The Coalition is failing Guyana’s workers

Aug 12, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,

The Finance Minister was reported to have announced that the economy grew by 4.5 percent in the first half of 2018. The Bureau of Statistics has long been suspected of being a part of Guyana’s productive sector, given its penchant for manufacturing data in the past. The good minister is encouraged to ask the Bureau to release the data used to compile the half year growth statistic, showing clearly the real and estimated components of this figure. This aside, GDP statistics are notoriously misrepresentative of improvements in the welfare of citizens. Guyanese are still asking, “Where’s the money?”
The Finance Minister apparently did not disclose during his half-year recap that Government’s overdraft at the Bank of Guyana increased by G$28 billion to G$54 billion during the review period as the Coalition administration has apparently turned that institution into its personal piggy bank. This figure increased to $60 billion as at July 25, 2018. He also neglected to mention that the hard money that his government is pumping into the economy to assist with building pyramids (projects which do not increase our productive base) has contributed to higher prices for some major construction materials. Or that our international reserves declined by in excess of US$100 million, implying that in excess of G$20 billion have been through trade or capital flight as a result of the growing loss of confidence by the private sector of the direction in which coalition administration was taking the economy.
Are workers in both the public and private sectors benefitting from increased incomes? The Ministry of Education was reportedly offering teachers $700 million on what supposed to have cost $10 billion in salary increases. When are workers’ salaries going to finally be adjusted to reflect a living wage?
Guyana’s workers know that the coalition administration has the capacity and ability to pay their due salaries. It is however, their deliberate policy not to pay these salary increases because they have other priorities than responding to worker’s pressing welfare needs. The Coalition administration is using the money that they are supposed to pay workers to build the pyramids referred to earlier so they can tell the nation about development while Granger stands and tells people to invest in bicycles, boats and buses. The man is clearly not aware the he and his administration are now responsible for the lack of jobs and underemployment that is resulting in the idle activity that prevails across the country, not to mention the private sector’s loss of confidence.
Yours faithfully,
Craig Sylvester.

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