Hours after the US expressed concern over the candidacy of businessman Azruddin Mohamed in the upcoming elections, he continued in full campaign mode, offering no response to the US Ambassador’s statement, but instead releasing some of his party’s plans and measures should it be elected to Government. Mohamed remains under US Government sanctions over allegations of tax evasion and gold under-declaration.
Addressing supporters in La Parfaite Harmonie last night, Mohamed said after five years of corruption, failed promises and lies, Guyana is badly in need of change.
He said as part of the party’s 100-day plan, WIN would reduce the Pay As You Earn tax to 20% and increase the salaries of public servants by 50%.
“Presently, our public servants [are] working for a pittance. So we’ll talk about policies tonight. We’ll talk about that right now. We plan to increase public servants’ [salaries] by 50%. Just imagine teachers. Teachers are very close to me because as you know, over the past five years, I would always visit the schools. I would always visit the children. They stopped me from giving the children toys Christmas time. They stopped me. This government stopped me. This is how low they can go….But rest assured, teachers, I will increase your salaries,” Mohamed said.
WIN also intends to increase the ‘Because We Care’ Cash Grant to $100,000 per year, while offering pensioners $100,000 per month and increase public assistance to $50,000 per month.
“The Because We Care Cash Grant, I want you to listen carefully. You’re receiving $55,000. For the first term, you’re getting $55,000. On the second term, you’ll get $30,000. And in the third term, you’ll get $15,000 – a total of $100,000. So $100,000 for our children because we care cash grant. Just imagine this country, just from oil revenue, just from oil, they’re receiving $2 billion in revenue just from oil…Our pensioners, our pensioners are receiving $41,000. Just imagine they have no respect for senior citizens that serve us. $41,000 they are receiving. But rest assured, rest assured that you will get $100,000 for our pensioners,” he said.
Mohamed, who has been visiting a number of villages in the hinterland, said he was saddened to learn that villagers face great difficulties accessing their pensions and grants. In this regard, he assured that a mechanism would be put in place to ensure that all pensions and grants are distributed within villages.
WIN is also promising to bring down the cost of land by 40% and improve access to potable water, and electricity, improve public infrastructure and social services, and bring down the cost of living.
However, Mohamed said in order to bring the party’s plans into fruition, Guyanese must vote for WIN.
“But remember on the 1st of September, I want you to go out there very early. You have to ensure you go out there at 6 a.m. And ensure you vote for the leopard. Write the name of the party, we invest in nationhood, we invest in the people, we invest in you. The name of this party is because of the cries of the people, because of you. So I expect you to go out there very early and cast your vote and be vigilant,” the presidential candidate said.
The party is expected to launch its full manifesto later today.
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