PPP/C built six new hospitals, APNU took five years for one clinic – Bond

The governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) built six new state-of-the-art hospitals during its first term in government, a stark contrast to the opposition APNU+AFC’s record of taking five years to complete a single polyclinic, , according to newly minted party member James Bond.

“I know I was coming to South Ruimveldt and they would say they built a polyclinic. But ladies and gentlemen, the PPP/C has built six new state-of-the-art hospitals in three years. They took five years on one clinic,” Bond declared to loud cheers.

Bond, an executive within the PNC-led APNU spoke at a rally in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown on Friday

“I come to beat and teach.”

Bond, a former Member of Parliament and Attorney-at-Law, recently joined the PPP/C and has since taken to the campaign trail with unrelenting criticisms of his former political home. On Friday, he tore into the APNU+AFC’s record on healthcare, youth development, infrastructure, and agriculture.

The PPP/C, he noted, is also on track to deliver two specialised hospitals this year — one maternity and one paediatric, both firsts for Guyana.

Shifting focus to youth, Bond offered a personal reflection on his time with the coalition. “I was a victim of their youth policy. I proposed in the manifesto for APNU representation for youth in the Cabinet, Parliament, and every echelon of power. But what did they do? They excluded young people,” he said.

He rubbished the opposition’s claim of empowering 1,000 youths with businesses. “Ladies and gentlemen, the UN states that 70% of our population is under the age of 35. So if we estimate our population around 800,000, then 560,000 are youths. If they gave 1,000 youth businesses, that’s a miserly 0.17% of the youth population,” Bond calculated.

“In Region Four alone, we [the PPP/C] have created over 3,000 small contractors and given out over 10,000 grants for small businesses,” he added.

Bond did not spare Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton either. “When I listen to him, I realise Aubrey Compton Norton knows nothing,” he said bluntly.

“Imagine, he served an entire tenure as Opposition Leader and never told anyone to apply for farmland, a shade house, tunnel house, or a brackish shrimp farm — now he wants to lecture us on agriculture? Norton knows nothing.”

On the vital issue of oil and gas, Bond said Norton’s critiques lack understanding. “He criticises the oil and gas policy, but he clearly doesn’t know that we have a new PSA that guarantees us 10% royalty, 10% corporation tax, and reduced expenses to be claimed — from 75% to 65% — meaning more money for a 50/50 split. Norton knows nothing!” he stressed.

Calling on residents to rally behind President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Bond made his appeal clear: “Your children’s future depends on us voting for tried, tested, and trusted leadership.”