When will this confounded nonsense stop?

Jul 09, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

I have read and noted the forecast which suggests that food prices and other commodities would likely be doubled by the end of this year.

Speaking to housewives and those who shop for basic items, this prediction is reasonable and therefore punishing to ordinary families. I again call upon the government to, without further procrastination, double the salaries and the wages of all Public Sector employees, Soldiers, Firemen, Policemen, Nurses, Teachers, et al.

This demand with the bounty of oil revenue and the President’s proclivity to hand out sums of money without putting in place basic financial and accounting procedures suggest that availability of money is not a problem. But Editor, there is another troubling development. I’ve looked at trends and notwithstanding warnings from the World Bank, Guyana is proceeding with blinkers to develop fossil fuel decorated by this gas to shore projects- a development where the Guyanese public is yet to be given full details.

Regardless of anything else, the objective of course, is being to garner billions into the coffers of the Government. A report published this week in a respected independent media noted as follows, “the downgraded performance on the World Bank Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project (GPRGMP) loan is another indicator of how financially exposed the country remains when it comes to effectively protecting and managing the oil sector.”

“Given that the country’s institutional capacity, building priorities seem not to be moving apace with oil resource development, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has reiterated the firm financial and environmental position in Guyana further faces by not utilizing the 2019 loan.”

Our Government in spite of warnings from responsible Institutions and the Local and International media is continuing this cavalier and highly irresponsible approach in dealing with Oil & Gas and State funds.
So breaking all rules, the President announced that they will be seeking substantial funds from the Contingency Fund to continue this illegal and highly suspect distribution of State funds. This illegality borders on treachery.

Surprisingly, it is the average Public Servant (Police, Soldiers, Fireman, etc.) who continues to bear the brunt of this burden. And when last Wednesday, President Ali made his announcements, one would have thought that the least he could have done with this largesse is to double immediately the salaries of every Public Servant. In addition, he could have given NIS the financial support, which it needs to fulfill its mandate and to be the cushion for workers as was intended by the architects of our National Insurance Scheme. In the words used by an Elder in 1953, I pose the question “when will this confounded nonsense stop?” In the interest of transparency, there should be proper accountability in keeping with financial regulations and of course an appropriate level of confidentiality when State Funds are being disbursed whether to farmers or stall vendors. Those of us who’ve been brought up to respect and take seriously our Head of State can expect no less than an audited Statement on the amounts purportedly parceled out.

Hamilton Green
Elder

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