Ratcheted up COVID-19 efforts and ironclad gold mining commitments

Sep 27, 2020 News, The GHK Lall Column

…Encouraging events, disturbing developments

By GHK Lall

I heard an encouraging thing from President Ali during the week. It was when he said, in reference to the CJIA Expansion, “I will not accept this contract.” The president, in what I interpret, hopefully accurately, a fit of righteous wrath pulled no punches as to where he stood on that project with its lengthy delays and unending cost overruns.
I fully support he and his government on this, where so many things have gone wrong, and there needs to be some accountability, some holding of the feet of those responsible to the fire. Senior people must provide answers, foreign companies must deliver, this project must close out quickly. These free rides and ripping off of Guyana must stop somewhere. Let it start with this airport project. I watch to see the president stay the course on this one. Then, he must move on to the others that stick in the craw for the failures, costs, and abuses from these company leaders, who think we are patsies waiting to be picked off.
Another encouraging thing became public, compliments of the Hon. Minster of Health. It was that COVID-19 test results could be available in as little as 48 hours now that the backlog has been cleared. It is comforting and also troubling. Comforting to persons – and their friends and families and colleagues – because those who may have been exposed, or were in proximity to COVID-19 risks, would be in a position to rapidly know where they stand, one way or another. They can breathe a sigh of relief; or arrangements can be made for them to be treated, while working to minimize potential dangers to others. It could also be troubling, since some may not want to know, and accordingly shrink from being tested. I say that if there is genuine care about self and loved ones, then only one thing is on the table, which is to get tested swiftly. The new government has ratcheted up efforts, so must the rest of us in the population.
I remain with the COVID-19 pandemic, but this time with what disturbs, due to severe concerns about how things look. In fact, those concerns are intensifying and from the people in the know, who are spearheading the charge against this plague. The head of Emergency Services at the flagship Georgetown Hospital, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, went public to articulate a major fear. It was that, if the rate of confirmed cases coming back from tests continues to rise precipitously, the system could ‘break.’ That is more than disturbing, it is frightening. Because if the system could crack from the sheer weight of numbers, then there is not much left for a meaningful defense against the onslaughts of the pandemic. As if to confirm existing fears, a daily reading of the news indicates that confirmed cases keep mounting and showing no signs of letting up. All I have to offer at this time is this: let us all follow the guidelines: masks, distancing, curfews, sanitizing, and the other helpful measures introduced.
Finally, there was this disturbing development, where the new Chinese owners and operators in the largest gold mining operation in Guyana, were preparing to lay off Guyanese workers and bring in hundreds of Chinese workers as replacements. What the hell is going on here? Why is this happening again in shades of what took place at the Marriot Hotel project? KN broke it, the Private Sector Commission wrote the president about it, and the Labour Ministry took a hard look at it. Some damage control by the Chinese is in the works, but I do not think that that is enough. The commitments have to be ironclad: no more of this nonsense. It must be Guyana’s way. Or no way at all. End of conversation.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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