President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that under a continued People’s Progressive Party/Civic government, citizens will witness the establishment of “a new modern economy and a new Guyana” that will see the lives of all Guyanese being transformed.
Jagdeo made the announcement while addressing hundreds of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara residents who converged for one of a number of PPP/C’s community meetings on Tuesday evening.
The outgoing head of state said that under the PPP/C’s new manifesto “more development and change” will grip Guyana. Citizens would witness the rolling out of a massive plan for the creation of this new economy which seeks to further capitalise on the achievements and gains of successive PPP/C governments, while charting the way forward for the country’s future development.
President Bharrat Jagdeo
“Our job will not be done until every family has a plot of land, until we have electricity in every home, until every child has a primary education…” Jagdeo said to cheering supporters who braved inclement weather to be part of the meeting.
Announcing details of the party’s newly devised manifesto, the president said: “We will construct a new state-of-the-art specialist hospital that can deal with any illness and offer the quality of service available in certain parts of the developed world. We have sealed the contract in India.”
Jagdeo also announced the full computerisation of data systems at NIS. He explained that this is something that must be undertaken, as he expressed his dissatisfaction that elderly citizens who had laboured honestly and contributed to the country’s development were not getting their due benefits for various reasons.
“That’s wrong and though we have made lots of progress at the NIS, we still have lots of things to achieve and problems to fix…” He said that under the new economy envisaged by PPP/C, citizens should be able to stay in the comfort of their homes and use information communication technology to register for birth certificates, passports, NIS benefits and other things of this nature.
Jagdeo informed that some 57, 000 house lots would be made available to Guyanese families at the end of the year.
He noted that the new economy would see the emergence of a new ICT culture which will enable citizens to fully exploit past investments such as those made in the communications sector, including fibre optic cables.
He told Enterprise residents that they could expect also a new four-lane highway, in addition to those already constructed, a new international airport, new types of infrastructure, and a new Marriott Hotel among other developmental activities that form part of the party’s manifesto.
“We are not just talking and making promises like the others. We have already negotiated some of these contracts and work is scheduled to commence because of our commitment to the new economy we envisage,” Jagdeo stressed.
Addressing what he referred to as the “under-development and under-delivery of services to Region Four”, Jagdeo said that “we will win this region which is being controlled by the PNCR and AFC” promising to completely transform it. He explained that these two parties have been “fighting the government down every step of the way” and have worked to stymie the region’s development.
“The fight is not done. The fight for progress and development is not over,” Jagdeo said, explaining that it was the residents of the East Coast who had to make the change of leadership in the region through the casting of their ballots. “Local government elections will be held one year after these general elections,” Jagdeo roared, much to the support of the crowd.
Of course, he explained the PPP/C’s vision for the sugar industry, admitting seemingly that “things were not completely the way government wanted it in the industry” but it had a plan based upon mechanisation. “We will have to retrain most of the sugar workers,” he announced.
The president added that with the wave of change that is taking place and “going to take place under Donald Ramotar, your sons and daughters will now have jobs in ICT… and all the other new sectors.” He also spoke about opening up the Rupununi Savannahs, the search for oil and gas within the Guyana Basin and other initiatives which the new PPP government will undertake.
Jagdeo said he would not “make wild promises” which his party could not deliver, noting that he was “happy that Donald Ramotar would be able to take Guyana forward because the country’s future was safe in his hands”. Jagdeo urged all present to say “no” to the opposition and to join the PPP’s apparent push for the country’s modernisation.
“It’s not about power! It’s about Guyana’s future, your future and your children’s future,” he said passionately, as he urged them to “support the vision and recognise the transformation” that took place. He reminded those present of the dark days when the debt of country was seven-and- half times larger than the economy’s size. He said the PPP has built and repaired more than 1200 schools across the country, improved access to health care with the construction of eight new hospitals over the past four years, and trained scores of doctors and nurses, as well as teachers.
“We have moved from bankrupt to a position where our debt is serviced with a mere four per cent of each Guyana dollar”, he posited, stating that some media houses were not reporting the facts because of what he called their “pathological hatred for the PPP and continued attacks every day regardless of the facts. Don’t listen to them and their distortions. We have big plans for this country”, a passionate Jagdeo said to loud applause.
The party’s 2011 manifesto could be launched as soon as next weekend.
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