Guyana: is it going anywhere?

Mar 29, 2023 Editorial

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Kaieteur News – A Jamaican Economist, Dr. Damien King, ignited a small storm in Guyana, when he said to a Jamaican newspaper that “Guyana is going to go nowhere.”  When people like Dr. King, outsiders with no partisan loyalties, look closely at Guyana, they see shaky institutions, and the more than likely probability that corrupt practices rule, dominate the national landscape. True to form, the PPPC Government, always overly sensitive to the slightest criticism, even constructive differentiations, did not take too kindly to Dr. King’s assessment.

This is “an attempt to undermine the progress made towards the prudent management of the Guyanese economy” and “our nation’s exemplary environmental credentials and dynamic policymaking to facilitate expeditious offshore exploration development activities underscore Guyana’s role model status…” (KN, March 23).  Clearly, the Guyana Government buries its head in the sand, lives in a fantasy world, when it could talk of “exemplary environmental credentials” without cracking up.

The PPPC Government must be commended for its brazenness about “exemplary environmental credentials” considering issues with Schlumberger in Houston, East Bank Demerara, the struggles of area residents, and the impotence of Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  It is the same EPA that cannot give the nation clear information about a supposedly single barrel offshore oil spill, some seven months later. When the EPA and the Ministry of Agriculture cannot come clean on what is really happening with segments of the local fishing industry, and if there is a correlation with oil activity, then this country’s “environmental credentials” are indeed exemplary for what they conceal, what they ignore, and what do not safeguardGuyanese livelihood and peace of mind.

Further, we agree with the government that there has been “expeditious offshore exploration development activities.”“Expeditious” exploration has benefited ExxonMobil,and at the expense of Guyanese reeling from a vile oil contract that the PPPC leadership had cursed and condemned in the harshest terms.  The Government is so shameless and so sick that it can tout “expeditious”oil activities as a plus, when hungry Guyanese are being robbed some more with new projects approved (expeditiously), without any leadership pressure to get more for this nation.  It is the equivalent of someone selling out his inheritance cheaply, and is so asinineand childish that there is boasting about how quickly the sellout is happening.  While all of these government farces and follies intensify, the ordinary Guyanese man and woman is scratching about daily to survive, as their impoverished state continues.

In sharp contrast to the Guyana Government’s rosy position, two local economists, Elson Low and Ramon Gaskin believe that the Jamaican Economist struck the nail on the head regarding what the future of Guyana could possibly hold.  Both economists were of the view that the warning signs of economic gloom are already evident.  Economist Low stated that “Oil-rich countries very often see those close to the government become extremely wealthy, while the average man is no better off. Many warning signs that Guyana is going nowhere are present.”  The disparity in circumstances between PPPC Government cronies and cabals at the top versus the man-in-the-street at the bottom are conspicuous, and glaringly so.  Despite all the great press reports, and wonderful economic forecasts, the undeniable reality is that there is great inequality in the lot of the haves and the have nots in oil producing Guyana.

For his part, veteran economist, Ramon Gaskin believes that Guyana’s present condition and future outlook suffers from two crippling limitations.  According to Mr. Gaskin, “It has a lot to do with, among other things, corruption in the country- that’s one of the big problems we have here in this country. Secondly, we have a big problem with wastage and spending like wild people and drunken people.”  The Guyana Government does not like to hear about corruption, even though it is coming of the nose of its people.  One proven symptom of corruption anywhere is when chronic secrecy prevails.  This is what we live with here.  Irresponsible borrowing feeds wild spending by wild men, with Guyanese paying the price.  This is what the PPPC Government proudly calls its “prudent management of the economy.”  When all this is considered, this country could be going somewhere, but it is not up.

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• Dr. Damien King, Economist, Editorial, Guyana, Jamaican

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