Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says that President David Granger is “living in a bubble” since he has failed to recognise that his government’s actions run contrary to his public declarations.
Speaking at a press conference at his party’s headquarters Freedom House yesterday, Jagdeo said that while the president is declaring that he will stamp out corruption and conduct government business “above board and transparently,” his government is keeping many secrets.
“If President Granger is serious about doing things transparently, how come he is still to look into the DDL matter,” Jagdeo asked referring to a settlement between the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Demerara Distiller Limited (DDL) which will see the company paying $1.5 billion to GRA to settle all claims up to March 9, 2016. The settlement follows a legal battle between DDL and GRA dating back to 2002 and heightened by a Consumption Tax assessment against DDL by then Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur in January, 2009, in the sum of $5.3 billion.
Jagdeo posited that the deal between DDL and the GRA will cost the treasury $60 billion since it opened the door for claims based on comparable treatment. ‘We’ve been asking who made this agreement. Is it the staff? The board? Cabinet? Is it not time for him to disclose this agreement,” the opposition leader asked, while declaring that government is sitting on the biggest secret ever.
Jagdeo said the administration must also take responsibility for the corruption at the Georgetown Municipality. “If you can take credit for the cleanup campaign, take the blame for corruption there too. Ask who got the cleanup contracts, ask about the parking meter contract, don’t sit on the periphery like you don’t know. They know about the parking meter contract,” he declared, referring to a controversial plan to install parking meters in the city for which the details have not been made public, even to some councillors.
Jagdeo also declared that it is time for Granger to hold a real press conference so that the media can question him. “You can’t just go on a pre-packaged TV programme and say I don’t support the death penalty yet my government has passed a law with the death penalty in it. You are the president, if you don’t support the death penalty and you say I don’t support this, don’t put it in the law. The president has to stop hiding. A year has passed, you can’t be a ceremonial president anymore. It’s not just say a few things and then run off because there is no time for you to be probed. One 30 minute press conference in a year is not enough,” Jagdeo declared.
He accused the president and his ministers of sitting around spouting rhetoric rather than developing clear economic policies.
“The government made these major pronouncements that Guyana would experience an economic boom during the Jubilee celebration and it was a damp squib. The celebration of an event cannot substitute the necessity of having an economic plan, a developmental plan for the country,” Jagdeo said.
He explained that it is essential for the government to outline what its policies are for the different sectors, especially the productive sector, to ensure that the economy keeps growing, creating wealth for individuals, revenue for the state and employment for young people.
“All we have are these clichéd statements. These declarative statements made by the president and ministers as if they constitute a plan. After a year, they can’t believe that these declarative statements would suffice,” Jagdeo said. “We are now insulted by (Minister of State Joseph) Harmon who said the plans will have to come out of strategies… which they have not outlined,” he added.
The former president singled out the Green Economy which Granger has been promoting.
“They named a budget after it. The president made several speeches. They have signed the Paris Agreement but nothing in any major way about content of what a green economy would mean has been shared,” he said. “How will a green economy through various initiatives and policies create growth for Guyana, create income for people and how will it create jobs,” he questioned.
Asked what he would advise the president to do to better streamline the activities of his government, Jagdeo responded: “He just needs to call all of the people and say ‘this is my government and my reputation. I have been saying all of these things and half of you are acting contrary to what I publicly promised so I want to see different things. I want to see you behave. I want you to get local government to actually function. I want a report on all of these matters that have been questioned in the public.’ He could do that tomorrow. He is the president.”
