Former PPP candidate says former government responsible for country’s economic state, wants $10,000 school grant scrapped

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 July 2015, 22:29 by GxMedia

Former People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) election candidate Clinton Urling is adamant that the country’s current economic situation is the work of the former administration and says that the new government should stop trying to defend themselves in this regard.

The former Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) chair took to Facebook today Thursday July 16 expressing his views on the opposition described “economic slump” and government explained, “economic jitters.”

“The current government should not have to defend the current state of the economy since they have only been in office for two months (current rests on previous government) so they need to stop being defensive and look towards the future with their economic and fiscal policies,” Urling posted.

As questions about increased pension and wages and increase spending within the country were raised, Urling submitted that the economy needs an expansionary policy, “but this will have to be balanced with an income generation strategy by government,” noting further, that it would be interesting to see how wage hikes and VAT are handled.

Prior to winning the May 11, 2015 general and regional elections, the coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had dodged questions about how it intended to finance higher wages, salaries and pensions while lowering the Value Added (VAT) and other taxes and duties.

Outside of this, as debates continue on the ‘Because we care’ $10,000 school cash grant, Urling suggested that, “This should be scrapped full stop and money better invested elsewhere in the education sector.”  The APNU+AFC administration has since said it would continue the grant but only for the extremely poor based on a means test. 

The businessman turned politician was one of the latest features on the PPP candidate list. A young and promising face, Urling had posited during an election rally in Stewartville, earlier in the year that the PPP had young vibrant ones filled with ideas to maintain a ‘strong stable Guyana’.

However, he quickly changed his tune, blaming former President Bharrat Jagdeo for the PPP’s election lost suggesting his aggressive and race-baiting approach and speeches given to mostly Indo-Guyanese attending these rallies.

Criticisms of the PPP did not sit well with its executives who claimed that Urling was in no position to speak on the party since he was a newcomer. He also took a bashing on social media as persons said he jumped political ships and hanging his mouth where the ‘soup’ drops. His one-time PPPC colleague, Gillian Burton-Persaud, had told an elections campaign that the PPPC has the best soup because it had the ‘soup-man’ in reference to Urling who owns German’s Restaurant.

In another post today, Urling said, “I stand on objectivity and whichever proposal I feel is best for the country, not a party. If I join either party, there will both have areas which I would not agree upon, but once I’m in the party structure I would support the party’s position. However, I’m currently not affiliated with either party and I’ll call their actions and proposals as best as I see it in the interest of what’s best for Guyana.”