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Economic Council allows access to privileged information, more rackets – Greenidge
Having been confirmed to play a major role in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s election campaign, the
ANPU’s economic point man – Carl Greenidge
likelihood of former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s return to the political scene is even greater, with utterances of him possibly being on the party’s candidate list and being elected to chair what may be the country’s most powerful economic institution yet.
PPP’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee had told media operatives during a party press conference at Freedom House earlier this year that Jagdeo had never really left the political scene, but was just working behind the scenes for some time now. He said that the PPP executive member would give the party’s campaign a boost, and while plans are not finalized, Jagdeo could very well be a candidate with prominence in a PPP-led government.
Jagdeo was picked by the incumbent President, Donald Ramotar, to chair the country’s first ever National Economic Council. However, critics of the former President are convinced that this agency is nothing more than a “gimmick” and a cover for granting the former Head of State “control of the bulk of the economy.”
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s point man on economic affairs, Carl Greenidge, is also of this view that the proposal of President Ramotar is a “gimmick”.
“The PPP has been in office since 1992, and there has never been such a council. Ramotar has been President since 2011 and never saw the need for such a council. Mr. Jagdeo was president until 2011 and he never saw the need for such a council. It is astonishing now that three years after demitting office such a proposal would find favour with him.”
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
“I would have to conclude that this (Council) is just a gimmick and the main purpose is to find a formal opening for Jagdeo to continue to control the economic destiny of the country, whilst sitting in the backseat of Ramotar’s political car.”
Greenidge said that while the government is yet to disclose the terms of this Council, it seems that it will afford Jagdeo the opportunity to, “formally have access to privileged information”.
He pointed to emails from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)’s Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur to Attorney General Anil Nandlall and the former president where confidential information about news agencies was illegally provided.
“We saw what he (Jagdeo) did with GRA, demanding information which was confidential to the agency. But now he will have a formal cover for demanding information that should not be available to him. There will be access to privileged information which in essence would facilitate more rackets.”
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