Dear Editor,
Bartica, one of the latest municipalities in Guyana, with the beach at the bandstand and other areas; black water which once you get into you don’t want to leave; beautiful houses; supermarkets; well-maintained roads and pavements; and a drainage system, is so clean you can even smell the cleanness. The municipal market is also well laid out and clean. You can say that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Town Council are doing a reasonably good job.
I am not from Bartica; I am just like the thousands of other persons who pass through there, en route to other areas such as the mining, logging or quarrying industries, or to spend a holiday or visit tourist resorts like Tiperu Falls, White Water and Baganara, among others.
The police station, the RDC building, the Guyana Revenue Office, the National Insurance building, the hospital, the commercial banks, the Guyana Gold Board Office ‒ all are within walking distance of each other, not forgetting the many hotels.
However, my main focus is the post office, which is housed in a cramped building, like so many other business and offices, including the Guyana Gold Board. Persons using the services of the post office are made to wait for hours, standing in long lines, particularly at the end of the month, when public servants are being paid, or similarly, when our senior citizens present themselves to receive their old age and National Insurance pensions or public assistance that many of them depend on.
I see no reason why the Guyana Post Office Corporation and the Ministry of Social Services collectively cannot provide seating accommodation not only for our pensioners but for all other persons who use the very important services that the Bartica Post Office provides.
There was a time when Barticians and all other persons used to utilize the services of money transfer agencies, namely, Western Union and Money Gram, but unfortunately these services are no longer available, and as a result, the Post Office has become more essential.
It is time for a new building to be constructed to house the post office, so it can be adequately staffed and persons can be seated while waiting.
It would be unfair of me not to say that the staff at the post office are courteous, capable and very efficient; the problem is space and sufficient clerks to deal with the large number of persons using the service.
Yours faithfully,
Archie W Cordis
Former AFC Councillor
Region 2
