APNU MPs demand real consultation before meeting

Dear Editor,

As the APNU Members of Parliament serving on the Foreign Relations and Economic Services Committees, we have no difficulty participating in a properly planned and organised meeting with the President aimed at advancing the interests of the Guyanese people.

Such meetings should take place before agreements are finalised and signed, so that participation can meaningfully influence national decisions. Presenting the opposition with an accomplished fact and calling it consultation is an unacceptable fait accompli.

Any such meeting must have a clear agenda and the relevant documentation, including proposed agreements, financing frameworks and assessments of their implications, so that all participants can engage in informed discussion in the national interest.

We therefore expect this information sufficiently in advance of any meeting to allow proper examination and preparation.

As a principled opposition party in a democracy, APNU must determine whether to attend the meetings proposed by the President according to the prevailing context and content. Our decision cannot be reduced to an automatic acceptance or rejection of an invitation. We will assess whether there is a genuine opportunity to influence policy, obtain answers and secure improvements for the people we represent.

Attending a meeting after national decisions have already been made, with no genuine opportunity to change them, is not consultation. It is a dictatorial exercise seeking cover behind a poorly planned political photo opportunity. Attendance must never be misrepresented as endorsement, and legitimate disagreement must never be dismissed as opposition to development.

Foreign relations and economic development require adequate discussion and consultation before Guyana is committed to consequential actions, financial obligations or international arrangements. The government must explain the options, costs, risks and safeguards, and seek broad national support. It must not commit the country to actions whose national support it has neither sought nor established, then summon elected representatives to provide political cover. The PPP/C cannot substitute a presidential announcement for a national consensus.

The President has mentioned broad headings including the economy, cost of living and energy. But a heading is not an accountability agenda. What remains missing from the announced outline is an explicit commitment to address the following questions and the practical remedies they require.

Energy: explain why proper decision-making was not done, the growing cost overruns, the contractor failures and the persistent blackouts.

The Gas-to-Energy delays and increases over the original contract price require full disclosure. The government has acknowledged a 12.8 per cent adjustment to the original US$759 million contract^[1], while maintaining that the wider programme remains within its approved budget and contingency. Parliament and the public must receive the original and revised costs, settlement terms, payments, completion milestones and a credible timetable for lower electricity bills. Repeated assurances are no substitute for verifiable delivery.

The reported shortlisting of Lindsayca for further Phase Two works also demands scrutiny.^[2] The President must clarify whether any selection or award has been made and disclose the evaluation, due diligence, pricing and performance guarantees. What justifies entrusting additional work to the contractor while questions about Phase One’s cost and delivery remain? Further commitments must not precede proper scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Guyanese need reliable electricity now. APNU has already challenged the failure to match anticipated economic growth with adequate generation, transmission, distribution and maintenance. The meetings must examine reserve capacity, unavailable generating units, grid weaknesses and immediate corrective measures. As APNU has stated: “A collection of contracts is not a national plan.”

Protect the currency and safeguard the oil wealth

Foreign-exchange shortages and pressures on the Guyana dollar must be addressed directly. The President has acknowledged substantial unmet demand for foreign currency. We require an explanation of access, waiting times, actual transaction rates and the measures proposed to protect purchasing power and legitimate business activity. Blaming changing consumption patterns is not a substitute for a transparent foreign-exchange strategy. The government must address depreciation pressures without pretending that an official reference rate tells the whole story.

The Natural Resource Fund must serve both today’s citizens and future generations. A balance in the Fund is not a substitute for a clearly protected intergenerational savings rule and an adequate buffer against economic shocks. We renew the call for a defined minimum share to be preserved, transparent withdrawal rules and safeguards against exhausting tomorrow’s inheritance to finance today’s political priorities. Development and saving are responsibilities to be balanced, not excuses for abandoning either.

The agenda must also include a cautious review of whether a portion of NRF assets should be diversified beyond the current overnight-deposit arrangement at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The objective must be better risk-adjusted income, not reckless pursuit of higher returns. Any change must follow independent professional assessment, published investment rules, capital-preservation and liquidity safeguards, transparent appointments and rigorous oversight. No politically directed transfer should precede that scrutiny.

Respect independent trade unions and the courts

The government’s treatment of trade unions that disagree with its policies cannot be excluded from a serious discussion of economic governance. The Caribbean Union of Teachers has condemned the suspension of GTU dues deductions and alleged non-compliance with court orders.^[3] These are grave concerns requiring answers, not silence. We reject any attempt to bring the Guyana Teachers’ Union to its knees financially. The government must demonstrate compliance with all operative court orders, restore deductions and remittances as those orders require, and engage independent unions in good faith. Workers’ rights must not depend on political loyalty.

Make the cost of living a test of economic policy

The missing discussion is not whether cost of living appears on the agenda, but what additional, measurable relief will reach ordinary households. APNU has called for stronger household support, including fuel relief. The government must explain how its policies will improve the purchasing power of workers and pensioners and reduce pressure from food, transport and other essentials. Global pressures require a national response; they must not become a permanent excuse. Growth figures do not pay a grocery bill.

Deliver equity, safe schools and completed classrooms

Equality and equity across all regions and sectors must be explicit priorities, particularly in education. Public investment must follow people’s needs, not political preference. The President should provide a region-by-region account of teacher availability, school facilities, learning resources, transport and support for disadvantaged children, together with a funded plan to close gaps. A child’s community must not determine the quality of that child’s education.

Bullying, fighting and violence in schools also require more than general assurances. APNU has called for safe reporting, prompt investigation, improved security, guidance counselling, teacher training and community involvement. These measures need funding, responsible officials and measurable results. Our children require protection and support, not blame.

Excessive delays in school construction must be confronted. On 14 September, reporting on Orealla Secondary School described another planned retender after missed deadlines, while students remained in temporary accommodation.^[4] APNU has also raised construction-progress concerns publicly, including the Tabatinga school visit earlier this year. The government must publish a school-by-school completion schedule, payments, reasons for delays and action against defaulting contractors. Children must not lose educational opportunities while the same projects are repeatedly promised.

Genuine consultation must be capable of changing decisions

These are not distractions from foreign relations and economic development. They are the practical tests of whether development serves the Guyanese people.

Before any meeting, we expect a substantive agenda that accommodates opposition concerns, timely documentation and sufficient opportunity to question the responsible ministers and technical officials. The engagement must permit proposals to be changed, disagreements to be recorded and agreed actions to carry clear deadlines. A briefing on completed decisions cannot be passed off as prior consultation.

APNU remains ready for serious national dialogue. Whether we attend will depend on the context, the content and the credibility of the process. We are prepared to help shape sound decisions for Guyana. We are not prepared to decorate decisions already taken.

APNU Members of Parliament on the Foreign Relations and Economic Services Committees

References

1. Soil stabilisation dispute settlement soars cost of Wales electricity, natural gas plants by almost U$100 million over contract price – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana — demerarawaves.com ↩
2. Embattled Gas-to-Energy contractor shortlisted for two more mega projects - Kaieteur News — kaieteurnewsonline.com ↩
3. Caribbean Teachers Rally Behind GTU as Union Dues Fight Escalates — villagevoicenews.com ↩
4. Orealla school project to be retendered after contractor fails to deliver - Guyana Inquirer – Daily Guyana News — guyanainquirer.com ↩