Dear Editor,
It is critical that the poor and the working class understand what is happening in Guyana today and bring power to this truth – the Guyanese problem is not unsolvable; it has a solution. It is just that President Granger remains clueless on this solution.
We have had too many instances of extremely bad doses of political leadership in Guyana for too long. Accurate history will reveal that the worst of the lot were Donald Ramotar and David Granger. But this Granger Government is the worst of them all. I want the nation to appreciate that with David Granger at the helm of Guyana, it will not get any better because his priorities clearly are not what is needed to socially and economically transform the nation.
Let me explain my position. Being a President is more than cutting a few ribbons, and accrediting a few diplomats here and there. Being a President is more than wasting $1.5 billion on an under-used parade ground to host multi-million “mass-game”-type marching events like if you are in North Korea. Being a President is more than riding in siren cars and traveling the world more than 100 times at taxpayers’ expense to attend useless conferences rather than bringing back real investable projects to Guyana. Being a President is knowing when there is trouble in the economy and taking decisive actions to bring financial comfort to your people. You do not delay executive action with these myriads of Commissions of Inquiry; you take progressive action for your people within minutes. The examples are just too many to illustrate that this Granger government really does not care about the welfare of the poor and the working class.
The absence of timely and sensible intervention in a place like the sugar industry can be regarded as the biggest crime of this decade along with a determined effort by the ruling elite to tell you that there is no money for you. Isn’t this what Mr. Granger told the teachers on May Day 2018? Isn’t this what Mr. Granger told 7,000 sugar workers when his government’s actions condemned them to a life of sustained poverty?
But what has the Granger cabal done for themselves while they marginalize the people? Soon after arriving in office the senior Cabinet Ministers got a 50% increase, and the Prime Minister of this country got $20 million per annum plus lavish perks.
Here is a man who has less responsibility than a low level political operator in the former government. This Granger cabal has increased their travel budget since arriving in office by more than $1.4 billion per year (sourced from the 2018 Budget).
But there is more! The reserves of this country have fallen below US$500 million in 2018 for the first time since 2009 when the economy was much smaller. The government has run up an overdraft at the Bank of Guyana that surpassed more than $55 billion, the first time in the history of Guyana, I was advised. Some 85% of the gold reserves were sold and the money already spent. Some $20 billion was drained from the profitable state-owned entities and spent.
I want to caution the Guyanese people that all is not well. You need to look at other countries and observe how their Heads of State are taking action when their economy is in trouble. The university-educated youths of Guyana are aware of these shenanigans from these ruling politicians and that is why some 90% of them are migrating today compared to 82% in 2011.
That is a clear statement that they see no future with a Granger-led administration. That was my message.
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh
