Coalition Govt returned stability – State Minister
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, November 16, 2019
Minister of State, Hon. Dawn Hastings-Williams, addressing a capacity crowd at Golden Fleece on the West Coast of Berbice, Region 5, on Friday, told her audience that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, since taking office in 2015, have returned stability to the nation. She explained that though the government is functioning in an ‘interim mode,’ it is in adherence to the Constitution of Guyana.
Minister Hastings-Williams was the main speaker at a community meeting, as the administration continues to meet and engage citizens on the best way forward for Guyana.
The State Minister emphasised that government’s policy of having citizens involved in the decisions affecting their communities has been realised in the hosting of two Local Government Elections (LGE) since taking office in 2015. This is in comparison to none under the former administration which was in office for a much more extended period.
Reflecting on the recently announced salary increase for government employees, the minister chided the opposition for criticising the administration for not paying the Christmas bonus to members of the joint services. She explained that move will see the members of the Disciplined Forces and public servants receiving an increase to their monthly salary instead of a “one-off” bonus at the end of the year.
According to the State Minister, the current administration has demonstrated a push towards providing a better for all Guyanese, and to that end, the country has seen a significant increase in the minimum wage – a total of 77% over past four years.
“When one looks around, there is evidence of development implemented by the current administration in the form of better roads, improvement in the quality of service in the public sector in general with the education sector,” Minister Hastings-Williams said.
These, she noted, was achieved despite the challenges the current administration faced on entering office; reminding her audience of the enormous debts the Coalition inherited and were obligated to honour.
The residents, while commending the administration for the improvements seen in the community, did state some areas of concern, and were assured that the relevant authorities would address such matters in good time.