Dear Editor,
As Guyana progresses into the next decade of new political leadership the incoming head of state must be well equipped to handle some truly colossal issues.
President Bharrat Jagdeo has paved the way forward with strong foreign relations and great advancements in economic policies, locally and internationally. The Amaila Falls Hydro project stands out as a shining beacon of achievement. The establishment of a maritime boundary with Suriname augurs well for continued oil exploration. However, there are some real challenges ahead.
The influx of Brazilians raises the question of another culture – the Brazilio-Guyanese. This, compounded with the phenomenon of a trans-Atlantic thruway (Pacific to Atlantic), will definitely play a major part in the local landscape. The new movement of goods and people – not all of which will be legal – needs evaluation. There will be an influx of both dollars and diseases along with the concomitant alien culture and crime. Is Guyana prepared for a local diaspora?
All will not be quiet on the eastern front. The incoming Surinamese leader is now a contentious figure. Military strongman, Desi Bouterse, with two military coups to his credit and having been convicted (in absentia) for drug trafficking, is definitely a leader requiring great tact and skill to deal with. The axiom: ‘good fences make good neighbours’ should apply here. To the west Hugo Chávez is quite generous with his gifts of oil, having promised to double shipments to 10,000 barrels a day. The Venezuelan (could it be Greek?) gift is a remarkable achievement by President Jagdeo. It must be remembered that President Jagdeo ‘persuaded’ Venezuela to buy Guyana’s rice at premium prices when farmers faced poor world prices.
The country’s main revenue earner is precariously placed as production is nearly 100,000 less than in the ’60s, with the same cultivation acreage and the current modern Skeldon factory! Falling euro rates, the main source of payment, has placed the sugar industry in even more jeopardy. The dismissal of Booker Tate management has not helped and one is left to wonder how long more will the ACP preferential pricing support Guyana’s sugar revenue.
Many local issues need addressing: (1) the police force needs to uplift its performance and professionalism and has continued to fall short of expectations. (2) Vis-à-vis this scenario is the falling tourism revenue for five straight years. (3) Work by local contractors needs close monitoring during all phases of construction as sub-standard work has proliferated. Collapsing stellings and roads breaking up after a year seem to be the order of the day, as millions of taxpayers’ dollars go to waste. (4) Public accountability has also fallen short of the 1992 ‘lean and clean’ promises made by the late Dr Cheddi Jagan. (5) Guyana’s roads have outgrown the huge traffic resulting from its economic advances. From the end of the colonial era to the present there are nearly four times the number of vehicles with almost the same mileage (with an extra lane or two) of roads.
Indeed, the challenges are formidable, and the next president will have to address these and a host of other issues if Guyana is to continue on its golden course of positive revenue earnings. The salient question now is, who will fill the shoes of President Jagdeo?
Yours faithfully,
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
