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APNU+AFC’s POLITICS OF DECEPTION CONTINUES

Jul 02, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
In my last two commentaries, I addressed the politics of deception practiced by the APNU/AFC in respect to the sugar workers and the sugar industry both in Opposition and in Government. In this article, I continue along the same vein. While in Opposition, the APNU/AFC promised accountable and transparent governance; borrowing a phrase from Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo promised “lean and clean” government; they promised “to cut fat” etc.
Permit me now to walk you through some factual issues, as I demonstrate the sophisticated levels of deception, sophistry, and in some instances, plain vulgarity, perpetrated and perpetuated against and upon the people of this land in violation of those promises to which I referred.
The first major signal of colossal chicanery on the part of the Administration emerged in a press report in one newspaper in August 2015, that Cabinet approved increases in salaries for Ministers and other office holders by 50%. A senior Minister of the Administration, who hosted the post-cabinet press conference of that week, came out swinging with the Government’s unqualified rejection of what he termed, “a most wicked and malicious rumour”. He appeared visibly upset.
He assured the nation that the coalition Government would never do such a thing. The nation swallowed hook, line and sinker. Within a month thereafter, an inconspicuous Ministerial Order, in a most remote part of the Official Gazette was stumbled upon by an industrious reader, which shocked the consciousness of this nation.
It revealed salary increases by over 50% for the Prime Minister, Vice Presidents, Ministers of the Government and other office holders. The outrage further intensified when it became known that the unconscionable increases in salaries were made retroactive to July the 1st, meaning, that the first month’s salary received by this Government for virtually doing nothing after the May 11th Elections, was flatly rejected. It became obvious that the foolish intention was to conceal such vital information from the very people upon whose backs this humongous financial burden was imposed.
The Government’s first reaction was one of embarrassment. Attempts at justification flew from every corner of government. When they did not succeed, the embarrassment transformed into arrogance. The very Minister, who stoutly denied that the Government was planning any such salary increase, impudently declared that the public should “get over the salary increase and move on” and from the floor of the National Assembly, he boldly announced that the Government will make no “apology” for the same.
The same level of opaqueness and guile that permeated the atmosphere surrounding the astronomical salary increases now envelope the payment of outrageous rental for living accommodations for Ministers. It is now pubic knowledge that the Prime Minister, the Attorney General and senior Ministers of the Government are entitled to a housing allowance of $25,000 GYD per month by law.
Alternatively, the government may provide living accommodations for them. There is no provision in the law for such allowance to be paid or such facility to be provided for junior Ministers. Also, as the Clerk of the National Assembly pointed out to me in a recent letter, there is no legal authority authorizing the payment of rental of living accommodations for a Minister, a fortiori, a junior Minister. Boxed in a corner, the Clerk was forced to resort to the innovative mechanism of an “administrative decision” as a justification for the payment of rental at a rate of $500,000 GYD for Minister Broomes. The truth is that barring the President, the law does not authorize any public official to pay public monies in such circumstances based upon “administrative decisions.” I will continue my analysis in a follow-up letter.
Anil Nandlall

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