THERE IS STILL TIME

Jun 17, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

It seems that the country’s economy has been slowing. The government’s intentions with regards to improving it are constantly announced. Understandably, whatever those intentions are, they will not please everyone, could not. There are too many disparate interests to satisfy; too many competing demands for limited resources; and too many expectations to be met in a divided society which is competing for the scarce benefits and spoils.
As the government enters its third year in office, it is still working to develop the economy, create jobs and improve the lives of the masses. The intentions of the government should be to engage all stakeholders. Whatever the government does it must make it appear that its intentions are to satisfy all the groups, including the masses. If not, it will be accused of ignoring their interests.
One of the reasons for the defeat of the PPP in the last election was the level of tax relief it gave to the rich at the expense of the masses and vulnerable groups in society. It is disingenuous for the opposition to be outraged at the government’s tax policies; it actually did worse while in office. But with a slim one-seat majority in Parliament, the government must not lose sight of its goal to implement across the board policies to benefit all in society, in order to widen its political base. It has the moral courage and the political will to do what is best for the country.
It is safe to say that there is still time for the government to act, but it must do so quickly because the political clock is ticking. No more time should be lost in experimenting on policies or making gross mistakes. The government must get on with the task of meeting the needs of the people. Having been suffocated in the opposition for 23 years, it has to move with alacrity to establish its own bona-fides.
Lest we forget, the last administration had made several elaborate promises to the electorate. Forgotten were the 15 years of autocratic rule, misery, extra-judicial killings, rampant corruption, illegal trafficking of narcotics, the raping of the treasury, and contempt of the people. There was the marginalization of Afro-Guyanese. Were we not in the age of fake news many might have taken the opposition seriously if it had promised to send people to the moon.
This administration is moving apace to fulfill most of its promises from its manifesto, which includes the creation of jobs, house the poor, educate the masses and provide a better life for all. Its efforts to make Guyana the envy of the Caribbean should be high on its agenda. And already there are moves in that direction.
There have been distractions. There has also been the collapse of the sugar industry which the opposition is trying to make out is the fault of the new administration.
When the facts are presented, the opposition moves to tell the people that the government has a right to keep ailing sugar estates regardless of the cost and the consequences.
The people are not stupid but there are those who are swayed by rhetoric. The Jagdeo administration closed many sugar estates and there was not a peep because the people were distracted by other issues.
The leading sugar union picketed the PPP government although its leader sat in the Parliament of that very government. Today, there is a call for the government to be picketed without consideration for the money that would be saved to be channeled into other areas of national development.
The majority is not listening to the opposition but those in the sugar industry seem to want assurances that they will still earn a livelihood from the revamped industry. And they will.

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