Ordinary man pays three times more than Jagdeo for same size house lot

…Jagdeo pays $114 per sq ft, Ordinary citizen pays $317 per sq ft

The presence of former President Bharrat Jagdeo on the campaign trail for the ruling People’s Progressive

Bharrat Jagdeo

Party/Civic (PPP/C) is to protect the questionable wealth he has accumulated. That is the view of the political opposition spokesman, Joseph Harmon. One of the pieces of evidence to support this argument is his large mansion and unlimited benefits at Pradoville Two, according to a full page advertisement in the newspapers, yesterday. According to the advertisement, while serving his last term in office, Jagdeo along with close friends and Ministers, arranged for a large section of Sparendaam lands, which overlook the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of Demerara, to be converted into house lots. Jagdeo not only used state resources to develop the lands, but positioned himself to buy two acres. In the process, he paid three times less than what ordinary citizens in the Diamond and Grove Housing Schemes, East Bank Demerara, paid. Jagdeo paid $5M per acre which works out at $114 per square foot; the ordinary man paid $317 per square foot for their plot. Remigrants paid more than ten times the price Jagdeo paid for the same size house lot. They paid $1,111 per square foot. These lots are not ocean front, but are located on East Bank Demerara in the former cane fields. The advertisement also said that Jagdeo is fighting desperately to protecthis unlimited use of water, electricity and telephone as is guaranteed by benefits he helped to make into laws and which he assented to. As part of that ex-president’s benefits he signed, he also has unlimited personal and household staff including an attendant and gardener. There are also full-time personal security and services of the Presidential Guard Service at his place of residence along with an unspecified number of motor vehicles to be maintained by the state. His tax exemption status is identical to that enjoyed by a serving President, meaning no tax on income, on property or capital gain. His monthly package of $5 million is the equivalent to 125 persons working for the Minimum Wage or 400 Old Age Pensioners.

Guyanese spend millions of dollars and yet they cannot get their transport for land purchase for over one year ago. Wake up Irfat, wake up, do some work.