Large, powerful and oppressive

May 11, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

There are two main problems associated with the work of professionals within the public sector of Guyana. The first is that many of them are grossly overpaid while others are underpaid; the second is that these professionals are now endangered species given what is happening at present.
There are professionals who are working for the present government who are being paid ‘consultant salaries’ that is super salaries but they are not producing the quality or the volume of work associated with consultancies.
These professionals are the sources of ire within the public service because there are others who feel they are working at the same level but not receiving these super salaries. Some of these professionals are working for multiple times the salaries of Ministers, something that should be an exception and not the rule.
There is no doubt that there are highly trained and qualified professionals working in the public sector. But the jury is still out as to whether the nation is getting value for its money from most of these professionals. There is divided opinion as to whether these super-salaried persons are providing quality output for the high pay that they pocket each month.
Guyana has always had a human resource problem. While hundreds graduate each year from our local university, most of them cannot find suitable jobs and 80% end up migrating. Among the 80% is the crème of the crop.
It is because of the brain drain that the super salaries emerged. The international community was prepared to pay high wages to attract skills to undertake work, which they were funding in Guyana.
And what has happened is that some of those same high paying persons were retained after their consultancies had ended. They ended up demanding the same high pay from the State. And those that came after felt that were entitled to such pay.
This is the problem that is faced now with persons working for extremely high salaries but whose output in many instances is questionable.
A great many of the professionals who stayed and those who came back to work, found the State too large, too powerful and too oppressive. When the State, as was done at one time in Guyana, can have the judiciary fly the ruling party’s flag over the Court of Appeal, then one can understand why professionals, though well-paid, left Guyana in droves.
That exodus continued because professionals saw how oppressive and vindictive the State can become. They bailed out and continue to bail out because regardless of what pay they are offered, there are few guarantees that they will not end up facing some charge or being scandalized.
If you think politicians are subject to abuse and ridicule in the public trying being a senior public servant. People out there can be nasty. Professionals are really not going to stand up to this sort of abuse and they will leave and the country will be poorer in skills for it.
The exodus will continue. Professionals are not going to protest, they will not strike, they will not form an association to protect their interests nor will they refuse to take instructions from politicians. They will simply move on and move out of Guyana.
It is hard to ask a professional to work in a highly politicized environment to subject themselves to the risks associated with working for the public service – bad name, great responsibility, long hours and with a high risk of being hauled before the courts on some vindictive charge or to be arbitrarily dismissed when governments change.
The present generation of professionals has options. They can move on and move out of Guyana. And they will do so especially when the State can operate with impunity and venom.

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