The APNU+AFC regime and the king’s new clothes

Oct 09, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Each of the self-destructive acts of the Coalition listed below can form a separate column. I will attempt to do that as the days unfold. I will leave out past egregiousness that have been analysed in all their dimensions earlier in the Coalition’s life. Examples are the secretive gazetting of the huge salary increase, Joe Harmon’s still unexplained trip to China, the forensic audit circus, the mania of the elected City Council, the foolish refusal to reverse Jagdeo’s morbid, incestuous radio license goodies.
We start with the TOPCO JUICE contract. Why Guyana whose land space takes in the entire landscape of the CARICOM integration formation, wants to feed its school children with fruit juices imported from another CARICOM member? Two implications stare you in the face. First, foreign exchange will be spent. Secondly, it curtails employment in Guyana.
Next is the massive increase in the cost of getting selected documents from public institutions and the payment for certain public facilities. Many of these services are sought by the working people and the lower middle classes. The PPP with all its bestial neo-liberal economic policies never did that. It is simply an increase in taxes. Next, is the inflexible pursuit by President Granger in by-passing the large quantity of young talent we have. The latest is the appointment of Major-General Joe Singh to conduct an investigation. The issue is not the Major-General himself who is top class material but why not look for a young talent to allow them to gain experience. Mr Singh is in his early seventies.
Next we have the Coalition’s newly acquired thirst to buy private lands for the construction of public buildings. This is a fantastic journey into political blindness. Has the government done an in-depth survey of public lands it has available for such purposes? As I said above, each of the items in this enumeration will form a separate column so I will move on. Next we have the State owning and administering a hotel.
The APNU+AFC’s balance sheet on competence is not impressive, much less inspiring and now it wants to get into the hotel business fully. I say fully, because it is the majority share-holder of Marriot. The nation cannot wait for the 2020 elections to see how this self-destructive crash will play out during the campaign.
Next, we have Joe Harmon at it again. Why Joe does not consult a good friend outside of politics to advise him is beyond comprehension. Reeling from “licks” he took over his relationship with B. K. Tiwari, the “harmony” man was photographed turning the sod at the Eugene Correia Airport for a new B. K. plane company. The strategic thing to do was to ask the Tourism or Business or Public Infrastructure Minister to do the duties.
Next, we have some mind-boggling statements from Ministers that are going to make the PPP jump so high that they may stick when trying to come down. Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin said that the pay of Guyanese public servants is much higher than many developing countries. Again, I emphasize that each of these wild directions will be dealt with in individual columns.
The region’s esteemed economist, Clive Thomas, might not be amused. When did Gaskin discover this and why did he not say this during the 2015 election campaign? And could the Minister tell us which other developing countries he has put in the comparison? I heard he has identified Syria, Somalia and South Sudan. If that is so, his brush didn’t go far and wide.
Next, there is David Patterson saying that the AFC’s was successful in reducing the power spread of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joe Harmon. When asked to delineate the areas, a very nice and hard-working politician like David Patterson took refuge in the gesticulations and semantics of Clement Rohee. It has to be one of the biggest mistakes of his political career – to adopt a stance like Clement Rohee. So how did David answer? In typical Rohee style, he said; “well it is there to be seen if you look.”
There is also the neat, nice compensation to B. K. Tiwari with the expressed statement that the government will continue to make out of court settlements. This makes you wonder what purpose do the courts serve. While B. K. is paid, poor contractors are still to be reimbursed for the Durban Park project. Amidst this ocean of abominations, the actors that make up the APNU+AFC formation continue to the nation the Coalition is working well, and the government is doing fine. Obviously this is a vivid and graphic case of the King and his new clothes.

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