every year by the grace of God to listen to the budget presentation with special attention to his pension benefits, were often disappointed. But this year, I have never seen his dentures shine so bright in a smile”.
“Region Ten and Guyanese will continue to celebrate freedom from 23 years rule from an uncaring, selfish, corrupt and tyrannical administration…In the words of a popular Jamaican artist, Jacob Miller, “forward ever backward never.”