The Alliance For Change is encouraging small contractors not to get caught up in political loyalty over Government contracts.

Speaking at an AFC Public Meeting in East La Penitence over the weekend, AFC Presidential Candidate and Leader, Nigel Hughes said in many communities like West Ruimveldt, the Government has been in a rush over the past year to hand out small contracts to residents.

He said while the country has been earning billions from the oil industry since 2020, it is only now that small contractors from some communities are being given contracts, while “friends and family” of the governing party have been benefiting for years.

“Remember, they make money in 2020. They make money in 2021. They make money in 2022. They make money in 2023. Halfway in 2024, they said they’ll give you a little contract for $2.5 million. And you feel that you owe them something. They’ve been hustling you since 2020 and thieving your corn since then. And now they’re coming to you in 2024 and 2025 and telling you that you owe them loyalty because they gave you a contract”, Hughes said.

He noted that while the country earns over $1.5 Billion per day from the oil industry, many citizens are not seeing the direct impact on their lives.

“We are making $1.5 billion dollars a day off of oil. We haven’t even gone to gold. Ask yourself if after five years, you’re feeling this $1.5 billion a day. Ask yourself if your living conditions improved. Has the drainage in your society improved? Has the performance of your children in school improved? Has any of the services that you expect improved?”, he questioned.

Hughes said the PPP should be rejected. He said while in some communities, residents and small contractors are given small contract sums, those closely connected to the Government have been enjoying massive contracts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. He has promised that an AFC-led Government would fix the procurement system to ensure everyone gets a fair share of the country’s resources.

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