Amerindians cheated of billions

Sep 08, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
A GINA release in early March 2008, reported that the new Amerindian Act, 2006, passed on February 16, 2006 and assented to by the President on March 14, 2006 had “paved the way for Amerindians to empower themselves socially, economically and politically.” Further, and A as a measure of its pride in the Act, under Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, under Ms Carolyn Rodrigues, expended considerable sums on the publication of user-friendliness (user friendly??) booklets for distribution to Amerindian communities.
And as recent as August 19, 2010, PPP/C MP Norman Whittaker boasted that the PPP/C government has consistently followed the provisions of the 2006 Amerindian Act. When all things are considered, M maybe Mr. Whittaker was being more careful than anyone at that time thought.
Because T there is one small-to some significant-problem:. Four years after its assent, the Act is yet to be brought into force. Effectively then, the 1951 Amerindian Act Cap: 29:01 described by Minister Rodrigues in 2005 as “outdated and [does] not addressing the needs of Amerindian communities” remains in force.
I find it hard to believe that this was any innocent oversight by the Amerindian-loving Government, if there is such a thing. After all, for more than three years, there were three Amerindian MP’s in the Cabinet. At every opportunity, whether it is in the “Cabinet Outreaches”, in the National Assembly, in national and international press conferences, and to the Norwegians, the government never ceased to showcase the Act as evidence of its boast of the progressive legislation it has passrespect ed to cater for the rights needs of our indigenous peoples. Now it seems But that is all a deception, a sham and , a façade, propaganda cynically disguised.
The reason why the Act has not been brought into force is that it creates an obligation on the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to “transfer 20% of the royalties from mining activities to a fund designated by the Minister for the benefit of the Amerindian villages”.
The financial statements of the GGMC show that mining activities has garnered more than eight more than eight and one half billion dollars since June 2006. The failure to bring the Act into force has, therefore, deprived Amerindian communities of approximately one point seven billion dollars ($1,700,000,000). Maybe this is all innocent.
Maybe this is all innocent. Maybe it is a mere co-incidence that during the same period, the GGMC has transferred one point eight billion dollars ($1,800,000,000), to the national slush fund – NICIL – whose mis-spending, if ever it were ever to become known, might be would be more interesting than the financial shenanigans of ENRON.
This is Amerindian Month. It This is a test of the sincerity of the gGovernment. The onus is on it to Let it prove that it does not consider the Amerindians as naïve and gullible, ready to give up their legal right to $1.7 billion dollars in return for a few outboard engines here, some chain saws here and there, there, and trips for its leaders to come to Georgetown to perform for the modern day Caesars, or to go on window-dressed trips to Norway.
This is a test, too, of the multiplicity of Amerindian organisations, politicians across parties and civil society activists.
They should stand up and let the Amerindians know where they are on this latest blatant example of official pillage and plunder; and deception, too. Silence is not an option.
Christopher Ram

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