Reference is made to article dated March 29, captioned “Washing’ Stabroek Market cannot compensate for broken promises.” The claims in the article are attributed to the well-known People’s Progressive Party (PPP) propagandist, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop. The claims were made on his television program.
According to the article, Dr. Ramsaroop attacks me and the performance of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown. Editor, I will not get down to Dr. Ramsaroop’s low level of gutter politics, instead, I will address the issues. I will answer each of Dr. Ramsaroop’s false contentions.
Ramsaroop’s main theme is about the performance of the M&CC with regard to Stabroek Market. Let me tell the public the truth of the matter and call out Ramsaroop’s lies.
On October 2, 2020, President Irfaan Ali appointed Dr. Ramsaroop to the position of Chief Investment Officer and CEO of the Guyana Office for Investment (GOINVEST).
At the beginning of 2019, the M&CC launched a redevelopment plan for Stabroek Market and that plan was communicated to the then Government APNU/AFC, which was about to commence. However, in 2020 the PPP took the office of government and that project was redirected to H.E President Irfraan Ali. I engaged Dr. Peter Ramsaroop – as head of GOINVEST – who was fully aware of the said project and went ahead and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with one of the private investors who were a part of this project. However, when the entire project and documents reached his political masters at Cabinet, they thus rejected and killed the plan. As such, nothing could be done by the M&CC to improve conditions for the vendors and patrons of the market.
Dr. Ramsaroop knows that it is his PPP government that prevented the refurbishment of the market. So, when he blames the M&CC, he is being less than honest.
Dr. Ramsaroop, on his television program, asks where are rates and taxes going. Ramsaroop should be the last person to mention that because he knows exactly what the situation is.
Rates and taxes are calculated on the basis of property values. Those values come from valuations that the Ministry of Finance are supposed – by law – to do every five years. Editor, the last valuation was done in 1996. As such, property owners are paying rates and taxes based on 1996 values. In other words, they are paying almost nothing. At the same time, the PPP regime that Dr. Ramsaroop supports, continues to flout the law by refusing to do fresh and regular property valuations.
Dr. Ramsaroop has property in Georgetown, I would like to ask him, how much rates and taxes does he pay?
Another thing Dr. Ramsaroop talks about is Guyana’s economic success under his PPP government.
I have no doubt that Ramsaroop is reaping massive benefits. After all, he is spreading false propaganda for the PPP. But what about the ordinary people; what successes are they seeing? I am sure that Ramsaroop is well aware that the United Nations lists Guyana as having one of the highest rates of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the most recent report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 38.8 percent of Guyanese live in poverty. That is, they have less than US$5.50 to spend per day. That amount can’t even buy a decent meal in this day and age of rising prices.
PPP apologists such as Dr. Ramsaroop should stop lying to citizens because they are not fooling anybody. Guyanese are well aware of the fact that many ordinary people don’t know where the next meal is coming from.
Finally, Dr. Ramsaroop needs to know that history cannot be rewritten. Contrary to his lies, the sugar estates at Ogle, Diamond and LBI were all closed under the PPP government, not under the Coalition. Additionally, projects that are intended and designed to place Georgetown in a mainstream and modernised position are routinely being rejected and closed by the PPP Government.
