Act I, Scene II: Enter Norway

Nov 20, 2009 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

The Guyanese people have come to know a little bit about Norway since it was announced that Norway will buy carbon credits from us. Before this, little was known of Norway among the ordinary folks of this land. What they now know is that this Scandinavian nation is one of the richest states in the world whose people enjoy fantastic wealth, all the more since the population is just under five million.
There was also some phenomenal news about Norway. The UN has designated 0.7 percent of GNP as the target rich, industrialized must meet in terms of aid to poor countries. I know only Sweden complied. But it looks like Norway has too.
If Norway could offer Guyana US$250M over five years to conserve its forests then this is indeed a wealthy country and Guyana should now develop a working bilateral relation with it.
Before the forest deal, Guyana got hardly anything (if anything at all) from Norway. President Jagdeo chose to visit Greece recently rather than Norway. So far there has been a complete blackout from the Office of the President on what is the future role of Greece in Guyana’s aid request agenda.
So Norway has arrived. Will we be seeing some projects funded by Norway?
The mistake the Government made is that instead of selling carbon credits to Norway for actual cash, there should have been a menu of projects that the Government should have offered to Norway to have it fund.
Guyana is one of the poorest territories on earth. Our development needs are enormous and gargantuan. In terms of what this country has to get in order to give its people a modern future that US$250M over five years is not a substantial offer. As I wrote earlier this week, Trinidad spent just under that figure to host the Summit of the Americas.
The Guyana Government a few years back asked the CDB for $600M just to rehabilitate the labs at UG. The CDB refused.
One would have known the true intention of Norway if that menu of projects was the basis on which Guyana was to sell carbon credits. Had Norway refused to be generous, then the Guyana Government would have seen for itself, Norway’s ulterior motive.
In fact, one commentator, Christopher Ram, has made an innovative point. He opines that if the Guyana Government should honestly and sincerely work out a comprehensive plan to stop tax evasion, it would not need Norway’s US$50M every year for the next five years.
The general opinion that I have heard from tax experts, accountants and economists is that at least $4 billion could easily be had if tax screws are tightened with at least $7 billion if the GRA really gets going.
This is where the analysis of post-colonial society comes in. Once these countries beg and they get money, their leaders refuse to think, innovate and strive for vision thus development and modernization become tragic causalities.
Guyana isn’t going to get the money for carbon credits that President Jagdeo officially announced. International relations never showed that kind of generosity that Mr. Jagdeo imagines it has and it will never; since when big countries have been so selfless? These states will denude you of your teachers and nurses while rejecting visas for your carpenters so why would they want to dip into their budgets and give you billions for saving the environment?
They would like the Third World to save the environment alright but they aren’t going to pay it to do that. One day in the future, the Third World will get some money for global warming but not the amount President Jagdeo has in mind — nowhere near that figure. Secondly, such sums aren’t coming from Copenhagen next month.
So Guyana is left with US$250M from Norway. That sum is over a five-year period and it is doubtful that Guyana will ever see a large percentage of it. Too many criteria and restrictions are in place. It is too onerous a task for Guyana to meet not to mention the incredible levels of incompetence that accompanies the governorship of the PPP.
It is advisable that Mr. Jagdeo try some realpolitik in his future dealings with Norway. Develop a Guyana-Norway Bilateral Commission and start to press Norway for development funds.
Norway cannot cite the US$250M because that is not Norwegian aid to Guyana. Norway is a big exporter of oil. How about Guyana asking it to help subsidize GPL’s huge oil import bill?

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