—Ramjattan says govt feeding gullible constituencies with lies
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha and the coalition frontbencher Khemraj Ramjattan on Wednesday clashed over the sugar industry and the two governments stewardship of the agriculture sector.
Scolding the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration for allegedly peddling disinformation about the performance of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), former Vice President, Ramjattan said the sector grew in leaps and bounds under the David Granger Administration.
As the debate on the 2021 National Budget continued in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the APNU+AFC Member of Parliament told the House that in reversing the gains made by the Coalition Government, the PPP/C Administration has been feeding “gullible” constituency lies and half-truths.
He said contrary to the narrative being peddled by the PPP/C, it was the APNU+AFC Government that commissioned a $109.7M state-of-the-art seed cleaning facility at the Burma Rice Research Station, in Region Five, much to the benefit of the Rice Industry.
“That seed cleaning facility alone…ensured that production of rice yield increased from 5.5 tons per hectare to 5.91 tons in 2019, and that is why in 2019, we had the highest export earnings from rice, US$222M; marginal it is an increase that is far superior to anything you [the PPP] did your 23 years,” MP Ramjattan said.
Added to that, he said the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), during the coalition’s five years in Office, secured new markets from Mexico and the Ivory Coast among other locations. Those new markets, he said, resulted in an increase of 526 tons of paddy when compared to 470 tons, a year prior.
MP Ramjattan said it was also under the leadership of the APNU+AFC Administration that the GRDB’s Central Laboratory received the International Standard ISO: 17025.
In turning his attention to the ailing Sugar Industry, MP Ramjattan, in justifying the coalition’s decision to “right size” the Industry by keeping only three estates in operation, said the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had incurred a debt of well over $82B. He said just six months in Office, the Irfaan Ali Administration has already injected $9B into the Sugar Industry.
The Opposition MP said while the Government is bombarding APNU+AFC for closing at three estates, history would show that the PPP/C, during its 23-years in Office (1992-2015), had also closed a number of Sugar Estates.
“We did, and we did it after a Commission of Inquiry, and that Commission of Inquiry indicated that yes, we had to right size, and we did that,” he posited, while noting that the move to reopen closed estates will not augur well for the country. He submitted that the $2B budgeted for GuySuCo could be better spent.
In the area of Drainage and Irrigation, the APNU+AFC Parliamentarian said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) installed pump stations across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six at a cost of $2.921B, benefiting communities such as Lusignan, Beterverwagting, Good Hope and Friendship, Vigilance, Buxton and Herstelling among others.
“The Cutter Suction Dredge, nothing we ain’t do! Nothing! Disinformation is your top vocation these days,” MP Ramjattan told his colleagues on the ruling side of the House, while adding that the dredge was acquired by NDIA in January, 2019. He said these interventions had led to a significant reduction of flooding in both agricultural and coastal areas.
In the Hinterland, the former Vice President reported that eight water harvesting systems were installed to provide irrigation and a continuous supply of water during the dry season for agricultural purposes.
“These honourable members would never appreciate that, and to a large extent, they want to dismantle that,” he posited.
MP Ramjattan said it was under the APNU+AFC Administration that Guyana experienced a boom in nontraditional crops such as ginger and turmeric. “In the non-traditional crops in the first half of 2019, it stood at 704,000 metric tons of production where in 2014, it was 438,000 tons. Isn’t that almost doubling it within a five year period? Nothing we ain’t do boss, nothing,” he reasoned.
He added: “Pepper production in 2018, approximately 16,000 metric tons of pepper was proposed compared to 9,000 [metric tons] in 2014, that is a 69-70 percent increase…and this is as a result of what NAREI did, the School of Agriculture did. Gingers and onions, the same thing.”
But Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha said it the APNU+AFC that is known for spreading misinformation and half-truths as he urged MP Ramjattan to come clean on the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Sugar Industry.
“You must come here with facts. Then, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member bare-facedly referred to the COI. He never quoted, he just referred and said the COI said to ‘right size’ the sugar industry. Well let me tell you what the COI said,” the Agriculture Minister told the House.
He added: “Mr. Speaker, the COI clearly said ‘The way forward – the sugar industry remains vital and important to the economy of Guyana and its people, many of whom have their lives touched by the sugar industry. The sugar industry must be given an opportunity to not just survive, but revitalize and become a vibrant, efficient and profitable business where employees have a sense of security and optimal use remaining resources.’”
He said another section of the COI report stated that “every government has an obligation and commitment to all the people of the country.” For him, this translates to a commitment to keep thousands employed by keeping the Sugar Industry fully operable.
The Agriculture Minister argued that it was never the recommendation of the COI to have any of the estates closed at the time.
He said contrary to the reports emanating from the APNU+AFC camp, GuySuCo was on the path of recovery in 2015 when the PPP/C demitted office.
“In 2015 when we left government, because of the work we did in the industry, the production was 231,071 tons of sugar and in 2017 after the Collation took over, 2016 – 183,000 tons, 2017 – 137,000 tons, 2018 – 104,000 tons, 2019 – 92,000 tons and last year, the lowest ever in the history of GuySuCo, 88,000 tons. That’s what they did with the sugar industry Mr. Speaker. They set up a Commission of Inquiry hoping that the COI would justify them closing down the entire industry. When the COI said don’t close any estate, they said that was not gospel,” the Agriculture Minister submitted.
As he commend the $383.1B to the House, Minister Mustapha said it includes no new taxes but in fact caters for the reversal of certain taxes. “The 2021 Budget will once again, incentivize the private sector, motivate the general populace and bring relief to the ordinary man,” he posited while noting that it has received the support of the Private Sector, a percentage of the Trade Unions and the Guyana Council of Organization for Persons Living with Disabilities among other organisations.
