We have to act wisely, abandoning that which is irrational and racial

Nov 07, 2010 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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An abridged Address at the AFC’s 2010 Special National Conference
Khemraj Ramjattan – Chairman and Presidential Candidate
(31st October 2010 – Ocean View Convention Centre)
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THE NATIONAL SITUATION
We presently have at the national level a situation at the political and economic spheres which can only be described as sad.
Bad governance and corruption permeates in almost every quarter and all institutions of our land. Transparency International still rates us in the most corrupt countries category.
We are way down in the list of countries as regards ‘Doing Business”. Young people still dream of leaving these shores for greener pastures.
Having not learnt that the device of denial of Government advertisements to break the financial viability of certain business organizations, like the opposing media, will get it nowhere, the Government today wants to apply such devices through directives to GECOM, its own institution.
I was laughed at and poured scorn upon when I coined the term control-freakism as the PPP Administration’s new ideology and praxis. I have been vindicated by its every word and deed. Control, more control and absolute control is all it wants. In Parliament, on State radio and television, at UG, in the Court system, in GuySuCo through its Board selection, in the rice industry through rigged elections in the RPA, in the mining and logging industries through new regulations which will adversely affect 100,000 persons and more.
Even the truth this Government wants to control, when it fails to call inquiries into the CLICO debacle, into the Phantom Squad, into the massive over-spending of excessive overseas trips, into the maladministration of NIS.
What all of this means? It means inequality! And the result of inequality is distrust and mistrust and a general disequilibrium. Neighbours cease to check on neighbours, there is no cooperative spirit and the result is the madness we see all around us today – violence, domestic violence, despair, drunkness, and so many other terrible societal vices. As a result, too, there is an impoverishment that traverses the racial divide. Every ethnic community has felt the impact of this inequality.
The PPP Administration can do a whole lot more to stop this widening of the inequality gap currently. But the political will is not there because the vision for that equal, harmonious society is not one shared by the PPP. It prefers a cabal constituting a number of top Governmental czars in combination with a favoured few within the business class. They can be categorized as “The Big B’s”.
Inequality can be reduced by so many Government interventions. The reduction of the VAT is such a primary intervention. The AFC will reduce it to 12%, when in Government in 2011.
And if upon our assumption of office that can be lowered even more, after cutting all wasteful expenditure on an oversized administration, to that extent it will be even further lowered.
The AFC’s analysis of how things have gone is that VAT together with Excise Tax grew by 90% as from 2007.
And to put it in dollar terms, the surplus VAT and Excise Tax collected is close to $40 Billion, over and above projected in the period 2007 to June 2010. A massive sum, indeed, for the Government to have in hand to spend as it likes. A reduction as proposed by the AFC will mean that the people will have that sum to spend as they like.
But that is not all the monies the PPP has in its trough from which it will gorge. Between the years 1996 to 2008 the Lottery Company paid to the Government $3.3 Billion. Moreover, monies paid to NICIL include GBTI’s over $200 million for the Kingston Land, John Fernandes – another $300 million, Ramroop Group – another $400 million or so, as this one is difficult to calculate.
NICIL also received money for Duke Lodge and GuySuCo lands but hold on to the money so that we in Parliament cannot scrutinize its disbursements. NICIL is also holding on to dividends it collects from GT&T, Guyoil and others. When you add it all up, the administration has taken more than $60 Billion of the peoples monies to do only what they know.
After taking so much, they will soon give some ….. every house a computer, every Amerindian house a solar panel and so on….hoping the people will not know the true motivation. Guyana will not be fooled!
The AFC’s Vision
As against this scenario, the AFC has a vision for a better society. The AFC has outlined a comprehensive blueprint of policies for economic and social transformation within one generation. Underpinning our blueprint are twelve interconnected principles that must be followed simultaneously.
These principles are universal and they involve civil service reforms, political reforms, ethnic equality, personal security, transformation of the production structure of the economy, Diaspora involvement, private sector-driven economy, youth development, education reform, Hinterland development, gender equality and foreign policy reform.
It will centre on industrial development in manufacturing, bio-fuels, eco-tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), education reform and financial services.
We intend to mobilize all Guyanese for this task. Moreover, we see the Diaspora playing an integral part in financing our economic plans and providing technical and educational assistances. Foreign private investments will be encouraged to establish production linkages with Guyanese producers and infuse new management systems and technologies into Guyana.
Presently these small and micro enterprises are stuck because of the high cost of doing business in Guyana and the lack of a core set of successful large scale enterprises.
We will ensure what are known as secured transactions reform where small and micro businesses shall use a greater proportion of their assets which include working experience as collateral for loans, something I recently learned about from my State Department visit.
The AFC commits itself to several promises. Firstly, no one in the business sector will be victimized because of his or her political or ideological orientation. Furthermore, we will never use the State’s resources to stifle one set of businesses while only promoting the interests of our friends and family – we intend to make the economic space free and fair for all investors.
Secondly, promise the masses jobs rather than handouts and token gifts for the purpose of vote-buying.
Thirdly, there will be security reforms – murderers and bandits will be caught and prosecuted. The police force will be finally reformed by taking up the assistance from the ABC countries that this government turned down.
Fourthly, there will be transparency and fairness in the public accounts and procurements. Fifthly, we will immediately pass and implement the Freedom of Information Bill and the Broadcasting Bill.
But not only must we see a transformation of our economy. There must be concomitant political reforms.
The state will be transformed from a form of power over people, an external authority that is distant, bureaucratic and feared, to a network of institutions that are experienced by people as a site of genuine consensus-building and problem-solving. This AFC state will engage in self-limiting behaviour of its own by widely dispersing the bases of political power throughout society. Such a state will thereby shift ‘from first problem-solver to first organizer of social capacities for their solution” as my good friend Dr. Rishi Thakur advised me recently.
This means devolving responsibilities for policy-making and governance from the State to organizations in civil society. For instance, in the provision of welfare services, civil society organizations enjoy a distinct competitive advantage over State bureaucracies by virtue of their unique ethos and high levels of altruism and trust.
There should be few limits to the diversity of services that these civic bodies should undertake: literacy training, child care facilities, drug treatment centres, sports clubs, hospices for the infirm and dying and so on.
AFC leaders must allow scrutiny
Moreover, our leaders and activists will have to live the examined life, subjecting ourselves to the utmost scrutiny. Our credibility and integrity, and our consistency with principle in our words and action are some of the attributes which will popularize and endear us to the hearts of those whose support we seek.
And we must never fear that mistakes will be made because they will be made. After all, the Alliance For Change is an association of humans, not angels.
When mistakes are made we must quickly pick ourselves up, dust off and proceed onwards never unduly flagellating ourselves.
To do all these things will require from our cadres and activists and supporters an arming of themselves of our positions on issues.
Hence, a dire need for communication through an organ/publication, or a regular broadcast on TV. All of this and lots more will require financing and the raising of funds; and procuring of help in professional services and expertise. So we have to exercise an effort in these directions as well. All of us!
I want to conclude by saying that we must be prepared to withstand taunts, suck-teeth, victimization, slanders, well-manufactured scandals even, all with the purpose and intention to discredit this new boy on the block.
We have to act wisely, abandoning that which is irrational and racial. We have to shun the sins listed by the towering and inspiring Mahatma Gandhi, sins we are so tempted every day to commit.
These were found by me in a book recently given to me by my brother, friend and colleague on my 50th birthday (a wonderful gift) “501 of Must Know Speeches”…thanks so much Raphael (Trotman). What are these sins which Gandhiji mentioned therein?
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice
Politics without principles
Once we live the message coming from this wise profound soul, we will have a better Guyana. Long live the Alliance For Change. Long live our beautiful country.
Thank you.

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