The budget debate has exposed the untruths of Minister Cathy Hughes

Dec 18, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Listening to Minister Catherine Hughes’ presentation in Parliament shows that she is finally experiencing the good life compliments of the taxpayers. But the same cannot be said of the ordinary workers of Guyana. Mrs. Hughes words illustrated that she is totally disconnected from the pain and perils of the ordinary women who live in Guyana. Shame on her for trying to mislead and fool the people with her “not to be trusted” Budget speech!
Her statement in Parliament on December 8th, 2016 tried to deliberately mislead the nation that this 2017 Budget has transformational projects in it and they were there for the first time. But this is a major untruth. Is this a testimony to the state of her political integrity? First off, Catherine Hughes asked when last have we heard of a plan to erect a “concrete fixed bridge across the Demerara River”. I would like to take her to the 2013 Budget speech by the PPP’s Finance Minister where he said: “Government has commenced a technical examination of the options for the construction of a new concrete fixed bridge across the Demerara River”. He further shed more light on the subject by saying that in 2013 his government will “invite expressions of interest for a public-private partnership” to develop this project. Sorry Mrs. Hughes, untruth No.1 in your speech stands exposed.
Secondly, Mrs. Hughes asked when last have we heard of the desilting of the Demerara River. I would like to take her to the 1997 Budget Presentation of the then Minister Jagdeo where he committed funds under the theme “Strengthening Partnerships for the Future”. The Demerara River was desilited under that PPP government to deliver on a budget commitment and even in 2013 former PPP Minister Benn coordinated a stakeholder’s meeting to map and fund a process to dredge the river properly. Sorry Mrs. Hughes, untruth No. 2 in your speech stand exposed.
Thirdly, Mrs. Hughes asked when last you heard about the paving of the road from Linden to Lethem. In the 2010 Budget, the PPP Minister updated the nation on their push for the paving of the road between Linden and Lethem. Since then, the economy of Brazil collapsed, marginalizing those chances. So it was not for a lack of effort from the PPP that this road remains unpaved. Paving this road has been on every government’s mind since Burnham and even before him. Actually, it has been an idea on the books since the 1920’s when Henry Ford recognized the potential of this road to enhance the world’s trade in rubber. If the PPP had won the elections in 2015, this idea would have been well advanced on its implementation, but as we all now know of this Granger PNC government, we will have to wait for years more before these novices pave a mile of this road. They are still in school. Sorry Mrs. Hughes, untruth No. 3 in your speech stands exposed.
Now Mrs. Hughes keeps talking about this Georgetown seafront boardwalk but who really will come to walk on this boardwalk if the citizens cannot walk on the streets in peace without being robbed, raped or ransacked in crime infested Georgetown. This situation has worsened under the leadership of her failed colleague, Minister Ramjattan who is clueless on the next moves needed to bring personal safety to the nation. He keeps rolling out statistics, but the reality for the people reflects nothing of these bogus statistics. So will this be another billion dollar white elephant like the Durban Park Project?
Talking about the white elephant Durban Park Project, the cost to the nation is now over a billion dollars and counting and yet we cannot see the value for money spent. I must say instead of squandering all this money between 2015-2016 on this project, we could have used the same money to build a jubilee village of over 100 middle-class house with a road, water, electricity, play park and drainage which would have better served the nation.
And to say Guyana has been comatose for the last two decades is an abnormal low for Mrs. Hughes. When she chooses to not recognize the period when Guyana was really economically barren between 1976-1989 and then again today since May 2015 under her government, then we know really which Minister’s brain is not working. Finally, Minister Hughes did state that the people stood up in 2015 against the PPP but what she failed to mention that because of the poor performance of the Granger led PNC government, the people also stood up in the 2016 local government elections and rejected Minister Hughes, Minister Bulkan and all of their political acolytes in the PNC.
This is the third thoughtless tax and spend budget from this new PNC repackaged as a Coalition. Let me put Mrs. Hughes on notice, the people in 2020 will remember the financial oppression from President Granger and the people will also stand up against this oppression, nepotism and bad governance that Mrs. Catherine Hughes and all of her PNC/AFC colleagues represent. One PPP MP said that PM Nagamootoo called them FAT CATS, but today he is rubbing shoulders with FATTER CATS in Congress Place. Yes, the good life has arrived but for whom? Certainly not the sugar workers and the public servants, but the FATCAT Ministers who like Napoleon in Animal Farm are now preaching the message – “some pigs are more equal than other”. Carry on Mrs. Catherine Hughes – the old people seh – “long time gone, short time leff”.
Surujdai Lilmohan

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