Dear Editor,
As we celebrate 43 years of independence, we need to ask ourselves what we have achieved. We have seen the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer; the drug trade has infiltrated our nation like a cancer; there has been a mass exodus of our graduates going overseas; and there has been no growth in our economy.
Under the previous PNC dictatorial regime our country became the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere. Our present administration is taking our nation into more debt and poor economic growth, where the rich businessmen exploit the poor through VAT. Jobs are difficult to find even though many are qualified, thus pushing people out of Guyana legally and illegally
More and more we are seeing the rise of illiteracy and ignorance; a moral breakdown in home and family; constant drinking and wife abuse; and beggars, thieves and touts roaming the streets trying to make a living. Many of our politicians cannot understand the moral decline in our nation though they will try their best to assist in their various ministries. The cost of living is too high for the average government worker who earns less than $40,000 per month, and has to pay a light bill of half their salary, phone bills, and rent. It is not surprising that bribery and corruption have become the order of the day.
Today we brag of roads from Georgetown to Berbice, although the Berbice bridge is the most expensive bridge to cross. But people are hungry because they cannot eat roads and bridges. Many are bragging about the number of schools we have built, but where are the qualified teachers? What have we achieved academically as a nation over the past 43 years? More and more poorly educated students are graduating every year from our university, yet we boast we are doing well academically.
What we need in our country is to create job opportunities for everyone; open up more factories and industries by bringing in foreign investors; and introduce more computer technology for all to benefit from. We should have cheaper electricity and more phone companies to compete with GT&T and Digicel.
Drop the price of rice and sugar and other basic food commodities so the poor man can afford to feed his family. Millions are wasted on Mash and Carifesta and some very immoral and vulgar events, while half our nation goes hungry. I really would like to know if Carifesta brought any economic change to this nation. What have we achieved after 43 years compared to our Caribbean neighbours?
Guyana is a land of many waters, yet I cannot get water from GWI, although I still receive some huge bills. We are greeted by blackouts every day, but GPL bills still climb higher. It is not surprising that some communities don’t want to pay bills but resort to stealing electricity which I would not condone.
What we need is a spiritiual and moral revival in our nation.
Yours faithfully,
Rev Gideon Cecil
