Apportioning blame in the wrong place

Dec 20, 2011 Editorial

Christmas is a time when even the bitterest of enemies set hostilities aside and try to let peace prevail. During the First and Second World Wars the Allies and the Axis laid down their arms and even mingled in some area called No Man’s Land during Christmas. All over the world there is supposed to be peace. We cannot even remember an attack by suicide bombers although the Muslims do not observe or celebrate Christmas. Newspapers tone down the rhetoric and politicians put aside their barbs until after the holidays. Sadly, this seems not to be the case with the Jagdeo-owned newspaper and those whom the former president saw as his enemies.
Last week that newspaper set out to report a falsehood perhaps to seek some sympathy from the wider society most of whom do not know of its existence. The most recent bit of unsubstantiated and unadulterated madness appeared in its Sunday issue. There was the unproven allegation that Kaieteur News has cost the government billions of dollars.
They said that by reporting on the happenings in Guyana, Kaieteur News has scared away people. Quoting no more than three people who happen to live in Queens, New York, who said that they are afraid to come home, the newspaper concluded that Kaieteur News scared away investors who were coming with billions of dollars. To make matters worse, one of those interviewed merely read the New York edition of the paper.
According to this reader, she has read about rapes and murders and robberies. The newspaper that carried the interview seemed to suggest that Kaieteur News reported on nothing else.
A newspaper, in addition to being a harbinger of history by recording the events of a particular day, owes it to the public to report whatever occurs in the society. It must also protect the people by exposing those things that are certainly not good for the society.
If one were to review the newspapers one would find that each reported on the sensational crimes equally; that each carried editorial decrying the questionable happenings in the country; that each reported on what happened in the courts; and that each more often than not, downplayed those things which if published, would do more harm than good to the country.
If investors refused to come to Guyana it would most certainly not be because of what they read in Kaieteur News. It could be what a watchdog group, Transparency International, would have found in the area of corruption.
Investors look at infrastructure and communication that a country has to offer before they take a firm decision. Guyana has had problems with its electricity supplies. We know that because of these problems, large local companies have opted for self generation. Potential investors would have noticed this trend.
Investors would have balked at the demand for graft and bribes to set up their business here. Many people have complained that government officials demanded some form of bribe before they could approve licences and the foreign companies do not take kindly to paying bribes. If the company is registered in the United States and it is caught offering a bribe then it would be prosecuted back in the United States.
At one time, the potential investor complained about the length of time it took to negotiate the various agreements leading to the establishment of the businesses. The then President Bharrat Jagdeo did intervene and got the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) to modify its practices. And this came after Guyana was rated as a horrible place to process applications.
Then there is the issue of the labour market. Last week, the Resident Representative of the European Union, Robert Kopeky, criticized the pace of some works being undertaken with funding provided by the European Union. Executing the works was a single contractor. Surely these things were reported by all and would have an effect on investors.
Kaieteur News initiated a series of investigations into acts of corruption. This might have had an effect on investors. For a newspaper to apportion blame to institutions other that where the blame really lies is an attempt to detract from reality. And this is being done for good reason by the very people who really are responsible for any failure on the part of visitors to Guyana.

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Apportioning blame in the wrong place

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