PNC/R used Gov’t food prices Motion for political gains- Teixeira
-Gov’t defers Motion, believes national response required

Georgetown, GINA, May 8, 2008

The People’s National Congress/Reform’s boycott of today’s debate on government’s Motion dealing with the impact of global food prices is seen as an act to gain political mileage.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) MP Ms. Gail Teixeira in an interview outside the Chambers of the National Assembly said that it is clear that the PNC/R wanted excuses to hold marches and it’s unfortunate that they would use such an issue to do so when government’s continued interventions on the global issue are known.
“I think they (PNC/R) wanted a reason to get on the road for quite a while…This is what they felt the action should be instead of coming to the floor and discuss what the interventions they agree and disagree with  and also what interventions they have of their own that they wish to propose,” Teixeira lamented.
The PNC/R led a demonstration today around the city calling on the government to make interventions to ease the burden on Guyanese in relation to the effects of high cost of food. The demonstrators also stopped at the Parliament Building.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud makes statement on rising food prices

At a press conference yesterday at the Office of the President, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced a 5% salary hike for public servants, a temporary $4,000 non-taxable payment per month for those earning under $50,000 monthly and an initiative to keep bread prices from rising.
As part of cushioning the effects of the recent increase in the price of flour, the Government will subsidise for the next four months the additional cost for flour to 22 pre-approved bakeries, which he said produce 95 per cent of Guyana’s bakery products.
The Motion which was deferred in the House by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud was seeking for the National Assembly to recognize that the situation requires national action, and sustained efforts and engagement with critical sectors and groups to confront the challenge locally and regionally.
“We in Guyana have done a lot of innovative things that actually no other country in the Caribbean has done and I think we have to recognize this and we are a responsible government and we are going to try as much as possible to cushion the impact,” Teixeira assured.
The Motion was also seeking for the National Assembly to be provided with the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food Prices on a quarterly basis. The committee was set up by Cabinet to review the impact of rising food prices on Guyanese and make recommendations intended to cushion the impact.
Meanwhile, prior to deferring the Motion, Minister Persaud made a statement on the global food price surge and responses by the government to cushion the effect.
            The Minister pointed out that the administration was aware of the issue since last year and had begun making the necessary interventions.
Guyana’s hosting of the Special Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government which focused on the issue, the pushing of the Jagdeo Initiative on agriculture, across-the-board salary increases of 9 percent, further 5 percent increase for teachers and members of the disciplined services and a 25 percent increase in the income tax threshold are among the many other interventions.
The Agriculture Minister said that it is important to note that the food price situation is a global crisis driven by global factors.
Empty benches in the National Assembly following the PNCR’s boycott

“These factors such as rising oil prices, increasing demand for food, climate change etc. as I have discussed before are not within the control of any one government and are certainly not within the control of the Government of Guyana…the government can only control how we react to the situation and plan proactively as we maintain a vigilant scrutiny of the changing conditions in the world, in order to help to cushion the impacts of rising food prices,” Minister Persaud said.
The Minister against this backdrop said that the government would like to appeal to all political parties and other stakeholders for support since there must be a collective and national response to the situation.
“We must refrain from panicking and politicizing this global concern. Luckily, Guyana remains food secure both in terms of locally produced and imported food. Now is a time for us to work together to combat this challenge as it unfolds, and ensure that our population does not suffer unnecessarily from global rising food prices and cost of living,”  Minister Persaud said.
            Several major factors have been affecting the cost of food internationally. These include drought, increased demand in the growing and emerging economies and the movement away from the production for food to the production of grain for ethanol.

 

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