President David Granger flew to the Bahamas by chartered airplane because it was all around more feasible and resulted in money being injected into a local company, Communications Director of the Ministry of the Presidency Mark Archer says.
Last month, Granger made a state visit to The Bahamas, as part of what he called an economic mission, and he met with Prime Minister Perry Christie and officials of his government as well as members of the Guyanese diaspora.
He and an entourage used a Trans Guyana Beechcraft to fly to The Bahamas for the three-day visit.
When contacted, Archer told Stabroek News that the details of the charter would be provided. He added that when the options to charter and to fly commercial were looked at, the former arrangement was seen as a better decision. He explained too that time and logistics coupled with the fact a local charter being used meant that the money was going back to this country were also considered before the decision was made.
Going to The Bahamas from Guyana does not give a flyer much options to choose from since flights are routed through Miami or Jamaica, which involve transit times in either Trinidad, Jamaica or Trinidad and Miami.
But former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) parliamentarian Charles Ramson criticised the decision to use a private plane, while saying that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money. “How could President Granger justify the use of a private plane instead of a commercial flight? What investment did the three-day state visit garner for Guyana?” Ramson asked in a letter to Stabroek News, which was published on Wednesday.
“Thinking that there was an error with the report since there was no possible justifiable reason to use a private plane instead of commercial flight (whether first class or otherwise) my further investigation revealed not only this report of the use of a private plane to be accurate but further evidence of insensitive profligacy and waste of taxpayers’ money by President Granger…The investigation revealed that not only three ministers, one of whom is his son-in-law (Mr Gaskin, the Minister of Business), but a team of speech writers, bodyguards, assistants and media personnel accompanied President Granger in this private plane…,” he added.
Ramson added that had it not been for the Bahamian press publishing that Granger had arrived by the private plane, Guyanese would not have known and it could be indicative that there is much more that the populace is in the dark about.
“Guyanese are feeling the squeeze more than ever and struggle to make ends meet while our president displays his manifest insensitivity to our circumstances in grandiose style by driving around in Lexuses with large entourages and security detail and international travel by private planes. If the Bahamian newspaper did not publish the use of the private plane by President Granger it certainly makes one question how would Guyanese ever have known about it or worse what else do we not know,” he argued.
“When times are hard we expect our leaders to be sensitive to our struggles and not flaunt the “great life” in our faces. The famous Guyanese saying “he who feels it knows it” and with the “great life” the government now enjoys raises the question of whether decisions can be made in the best interest of the Guyanese people who need the support of a government who “knows it”. Leadership begins with responsibility but lasting change happens by example,” he added.
But Archer dismissed Ramson’s criticisms, saying that the former MP should first look at all the facts and adding that if he did he would see the overall feasibility for the option chosen.
