President and Government must craft a viable relief package that includes all

May 18, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I congratulate the President.  He has done it again with this latest exercise in calculated, piecemeal state charity.  Well, at least this is what he makes it look like, when he converts aid into the equivalent of a social venereal disease.  He now comes across as Guyana’s $25000 man.  It is sure to generate applause, incite anger, and spread swiftly across divided Guyana. As I evaluate this crafty financial caper by the PPP Government, I detect a determined divide and conquer strategy at work.

To give hinterland communities a cash grant is a good thing; of that let there be no contentiousness.  The same could be said for providing farmers with free fertilizer.  I commend the commander-in-chief, now doubling as partial welfare officer-in-chief.  If only he could find it in himself to summon the broader leadership sagacity, the consistent state of being, the national duty officer alert to the travails of Guyana’s diverse peoples who fall under his purview, he would do much better, score so much higher.  But he just can’t bring himself to shed the petty, narrow, and mean-spirited vindictiveness now so much a regular feature of presidency and governance.

Often, I remind this country’s President that he is national leader, not that of a couple of constituencies.  I have tried unsuccessfully to counsel that he ceases playing politics (with people’s lives) and make a sincere start governing a frail society.  To repeat, it is heartening that the President can announce readying to deliver these much-needed goodies to the hinterland, agricultural communities, and homeowners.  Contrarily, I must also articulate that this looks too suspiciously skewed towards buttering up a swing demographic, while being continually liberal to his party’s known farming constituency.

I like the idea of a billion for free fertilizer subsidy, in the vision of a pass through to price-fatigued consumers of staples.  But it is certain that the15 to 30 percent operational cushion would not be passed on to consumers via lower prices; doubtful, given other subsidy eases and precedents.  As discerned, this is another official arrangement to keep supporters happily in the fold.  Regarding home owners ‘assistance, I say why not, and cheer.  My first misgiving in all of these cash cushions is that suddenly we may end up with more eligible people in those hinterland communities and more farmers than ever existed.  That is, real people and phantoms rushing forward in tandem to cash in on government’s helping hand; the party hacks must be licking their lips, since it has been a while from the last cash exercise.  I did some backyard farming once, I must figure out a way.

What I don’t have to think about is of those left out and wondering if they are seen as illegal aliens, refugees from a chain gang.  Those would be public servants, in the citizenship of nurses, police officers, teachers, prison workers, among others. Casting the widest net, there are those hordes of minimum wage workers existing on slave wages.  Surely, this benevolent, conveniently generous President could think of them, include.  Of course, there is the handicap of them belonging to the other side of the raw, naked political divide, which automatically converts them into outcasts, forgotten Guyanese.

Obviously, the President’s people took pains to come up with these noteworthy (no brainer) relief measures, targeted as they are. It would have been better for room to be made; some kindness earmarked for other suffering Guyanese.  They may be PNC supporters, but they are still people.  Hurting people in need, and daily feeling deep cost-of-living slashes.  I can’t understand how His Excellency can sermonize piously about this lovely ‘One Guyana’ vision, while there is this standard that favours some, and excludes many.

It disappoints that President and Government drum up these selective strategies that embrace some and expel others.  This only stokes flickering embers.  I thought that by now, there would have been a truly comprehensive aid package that touches not some, but all, Guyanese.  Clearly, the consideration is too stomach churning for the President and his party’s senior comrades.  These minor ‘giveaways’ or handouts to supporters lead to more wounds, for this is a society that misses nothing, forgets nothing but harbours everything.  It is regrettable that when the President had the opportunity and demanding circumstances to make good for the whole of Guyana, he stumbled, with this carefully orchestrated setup helping some, piercing others. Bottom line: the President and Government must craft a viable relief package that includes all.  It is governance.

Sincerely,

GHK Lall

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