Jagdeo urges Guyanese to reject PNC-led APNU lies, says PPP has no plan to raise taxes in the city

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has urged Guyanese to reject the lies being peddled by the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) regarding property acquisition, among others.

Speaking with reporters after casting his ballot in Sparendaam on Monday, Dr Jagdeo addressed a slew of misinformation being purported by the APNU to incite fear.

Dr Jagdeo addressed the opposition’s false claim that the PPP plans to raise taxes in the city if it wins the elections in these areas. He stressed that this is not true.  

“We don’t plan to raise rates and taxes in any area across the country controlled by the People’s Progressive Party administration or council,” Dr. Jagdeo assured.

The GS recalled Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones’ accusation that the developments in several areas in Georgetown are intended to displace the persons living there, pointing out that this reflects the opposition’s desperation to garner supporters.

“The fact of the matter is that those are transported lands. We have never, ever, in any part of this country, taken anyone’s land because they owed rates and taxes, particularly small people. If anything, the PPP is always sympathetic to small people,” he said.

Dismantling the opposition’s argument that amnesty for all corporate and individual tax defaulters was given under the previous administration to benefit ordinary citizens, the GS added that this move was aimed at concealing corruption under APNU.

“It was not for small individuals in Georgetown. It was for the business community, and it was a scheme for corruption. If you owe $50 million in back taxes, and these were the big businesses, you would pay $2 million to the city council, $2 million to the councillors who were arranging the deal for you, and then you got $46 million waived. We know of many such instances,” the general secretary revealed.