My 2015 euphoria is fading and sadly so

Dec 17, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
I must say that since May 2015 I have been holding my breath, waiting for that moment that I could say Guyana is on the move! Sadly, I must say this waiting is frustrating me. Here is why it’s frustrating. In 2015, the ‘Vote like a Boss’ fever was so high, I caught it. So convinced I was that I was doing the right thing that I was on top of the world when the results came out, so hopeful, so excited! Then it started. $221B to spend in less than half a year! I thought this was it, time to plain off. But I am still wondering, what happened to all the money? Why wasn’t Guyana transformed?
Never had I imagined that the Ministers of my Government would give themselves a 50% pay hike. But I stayed quiet, because public servants pay had not been raised as yet, when it did, I choked. I believe any caring politician should seek to satisfy their people first before they satisfy themselves. But this was a blatant reverse and a show of “Let’s look after ourselves first before thinking about our people”.
Then came the Jubilee celebration, I must say the fanfare was exciting. I have never felt so patriotic in my life. But for me, there has to be more than just celebration. I was quietly listening to both the critics, and the Government’s attempts to justify this major activity, including the construction of the mighty D’urban Park. I was impressed with the prospect of the boost that the economy was projected to undergo. The $150M seemed meager to the returns. But within the same year, I’m reading that there’s a foreign currency shortage. I was also expecting that with all the returns from Jubilee, public servants would again take home a nice bonus as they did last year, instead it is halved.
There’s also the Commissions of Inquiry. Why hasn’t anyone been charged with the supposed crimes they have committed? Am I to conclude that SARU and SOCU are incompetent? Because I can’t see that the Government was/is crying foul and yet no one has been prosecuted. What about the CIO into the Public Service? Wasn’t that supposed to also influence how workers are remunerated? Instead the government imposed an increase that seemed not to take into consideration anything that came out of the COI.
Finally there’s Budget 2017. Mr. President and Mr. Finance Minister, as a citizen who helped to put you there, I must say I am not impressed. I have listened to your call of not paying attention to the Nay-Sayers and prophets of doom on the budget. But I must say after following the budget closely, it appears that someone did not get their logics correct. One example, the Minister indicated that only about 20% of the users of GPL’s energy will be paying the 14% VAT.
How can he say such a thing? It’s the large scale farmers and manufacturers and service providers who will be mostly affected. Aren’t they the ones who provide the goods and services to the people? Wouldn’t they have to increase their manufacturing cost? We all will be affected. But as I said, I am still holding my breath.
I will ignore, well not fully since I’ve become a skeptic, the prophets of doom. I hope that 2017 brings great things. I hope I can stop holding my breath and breathe with ease. I will let you know in December 2017.
W. Moore

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