Dear Editor,
It is with deep concern that the Ministry of Social Protection hereby registers its concern over the failure of your agency to publish a message from Minister Keith Scott in observance of World Day Against Child Labour.
The message was transmitted electronically to the Government Information Agency (GINA) for distribution and publication by all media houses but it was published in the Guyana Chronicle only, on 12 June, 2017. The message was not carried by any other media house much to the disappointment and dissatisfaction of this ministry.
The cut and thrust of the message is a sensitization of the nation and the world at large to the posture which the Co-operative Republic of Guyana has taken against child labour. This is an issue of national and international significance and your failure to publish the message constitutes a denial to a section of the nation of valuable information.
Within the context and philosophy of Development Support Communication, I am inclined to believe that it behoves every media house which is not against the nation’s developmental agenda, to publish all news items emanating from a government department. Therefore, this ministry is indeed disappointed that a message on such an important issue was not published by your outfit.
Ironically, in that message, I thanked the media for helping the ministry with its education and sensitization programmes against child labour, only to discover that your outlet failed to appreciate the national import of our fight against this scourge.
Based on the foregoing, the ministry wishes to place on file a permanent request to have all its future releases and messages published in the interest of national development.
Yours faithfully,
Keith Scott
Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection
Editor’s note
Stabroek News does not publish messages on special international days or on local holidays from anyone, including the government and opposition.
