No tangible efforts to fight corruption

No tangible efforts to fight corruption – TIGI

Sep 18, 2013 News

– Guyana likely to be rated lowly on Corruption Perception Index

With Government showing no tangible evidence of wanting to fight corruption, Guyana is likely to be rated very low once again on the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

TIGI President, Anand Goolsarran

This affirmation was expressed by Anand Goolsarran, President of Transparency International Guyana Inc, who informed that the international body would be having another rating in November. He suspects that Guyana would not improve from its current rating of second from bottom in the Western Hemisphere or Americas. And, if Guyana makes any improvements it would be marginal.
According to Goolsarran, if Government had established the Public Procurement Commission, the Integrity Commission, and made the necessary amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Bill, Guyana could have gotten a better rating.
However, the absence of these vital anti-corruption mechanisms could deter Guyana from climbing the ladder and moving away from the 27 out of 100 rating which it held for the past five years.
He noted that the administration needs to operate at a high degree of transparency, have good government practices and implement laws that could minimize the perception of corruption. Measuring actual corruption is extremely difficult, and as such, CPI experts conduct surveys and assess the results. The entire exercise is highly statistical and is done by Transparency International in Berlin, the parent body for TIGI.
Government has been criticized by Opposition Members of Parliament, independent Financial Analysts and several civil society bodies for conducting businesses involving large sums of taxpayers’ money without accountability and transparency.
One glaring example is the erection of a Marriott-branded hotel at Kingston. Even without investors and objections from the Opposition, Government went ahead to commence erection of the US$60M hotel with funding from taxpayers. Now, Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI), which is the special purpose company, established to own and manage the Marriott Hotel is negotiating with a foreign private investor for two-thirds ownership of the hotel, which is still under construction.
TIGI in its effort to educate the populace about corruption in Guyana has erected two billboards which tell citizens “You Can Stop Corruption”. One is located near the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the other at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) on Camp Road.

Andrew Ayre, British High Commissioner to Guyana

The body is hoping to install more billboards across the country in areas such as Berbice, Essequibo and Linden, but is currently limited by the lack of funding. The British and Canadian Governments have helped TIGI with this initiative.
According to Andrew Ayre, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Guyana’s ranking in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index was the primary reason for the British Government supporting TIGI.
Ayre said the British Government provided seed funding for the Transparency Institute in 2011 to help it get established.
“We fund such initiatives in countries where the risk of corruption is deemed to be high…The outcome we hope to achieve is a reduction in the level of corruption which aids development, improves the business environment, and promotes inward investment.”
Last June, the British and Canadian High Commissioners joined other members of the diplomatic community, including US Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt at an investment seminar, where Guyana was accused of not doing enough to fight corruption.
A regional expert hired to implement a crime and security strategy for Caricom said that there is a perception that corruption is prevalent or endemic in Guyana.
Neither Government nor the Opposition had a continuous