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Jagdeo’s recent admission on rising food prices, cost-of-living a direct confession of govt’s failure to protect citizens – APNU
(Kaieteur News) – Recent utterances made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that Guyana is not producing enough of what citizens are consuming is causing the rising food prices and the climbing cost-of-living represent a direct confession that the government has failed to protect citizens, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said on Friday.
The party’s representative, Dr. David Hinds, during a press conference said that for years, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration has dismissed the complaints about the rising cost-of-living as an exaggeration or political criticism.
Member of Parliament for APNU, Dr. David Hinds
He said Jagdeo’s public admission is important as what is felt and known by every Guyanese household, in terms of the constantly rising costs and the struggle to make ends meet has finally been acknowledged.
Dr. Hinds said that given Jagdeo’s statements negate the need for a debate on whether hardships exist or if 38% of citizens live in abject poverty. Instead, he believes the discourse will be shifted to how the government will address the challenge.
“Oil wealth is the new yardstick by which the government must be judged. Gross Domestic Product growth is a financial indicator but human development in health, education and standard of living is where improvement is lagging. The Guyanese people are not benefiting in a way that impact their personal development. The clearest weakness in Jagdeo’s statement is that although he acknowledges the suffering, he offers no urgent plan to ease that suffering,” Dr. Hinds said.
The politician reminded that there has been no announcement of temporary tax relief, food subsidies, price stabilisation measures, or even direct interventions to cushion families from rising cost of groceries. The government has instead chosen to shift the responsibility onto citizens through a suddenly popular refrain, “produce more.” This response, he said, exposes a government that recognises that there are hardships but have no immediate plans to address it.
He said the government has continued to celebrate oil revenues and economic growth, “enriching themselves, their families, friends, and favourites. Jagdeo’s own explanation also exposes a deeper contradiction within the PPP’s record. For years, the PPP has spoken about agricultural expansion, food security, agro-processing growth, and reducing CARICOM’s dependence on imported food,” Dr. Hinds added.
The Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) said if Guyana remains vulnerable after billions in revenues and years of promises, the government has failed to produce the level of food security Guyana was promised.
Giving an example, he referenced the cassava project where the government offered farmers $40 a pound for cassava and committed to setting up a processing mill. In a matter of weeks, the prices jumped to $124 per pound, therefore rendering the project unviable before it even started.
Dr. Hinds said that the VP presented the situation as proof of price volatility, but he believes that the real problem is the absence of a proper plan and the usual incompetence of the government.
“Jagdeo intended to explain rising food costs. Instead, he has publicly confirmed the suffering of citizens, admitted weaknesses in domestic production, exposed failures in planning and execution, intensified the contradiction between oil wealth and household hardship, and reinforced growing concerns about incompetence, waste, misplaced priorities, and corruption. His statement therefore stands not as reassurance, but as a clear confession of the PPP government’s inadequacy and that it is out of touch with the reality of the suffering faced by ordinary Guyanese,” Dr. Hinds added.
On May 2, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that the VP said Guyana needs to produce more in order to address the rising market prices and minimise the effects of the world conflicts.
Jagdeo, in response to a question posed to President Irfaan Ali, at an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), said that Guyana is not producing enough of what citizens are consuming, hence the gap was driving food costs up.
“More people are eating meat now. They’re wealthier, they eat more chicken, they eat more meat and the prices are going up. We’re not producing enough beef. We’re not producing enough mutton in the country based on what people are eating…so prices keep going up,” the VP said.
DPI reported that Jagdeo noted that local production shortfalls are unfolding against a volatile global backdrop, heightening the urgency of strengthening domestic food security.
“The recent conflict between the United States and Iran, which sent shockwaves through the global oil and shipping industries, has added new pressure to an already strained global supply chain. With oil prices rising and shipping disruptions causing economies to convulse, the cost of imported goods, including food, is expected to climb further in the weeks and months ahead,” the DPI report said.
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The more money government dishes out to consumers to support cost of living the more is the incentive to turn away from “ food production” . Those who call for greater financial subside are counter productive. The Opposition should encourage people to become involved in food production. If ever they ever get into power the Guyanese people will hold them on their word