Guyana’s resources are abundant

May 08, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
In response to Mr Sase Narine Singh’s provocative essay and perennial question, “Why is the Parliament not officially interrogating the “credibility” of Airport Extension Contract?” published in Kaieteur News, I wish to revisit the agenda on this matter.
Firstly, it must be acknowledged that Guyana via its abundant natural resources and ideal location geographically, is indeed the “Land of El Dorado.” Its potential is tremendous!
Secondly, Guyana has traditionally suffered from chronic net migration outflows due in no small measure to the very misplaced developmental agenda of post independence governing Administrations both PNC and PPP/C.
For Guyana to attempt the kind of take off envisaged in this discourse we would need every Guyanese both at home and in the Diaspora and more. Probably a standing population of three million can provide the basis for the take off both in terms of manpower and markets at home.
Mr Sase Narine Singh raises some very interesting propositions in his provocative essay on the topic:
That phase two and three of the original Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Scheme should be on the developmental agenda. It must be recognised that Guyana is and will always be an agriculturally oriented economy. Minerals are exhaustible but agriculture is a renewable resource.
Were these two additional phases of the MMA Scheme to be brought on board, more than eight hundred thousand acres of arable agriculture lands of diverse crops will come under the plough producing for the niche markets of the Caribbean and further afield.
Just imagine the tremendous benefits to Guyana and Guyanese and investors were this to materialise…increases agricultural production and industrial production, enhanced national earnings, increased employment to the extent that Guyana will have to start importing seasonal employment from the Caribbean etc.
2. Instead of expending thirty one billion dollars of Guyanese taxpayers money on the currently conceived Airport Project we should scale back and just spend twelve billion of that money on the extension of the runway to meet international standards and to cater for increased exports and obviously increased imports.
3. Government policy should try to attract more private sector investment outside of national security and national developmental needs whilst guarding against drug and money laundering money and interest.
At this point of the discourse I would wish to mention the following facts:Of all the Presidents of Guyana only Dr Cheddi Jagan had consistently advocated and pursued the right agricultural development needs of Guyana. His herculean efforts in office in the1957- 1964 period under the British, stand testimony to his correct vision and hope for his native land. Black Bush Polder, Tapacuma, Canal Polders and phase one of the MMA attest to this fact.
Burnham, thirteen years after coming to power and doing all in his power to undo the Jagan policies in agriculture, admitted in a ceremony in Black Bush Polder to celebrate the anniversary of the PNC in power that Guyana was indeed the “bread basket of the Caribbean”.
Had Cheddi been given a fair and patriotic deal in his zealous and patriotic quest to raise there required funding for additional projects to irrigate additional agriculture schemes through proposals like the “Hutchinson Drainage and Irrigation Proposals of 1957, been heeded Guyana would today be developing with it own revenue dollar generated through agriculture production and not burrowed monies and increasing tax burdens and squander-mania and thieving and corruption as is so evident today.
I refer to M. Maxwell essay in the Kaieteur News on Sunday under the heading “Does a corrupt, dictatorial minority government PPP really want to confront the USA?” and to Mr Freddie Kissoon’s piece, “Arrival Day: Should I be proud to be an East Indian?” also in Sunday Kaieteur News. Both articles apply.
With the political will and correct choice of developmental projects, Guyana can within five years begin to witness the take off we have all desired for years. Within a decade Guyanese can begin to assert themselves as a proud and outstandingly, successful nation.
The sixty-four-million dollar question is why with all the very bright Guyanese intellectual minds and intelligentsia haven’t we done this yet?
What is the “opportunity cost to Guyana and Guyanese”?
My views are more of a “Political Perspective on the Prospectives and Possibilities of my native land”.
However, Like Mr  Sase Narine Singh, I also wish to invite the developmental economist and other bright minds to join in this dialogue on this intriguing topic on Guyanese life and times so that we can together, through mature discourse, arrive at the correct political, economic and social blue print for our dear Guyana’s El Dorado reality!
Lionel Peters

 

 

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