“Beware of false promises” – Min. Jordan urges Guyanese
─ says opposition parading lies during ‘silly season’
─ citizens urged to take stock of economic and social transformation seen since Coalition Govt took office – Min. Patterson
─ make a comparison between the quality of life experienced under previous administration for 23 years to what the Coalition Govt provided in 3+ years
─ govt continues to make strides in its development agenda for every citizen, in every part of Guyana
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, March 17, 2019
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan has cautioned Guyanese to be wary of the tactics of the political opposition, as it seeks to draw them into its web of uncertainty.
He said the opposition is carrying out a rampage of untruths and has been making promises it knows fully well are impossible to keep. The minister urged Guyanese to choose the realities over the lies.
During an engagement with residents of South Ruimveldt Park on Sunday afternoon, Minister Jordan said Guyana is going through a ‘silly season’ – a time where the opposition is spewing things that are impossible to achieve.
He said the government is still awaiting word from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on the way forward for General and Regional Elections, however, it is still ‘elections season’.
“The theory is that people are gullible, and they will not take the time to go and research, to find out if it is true or not, but they are going to run with it who makes the most outrageous statements,” Minister Jordan told the gathering at the secondary school.
One of the ‘outrageous promises’ was made by the opposition Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali, who said 50,000 jobs will be provided in five years. That, Minister Jordan said is absurd.
“From an economy that is starting from such a low base and with a small population, you already know that that is an outrage, and unless somebody told you how these 10,000 jobs will be created per year, you must not be persuaded that such a statement holds true,” Minister Jordan cautioned.
The minister also warned residents of accommodating strange persons in their communities offering money. He said the government has to respond to its taxpayers, and the Auditor General and therefore, cannot seek to influence persons with cash.
“Those who are not in power do not have that and they can collect money from all over the place. Everybody has an interest in Guyana. There are certain people who are very close to Guyana because of the oil, we are the ‘go-to’ country.”
In that same vein, he noted that there are political players all around stressing that the events of December 21 vote did not “just happen overnight and that the opposition got lucky”.
“It was a well-planned ambush and it was financed by some of the people and places you don’t want to know. Not everything you see is black and white, there are other colours behind it,” he underscored.
Addressing the residents too, was Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson who urged them to take stock of the economic and social transformation Guyana has seen since the Coalition Government took office.
He said residents needed to make the comparison between the quality of life they experience now and what they had for 23 years.
Minister Patterson said the government continues to make strides in its development agenda for every citizen, in every part of Guyana.
The residents were appreciative for the engagement with the ministers. They raised a few infrastructural issues, which Minister Patterson promised will be addressed soonest.
Alexis Rodney
Images: Jules Gibson