Dear Editor,
The oil or ‘black gold’ or ‘liquid gold’ has widened the financial gap between the rich and the poor in Guyana and the politicians are doing nothing about it -no explanation, no improvement to better the lives of the citizens. This disparity (which existed before) between the two groups of Guyanese has become more noticeable with regard to the distribution of wealth and income since oil operations and exportation. Prices in the markets, shops, and restaurants have skyrocketed. The cost of goods and services have increased tremendously and we are not told about the immediate measures that will cushion or remedy these problems. Thousands of Guyanese who had been financially weakened by the Covid-19 are falling into poverty because of oil operations in this country which has caused most commodities to have higher price. Massive poverty greater than what the article in ‘How Guyana Plans to Get Insanely Rich in Just 5 Years’ has stated will grip this country in the next five to ten years. What is Guyana doing about the cost of living?
The rich are getting wealthier and the poor are drifting into poverty. Despite the public programs that are available in Guyana – including free education, health care, pensions and culture, the pittance given to us as wages and salaries cannot compensate for the high cost of living which has tremendously surged because of our oil. Is this the result of the Dutch Disease? What’s the point of having per capita the gross domestic product of 60,648? What are we receiving? I have nothing from the Min. of Education after serving from 1967 to 1998, just a paltry sum from NIS having contributed from its inception in September 1969. So many Guyanese are emigrating to the USA, Canada, and elsewhere in substantial numbers for betterment. I am sorry I did not. Can Guyana avoid the oil curse and ensure that its new- found riches benefit all Guyanese? Are the leaders looking at the history of oil countries and avoid the ‘oil curse’ – the exacerbating of existing corruption leading to new oil wealth being squandered and stolen.
We are investigating 214 million of US dollars. No ring- fencing. What’s happening? Why are we not listening to the experts and following their advice? Let me quote Sir Winston Churchill again “A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.” What are our leaders doing? Just blaming the others is not the right thing to do. Make better contracts as was promised. I am still awaiting the PPP/C promise of increased old age pension or the explanation. I do not understand, why not, with trillions of barrels of oil. Guyana has the fastest growing economy. Gross domestic product of 19.9. What are we receiving? Guyana has 30% unemployed and the poverty level is high.
Do we want to be like Venezuela or the DR Congo? Where the citizens flee because they can’t take it any longer? If a country is rich should the people suffer? Not having enough to eat and drink, not having proper sanitation, cheap reliable transportation, effective health care services, housing, education, jobs with adequate pay so that they could stand the cost of goods and services and pay for treatment in private hospitals, etc.
Sincerely,
Hilmon Henry