IMPASSE BETWEEN GOVT AND THE COMMISSIONER

May 19, 2017 Editorial

On May 11, 2015, many Guyanese at home and in the diaspora breathed a sigh of relief with the election of the coalition government. But after two years in office, the government seems to have a major problem with Mr. Charles Ramson, the Commissioner of Information, who has been accused of not fulfilling his duties as outlined in the Access of Information Act. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is in charge of the Ministry of Information, has stated that Mr. Ramson has not submitted a single report to the National Assembly since he took office in 2013.
It was hoped that under this administration, the Commissioner would have been more effective in the performance of his duties, but has not heeded requests by the government to present statutory reports to the National Assembly. He has, in effect, been thumbing his nose at the administration.
As reported, for the past three years Mr. Ramson has not responded to requests made to him by members of the public. Accused of being unsuitable for the office, the Commissioner countered that he has received fewer than 16 requests since in office and that his office is not adequately staffed due to budget cuts by this administration when in opposition. He also said that the people are not making use of him or the office. The truth is the people are not utilizing his services because either they do not have confidence in him or know that the office exists.
Many are appalled and baffled to know that from 2013 to now, the Commissioner has been paid in excess of $70 million for doing absolutely nothing. The matter has many asking how could this happen under this administration that is supposed to be strict. It is not only a waste of the taxpayers’ money but is also a significant shortcoming to provide citizens and organizations with access to information of government programmes and activities.
This publication has reported that the $70M could actually cover the cost to repair four public schools and upgrade the roads on the Essequibo Islands.
Given the current impasse between the government and the Commissioner, those in authority must act urgently to end such lawlessness, a waste of scarce resources and to restore dignity to the office. They must hold the Commissioner accountable for his failure to perform his duties to submit reports to the National Assembly. Saving the taxpayers’ money is worthier than being worried or scared over a lawsuit. The government must make amendments to the Act immediately in an effort to ensure that the office is more effective and that the taxpayers receive value for their money from the Commissioner.
A key requirement of the access of Information Act is for the Commissioner of Information to submit regular reports to the National Assembly. So far, this has not been done since the Office was established. The failure of the Commissioner to deny citizens their rights to access to information has stymied every effort to carry out an assessment on the effectiveness of the Act or his office.
The government should know that the actions of the Commissioner mirror those of other public officials who were appointed by the PPP and remain loyal to that party. Their objective is to undermine the government in order to disrupt its smooth operations and to make it appear incompetent. It is known that the Commissioner of Information is a staunch member of the PPP who despises the government. This is a major issue for the government which has allowed most of the members of the last administration to remain in their positions.It could be a foolish decision that may or may not hurt the government.
However, since the Commissioner of Information is a presidential appointment, the President has the power to revoke his appointment if he is convinced that the Commissioner has not been performing his functions.
He is totally unsuitable for the position and should be replaced pronto.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News