The PPP has stolen in excess of two decades from us

Jan 22, 2014 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Having served as an economist at the Bank of Guyana in the eight years to January 2008, many of the analyses and interpretations from the various reports by the Bank, including work which I privately pursued, have remained with me, so that my recent articles (KN Nov 05/13, KN Jan 10/14 & SN Jan 10/14) were written in broad sketches with minimal recourse to numbers, which tend to belabor readers.
This does not however restrict my engaging in social commentary on various topics for which statistical data are unavailable, which I consider of paramount concern to many Guyanese.
I wish to acknowledge the, at times empathetic, distilled thoughts of Dr. Clive Thomas, in particular, and also the contributions made by Mr. Granger, the Honorable Leader of the Opposition (if I may), in another section of the media (SN Jan 19, 2014).
They have undoubtedly witnessed first-hand, more than myself, the extent and prevalence of poverty throughout Guyana.
I would like to pause to remind our readers of the deeply held sentiments of Dr. Clive Thomas regarding Guyana’s thrust for a better life for us all.
It takes tremendous moral courage to step out of the secure role of a professional, to stand up and actively engage in political opposition with the government we should all be serving, to speak out against the social injustices and wanton corruption endemic in our society, to struggle with government to take that path which we should be taking, the one we know will lead to the fulfillment of our dreams as a nation where everyone has a fair share in the wealth, income and prosperity that we all strive for, versus the wanton (massive budgets are not the solution), self-serving ideas served annually as the national budget.
I imagine the difference between Dr. Thomas and the rest of Guyana’s politicians is that while they all know that many things are wrong about how our country is run; only he knows the sure path to economic prosperity.  We still have a chance to try his ideas.  It sure beats reading how it should be accomplished.
The problem with previous national budgets was that none of them in a comprehensive, cohesive and structured manner addressed the basic questions that need to be answered.  These are, very simply, higher incomes and jobs.
Our economic woes are the unfortunate outcome of the choices we have made at our general elections for the last two decades.  The PPP’s supporters allowed themselves to be blinkered and fed with the poison of race and ethnic fear of the PNC.
For this, the entire country has had to bear the strain of the PPP’s seemingly limitless instances of corruption, from gross manipulation of the procedures for the issuance of government contracts for capital and other works which result in the reissuance of government contracts to the businesses of its cronies, who make a mess of projects which result in the waste of hundreds of millions, probably billions, of dollars, a lot which was borrowed and has to be repaid by us, to shoveling money to its friends and associates through over-priced projects,  to controlling the media through grossly unfair, uncompetitive practices.
This latter tact is part and parcel of the PPP’s brainwashing mechanism, its attempt to control what we think, which I have previously highlighted.
The supporters of the PPP will not forget the mess made of GUYSUCO, and the economic chaos inflicted upon the families dependent upon the existence of GUYSUCO.  One can hardly imagine the distress and suffering of the children of these families.
That GUYSUCO will very likely be wound up as a result of the PPP’s failure to grasp, among other things, the tide of change which would have resulted from the EU’s adjustments to its preferential arrangements, would be among the most unremarkable events in its tenure in government.  What will happen to these families still remains to be answered.
The PNC for its part has proven that it is not at all the monster envisaged by the PPP, but a party for all Guyanese, with a plan for all Guyanese, a plan which is blind to the issues of race and religion.
The PNC promotes democratic values and is capitalist-oriented in economic policy, meaning that the Private Sector (business, not excessive government spending) is the engine of economic growth and prosperity.
Government’s role is as a facilitator and promoter of economic growth, and as a provider of the necessary laws, accompanying regulation and judicial system to safeguard both the business environment and the general society.
The AFC includes those former supporters who became fed-up with the PPP’s corruption and have made themselves available as an alternative to the PPP’s supporters in particular, and the wider population, knowing that at the very least, they could handle the country’s business a whole lot better than the PPP.
These gentlemen literally grew old in the PPP’s organization.  Listening to Moses Nagamootoo recently, I was struck by the absolute frustration of the gentleman with the PPP. Both he and Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan serve as sterling examples of what the PPP’s character should be, but is not.
Everyday Guyanese continue to look forward to more and better paying jobs while every day the PPP continues to feed its friends and associates. The PPP has stolen in excess of two decades from us. How many more years will we give up?
I shall not even comment on the public nonsense over LEAD Project offered by the Embassy of the United States, except to say that probably even our pets have more diplomacy than our current government.
We look for a change. That change can only come from us.
Craig Sylvester

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