Dear Editor,
The state media continues its propaganda blitz and as recently as Wednesday in a stoutly worded Editorial in the State controlled publicly funded newspaper it claimed that the PPP has fulfilled all of its 2020 manifesto promises, including the thousands of new jobs. Further, they keep reminding us that the PNC-led Coalition put thousands of workers in the sugar industry and hinterland programmes on the breadline. The assumption is that all those persons have been retrained and are now gainfully employed. For brevity, I ask the PPP hierarchy to explain why in this fantastic and fastest growing economy, the following facts exist?
(1) Rising cost of living and many ordinary workers cannot provide a balanced, nutritious daily meal for themselves and children (See letter from Lincoln Lewis of the TUC published recently). How can a parent earning a government wage of one hundred thousand dollars per month provide the basics for one, two or three children, food, clothing and shelter?
(2) Why is it that these large sums from our natural resources remain in the hands of friends who get all the contracts and earn, did I say earn, I mean obtain over eighty plus percent of these sums announced for infrastructural works, bridges, buildings, roads etc. The analysis by Nigel Hughes is instructive.
(3) In the recent report we boast about the great advances in the health centres. Massive sums were expended on drugs and medicine by the Government and some of questionable quality and efficacy. Many times essential drugs are not available in the public system and have to be sourced from the private sector at great cost to citizens and yet other drugs, if we are to stay alive, must be obtained from external sources.
Editor, it would be interesting if you can obtain a response from the appropriate Ministers so that we can begin the journey to explore the truth of existing circumstances in Guyana and spare citizens this propaganda bombardment. There is little hope of any society being unified, being vital unless it is underpinned on the pillars of truth and the rectitude of its leaders. Editor, the above sentence allows us to ask about the whereabouts of the erstwhile tenant of the Vice President, Mr. Su and has Su been sued?
The irony of our situation as we observed during the just concluded Local Government Elections, is that citizens, young and old are struck by this boogey-man of race. An analysis will show that what is emerging in Guyana is the existence of a class society where the ruling elite is superintending over the widening of the gap between the wealthy and the poor. The poor consist of the Amerindians, East Indians and Africans. This generation must therefore move away from this destructive race-card and recognize that we are into a society divided by class. The poor and underprivileged must therefore combine their hearts and heads to put a break in this slide into the slippery chasms.
By the way, many of us, ordinary folks, ask where each oil block is bringing in to our coffers billions of US dollars regularly, why it is we are boasting of borrowing money to execute projects and at the same time, we are informed that the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) held in the United States is increasing regularly. Explain this, so that ordinary folks can understand what is going on and also with this largesse, why not put in place the policy adumbrated by a former president that education including books examination fees should be free from kindergarten to university. Mind you, if such a laudable programme is in place now that funds are available, there is no need to mention the name of the persons whose idea this was in the first place. The families who would benefit wouldn’t care two hoots about whose idea it was.
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
Elder