I refer to the article “NO WAVERING – acting President Moses Nagamootoo” in the Guyana Chronicle (May 2, 2016). In its 2015 electoral campaign, the APNU+AFC coalition issued several promises to the Guyanese voters, varying from security, constitutional reforms, and poverty reduction to salary increases. Now, at the end of its first year in office, the incidence of violent crimes has increased on a daily basis, more than thirty five percent of Guyanese are below the poverty line, constitutional reforms are pending, and salary increases are conditional upon the report of the Commissioner of Inquiry (CoI).
The issue boils down to how committed is the coalition government in its delivery of promises to its electorate or is it wavering on its promises? Let us revisit the promise made to the sugar workers about the closing of the Wales sugar estate. According to the CoI, there shall be no closing of the sugar estates over the next three years unless the privatization process is complete.
Instead, the coalition government reneged on its promise and announced the closure of the Wales sugar estate at the end of year 2016, displacing some 1700 workers with no planned alternative employment choices. Such a shift in policy is an act of wavering especially by acting President Moses Nagamootoo who publicly declared that agricultural land is “ancestral” and that the sugar industry should not be jeopardized. If the coalition government acted contrary to the CoI in the case of the sugar workers, then why should the Public Servant believe that more than G$ 50 billion will be disbursed to them when the CoI report is released?
Let us assume that the coalition government approves the disbursement of 20 percent salary increases to the public sector. More wages and salaries are always preferred to less but on what basis? Is the justification base on productivity, inflation rates, living wage or simply electoral promises to procure votes?
According to President Granger, the increase of 20% to the disciplined forces (Police) will serve as an incentive to curb violent crimes. In other words, Guyanese will continue to live in fear, armed robberies, and invasion of homes and businesses unless the Police are given 20% increase in salary.
Furthermore to the salary increases, the coalition government intends to release additional incentives of housing, land and related benefits to the public sector. In the meantime, the sugar workers who contributed to the earnings of scarce foreign currency to the economy are not expected to receive any salary increases but declared redundant after serving GUYSUCO their entire life.
Since the coalition government in office, the size of the public has grown unreasonably high as evident from the issuing of public contracts to friends and party supporters, the additional layers of Ministries within the Ministry and the Office of the Presidency (Minister of State). Such a move contradicts the promise to create a transparent and effective government; a reminder of PNC renewed form of party paramountcy through APNU. A classic case of wavering with no accountability to Parliament and the Office of the Presidency is the super Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. According to President David Granger, Mr. Harmon presents an unusual situation and his case should be addressed by the PNC steering committee, the establishment behind APNU.
Even the post local government election is evidentiary of more centralization of power for the Ministry of Communities in Georgetown. Elected councilors and NDC chairs are unable to fulfil the needs of the local communities because budget allocations and spending are controlled in Georgetown. The intent of creating NDCs and township was never to develop the local communities but to maintain administrative control (Article 7); another act of the coalition government to waver its promise to empower the local communities such as Linden Town Council which continues to be bankrupt. Its spending exceedsrevenue earnings by more than $G200 million.
So, the coalition government has more reasons to celebrate its acts of wavering promises than concrete strategic plans to build a great Guyana again. Thus, the daily violent crime under this coalition government has reduced the country into a state of fear to live even in one’s own home, to invest in businesses, and freely move as one would expect since independence in May 26, 1966, some fifty years ago.
Yours truly,
Dr. Dev Rawana