It is time to establish a meritocracy in Guyana

Jun 17, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

Meritocracy is defined as the “government or holding of power by people selected based on their ability”. During the rule of the major parties, the face of Guyana shifted to that of the predominant racial makeup of that particular party. However, one must note that during the reign of President L.F.S. Burnham, the school system was integrated and ability dictated the level of educational opportunity available to students independent of racial or socioeconomic background. Mr. Robert Corbin reminded me of this when I last saw him. At the time, he was the leader of the PNC while in opposition.

The reason I mention this important point has to do with the current economic performance and future outlook of the global economy. Guyana does not have the luxury of developing in isolation due to its high dependence on exports, and given the limited human resources available in our country. It is very important that we as a country, leverage the talent available based on ability. This of course does not exclude the availability of overseas Guyanese talents that have had the opportunity to develop additional skills via experiences not currently available nationally.

Therefore, I place for serious consideration before our current and future leadership that in order to achieve sustainable and efficient development of our country, an unbiased vetting of the talent pool available must become the norm in how business is done. Management of talent and the holding of each other accountable will effectively address issues of loyalty and performance.

As we move forward with the development of our country, each individual must be placed in a position that best leverages their talents and makes the best use of the talent we have available as a country. If racism is allowed to continue to take root and flourish in our country, development will be unsustainable as power changes hands after an election.

Yours truly,
Jamil Changlee

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