CANEFIELD Village, once battered by economic hardship and uncertainty following the closure of the sugar estate, is now a reflection of transformation, recovery and hope, thanks to the policies and promises delivered by the PPP/C Government.

This was the message from Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, who addressed East Berbice-Corentyne residents during a recent community meeting.
“This was one of the areas that was deliberately targeted by the former government,” Mustapha said as he reflected on the difficult years prior to 2020. He reminded that the people of Canje

experienced some of the worst impacts after the closure of the sugar estate. “Your entire family life was affected, you lived it, you experienced it. Many families were broken up,” he stated, noting that basic necessities were taken away because persons could not pay their bills.

According to Mustapha, “We said when we get back into government that we will reopen the sugar estate that was closed and I can tell you that we didn’t only reopen the sugar estates but we have reemployed thousands of people.”

He told the crowd that the PPP/C Government is not one that reneges on its promises and pointed to the overall improvement in village economies across the region. With support being given to parents, children and families, he said, the Canje community has improved drastically.

Reflecting on the hardships of the previous administration, Mustapha shared, “Under the last five years from 2015 to 2020 we have seen over 35,000 people lost their jobs.” However, he stressed that the PPP/C government has reemployed those persons.

He outlined that 7,500 sugar workers and 2,000 community service officers were brought back into employment. “Ordinary citizens lost their jobs under their tenure; we have reemployed them, we have reemployed those persons,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that the PPP/C Government’s economic policies have now made the job market so robust that there is demand for more workers. “Today we are now looking for people to take up jobs. We want more people to be employed; when you go in the private sector they are complaining that they are not getting workers,” Mustapha said. “We have seen our economy grow by leaps and bounds.”

He highlighted that when the PPP/C went to the electorate in 2020, they did so with a clear and honest manifesto that they promised to deliver on. “I am proud to tell you that for the first time in the history of our country we have seen a party that has delivered.”

He also emphasised the inclusivity and strength of the party’s 2025 candidate list with twenty seven persons under the age of twenty five, “Our list has almost 40% that are female; we have farmers, we have sugar workers, we have professionals and we can go and list all the persons that make up our list.”

Further, Mustapha said, “The list has persons with experience who know to run the country” and who have a proud legacy of delivering on all its people in the country.
He added that in order to make a proper decision come September, 1, “Let us look from where we came, what was our life before 2020, where our country was before 2020…”
Residents in Canefield shouted in agreement when he said members of the APNU+AFC “cannot come around anymore” recalling the pain of job losses and community collapse under the previous government.

“Since we have gotten in government in 2020, every single year sugar workers have been receiving increases in their wages and salary,” Mustapha told the crowd. He warned that the opposition had plans to completely dismantle the sugar industry, and stated plainly, “They want to do away with sugar.”

“But I want to tell the sugar workers that as long as the PPP/C is in government your future is secured. We will continue to invest in sugar.”
Mustapha said that more than $60 billion has been injected into GuySuCo since 2020. “Sugar will be secure,” he noted, adding that the corporation is being modernised, with 40% already mechanised. “We are spending money so that we can rebuild GuySuCo so that it can be sustainable” and eventually break even.

He also reminded the gathering that both he and President Irfaan Ali had urged for an economic study to be done before the estates were closed, to understand how closure would affect the people. However, this was not done and the estates were shortly closed by the former government.

Mustapha assured residents that the current government is doing what the former administration failed to do. “We ensure that money is allocated to the industry to ensure it survives.”
He added another major relief is about to take effect pointing out that from August, 1, the bridges in Guyana will be toll free. “We are seeing the landscape in Berbice is changing.”
In wrapping up, Mustapha highlighted the PPP/C’s unmatched track record of delivery, “In every single sector in our country I can stand here without a piece of paper and talk from my head what we have done and what we will be doing,” stressing that “the PPP/C track record speaks for itself.”

He proudly shared that under the part-time employment programme in Berbice, “8,500 part time workers we have employed, most of those workers are female, housewives earning $40,000.”
Speaking on the attempts to rig the 2020 elections, he didn’t mince words, “Guyana gave them a chance and they not only did nothing but tried to steal the entire country in front the eyes of the world. For five months we had to wait to ensure that President Irfaan Ali sworn in.” This, he said, must never be forgotten.

As such, the minister urged that “they are coming once again to split the votes” but he said this must not be allowed stressing that their efforts to make the PPP/C a minority government should be refused.

“We are 32 days away from election; we are now on the homestretch. We can have all the big rallies, all the big meetings but if we don’t turn out and get everyone to go cast their vote for the PPP/C we cannot win this election. Every single person that is here ensure that we advise and educate our neighbours and friends that every single person whose name is on the voters list goes out and cast their vote.”

With a charge from General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, that Region Six must give the PPP/C not less than 55,000 votes, “Today I can tell you when you look at the PPP/C candidate list and when you look at the entire support of the PPP/C we are the only national multiracial party.”

Mustapha stressed that founder of the party, Cheddi Jagan’s dream was being realised of bringing every Guyanese under the PPP/C banner. “Let us go home tonight and ensure our future is secured” as he once more urged everyone to come out and vote solidly for his party on September 1.