Dear Editor,
M Maxwell must be ‘commended’ for the consistency of his attacks on the PPP/C administration even though his criticisms invariably lack balance and objectivity. He has now joined the letter writers with obvious political agendas, namely to project the PPP and the PPP/C administration as being anti-working class and not governing in the best interest of the Guyanese people.
His recent letter (Stabroek News, Friday July 22), captioned ‘The cost of living is not going to fall’ is a case in point, in which he attempted to convey the impression that real wages in Guyana have fallen under this administration, without providing any real empirical evidence to substantiate such a view. He further opined that under a Donald Ramotar presidency, the cost of living will increase even further since as he put it, “Mr Ramotar’s inexperience and lack of vision is not what the doctor ordered at this juncture of our economic reality in Guyana.”
This is unadulterated nonsense that is based on complete ignorance of the facts or a deliberate attempt to mislead the Guyanese people. The truth is that wages and salaries over the years have increased significantly over and above the rate of inflation, which in effect meant that the average Guyanese worker has access to a bigger basket of goods and services every time there is an increase in wages and salaries. This is quite unlike what transpired under the PNC regime when there was a steady decline in real income due to runaway inflation and consequently a spiralling cost of living. In other words, money income was negated by high inflation rates which resulted in less purchasing power despite increases in money income.
It is true that wages in Guyana are relatively modest due to the nearly three decades of economic stagnation and retrogression by the former PNC administration, that reduced this country to one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere as a consequence of undemocratic rule and economic mismanagement. The country during those years was saddled with a huge and unsustainable debt burden where a large portion of our revenues were utilized to service the debt burden. Little wonder there was no money available to offer any real increases to the Guyanese workers and to spend in the social sectors, including education, health, housing and water, etc. It is a lasting shame on the PNC that they have reduced our nation’s children to the lowest performers at the CXC regional examination, a situation that is now being reversed thanks to increased allocation to the education sector.
I am convinced that with a growing economy and prudent fiscal management the people of Guyana will see a continuation of this trend of growth in income levels and economic prosperity. Unlike what is being peddled by Mr Maxwell, Donald Ramotar has what it takes to lift this nation to greater heights, having been integrally involved in all the major decision-making processes of the PPP/C administration since 1992 when the PPP took over the reins of power from the PNC in the first democratically held elections after an absence of twenty-four years.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
