President Irfaan Ali last evening announced a plan for more oil and gas scholarships for government employees and launched a blistering attack on APNU+AFC MPs over the pandemonium they caused at Wednesday’s sitting of Parliament even as he continued to defend the provisions of the controversial Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill.
In a televised address early in the evening before he proceeded on Old Year’s Night activities, the President announced two new initiatives.
“First, I want to create new educational and work opportunities for young professionals in our country. I want them to gain experience and to become educated and trained to be owners and managers of all sectors of our society. While, at this time, we must rely on foreign know-how in the oil and gas sectors, the ground must be readied now for young Guyanese to assume those positions, regardless of their race, colour or creed.
“The Ministers of Government have already been advised to implement policies throughout their ministries and departments, and in the award of scholarships and the building out of training institutions to this effect.
“The second thing that I announce now is my intention as President, to hold meetings with individual organised groups of young people, including the youth arms of all the political parties, starting as soon as these can be arranged. I want to hear their views; I want to learn how they think we should shape the future of our One Guyana; I want to dialogue with them about the kind of country they wish to inherit and how they will advance it”.
While he announced his intention to hold meetings with youth groups, the President held out no olive branch to the opposition but instead pilloried it over Wednesday’s behaviour which saw the seizing of the Speaker’s mace and racial slurs against a parliamentary staffer.
“…it would be remiss of me not to deplore the unseemly behaviour of the opposition members of the National Assembly last Wednesday when they resorted to violent threats and intimidation to stop a bill whose virtues they feared. The contempt to seize the Speaker’s Mace – the symbol of his authority over the conduct of the Assembly – and to surround the Minister of Finance, shouting in his face was gross unparliamentary behaviour that carried a dire warning.” He added, “What we witnessed in the National Assembly was not only a violent assault on democracy but a blatant disrespect for the highest law-making institution of our nation.”
He added “It is worth saying a few words about the real cause of the undignified actions of members of the opposition in the National Assembly.
“They claimed that repealing a bill they unilaterally passed, giving the Minister of Finance excessive power over the National Resource Fund, and placing it instead under the supervision of an independent and nationally accountable body, is somehow wrong…
“What your democratically elected Government has now done is to remove the Minister of Finance from having such unlimited and unbridled power.
“Instead, we have created a governance and operational structure that is transparent and accountable and in which non-political, highly reputable persons carry out the responsibilities of supervision and compliance. In essence, the powers of oversight and control are with you – the people”.
He said that the opposition and “certain media outlets” have tried to mislead their audiences into believing that he will be appointing the Board of Directors unilaterally and will have control over them.
“Nothing is further from the truth. While as President of this country, I am obliged to sign letters of appointment, the Board will include a person selected by the National Assembly – all parties therein – after consultation and debate among themselves. It will also include representation from the private sector, which gives a voice to civil society in the newly established decision-making body responsible for overall management of the Fund – mind you a decision-making body that did not exist under the APNU+AFC bill”, the President said.
He charged that the Opposition brawl in the National Assembly was to prevent the people from hearing all this.
“Of course, I know that you – the people of our One Guyana – expect to see benefits from the NRF flow to you, to improve your lives now; to deliver more jobs and better wages.
“Therefore, it is obvious that some of the money from the NRF, which now stands at approximately US$534 million, must be spent on your welfare and wellbeing.
“It is for that reason that the new legislation provides a mechanism by which the Parliament will approve the transfer of funds for projects and programmes that the Government has to carry out to raise your standard of living, to improve your circumstances and to give you a better life. And, I add, has to account for every cent of that money.
“When transfers are made, to what department, for what purpose, and the results of the spending – all have to be made public. It has to be audited, the audited report has to be presented to the National Assembly and of course the PAC will have a chance to review the Auditor General’s report.
“And, you should recall that the World Bank has projected that, over the life span of oil and gas production, Guyana could earn US$72.8 billion in revenues from the multiple offshore projects that will be operational”, he stated.
Surely, he said, it is right, that with full and adequate supervision by reputable persons, nominated by parliament and the private sector, a portion of those funds should be spent on improving the lives of the people of Guyana – all of them – and bettering the conditions in which they live.
The Head of State proceeded to lay out his government’s accomplishments for 2021 some of which included the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; a major weapon in this battle being government’s vaccination programme.
According to Ali, 441,000 persons countrywide received first dose vaccines and 317,000 persons got the second dose, with booster shots being administered to over 11,000 persons. He also spoke of distributing over $14 billion in COVID-19 relief cash grants and flood relief cash grants. Also mentioned was the increase of old-age pensions by over 21 per cent to $25,000 and public assistance by 33 per cent to $12,000 monthly. Not be left out was the distribution of nearly10,000 house lots to applicants.
The President then turned his attention to what he viewed as two of the main threats that Guyana continues to face along with the rest of the world – the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain crisis. He noted that out of 39,238 infected persons, 1,051(2.6%) had died. The low number in comparison to many other countries, he posited, could be attributed to the government’s timely actions and to the health workers, particularly those in the frontline who provided unselfish care.
“We continue to be grateful to our health workers and to thank them for their outstanding service. Similarly, we mourn with the families and friends of the 1,051 persons who succumbed to the dreaded disease.” He assured that “every life is precious” and that “no effort will be spared” until the pandemic is ended worldwide and called on all unvaccinated persons to overcome their fear of inoculation. He cited the evidence both here and abroad that vaccines save lives and give protection against new variants such as Omicron, which is far more transmissible than the original virus and its Delta variant.
Regarding the global supply chain crisis, the President acknowledged that it is inimical to the nation’s development plans. He explained that it is responsible for the increase in imported goods and the hike in shipping costs from US$2,000 at the beginning of 2021 to US$20,000 by the year’s end. Added to this, there have also been massive delays in the transportation and the delivery of cargo. All this has resulted in increased prices for goods and consumable items in here in Guyana and worldwide.
To mitigate this issue, he said, “requires new and creative measures, which my Government has either started to put in place or is in the process of implementing. I do not promise that we can solve all aspects of the problem alone; it is a global challenge. But I do pledge this: my government will lose no time in seeking ways to ease the strain on the people of Guyana. In collaboration with the private sector, we will roll out strategies early in the New Year to alleviate the problem as best we can.”
President Ali finally touched on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy currently before the ICJ and informed that the government has been putting all of its efforts into preparation for the submission of the Memorial on the merits of the country’s case by March 8, 2022.
“We will not rest in our efforts to preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Equally, we will continue to be a responsible member of the international community, enhancing our profile at the regional and international levels,” he declared.
The President closed his remarks by calling on all Guyanese to join him “in taking our beloved nation to a higher destiny; and the noble expression of our oneness from which all will benefit, thrive and prosper.”
