ATM Economics; Hon. Christopher Jones, MP Slams PPP Oil Revenue Mismanagement

“For years, the PPP has promised that ‘this is our year’ and that every budget is ‘The People’s Budget.’ But Cde Speaker, these promises are fleeting illusions—visions that will never be attained under this administration,” Jones declared.

Jones pointed to the glaring disparity between promises and reality. In the face of trillions spent, Guyanese citizens continue to struggle with the same issues: dirty and inconsistent water supply, frequent blackouts, poorly constructed roads, and health centers with no medication. He illustrated this failure with a heartbreaking story from a caller in La Parfaite Harmony, who lamented the lack of potable water in their community for over two weeks.

“Cde Speaker, in the abundance of water, the people are still thirsty,” Jones exclaimed, highlighting the government’s incompetence in addressing even the most basic needs.

He compared the APNU+AFC’s achievements during their term without oil revenues to the PPP’s underperformance despite their access to trillions. “Under the APNU+AFC, public servants received a wage increase of 77%. Under the PPP, with trillions in oil revenue, they’ve given just 35%,” Jones said, labeling the PPP’s approach as “big budgets but small increases for the people who keep this country running.”

Jones’s speech laid bare a troubling reality, the PPP is presiding over an oligarchy of wealth and power, with little to show for their excessive spending. “The PPP’s Budget 2025 is not a budget for the people; it is a blueprint for the enrichment of the few,” he concluded.