APNU-AFC Ministers are spending taxpayers’ money to tour the world

Nov 10, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
When an economy is in crisis, the strategy best employed by a responsible government would be to cut back on exorbitant, unnecessary spending. But the APNU+AFC Administration has not demonstrated any desire for being responsible. People are getting desperate.
Crime is now dangerously out of control, yet President Granger and his chosen band of globe- trotting Ministers continue to find the time and ways to empty the treasury on lavish overseas trips that may never benefit the people of Guyana. It all started with the June 14th APNU+AFC victory rally in Brooklyn, New York, attended by President Granger and Ministers Raphael Trotman, Cathy Hughes and Joseph Harmon, who later denied that taxpayers monies were spent on this political event, but this is the same Minister who also denied spending taxpayers money on David Granger’s inauguration . Since then, it seems that Government Ministers are all too anxious to abandon their responsibilities to the people and nation for an opportunity to see the world.
Just over a month ago, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo flew to the United States with his wife on a “private business” and ended up in Toronto, Canada to attend a Business Forum. Ministers Dominic Gaskin and David Patterson also attended that event. About a week before that, President Granger had just returned from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where it was rumored he took a delegation of over 20 persons from Guyana. By contrast, both former Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar only traveled with a delegation of three to the UN.
Early October, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge travelled to Brooklyn, New York, then to Trinidad & Tobago with the President and later that month, visited Barbados on an official two-day visit. On September 10, he will be in the US to address a Florida Conference. Ministers of the new Government are traveling overseas like tourists under the claim that they are traveling on “official” business. Where is all this money coming from if the PPP/C left the Treasury empty? The economy is in the deplorable state because the Ministers are too busy traveling and neglecting to do the people’s business.
A Sitting of the Nation Assembly was scheduled for November 12. This date was set on October 22 when the House last met. Now we’re being told that the November 12 sitting has been “postponed to a date to be fixed.”Editor, this was done at the request of the APNU+AFC Administration.
According to a Government media release, “The request for the rescheduling was made as a result of Guyana’s attendance at an international summit. From November 9th to 13th the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) will be held in Saudi Arabia and Guyana’s attendance is of critical importance at this time. This has necessitated the attendance of His Excellency, President David Granger and Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge. The Government notes that during this period several other key government functionaries, Members of Parliament and Clerks of the Assembly are likely to travel overseas to attend important conferences and training courses.”
This explanation is preposterous, unacceptable, and clearly demonstrates the lack of priorities emanating from an inexperienced APNU+AFC Administration. For most Guyanese, “of critical importance at this time” is for this government to find workable solutions to deal with problems affecting two of our main export industries, rice and sugar. To the business sector, “of critical importance” is for government to stimulate growth and investments to jumpstart the Guyana economy. And also “of critical importance at this time”, is for the Administration to come up with some creative ideas to “destroy the monster of criminality” as Granger had promised the people of Regions 5 and 6. Ministers must put the interest of the nation above self, and get on with the people’s business.
But although I’m convinced that this government will use every opportunity to broaden their horizons on the international scene, there is a more sinister reason for the postponement of the November 12 sitting of the National Assembly.
Cabinet must have received an invitation sometime before the October 22 sitting of the National Assembly to attend the Summit of South American-Arab Countries in Saudi Arabia.
They would have known the Summit will be held from November 9th to 13th. If a decision was not taken on whether or not to attend by the October 22 Sitting of Parliament, then it could not have been considered of “critical importance” to Guyana, and the people’s business would have been debated in the National Assembly on November 12 as scheduled. But if on the other hand, Guyana’s participation at the Summit was indeed of “critical importance”, then before the Sitting of the National Assembly ended on October 22, a written request by Prime Minister Nagamootoo at this time would have satisfied the requirement of six days notice for a change of date to November 9 as they now claimed they tried to do.
But Nagamootoo and Chief Whip Amna Ally kept silent and allowed the Honorable Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland to postpone the next Sitting of Parliament to November 12, knowing fully well that the President and other Government MPs would be in Saudi Arabia at that time. Then they waited until November 5 to request a postponement, stating that “the Leader of Government Business (PM Moses Nagamootoo) had previously requested that the sitting be brought forward to Monday, November 9th, 2015 but he later withdrew that request to the Honourable Speaker as it did not satisfy the requirement of six days notice for a change of date.” This timing is deliberate and well calculated to avoid the debate on the Opposition’s motion calling for the annulment of the September 25th Order No.16 which gave the Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices exorbitant salary increases.
Harry Gill, MP (PPP/C)

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