How many billions siphoned off?

Jul 12, 2025 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

Kaieteur News – Permit the sharing of a sketch with Guyanese.  It may seem imaginary, but it is of glaring reality.  Sketch first, then numbers.

Think of a man beginning his day standing before the mirror.  He is either shaving, or armed with toothbrush in hand, conducting that exercise.  It’s irrelevant whether either process (some do both simultaneously) takes the proverbial lightning New York minute; or is the Guyanese affair that is the eternity of five minutes.  Some Guyanese men can be that meticulous to details.

More towards the fastidious, I would say.  The man facing the mirror is not prioritizing his spouse or children, nor some solution resistant obstacle.  His mind, his heart, his soul, is consumed by how much he is going to steal that day.  From whom he has to collect that day.  What new corruption gig he has to set in motion that day.  I think that when a law is in the draft stages, one of the more compelling aspects is how to leave a loophole, what must be left blank to permit corruption.  And getting away with its results.  From that wise beginning, the road to procurement and projects, and the people who get them, become as easy as 1-2-3.  Incidentally, if the man, usually a wired political creature, which means government associate, is into cosmetics, then the corruption contemplation calisthenics (fore day morning, as may be the practice) have the luxury of more time to weigh how to get the most out of what is floating around out there.  Meaning, the Guyanese people money, and smartly separating them from it, having them applauding for it.

Money.  It can mean so much, or too much.  The former is understood; the latter is when it flits from magical to monstrous.  How much money do I arrange to come to me today?  How many of the areas that I oversee, offer lucrative opportunities for scamming and skimming.  Since skimming infers surface depth mostly, how about sponging to give a better idea of how much is absorbed.  I now present a handful of instances involving dollar amounts with plenty zeroes at the end, and leave Guyanese with their New York Times crossword challenge for the day.  This one is so easy, it’s a cakewalk.

First, thanks to Guyana’s indefatigable numbers man, Mr. Chris Ram, attention was drawn to the $10 billion cash grant to 1500 NIS pensioners, who missed the coveted 750-contribution mark.  Assigning each one the maximum amount only totaled $750 million, or three quarter billion.  Just like that, $9.25 billion disappeared from Guyanese view, evaporated into nothing.  Multitasking on rising does have it benefits.  It’s a nice piece of change to manage before lunch.  It may have been before breakfast, given the behind-the scenes efforts that were employed to get to that lovely stage.  Now, if there is a doctor in the house, I invite him or her to stand.  If there isn’t, then I call upon Dr. Ashni Singh or Dr. B. Jagdeo to do the honors.  What’s up with those nine big ones?

Second, there was another set of billions, $63 billion specifically, for the Cash Grant for those 18 and over.  The question is how much was actually paid to legit recipients, versus how many billions were lost on the side.  Look! It may be only a billion here and another one over there, but these billions do add up.  Quick aside: I object to labeling these matters “Cash Grants” because such stirs beliefs that the government is giving something to Guyanese, out of kindness.  I prefer to think of this as Cash Owed, or Cash Rights.  The government is merely the trustee, not some caring benefactor, as commercialized.

Third, from the budget $9 billion was directed to the Office of the President for contingencies.  Incidentally, discretionary also, which is a recipe for financial tomfoolery.  Is that a slush fund, or a hush fund?  And of the accounting for the billions, well, that is still up in the air, like the previous years, and will be gotten around to in due time.  The key is identifying the right auditors to get the right kind of results.  Meaning, no findings.

Fourth, there was/is the Belle View pump station for a sweet $865 million.  Thank God, the guys were circumspect, and didn’t try to break the billion-dollar barrier, to prove some point.  According to reports, $182 million was disbursed.  According to the experts examining the project, approx. 10% in work was completed.  Using that uneven 10% measuring rod, there’s still $100 million that no one is talking about.  Add these, only the four named, and some Guyanese made it into the Forbes magazine for the richest.  Yes, it’s Guyana dollars, but stop quibbling.

Conclusion: I must try that kind of shaving and tooth brushing to try my luck.

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

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• cash grants, Corrupt government, GHK Lall, Siphoned

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