From the Diaspora…President Donald Ramotar seems ready to root out corruption

Apr 22, 2013 News

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By Ralph Seeram

“We have to deal with it (bribery) from both ends. We must make this (bribery) intolerable. We must make the morality of our society strong enough for anyone to resist giving a bribe and for an official to resist accepting a bribe”.
The quote comes from a speech made by the President while speaking at the opening of a Financial Crimes Stakeholders meeting, held earlier this week in Guyana. Very strong words coming from the Guyanese President whose administration has been accused of corruption, most of which he inherited.
The President was also quoted as saying, “Our actions are not only because we want to meet our international commitment and our international treaty obligations, but it’s also important for the moral life in our society.”
Some twenty months ago I spoke to the very Donald Ramotar who was then candidate for President, about corruption in Guyana. He did not hesitate to accept that there was a measure of corruption in Government but could not determine to what level.
There is no question that since assuming the office of the Presidency, Mr. Ramotar has been making the government more open. Contracts and other issues that were once kept secret by the Jagdeo administration have been disclosed by this President.
In fact, it’s the disclosures made by President Ramotar that opened up the PPP government to more charges of corruption, never the less this President has been trying to make his administration more open, unlike his predecessor. Truth be told, he has been taking the blame for most of the ills of the Jagdeo administration.
The Financial Crimes Stakeholders Meeting was sponsored by countries that are in reality the biggest market for illicit drugs.
Those countries, the United States, England, Canada and the European Union want to help Guyana to strengthen its money laundering laws. Implementing and ENFORCING those laws are important for Guyana’s image on the international scene.
You don’t want to give the impression that you are condoning drug traffickers. Those advanced countries, the U.S, Canada, the British and the European Union with all their resources have failed miserably to control the flow of drugs into their countries, and try to shift the blame for their failure to control their society to poor countries like Guyana.
They have failed to give countries like Guyana the resources and “tools” to combat corruption and interdiction of drug trafficking.
President Ramotar’s speech has some irony in the sense that he was emphasizing that if there are no “bribers” there will be no “takers” hence no corruption.
The irony is if there is no market for the drugs in those western countries there will be no need for suppliers hence no money laundering laws, however we live in a real world and we know it’s not going to work that way.
To bring the conversation back to the local level, the President’s theory of “no bribers”, “no takers” will remain just a theory as well intentioned as it is.
The President singled out the business community where “the bribers are located”. One must sympathize with the President when he says that he has to deal with corruption “from both sides”— those offering the bribe and those officials accepting the bribe.
What comes to my mind is that I have not read of a single case in Guyana where someone was charged for offering a bribe. Mr. Ramotar may have a point here; charge the person offering the bribe. Problem is how you can prove that if the officials accept the bribe.
The solution is not as simple as that, the corruption seems institutionalized, from obtaining a birth certificate, a driver’s license, the traffic police on the street and as you work your way up to public servants, senior government officials up to cabinet ministers.
The business community is in the business of making money. If the businessmen refuse to pay a bribe, their competitor will be willing to pay. So here is the problem; the potential briber is in catch 22 situations. Don’t bribe and you lose the contract etc. because the next person is going to pay to get the business.
The real problem is not the briber, but the taker; this is where the President must start.
Let me take it at the street level. Here in Florida, if a traffic policeman gives you a ticket, he gives you with a smile and all the courtesy telling you where to pay or challenge it.
A speeding ticket runs you about US$250. He will not ask you for a bribe and you dare not offer a bribe; you will be arrested immediately and looking at some jail time.
Compare that to when a traffic police officer stops a driver in Guyana. We all know the answer and that is just corruption at the street level. So President Ramotar has a tough job to root out corruption. Where should he start? Like the Kaieteur Falls, at the top. Instill some “moral fiber” in his Cabinet and like the water falls it will flow down to the bottom.
Good luck Mr. Ramotar, remember no takers no bribers.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at: email [email protected]

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