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SEEKING BRIGHT MINDS

Mar 02, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

It can be argued that the former administration that by and large ruled Guyana for the last 15 years did not meet the challenges, both internal and external, that had faced the nation.
One can safely assume that had the PPP been re-elected to office in 2015, it would have continued doing the same old things in the same old way, and the country would have fallen into the abyss.
The glue that once held the people together, and which had accounted for the country’s success in the past, was their high level of trust and confidence in government. That belief crumbled when the country imploded as a result of massive corruption, rampant crime, extra-judicial killings and violence.
Today, the people, especially the youths, have become cynical and totally distrustful of the political system because they feel that the politicians are in it only for the status and to get rich. All across the country, youths are frustrated, helpless and angry that the politicians are not listening or even talking to them. They feel abandoned and see no institutional outlet for them to uplift themselves or participate in the decisions that affect their lives, other than voting every five years. This is the kind of resentment the country could do without.
This is a very troubling problem facing the country and it could spiral out of control if changes are not made to accommodate the youths. They want an honest, more transparent and accountable government. They believe that party politics and weak leadership are at the root of the problem. Many claimed that strong and visionary leadership, have by and large served persons well in the past, and contributed to their social uplifting and political and economic well-being, but not anymore.
Today, youths in Guyana are affected by almost every aspect of the social services which are in crisis of some kind: education, health care, social welfare, the justice system, and public security are the worst cases. Even with the hiring of contract workers, many of these systems remain inefficient, incompetent and lack innovation. In particular, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has archaic management structures and practices, a shortage of expertise in the areas of finance, project management, and most of all, badly needs skillful and competent guidance.
The policies which were put in place fifteen years ago by the previous administration to manage and improve the GRA have not worked. In many instances, taxes amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars were not collected and many who were not supposed to be exempted from paying taxes were given immunity. It was also alleged that persons who were involved in fraudulent evasion of taxes or attempted to evade import duties were not prosecuted by the GRA.
The shenanigans that have gone on at the GRA for far too many years have brought the agency into disrepute. The government must make swift changes to an entity which has been out of control.
The GRA needs dynamic young leadership to ensure a more vibrant and productive work environment. This entity and other government departments and agencies should not procrastinate in the hiring of youths.
The GRA is both a tax collection and an investigative agency and it must be fair in the execution of its duty. Serious reform is needed at the GRA, but it will require persons with the requisite skills, the best ideas and the brightest minds to improve the agency. The government must find a way of institutionally tapping these skills and hire more youths at all government departments and agencies to meet the demands of the 21st century.

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