Dear Editor,
We have only just celebrated the 51st anniversary of Independence which came 179 years after Emancipation in 1838. Hence, we have had a first transformation (Emancipation which meant no other race would arrive in Guyana enslaved); a second transformation (Independence and the opportunity for self-governance); and now with the expectation of oil in 2020, a chance for a third transformation.
To fully benefit from this transformation, there are six key determinants of success, namely: building the institutions and governance of the resources sector; developing infrastructure; ensuring a robust fiscal policy and competitiveness; supporting local content; deciding how to spend a resources windfall wisely; and transforming resource wealth into broader economic development.
What Guyana lacks most are enough servant leaders in our political parties, the private sector, civil society and our media. Part of this is because of the egregious and pernicious winner-take-all Westminster model of governance in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural society. This model in which there are ethnic winners and losers in contradiction to our motto of “one people, one nation, one destiny”, promotes, nurtures and rewards racism.
Guyana desperately needs five transformational elements: (1) constitutional reform, (2) a government of national unity, (3) a transformative economic platform, (4) national reconciliation and rebirth, and (5) the strengthening of national institutions.
Constitutional reform is a necessary perquisite for Guyana’s economic and social ascendancy. We need constitutional reform so all ethnic groups are truly represented. This process should be such that anyone, regardless of political party, but who stole state assets or has been convicted of corruption or any other crimes such as money laundering, gold and fuel smuggling, should not be allowed to run for political office. Such a process will provide our youth the chance of a plural society that is multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious and a society in which there is economic equity.
We need more servant leaders who have the courage to fight for justice regardless of the political price. We seem however to have inherited a win-lose model of public and private behaviour. The racism and name-calling we see in the discourses on Facebook are win-lose.
Daily we see this mode of Guyanese behaviour. Oil is the new win-lose conversation along racial lines. We have a billion experts most of whom from their Facebook conversations are functional illiterates seeing everything through the prism of automatic dissent because of who is in power.
GuySuCo-GAWU has become the most visible win-lose conversation because of the ethnic manipulation of selfish politicians in our country. GuySuCo is bankrupt and needs a win-win solution. GAWU knows GuySuCo cannot continue to be subsidized at $1 billion per month. Yet its behaviour continues to be win-lose. The rest of Guyana cannot be taxed to subsidize GuySuCo. There has to be a better solution that accommodates all parties, and especially one that takes into consideration the humanity and livelihoods of the workers, regardless of race.
GuySuCo is the economic, financial, moral, ethical, social, cultural and development issue of our times. This means it has to be a priority of government, opposition, the private sector, civil society and the media. Many important voices in these groups have cowardly gone silent. Unfortunately, the politicization of GuySuCo through misinformation and racial politics has left a lose-lose situation.
This 51st celebration of Independence demands that all voices of reason step forward.
On that score, I read where Christopher Ram will write on the emerging oil industry over the next 20 plus weeks. This will be a great service to the nation. However, I believe this should take a back seat to Chris Ram offering a solution to GuySuCo. Mr Ram has correctly criticized some aspects of the White Paper. However, he has written before on GuySuCo and presented to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI). He is one of the few individuals who wouldn’t politicize the issue, unlike GAWU, the political parties or GuySuCo.
I believe GuySuCo is a greater and more immediate national challenge and hopefully Mr Ram would see this as a more urgent and critical national service that demands his unique skills. Oil is at least 3 years away and his analysis of oil can only be descriptive, whereas his recommendations on sugar and GuySuCo can be prescriptive.
Guyana needs courageous individuals to come forward and speak their truths. We have too many cowards hiding behind Facebook and fictitious names, spouting untruths built around political allegiances.
Yours faithfully
Eric Phillips
