By Sandra Singh Monday, April 7 2008

The Congress of the People (COP) has lashed out at the Government for its handling of crime, high food prices and food security and has called for alternative foods to be provided. Over the past few weeks prices of the most basic foods such as flour and rice have sky-rocketed prompting an outcry from the public.

However COP deputy political leader Wendy Lee Yuen at the party’s third national council meeting held at the Atrium, Anthony P Scott and Company Limited in San Juan yesterday stated the party had warned of the food crisis saying immediate steps needed to be taken to secure food supplies. “However, the Government continued to disrespect our farmers by not providing the basic requirements for them such as land, labour, tools and security. The State must secure our farm lands” said Lee Yuen. She further called for the implementation of a national development physical plan and the establishment of a dedicated agency for processing agricultural leases at affordable rents and provision of these for permanent land tenure. “We can’t grow food unless we have land and if you don’t have a national development physical plan you continue to grab up parcels willy-nilly,” said Lee Yuen.

She added, “Agricultural leases of farmers needed to be regularised as well as lots more plots for more new farmers willing to expand their acreage.”

She said the Government planned on spending $35 billion in the next eight years on construction of desalination plants and other projects but slammed this saying “there was no focus on people and on the needs of the population.”

Lee Yuen further criticised statements made that suggested the 7,500 ex-Caroni workers who were given two acres of land as part of their separation package would suddenly translate into farmers.

“After almost five years there are 190 two-acre plots in cultivation. But there is going to be magic when the Prime Minister promises there will be 7,500 between now and year’s end. It is not going to happen. It is based on a false premise,” stated Lee Yuen.

Mervyn Assam in his address speculated that there might be another postponement of the local government election for the third time as the Government plans to reconstruct the 14 regional corporations into 12. He however questioned the role of the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) in the exercise.