Dear Editor,
It has been a month since the story of Guyana losing €6M, an equivalent of $1.8B in funding from the European Commission (EC), made headlines.
The combined opposition forces and concerned citizens all called for the government to launch an investigation into what caused the six-month delay in the submission of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco) Action Plan, and to take the necessary disciplinary action against those responsible for this costly and embarrassing blunder. But to date, there has not been the slightest indication from the administration that anything is going to be done about the matter.
The funds are not accessible and so it seems as if the fact that the country lost valuable financial assistance which it could have well utilized, is not of any concern to the government. Apparently this problem is only a concern for the opposition and right-thinking Guyanese, who find that this form of callous mismanagement is something that should be addressed with the sternest of measures to ensure that lessons are learnt and that those culpable of committing this sin never commit it again.
Many persons told me that nothing was going to be done about this matter. Even the bloggers on the Stabroek News website, despite speaking out sternly about the irresponsibility of the late submission of the Sugar Action Plan, all ended by saying that nothing is going to be done by the administration. And this is indeed sad. Imagine Guyanese at home and abroad have come to expect mediocre management by the government and now accept it. We are indeed living in a political dilemma called democracy.
However, the strangest action of all regarding the loss of the EC funding is the resounding and deafening silence of the trade unions who purport to represent the rights of the sugar workers. What has the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) said about this irresponsible action? Where is the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE)? I wondered if this situation had happened 20 years ago what would have been the measures taken by the unions? I can tell you what would have happened then: the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, would have been protesting like never before. The unions would have called a strike so massive that the EC might have felt sorry and paid the Guyana government the funds. It is amazing how times have changed. A catastrophic mistake that has cost the Guyana government, GuySuco, and the people of Guyana $1.8B sees the unions that represent the sugar workers silent, and the sugar workers themselves are silent.
When it comes to wages negotiations, I hope that the unions are fully aware that there will be a deficit of $1.8B in the coffers of the government, so they need not waste time arguing and haggling over a raise in pay.
It is time for the President to act decisively on this issue. It will not go away. The opposition needs to continue driving this message in parliament and wherever they can. This cannot be swept under the proverbial carpet like everything else. The carpet is now so filled with all the stuff placed under it that some things are protruding and people are seeing. And the solution is not a bigger carpet, but a removal of the carpet altogether and dealing with the stuff that has been swept under it.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Francois
In a dictatorship you do not have to be accountable. The two entities you mentioned as unions are appendages of the P.P.P. and will remain lap dogs of this political organization. The membership being predominantly Indian continues to bleat like sheep and cast ballots against their self interest. It’s insane and insanity is defined as:
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
Donald Ramoutar is a board member right? And who is president of GAWU? Cheddi was so I guess Ramoutar is now. So is Nanda Gopaul of OP and of NACCIE fame. Some oney by the mane of Joseph is seemingly spokesman for NACCIE.
Sugar union is PPP to the bone my man. GAWU used to fund the PPP back in the old days now the govt funding GAWU to stay in check while they abuse sugar workers and holler they cant pay them etc.
Komal Chand is the biggest PPP conflict of interest. The PPP has so many conflicts of interest from GAWU, the Auditor generals office where the wife of minister askmee nothing Singh works, The integrity commission acting chair and the prezzo flying off to Libya and greece to bring back big big investments.
The mouse watching the cheese everywhere in the poo poo poo operation.
Talking about conflict of interest, Komal Chand is
also a PPP member of parliament and head of the
sugar worker union (GAWU), only in Guyana Brandon.
jim cack bring ram goat government, why would jagdeo and his govt want to actually do some work, when he can go globe trotting with his begging bowl in tow.
aye the man was in your backyard the other day at a big investment fair held by Danny Doobay at a community college in scarborough how come you didn’t go and invest?
hehheheheheeh
What do you expect….the two big men from GAWU and NACCIE are part of the Gov’t. If the PPP were in opposition they would have climbed to the top of Mt. Roraima and shouted insults at the PNC for their incompetence. How the times have changed.
Having money stolen from the average European citizen by an unelected commission doesn’t necessarily mean that the average Guyanese sugar labourer will get paid any more. Now if the money had NOT been lost, you would see agitation from all corners by all people to make sure that each had his share of the spoil.
How bout we worry about getting Guyanese more FREEDOM so that each person can actually pursue wealth creation in his or her own way that doesn’t involve stealing from consumers who would otherwise choose to buy aspartame(unhealthy as it is), splenda and stevia (which is many times sweeter than sugar with no calories).
The more governments try to override the choices of individuals, the more the workers of protected industries will resemble bureaucrats.
Refer to Henry Jeffrey’s letter, he all but admits that this government under Jadgeo is all about the PPP top members and no one else.
the ppp is corrupt. corbin is lazy. for democracy to be strong you need a strong opposition, that is what corbin isn’t. komal chand, gawu and naacie will tell the govt nothing. they will vote for them again then run to barbados for work. when barbados deport them for being illegal they will cry like babies and jadgeo will buse out thompson for them. such is the modus operandi of the ppp and their supporters.
mohamed, you forget to say the kfc dying or almost dying.
keep hoping and praying squibward keep hoping and praying, you never know what the gods at freedumb house may deliver to you. hehehhehee
people across this country need to wake up and realize voting for the ppp is a huge waste of time. If you need evidence look at the state of the country, look at the national debt, look at NIS , Guysucko is in trouble, blackout and water shortage has not even eased under the PPP rule.
Corruption and crime have escalated to levels never seen before. When have we ever seen in this country a man getting a loan to build a hotel with tax payer money and repaying the loan wid free hotel rooms and 2 eggball to the government?
East Indians need to be honest with themselves and afro Guyanese need to also be honest with themselves and realize that our salvation does not lie in the hands of the PHENC or the PPP.