Robert Corbin fooling supporters...

PNCR TO JOIN DEMONSTRATION AGAINST HIGH COST OF LIVING

On Thursday 8 May 2008, the People’s National Congress Reform, in conjunction with other stakeholders, will be participating in a People’s March to take peaceful protest action to underscore the inaction of the Government to take active and practical measures to enable the people of Guyana to cope with the crippling cost of living.

The most basic commodities, such as rice, flour, cooking oil, bread, sugar and milk, to name a few, have seen a considerable spike in prices occasioned by the 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) and the rise in commodity prices globally. This rise in prices has made it almost impossible for the average Guyanese worker to provide for himself/herself and their families, as wages and salaries have not matched inflation, which is widely regarded as being in the vicinity of 32%.

In the midst of this unfolding negative economic situation, the PPP/C Administration continues to seek to mislead the Guyanese people, CARICOM and the rest of the world that this is a land flowing with milk and honey and that the spiralling cost of living is the result of global inflation and not in any way due to the inaction and mismanagement of the Government.

It is this state of mind which encourages the Government to believe that this is the appropriate time to host Carifesta X and bring before the National Assembly, a Motion which seeks to congratulate itself for its limited action to cope with the rising cost of living. The PNCR has already stated that this Motion gives rise to the illusion that people are happy with the present state of affairs.

The PNCR wishes to take this opportunity to encourage other stakeholders, and the people of Guyana, to demand immediately: a cost of living allowance for all workers; raising the Income Tax Threshold to $75,000; a reduction of VAT to 8%; the removal of VAT from all locally manufactured food items; the rationalization of electricity and water rates; and an increase in the minimum wage by at least 50%.

The PNCR firmly believes that this is the time for the people of Guyana to come out and demonstrate peacefully that the economic situation is far from satisfactory and requires urgent and practical action.

The Party, therefore, appeals to Guyanese across the political, economic, social, racial and ethnic divide, to join it and other Parties and organisations to register the concerns and grievances of the workers and others people of Guyana , affected by this escalating economic crisis.

JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. LET THE GOVERNMENT KNOW ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THURSDAY 8 MAY IS HIGH COST OF LIVING DEMONSTRATION DAY.