Enjoying the luxuries of the developed world

Jun 18, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to Mr. Tarron Khemraj’s letter in Kaieteur News on June 15, 2009, with the title, ‘The nature of a donkey-cart economy.’
Mr. Khemraj is attempting to gain a spot in the political arena. And as usual, all prospective politicians try to play the easy nitpicking game to gain recognition; but this kind of recognition is false.
It is amazing that these people sit in their royal thrones abroad and refer to Guyana as a donkey-cart economy. Mr. Khemraj seems to be forgetting that Guyana is still a developing country and has its usual problems like so many nations in the developing world. But we have certainly progressed by achieving sound macroeconomic fundamentals and increased exports, among other things. It is so easy to criticise when something is not working, but much harder to offer working solutions.

Also Mr. Khemraj seems to be forgetting that national development plans come with the consideration of the availability of resources, and also the rules and regulations of the international lending agencies that must be followed once loans are attained. Stipulated projects through donors, inclusive of Guyana, must attain specific development targets.
Mr. Khemraj pontificates trying to provide an exhibition of his ‘economics’ capacity, but sometimes the textbook approach still has to be predicated against the pragmatics and all his 10 points about Guyana being a donkey-cart economy are very ‘textbookish’, and clearly shows little understanding of the ‘life world’ of developing nations.

I make no apologies that Guyana is poor, but to constantly hammer home the point about our poverty with implicit comparisons with the developed world, especially while enjoying the luxuries of that developed world, without even mentioning a fraction of the many points of light we have in our country, is misrepresenting the economic status of Guyana.
Mr. Khemraj is a very frustrated letter writer, in that, all that he is saying about Guyana will do little to induce ‘the tide of change’ for the better because of his misrepresentation.
If Mr. Khemraj is so passionate and interested in the development of Guyana, then I suggest, he return and battle the rough terrains with us Guyanese; stop pontificating and exhibiting his textbookish economics information and approaches.
Elizabeth Daly

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