This decision needs to be examined

Aug 05, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

This newspaper has it from a very powerful person in the Government that, if there is anything that we find less than satisfactory, we are free to publicize and offer comment.

Even without the above guarantee, when it comes to the manner in which public funds are disbursed, this is one columnist that is not going to be quiet.

I will demand, through this column, explanations as to why public funds are being spent in a manner that does not guarantee value for money.

I will continue to remind public officials, whether they work in public corporations or ministries, that the resources at their disposal belong ultimately to the taxpayers of the country, and are not to be used as they or their political bosses see fit.

These resources are public property, and public assets and public property belong to me and all Guyanese.

Public officers, in managing those resources, are placed in a position of trust, which, while allowing them the stature that goes with their office, demands responsibility and accountability.

They have to ensure not only that every cent is accounted for, but that each cent used gains the maximum return for the shareholders, the people of Guyana.

The Fourth Estate, the media, is a watchdog on behalf of the people. When the media demands explanations on public spending, there is a moral obligation on the part of public officials to provide such information, since this is one way in which the public can hold public officials accountable.

The Government itself recognizes this obligation to hold itself accountable through the Fourth Estate.

This position was adumbrated years ago by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, who explained that his weekly Cabinet briefing to the media was one of the ways in which the Government held itself accountable to the people for the use of public resources.

All such resources are required to be accounted for, including advertisements. The people of Guyana have more than an expectation that Government entities will seek to maximize the returns on their ads.

This was one of the arguments that was used by the Government is justifying the policy, one year ago, of withholding certain advertisements from the Stabroek News.

At the time, it was explained that the response to ads in the Kaieteur News was much better. It was also explained that circulation and reach were important factors that led to that specific policy by the Government.

I noticed recently that the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) had a front page advertisement in the latest newspaper to join the industry, but which has not appeared in any of the other dailies.

An explanation was sought, and this newspaper, I am informed, was told that the GNSC is trying to get the best value for its money.

But how can the GNSC be trying to get the best value for money by advertising in a newspaper which is just a few months in existence, and which has not yet achieved any significant circulation?

How can the GNSC hope to get value for money if it is advertising in a newspaper that is now getting its feet wet, while not placing the same advertisement in the established dailies, including the State’s newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle?

I call on the Board of Directors to explain this anomaly and to publish a response to the query raised above. I would like them to ask whomever are responsible for this decision to explain how it is that by placing that particular advertisement exclusively in the Guyana Times, this state-owned shipping firm is deriving the best value for money.

I want the Board of Directors to examine this particular decision and to report to the Guyanese people whether they feel that the public’s best interest is being served.

If they feel that this ad placement was a mistake, then it is only logical that they take appropriate action against whomever are involved.

I have also noted that the Lands and Surveys Commission placed a half-page ad in the same newspaper.

I am wondering whether this Commission, which falls under the Office of the President, can explain the rationale for placing that particular advertisement in the Guyana Times.

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