Electricity bills unchanged, flour up, infections down, restrictions lesser and EPA ‘guesswork’

Mar 20, 2022 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

– Encouraging Events, Disturbing Developments

By GHK Lall
The encouraging news is that there are silver linings behind the thickening clouds. It came from Guyana’s strongman, oilman, moneyman, everyday all-purpose man, and now light bill man, the Hon. Vice President. Thanks to Guyana’s one big man, electricity bills will not be hiked. It is a big deal for little people, which should arrest price spikes in many other basics, from meat to bread. I would be further encouraged by a position from the Vice President, which powers forward dealing with big picture matters, like squeezing billions from Exxon, and getting meaningful oil spill insurance coverage for Guyana, and not this clever cherry-picking.
Going the other way was the report that flour price is up by 15 percent. It is not a small number, and already I am trying to figure out what the new prices for bread, roti, and chowmein, among other things will be, since flour is the main man in these everyday items. They can’t hold at current levels, which is disturbing, and could have been a two-fisted blow, if the light bill had also gone up. I tell all Guyanese: the Vice President is a real saviour to this country. Everyone must pray for him, so that he can use this newfound care and compassion for the ordinary Guyanese family, as a starting point to do more and better for all citizens. I will be uncharacteristically selfish and grasping, and recommend fearless oil management and clean governance. While I am at it, I throw in for ‘bam-bye’ ethical leadership practices, too.
It also encouraged that COVID-19 infection numbers are down. Way to go, Minister Frankie. There are some who doubt the accuracy of those numbers. But I take it that the Minister is an honourable man, and will not have any of such tomfooleries on his watch; this is despite misgivings with arrangements like self-testing, and no reporting requirement. With those good numbers (are they really?) stirring, the President stirred himself from his countless cleanups to break the news: Down with restrictions. Down with some limitations (I hope). If that doesn’t sound like the PPP of old under Cheddi, then I am becoming senile. Just so as not to cause any jealousy in high places of the PPP/C Government, I thank His Excellency to keep things even, though I must confess for what I don’t know. Guyanese can now get to maintain their normal disorderly and lawless behaviours. The keen would have noted that I said ‘maintain’ and not resume, since there was not much by way of compliance. Still, I am worried.
There was the mixed coming out of civil society, especially in the committed and patriotic presence of environmentalist, Ms. Simone Mangal-Joly. According to her, the EPA is doing “guesswork” relative to some of its conclusions about 12-well drilling campaigns not harming environment (KN March 14). With respect to this honest and dedicated Guyanese, I think she got it wrong. The EPA is not doing “guesswork” where all matters of oil and gas are concerned. IT IS DOING NO WORK, PERIOD.
To be absolutely clear, Guyana’s EPA is not doing any work of substance in the oil sector; it is simply going through the motions of appearing to be doing something, and with its beleaguered head given the nasty job of justifying the unjustifiable before the public. I feel for the man, and recommend that he be given all the national awards that others are making so much noise about. Those would be in recognition of his faithful dedication to duty, when he delivers those hollow truths that have no basis in reality. He knows it and it shows in his haggard and halting speech, his lackluster demeanor.
To be extremely pointed and deadly serious, the EPA has no work to do (not even ‘guesswork’) because its decisions are made for it, and handed down to it, after a decent enough interlude has lapsed, to parrot dutifully to the public. It should disturb all Guyanese as much as it does me, since the EPA stands guard over so much, and has done so little to justify its existence; or to safeguard our interests.
(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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