During the official start of its elections campaign, the Alliance For Change (AFC) party made a stop at Guyana’s premier tertiary education institution — the University of Guyana. There, the party made known its conviction that, through research, UG students could play a more meaningful role in the country’s development.
The party’s plan of action includes making the university a major regional research institution.
Kemraj Ramjattan addressing the gathering at UG
Speaking on the issue, AFC’s prime ministerial candidate, Sheila Holder, said the university “should be looking at solutions to our problems”. This was reiterated by party presidential candidate Kemraj Ramjattan, who said funding for such research projects will come from increased budgetary allocations and inputs from the Guyanese diaspora.
Holder also addressed other social issues affecting Guyanese, and outlined the party’s plans to address them. She noted that the party intends to implement a qualitative and systematic social transformation, which will go hand in hand with its plan to improve health and education by implementing effective policies.
“A new foreign policy” under an AFC government was unveiled by Dr Rishee Thakur. The AFC said it will redirect Guyana’s foreign policy to articulate and advance the country’s economic interests globally. Here again, the university’s role is critical, as the party wants to resuscitate the Foreign Service Institute through closer collaboration with the University of Guyana and the University of the West Indies to serve as training centres for diplomats.
Ramjattan also spoke of a new economic policy, and expressed need for a comprehensive tax reform system which would include the reduction of VAT from 16 to 12 per cent, a reduction of the corporation and income tax rates, and an increase in the tax threshold, among others measures. AFC proposes the establishment of a “state development bank”.
This is the second time the party would be participating in national elections since it was formed in 2006.
