By Mark DaCosta-The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has criticised President Irfaan Ali and his administration following a series of delays and failures in executing key government infrastructure projects. In a recent statement, the opposition party lambasted the president’s recent behaviour, calling it indicative of broader mismanagement and corruption at the heart of the government.
The PNCR’s statement comes in the wake of a high-profile meeting held on November 12 at State House, where President Ali expressed frustration over the state of several stalled government projects. According to the opposition party, the meeting, which involved ministers, contractors, engineers, and permanent secretaries, exposed the administration’s inefficiencies and deep-rooted issues in project execution.
In its statement, the PNCR painted a grim picture of the current state of affairs within the government, accusing the administration of being “incompetent, disorganised, and arrogant.” The opposition party accused President Ali of using the meeting as an opportunity to publicly berate public servants rather than taking responsibility for the underlying issues that have plagued the government’s infrastructure agenda. “Instead of seeking to analyse the root causes of the problem and proposing solutions, President Ali chose to launch a disgraceful barrage of insults,” the PNCR stated.
The opposition party went on to argue that the real source of the problem lies within the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government itself, particularly its alleged culture of corruption and mismanagement.
Furthermore, the PNCR highlighted the billions of dollars allocated for capital projects in 2024, questioning the efficacy of the government’s spending and its ability to deliver tangible results. “We call on the President to submit for public scrutiny a written report on the status of all large government projects,” the PNCR urged.
Regarding the early morning meeting, the Alliance for Change (AFC), a political ally of the PNCR, also weighed in its own statement, calling the president’s public outburst at the meeting, “counterproductive” and highlighting his failure to address the systemic issues that contribute to delays in government projects.
The PNCR’s statement suggested that President Ali’s combative approach to dealing with project delays merely deflects attention from the government’s broader failures. Rather than focus on the political fallout of poorly executed projects, the opposition party argued that the president should take a step back and look at the structural issues that are clearly undermining progress.
Rather than the president’s approach, the PNCR has repeatedly said that it believes that what is needed is a comprehensive review of the country’s system of governance, including a close examination of supply chain bottlenecks, the performance of contractors, and the possibility of corruption. The party further emphasises that a government serious about addressing these challenges would be willing to tackle the deep-rooted issues within its own ranks, rather than continuing to scapegoat public servants.
The PNCR ended its statement by calling on President Ali to come clean about the state of public projects, pointing out that nearly G$700 billion has been allocated for capital works this year alone. “Where is the value for money?” they asked. In light of the growing concerns over mismanagement, the opposition party has called for greater scrutiny of government spending and for a full public accounting of the status of major infrastructure projects.
The PNCR reiterated that the country deserves a government that is respectful, accountable, and effective. “The time for endless failures, diversionary politics, and massive financial losses is over,” the statement concluded. The opposition party has vowed to continue holding the government to account, insisting that the next election will be an opportunity for Guyanese to demand change.
