Dear Editor,
I wish to congratulate the President of Guyana on inking his first deal to monetize Guyana’s rainforest. Clearly, President Jagdeo’s vision of Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (‘GRIF’) becoming the primary vehicle of economic growth is starting to pay off. However, I have some concerns which much be addressed by Guyana, and should be addressed by Norway.
First, I am concerned about the potential misuse of GRIF in light of the proven allegations of fraud, waste, abuse and corruption by the Guyana government. Who will decide how the funds will be used? Who will decide how the related contracts will be distributed? Who will evaluate the prices in the contracts? Who will audit GRIF?
How often will GRIF be audited? One hopes that such decisions will not be made by the Cabinet, because the Guyanese people cannot trust the Cabinet. As one columnist recently noted, the Cabinet has been known to act contrary to the laws of Guyana with regard to the use of public funds.
My second concern is what mechanism has been put in place to allow the people to review these agreements and understand what the government is undertaking to do on their behalf. President Jagdeo does not seem inclined to push as aggressively for the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, as he has for GRIF. The Norwegians must insist that these basic mechanisms be put in place before it disburses one US penny.
Further, the Auditor General of Guyana must tell the nation forthwith what are his plans with regard to inspection and oversight of GRIF. We cannot and must not allow this last wonderful resource of ours to become the cash cow of a chosen few. GRIF must benefit all Guyanese in a transparent and measurable way.
Yours faithfully,
Dexter Harding
