HOW ABOUT IT WINSTON?

Dec 14, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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The PPP knows what is going on within government. It knows. It may not seem to be doing anything about the disturbing trends that are taking place within the administration but its members are more aware of what is going on than that for which they are given credit.

The PPP, as a political party, has taken actions against senior operatives of the administration. It has. There is no reason to believe that it will not. However, the PPP has always been known to close ranks whenever it comes to the survival of its government.

There are a number of things that are happening in the privatization process in Guyana; things which are being brought to the attention of this newspaper. There are both good things and those not so good.

We hope that the PPP is closely monitoring what is taking place with the disposal of State assets and the deals that are being made with foreign companies, including those that are into the extraction of our natural resources.

Quite recently a member of the PPP wrote a letter in the newspaper in which he tried to distinguish the differences in the privatization process under the Hoyte administration and that of the PPP when it first came into power.

The PPP had no fight with any conference held at the Tower Hotel over its reluctance to privatize until it had developed a framework paper.

That conference at the Tower Hotel was a donor mobilization meeting which came out of a process by the donor community to try to support Guyana’s fledgling democracy by mobilizing funds to assist Guyana.

The Privatization Policy Framework Paper was developed with foreign assistance and it was approved by Cabinet. It set out clearly the rationale and procedures under which the disposal of State assets would take place.

I am sure that the PPP understands the extent to which one recent controversial privatization was done outside of the policies set out in that document.

Specifically I am sure that the PPP understands what is supposed to take place when there are no responsive bids. I am sure they understand also what is supposed to take place when there are no bids.

The PPP should break its public silence concerning some of the deals that have been made by the Jagdeo administration. Those within the PPP who are contemplating running for the position of the party’s Presidential candidate for 2011 should come out and give their opinion about the process.

They should state what they like and what they dislike. The media should demand that they comment on the original deal entered into between the government and OMAI in the bauxite industry, the sale of OMAI’s interest to BOSAI and now the deal that BOSAI has cemented with the government.

They should speak now as to just what Guyana is getting for this deal and whether they expect an alumina plant to be built considering the spare capacity of existing plants around the world and more so the fact that alumina prices are falling on the world market. Just what are we gaining out of this deal with BOSAI?

This newspaper is interested in the development of Guyana. This is our mission. I have spoken to the publisher of this newspaper and he has said that he is willing to publish details of the deals that have been entered into by the Jagdeo administration so as to clear any illusions about what took place.

The publisher made it clear he wishes to support development and public transparency and is therefore willing to give the government a chance to outline what are the details of the deals entered into so as to set the record straight.

Winston Brassington has been for some time now, the government’s point man on privatization. He has been involved in all the major privatization deals ever since he took over the headship of the Privatization Unit.

He is handsomely paid for his services to the Guyanese nation and therefore the people of Guyana should expect that he would come forward and candidly explain the details of deals made by the government, including the hotel which is still to be built on the Kingston foreshore.

I have cleared it with the publisher and we are willing to grant a two-page exclusive interview with Winston Brassington about the disposal of State assets and other forms of privatization that have taken place.

We want to hear from him what has been, for example, the terms and conditions concerning the use of the bauxite mines, involved in the BOSAI deal. I want to hear his explanation about the advertisements that are placed in the newspapers.

I want to know who audits the proceeds of privatization and how often these funds are paid into the Consolidated Fund. How about it Winston? Will you give an exclusive to Kaieteur News?

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