…says APNU/AFC robbed children of cash grant and squandered money
Even though the ‘Five Bs’ programme was conceptualised by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, it is the President Irfaan Ali-led Government that has distributed more buses and boats to benefit school children than the former coalition Government ever did in their term, plus reinstated and increased the “Because We Care” cash grant.
This point was illustrated by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, during a public meeting at Yupukari, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) over the weekend.
According to Manickchand, the mere fact that the former coalition Government took from the people and gave back even less, compared to what the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has provided, illustrates the differences in their respective philosophies.
“APNU/AFC came into Government. They met a “Because We Care” programme, that we left. At that time, we were giving every child $10,000. And we had said, it would build up until it reached $50,000. They said no, they’re going to take it away and replace it with Five Bs.”
Manickchand noted that even the Five Bs promised by the APNU/AFC Government did not materialise. For instance, she noted that persons from Region Nine did not actually get the breakfasts, buses or bicycles.
“Breakfast. Your children were always getting a hot meal but did they get breakfast? They did not get breakfast. Boats. Did you get boats? Buses. Did you get buses? Books. Did you get books? And bicycles. Did you get bicycles? Now here is the thing. The Irfaan Ali Government has given more buses and boats in four years, than they did in five years.”
“We have also introduced breakfast, although your children were already on the hot meal programme. We’re giving you all the books you need. Where there’s a need for boats and buses, we’ve given you more. Plus, we are giving the cash grant. You get all that they gave you, plus the cash grant. Because we do not take away benefits,” she informed.
Manickchand recalled that at the time the APNU/AFC took away the “Because We Care” cash grant, it cost the treasury $1.6 billion. According to the Minister, using the Yupukari Secondary school that was just commissioned at a cost of under $100 million as a reference point, APNU/AFC could have built 16 secondary schools with the money they retained when they took away the cash grant.
“Do you know how many they built? Across the whole Guyana, the APNU/AFC started and finished exactly zero secondary schools. Zero. None. Naught. We are currently in one term, building 35 to 38 secondary schools or major extensions.”
“And a lot of people will come and say they didn’t have the money, but its not true. You took away $1.6 billion. Couldn’t you put down one single secondary school in region nine? Couldn’t you have given to our children the textbooks they needed? Or the Guyana Learning Channel?” Manickchand pointed out.
Under the former APNU/AFC Government, it has since been revealed, a number of schools had not benefited from the school feeding programme due to issues with planning.
Back in 2022, it had been revealed at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that in 2017, dozens of schools were left out of the initiative.
Schools that did not benefit from the programme included 12 from Region One (Barima-Waini), two from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), two from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), four from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 17 from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
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