Latest update February 11th, 2025 2:15 PM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Tripping over things!

Apr 21, 2016 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The reasons for the controversial trip by a number of Government officials to the People’s Republic of China have not been satisfactorily explained. The Guyanese people are still waiting for a full and satisfactory disclosure on this matter.
Until this is done there will remain suspicion and concern over what is happening within the government. It is the obligation of the government to explain the reasons for the trip, what it was undertaken, who approved it and who were authorized to proceed on the trip if it was approved by the government.
There is nothing wrong with a government-private sector team going to China. That country is the largest investor in Guyana. It gives more money to this country than the United States and the European Union combined. There is nothing improper with sending a local delegation to China.
What is improper is not being liberal with information about the purpose and composition of the delegation on the trip. The public should not have had to read about this in the newspapers.
The government should have been proud to announce that a high level delegation was going to China for whatever reason they were going there.
We were told that the trip was in relation to NICIL’s business. NICIL reportedly owed the sum of US$5M for government shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company which were sold to a Chinese firm.
The government has reportedly been finding difficulty in tracing the sum which it was said was paid to the government. But did such a situation warrant a trip to China?
If the money was paid then it should have been paid through a bank instrument, and the company involved should have been able to produce the evidence of this without necessitating a Minister and a top official of NICIL having to win out to China for this confirmation.
The situation gets even more confusing since NICIL falls under the Minister of Finance and not the Ministry of the Presidency.
So why was a Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency going to China on NICIL business and not the relevant subject Minister, the Minister of Finance? This needs to be explained to the satisfaction of the Guyanese public.
We know from statements made by the President to the media that he said he saw the Cabinet Decision about the trip to China. This raises two questions: Was the trip to China discussed at Cabinet, and what do the records of Cabinet show as the reasons given for the trip?
If the trip was discussed and authorized, then Cabinet had to know who was going on the trip and for what purposes.
The second question is, was Cabinet apprised of the trip after it happened? This is possible in some cases where Cabinet may be asked to conform and adopt a decision taken without prior discussion and approval by Cabinet.
We are not told whether the Cabinet was advised post trip or pre- trip. This question also needs to be answered.
Whatever the answers, there still remains the purpose of the other persons, on the trip. What was their purpose on the trip? Why were persons other than the Minister and the official from NICIL on the trip? What mission were they on?

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 10th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Khalil, Pollard and Barker reign supreme as BCQS Int’l Masters concludes

Khalil, Pollard and Barker reign supreme as BCQS Int’l Masters...

Feb 11, 2025

Kaieteur Sports–Guyanese squash players delivered standout performances at the 2025 BCQS International Masters Tournament, held at the Georgetown Club, with Jason-Ray Khalil, Regan Pollard, and...
Read More
Cricket West Indies passes historic governance reform at special meeting of shareholders

Cricket West Indies passes historic governance...

Feb 11, 2025

Archery Guyana hosts thrilling 2024 National Indoor Youth Open, showcasing the next generation of archery talent

Archery Guyana hosts thrilling 2024 National...

Feb 11, 2025

Prashad claims victory at the recently concluded DEMLIFE Golf Tourney

Prashad claims victory at the recently concluded...

Feb 11, 2025

West Indies & Sri Lanka top their respective pools with hard earned victories in Round 1 of the OVER-50s World Cup

West Indies & Sri Lanka top their respective...

Feb 11, 2025

Allicock, Amsterdam named in GBA training squad 2025 Caribbean Boxing Championships

Allicock, Amsterdam named in GBA training squad...

Feb 10, 2025

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]