Dear Editor,
It is disheartening to see negativity which threatens our future. The economy and people are suffering because of the non-acceptance by leadership of a no-confidence result. I see negativity in the writings in the newspapers. Disparaging comments about our country and our people. I hear the comments to me by persons who have lived in Guyana through the most troubled days and who say that nothing will change in Guyana. That public servants will continue to be corrupt, unaccountable, slow in their work, inefficient, negative to their customers and uncaring about outcomes. Maybe privatisation of most public services would be beneficial but that would come at a cost the majority of Guyanese could not afford.
While there is truth to some of the negativity and pessimism, I see changing our slow, cumbersome bureaucracy and the negative attitude of some personnel, as a challenge. I believe that our nation can develop standards of accountability and integrity in all sectors of service including Government services. All managers need to ensure that personnel are trained in good customer relations. The long, tedious process involving physical documentation, duplications of entry, filing and record keeping need to be replaced by technology. For example, medical records need to be maintained in an electronic system. This should also be the case for records at all government agencies including police stations. I feel that support could be obtained from the European Union. The EU has taken steps to ensure anti-money laundering and having an electronic system would lend to a speedier information system and reduce the long lines at the Guyana Revenue Authority and utility companies.
I wish to highlight some very positive events which recently occurred that make me feel that positive will win over negative for our beautiful Guyana. One was an uplifting sermon which I heard early in the morning on the radio by Pastor Calvin Haywood. He spoke about what God had to say about leaders who are wolves. I do hope that this sermon would reach everyone, to remind us all to turn from the temptation of gain and commit to selfless duty. I hope that in their manifestos, the leaders will show how they will ensure that they raise the earnings of all police officers and others so that they would not be tempted by bribes.
Another huge positive were the actions of the Commissioner of Police to request an audit of SOCU. His bold confident action against an anti-corruption unit will be recorded in the history of Guyana as a demonstration of great integrity and moral courage and one for our future younger generation to emulate as they aspire to leadership.
The support promised by the USA ambassador for our displaced neighbours is very much needed as their suffering is our suffering. We must go above and beyond what our neighbouring island has offered and maintain unlimited time periods for respectful integration into our work force. I find the support for Constitution reform from the British High Commission a positive action that would permit the development of a Constitution which would have clarity.
A programme on NCN highlighted a group of youngsters undertaking challenges to be on a trip to Mount Roraima. Our tourism sector holds tremendous opportunity for economic benefits for our motherland. I also hope that we are able to seek international support for transforming sugar factories into viable alternative businesses. For example, for the conversion of sugar to methane, which is reportedly less toxic to the environment and a fuel we can use locally and market overseas.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Davendra Sharma
Professor of Behaviour Sciences
