The PPP is about to complete yet another billion dollar raid on State resources.

Nov 24, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
One may ask, what is a government elected to do?  Our primary understanding would be to govern in the national interest for the betterment of all the people; not in the interest of a few. So why is the PPP only fostering the business interest of a small group of people closely aligned to that party? This issue has been studied with much diligence over the years and the Kaieteur News expose captioned “The Heist of Guyana – the Communication Scheme” is just another revelation of how the PPP  hierarchy is about to complete another billion dollar raid on the Treasury to enrich themselves, relatives and friends. They have done this many times before but this is going to be the largest raid ever on the people’s money. It is wrong and we must vehemently condemn it.
The general thrust of owner Glen Lall and editor Adam Harris’ Kaietuer News article “The Heist of Guyana” points us in the right direction – namely, the Jagdeo cabal with the full collaboration of the Ramotar bunch have made plans to retroactively transfer one of Guyana’s greatest and most valuable assets— the wireless telephony spectrum—from the people of Guyana to themselves and friends for a pittance. This is worse than the most outrageous corrupt practice or any highway robberies.
The greatest political act in the history of Guyana was when the PPP was relegated to a minority Government status.  The main causation of that political revolution was the PPP’s gross acts of massive corruption and mal-administration of the affairs of the State, including the whole scale plundering of the people’s resources. Yet, the PPP will not stop such depraved behavior; in fact, they have caught the disease called “kleptocrotitist” meaning the inability to prevent theft from the Treasury. This is a disease that is easily spread among the group and can only be cured by therapeutic help from well qualified and experienced Psychiatrists, most of whom can be found in the developed countries.
The electro-magnetic spectrum is worth billions of dollars (the last estimate was G$24 billion) but yet we find that the PPP is determined to transfer these expensive spectrums for little or nothing to their friends and family through their back door corrupt practices which were perfected by the Jagdeoites.
This spectrum supports businesses in the quad-play sector which constitutes cable businesses, businesses using the broadcast television frequency, radio frequency and the jewel in the crown — the wireless (cellular) telephone frequency. No government in its right mind, except for the PPP would give away such treasured state resources to their friends and relatives for nickels and dimes. As APNU—MP Joseph Harmon rightfully said, “them eyes pass we.”
In 2011, the Jagdeo regime literally gave away the radio and television frequency for absolutely nothing to their friends and family creating the conditions for them to earn billions of dollars at the taxpayer’s expense.  In April 2013, Prime Minister Sam Hinds confirmed that the PPP will not collect fees from two companies in the cable business, both owned and controlled by persons close to former president Jagdeo. Again, more milk and honey for a pittance for the best friends of the PPP.  The fact remains, Jamaica was able to leverage some US$40 million for just one cable license. Score sheet so far -Guyana ZERO; Jamaica US$40 million.
The PPP did not stop there. They wanted total domination of the airwaves in Guyana. While we acknowledged that the drafted telecommunication legislation meets the basic international standards, we are quite disturbed that the PPP cabal, like a thief in the night, inserted the licensing of three PPP aligned telecommunication companies—Quark Communication, E-Networks and Global Technologies—all owned by friends of the former president, again for a pittance. This goes to show how crooked this regime is as they continue to bleed the nation of all its vital resources. This is not what the people had expected when the PPP promised to level the playing field and bring order to the telecommunications industry.
The risks that GT&T and Digicel took, and the investments they have made over the years are enormous and should be respected by the PPP cabal; and this should easily justify their place at the table. However, these three PPP fly by night operators have done very little in terms of investing in technology for the wireless communications network over the years and should not be given licenses for a pittance? What risk did they take?  What investment have they made for the direct benefit of the Guyanese people?
Have they ever built any children hospital like Digicel or paid the billions of dollars in taxes like Digicel and GT&T did over the years? How dare these members of the “Committee for the Re-election of Jagdeo” popularly referred to as the CREEPS, reap the rewards by not taking the appropriate risk and truly investing in the Guyanese people?  Why is the PPP giving away the state’s valuable airwaves frequencies to their rich friends? The only answer is the PPP has taken corruption to its highest level; therefore, we will be forwarding this letter to all the members of CARICOM and to all regional and international communication bodies.
We demand that the PPP cabal rescind their preferential treatment to the three communication companies owned by their friends this telecommunication bill be sent to the select committee for further scrutiny. We also demand that the playing field should be leveled and regularized between GT&T and Digicel first, before any other players are invited to take part in the process. The market place can be opened to all other players by way of a spectrum auction in a regulated manner once it is regularized and they are prepared to pay the fair market value for the available band width.  If the friends of the former President need space on the spectrum, let them compete in a transparent manner like everyone else in the world; they should not be given preferential treatment by the PPP. We strongly opposed this corrupt PPP minority regime for giving their friends and relatives who are the owners of Quark Communication, E-Networks and Global Technologies and to have free access to the state most prized resources. We also called on all Guyanese to revolt against this corrupt regime for such unethical practice.
We say thanks and Glen Lall and Adam Harris of Kaieteur and we salute them for exposing the racketeering and plundering of the state resources by the PPP. They have done their part diligently, so now is the time for the people of Guyana to follow suit. We can no longer stand idle and allow this crooked and immoral regime to commit such blatant crime against the state. We are calling on the majority opposition to use the powers granted to them by the Constitution to investigate this criminal act and surcharge the alleged perpetrators for their twisted ways and warped mentality. This is the time for the opposition to unite and vigorously defend the interest of the people.
Furthermore, the majority Parliamentary opposition must take their responsibility more seriously and design laws in such a way to meet the objective of fostering competition while at the same time securing the best value for money for the people of Guyana. Once this cat is out the bag, there is no opportunity for any future government to roll back this conspiratorial PPP plan and thus if this is not done using best practices, the nation will have opportunity losses to the tune of billions of dollars that will never ever be recovered. Is that a price we as Guyanese are prepared to pay to please the economic oligarchic who controls the PPP? We say no and hope you do as well.
Chandra Deollal, Esq. Mark Dacosta, Dr.Terrence Simon,
 Joycelyn Wilson, Guyatree Balgobin Esq, Aubrey Reteymer,
Noel Moses, Sasenarine Singh, Asha Balbachan, Derrick Arjune, Esq.
Donna Mattho, Asquith Rose, Ricky Bisnauth, Harish S. Singh.

 

 

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