Dear Editor:
It is rather unfortunate and extremely sad that the head of state would stoop so low to viciously attack and criticize his supporters in the diaspora at a ceremony in Buxton last two Sundays ago – the very supporters who made sacrifices to help him get elected.
This is nothing new. As always, the Head of State is very crafty in misleading the public. He did so on numerous occasions, namely, over the controversial trip to China, the drug bond scandal, the D’Urban Park project, the audit reports and the several Commissions of Inquiry (CoI), among others.
During the election, he promised that his government would prosecute those found culpable of corruption, but after spending more than $250 million of the taxpayers’ money on audits and SARU, no one has been charged.
In July, the Head of State established a CoI to investigate the deaths of Antonio and Joshua George who died in a fire at the government drop-in centre for abused children on Hadfield Street. Again, he promised to discipline those found guilty of dereliction of duty.
The CoI report found dereliction of duty among senior members of the Ministry of Social Services, yet no one was disciplined. Again, words were not matched with action. So rather than telling the members of the diaspora to stop writing, the head of state should match his words with action.
He has not only abandoned the youths who voted overwhelmingly for him, but he also told them to become entrepreneurs while he employed hundreds of pensioners and retired military personnel. The youths do not have jobs, so where will they get the money to invest?
His refusal to respond to the resolution sent to him over a month ago from several groups in Richmond Hill, Queens and Brooklyn is not only ungrateful and callous, but is also insensitive.
He has shown total contempt for the diaspora which is a clear reflection of political immaturity, lack of ideological foundation and the inability to communicate with the public.
No mature and sensible political leader would insult his/her supporters in the diaspora or anywhere else. Only amateurish and elitist leaders would do such a thing. The Head of State should take a page out of the books of Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan, Desmond Hoyte and even Bharrat Jagdeo, who have always heaped praise on and respected their supporters in the diaspora and elsewhere.
Not only did the Head of State launch his political campaign in the diaspora but he also begged its members for money to finance the 2011 and 2015 election campaigns.
In light of this, the Head of State made promises which he has not fulfilled. Neither has he thanked his supporters in the diaspora for their support. Instead, he chose to meet with a few elitist Guyanese at a US$500.00 a plate dinner, at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel in mid-town Manhattan, who did not raise a finger to obtain funds or mobilize support for him during the campaign. It was an elitist gathering.
Before telling the members of the diaspora to stop writing and invest in Guyana, the Head of State should first clean up the mess at the Ministry of Business which takes over a year to issue a business permit. Let it be known that no smart investor would invest in a country with constant power blackouts, frequent water shortages, a high crime rate, rampant corruption and a government that is arrogant and highly incompetent. In the last eighteen months, conditions in the country have worsened to the point where visitors would be risking their lives visiting it, much less to invest. The promise of good governance has turned out to be no governance and an exchange, instead of change.
Elites tend to insult and mistreat their supporters and then ask them favours, such as to invest in the country. The diaspora has lost confidence and trust in the government and many have already dissociated themselves from it. They are young and therefore time is on their side.
Let it be known that members of the diaspora are not disposable human beings who can be used and abused as was the case in the last election. They have rejected the wishy-washy statement from a ceremonial leader who has lost his way. Today the poor in the country are experiencing more hardship than at any time before this, which is making the PPP very attractive. The shellacking of the coalition government by the PPP in the local government election is a classic example.
Asquith Rose via email |
Dear Editor:
Berbice rice farmers have a golden opportunity to capitalize on the Mexican market according to Mexico Ambassador Ivan Roberto Sierra-Medel. Guyana has been expanding its rice and paddy production and export levels with the assurance of both the PPP/C and APNU+AFC governments of securing good markets. However, recent changes in Venezuela have ended Guyana’s preferential access to the Venezuelan market with its good prices.
It is still too early to make a definitive forecast as to what the Mexicans will offer for a tonne of rice and paddy. Mexico is the second largest importer of rice following Japan. The Ambassador told the rice farmers that there is a big market for their rice and paddy if they can gain a foothold in it. This is an important breakthrough for the Berbice rice farmers and the rice industry as a whole as Guyana seeks to export rice and paddy to non-traditional markets.
Furthermore, the Mexican market should be outlined in the strategic plan, and this opportunity couldn’t come at a better time. I am sure that if the farmers meet the high standards and the requirements of the Mexican rice and paddy market, the quota will increase. The farmers and rice millers can negotiate for a waiver on CXT when they export a maximum of 20,000 metric tonnes of rice and paddy per year for the duration of the contracts. They can also ask for a waiver of the Merchant Marine Tax, which will help with the cost of the freight.
These concessions can be granted in good faith; the bottom line for the farmers to capture the paddy market is that they have to dry, clean and store it until there is a shipment. This will be difficult for them since they do not have the equipment and the facility to store the grain. They will have to work through the millers and a farmer's group to get this done, although from my experience when this happens the ordinary rice farmers tend to lose. When there is an increase in the price for both commodities, the increase does not filter down to the farmers, and the miller's and farmer's group make most of the money.
For there to be a level playing field the Minister of Agriculture will have to put protection in place. What the farmers need is a situation where everyone will be adequately compensated for their hard work and their efforts in their drive to develop the industry. Kudos must be given to the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mr Gobin Harbajan, who arranged for the Ambassador to meet with the Berbice rice farmers.
Let’s not waste this magnificent opportunity, but rather work assiduously to make our mark in their marketplace.
Mohamed Khan via email |