Dear Editor,
I am neither an APNU nor PPP voter. I just want the best for our Nation regardless of the Government in power. Some are apt to consider this discourse to be a criticism. However the intent is to elevate the discussion and accelerate change. There is a big difference between secrecy and privacy and we Guyanese should demand less of secrecy.
There is not enough space to elucidate on our digital opportunities, so I will reserve some for another audience as I enjoy the cool breeze of the Atlantic and Demerara River estuary. My focus is on the 90% of Guyanese and not the 10% like myself, a simple discourse. Guyana’s gap in the global digital economy is enormous, however there is a silver lining if we seize it. Guyana is approximately 20 years behind the rest of the world in technology adaptation, I am being conservative.
The technology acronyms of “AI – artificial intelligence”, “Block Chain – Security”, “Big Data – Data integration” , “IT – connectivity”, Connected retail, “Cloud – storage and usage”, “RFID – tracking”, “Mobile Money” are major technology developments in the rest of the world and Guyana’s 10%. The other 90% of Guyanese don’t need to know how it works but should see the benefits. My concerns are we continue to be left behind since technology is an afterthought in our central planning – most think of broadband/phone as the primary objective.
Yes, some of this was caused by our limited financial resources over the years, however, much has been driven by poor planning and execution. Government doesn’t have to do everything, but create the environment that fosters change, innovation and competitiveness. Blunt honesty follows!
We get an “F” for back office automation both private and public: ledger books, carbon copies, note pads, and physical files are things of the past. This is a major source of our Nation’s inefficiency and corruption because of no electronic or forensic footprint!
We get a “D” on electronic payments, electronic billing, Debit/Card acceptance, etc. We are way behind. We can buy at Courts/Massy using a Bank Card, however some of our well-established Guyanese institutions are cash or manager’s cheque only, Gafoors, Toolsie, Kissoon, National Hardware, etc. They have been around decades and still function as though we are in the 70’s in payment acceptance. Not unusual at most gas stations typically run by two people worldwide because of automation, we have an army of six to eight or more. Unfortunately, my dad doesn’t have to go to the Post Office each month to collect his old age pension, he is dead.
Grade “F”: Tax and fees collection by Ministries, GRA, NIS and others is abysmal (manual option), bring cash only. My summation is we pay 14% VAT because of the inefficiencies and noncompliance by a vast portion of the population. Automation can push down VAT by 5% or more based on a recent assessment, it pays for itself. Our recent effort of house-to-house distribution of “Cash 25k” is a glaring example, we need electronic systems.
Grade “F”: Internet availability and voter registration nationwide need out-of-the box thinking, else we will be faced with this ongoing dilemma. There are many options to automate these processes. No more house-to-house this should be a one-time event at best not every five years.
Most Guyanese are unaware that the BoG (Bank of Guyana) has a big impact on their daily lives, bigger than GECOM and Ministry of Finance (fiscal policy). BoG manages our monetary policy, primarily through the money supply, interest rates, financial institution governance, (Bank & Insurance regulation) and price stability (inflation). Job creation should never be a sacrificial lamb because of poor bank policies.
The BoG is supposed to be an independent arm of our Government. My preliminary perusal of their operations suggested they still manage our economy in a backward way, no global electronic banking thinking, mostly internal and regional. Time for change in the entire leadership with some economic thought leaders at the helm. There has been no discourse in the media about whether BoG was at the negotiating table with our oil producing partners to arrange lending facilities to garner a few basis points over the next 25 years. Lost opportunity. It takes 30 seconds or more to open the BoG web page or navigate their website, unacceptable.
The Bank of Guyana shares some responsibility for our digital deficiencies. Glad to see they are now pushing the acceptance of a driver’s licence as a form of primary identification, a long wait.
Yours faithfully,
Everton Morris
Technology & Management
Executive Re-migrant
