Dear Editor,
It is delusional for anyone in Government to think that we can end “middlemen” in the politics and economics of Guyana. Under both PNC/AFC and PPP, we have been a “pay to play” system. Elections have been a political census to determine who gets into the driver’s seat to be paid and paid off.
Since the dark days of Burn-hamism, especially if you were not in the “paramount party,” you had to know a PNC party man, or know someone who knew someone who can put in a word for you. The villagers also said, “It’s not who you know, but who know you.” This middleman phenomenon pertains to whether you want a birth certificate, a tax clearance, driver’s licence, NIS payment, public assistance, gun permit, or any Government document or approval. This also applies to employment, cushy appointments, Government contracts, duty-free and tax-free concessions, and access to Government officials and national natural resources. The PPP Government is now a middleman for Exxon and friends. They facilitate everything Exxon wants to do. They stand with Exxon versus the people.
In a public service bureaucracy where efficiency was not a hallmark of the way they do business, and sloth was the norm, you had to “pay to play” directly or through a middleman, who was essentially a lobbyist for you and your issues. If you were willing to pay some “SU-SUs,” closed doors can be opened, missing files can be found or court files can be made to disappear. Matters that languished for years can be quickly resolved. If you don’t pay, you will get the endless royal runaround. Guyana’s Government ministries have a disease called “come-back-titis.” This has hurt mostly rural PPP supporters who must travel to the city to get services and business done, since the Regional System is a colossal failure. You will call Government offices till you are blue and no one will answer you or return your call. Most Government websites do not have an email address, or contacts for key officials. That’s the default system of Guyana, and the VICE videos captured that you have to pay to play. Every Guyanese knows that. In America, we pay tips after the service. In Guyana, you pay before.
So, it’s very delusional for Government leaders to say silly things such as don’t use lobbyists for preferential treatment and there is no need for investors to engage middlemen or lobbyists. In a system where “customer service” is not a dominant value, how else will you get access to the top people who control the business process? Does the Government think someone can walk in to a Government Ministry and get their issues resolved easily? This new message of not using middlemen is in response to the fallout from the Su affair and the VICE videos. Don’t use a middleman to lobby for you and see how far you will go with your projects.
In the USA, lobbying is a regulated activity. It appears as if both the PPP and PNC used paid lobbyists during the 5-month attempt by the PNC to rig the 2020 elections. It has been said by locals and Guyanese abroad that if the VP does not “bless” your project, your “cork duck.” The World Bank’s “Doing Business Report for 2020,” rated Guyana 134 out of 190 countries in terms of the ease of doing business. Nothing in Guyana is easy. So, a middleman is essential. Don’t believe otherwise. Both the PNC and PPP parties see Government as a way to get rich quickly. (See my article: “Don’t steal, the Government hates competition.” (Jan 5, 2021, KN & SN).
As we fight for good governance, transparency, and accountability, let’s fight for the reinvention of Government based on high efficiency, extreme customer service, quick response, and fairness to all, including rural people. Don’t settle for poor service from Government. If Government is working well, there will be no need for middlemen and lobbyists. Solve the root causes of the problem.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
