Dear Editor,
Having read the painful explanation by the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Mr. Godfrey Statia at the recent sitting of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Statia explained that in spite of his best efforts, the GRA remains woefully short of personnel to monitor and check on the activities of the several core companies operating in the oil and gas sector here in Guyana. What we heard was merely the proverbial tip of the iceberg, and every Guyanese, irrespective of political leanings or other cleavages, would find it instructive to read the proceedings, some of which were captured in the independent media on Wednesday August 2. This tragic and dangerous situation where a Government, for whatever reason, cannot monitor financial activities in the state it governs, is a matter that ought not to be ignored and demands action immediately.
What we heard coming out of discussions at a Public Accounts Committee is replicated in all of this administration’s programmes. For example, embarking on a gas-to-shore project costing billions of dollars, without a proper feasibility study, no evidence that we have the capacity to monitor these works is madness. We tell citizens that the cost of electricity will be reduced with no credible evidence to support this boast. We are building bridges all over the place that are being poorly constructed, even after lagging behind stated timelines. Same goes for roads and the highly publicized infrastructural works, all designed to present a picture of progress. Of interest, is observations by the Minister responsible for Public Works, which criticized several contractors, for among other things, lagging behind. What we know is that apart from the noises being made by the Minister, perhaps well intentioned, we know that many of those contractors are the darlings of a powerful elite and that as we noticed years ago, the building north of Carnegie Home Econo-mics and South of the Blind Institute, the building has remained unusable for more than fifteen years.
I hate to say it, but some of us can bark but not bite. No society can achieve real development and progress unless the three Ms are in place and synchronize, Money, Materials and Management. Notice, I have not mentioned the embarrassment of what is now known as the never-done international airport at Timehri. In the case of the PPP Administration, money is there in abundance but there is a shortage of materials, and worst of all, management. So we have a government agreeing to importation of basic skills, such as truck drivers, and we are yet to be told who these new recruits are, where they came from and of what character. So, instead of slowing down these high-profile works to allow us to have the necessary professional, technical and managerial skills, we are rushing headlong into approving any project proposed by our erstwhile masters with a belief philosophy not too distant from the plantation slave master.
I make this reference because this is Emancipation month and I ponder how many of our political leaders in control of our destiny are free men and women. As we see in the reports from the Oil, Gas, Mineral, Gold and other sectors, in some cases polluting our waterways, destroying our flora and fauna and securing a moral turpitude in many of our communities, this damage is beyond repair. The big question Dear Editor, fellow citizens and Mr. President, when will we arrest this debauchery and disfigurement of our beloved Guyana?
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
Elder