This week I continue my discussion of Phase 2 (project selection and sequencing) in managing Guyana’s public investment programme. Before I proceed further, however, I draw readers’ attention to two matters, both of which have a direct bearing on today’s column.
One of these is that I had originally intended to substitute the present column with one providing comments on the Anti-Money Laundering Amendment Bill No. 12 of 2013 and related matters. However, my concern was that this would require several columns in order to address the topic adequately. I had hoped in that substitute column to reveal, among other things, the strong linkage between money laundering and public projects. Such a decision would have threatened the continuity of the ongoing discussion. As things have turned out thus far, media coverage of the Bill together with the formation of the select committee of the National Assembly has combined to enable key concerns to be publicly addressed. I shall therefore continue with the present series and when finished address the Anti-Money Laundering Bill and related matters. For the time being, in the section below I highlight rather briefly some pressing concerns I have about the bill.
‘Wolf, wolf’
The key concerns are: 1) Having to rush the Bill through the National Assembly is a product of government’s own procrastination and delay ( both intentional and otherwise). 2) I believe the government crying “wolf, wolf,” and shouting “fire” at this stage are designed to rattle the opposition into believing it is somehow ‘responsible’ for governmental ineptness. 3) Repercussions and penalties arising from the Bill’s delay are exaggerated, since other