Opposition’s scorn for COVID-19 cash grant shameful
−have no concern for disadvantaged persons
-Minister Dharamlall
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Nigel Dharamlall says the APNU/AFC’s belittling of the Government’s $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant clearly shows their disdain for underprivileged Guyanese.
In his contribution to Thursday’s Budget Debate, the Minister said the coalition is focused only on self-aggrandisement.
“They speak ill of the COVID-19 cash grant. You know why they speak ill of it Mr. Speaker? Because they know of the outpouring of goodwill that poor people and deserving people have given to our Government in our distribution of the $25,000,” he said.
Minister Dharamlall said the cash grant programme catered for every Guyanese household, including those of opposition members. He said he is shocked that these same persons would now try to denigrate the programme, as they did with Government’s cash grant programme for school children.
“We gave in 2014, 167,000 school children $10,000 each ($1.67 billion), the last regime APNU/AFC took away in excess of $8.3 billion from the schoolchildren of Guyana. And you know what they gave them, 167,000 school children in public schools, 14 boats and 20 buses, that is all they give them.
And the buses, I don’t think any one worked for more than two months. Fourteen boats and 20 buses, that is what the APNU/AFC give to the school children of Guyana. Shame on you!”
Meanwhile, addressing accusations of job losses under the present Administration, Minister Dharamlall asked Opposition Members to produce the evidence of wrongful dismissal of those persons.
“Some of you now speak of people losing jobs. Did you care when [7,000] sugar workers woke up one morning and loss their jobs? Have you ever visited any of those communities? Have you ever visited any of those families? Mr. Speaker, they have never visited and seen the despair in the eyes of those children, but they come here and speak of one and two instances without providing any evidence.”
Minister Dharamlall said the accusation is “make belief” and noted that two Opposition Members of Parliament, Hon. Vinceroy Jordan, and Hon. Ganesh A. Mahipaul, are both public servants. MP Mahipaul is a Community Development Officer attached to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Upon entering office last August, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali made it clear that there would be no witch-hunting of public servants.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Hon. Gail Teixeira, had later addressed the subject stating that no public servant had been fired, instead, political appointees had tendered their resignations, while several others had been advised accordingly.