The Vice President is clueless about transparency

Dec 28, 2021 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo has conceded that the PPP/C government has a public relations (PR) problem. But he has failed to realise that his own ranting makes it a nightmare to remedy his government’s PR deficiencies.
He has developed a tendency to grant interviews to select media houses and social media platforms, staying away from the more robust interrogation which he is likely to face from newspapers like the Kaieteur News. On an important issue as the Natural Resource Fund Act (NRFA) which has generated extreme controversy, the Vice President should have met the entire press corps.
Instead, he opted for a soft-landing by being interviewed by the Guyanese Critic. Yet, during the interview he was a palpable failure in seeking to justify why his government is choosing to reduce and amend the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee (PAOC) and change the composition of the Board, under the Natural Resource Fund Act (NRFA)
The Vice President questioned why the Guyana Press Association (GPA) should be on the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee. The Guyana Press Association is yet to respond to this dismissal of its participation as part of the POAC.
The media is duly qualified to be represented on the PAOC. The media is the watchdog of society. Why therefore, should it be excluded from overseeing how the PPP/C manages and spends the nation’s oil revenues?
Then went on to accuse other organisations, such as Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated (TIGI), of being biased. But biased against or in favour of whom? TIGI is on record as being critical of the actions of the PPP/C as it was of the APNU+AFC.
However, it is obvious that the PPP/C is not interested in genuine oversight. It only wants oversight from organisations which are favourably disposed towards the government.
As one external analyst has already pointed out, the government, through its proposed legislation, is set to dismantle the 22-member PAOC and replace it with a 13-member version, all of whom would be appointed by the President. The proposed Bill he says, moves towards less rather than more oversight.
But why is there such paranoia about the composition of the PAOC? This body is merely an oversight body. Its powers are:
“(1) monitoring and evaluating the compliance of the Government and other relevant persons with the provisions of this Act; (2) monitoring and evaluating whether the Fund has been managed in accordance with the principles of transparency, good governance and international best practices including the Santiago Principles; (3) providing independent assessment of the management of the Fund and utilisation of withdrawals from the Fund; and (4) facilitating public consultations on the management of the Fund and utilisation of withdrawals from the Fund.”
If one of the key objectives of the Fund is to ensure transparency and accountability, why then is there less oversight rather than more oversight? The PAOC is not tasked with managing the Fund or with determining how much and when monies are withdrawn.
It is a key instrument to ensure compliance with the law. Yet, the PPP/C plans to drastically scale-down this body and to stack it presumably and primarily with organisations which it feels, may be more favourably disposed towards it. The PPP/C is not seeking oversight but a rubber-stamping of its actions.
But even more perverse, is Jagdeo’s flawed understanding of transparency. According to him, “the ultimate act of transparency is fulfilling your promises as a political party.” This must go down as one of the most contrary to common-sense definitions of transparency.
Transparency has nothing to do with fulfilling your promise as a political party. Jagdeo is mixing up transparency with political accountability. Jagdeo is clearly clueless about transparency.
The very organisation, TIGI, which Jagdeo says is biased, has provided a simple understanding of what is transparency. According to TIGI, “transparency means that relevant information is readily available in a timely and user-friendly manner and that the information is complete and accurate. Both observers and those directly involved are therefore able to understand all facets of the transactions.”
The World Bank itself notes that transparency involves greater openness (not less) and information sharing so as to allow the public to make informed decisions, to support accountability and to reduce corruption. Its key characteristics are access, timeliness, relevance and quality.
President Ali faces a dilemma. He either reins in his Vice President or subjects his government to further embarrassment.
(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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