CONSUMER CONCERNS…Making the 50th anniversary celebrations safer and richer

May 08, 2016 News

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PAT DIAL
In this offering, we will revisit two issues related to the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.  The first is the elimination or at least containing the resurgence of high-profile crime countrywide and the other is securing the gains which were made during the Georgetown and countrywide clean-up campaign.
In robberies today, the criminals are armed with firearms which they have no hesitation in using in a reckless manner, almost always shooting to kill.  Some victims have been Guyanese visiting from the Diaspora while other victims tend to have very close relatives in the Diaspora.
These murders are embellished and elaborated in the West Indian and Guyanese communities abroad.  Business places are more and more feeling a growing sense of insecurity resulting in their curtailing their stocks, opening for less hours and factories cutting their shifts.
The economy is beginning to suffer a creeping contraction. Local entrepreneurs are ceasing to invest.  Foreign entrepreneurs are beginning to regard Guyana as an unsafe and unstable country and are removing Guyana from their investment sights.
The Tourism Industry which was beginning to develop and which showed great promise seems to be on the retreat. Even short visits by the sun-and-sand tourists of the West Indies and cruise ships coming here have almost ceased.
There is no doubt that the quality of life of Guyanese people is beginning to deteriorate and the economic life of the country is being damaged.  And just as important, confidence and security of compatriots from the Diaspora and other visitors who are expected to come during the 50th Anniversary celebrations must be cultivated and restored.  Quick action needs to be taken.
The Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) has suggested to the Private Sector that its executive urgently ask Government, Opposition and the Police to a meeting to address the issue and work out a Plan of Action in both short and long term.
For the short term, the GCA, among other things, feels that for the next ten weeks we should have intense Police patrols and presence when visitors come in.  The Police do this exercise quite successfully during the Christmas holiday season.
Then the newly-elected Local Government bodies countrywide should be involved in the anti-crime drive.  Our political leaders have to play an essential role in this effort.  The Community Police and Vigilante groups have to be resuscitated or organized countrywide and crash training should be carried out.
The Police have to be prepared and resolute in using firearms according to their Regulations, especially against armed bandits and criminals, and should be able to do so without fear of political or other sanctions.  The public must be disabused of the growing assumption that the Authorities are more concerned with the welfare of the criminals than of the victims or the public.
An intense and concerted educational campaign has to be carried out to cultivate the belief in the public that harbouring or in any other way succoring criminals is against their interest.
This column has complimented the Authorities on the achievements so far of the clean-up campaign.  The drainage has improved in many parts of Georgetown and much of the accumulated garbage has been removed.  A great deal of excess grass and vegetation has been cleared.
The drainage of the City and the countryside has to be maintained.  Many of the drains and canals have been cleared but the culverts are still clogged up.  In Bel Air Gardens and contiguous Subryanville area, for example, though great relief was provided when the drains were cleaned, flooding will still re-occur since the culverts are all choked.
Government and the M & TC could well use this area as a pilot project for culvert-cleaning since it is comparatively simple to do so, and it is strategic in that it would provide immediate relief to the populous Kitty-Campbellville district as well.
There are one or two areas of downtown Georgetown that still needs to be immediately addressed: Around the Plaisance and UG bus terminals at Regent and Avenue of the Republic and the northern drain outside the Guyana and Trinidad Insurance Company still flood at the lightest of showers inconveniencing thousands of people every day.
The problem seemed to be caused by some small blockage of the drain and if the City Engineer uses any of his old experienced workers they would be likely to solve the problem.
Another improvement which could easily be done is to use the excess earth cleared from the canals to build up the road shoulders and the very low parapets.  This would save the roads from deterioration and make them safer for motorists and pedestrians.
The clean-up campaign was largely done by private contractors.  The City Engineer must now deploy his staff to do the maintenance, especially cleaning the drains and weeding the parapets which are well within their remit.  Except the gains are maintained, the City could quickly revert to its sorry state.
If these two issues are successfully addressed in the short term, the 50th anniversary celebrations would be a greater success providing a happy experience to all visitors.

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