VPAC Guyana

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.

One report states that no exemptions or import licences have been granted for poultry products since the bird flu outbreak.

Another report states that chicken imports were opened for the oil and hospitality sectors despite Guyana’s poultry self-sufficiency.

The problem is that both statements cannot be used to tell the same story. Guyanese will remember that when concerns were first raised about imported chicken entering the country, those concerns were dismissed. Now, new explanations are emerging, and the public is being presented with a very different account.

VPAC has taken notice. We are examining the statements, the timeline, and the decisions that were made. If the facts have changed, the nation deserves to know why. If the explanations have changed, the nation deserves to know that too.

More to come.

Proposed Development Bank Law fails to clearly guarantee promised 0% on loans

The proposed Guyana Development Bank Bill appears inconsistent with President Irfaan Ali's repeated public assurances that the bank will provide 0%, collateral-free loans and must be remedied when the Members of Parliament meet to consider the legislation.

While the Bill initially caps loans at $3 million, subject to change, it also expressly states that loans may be granted "with or without interest."

VPAC is therefore calling on the responsible Minister Dr Ashni Singh, to clarify which categories of loans, if any, will attract interest, since the President has continued to publicly promote the facility as offering zero-interest financing. The law must clearly reflect the policy being promised to the people.

We also urge the parliamentary opposition to scrutinise the Bill constructively and propose amendments to address this and any other inconsistencies.

This includes provisions that place appointments to the bank's board in the hands of the Minister and exempt the institution from the Financial Institutions Act, both of which have important implications for governance and oversight.

The bank's initial $40 billion capitalisation will be voted for by Parliament and therefore represents public funds belonging to the people of Guyana and as such, the legislation must be clear, transparent and fully aligned with the commitments made to the nation.

Lamaha Street is a perfect example of why infrastructure should be done right the first time. When we compare what it should have looked like with what was actually built, serious questions arise.

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Sidelining of PYARG Executive Officer exposes dangers of ministerial overreach

Having reviewed the operations and public activities of the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG), VPAC has become concerned by what appears to be the continued sidelining of the substantive Executive Officer, Mr. Ivan Bentham.

Based on information received and publicly observable events, there are legitimate questions as to whether the functions of the Executive Officer have, over time, been assumed by others within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, thereby undermining the role and purpose of the office itself.

We are further informed that the office has allegedly been deprived of adequate resources, including funding and transportation, for an extended period.

VPAC has repeatedly warned about this very tendency where ministers are permitted to circumvent substantive office holders.

The situation surrounding PYARG lends further weight to the concerns VPAC has raised regarding the governance structure proposed for the Guyana Development Bank.

It demonstrates precisely why there are legitimate fears about vesting ultimate authority in a minister without sufficient checks, balances, and independent oversight.

If a substantive Executive Officer can allegedly be excluded from performing the functions of his own office, then Guyanese are entirely justified in questioning whether other state institutions, particularly one entrusted with significant public resources and development financing, could similarly become vulnerable to political control and ministerial overreach.

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𝐕𝐏𝐀𝐂 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐳𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

VPAC wishes to thank APNU Member of Parliament Dr. Dexter Todd for taking the time to participate in our recent discussion on the proposed Guyana Development Bank.

The conversation demonstrated that while there may be differences on certain aspects of the legislation, there is broad agreement that a Development Bank has the potential to transform the lives of ordinary Guyanese if it is properly structured, transparent, and accessible to all.

As a movement, VPAC believes opposition politics cannot be limited to exposing corruption and highlighting government failures. We must also focus on policies, ideas, and opportunities that can improve the lives of Guyanese people and help build a stronger future for our country.

For that reason, we are extending an invitation to the Opposition Leader, Hon Azruddin Mohamed, to join us for our next public discussion on the proposed Development Bank.

We would like to hear his views on the legislation, the safeguards that should be included, and how such an institution can be structured to ensure that every Guyanese has a fair opportunity to benefit.

Following our engagement with the Opposition Leader, VPAC also intends to invite representatives of the Government civil society, the business community, and other stakeholders to contribute their perspectives.

We support the creation of a Development Bank but because it will be funded with resources that ultimately belong to the people of Guyana, the legislation must provide transparency, accountability, and clear rules that protect every citizen from favoritism and public data that will ensure every region benefits.

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