The bridge toll is a political gimmick

Oct 22, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
I will wholeheartedly agree with the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, that the bizarre unilateral declaration of the nightmarish increase in the Berbice Bridge toll is a ‘political gimmick’ meant to give the Coalition a ‘campaign issue’.
It is indeed an ‘act of desperation’ if one is to analyze all that has transpired during the past months prior to the Local Government Elections on November 12, from the unilateral appointment of the GECOM’s Chairman, the questionable appointment of the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, the gerrymandering of the LAAs constituencies, the fake and fraudulent backers’ lists and the false declaration by the Alliance For Change that they have withdrawn from contesting at least 10 LAAs.
The Coalition can no longer beat the ‘corruption drum’ against the PPP since those drums are now reverberating in far higher decibels in their own camps, from top to bottom! In fact, it will take all their ingenuity and more to now convince the masses that they are not by far the most corrupt government ever.
Moreover, they will now have to also convince the populace that the steep decline in the economy, the increase in criminal activities, the poor services in the health sector (the Ophthalmology Hospital has now gone blind), the loss of thousands of jobs especially in Berbice, the declining rice production in Berbice, the wage freeze of the remaining sugar workers and the taking away of many of their benefits, the increasing poverty and hopelessness are not part of their ‘good life’ strategy.
Mr. Jordan will fail miserably to persuade Guyanese that this is just ‘a figment’ of their imagination.
It is now good to see that the Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams, having studied the Berbice Bridge Act is now in agreement with the Leader of the Opposition that the company must know that the power it has under Section 4.1, Subsection 2 of the Act must be read subject to Section 4.1 (d) (III), which empowers the minister to determine the maximum amount of toll and that only the minister could approve and publish in the Gazette, the tolls.
He further stated that the announcement that BBCI made is of no legal effect and that Minister Patterson will formally write the Company that the Government has rejected those increases. This then begs the question: Why is the PPP being blamed for the proposed increases in the Bridge tolls when the Bridge Act 2006 legally guard against such unilateral and arbitrary increases? This is most vexatious, utterly mischievous and a deceitful attempt to once again smear the PPP!
Let me give a glaring example of this smear campaign, which is now being unleashed. There was an article written by Imran Khan, the Head of the DPI, and published in the Guyana Chronicle captioned, ‘Berbicians continue to pay for Jagdeo’s bad deal’, which claimed that the Berbice Bridge is ‘a symbol of the reckless spending’ by the PPP Government and followed this with an outrageous claim that Jagdeo knew that the toll would eventually increase to $8,000 since it was in the contract.
My question to Khan is simple: Why did his Government remain silent about this for more than three and a half years? Is it believable that after all the transactions between his Government and the Bridge Company that it is only now they are aware of this content?
He closed his lies by stating that his Government will do all in its power to mitigate the pains of Berbicians.
This is so absurd- create a problem, which does not exist and then solve it. Khan like his incompetent boss will need to do far better yarn spinning! The ‘political gimmick’ has not only failed but it has once again highlighted the innately devious and Machiavellian nature of this Government, which will not stop at anything to retain power.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf

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