Following inquiries from the parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic, it was revealed that a total of $209.4 million has been spent by the coalition Government since it came to office in 2015 for the travelling expenses of President David Granger and his entourage.
According to information seen by Guyana Times, Granger completed a total of 37 official trips overseas between May 16, 2015 and November of this year. This includes almost a dozen trips overseas in 2015, costing some $57.5 million.
In 2016, Granger made eight trips at a total cost of $44.7 million. In 2017, he made a similar number of trips for marginally less – $42.7 million. For the year 2018, the President completed 10 overseas trips, costing $64.4 million. These expenses are outside of the cost of medical attention for the President.
Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, in whose name the questions were originally posed, had also questioned what short and long-term benefits Guyana gained from those trips. In his reply, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon related that the trips were for advancing Guyana’s foreign policy objectives.
The benefits include, according to Minister Harmon, having Guyana’s territorial case referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and advancing the Government’s much-vaunted Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).
“The attendance at the international conferences and meetings provided his Excellency and delegation with an opportunity to bring to the attention of the global community, issues of concern to Guyana.”
“Participation in the high-level encounters provided the President with the opportunity to meet world leaders and to discuss ways to elevate our bilateral cooperation programmes,” Harmon stated in correspondence accompanying the data.
The Minister noted that besides the territorial case and securing funding for renewable energy projects, Government was able to secure offers in capacity building for the oil and gas sector from various countries.
“In 2018, Guyana became a founding member of the International Solar Alliance and will be benefitting from expertise, training and equipment as a result of its membership. Other overseas trips were made to the World Water Forum in Brasilia, as well as the Global Environment Facility Assembly in Vietnam.
“It must be recognised that Guyana, as a small member of the international community, must ensure it is represented and its voice heard, if it is to be respected and taken seriously,” Harmon added.
Foreign policy
A major cornerstone of Guyana’s foreign policy has been its territorial integrity case with neighbouring Venezuela. Since Guyana submitted its memorial on Jurisdiction to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month, a date was set for the Venezuelan Government to submit its own counter memorial.
This was revealed only last week by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, during his contribution to the budget debate. According to the Minister, April 18, 2019 has been set for Venezuela to submit its counter memorial.
When US oil giant ExxonMobil announced the first of multiple oil finds in local waters in 2015, Venezuela renewed its claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. Venezuela has been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found by ExxonMobil, and has since renewed the claim to the Essequibo region.
On January 30, 2018, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres concluded that the Good Offices Process – which the parties had engaged in for almost 30 years – had failed to achieve a solution to the border controversy – and chose the ICJ as the next means of settlement, for which Guyana has long been advocating.
Sir Shridath Ramphal and Ambassador Audrey Waddell are assisting Minister Greenidge. The United States has since announced that it supports Guyana’s case.
Prior to 2015, the then Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) had constantly criticised Government-funded trips for the President and Government officials.
