47 years of Independence…What have we really achieved?

May 25, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
A few days ago, I visited the GT&T office at Church Street to pay my phone and internet bills. At 9a.m. I saw a very long line outside the office that was near the road. I joined the line and entered the building after half an hour. Upon entering I observed only three staff working but I counted eight booths.
One cashier was dealing only with old age pensioners in a separate line while only two were dealing with the other customers. Five booths were empty while many staffers could be seen walking about the office gaffing and eating chips. So early in the morning and no apparent regard for the citizens of this country while they are just idling on their job and receiving a salary by false pretence.
I have many questions but will just list a few: Why only three cashiers were working from eight booths?
Why can’t the supervisor administrate a simple office? Why have they no respect for citizens waiting for a lengthy period in an irritatingly slow-moving line?
After spending about one hour in the line, two cashiers left and only one was working. I note with interest that these tellers or cashiers will work for twenty minutes then put a notice ‘’next wicket please’’, they will walk about the place or pretend to be doing something like playing with some bills or counting money just to idle and waste the day, while citizens can drop dead in a heated line.
I spent two hours just to pay a phone and internet bill. GT&T slogan reads ‘’GT&T getting better all the time’’ but they are getting worse all the time. Whenever I call to report a fault or internet problem, I am greeted by a voice mail ‘’All our customers are busy now, please hold the line or try your call later’’ it’s either they are short of staff or just lazy. In this day and age why are they using voice mail for customers? Then if you receive an answer after days of trying, the person on the line behaves in an indifferent manner. We haven’t progressed very far as a nation.
After I finished from GT&T, I visited GBTI at Water Street. I joined a line with only ten persons, but noticed only two tellers were working from over eight booths – tons of staff just being paid to march around another office. I spent another one hour and fifteen minutes in a line of just ten people; while many were fussing or even cursing. My opinion is that the supervisors in particular have no regard for customers.
I eventually went to GPOC to apply for some birth certificates. I saw a line of old age pensioners, again touching the road. My concerns there are many, as I saw very few staff working and old people have to be standing for hours to get their pension. A better system could be put in place where at least 12 staffers can go directly in the line with a cashier and security paying these pensioners at a rapid pace.
But who in God’s name is responsible for all these long lines everywhere in most of our offices? All of this incompetence is caused by a lack of vision and proper administration.
I joined the line to apply for the birth certificates; a line of about 40 people. That line has only one booth with one lady working. She has to sell forms, marriage packages, take in applications for birth, death and marriage certificates and handwrite all the receipts for customers.
Why one person to do a job that essentially needs at least four?
It’s about time the relevant authorities get up from their soft chairs and get these long lines moving in every office in Guyana, because it is a blatant disregard for the citizens of this nation.
From the commercial banks to the GRA, Deeds Registry, Immigration and Passport Office, GPOC, GT&T, GPL, GWI, etc., long lines have once again become a real heartache and our law makers are turning a blind eye to it. If parliamentarians, police officers, doctors, lawyers, etc., should come to do any business in the above mentioned offices they won’t join the line, they walk past everyone and get their business sorted out. So they use their offices to exploit a situation to get things faster, but are oblivious to the ordinary citizens. This has been a very serious problem over the years. Our leaders are only concerned about themselves; real leadership is when we can put others before ourselves.
We are about to commemorate 47 years of Independence tomorrow. We should ask ourselves a very serious question as a nation. What have we achieved after 47 years of Independence when we compare ourselves with the wider Caribbean and the rest of the world? Many will go on television and say we achieved a lot but they are wrong if they are really honest with themselves.
After 20 years in office, with a ruling party which promised us so much, we still have blackouts every day, garbage all over Georgetown, potholes on actually every road, poor health facilities, poor people waiting an entire day for essential services, poor drainage and irrigation, massive migration, poor sea defence, unreliable internet service and the long dismal list goes on.
It’s about time our leaders stop fighting in parliament and get a better vision for a contemporary and prosperous Guyana. May God help us to open our blind seeing eyes.
Rev. Gideon Cecil

 

 

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