Power to the people!

Jul 25, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Guyanese have been looking to the wrong persons to bring about change. The politicians have not only failed them but these politicians are the main reason why, in the first place, there is a need for change.

Change has to begin with you, the person. All of us are capable of making a difference. Collectively we can bring about change by letting our politicians know, including those who we dote over, that they must not take us for granted. Over the past two years, the cost of living has spiked astronomically. The COVID-19 global spread has now been downgraded from a pandemic. Economies are in recovery mode. Freight rates are trending downwards, closer towards their pre-pandemic levels. Yet, the cost of imported goods continues to rise not only here in Guyana but around the world.

The international community would have us believe there is a supply-chain crisis. But that has become a euphemism, another way of saying, that capitalist businesses are bent on reclaiming every cent that it failed to earn during the pandemic. And the capitalist class is doing this at the expenses of consumers. This is why prices are being kept artificially high.

As the cost of living continues to rise, consumers are struggling to make ends meet. The struggle is real out there. Even before the pandemic, many households used to budget to the last dollar. On payday, they would go to the grocery with an exact list of things to last for the month. Our housewives deserve the Nobel Prize for economizing. They would budget in such a way and stick to that budget in order to ensure that their monies lasted to the end of the month. At the end of the month, not much would be left.

So imagine what happened when prices began to increase and the increase in salaries did not compensate for the rise in prices. Those who were already on a tight, shoe-string budget felt the pinch of rising prices. Everyday necessities have become increasingly unaffordable, putting a significant strain on our wallets. In the face of these pressures, consumers may be tempted to feel that they are helpless. But consumers have power; and that power is their purchasing power. They are the largest economic demographic and can use this power to effect change, as has been done before.

It was citizens’ peaceful protests which forced the APNU+AFC coalition to shelve the parking meter project. It was citizens’ peaceful protests in Berbice which have forced the government to delay the implementation of the laws governing electric bikes. It was citizens’ peaceful protests that caused the government to backpedal on the immediate removal of roadside vending along the train-line at Plaisance. Peaceful protests therefore have been effective. Consumers have an interest also in ensuring that Guyana gets a better deal for its natural resources. The better the deal, the more they can demand a greater share. But change is not going to happen by simply folding their hands and looking to the politicians for change. The time has come for citizens to demand change by picking up the baton of peaceful protests.

This is why I am urging all consumers to join hands in supporting the ‘Day of Standstill’ being proposed by Glenn Lall. All citizens have to do is to refrain on that day from making any purchases. Do not buy anything. Do not go to the shops or supermarkets. Take the consumer challenge of the day! Make no purchases on 31^st July.

The ‘Day of Standstill’ is not an act of defiance but a peaceful demonstration of our collective strength as consumers. By refraining from making any purchases on this day, we can send a powerful message to those who hold the reins of our economy. We will show them that we are aware of our purchasing power, and we demand fair treatment and a fairer share from our resources. This is not a plea for charity; this is a call for justice, economic justice.

Imagine the impact if we, as consumers, were to temporarily halt our usual spending habits on this day. The silence of cash registers across the country would echo a resounding call for change. It would make the oil barons and politicians sit up and take notice. They would realize that they cannot ignore the collective voice of the people, and that the prosperity of Guyana cannot be assured with a lop-sided oil contract and allowing foreign companies to cart away all our timber, gold, manganese and bauxite.

This day is not about deprivation; it is about empowerment.  Not buying anything on this day is not a protest against the government or the Opposition. ‘The Day of Standstill’ is not about regime change. It is not anti-business. It is simply about asserting our power as consumers. So don’t be fooled by those will try to condemn the call for a ‘Day of Standstill’.  Glenn Lall’s ‘Day of Standstill’ may be just one day, but it is a crucial step towards a more equitable future. You can make a difference by simply not buying anything on July 31^st.  So mark your calendars and spread the world. Let us pave the way for a better future where we no longer have to be looking to cutting corners and saving pennies in the world’s fastest growing economy.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• letting, looking, Peeping Tom, people, politicians

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