POOR COMMUNICATION

Oct 12, 2016 Editorial

The views of many in Guyana are that something is definitely wrong with the government in terms of communicating its ideas and policies to the public. People believe that the government has become captive and a victim of poor communications and the arrogance and disrespect by some non-descriptive characters parading as advisers.
After sixteen months in office, it is very sad to watch the very slow progress of the government which has promised so much to the people.
While the government has made some progress in cleaning up Georgetown, restoring Merriman Mall and revamping Durban Park, it appears weak against the witch-hunting charges levied against it by the PPP. It seems afraid to replace the PPP political appointees and is very poor at communicating its ideas to the public.
It sends mixed messages to the public thus breeding cynicism, especially among its supporters. For example, two AFC Ministers have stated that the AFC is not in government to keep the APNU in check, but another AFC Minister has stated the AFC has reduced the powers of the Minister of State after his controversial trip to China. Many are of the view that he is daydreaming.
The secrecy surrounding the government is affecting progress everywhere. Guyana has a mixed economy in which the private sector is considered the engine of growth. However, it cannot do so effectively because the government has not created a friendly environment to encourage the private sector to get on with its task.
Knowing where the Government stands on key issues is important to the private sector which inevitably incurs financial risks in undertaking activities to help develop the economy. Proper communication allows some degree of predictability, which is necessary for effective planning by the private sector. It also builds confidence, which can redound to the benefit of the economy and the country as a whole.
Poor communication by the government continues to hinder the pace of economic growth. The private sector is not alone. The general public has repeatedly complained about poor communication by the government.
Poor communication could result in consequences that can be costly. There is the loss of time, loss of respect, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of confidence and loss of trust. On the other hand, good communication empowers the people and motivates them to take initiatives, assumes responsibility and improves production. Good communication makes a major difference between achieving success and failure of governments.
In 2011, former President Jagdeo granted radio, cable and television licenses to friends, relatives and members of his party. His refusal to grant licenses to several prominent media houses ignited court cases and protests, and a promise by the APNU+AFC coalition to revoke the licenses if elected to office. Approaching a year and a half in office, the government has not revoked any of the licenses which means that it has not lived-up to its promise.
The Prime Minister seems inclined to grant licenses to those who were denied instead of revoking them as promised. He stated that it is not wise to revoke the licenses without consequences, but was contradicted by the Minister of Public Security who has categorically stated that the licenses would be revoked. To date, not one has been revoked.
For the Prime Minister to suggest that it is not practical to revoke the licenses means that the government is speaking from both sides of its mouth. It is the same government that said it will not honour the sweetheart tax privileges granted to China Harboring Engineering Company by the PPP to build the airport, but it did.

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