PPP promises sweeping changes if elected

Aug 30, 2019 News

As elections slowly approach, Guyanese will be reading about and hearing of the policies the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has in its manifesto, and that will be implemented immediately should they return to office. The reversal of taxes – back to status quo or to a lower level – is one such policy.
These were among some of the assurances given by Opposition Leader and General Secretary of the party Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday at a press briefing held at his office.
Primary focus, according to Jagdeo, will be given to the reversal of tax measures implemented by the APNU+AFC government.
“In that regard you will see, for example, VAT on building material…they put the Value Added Tax on sand, stone, cement, etc. We want people to build more. We don’t want them to pay taxes on these issues. We will remove taxes on those.”
“Exporters are going to benefit also from the removal of taxes on their exports…Who taxes exports? You want your country to export more, earn more foreign currency and your people to work more,” Jagdeo said. “More jobs will be created with the increase in exports.
Jagdeo said that VAT will be removed from farming, mining and forestry equipment.
Farmers also stand to benefit from the removal of land rent, drainage and irrigation fees. Farmers, miners and loggers can look forward to an improvement in operations, he posited.
Reversal of taxes on miners is also promised by a PPP government.
“Guyanese can also look forward to using their phones more with the reversal of VAT on data services offered. The age limit on imported vehicles will be reversed,” Jagdeo said.
“You can take at least 1.2 million off the price of a vehicle simply by changing this policy; this would see car ownership a bit more easy and affordable for persons.
The reversal policy also deals with VAT on water and electricity.
Jagdeo also highlighted the PPP’s plan to ensure that some 20,000 persons will benefit from online scholarship programmes and this will be offered in addition to what is being done at the University of Guyana. An office would be constructed that would facilitate persons coming to apply for online courses.
This policy is aimed at helping persons to access programmes that aren’t being offered at UG.
“The online scholarships is a programme for how people can apply. This will be 20,000 online scholarships, so there will be an office that allows people to apply and this will be in addition to what is being done at the University of Guyana.
“So this would help private education but also help a large number of people to work and to get scholarships in professions that may not be offered by the University of Guyana.”
PPP also plans to have free university within the 4-year period should they be in office. Mr. Jagdeo said, “We’re looking at running the numbers that maybe year two or three we can move into this policy.”
Additional measures are being considered that would see improvement in the education sector. A plan is also being devised that would see measures being put in place to help University students with outstanding fees.
Joint Services will not be forgotten, and this will manifest itself with the restoration of the joint services bonus “and this is a done deal” according to Jagdeo.
Small businesses are to benefit also from grants that would be distributed and this would be done on a larger scale.
“This is our plan for all Guyana, for all our people,” Jagdeo said.
The General Secretary told the media that the party has already begun highlighting its promised courses of action in the form of posters on social media and informative flyers countrywide.

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