The Jagdeo-Ramotar approach to private enterprise

Part 2

By Tarron Khemraj

 Introduction

Part 1 of this essay argued that the main motivation driving private investments under the Jagdeo-Ramotar dispensation is the desire to use political power for the purpose of expropriating economic and investment opportunities for associates of the ruling party. The oligarchic economic regime manifests itself in illogical investments in hotels in the city, domination of the TV, radio and print media, unnecessary expansion of the airport terminal (at this time), secret use of taxpayers’ monies in investments, no transparent feasibility studies, foreign investors with no track record, secrecy in sharing out of rights to extract natural resources, weakening of local governance, wastage of limited financial resources and no good-faith consultation with the opposition.

The government understands that it must get the masses to take their minds off the daily troubles and challenges – such as high cost of living, killer mini buses, recurring floods, mosquitos-borne diseases, persistent blackouts, traffic jams owing to poorly planned infrastructure, bandits, pirates, horrible policing, poor healthcare, poor education delivery at primary, secondary and tertiary levels (University of Guyana is dying slowly) and many other ills – they face. The government, therefore, promotes entertainment industries as a way of helping the masses to be distracted from their everyday problems. Entertainment includes Main Big Lime, artless 20-20 cricket, gambling industries, lots of