President flays AFC on sugar; Ramotar touts cheap energy - at PPP/C public meetings in Berbice
Georgetown, GINA, November 21, 2011
Source - GINA
President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking at a public meeting at New Amsterdam, Berbice
The merits of cheap energy to Guyana and the Alliance For Change's wage proposal to sugar workers took centre stage as President Bharrat Jagdeo and Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar returned to the ancient county for public meetings.
Rose Hall on the Corentyne coast and New Amsterdam, Berbice were the two venues for the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) as it intensifies the campaign to the 2011 national and regional elections, a mere seven days away.
Speaking to party supporters a both venues, President Jagdeo defended his administration's record on the sugar industry which the AFC has challenged.
A section of the gathering at a PPP/C public meeting in New Amsterdam
"Had it not been for the PPP the sugar industry in Guyana would have been dead ...Ramjattan (Khemraj) who voted against the $4 billion subsidy that we gave to the sugar industry would have been the reason for killing sugar," President Jagdeo said.
The AFC's proposal of a 20 percent wage increase for sugar workers would not augur well for the sugar industry, according to President Jagdeo who corroborated his argument with his knowledge in economics.
"Anyone who tells you that they will give a 20 percent salary increase every year to the sugar industry simply doesn’t understand economics or will kill the industry within two years," President Jagdeo said.
PPPC Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar addressing a public meeting in New Amsterdam
His argument was that an increase of one percent salary to sugar workers is equivalent to $150M cost to the industry which would inevitably mean that a wage increase of 20 percent would equate to $3B cost per annum and with the industry already suffering $5B in losses it would have to close within three years.
The Head of State recalled the period when the sugar industry in Guyana, with the stroke of a pen by the European Union (EU) suffered a great revenue loss and caused several other Caribbean community countries to opt out of sugar.
It was also the same period when President Jagdeo said the largest investment of close to $200M was injected into the industry locally as Government refused to allow one of Guyana's significant revenue earners to diminish.
A section of the large crowd of PPPC supporters at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice
Skeldon (sugar factory) is not performing as it should but, it is the commitment that matters and we will fix it... the industry's production fell and we made a loss of $5B in the last two years and, we in the government transferred money to the sugar industry to keep it alive and to keep the sugar workers being paid," President Jagdeo said.
Ramotar also touched on agriculture in his remarks to supporters but was more in line with the country's potential to up the food production scale to promote food security and supply the predictable global demand for food.
The presidential candidate argued in favour of cheap energy, and lamented the fact that the high energy bill incurred in Guyana as a result of fuel has been a major impediment to progress in the country.
President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking to a large gathering at a PPP/C public meeting in Rosehall, Berbice
He explained that cheap energy has worked advantageously in some countries in CARICOM and the South American hemisphere and will soon be realised in Guyana with investment in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP).
Work has already started on the road to the hydro site and when complete Ramotar assured that, “electricity generation cost will be minimal."
Solar panels in Amerindian communities and cogeneration were among the other initiatives in the making, Ramotar highlighted.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and PPPC Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar sharing a light moment at a public meeting in Rosehall
Georgetown, GINA, November 21, 2011
Source - GINA
President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking at a public meeting at New Amsterdam, BerbiceThe merits of cheap energy to Guyana and the Alliance For Change's wage proposal to sugar workers took centre stage as President Bharrat Jagdeo and Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar returned to the ancient county for public meetings.
Rose Hall on the Corentyne coast and New Amsterdam, Berbice were the two venues for the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) as it intensifies the campaign to the 2011 national and regional elections, a mere seven days away.
Speaking to party supporters a both venues, President Jagdeo defended his administration's record on the sugar industry which the AFC has challenged.
A section of the gathering at a PPP/C public meeting in New Amsterdam"Had it not been for the PPP the sugar industry in Guyana would have been dead ...Ramjattan (Khemraj) who voted against the $4 billion subsidy that we gave to the sugar industry would have been the reason for killing sugar," President Jagdeo said.
The AFC's proposal of a 20 percent wage increase for sugar workers would not augur well for the sugar industry, according to President Jagdeo who corroborated his argument with his knowledge in economics.
"Anyone who tells you that they will give a 20 percent salary increase every year to the sugar industry simply doesn’t understand economics or will kill the industry within two years," President Jagdeo said.
PPPC Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar addressing a public meeting in New AmsterdamHis argument was that an increase of one percent salary to sugar workers is equivalent to $150M cost to the industry which would inevitably mean that a wage increase of 20 percent would equate to $3B cost per annum and with the industry already suffering $5B in losses it would have to close within three years.
The Head of State recalled the period when the sugar industry in Guyana, with the stroke of a pen by the European Union (EU) suffered a great revenue loss and caused several other Caribbean community countries to opt out of sugar.
It was also the same period when President Jagdeo said the largest investment of close to $200M was injected into the industry locally as Government refused to allow one of Guyana's significant revenue earners to diminish.
A section of the large crowd of PPPC supporters at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, BerbiceSkeldon (sugar factory) is not performing as it should but, it is the commitment that matters and we will fix it... the industry's production fell and we made a loss of $5B in the last two years and, we in the government transferred money to the sugar industry to keep it alive and to keep the sugar workers being paid," President Jagdeo said.
Ramotar also touched on agriculture in his remarks to supporters but was more in line with the country's potential to up the food production scale to promote food security and supply the predictable global demand for food.
The presidential candidate argued in favour of cheap energy, and lamented the fact that the high energy bill incurred in Guyana as a result of fuel has been a major impediment to progress in the country.
President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking to a large gathering at a PPP/C public meeting in Rosehall, BerbiceHe explained that cheap energy has worked advantageously in some countries in CARICOM and the South American hemisphere and will soon be realised in Guyana with investment in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP).
Work has already started on the road to the hydro site and when complete Ramotar assured that, “electricity generation cost will be minimal."
Solar panels in Amerindian communities and cogeneration were among the other initiatives in the making, Ramotar highlighted.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and PPPC Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar sharing a light moment at a public meeting in Rosehall