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How exactly was the Carifesta X millions spent?

Sep 12, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
With the dust on CARIFESTA X settled, it is now time for the Government and the Minister who spear-headed the celebrations to, at minimum, inform Guyanese of how $500 million of their taxpaying dollars were spent to make this celebration a reality.

Since the Government stated that there was no revenue to be had from the celebrations, it must respect the Guyanese taxpayers and account to them on how their monies were spent.

For too long, we, the people have been perceived as the Government’s pawns for them to play off their apparent decision to neglect their responsibility to account to us for every taxpaying dollar it spends.

I believe the Government’s confidence on these clearly undemocratic principles has grown significantly because we seemed to have remained too passive on these matters.

I suggest that as citizens we intensify our demand for openness and accountability on the part of those who are responsible for spending our money.

For any government to tell its people that it is spending $500 million of their money and refuse to show, or indicate to the populace how their money was spent is not only disrespectful to the people but also takes a serious swipe at their intelligence, and disregards the value for their hard earned dollars.

Since 1992 Guyanese have been bombarded with a cliché coming out of the PPP/C where the party claims that its coming to office is a “return to democracy”.

As Guyanese we must seriously ask ourselves whether this return to democracy means non accountability on the part of the administration, to taxpayers; refusing to impartially investigate charges of state torture and refusing to make even those findings publicly known; muzzling press freedom; playing politics with matters of the nation’s crime and security (refer to the government’s refusal to participate in the U.S embassy sponsored conference on security and defence – on August 11-14, 2008); political interference in the Judiciary; nurturing teenage criminals; economically strangling ordinary Guyanese with a 16% VAT; defying the rule of law; scant regard for good governance; stifling parliamentary democracy; among other repressive deeds.

No doubt, in Guyana, we need to advocate more for what is right for our society lest we be continually disregarded and disrespected by those in whom we grant our power.

It is time we make Government understand that we give them our power to exercise it justly for us; each of us can be an advocate on our own behalf and for others who might not be in a position to do so for themselves.

More accountability is needed from Government and we must demand a report on how the CARIFESTA $500 million was spent; it is our money and we have every right to know.

To account for spending is not a favour the Government may grant us, but it is a key value, and act of a democratic Government.

So, our demand for accountability is a just one that we must advocate for fearlessly, since it appears we are not going to get it willingly.
Lurlene Nestor

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