3RD SITTING – THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT | 2026 BUDGET DEBATE | DAY 4| PART 2

Good morning.

Everyone suffered.

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Heat.

Heat.

Here

comes

down.

Honorable

members, Mr. Speaker,

Thank you. Honorable members, please be

seated.

At 6:30, we're going to take the

contribution from the honorable member,

Mr. Dexter Todd.

>> Dr. Dexter Todd.

Mr. Clerk, we have to update all of

these um titles and salutations.

>> Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure

tonight to to stand before this

honorable house and to give my

contribution in relation to uh this

budget.

You will hear me referring to this

budget from here on

as a statement of priorities

or as a declaration of value

because that is really what it is.

Before I go in depth into my

presentation, Mr. Speaker,

I believe it's imperative that I make it

clear

that on this side of the house,

>> same side,

>> we are not in any way, shape or form

promulgating

that the budget does not have good

initiatives for the people of Guyana.

Where the people of Guyana will benefit,

we will support.

The clear contention that we want

or Mr. speaker to be made here tonight

is that this budget

does not put in order

the priorities

of our people.

AND SO WHILE there are good initiatives

in this budget,

THE PRIORITIES

OF THIS government seems to be all over

the place.

>> Mr. SPEAKER,

>> FOR YEARS I HAVE followed the parliament

in this country

and I have looked and listen intently to

the presentations

OF EVERY single speaker

this year. Mr. Speaker, I must SAY HOW

DISAPPOINTED I am with the government

side.

EVERYONE OF THEM USE THEIR 30 + 5

MINUTES TO SAY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT

WILL ADVANCE THIS BUDGET.

They made it appear, Mr. Speaker, as

though we were in a political campaign.

>> AND I WISH TO PUT ON RECORD, MR. speaker

that a manifesto

IS NOT A NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN FOR

GUYANA.

AND SO WHEN THE HONORABLE MEMBERS ON

THAT SIDE COMES TO THIS HONORABLE HOUSE

>> AND MAKE IT APPEAR AS THOUGH THE PEOPLE

OF THIS COUNTRY AND I WANT I WANT TO BE

MAKE IT VERY CLEAR WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT

THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY BE REMINDED

OF THE PERCENTAGE OF GAYLES WHO CAST

THEIR VOTES FOR YOU. IT IS NOT A

REFLECTION OF THE PEOPLE OF GUYANA.

AND THEREFORE, MR. SPEAKER, YOU CANNOT

COME TO THIS HONORABLE HOUSE.

FAIL

FAIL TO CONSULT WITH THE WIDER

COMMUNITY.

FAIL TO CONSULT PROPERLY WITH CIVIL

SOCIETY.

FAIL TO CONSULT WITH THE OPPOSITION.

FAILED TO CONSULT WITH ALL ENTITIES AND

present a budget and make it feel and

appear as though it has national

consultation.

>> It does not.

>> Mr. Speaker, it is it is important to

highlight

that this government from the onset

should look down the line of ensuring

there is a national developmental

committee put in place which is a

reflection of all the entities and THE

DIFFERENT PERSONS OF INTEREST IN THIS

COUNTRY. GUYANA BELONGS TO ALL OF US.

>> When we re when we listen when we listen

to this

debate

about who got 12 and who got 16 and look

at that side.

>> Listen listen.

>> IT DOESN'T MATTER.

>> IT DOES NOT MATTER.

>> IT DOES NOT MATTER. I WANT TO REMIND

THIS HONORABLE HOUSE.

>> I WANT TO REMIND THIS HONORABLE HOUSE

ABOUT THE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITIES OBSERVERS WHO CAME TO THIS

COUNTRY AND WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE

2025

ELECTIONS.

>> MAY I REMIND YOU IN CASE YOU DID NOT

READ

>> THE EU OBSERVERS REPORT,

>> DO NOT BE MISTAKEN.

DO NOT CONFUSE A SMOOTH AND PEACEFUL

ELECTIONS FOR A FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

IN THIS COUNTRY. DON'T BE AFUSED.

>> AND THEREFORE, WHEN YOU COME TO THIS

HOUSE, THE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING IN THIS

COUNTRY.

>> THE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING INTO THIS

COUNTRY. AND WHEN YOU COME TO THIS

HOUSE, COME TO THIS HOUSE AND RECOGNIZE

THAT NOT EVEN THE INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THAT THIS

GOVERNMENT GOT IN POWER WITH A FREE AND

FAIR ELECTIONS.

>> IT IS NOT MY WORDS, THE HONORABLE member

attorney general. THOSE ARE NOT MY

WORDS. YOU TAKE YOUR FIGHT TO THE

EUROPEAN OBSERVERS. DON'T BRING IT TO

ME.

>> BUT I AM SAYING I AM SAYING, MR.

SPEAKER, I AM SAYING, MR. SPEAKER, AND I

WISH TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW IMPORTANT

THINGS.

>> And there's a reason.

There is a reason I want to highlight

because when you talk about priorities,

I want you to recognize

>> that from a legislative standpoint,

WHAT WHAT MUST BE PRIORITIZED in this

budget IS DEFINITELY ADDRESSING THE

PROBLEMS AT JCOM.

>> NOW, MR. MR. SPEAKER,

>> THE OFF THE THE OBSERVER'S REPORT

>> STATED CLEARLY THAT THE FIRST OF

SEPTEMBER 2025 GENERAL AND REGIONAL

ELECTIONS

>> TRANS TRANSPARENCY, COMPETITIVENESS AND

COMPLIANCE AND OF COURSE DEMOCRATIC

STANDARDS. Their final report came to

this sir. There were KEY STRUCTURAL

ISSUES.

THERE WERE KEY STRUCTURAL ISSUES

IDENTIFIED

UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF OF INC OF INCUMBRANCY

DUE TO THE USE OF STATE RESOURCES AND

VISIBLE VISIBLE PUBLIC PROJECT

DURING THE CAMPAIGN. DURING THE CAMPAIGN

PERIOD.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> YOU DON'T COME. YOU DON'T COME. NO, NO,

NO, NO.

>> I AM SAYING THE ELECTION DONE. BUT THE

ENTIRE HONORABLE MEMBER, THE ENTIRE

HOUSE OVER THERE CAME AND AND TRIED TO

PRESENT INSTEAD OF ADVANCING

INSTEAD OF ADVANCING AN ARGUMENT THAT

WILL MOVE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD. IT'S

IT'S ABOUT ELECTIONS. is about the

amount of seats THAT YOU HAVE. YOU KNOW,

YOU KNOW, MR. SPEAKER,

>> MR. SPEAKER, THE ARGUMENT THIS SIDE

SEEKS TO ADVANCE

>> IS THAT

>> WHATEVER THEY SAY

>> THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.

>> MR. SPEAKER, THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY

KNOW THAT THE SIDE OVER THERE

>> THEY HAVE THEY HAVE THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO

PASS A BUDGET. BUT THE PEOPLE OF THIS

COUNTRY ARE LISTENING.

>> THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE HERE AND THEY

WANT TO HEAR A PROPER ARGUMENT AS TO

WHY. THEY WANT TO HEAR JUSTIFICATION

AS TO WHY THE AMOUNT STATED IN THIS

BUDGET MUST BE APPROVED.

BUT INSTEAD OF PAYING TIME, INSTEAD OF

PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT, they seem to

ATTACK HIM.

>> NOW, NOW LISTEN, MR. SPEAKER, MR.

SPEAKER, I WANT TO TALK about this and I

it's it's VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE

THROUGHOUT THIS DEBATE

>> I have looked and I have listened TO TO

THE THE MEMBERS OF THE OF THE GOVERNMENT

SIDE THROW ALL SORTS OF TANTRUMS AND

TALK ABOUT WHO'S MOVING WHERE AND WHO IS

MOVING THERE. LET ME SAY

>> THE PNU

UNDERSTANDS CLEARLY IT UNDONE. IT IS A

STRONG PARTY. IT IS A STRONG PARTY. IT

IS A PARTY WITH VALUES.

>> MR. SPEAKER,

>> MR. SPEAKER,

>> THE HONORABLE JAMES BOND,

>> THE HONORABLE JAMES BOND IS A CLEAR

REFLECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BEATD

DOWN.

IT'S A CLEAR REFLECTION OF THAT.

>> THEY BEAT JAMES BOND DOWN, THE HONORABLE

MEMBER, UNTIL HE SUBJECTED.

UNTIL HE SUBJECTED.

UNTIL HE SUBJECTED.

>> I WAS RIGHT THERE. I WAS RIGHT THERE

FOLLOWING JAMES BOND WHEN HE GOT ALL THE

PILLLETS IN HIS BACK FIGHTING FOR THE

RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.

I WAS RIGHT THERE AT HIS BAR ON THE EAST

COAST WHEN THE HONORABLE MEMBER COULDN'T

EVEN OPEN THAT BAR PROPERLY. EVERY

MINUTE THE POLICE RUNNING, THEY'RE

LOCKING HIM UP. JAMES BOND ALWAYS AT THE

STATION. YOU KNOW, JAMES BOND DON'T GO

TO STATION no more. Why?

YOU MUST SAY TO THIS PEOPLE, YOU MUST

SAY TO THE GY PEOPLE, THAT YOUR CHOICE,

HONORABLE MEMBER, was an economic choice

>> AND IT WAS YOUR HONORABLE MEMBER,

>> honorable member,

>> don't Mr. Speaker,

>> it is the honorable member's right to

MAKE THAT CHOICE.

BUT EVEN THOUGH WHERE HE MAKES THAT

CHOICE,

>> DO NOT LOOK OVER ON THIS SIDE WITH

DISDAIN AS THOUGH THE PEOPLE OVER HERE

ARE NOT FIGHTING FOR A CAUSE.

>> THE PNC UP NEW HAS A LEGACY AND THAT

LEGACY HAS ALWAYS BEEN FIGHTING FOR

JUSTICE AND THE RIGHTS OF OUR PEOPLE IN

THIS COUNTRY.

>> MR. SPEAKER,

MR. SPEAKER,

>> MR. SPEAKER,

>> so that the FIRST

>> PRIORITY OF

>> THIS BUDGET, you're talking about

rigging of election. You're talking

about rigging of election. That's the

only line. That's the only line the

honorable prime minister has about

rigging of election. YOU NEED HONORABLE

MEMBER TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE PAST

HERE IN 2026.

>> 2026

AND therefore and therefore the budget

must be a reflection OF THE GOVERNMENT'S

will and the government's INTENTION TO

ENSURE THAT THERE IS ELECTORAL REFORMS

IN THIS COUNTRY.

NOTHING IN THIS BUDGET, NOTHING IN THIS

BUDGET OFFER THE USE OF BIOMETRICS.

>> THE GOVERNMENT ON THAT SIDE ON MANY

OCCASIONS WHEN THEY SAT ON THEIR SIDE,

THEY PROMULGATED FOR FOR FOR THE FOR THE

CHANGES AND INCOME. THEY PROMULGATED FOR

HOW WE DO ELECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.

WELL, THEY got

>> they want no biometrics.

>> They don't want biometrics.

They don't want clean voters list.

>> But but but honor but but Mr. Speaker,

it is this it is the EU's report which

COMES BACK TO TALK which comes back to

talk about how this government

teaches

the people of this country.

>> I LOST MY way

>> throughout. Mr. Speaker,

>> Mr. Speaker, I'M MAKING THE POINT

BECAUSE THEY CAME AND ALL THEY'RE

MENTIONING IS TRYING TO REMIND WHO GOT

WHO GOT 30 TO SOMETHING SEATS, WHO GOT

THAT'S ALL THEY'RE DOING.

>> AND THEY FAILED to recognize THAT THE

INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS SAW WHAT

HAPPENED in this elections.

>> Mr. Speaker, I want to go forward.

I want to go forward

>> AND I SPEAK I SPEAK TO THE honorable

member Ben. MR. SPEAKER, RESPECTFULLY

through your chair,

>> my convention,

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> there's nothing honorable ABOUT HER.

>> THE HONORABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A

responsibility

for legal advice to government.

AND THIS WHOLE ARGUMENT about Walter

Rodney and who killed Walter Rodney is

very misplaced

>> because because I BELIEVE THE ADVICE

THAT THE HONORABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL MUST

HAVE GIVEN TO THE GOVERNMENT SIDE is

that an entity cannot commit murder.

>> CORRECT?

>> IS THAT AN ENTITY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE AND

CANNOT APPEAR BEFORE A CRIMINAL COURT.

SO THERE'S THIS THIS WHOLE THIS WHOLE

NONSENSE IN RELATION TO PNC AND who Mr.

Speaker if they have the EVIDENCE IF

THEY HAVE THE EVIDENCE AND THE PERSONS

WHO WOULD HAVE been involved let them go

before a court MR. SPEAKER, THE

HONORABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL TELL

THEM THERE'S NO STATUTORY BAR ON

INSTITUTING A CRIMINAL CHARGE WHEN IT

COMES TO AN INDICTABLE CHARGE. HE WILL

TELL THEM THAT

>> WE HAVE NEVER

>> WE HAVE NEVER WE HAVE NEVER CALLED ON

THE PPPC THAT YOU KILLED SATURDAY OR

>> WE CALLED FOR AN INDEPENDENT

INVESTIGATION SO THAT THE CULPRITS WILL

BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

THEREFORE, DON'T COME to this honorable

HOUSE

>> AND TELL PEOPLE OUT THERE ABOUT

>> I AM REBOTTING.

>> MR. SPEAKER,

>> further this budget

>> further is a good interjection time

>> to tell you you have five minutes to

come.

>> Yes, please.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker,

there is absolutely nothing in this

budget. There is nothing in this budget

WHICH ADVANCES WHICH ADVANCES A A A

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. And when WE TALK

ABOUT PRIORITY, I SEE THE HONORABLE

attorney generals smiling. WHEN WE TALK

ABOUT PRIORITY, THE PEOPLE OF THIS

COUNTRY ARE MORE INTERESTED IN ENSURING

THAT THERE ARE REFORM LAWS AND THAT

THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT WILL

ENSURE JUSTICE FOR ALL. I bring to your

attention, Mr. Speaker, I BRING TO YOUR

ATTENTION THE MATTER OF ADRIANA YOUNG. I

BRING TO IT WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT

LEARNED ABOUT THAT MATTER? NOW, I KNOW

WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED. THEY HAVE LEARNED

JUST FROM WHAT THE HONORABLE MEMBER DID

LAST NIGHT. SHE PRESENTED A WOOD AND

ASKING THE PEOPLE ON THIS SIDE WHETHER

THEY WANT A WOOD. BUT MR. SPEAKER, I

have a gift.

>> Mr. Speaker,

I HAVE A GIFT. I HAVE A GIFT FOR THEM. I

HAVE A GIFT FOR THEM.

>> THIS IS WHAT WE BRING. WE CALL FOR

JUSTICE. WE CALL FOR JUSTICE. WE CALL

FOR REFORMING OF THE LAWS. THIS BUDGET,

THIS IS WHAT WE BRING. IN CASE YOU DON'T

REMEMBER OUR FACE, THIS IS WHAT WE

BRING. WE DON'T BRING WE DON'T BRING

WOOD TO INSULT PEOPLE. WE COMMAND YOUR

SUPPORT.

MR. SPEAKER, THERE SHOULD BE IN THIS

BUDGET

>> AN ENTIRE REFORM of the criminal code

and especially as it pertains to

investigation and the use of forensic

science.

>> Mr. Speaker, we have INHERITED FOR FROM

SINCE THE 1800 A CORONETS ACT WHICH IS

SO OUTDATED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE

UNITED KINGDOM HAS MOVED PAST. They have

moved to amendments way up TO 2024. THE

ENTIRE Commonwealth Caribbean have moved

PAST IN RELATION. BUT Guyana stands

still.

>> They stand still and they have moved

past. They have moved past to ensure

that the coroners act ensure that they

are used in relation to experts persons

who are identified to be on a national

forensic authority body. MR. SPEAKER, WE

ADVOCATE that this budget in order that

we see real change AND JUSTICE FOR OUR

PEOPLE WILL INCLUDE WILL INCLUDE CHANGES

IN RELATION TO those laws. SO THAT WE

ONLY BUILDING IF YOU ARE GOING to build.

If you are going to build and mind you,

we are not saying building is wrong.

But we have to be concerned and the

priorities must be about the lives of

our people. What about keeping them

safe? Just yesterday, Mr. Speaker, WE

HAD A TRAGEDY of four men.

When I looked when I looked again as to

how they handled that, it tells us in

the Adriana Young's matter in the the

the Marty fire that killed that killed

20 of our children, it shows that Guyana

lacks the expertise forensically to

investigate and to do these matters.

Budget is silent on it. Budget is silent

on it. It makes no provision for that.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to join

with the call of the the acting chief

justice of the judiciary calling for

full autonomy of the judiciary. IT IS

TIME THE government takes its feet off

of the neck of the judiciary

because they are the ONES WHO CALL THE

SHOT because they are the ones that that

have to allocate and release uh uh in

relation to spending. They try to

intimidate. They try TO SPEAK. LOOK AT

WHAT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FACED in the

media. Look at what we have been faced

with in the media. THE TYPE OF

condemnation of our our members of the

bench. SO WHILE WE ARE BILLING many

other courts, we have to worry about the

the integrity of those judgment. WE HAVE

TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF our

of our members of the bench TO ACT

FAIRLY AND WITHIN THE law and WITHOUT

GIVING THEM FULL AUTONOMY, MR. SPEAKER,

in which this budget does not make a

priority, I do not see that that will

happen. Mr. Speaker, in closing,

I wish to say

I wish to say to the honorable members,

Mr. speaker through the convention

that this budget 2026

if you are going to be putting people

first

you have to think about the human asset

that is more important I know that James

talked about building Dubai's and making

GA look like Dubai's we're not going to

argue but we want our people alive

>> to enjoy that and the only way they will

be safe and alive is when we put them

forth and we ensure that the systems and

the legislations that are in place are

reform to ensure that they can benefit.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, honorable member,

Mr. Dexter Todd.

And now

>> for her contribution,

>> honorable

Tandee

Mal,

>> Mr. Speaker,

I rise today with humility and resolve

as a parliamentary secretary in this

honorable house to contribute to the

debate on budget 2026.

>> I do so fully conscious of the weight of

public office

but deeply committed to the people of

Guyana.

Budget 2026 aptly themed putting people

first is far more than a financial

document. It is a blueprint blueprint

sorry for dignity as together we the

people of Guyana chart the path forward

for our nation's prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, it behooves me therefore to

commend the honorable member Dr. AK

Singh,

>> thank you very

much.

>> Senior minister within the office of the

president with responsibility for

finance

>> and his able team of committed

professionals who have dedicated their

time and effort toward the articulation

of the vision of this administration to

prioritize the interests of the GY

people in this budget 2026.

It is unfortunate,

Mr. speaker that there are members of

the opposite bench of this August House

who despite receiving talking points for

budget debate and guidance and estimate

process have chosen to demonstrate a

want and disregard for the people of

this country. Mr. Speaker, when the

honorable member Natasha St. Lewis can

stand in this house and declare that the

NBS is an inconsequential financial

institution. It becomes evident that

adequate and affordable housing for the

people of Guyana is not a priority for

the members of the opposition. It is

unacceptable

>> and I'm APPALLED THAT AN HONORABLE

member would reduce the new building

society to inconsequence

on the basis of a personal account

matter when this institution has helped

thousands of gy secure homes lowered

mortgage burdens and expanded real

access to home ownership.

>> The value of the NBS is measured not by

one individual's grievance. Mr. Speaker,

but by its proven role in strengthening

household stability and advancing home

ownership for the people of Guyana,

>> it is limpid

>> that in the heart and mind of this

honorable member,

>> HOME OWNERSHIP SHOULD NOT BE MADE

AFFORDABLE FOR the G PEOPLE BECAUSE TO

HER PERHAPS, MR. SPEAKER, THE PEOPLE ARE

INCONSEQUENTIAL.

>> That's right,

>> Mr. Speaker. Keep going. An exciting

future beckoned for all GIAN FOR WHICH

BUDGET 2026 sets the tone.

>> Putting people first.

It is evident in the strategic choices

this government has made across housing,

education, healthcare and

infrastructure. IT ENSURED THAT GUYANA'S

HISTORIC GROWTH IS NOT A DISTANT

headline but a tangible reality felt in

the classrooms

and felt in the kitchens of every Gy

family. Mr. Speaker, while this may be

my first contribution and it and it is

as a sitting member of parliament, it is

not my first experience in the arena of

public service.

I come from a village on the west coast

of Damara named Eiffel.

>> As an AfroGanese woman, deeply proud of

my heritage, I walk with my ash.

>> I was shaped by a community THAT

UNDERSTANDS STRUGGLE,

>> VALUES PERSEVERANCE, and demands

dignity.

>> For many years, Mr. Speaker, I served in

politics with conviction. Through that

journey, I learned a difficult truth

that some political spaces prioritize

narrow loyalty over national progress.

>> I learned that true service requires the

COURAGE TO MOVE WHERE one's contribution

can be FULLY REALIZED FOR THE BENEFIT of

this nation.

TODAY I SIT with the people's

progressive party civic administration

not as a symbol gesture but as a partner

in progress.

>> Let me be clear

Mr. Speaker this government has

demonstrated that Afro leadership

belongs at the highest levels of

decision making.

>> There is no ceiling on contribution in

this administration.

There is NO EXCLUSIONARY OWNERSHIP OF

OPPORTUNITY.

My presence here reflects a political

culture that values ability and

commitment to country over the

divisiveness of the past.

>> Budget 2026, Mr. Speaker, reinforces

this inclusive vision by placing a

historic emphasis on youth development

and skills training. We are sending a

message to every young Gene.

>> You do not have to WAIT FOR THE FUTURE.

Your time is now.

>> You are being EQUIPPED TO BUILD YOUR

LIVES AND CONTRIBUTE TO GUYANA'S

development now.

>> Investing in our youth IS NOT A SLOGAN.

>> MR. SPEAKER, it is a STRATEGIC

IMPERATIVE.

WE ARE MEASURING our success not by the

volume of rhetoric but by the results in

our communities, by the jobs created,

>> the small businesses launched, THE

FAMILIES UPLIFTED THROUGH INVESTMENTS in

agriculture, TVET, business development

opportunities, the orange economy,

>> manufacturing and other sectors, the

continuation of which budget 2026

robustly supports.

Mr. Speaker, I turn my attention now to

the maritime sector.

>> Maritime sector development, Mr.

Speaker, since 2020 has been fueled by

the vision of his excellency Dr.

Muhammad Air Forali

>> and has been supported by every budget

since then and now budget 2026.

Mr. Speaker, GAN has seen a 67% increase

in vessel traffic

or port calls as we say in the maritime

industry from 2020 to 2025. This

increase is recognized as an indicator

of the value and impact of this

government's aggressive positioning of

the maritime sector as a cornerstone of

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

THIS BOLD AND AMBITIOUS UNDERTAKING

INSTRUCTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

comprehensive and robust regulatory,

legal, and institutional framework.

We have prioritized the modernization of

our maritime laws and regulations.

We've sustained technical capacity

building, the strengthening of our

current institutions, and establishment

of new ones such as a modern port

authority.

that will bring the sector into right

alignment with established gold global

standards and best practices embracing

innovation and increased efficiency for

safe secure and sustainable shipping.

The honorable member Walton Nazir and I

am

the honorable man

>> disappointed that she's not here this

evening

but she clamorred Mr. speaker

>> for a modern port authority which he

claims is not provided for in this

budget. Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, what the

honorable member is calling for is a

promulgation of an instrument drafted in

December 2017. I understand that she

might have had some input

which purports to be the Port Authority

Act of Guyana which when examined upon

my return from the International

Maritime Law Institute in Malta in 2018.

>> When I examined this draft, Mr. Speaker,

it was found one thing. You're being

polite.

>> I examined it against our national

maritime landscape

and of course the international

standards and recommended practices

which were fresh in my mind.

>> This draft is warfully inadequate.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> if I may

>> read just the long title for this

honorable house.

>> This is the Guyana Ports Act.

The long title reads, Mr. Speaker,

an act of parliament to provide for the

establishment of an authority to be

known as a Guyana Port Authority for the

transfer to the authority of the

undertakings within Guyana of the

Transport and Harbors Department for the

functions of the authority and for

purposes connected therewith. Mr.

Speaker, port functions are not vested

in the transport and harbors department,

NOT IN GUYANA, PERHAPS in Nigeria or

Ghana.

>> Where she copied that from?

Port functions have not been vested in

this agency since the promulgation and

enactment sir of the Ghana shipping act

of 1998.

>> So this clearly was not drafted for us.

>> I wish to pause Mr. Speaker

>> to recognize the tireless efforts and

commitment of the staff of the legal

division of the maritime administration

department.

and the Ministry of Legal Affairs who

are crafting a comprehensive legislative

blueprint. It is important to listen

wrapped attention. The language may be

technical but the thesaurus is available

on Google.

>> That's correct. That's correct.

>> Commitment of the legal division of the

maritime administration department, Mr.

speaker and the Ministry of Legal

Affairs who are crafting a comprehensive

legislative blueprint including a modern

port authority act that will reflect

acceptable global standards of

operation, oversight and regulation. A

blueprint that will guide the maritime

sector for decades to come.

>> That's right,

>> Mr. Speaker. This is no easy

undertaking, but we have acquired the

requisite technical capabilities to get

it done and get it done right.

This is not a mere exercise in cut and

paste. It is a systematic procedure that

is designed to transform complex

obligations enshrined in the maritime

pill conventions in its scope and to

which Ghana is a party.

These must be transformed into clear and

consistent national laws. This is in

stark contrast, Mr. Speaker, to what

obtained between 2015 to 2020. You have

you will LISTEN NOW.

>> WHAT PERVADED SIR WAS AN ATTITUDE OF

CONTEMPT FOR THE SECTOR EVIDENCED BY THE

failure to align the MARAD to

effectively function in its role as a

principal regulator of maritime

activities. That contempt wasn't

confined to MY

>> AND A REFUSAL to configurate an

administrative struct infrastructure

that contemplated the NETWORK OF PUBLIC

SECTOR AGENCIES and private sector

stakeholders with individual and shared

responsibilities for various segments

directly and indirectly relative to the

conduct of maritime affairs. I was also

there in 2020 running the region three

campaign gaining 25% increase in votes a

seat YOU OCCUPIED HONORABLE MEMBER THAT

YOU FAILED to retain AT THE LAST

ELECTIONS THAT IS WHY YOU ARE THERE

AMONGST THE 12 AND YOU KEEP WONDERING

EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT EACH OTHER IS IT

ME JESUS IS IT ME JESUS BUT JUDAH SHALL

BE revealed

I KNOW MR. SPEAKER,

EVEN after adequate

>> EVEN AFTER ADEQUATE NOTIFICATION FROM

THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION

that mandatory AUDIT AMENDMENTS TO THE

IMO TREATY WOULD ENTER INTO FORCE IN

JANUARY 1, 2016 AND THAT GUYANA WOULD BE

SUBJECT TO THIS AUDIT SCHEME IN 2018.

THE AP AND U AFC GOVERNMENT CLEARLY

COLOR IN THEIR ADMINISTRATION OF THE

SECTOR AS WITH EVERYTHING else failed to

implement THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

VERIFICATION of compliance.

>> HENCE DURING THE CONDUCT OF THE AUDIT

FROM FEBRUARY 10 TO 19, 2018, Gayana

recorded 19 findings, 19 strikes. Mr.

Speaker,

>> PRINCIPALLY

THE AUDIT FOUND that although the state

lacked the requisite technical and legal

personnel for the effective

implementation of maritime conventions,

there was no

utilization

absolutely no utilization of available

external options for the facilitation of

the process.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> the auditors also found

>> that maritime affairs were not at the

time, listen to this, MR. SPEAKER,

MARITIME AFFAIRS

WERE NOT PRIORITIZED AT THE NATIONAL

STRATEGIC PLANNING LEVEL.

FURTHER, there was a use and a reliance

of an on an archaic management system

and there was a lack of a policy

relative to the retention of maritime

information. I'm not surprised.

Perhaps the honorable member David

Hines, Dr. David Hines, and myself might

have the only two visible copies of a

destiny to mold because recordkeeping

>> is not their forte.

Thank you,

>> Mr. Speaker.

>> The audit ALSO FOUND

THAT AS A RESULT OF A LACK OF RELEVANT

TECHNICAL CAPACITY,

ESPECIALLY THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATELY

TRAINED MARITIME LEGISLATION DRAFTERS.

THE ADMINISTRATION HAD NOT DEVELOPED THE

RELEVANT POLICIES and guidelines to aid

the implementation or enforcement of IMO

instruments to which this state the

state of Guyana is party.

Consequently,

the implementation mechanism to enable

the effective discharge of the

administration's responsibilities and

obligations was incomplete.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you what the

audit also found. There was no effective

mechanism as stipulated by the

international organizations, the IMO,

the IHO, and the WMO

to ensure that messages related to the

safety of navigation were made readily

available.

>> Mr. Speaker,

we come to 2020.

From the onset of his first term as

president,

his excellency Dr. Eran Ali has

prioritized the transformation and

modernization of the maritime sector.

Thereupon

>> for the enhancement of navigational

safety and efficiency for mariters, we

have embarked on an aggressive program

to construct over 30 navigation markers

along the Ethiop River and key

navigational aids in the Davar River.

And you will catch feelings for Airan

and he not catch feelings for himself.

Since 2020,

we have acquired three new pilot boats,

ARAPIMA, HAYAMA, HAY AQUA, THAT

REPRESENT MORE THAN AN UPGRADE IN SPEED

AND EFFICIENCY. And they herald a new

standard in maritime safety and service,

much unlike the secondhand David Peak,

acquired in 2018. THE ONE TIME I HEARD A

voice and I said do not buy that vessel

say they they said Mr. Speaker go back

into your back office

>> AND THEY MISREPRESENTED TO US THAT this

was a new vessel

>> AND THE DAVID P

REMEMBER THE DAVID Pin

>> in conclusion PEN

>> THE DAVID P was not fully operational

due to mechanical issues.

We fixed it because we

did not want for taxpayers dollars to be

wasted.

>> Honorable member, you need you have five

minutes to

>> Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

>> These newly built vessels are part of

the government's plan.

>> These newly built vessels, Mr. speaker,

a part of the government's plans to

modernize Marat's fleet, which will soon

be expanded TO INCLUDE A MODERN

HYDROGRAPHIC survey vessel AND A

SPECIALIZED VESSEL DESIGNED to maintain,

deploy, and replace navigational boys

and beacons.

>> Mr. Speaker,

we are building and will soon

operationalize

IN ORDER TO FULFILL

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

>> UNDER THE NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE

plan a maritime rescue coordination

center in 2026.

We not only boast of marine asset

acquisition.

WE HAVE IMPROVED TECHNICAL and

administrative capacities within Mar

appointed a registar of ships and

registar of seaf farers in compliance

with the shipping act of 98. All of who

both of whom are world maritime

university trained our hydrographic

unit. We have improved the quality of

STAFF BY TRAINING THEM NOT REPLACING

them in applied and exploration geology

marine cgraphy in category B

hydrographic surveying. We have a port

administrator, a marine environment

compliance officer, a port engineer ALL

TRAINED AT THE WORLD maritime

university. And we have within our

arsenal lawyers trained to transform

maritime conventions into national laws.

All trained by Emily Malta. Mr. Speaker,

we have assigned in fact we have

designated uh representative a prominent

rep to the IMO and we have several focal

points for various technical areas

across the sector and we will continue

to build our maritime capacity and

infrastructure so that when we have THAT

FOLLOW-UP AUDIT, MR. SPEAKER, we will

register 19 stars.

>> Mr. Mr. Speaker, let me also tell you

all of our investment have not gone

unnoticed.

The Caribbean has recognized, the IMO

has recognized Guyana as a critical

maritime state. And this year we will

host for the first time two major

regional maritime conferences. The 31st

meeting of the Caribbean port state

control conference and the fifth

regional meeting of the heads and

directors of maritime agencies. Mr.

Speaker, I wish to conclude.

Guyana's prosperity must be as resilient

as its people. This budget manages our

resources with a steady hand, ensuring

our growth is shared fairly and

protected against global uncertainty.

The LCDs to the youth of Guyana, I now

speak to you directly. Your potential is

our greatest national asset. This

government is chosen to invest in you

deliberately and to the people of

Guyana, my people. Representation

matters most when it leads to results.

When we create space for diverse voices,

our one Guyana becomes an unbreakable

reality.

>> I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to serve in a

government focused on national unity and

responsible leadership.

>> If I may paraphrase, Mr. Speaker, the

wise words of Kirk Roden, POPULARLY

KNOWN AS JAVINCI ON BEHALF of the Gy

people who this government will continue

to prioritize and say to the honorable

members on the opposite side of this

house who boldly and viferously

stand against this government

determination and efforts to put people

first.

your vest. You know we bless. You see

the success.

>> You see the shirt. You see the pants.

But we not done press.

>> MR. SPEAKER, I COMMEND BUDGET 2026 to

this honorable house. I thank you.

>> Thank you honorable minister.

And now for the honorable

member, Miss Janelle Swnner.

Good evening,

fellow members of Parliament,

Mr. Speaker,

>> Mr. Clark,

>> and bless. Good evening

>> to the people of Guyana.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> today I rise not to oppose development,

>> but to defend the public interest.

>> Mr. Speaker,

I rise for the next generation and the

people of Guyana.

>> Mr. Speaker,

this side of the house is not against a

prosperous and developed Guyana.

We are here to ensure that the 2026

budget will indeed be a people centered

one.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> I rise not to attack infrastructure,

>> but to interrogate how it's built,

>> who benefits from it

>> and who pays the price when it fails.

>> And Mr. Speaker,

>> before this honorable house,

>> YES,

>> APPROVES ANOTHER dollar

>> for the public works program in 2026,

>> we must confront an uncomfortable but

unavoidable truth.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> let us get ready that side of the house

may go in an uproar.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> the public works program in 2025

failed the governance test.

>> Mr. Speaker, the 2025

budget estimates for current and revenue

expenditures, volume one, pages 504 to

506,

details of capital expenditure.

It shows the humongous sums of monies

budgeted and expended for the Ministry

of Public Works.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> the public works program fail.

>> Not because Guyana lacks money,

>> not because Guyana lacks contractors.

Neither not because Guyana lacks

engineers,

>> but because Guyana lacks discipline,

accountability, and consequences in the

execution of public works.

Mr. Speaker,

>> the administration has come to this

house

>> boasting of unprecedented allocations,

billions upon billions for roads,

bridges, drainage, sea defenses and

infrastructural development.

>> We are told that in a new era of

development that we are living in this

new era of development.

We are told to be grateful.

>> We are told to trust.

>> BUT THE PEOPLE OF GUYANA, MR. SPEAKER,

>> we are not impressed by spreadsheets or

headline figures or promises.

>> They are asking far more basic questions

and far more serious questions.

And I am happy that today it rained in

Guyana.

>> Yes.

>> Because I could not have made my

presentation more elementary than that.

>> Cuz as we walk through the cities and as

we walk through different parts of

Guyana today that had rainfall,

>> my speech is evident.

LET THOSE WHO HAVE EYES SEE. LET THOSE

WHO HAVE ears hear what I'm saying. The

evidence is there.

Mr. Speaker,

>> I have a a couple of questions.

>> And to be quite honest, Mr. Speaker,

>> I could have done this in a nice 15

minutes meeting with the honorable

minister of public works and minister

within the ministry of public works. But

I have prepared 10 pages here to make

this as elementary and as vivid and to

fulfill my task in this honorable house.

>> The questions I'm about to ask

>> and all gies are asking this question.

Mr. Speaker,

>> why are newly built roads already

breaking apart?

>> How many elementary as possible I can

get?

Why does flooding persist

>> after expensive drainage works

>> have already been completed?

>> Why do projects stall after payments are

made?

>> And why, Mr. Speaker, does no one seem

to be held accountable?

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> this is not a budget about ambition. No,

>> this is a debate about discipline.

>> Yes.

>> And discipline as it relates to, Mr.

Speaker, financial discipline,

>> procurement discipline and supervisory

discipline.

Mr. Speaker, these have all been missing

from the Ministry of Public Works.

and a couple of good conversation with

the honorable member can put things in

place and I'm looking forward to doing

that over the next five years.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> before this House even considers

expansion in 2026,

we must interrogate performance in 2025.

>> Because, Mr. Speaker,

>> budgets do not exist in isolation.

>> They are built on records and they are

built on credibility.

>> And the record of 2025, Mr. speaker is

deeply troubling

>> across the country. The pattern was

obvious.

>> Details without penalties,

>> payments without performance,

>> projects without completion,

>> audits without action.

>> This house, Mr. speaker cannot behave as

if 2025 was merely a rehearsal and 2026

will somehow be different by default.

Public funds were spent, Mr. Speaker.

>> Contracts were signed.

>> Payments were issued.

>> Yes.

>> So accountability must follow. Mr.

Speaker,

>> Mr. ical.

>> Let us begin with roads.

>> Roads are the most visible symbol of

development.

>> They are also the most visible evidence

of failure when governance is weak.

And Mr. Mr. Speaker, I'll just come off

script for a minute to point out the

fact over the last two weeks I saw the

honorable minister had to go on the

ground, boots on the ground

to remove vehicles from the side of the

road.

>> My experience would have already told me

that and there's a problem in that

program

and it trickles down. orders are given

but the communication and action and

execution may not necessarily have taken

place and the fact that the honorable

member had to go and do that task.

um if he wanted to meet with community

that could have been done with community

meetings. If he wanted to do party works

of course are being done in groups on

meetings but the FACT THAT THE HONORABLE

minister had to leave his desk to go to

remove vehicles from off the road

there's a programmatic problem there

>> going back to script Mr. Speaker,

>> after multiple we their most visible

evidence for the roads is when

governance is weak across multiple

regions. In 2025, residents saw newly

rehabilitated roads cracked within

months of completion.

>> Sink after heavy rainfall,

>> develop potholes before the warranty

period expired.

and required patching almost immediately

and I'm going to come off script for a

minute again. One of the most vivid

example for all gy is outside of bank of

Guyana outside of the national library

every two weeks Mr. Speaker

>> you got to patch and patch and patch

when you swing around the bend Mr.

speaker to go to NBS bank

>> all the time.

>> You want to know what happened? WE'RE

GOING TO BE BRINGING IN BRAND new

vehicles in this country. Mr. Speaker,

I'm going to be sh sorry for a lot of

people's shocks because mechanics are

going to be making a lot of money in

this country because every minute you're

in a hole and you're like, "Oh my, my

shocks are damaged here."

>> And Mr. Speaker, I think a couple of

people in here don't know what shocks

are,

>> but um I happen to know what shocks are

>> and I happen to know what it is to gas

up my own car and I actually went to the

gas station two days ago and I saw gas

prices went up.

>> Um so I'm not sure how many persons in

this house know that but I just gassed

up my car.

>> Mr. Speaker, back to script. Mr. Speak.

Mr. Speaker, rows are not supposed to

fail before the paint on the signs fade.

>> So I ask this administration directly,

Mr. Speaker,

were proper compaction standards

enforced,

were materials independently tested?

Were engineering specifications adhere

to?

were site inspections actually conducted

or merely signed off on paper

>> because Mr. Speaker,

roads do not fail this quickly.

>> Unless someone, Mr. Speaker, failed to

do their job,

they failed because standards, Mr.

speaker were compromised

>> and a couple of things resulted um as a

result of that. Either contractors would

have cut corners,

supervision was negligent,

payments were approved without

verification

>> or all three.

>> And Mr. Speaker, every one of these

failures I've listed is a governance

failure.

And Mr. Speaker, coming off script again

for a minute, I I was very disappointed

um not from things that emanated from

the house, but the fact that um Mr. and

our honorable speaker um Mr.

Honorable member Mr. Edgil, you see, I

actually wanted to bring some crackers

out for you guys, but I forgot, you

know. So um I wanted to get back to my

script. Yes, Mr. Speaker, because road

do not fail this quickly unless someone

failed their job.

>> Mr. Speaker, let us turn to drainage.

Guyana is a lowlying country.

>> Drainage is not optional.

Drainage is empirical.

Yet in 2025,

after billions were spent

>> on drainage and flood mitigation works,

flooding persisted across communities.

>> Residents saw, Mr. Speaker, clearly um

trends cleared but never connected to

functional outfalls,

>> canals excavated but left unmaintained.

pump stations delayed beyond the rainy

season

>> and works completed on paper but

ineffective in practice.

So I ask this house, Mr. Speaker,

what exactly were we paying for?

Who certified these works as effective?

And why were payments made when outcomes

were not achieved?

Mr. Speaker, a drainage project that

does not reduce flooding is not merely

incomplete. It is a failure

and failure must have consequences.

>> Mr. Speaker, the most evident feature of

failure within the 2025

public works program were the number of

stalled or projects with extension.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> across regions,

members of this house would have seen a

couple of things.

>> Construction sites fenced off,

equipment removed long before

completion.

signs still standing months later and

absolutely no progress.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, advanced payments had

already been issued.

>> The most glaring example, Mr. Speaker,

remains the Belleview pump station

project.

>> This project, Mr. speaker consume

hundreds of millions of dollars in

public funds.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, problem remained

minimal. Deadlines were missed and

performance was unacceptable.

So, let this current administration, Mr.

speaker answer clearly on the record

how many projects stalled after advanced

payments

and I'm also I'm giving the honorable

minister of public works a jump start

for next week's questions

um because when I was reviewing some

past answers he would have given to his

um previous question and answer session

most of the time he either didn't of the

person present are one unable to provide

the answer at the time. So I'm I'm doing

the honorable member a favor by already

putting public some of the questions

that might be coming before him.

How many projects stalled after advanced

payments?

How many contracts were terminated in

2025?

How many performance bonds were

enforced? At least I know to do it. and

how much public money was actually

recovered.

If the answer is none, Mr. Speaker, or

practically next to nothing, then this

house, Mr. Speaker, must confront a

painful reality that failure is being

tolerated

>> and failure is being funded.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> failure funded.

What we saw in 2025

was repetition without reform.

>> Procurement is supposed to reward

competence,

>> but we saw failures followed by new

opportunities.

>> Mr. Speaker, the same contractors

appeared again and again.

The same companies were awarded

contracts

after poor delivery.

>> So I ask, Mr. Speaker,

who is approving these repeated

failures,

>> where is the contractor performance

database?

>> And why is performance history not a

decisive factor in procurement

decisions?

Mr. Speaker, a procurement system that

does not punish failure approves it.

>> Further, Mr. Speaker,

what is deeply corrosive

is the perception

that public works contract are being

awarded to party comrades and shell

companies.

>> This, Mr. Speaker, undermines fair

competition,

>> inflates costs,

>> discourages credible contractors,

and erodess public trust.

>> Mr. Speaker,

this administration

has done little to dispel that

perception.

>> Mr. Speaker,

transparency is not secrecy.

Mr. Speaker,

integrity is not silence.

>> And Mr. Speaker, accountability is not

optional.

>> We see, Mr. Speaker,

>> when information is withheld,

>> suspicion grows.

When oversight is resisted,

>> distrust deepens.

>> I feel honored that the honorable

Nandelad is taking notes.

>> I feel honored, sir. Thank you.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> year after year,

>> the same concerns are raised by the

auditor general,

overpayments,

>> weak documentation,

inadequate supervision

and breaches of procurement procedures.

And Mr. Speaker, we see year after year

those findings are tabled,

debated and then ignored.

>> So, Mr. Speaker, this side of the house

asks,

which audit recommendations were

implemented in 2025?

which officials were disciplined,

which systems were corrected.

>> Because, Mr. Speaker, when warnings are

repeated and ignored, this is no longer

a capacity issue.

>> It is a willful disregard for

accountability.

Further to this fact, Mr. Speaker, the

Public Procurement Commission exists

but remains sidelined,

underutilized,

and marginalized.

Mr. Speaker, this house is asked to

approve billions in 2026 for public

works and infrastructural development

while being denied timely and detailed

performance data.

Mr. Speaker, let me say this is not

transparency.

This, Mr. Speaker, is executive

inconvenience.

So I ask again,

will the PPPC administration

empower oversight bodies to act

independently

>> or will they remain decorative

institutions while public funds flow

unchecked?

Mr. Speaker, before this 2026 budget is

approved, this administration must

answer the following questions. Let's

hear them.

Why do correct Why do contractors who

fail continue to receive new contracts?

How many 2025 projects were paid for

without delivery?

How many public funds have been

recovered from stalled works?

And what penalties, Mr. Speaker, will

apply to officials who certify

substandard work?

Mr. Mr. Speaker, these are not mere

opposition questions.

These are governance questions.

>> Mr. Speaker,

substandard public works are not

abstract failures.

>> Mr. speaker. They translate into flooded

homes,

>> unsafe roads,

>> delayed economic activity,

loss of livelihoods,

and most of all, Mr. Speaker, citizens

who lose faith in the state.

>> Mr. Speaker,

every wasted dollar is a dollar taken

from education,

from healthcare,

from human services and social security

and national development.

>> Mr. Speaker,

for every input, we must have a matching

successful output.

And Mr. Speaker, those on the other side

of the house, I noticed that they

haven't been challenging me. And I want

to thank the honorable

>> lovely prayer man Chan.

>> Many of them were not in the house. And

you know it's not good to toot your own

horn but I thank the minister

for recognizing my service

>> within her ministry.

>> And Mr. Speak um Mr. Minister

>> Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, Guyana's revenues are

expanding rapidly according to the

presenter of this 2026 budget.

The honorable minister Ashne Singh

presented this budget.

This budget with its expanding revenues

doesn't make governance

important. It makes it less not less.

Citing governance is important, Mr.

Speaker. If systems do not improve, if

oversight do not strengthen, if

accountability do not does not deepen,

then increased spending will only

increase the scale of waste and abuse.

>> Mr. Speaker, permit me to be absolutely

clear. This side of the house will not

be a rubber stamp.

We will not condone mismanagement.

>> We will not be silent while public works

become a vehicle for private enrichment

and political reward.

We will not question.

>> We will expose and we will insist on

reform.

>> Mr. Speaker, this 2026 budget asks for

trust.

But trust is not automatic. Trust is

earned. Earned through transparency,

earned through accountability, and

earned through consequences.

Until this administration proves that

public works is managing the public's

interests, this side of the house will

continue to challenge the program and

the 2026 budget at large.

Line by line, contract by contract,

dollar by dollar,

Guyana deserves, Mr. Speaker,

infrastructure built on integrity and

not influence.

Mr. Speaker, this 2026 budget is the

bedrock for disaster,

>> discord,

>> lawlessness,

first and foremost, emanating from the

Ministry of Public Works and

Infrastructure.

Our economic program and policies, Mr.

speaker must be geared to lift people

out of poverty,

>> not to enrich the self-minted

untouchables in Guyana, as coined in one

social media page.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, this 2026

budget serves the privileged and small

percentage of the population, not the

working people of Guyana.

>> Mr. Speaker, we aim for a better Guyana.

I thank you.

>> Thank you very much. Honorable

member, Miss Janelle

Swatnner.

We need to help the honorable minister

of public utilities and aviation.

The honorable

deodat Indar, Minister of Public

Utilities

and Aviation.

Mr. Speaker,

>> tonight I stand as a proud young man. I

still young. Oh, I a little gray here.

>> I stand as a proud young man to be given

this opportunity to be the first

minister of public utilities and

aviation program.

And before I start picking fight and I

intend to pick fight,

>> I want to thank my team from the

ministry of public utilities and all of

the agencies and aviation the entire

sector. I know there are some from the

private sector here from the private

sector commission from the aircraft

owners association. Some of the members

are here. I also know that there are

about uh eight or nine um women from

region two, region five who are employed

um with the solar projects that we have

built in the in the

past couple of months. Well, Mr.

Speaker, I want to first blame the PNC

couple for that presentation.

They are the reasons why we got to

listen to that.

Ganesh, honorable member, honorable

member Jorita finance and Mr. the man

who just get up. What's the name again?

Um, Sher Duncan. I blame all of them for

we just heard.

>> I beg you for two Tylenol because I was

getting headache at the back.

Mr. speaker, but I want to first

I want to first bring your attention to

this schedule that is given to us here

in parliament with the speakers and the

honorable doc Dr. Todd a man I grew up

with in Venoop came and say that numbers

doesn't matter the 12 doesn't matter Mr.

Speaker, it does matter because he get

15 minutes to speak.

My pal who is enjoying plus 5 get 15

minutes to speak. Jorita finance my

friend who used to speak 15 minutes to

speak and the rest the new man in town

Terren Campbell the honorable member

leader for that side 15 minutes to

speak.

>> Then Mr. Speaker, the numbers matter

because they got no chief whip.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers matter because

I don't know which committee they're

sitting on. You see, they don't get r up

already. It matters.

>> It matters. And the young ling who came

and gave his first maiden speech should

have known that it matters.

>> It matters.

>> It matters.

>> So I'll come back to this document just

now.

>> But Mr. Speaker, I wanted to bring that

to the attention.

>> The other thing, Mr. Speaker, I want to

bring this document. I lay it over. This

is GCOM's JCOM's election declaration

for the final results.

>> Yes.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> I want to put this on record.

>> The People's Progressive Party Civic got

242,497

votes, the largest vote accumulation in

the history of Democratic elections in

Guyana. Correct. The next party that

came after that got 109,075

votes. A far cry. So when Mr. Todd comes

to this house and says that it wasn't

free and fair. Oh, this man like you

don't check simple numbers man. The

margin is unassalable.

IT IS UNASSAILABLE. YOU can't man which

tomb you broke out.

>> Huh? Go back in the tomb you broke out.

>> Mr. Speaker, this document here is

JCOM's final document and it shows an

honest sailboat. I'll come back to it

just now when I get to Mr. Man who never

seems to be around when should speak.

But let me start with Sher Duncan guy

these people they Mr. Speaker, there's a

term

I come back to heed just now.

>> Who is in the house?

>> Vishnu Pande. I going to pick a fight

with him before I go into my thing. Mr.

>> Miss Honorable Vishnu Pandi, a young man

71 years old, I think, who came into

this house and talk about agriculture.

And uh the honorable Zulfi Mustafa

defended and I think that um the

minister Vicash did excellent but I have

a simple picture and I want to

demonstrate something. This is a picture

of my garden. Mr. Speaker, no it's in my

garden. There's some baji and some um

some baji and some balang and some other

things in the garden. My daughter took

it out to sell it to me. A 76 year old

gardener that I have employed. nice man.

He normally plants this and it grows and

it bears and I saw this thing.

>> I saw this thing. I my daughter take it

out to send it to me. I saw it and when

she sent it to me they cook some baji

yesterday, Mr. Speaker. And when she

sent it to me, I remember this

gentleman. I remember this gentleman

because he was the agriculture

director for for Gau. And the honorable

minister said here when he spoke that

when this gentleman left Gau production

went up by 20%.

>> So either the gentleman is blighted or

he got barakat

got to be one. IT HAS TO BE ONE.

>> MR. SPEAKER,

>> I am going to I'm going I'm going to now

turn to Amanza Walton Dir who spoke who

spoke and and went away. But I want to

deal with her specifically

and I come back to this

>> I come back to this document. Where is

it? Our votes for FGM is 4,332

>> as our vote and the Harry Cot per seat

in this assembly is 6,746

vote. So she did not get enough for one

seat.

>> The honorable member came and spoke here

yesterday and behaved like she's the

paragon of virtue.

But I will tell you

>> AS THE PARAGON OF But I will tell you,

>> let me tell you

>> and I'm going to deal with our matters.

>> Mr. Speaker, this is a news article that

I haven't over to. She was dismissed

from the the civil aviation authority.

>> Mr. Mr. Speaker, in 2020 March when we

had the problems with the election, Miss

Dair did not show up to work for five

long months during the interregnum. I

call it an interregnum because we were

moving transitioning in government. She

did not show up to work and was paid Mr.

Speaker from March to July. So why do

the rest of people show up to work?

>> She was a leech on the state and she was

dismissed for it. This is it and her

personnel file prove that and she comes

and speak here like if she is as I said

the paragon of virtue some intellectual

tower on aviation I'll get back to her

later in my speech.

>> Yes Mr. Speaker I also want to talk

about some of the other things she said

but when I come back to aviation I'll

deal with that. Mr. Speaker,

>> I hear the heckling of my friend

Terrence Campbell and I hear the

speeches of the PNC. I come to this this

group one just now. I heard it from

Mahipal. I heard it from the honor all

honorable people by by parliamentary

convention. Mahi Paul and Vince Ry

Jordan and they spoke about 58% of G in

poverty and they quote a report minister

they quote this report min Mr. Mr.

Speaker, this this report I quoted, I

printed it because I intend to hand it

over to you.

>> Mr. Speaker, this report was published

in November of 2024.

And it in the report did have those

numbers. What the report had in the back

here on this page 41 is that the data

was taken from 2016 to 2018.

AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO YOU.

>> MR. SPEAKER, I found Jesus Christ. I

found Jesus Christ when I was 11 years

old. I found Jesus Christ when I was 11

years. And in the Bible, in the Bible,

it says that the poor will always be

with you. IF WE EXPECT Guyana to have

poor people, then you're calling God a

liar. And I don't intend to call GOD A

LIAR. BUT THIS REPORT was taken from

there. This is it. I highlighted it and

I will I will give you just now but I go

back into the coffin where you call out.

>> Mr. Speaker, this report this report has

information when the PNC and AFC was in

government. Then COVID 19 kick in from

2019 to 2020 and in 2021. Up to now

there are industries THAT CAN'T RECOVER

FROM COVID. saw the RE THE RECOVERY FOR

COVID took years IN A STEP GRADUATION

PROCESS IN VARIOUS sectors across the

globe. EVERYBODY SUFFERED THIS. THIS

REPORT SAYS 200 million people is in

poverty in 80 nations. 200 million.

>> We are not AN EXCEPTION.

>> BUT WHAT WE DO WITH IT, I'll come to it

in the budget AND SHOW YOU WHAT WE ARE

DOING WITH DEALING WITH THE POOR. YOU

GIVE OUT THE old lynen to to to Azardin

Muhammad. Shut them up.

Mr. Speaker,

>> I WANT TO LAY THIS

>> I want to list this doc a list of

documents I want to hand over to you.

May I do so, sir? Because I intend to do

it.

>> Two things, honorable member. You're

going great, but the word you used

before you said you

>> which word I use. Secondly, I've already

submitted a digital copy of the IDB

report to the clerk. Okay. Two seconds

ago, and you could send those.

>> Anyone who wants to submit stuff, I

would love to have them in digital form.

>> I'll send Well, I printed it for you.

So, what?

>> Yes.

>> It's already uploaded.

>> No, this is a different report.

>> Send the recent one.

I want to point these out to you and I

will send them over. These are a list of

agencies across this country.

This is public statement. Nobody got to

sign them.

>> Public statements by agencies across

this country that says I'll go to the

first one on the private sector

commission of Guyana issued a statement

about this budget. Georgetown Chamber of

Commerce and Industry, some of them

here, over 1,000 companies in that

agencies issued a positive statement on

on the budget. Guyana Jewelers

Association, Small Miners Association,

Guyana Football Federation, GUYANA

BOXING ASSOCIATION, GUYANA MANUFACTURERS

and Services Association, Guyana Gold

Min Gold and Diamond Miners Association,

Insurance Association of Guyana,

Shipping Association of Guyana,

Aviations Operate Operators Association

of Guyana, CIOG and MYO, Women's Chamber

of Commerce and Industry of Guyana,

Barbie's Chamber of Commerce AND

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, GUYANA

BODYBUILDING and Fitness Federation and

Tourism Authority Authority Association.

THESE ARE JUST some and every single one

of these INSTITUTION SAYS THAT THIS

BUDGET DID something for them. The only

set of people that cost this budget is

this bunch of sour grapes that we have

in this house.

>> This bunch of sour grapes that we have

in this house.

>> Sour grapes.

Mr. Speaker, I'll tell you. I'll tell

you,

>> Mr. Speaker, they went, one of them went

and spoke about they spoke about this

budget

and they went to this budget and they

say we are carrying up debt. The debt

figure, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the

debt the debt figure here, I recorded

it. The debt figure here, the interest

payment on debt is 7 73 billion. It is

about 5.5% of the to the total

expenditure. Where is this huge debt

that they talk about? Is none.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> Dr. Campbell will come after me and

speak. And before we speak and distort

the the facts, I want to put it up on

record. This is the budget of 2026. in

this page here, page three, page two,

and on page three,

$495

billion from the natural resource fund.

>> It is here.

>> It is here. This is what is taken to

fund as part of the revenue structure of

the country to fund this budget of 1.5

trillion. It is 31.7%

of the total budget. One/ird that is the

Jewish law. The Jewish work by this fin

by by this one-third in cash, one-third

in working capital and one/ird in hard

assets so that you can your business can

tor. Same with countries and then they

say that we we we are not we are abusing

the fund. There's no abuse in the fund.

Then they go and they quote that very

document that I show you and talk about

poverty. So you're damn if you do and

you're damn if you don't spend. That is

the philosophy. So they cost you on one

hand and say you're spending the money

and then they cost you on the other hand

and say the country have a lot of poor

people.

>> What is you're damn if you do a dam if

you don't. So we might as well Mr.

Speaker spend on the areas that we

prioritize based on the manifesto and to

tell the gentleman who said a manifesto

spoke about the PPP manifesto. The PPP

manifesto came from the ground. We went

on the ground. People heard us. They

tell us what they want and want to tell

us what we want. Where's where we put in

the budget?

>> Mr. Speaker, look, they say they don't

want this budget. Look, the wind party,

they got a lot of votes from region one.

Region one have 14,2490

students getting cash grant. The very

parents will receive the money that

voted for them. And they don't want to

give. SO PEOPLE FROM REGION ONE, I want

y'all to hear me. They don't want to

give y'all these cash grant the 100,000.

90 85,000.

REGION 7, you have 7,683

children from North Primary AND

SECONDARY.

THIS BUDGET HAVE CASH grant for them.

The whole list of them on the speaker's

list from the APNC side and the wind

side said they don't like the budget.

This is what the budget does. This is

poor people. Region 8,817

children. Their parents will get that

money. Region 9 10,820.

And then region 10,

region 10 that Mr. Sharma Solomon make

sure that the win party win and you get

KICKED OUT. REGION 10 PEOPLE THEY ALSO

GETTING THE CASH GRANT AND YOU COME INTO

THIS house and say you don't want the

budget. YOU GO BACK AT THE REGION 10

PEOPLE IF YOU'RE HEARING me Mr. Sharma

said this budget doesn't have nothing

for them but IT DOES HAVE CASH GRANT FOR

THEM. It has every other thing that

every other region has to offer is

offered to region 102.

Mr. Speaker, somebody came to this house

and said one of those on the opposition

side that people is worked people in

Guyana got to work for 1,400 Guyana

dollars a day

>> 7 6.85 US or something like that from

the very report. Mr. Speaker, this

document here is from the Ministry of

Labor. This document says the daily

minimum wage in the private sector is

$2,776.

Nobody if they could FIND ONE PERSON

THAT actually works $1,400, bring them

to me, man.

>> I go find a job FOR THEM.

>> ANYBODY who find doing that, don't come

to this house and mislead the country.

>> THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THE PUBLIC SECTOR

MINIMUM WAGE IS about over $100,000.

This is private sector one. THE PUBLIC

SECTOR ONE IS EVEN HIGHER. So they come

to this house and they mislead this

house. Mr. Speaker, I want to now come

back to the honorable

Walton Desir and our our speech in

parliament.

Mr. Speaker, she on the on the floor she

said that

the helicopter report must be released.

The helicopter crash report must be

released. And she said in this very

house that we are breaching the

international civil civil aviation

organization laws or codes that which

one of us should annex 13

>> poorly informed.

>> Mr. Speaker, I just want to inform this

house that she is wfully

woefully wrong with with this matter and

she criticism is okay. criticism might

be fine, but do not come into the

parliament and try to mislead the

country for cheap political points and

not stay stay here when the response

comes. Mr. Speaker, the flight operation

at the time when it happened, it was a

military operation.

I repeat, it was a military operation.

It was not a civilian flight.

An extorting of IKO speaks to disclosure

of flights that are civil in nature.

When you have a flight that is under the

state control, listen, you're going to

learn something, boy.

>> When you have a flight that is

controlled by the army or the state, it

is governed by the Chicago Convention.

I It is governed by the Chicago

Convention. And it says and I read

aircraft used in military customs and

police services shall be deemed state

aircraft. And because of this which

country that has military operation

disclose to the public about when you

have incidents or accidents. Find a

country.

>> It is a military operation within the

virtue of the national security board.

they change their mind about

>> I am saying to you she is saying and

she's wrong and I'm saying to you that

the article that governs this is a

Chicago convention and I'm saying to you

that it's placed the operation in a

military setting and because of that it

is a national security issue

>> and it is exempted

>> by virtue of that

>> I move on I move on on on on her.

>> Mr. Speaker, I come back

>> I come back to

>> I come back to the honorable Sherah

Duncan in his remarks.

>> He left and that is their usual style.

They left whenever they speak. But Mr.

Speaker, he said that we take planes

from Maruka to go to Queana.

Mr. Speaker, I checked and I checked and

I checked because I remember driving on

that road with Sarah, the honorable

minister. Now, when before she was the

minister, we drove that road 30

kilometers and we didn't see any air air

strip at Queibana. You think you were

playing? You think you were clear?

>> Stripping in Quibbana was decommissioned

since 2007. Honorable Cole

>> since 2007. So when is it that this

anybody from this side of the house took

a flight from Maruka to go to Kibana and

came to this parliament a few days ago

and said it to mislead the public. There

is no AIR STRIP THERE. WHAT IS THERE?

THERE WAS A DIGEL TOWER.

>> A digel tower is there, Mr. Speaker. SO

THESE GENTLEMEN COME INTO this house and

mislead this country. Nobody here flies

with that.

>> Mr. Speaker, he spoke about the Peruma

air strip and the folks in wind they

talk about it. Perum air strip had it

had it problem. I went there when I was

appointed minister of aviation and we

fixed it. And I went there and I opened

it and I went there AND I LANDED PLANES

ON IT AND IT CONTINUED TO HAVE planes

>> and the technum lands.

>> Mr. Speaker, these these people come to

this house and it's because of this

attitude. Mr. Speaker, I might be able

to to to to softly con uh point out

something to you, sir. I think that you

do the APNU

coalition a favor and injustice.

>> No, a favor, Mr. Speaker. I think that

if you didn't spread them out all of

that, all of them could have fit in the

front bench here.

They look plenty but a little

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> Mr. Speaker, I blame them for that crew

over there.

I blame the honorable Jorita finance

that when she all in Bartica I see three

people and three dark short up to the

rally.

>> I love Jarita. She's fiery but nobody

don't like them.

>> Now let's go over to this one side to

the wind to the wind team. I abuse you

all man thing.

>> Mr. Speaker to the wind party Mr.

speaker in two months.

>> In two months I did 110 meetings in

region two and region three

>> and in region two and region three I all

the platform I been on and I saw

everybody there everybody there y'all I

can't go nowhere nobody don't like y'all

they had to pick up a banana and walk

home back nobody showed up to the

meeting stop it the wind people there

Mr. Speaker, the party is led by the

honorable leader of the opposition, Arin

Muhammad, and every single one of their

MP that showed up there, they cast aside

this budget. They don't budget. THE

OPPOSITION LEADER HIMSELF SAID IS

BUDGETING for you. Does we tell the

people, let me tell you, let me tell

this country and everybody that is

listening and give a damn what does

budget have in sight for them. Where's

the the page?

Where's the page?

>> As you look for the page,

I'm again seeking you to stay

parliamentary. You just use another word

and you've been continuingly

saying,

>> but misleading the nation.

>> Oh,

sorry, sir.

>> Mr. Speaker, I point Sorry, I point to

page 490. to 491 to 492

and three local submit details of

subsidies and contribution to local

organizations. They said this budget for

poor people I will say what is budget

have for poor people

first thing on hintterland

electrification Mr. Solomon. Honorable

Solomon, you go back and tell the people

of Lynen that the budget have $4.7

billion FOR CHEAP ELECTRICITY THAT YOU

COME HERE AND SAY THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO

APPROVE. THEY PAY5

$5 PER KILOWATT HOUR AND THEN THEY PAY

$12 PER KILOWATT HOUR AND $4.7 BILLION

allocated for the people OF LONDON AND

THE PEOPLE OF WIN WHO ALL OF THEM WHO

COME HERE AND said they don't WANT THIS

BUDGET. GO BACK AND TELL THE PEOPLE WHO

VOTED FOR Y'ALL. YOU'RE ALL APPROVING

IT.

>> MR. SPEAKER, it has here Let Power

Company. The people in Latim, all of THE

INDUSTRIAL FOLKS UP THERE, MONEY'S IN

THIS BUDGET for the power. MR. SPEAKER,

THEY have in here Mario Power Company

money in here for for the power that

they get there. GO AND TELL THE PEOPLE

OF Mario vote for some of y'all that

you're not approving it. GO AND TELL

THEM,

>> MR. ICA Maruma, Matus Ridge, Maruka,

>> PORT KAUMA, ALL OF THESE PLACES.

>> $7.5 billion of money goes there to make

sure they have electricity and YOU COME

HERE AND YOU SAID THAT we don't like

this budget. MR. SPEAKER, TURNING THE

PAGE. Hold on. They say take another

four people in this budget.

social services $192 million. Let me

tell you who this monies are going to.

This monies are going to archer's home.

>> THE DAM SALAHOON.

Who that rich people?

>> Who the damn salah?

>> LOOK WHERE THEY SAID GOOD SAMARITAN

HOME. They say Guyana Society for the

blind. All of them have monies in this

budget for them. They say legal aid,

Lynden legal aid, helping poor people

when they need legal services. They got

The elderly, THE NATIONAL COMMISSION of

the Elderly, RED TREAD, WHO AFTER THEM,

>> WOMEN, GUYANA ASSOCIATE OF PROFESSIONAL

SOCIAL WORKERS, CHILD CARE, Child Care,

they got Siva Shelter FOR ABUSED

CHILDREN. THEY got Kanan home, Cornelia

Ida Children's Home, Harudi Girls Home,

Hope Children's Home, Joshua Orphanage,

Rumville Children Home, Save Our Kids,

Shy Boys Lord. IS THAT A POOR PEOPLE?

I'M GOING TO continue on THE NEXT PAGE

ON THE youth boy scouts, Girl Scouts,

>> GIRLS GUIDE, RED CROSS,

>> YOUNG YOUNG MEN IN CHRISTIAN

ASSOCIATION, young women in Christ.

These are these NOT POOR PEOPLE. THESE

NOT POOR PEOPLE. This budget got by

everybody inside. They just come here to

mislead. I WILL MISLEAD AGAIN. THEY'RE

JUST COMING HERE TO TELL THINGS THAT ARE

THAT TRUTHFUL. MR. SPEAKER, the young

lady just now I will not even respond to

the not nothing that she said. All to

say that she wasted 35 minutes that she

could have used during the committee of

supply and to interrogate the estimates.

Those are question for interrogation in

the estimate. They are not debate.

>> Mr. Speaker, those are just some of the

things,

>> Mr. Speaker.

>> Yeah.

>> Thank you, sir. Sir, standing order 41.

The honorable member said that red

thread has money.

>> Oh, sorry. That one was zero.

>> Red thread has zero.

>> That one was zero. That's the only thing

you'll find. I highlighted it. It just

skipped my eye. Sit on back.

Mr. Speaker, I want to go back I want to

go back to the philosophy of these

opposition people in this in this party

here. I hoard I have a lot of respect

for Mr. Terren Campbell as a

businessman. No, as a businessman you

got you got to get respect for people

because it's hard in business. But for

the but it gone it gone for the past

couple years I sat there and I heard him

idolizing the former from party founder

um Barnum he said so I remember I grew

up POOR I USED TO STARVE

STAR THEY HAD FOOTWEAR TO WEAR and you

sit there and do that you'll ask me man

you'll ask me

>> you'll ask me there MAN

>> THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE PNC GROUP IN THIS

HOUSE AND THE WIND group in this house.

THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM CAN'T amount to

the least of us ON THIS CORNER.

>> CANNOT AMOUNT to the least of us on this

corner.

>> Mr. Speaker, I say to you that this

country is on a trajectory. You know,

when investors come in this country, one

man come and said to me, "Minister,

Guyana seems to be the most sexiest girl

in the room. Everybody wants a part of

IT BECAUSE it is showing up in the

numbers everywhere. Economic growth.

>> Honorable AG,

every metric is on the rise. Every

sector is on the rise. Everything. And

yet you find that the opposition, this

bunch of sour grapes going to come here

and say this budget thing and nothing

for them. Every

Mr. Speaker, I move on. I move on to the

private sector. And I want to say

something about the private sector

because nobody in the last four days

have said the words private unless I

hear it.

>> You in ence you inense.

>> Mr. Speaker,

>> the manufacturers in this country will

benefit.

>> They will benefit. And you see them

benefiting. They issued a statement.

They gone up by 24%, 6% and 26.5%

respectively between other manufacturing

rights and sugar. Manufacturing is the

heart of this country. If you don't

manufacture, you have to import. And

once you import, you import the

inflation from the other countries. SO

THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. BUILD

MANUFACTURING. THAT IS WHY WE'RE

investing in this country. Mr. Speaker,

I say to you that

Guyana is moving to places. The problem

is because it's moving with us as in the

People's Progressive Party, the rest of

them have a problem with it. They have a

problem with it. But I will take the

time to show you this sector the things

that we are doing to move to move this

country forward. In my hands, I'll start

with power generation and energy. three

three RFPs.

>> No, we ain't come there yet.

>> The first one

>> is a Guyana gas bottle in logistics.

This here is for 3 million 20 pound gas

bottle. We going out to RFP for this

already. We going to manufacture own gas

plus the bottle in Guyana. Mr. Speaker,

Mr. Speaker, you want to talk about

progress in this budget? We are going we

have put out an RFP. This one here is

for fertilizer.

Mr. Speaker, those who don't know

natural gas, 70% of natural gas to 90%

of it is feed stock to manufacture

fertilizer. We have gone out to an RFP.

This RFP is for a plant to produce 300

300,000 tons peranom so that we can help

our farmers cutting costs making sure

that greens and the oil thing go to the

market at a cheaper price.

>> Mr. Speaker, another one Amelia Falls

they knock it down. They say renewable

energy 165 megawatts will make it a

reality. We going out with it. MR.

SPEAKER, THE PROBLEM WITH THE OPPOSITION

NOW AND THE ONES BEFORE IS THAT THEY GOT

thousand mentality. THEY DON'T

UNDERSTAND BIG PROJECTS. THEY CAN'T

CONJURE BIG PROJECTS AND ACCEPT

CERTAINLY cannot implement it.

>> Mr. Speaker, somebody talk about jobs we

have created in this country in the last

5 years. According to the Minister of

Labor and this year is another one I I

brought it. This is the aviation sector

who normally have all of the jobs. We

got to go to a job fair to get people to

do uh um ground handling at the Timi

airport, Cheddar airport.

>> We got to go now and get all kind of

thing. Engineers, plumbers, electrician,

cargo agents, ramp attendants, admin

officers, custodian, groomers, aviation

security people, customer service,

DUTY-FREE TEAM MEMBERS, SPECIALIST, ALL

of these things. And then somebody

saying that they working $1,400. Who

y'all come to fool, man?

>> Mr. Mr. Speaker, I hope you ring two

black firus

back. I'm sorry,

>> Mr. Speaker,

the Civil Aviation Authority this year.

Who would have thought? Who would have

thought in this country that we have to

move the control tower from the where it

is to move it on the other side because

they ain't got space to park planes. Who

would have thought that this year we

have 800 million to move that? That is

what we're doing and another 100 million

to make sure we train our own pilots and

everybody that is in on an aircraft.

Those on the ground as well engineers to

do mainframe and engine repairs. All of

them we are creating a school. That is

where we plan. That is how we move this

country forward. That is development.

And if anybody wants a job in the sector

we're looking for people,

Mr. Speaker, I would even talk about my

I think my the MP Tandai Mallister hit

it out the park.

>> I WOULD NOT EVEN SPEAK ABOUT IT able

with eloquence and hit it out the park.

The only thing that I will say is that

we will be dredging the Demar River and

we have an allocation of $6.3 billion.

Mr. Speaker, here's a problem in this

country. Here is some information.

You'll get five minutes to conclude.

>> Thank you, sir. Let me tell you what's

happening in this country. The siltation

rate is is making it's is it's filling

back the river where we dredge. So, we

have to make sure we kept keep it dredge

and we can get bigger ships in the

bigger fuel ships, cargo ships so that

the unit freight in the country can drop

thereby making sure that all of the

goods that we bring in the country, the

prices are dropped. including fuel for

the power companies, fuel that we sell

back to cars and the private sector. If

we dredge deeper, we can have bigger

cargo ship. It cuts down the unit c cost

of freight. Then by that reduce freight

for everybody in this in the country.

That is what we are spending our that is

our priority and we are spending $6.3

billion in that. Mr. Speaker, Cheddy

Jagen International Airport, this thick

document is just a summary of the

projects we're doing. I can't even talk

about plenty of them. just a summary of

it but just to tell you is that because

we have started with four airlines in

2020 and now we have 16 16 airlines

planes coming from everywhere. The

current capacity that we have, we have

outgrown it. And because of that, we

have to build a 150,000 square feet

facility to accommodate a new terminal

because the country is growing. The

projection of visitors are growing and

we have to accommodate that. I can't

even speak further for the amount of

things we are doing at that um Cheddy

Jagen International Airport. In 2026,

Mr. Speaker, they say we don't have

nothing in the budget for poor people.

We have $4 billion for Interan Air

Strips. I'm coming to that for Maria,

for Lyndon, and for Maruma. We don't

need Mr. Sherid Duncan, the honorable

member, to tell us we need to build

Maruma. We had Maruma on the cards long

now. We don't put this budget since last

year to do to do Maruma. $4 billion is

in the budget to do it. But I'll say

this to you and for everybody who's

listening. The president has committed

to look at 35 additional air strips. So

if you're living in Mabaruma, we'll

build your airirst strip. But if you're

looking at Port Kai Chuma, we'll look at

that one too. We are looking at

Yakasari. We are looking at Orin Duke,

Chennap, Copinang, Monkey Mountain,

Korokabaru, Kato, Mquac, Yurangaru,

AYANG GHANA, CAP CAM, JAGUAR, AUTARY,

GUNS. You heard man trying to talk about

another name. the place named guns the

airship is the middle of the village

>> honorable member prian

Mr. Speaker, we're going to extend

Gary Boner drum. We're going to make

sure car kamarang is is finished.

Warmadong ar done yet.

>> Perui chinnowing. Somebody mention

chinawing. Chinawing already.

>> How long I have?

>> Chinowing. You got four things to come

back to when you kapungai

chai chai or lil creeky keru hickmine

toaru

>> anoku those 35 I can't even start I

can't even go to energy I can't even go

to energy just to say that GPL and GWI

>> G my mic billing man GPL and GWI we will

continue to build out our backbone we

will finish the gas to energy project by

the end of 2026.

We will have 228 megawatts coming from

Wales, dispatch across the country so we

can cut electricity by half. Mr.

Speaker, we are building the backbone of

GPL infrastructure so that we don't have

blackouts and excavators knocking down

things. Mr. Speaker, in the water

sector, water is life. They cost about

water in the water sector. We have a lot

of monies to deal with surface water

treatment planting this year where we're

not going down into the aquafalo. We'll

do it. We'll make sure that we do it in

a sustainable way. But we'll start doing

brown water treatment plant at

Stewartville and at LBI. We'll be making

sure we have 100% access in the

hinterland COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE HAVE

MONIES in the budget to do that work.

Mr. Speaker,

>> I will have to bring this presentation

to an end because I want to give a

little more information, but I will do

it in the committee of supply. But I

want to say that this budget REPRESENT,

YOU KNOW, COME THIS budget represents a

second wave of development in Guyana AND

GET ON BOARD. GET ON BOARD AND LET'S

MOVE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD. FORWARD and

upward. Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

very much honorable minister Dodat

Indar, Minister of Public Utilities and

Aviation.

And now for the honorable member, Mr.

Terren Campbell.

Mr. Speaker, before you start uh the

clock on me, I this is the first time

I'm getting the opportunity to address

you publicly since your election to the

high office of speaker of this country

and I wanted to take this time to just

offer you my congratulations.

>> Thank you, J. Honorable MP.

Mr. Speaker,

>> I want to congratulate the honorable

minister of finance for presenting

another record budget. While I believe

it is misguided, I recognize the hard

work that went into its preparation. So

kudos to you and your team at the

Ministry of Finance.

Mr. Mr. Mr. Speaker, you know I have

very limited time, but there are a

number of matters arising

from discussions before that I must

address and I want to start with

minister Indar

on the issue of the helicopter report

and I've sent you a link from the

Starbucks news sir where on the 15th of

May it reports a February 4th comment by

Bishop Juan Edel the honorable Bishop

Juan Edel that a report would be

released. So I do not understand this

reliance now on the Chicago convention

when a promise had been made previously

to release that report.

Mr. Speaker, I want to turn to the

honorable Priya Manik Chan, the former

minister of education. She was minister

of education in this country in her

lasting from 2020 to 2025. Mr. Speaker,

I will leave 2020 out and I will leave

2025 out because she did not have tenure

for the entire year. And I go to the

budget and at the back I look at the

metriculation rate. When she entered the

full first full year in 2021, the

metriculation rate was 30% and when the

last full year of 2024, the

metriculation rate was 26%. The

honorable Priya Manikan has been a

failure at the ministry of education.

And I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE HONORABLE

PRIYA MANIKANAND AGAIN. When she spoke

about the road passing near the eggs bos

um

dump site, she said it was A DESIGN

FLAW. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I know sir?

There have been so many design flaws in

this country. I want to start with them.

THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW ON THE SKELETON

STATE. THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE

AMELIA FALLS. THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW

WITH THE CONCUSSION HIGHWAY WHICH NOW

NEEDS A ASPHALTIC LAYER. THERE IS A

DESIGN FLAW WITH THE GAS ENERGY YOU HAVE

TO STABILIZE THE SAW THE SOIL. THERE'S A

DESIGN FLOOR ON THE B JOHN DE BRIDGE.

THE TRUCKS ARE ROLLING BACK. THERE IS A

DESIGN FLAW WITH EVERYTHING INCLUDING

pri

Mr. Mr. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the

honorable Dialat Indar, the honorable

Susan Rodriguez, the honorable Koma

Griffith, they came out and they rolled

out the private sector, GAU. MR.

SPEAKER, WE ON THIS SIDE AND THE COUNTRY

OF Guyana are not are not impressed by

those ENDORSEMENTS OF THE BUDGET. THOSE

ARE ALL POLITICALLY CAPTURED

ORGANIZATION AND THIS WHOLE COUNTRY

KNOWS THAT, SIR.

>> MR. SPEAKER, BUT THIS IS A GOVERNMENT

PRONE TO UNTRUTH. SIR, MR. SPEAKER, the

honorable Zulfikar Mustapa got up and

denied that the budget said that the the

amount allocated to fisheries had been

reduced. AND MR. SPEAKER, I DON'T HAVE

TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET. ON PAGE 37, IT

SAYS that in 2025,

1.7 BILLION WAS SPENT AND 1.5 BILLION IS

BUDGETED IN 2026.

MR. SPEAKER, BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY

THING FOR THE HONORABLE Zikar Mustapa.

Mr. I put a question TO HIM THROUGH THIS

honorable house asking him where do

imports come, poultry imports come and

his response from which countries do

poultry imports come and his response to

it is not considered appropriate to

provide the names of business entities

or individuals. It seems that the

HONORABLE ZOFI MUSTAPA DOES NOT KNOW THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNTRIES and

business entities AND INDIVIDUALS AND

THAT THAT LACK OF COMPREHENSION RUNS

ACROSS THE ENTIRE SIDE on the other

side.

But Mr. Speaker,

I didn't come to fight, but I have to

fight.

>> And Mr. SPEAKER, I WAS A GOOD FIGHTER.

>> AND I HAVE TO PICK A VERY STRONG FIGHT.

THE HONORABLE CHARLES RAMSON GOT UP IN

THIS HOUSE AND SPOKE ABOUT reparations

and the REPRESENTATION OF this

excellency president ALI. BUT I WANT TO

SAY TO YOU, MR. SPEAKER, THAT NO

GOVERNMENT THAT BULLDOZES THE PEOPLE AT

MAKA AND THAT IS GETTING READY TO

BULLDOZE THE PEOPLE TO BUY THIS WEEKEND

CAN ADEQUATELY REPRESENT THE CAUSE OF

AFRICAN GIES on reparations.

>> Mr. Speaker, I'm going to tone it down a

little bit. I want to turn my attention

to my friend, the honorable I have the

unenviable task of of of addressing two

portfolios, health and finance. So, I

have to quickly deal with the honorable

minister of health. May the honorable

minister of health says that he has

adequate nurses and adequate doctors.

But, Mr. Speaker, Onessa Andrews IS NOT

ALIVE TODAY. SHE DIED ON December 12th

because SHE COULD NOT GET TIMELY

treatment at the Enore Regional Hospital

and at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

She has passed. We have received reports

from Diamond.

We received reports from Diamond where

people have to wait inordinate delays to

see a doctor.

>> Mr. Speaker, THE NURSES AT THE BATH

Regional Hospital, they complain about

burnout. The nurses at the at the Bath

Regional Hospital, they complain about

the foreign nurses. The foreign nurses

get a bigger salary and they get

transportation, they get food, they get

accommodation. BUT, MR. SPEAKER, AND I'M

GOING TO JUMP AHEAD, THERE'S A NEFARIOUS

PLAN of this government. They want to

get rid of the local nurses and to bring

Bangladeshi nurses. Mr. Speaker, IT IS

NOT LOST ON ME THAT 150 ANGADES VOTED IN

THE NATIONAL ELECTION AT OGLE. THEY ARE

A POLLING STATION ORGANIZED for them,

sir. And it is desp this this

importation. The Bangladeshi government

says they are going to put a high

commission in Guyana to EXPLODE THE

LABOR MARKET. SIR, there is there is a

need there is a determination on behalf

of this government that they will change

the political CAPITALIST AND THE

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS COUNTRY BUT WE WILL

OPPOSE IT. SIR,

>> MR. HONOR, you will have an opportunity

to respond. Honorable Minister, I AM

CONFUSED BY YOUR NUMBERS. YOU ARE

building regional hospitals, BUT YOU

HAVE A NURSE SHORTAGE. THE budget the

budget says the budget the budget says

that your that the number of NURSES PER

10,000 HAS gone down from 34.4

to 32.5.

YOU HAVE LESS NURSES AND YOU'RE BUILDING

more hospitals. So I know your answer.

YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD 5,000.

You're going to train 5,440

nurses and allied health professionals.

BUT YOU, THIS GOVERNMENT has a problem.

It does not like to disagregate data,

sir. So, how many ALLIED HEALTH

PROFESSIONALS? HOW MANY NURSES? And then

he says, the honorable minister says

that he's GOING TO BRING IN 6,000

NURSES, train and recruit. WHERE YOU

RECRUITING THEM FROM?

MR. M,

>> MR. SPEAKER, BRINGING FOREIGN NURSES TO

this country as we chase OUR OWN OUT IS

NOT PUTTING OUR PEOPLE FIRST.

>> WE MUST PUT OUR PEOPLE FIRST. And there

is no way foreign nurses will take the

care of us as as the way our own will

do.

>> Mr. Speaker,

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that the vice

president is not here because I want to

reference a Facebook post by a close

relation of his and I will send it to

you, sir. I've already sent you stuff,

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Mark Def France, AND I

WANT TO QUOTE HIM VERY QUICKLY.

>> Honorable Minister of Health,

>> Mr. Speaker, a point of order.

>> The honorable member came to this house

and said that we have Bangladeshi nurses

in Guyana. I want him to tell me in

which institution.

>> Honorable members, honorable members,

please.

>> We could only have one speaker. You have

12 over there.

>> Honorable. Yes. You just need to

identify on which standing order

you're quoting.

>> Point of order for Mr. Speaker

48.

>> Can the honorable member say to this

house in which hospital

this government has employed Bangladeshi

nurse? Because as far as I know, not a

single Bangladeshi nurse was employed in

the public sector.

>> So if he's coming here, let him get his

facts correct.

>> Honorable Honorable

>> Honorable members, if you have that

information, please provide it that we

have

>> Bangladeshi nurses.

>> Mr. Speaker, I believe I said that

the the nurses at Bath Hospital

complained about the treatment of the

foreign nurses and then I went on to

reference the importation of Bangladesh

or because I've seen an ad to that

effect and I have seen that the

Bangladeshi government is establishing a

high commission plans to establish a

high commission in Guyana to exploit the

labor market.

Mr. Speaker, if I may say one more thing

just on this

>> honorable member,

I I don't know if the Bangladeshi

government is about to establish a high