Dear Editor,
The recent PPP Congress declared the extirpation of Marxism/Leninism (M/L) from that Party’s constitution while, at the same time, maintaining, as a functioning operational instrument, the anti-democratic and autocratic “democratic centralism”. The PPP elites must take the Guyanese people for fools because, with all the hyperbole, excuses and explanations, we know full well that ,just as with electricity, water, low wages, interminable government bureaucracy etc., nothing has changed and nothing will probably change.
Democratic centralism and Marxism/Leninism are like a dog and his bones so we cannot be fooled.- plain and simple, democratic centralism is the grease which turns the wheels of the M/L engine. Without democratic centralism there is no party of M/L, so when the PPP tries to fool us with such nonsense we must smile and ignore these contradictory smoke signals. Contrary to what it implies, democratic centralism is not democratic at all since the central elites in the party fix the elections to suit their purposes (eg: Kwame gets more votes than Nandlall) and rejects criticism and challenges.
Editor, the PPP congress also claims it is committed to private sector growth as its major objective – the private sector is really hampered, hamstrung and hopelessly crippled by all the rules, regulations and rigid subventions by the government through the Bank of Guyana, the Customs service, the Finance Ministry, Guyana Revenue Authority, the Passport Office and other governmental bureaucracies with the resulting reality that only those in this sector who are buddies with those in power get ahead.
Private sector growth is dependent on loans for small businesses to start up and that is almost impossible to get from banks and the PPP government is doing nothing to implement changes in the financial system; private sector growth is dependent on reasonable taxation and the consumption tax of 14% is just too high along with the steep taxes at customs which hurt building a good business – this government has shown no interest in lowering any taxes; private sector growth is the way forward for our country but it has to be linked to brakes on government spending, shrinking of government ministries ,streamlining and cutting our foreign service, privatization of our water and energy failures and most of all, a real opening, above board, of foreign trade and commerce – this PPP government shows absolutely no interest in addressing the above.
Editor, this government and Party at least has recognized that changes have to come and that’s good for the country but in making changes, speed is of the essence and if one reads Clement Rohee’s recent letter he closes by talking about changes coming “downstream” – meaning crab-like and there lies the problem we all face as we look at our future. ExxonMobil is still the best thing that ever happened to Guyana (if Exxon leaves, Venezuela grabs it all and we’re back to square 1 – sorry maybe square zero) but we have to re-negotiate new arrangements “downstream” to benefit us more while we have to bring unity and trust in each other in managing Guyana’s finances.
All those who criticize Exxon’s presence in Guyana are on a road going nowhere, because Exxon has put Guyana in a much better place than we were before – don’t blame Exxon, blame our politicians who have all let us down, with no real vision for this country. In the meantime, all the earnings from our oil revenues should be spent to improve not only roads and hotel accommodations, but the earnings of our people. So, Mr. Government, drop the consumption tax to 4%, pay the teachers more and while you are at it, give the police and nurses more also.
Yours sincerely,
Cheddi(Joey) Jagan(Jr.)
