Tax payers are paying a heavy price for poor governance

Jan 27, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Brazil has been deploying the latest satellite imaging technology for some years now to protect the country’s pristine rainforest. But their commendable efforts seem to be coming under strain from the unrelenting onslaught of illegal mining and forest destruction in the Amazon. The threat appears to coming from small scale deforestation and which, does not show up in the imagery. This should also be of concern to Guyana.
Imazom, the research institute that tracks deforestation in Brazil said in their recent report that, ‘destruction in the world’s largest rainforest climbed for the fourth consecutive month in December. In the last five months of 2012, Imazon detected clearings of 497 square miles (1,288 square km) of woodland – a Los Angeles-size total that is more than twice as big as the combined areas detected in the last five months of 2011. (SN, Jan 24, 2013).
Brazil has a policy of seek and destroy mining camps and confiscating equipment, whenever and, wherever they are found in protected areas; unlike the clueless and inept GGMC in Guyana. The GGMC capacity for enforcement seems woefully limited to the issue of ‘cease-work orders’. Such orders were recently issued when, Brazilian dredges were discovered operating illegally in Itabili near the Essequibo River (SN, Jan 21, 2013). Their dredges were allowed to remain in situ until the illegal miners can show they can get work permits. This allows them to bide time and, wait for corrupt practices to kick in and, to circumvent any and all hopes of securing protection against deforestation, illegal mining and environmental degradation.
Despite the indiscriminate waste of public money to sending a team to Curacao, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and the GGMC are still ‘unable to shed any light on the Curacao heist gold’. (SN Jan 25, 2013). It is obvious that bandits are far more competent than the Minister in seeking out and tracking movements of illegal gold shipments without any difficulty.
Furthermore, the long, porous border with Brazil is a welcoming invitation to any and all illegal miners, especially those displaced from Brazil. This open-door policy means holding Guyana’s tax payers to ransom, while nationals as far as China, are able to get a foothold in the country to rape the natural wealth of the country with a vengeance. The Amerindian communities are now being forced to pay the heavy price. With govt and GGMCs’ connivance, law suits are being pursued to attack vulnerable communities and to force them out of their ancient ancestral home lands.
Govt seems more far adept at attacking its own people and to deprive them of any decent standard of living and, to sentence future generations to a life of poverty and misery. This is clearly evident from govt’s inane failure to give any account of gold smuggling out of the country. It is a known fact that vast amounts of gold revenues are being siphoned off and smuggled abroad, while tax payers suffers and, bears the heavy burden.
Mac Mahase

Latest News

Tax payers are paying a heavy price for poor governance

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 20th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

National B/Ball team departs for Suriname today

Slingerz players excited about Shabazz

IBA president, CEO makes ‘clarion call’ to...

Saints Hockey Club shines at VHC Int’l Indoor...

Thaddeus Lovell is the latest to benefit from...

GBA commends government of budget allocation for...

Features/Columnists

Poverty does not come with a lifetime warranty

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Lift corruption ban-nice try Ms. Amanza

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Tax payers are paying a heavy price for poor governance

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 20th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]