Corruption has increased under coalition Govt

Dear Editor,
Ever since the AFC/APNU coalition replaced the PPP in government last year May, people feel there has been an increase in corruption. Scholars define corruption as an abuse of trust given by the electorate to a government or its officials.
In short, corruption is dishonest governance and/or illicit behaviour by people in government. It includes acts of shady deals, weak enforcement of laws and rules of governance, lapse in ethics, and pursuing policies that result in self-gains and that unnecessarily targets supporters of other parties.
There are no shortage of these behavioural traits from APNU/AFC officials betraying the trust of the electorate.
The PPP/C was accused of corruption by the then opposition APNU/AFC and many PPP/C supporters revolted and became attracted to appeals from APNU/AFC for good governance. Former supporters of PPP felt it was time to punish the PPP for its arrogant behaviour on corruption allegations, and they voted out the PPP/C over the corruption issue. But now, those very former PPP supporters (who supported APNU/AFC) are saying APNU/AFC has turned out to be more corrupt than PPP/C expressing regret for putting AFC-PNC into government.
The AFC/APNU promised during the election campaign to reduce powers of the national government and the President and empower local governments. The opposite has happened with local government organs being abused and rendered powerless, and the coalition has refused to decrease its power.
The APNU/AFC promised during the campaign to install a new constitution approved by the polity within a year; there is not likely to be a new constitution.
Then opposition APNU/AFC accused the ruling PPP/C of rewarding themselves with high salaries at the expense of the working class, and the coalition promised to lower salaries of parliament and ministers and to increase wages of government workers and sugar workers. Instead, immediately after the AFC/APNU (PNC) came into government, they doubled their own salaries. Government workers got a measly 10 per cent increase, well short of the 50 per cent that was promised. Sugar workers got virtually no increase in their income.
Also, the coalition promised during the campaign that no sugar worker would be fired and no sugar estate would be closed. Less than a year later in office, two sugar estates were closed and almost 3000 workers fired.
The coalition promised during the campaign there would be no recrimination against PPP supporters or anyone on account of their race. Instead, thousands of Indo-Guyanese and Amerindians were fired or replaced by PNC supporters.
While in opposition, APNU/AFC promised rice farmers to double the price being offered for paddy. Rice farmers naturally voted for the coalition for the doubling of rice price from 00 to 00. Right after they were installed into government by the ABC countries, the coalition said rice price is not their business, telling the farmers they were on their own — rice farmer saw paddy price drop to a tenth of what it was under the PPP/C.
While in opposition, APNU/AFC accused the PPP of being in bed with big businesses and giving sweat-heart deals to friends. The coalition promised to end that practice of favouritism. Instead, those big businesses that gave over a billion dollars in campaign contributions to the APNU/AFC have seen their taxes slashed by tens of billions of dollars – the country has been cheated of revenues in favour of the corrupt businessmen and their lackeys in government.
The APNU/AFC is now owned and controlled by big businesses many of whose CEOs have been appointed as Directors of government corporations and/or board members and/or as advisors of the government.
Ministers are going on foreign trips without any specific purpose in greater frequency than occurred under the PPP/C government. One Minister made a secret trip to China for which there was no financial gain.
Former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo were condemned by the then opposition APNU/AFC of making numerous trips abroad. David Granger has made more trips abroad in one year than Ramotar made in three-and-a-half years and double what Jagdeo made in one year during his 12 years in office.
The coalition promised to end crimes. Instead, it has closed its eyes to crime as business persons not supportive of the government have been attacked by kick down door bandits. Those businessmen who were supportive of the APNU/AFC campaign are being protected for now. But others are targets.
Since the change in government, the country has been inundated with nefarious activities of one kind or another under this government – there are complaints of the requirement of paying a bribe to government officials to get things done. The government lacks credibility. Nothing has really changed since the change in government. The only change is corruption has worsened.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram