It is the Private Sector, despite all the barriers thrown at it, which keeps this country afloat

Sep 06, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
I am a senior functionary in a Private Sector company and I am terribly offended at the recent remarks by President Jagdeo regarding the contribution, or deficiency thereof, by the Private Sector to the national image of this country.
In order to illustrate my disappointment at the President’s take, please allow me to relate what should be everyone’s common knowledge of what prevails in the Public Service/Sector of this country. Let us see how the Customs Department works. The mighty Officers stroll in at 8.30am but do not get going until 9am.
They have to eat breakfast and file their nails and read the news first. No member of the public dare complain else your documents disappear. Operations close at 11am, for a one and a half hour lunch, which invariably lasts for two hours. Operations cease at 2.30pm. A Public Servant puts in about four hours actual work per day.
This, however, is not singular to Customs. Examine Lands and Surveys and many Ministries. Then there is the phenomenon where many Public Sector managers get duty free vehicles, issue Powers of Attorney to buyers and virtually “sell” the duty free vehicles. The final paperwork is done when the concession period ends three years thence.
Also, many senior Government officers go to work with their vehicles then use their departments’ vehicles to execute official duties, yet claim their monthly commuted and other allowances. Still, there are those whose vehicles are parked home and use their Departments’ vehicles to pick them up from home, and even take their families to school, market, etc.
The litany goes on and on in the Public Service/Sector which falls under the purview of His Excellency. Let him first remove “the moat from his eyes before he attends to the speck in the eyes” of the Private Sector.
He should compare dollar for dollar, the contribution of the two sectors to Guyana. If the private sector operates the way the public sector does, this country would already have collapsed.
It is the Private Sector, despite all the barriers thrown at it, which keeps this country afloat.
Mr. President, please overhaul the Public Sector and deal with the corruption, in which Public Sector managers play a major role, before attacking the Private Sector.
The point has been reached in your tenure where it is no longer your persona which people react to. It is the performance of your Administration as a whole.
Narine Rampersaud

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It is the Private Sector, despite all the barriers thrown at it, which keeps this country afloat

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