How did the State create NICIL that is answerable only to itself?

Dec 25, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
In the beginning the PNC created a state enterprise economy, then it begat the NICIL. What then happened between the date of creation of NICIL and 2015 is a national tragedy. We accused the PNC of recklessness (KN, 18 /12/2015).The PPP (1992-2015) is the continuing story of financial and economic debauchery, and the only victims are the impoverished and defenseless citizens of Guyana, the country that God seems to have forsaken. The question is who will put this right? There are many issues, however, the only really consequential one is concerned with the question, where is the money?
First, Guyanese should remind themselves that before 1992 the State owned or controlled vast valuable properties in every sector of the economy. What Guyanese must also understand is that all the sacrifices which they made over the past 35 years were significantly impacted by these enterprises. Then, in the 1980’s NICIL was created to spearhead and manage a privatization programme. This is what the PPP inherited in 1992. Second, a key problem for Guyanese is that a full accounting for the things done by NICIL under the PNC and PPP is necessary, to explain how much money was involved, the results, the benefits and what is still state property. In other words, more than three decades have elapsed without proper accounting for vast sums of money. It is unclear whether the records are in order to permit this, and this is only a small part of the recklessness which we accused the PNC of. The ongoing Audits will generate some records but cannot fill all the gaps, so that more work will be needed. Nevertheless Guyanese should seek redress in the Courts, probably the only place to obtain good answers to the question ‘where is the money’?
Third is the legal capacity of NICIL. It remains unclear how ‘the State’ can create a company to manage state property but such a company is at the same time a law unto itself? The PPP was fond of saying that NICIL is what it is because it was created by the PNC. NICIL’s CEO, Mr. Brassington, PPP Ministers and PPP Presidents have said repeatedly that ‘NICIL monies belong to NICIL, and it has no obligation to report to Parliament’. If this is so then we cynically ask to whom it is answerable? Who is the ultimate boss? Guyanese should ask themselves why this madness happened.
Two points flow from this. One is that having created the NICIL statute the PNC knew its power and limitations. Later ‘the Opposition’, led by the PNC, raised a lot of hot air about NICIL. The questions then are, why did the PNC wait until 2012 to question the actions of NICIL when it already knew that the PPP was engaging in corrupt activities, and why was NICIL not taken to court to stop the abuses, and to force the issue of accountability? Failure to answer these questions adequately may expose the PNC as a hypocrite that became a reckless, intellectually lazy, and a spineless and incompetent political party that did not serve its constituents interests after 1992. The PNC is already indebted to Guyanese, to complete revision of the 1980 Constitution. The recovery of all assets that that passed through NICIL increases that debt.
The other point is the mentality of the PPP. This party inherited NICIL in 1992 and recognised its weakness. The right thing to do was to provide leadership in the National Assembly, revise the law and strengthen NICIL to better serve the people. This approach would have represented behavior that is consistent with the trust which the people placed in their elected representatives. The fact that the Jagdeo-Ramotar cliques used it, as inherited, and abused it, mean that they were(and still are) incapable of knowing what is right, and far worse, displayed no intention of doing the right thing in the interest of the people. Why therefore would anyone elect people like these? They cannot be trusted with anything; certainly not with authority or power (very dangerous commodities), much less the wealth of the nation.
Fourth, what happens next? Many serious questions remain unanswered e.g.
(a) Exactly how much money passed through NICIL?
(b) What was the money spent on?
(c) What assets are still held?
(d) Who will answer for missing assets?
The people need help that they will not get it from a complicit political class. The place for this interrogation, to secure answers, is a court of law. It means that a suit should be filed against the PPP and NICIL, on behalf of the people of Guyana. Are labour and the media ready and able?
Ivor Carryl

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How did the State create NICIL that is answerable only to itself?

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