Category: Letters

Dear Editor, Writing in 1968, Gordon K. Lewis, historian and political scientist, described Guyana as “a fascinating complex of strident paradoxes”. The events of the last few months serve as an apt illustration of this diagnosis. First, there was the signature bonus, held in secret for the purpose of underwriting a legal defence in our border dispute with Venezuela. Then the festive season began with the largest retrenchment of workers in living memory, with no coherent plan for their immediate welfare or future employment. Finally came the public release of…

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Dear Editor, In response to a news media letter I wrote on natural gas development in Guyana, Minister of Public Infrastructure (MPI), David Patterson, claimed, in a letter to the media on January 3, 2018, that I had presented a distorted perspective on the vision and use of natural gas for Guyana. Unfortunately, he responded with no clear MPI policy as to how the resource will be developed. The natural gas under consideration is held in rock formations with crude oil and impurities off Guyana’s Atlantic Coast. The stated proposal…

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Dear Editor, I am happy to read of the comments by leading consumer advocate Mr Pat Dial in regard to the promulgation of recently enacted legislation to curb tobacco consumption in Guyana. He is right on the money, and I hope the public education process would be intensified by Government and other relevant agencies, to bring the desired effect. However, in my view — and I am sure there are many others with my perspective — alcohol consumption is a much bigger public health issue than tobacco; it results in…

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Dear Editor, The community of Linden (Region Ten), the PNCR family and the immediate family, have lost a phenomenal woman in the name of Ms Sandra Adams, MS. Editor, I pen this letter with a heavy heart, for it is always difficult to construct words to truly capture the essence of a woman whose life was committed to the service of the people, her party and country with an unrelenting passion. It is indeed a very shocking and sad occasion for us in this community. We not only mourn and…

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Dear Editor, I should be grateful if you would kindly re-publish in your newspaper this open letter of appeal to the governing authorities, represented by the Executive Government and the Parliamentary political parties; and to GuySuCo, the recognised Trade Unions in the sugar industry, the Private Sector, the national trade union bodies, and other interested stakeholders and individuals to meet at high level national consultations to confer in good faith on ways to save and revitalise the sugar industry of Guyana to make it a viable and profitable industry again,…

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Dear Editor, Midway through its term in office, the coalition APNU/AFC Government’s approval rating has plummeted to a dismal 27%, according to the findings of the latest opinion poll conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA). Sixty-four per cent of those polled disapprove of the Government’s performance, with 9% not giving an opinion. The approval ratings of the President and Prime Minister (PM) and of the Alliance For Change (AFC) party have also seen their numbers plunging. This is a sharp reversal in fortunes for the President, PM,…

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Dear Editor, In an article on the above-referenced subject which appeared in the news media on December 29, it was reported that the Minister for Public Infrastructure (MPI), David Patterson, told reporters at his end-of-year press conference that a multi-disciplinary team has been meeting with ExxonMobil to review identifiable onshore sites for the storage and distribution of natural gas expected to be produced as a by-product from oil-fields being developed off Guyana’s Atlantic Coast. This action is another example of Minister Patterson putting, “the horse before the cart,” with ill-conceived…

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Dear Editor, The recent release of the Exxon contract shows a lack of responsibility and care for the Guyanese people and the environment. Firstly and most importantly this nonsense about no taxes for Exxon because they stuck by us is the most absurd form of reasoning I have seen in the business world. We are doing business with them and they came to Guyana with the expectation to do business in an environment that requires taxes to be paid. An extension of 10 years on the agreement is already a…

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Dear Editor, This A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government has been most sinister, deceptive and vindictive, as it relates to their blatant default regarding promised and expected performance of constitutional obligations. President Granger and his Ministers continue to employ manipulative tactics, which consistently politically interfere in the functionality of constitutional agencies which ought to be autonomous and impartial. The deliberate manipulations by APNU/AFC cohorts are being effected not only through delays in establishment, but also efforts to contaminate and suppress by: restraining resources, placement of political…

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Dear Editor, Every end of year many people take stock of their lives and make resolutions to do better in the New Year. What we also need to do is to take stock of the Guyanese nation over the last 50 years and see where we can do better. In this regard, I call for a re-evaluation of Guyana’s social, economic and political well-being over the last 50 years. Instead of just analysing the performance of a People’s National Congress Government vs a People’s Progressive Party Government, we need to…

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