Introduction: Stabroek News has invited the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) to submit a weekly column on governance and related matters. Only APNU and the AFC have submitted a column this week.
Corruption — the abuse of public office for private gain — is recognised by economists as the worst enemy of national development. Any attempt at good governance must necessarily incorporate an intolerance for corrupt practices and other forms of illegal or questionable conduct. Corruption diverts public funds into private pockets, depriving citizens of much needed services. Corruption encourages crime, undermines public security, and it increases the cost of goods and services. A corrupt government is an ineffective government. The PPP regime has proven itself to be an institution entrenched in corrupt practices, shady deals, financial impropriety, and immoral conduct. The APNU-AFC coalition is determined to dismantle the corrupt institution which has hijacked Guyana, usurped our laws, overtaken our economy and impoverished our citizens.
Contrary to what the PPP would have us believe, it is possible for experts to measure corruption. Indian economist Ms Rohini Pande of Harvard University has studied corruption in developing countries. In 2012, she wrote: “Recent years have seen a remarkable expansion in economists’ ability to measure corruption.” Unfortunately, under the rule of the PPP, Guyana has been assessed as one of the world’s most corrupt countries. According to Transparency International (TI), Guyana scored an abysmal 28 points out of a possible 100, in TI’s last assessment of our Corruption Perceptions Index. This would come as no