GEORGETOWN — APNU Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton has fired the opening shot of what he promises will be a political and economic revolution, unveiling a sweeping manifesto aimed at cutting the cost of living, rooting out corruption, and putting Guyana’s future back in the hands of its people.
Speaking at the long awaited launch, Norton painted a picture of a country held back by mismanagement and riddled with graft, claiming nearly $600 billion has been lost to corruption and waste under the current administration from 2020 to 2024.
“Robbing the Treasury has a greater impact on the public than the choke and robber on the street,” he warned, adding that every borrowed dollar to plug the gap is a debt the next generation will have to shoulder.
His plan, he said, rests on economic self-reliance, diversification, and fairness. Norton urged Guyanese not to be “discouraged from increasing our domestic supply” even in industries dominated by foreign producers, linking the strategy to lowering the cost of living for ordinary citizens.
The manifesto’s promises read like a political wish list: massive investment in sustainable agriculture, new highways and upgraded airstrips in the hinterland, universal free high-speed internet, and 50% of carbon credit funds directed to Indigenous communities.
He also vowed to force major mining and forestry companies to fund approved local development projects. For the private sector, Norton pledged to slash corporate taxes to between 20% and 30%, set up special economic zones, cut red tape for investors, and give small businesses prime vending spots, subsidized utilities, and easier access to foreign currency.
He promised to revive the national development bank to finance small and medium producers, create an export-import window, launch a junior stock exchange for youth and small enterprises, and expand the fintech sector, even opening the door to cryptocurrency. Security, Norton said, will be overhauled from the ground up.
Calling the surge in homicides “intolerable,” he promised a police force free from political interference and focused on preventive policing. He accused the government of shielding drug traffickers, money launderers, and corrupt officials, pledging an all-out war on organised crime. Public servants, Norton declared, would see a 35% pay rise, access to special long-term financing for homes and vehicles, and incentives to keep skilled workers in the system.
“We want the public service to function like a well-oiled machine for those who depend on its services,” he said.Closing his address, Norton cast the election as a choice between the status quo and an APNU-led “better life” built on transparency and accountability.
“This is not the Guyana we want, and it is not the Guyana you deserve,” he told supporters.
Whether voters see the plan as a genuine blueprint for national renewal or an ambitious political gamble will be decided at the ballot box. But one thing is clear: Norton has thrown down the gauntlet.
