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National Economic Council was figment of Ramotar’s imagination – Finance Minister
…Says that it will not be acknowledged by the Granger administration
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan made it clear that the coalition administration would not be acknowledging the former regime’s idea of a National Economic Council (NEC).
This notion of the council was actually brought to light by former President Donald Ramotar. He had said that Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, would have been appointed to serve on it.
But Jordan is adamant that the NEC was a mere figment of Ramotar’s imagination.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News the politician said, “That was not a legal administrative thing… We would not be going ahead with that but what we are going ahead with is the technical assistance that we have been able to get from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in implementing or reinstituting, rather, planning in Guyana.”
The Finance Minister noted that in the previous incarnation of the state planning secretariat, there were three aspects.
Jordan said that the State Planning Commission was made up of the State Planning Secretariat, the National Economic and Social Council and the Technical Advisory Panel.
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Former President Donald Ramotar
When Ramotar first brought the NEC to the attention of the public, it immediately attracted criticisms from various quarters. Critics saw it as another “gimmick” to place more power into Jagdeo’s hands.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Carl Greenidge, who now serves as the Foreign Affairs Minister, was one who bashed the former President for even introducing the idea.
“The PPP has been in office since 1992, and there has never been such a council. Ramotar has been President since 2011 and never saw the need for such a council. Mr. Jagdeo was president until 2011 and he never saw the need for such a council. It is astonishing now that three years after demitting office such a proposal would find favour with him.”
“I would have to conclude that this (Council) is just a gimmick and the main purpose is to find a formal opening for Jagdeo to continue to control the economic destiny of the country, while sitting in the backseat of Ramotar’s political car, “Greenidge had said.
Greenidge had said too that while the former government did not disclose the terms of this Council, it appeared as though it was being designed to afford Jagdeo the opportunity to, “formally have access to privileged information”.
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