Dear Editor,
In his maiden New Year’s message to the nation as executive president in 1993, the late President Cheddi Jagan charged the nation to be “lean, clean and mean” in all their actions. He advised his people that they couldn’t embark on reconstructing Guyana until and unless there is a “higher moral code of behaviour as a society and as individuals.” He called on all to “set their faces sternly against squandermania, bribery, corruption, discrimination in all forms, nepotism, and favouritism”. He said it is the only way we can “reduce the huge budget deficit left by the former government”.
Reflecting on these wise words from the most respected head of state who was ever in office in Guyana, I fast forward to the state of the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the lethargy of the powers that be when it comes to its appointment. Why is the PPC being undermined by the Granger administration when, while on the opposition benches, it was these same people who were shouting at the top of their voices for its establishment and how they were going to ‘fire and fry’ the corrupt officials. But quite hypocritically, these same people, when given the power to act, profess that they are not “a cabinet of angels”. Isn’t this deep-seated intellectual dishonesty of the highest order?
Financial scandals involving public officials continue to capture the nation’s attention thanks to some determined investigative journalism by the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, the bastions of the independent media. Most of these scandals are a result of the deteriorating ethical behaviour of public officials who have indulged in all sorts of malpractices that intensified during the great floods of 2005 and never stopped. So when the people saw an older grey-haired gentleman professing “Love and Unity” and a commitment towards the establishment of the commission at Whim in March 2015, they said, let us give him a try; we cannot get worse.
So where is that commitment today? The commission will contribute to the strengthening of procurement ethics, integrity, transparency, accountability and professionalism in public institutions. The PPC will help protect public resources and enhance public sector performance. But President Granger has to act if the nation is to benefit from any of these bonuses of a democracy. Keeping politicians in the procurement equation will do nothing but embellish corruption in Guyana.
I was so proud of the National Assembly when they endorsed the names that will form the commission. The National Assembly did its duty to the nation; they sent the names to President Granger over a month ago. But since then, there seemed to be a determined emphasis to bury this commission.
The Granger administration talked financial scrutiny when they were in opposition, but when given the power to act they did not walk the talk. One only has to review the 2013 budget speech by the then vibrant leader of the AFC who has morphed into a proverbial mouse on the issues of integrity and good governance these days. In 2013 Mr Ramjattan said by not appointing the PPC the then government was “breaching the constitution”. But the breach is still in existence today in 2016, so where is his voice today?
So let us not fool ourselves, the concepts of ethics, accountability, transparency, integrity and professionalism in the public service are under a clear and present danger under the Granger administration. There are clear signs of practices and behaviours which perpetuate corruption, conflict of interest and financial malpractices such as the unjustified sole sourcing of goods and services, and so on.
It is time for President Granger to wake up and lead on this issue by appointing the Public Procurement Commission.
Yours faithfully,
Sase Singh
