Dear Editor,
During the discussion that followed IDS’ presentation on the VAT to the relevant Parliamentary Sub-Committee, Messrs. Sattaur (GRA), Ramsammy (MoH) and Lamumba rushed to defend every clause, phrase and letter of the VAT Bill. The IDS team had expressed concern that the VAT (because of the way it was structured in the Bill) would raise the effective personal and corporate income tax rates by 16%; that not a single item of food was zero-rated or exempt; that business might ‘migrate’ to the underground economy; that the Bill was insensitive to the cash flow requirements of companies, and so forth. There were some more subtle points, such as the one on the ‘deadweight loss’ that would manifest itself in increased social angst. But without a shadow of understanding of the issues being raised, the gentlemen (under the leadership of the most obtuse of them all) kept up the rant. Maybe they just did not know how to listen.
Only after the VAT Bill had been approved did the administration make some concessions, but these might turn out to be ‘too little, too late.’ Will the administration repeat its performance in the case of the ‘Casino Bill?’ I do hope that it will instead decide to listen to what others are saying on the issue of Casino gambling. Mr Rohee clearly will not listen because as far as he is concerned the views of religious groups are an irritant in public affairs. Mr Hinds too is not disposed to listen because he is too impatient. Dr Fox will not listen because she might be too busy making speeches, in an effort to score points as a newcomer. These good persons might even be right about casinos, but that is not the point.
The attitude of listening is vital to good governance – or else our representatives in the national assembly will not hear the plight of the poor in Guyana. On this score, I wish to mention that I ‘hear’ the agony of the 13-year-old whose childhood was raped essentially by a state that makes Guyana a relatively safe place for child abusers and criminals, and I hear the agony of a mother whose epileptic son was thrown into a trench by convulsions because no agency took the time to educate the family about the risks of such an illness.
All of this is really about the scarcity of resources and the limits to our human capabilities. If we threw our (legislative and other ) energies behind one task, other tasks will necessarily be neglected. And then more resources will have to be poured into damage control exercises, as in the case of the VAT. If no one ever gets fired over flood or VAT fiascos in Guyana, is there someone (maybe in the Cabinet!) who will be willing to resign as an act of listening?
Yours faithfully,
Thomas B. Singh
