Spinning wheels…

 

…in agro-processing 

There was a news item about Baron Foods shipping its first container of food products to Cuba – after years of cultivating new markets for its goods. Now, Baron Foods is a company owned by a Guyanese family from Berbice named “Ramjattan”. And yes; they’re related to the Minister of “Dead Meat” fame.

 Now, that’s very good news, but not necessarily for Guyana. The Baron Foods’ factory is in St Lucia, and the container is, of course, being shipped out of that island. Good for them! But what about us? Why hadn’t the Ramjattans opened their food factories in Guyana? Truth of the matter is: any investor who wants to process foods in Guyana will have to have a hole in his head!!

Nowadays, factories are mechanized, and you can’t can, flash-freeze, pasteurize, or do any of the myriad processes that fall under ‘agro-processing’ without a stable supply of electricity. And GPL just hasn’t been delivering the “juice” reliably in Guyana. And the price of the wattage it does deliver is at least double that of anywhere else! Why?? As usual, the PNC, during its looong 28 years, hadn’t only run down the physical plant of GPL, but stocked it with party-card holders “fuh so”! “Jobs for the boys”!!

When the PPP took over in 1992, it wasn’t just a matter of replacing and upping the generating capacity; there was the question of importing skills and rationalising the workforce. While the present capacity was boosted, the workforce remains a major problem because of politics. But nobody wants to call a spade a spade. Most of the line loss from GPL’s operations is done with the connivance of GPL’s employees.

Now, none of this is any secret; and, in fact, the APNU and AFC made a big fuss about fixing GPL when they were in the Opposition. Today what’s changed? Not a darned thing! And that’s why even though Ramjattan’s relatives have announced they’ll be expanding their operations soon, it’ll be to Trinidad, and not Guyana.

All of this should be a reality check on the fancy rhetoric the Government’s spouting about leasing lands to the thousands of workers fired – and will be fired – from GUYSUCO for “diversifying” into new agro crops. You can’t just PRODUCE agro crops, unless you’ll sell it immediately. And we just don’t have the markets locally. This means the crops would have to be processed.

And processing needs ELECTRICITY – which GPL can’t produce reliably. So we’re back to square one. Another reason you have to wonder why the Government is so adamant against Amaila Hydro.

Cutting their nose to spite the PPP support base??

…on pharma supplies

If there were any justice in Guyana, somebody – or bodies – ought to be facing a firing squad for what’s happening to our pharma supplies to the public hospitals and clinics — the places where our ordinary Guyanese HAVE to go to deal with their illnesses and diseases. The more well-off folks can go to private pharmacies.

 After more than a year of denial, the Government HAD to admit there are massive shortages of even basic medicines in the system. And why did they have to admit? Sadly, it wasn’t because of the evidence that had piled up like so many dead bodies; it was because they had to explain why a contract for $600M was given to ANSA McAL without following any of the procedures for sourcing drugs!! “Sole sourcing” was the least of the sins exposed. Think of the drugs costing more than TWICE the normal price. But it’s now revealed that the $600M contract was only the tip of the iceberg!

 Giving their friends a cut and spiting sick Guyanese?? That’s sickness of the soul!

…on law books

 Your Eyewitness hopes that when the “Case of the Law Books Subscription” is finished, there will be a forensic audit of the costs incurred — versus the cost of the books.