Family, Friends and Favourites

Jan 04, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The opposition has been very vocal about their concerns with favouritism shown by the PPP when it comes to access to revenue. We have all heard the calls in Parliament of Family, Friends and Favourites. At first I didn’t take the PNC seriously because of the historical mention by the PPP of the PNC doing the same thing. It was summed up as politics as usual.

Recently the head of the Ministry of Education posted on social media what could be considered an endorsement of someone who is starting to give lessons. At first I didn’t think much of it, but then I thought of all the others who provided lessons to students. This action by the head of the Ministry could seriously place them at a disadvantage. Was it a case of favoritism or over enthusiasm? Either way we must exercise caution and expect internal policies at the Ministry of Education to help prevent such endorsements unless there exists an official vetting process for those who give lessons.

This brings into question the larger issue of the unspeakable Fs (Family, Friends and Favourites). How do we avoid such favouritism irrespective of who is in government? Clearly the decision making process must be not just transparent, but also criteria based. This should bring us closer to objective decision making that is less about “who you know” and more about “what you have and can accomplish”. On time, within budget and correctly completed major projects will become less about wishful thinking and more in line with the reality of other top performing nations. This is still an opportunity for Guyana in 2024.

Many are of the opinion that being overly ambitious in some of our national goals has led to the current shortfall of healthcare providers. We must remember that charity starts at home, and resist the temptation to offer to help elsewhere before securing our own nation’s needs. This also brings to mind the importance or lack there of in priority setting. Many roads have been built and many structures erected, but the single most important item in our national agenda has yet to be properly addressed. This being our sea defense and drainage. What good is it to build upon sand that which can be easily washed away? The answer to this is quite rhetorical.

We must as a population ensure that today’s government and future governments focus on flood prevention along the coast. If this is no longer a priority then a clear and executable plan must be in place for the establishment of a new Capital that is not vulnerable to flooding. Everyone is acutely aware that when the coastline floods and the city is flooded, our country comes to a standstill and lots of economic activity is lost. The at risk funds we have available for the undertaking of this urgent development project can easily disappear without the needed insurance coverage for a major oil spill. I am up for a gamble when the stakes are not high, but in this instance the government is betting the entire farm.

We cannot afford to have 2024 come to an end without putting in place the needed insurance coverage. Any government that fails to aggressively pursue this should no longer be considered as acting in the best interest of the Guyanese people. This means that both the PPP and the PNC must work assiduously together to make 2024 the year when this pursuit is successfully achieved. The fourth item that we must also reflect upon is the Exxon audit fiasco, which resulted in nothing more than a slap on the hand for the head of the unit involved. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States Government was never utilized, and the issues surrounding the ordeal appear to have been swept under the rug. We must reopen the investigation into this very serious matter to ensure that the root cause of it is uncovered so preventive measures can be implemented. As it currently stands, the level of accountability shown by the current administration and the opposition leaves much to be desired. We must not be afraid to hold each other accountable. It will make us better as a nation and as a people.

2024 can be considered a successful year if these four priorities are achieved:

1. Transparent and criteria based policies implemented in each Ministry to ensure the unspeakable Fs of Family, Friends and Favourites are prevented.
2. Implementation of a plan to prevent future flooding of the coast line, especially the capital, or the commitment to build a new capital where future flooding will not occur.
3. Establishment of insurance coverage that covers a major oil spill and thus prevent the loss of income to Guyana as a result of such a major spill.
4. A thorough investigation into the Exxon expense audit fiasco, including embracing of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is carried out.

This year is very critical to determining who should be given an opportunity to govern in the next cycle. CRG suggests that the parliament makes the most of this opportunity to show good governance for the long term.

Best regards,

Mr. Jamil Changlee

Chairman

The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

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• Chairman, Mr. Jamil Changlee, Parliament, PPP, revenue

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