Decision to make major bridges toll-free reflects a progressive vision

Dear Editor,
True to form, the editorial delivered by Stabroek News (SN, Saturday, August 31, 2024) is replete with hyperbole and reproof, reflecting a profound misunderstanding of President Irfaan Ali’s announcement to remove tolls on key bridges.
While clinging to, in this instance, empty rhetoric of consultation and strategic foresight, the editorial aligns with the Opposition narrative, while failing to appreciate the larger socio-economic imperatives at play.
The President’s announcement is emblematic of a government striving to alleviate burdens on its citizens, while leveraging fiscal resources. This is prudent practice observed globally in nations that have benefitted from windfall revenues.
It is particularly ironic, and indeed contradictory, that one of the local newspapers – a publication whose editorial pages and letters have been replete with calls for the Government to do more to ease the cost of living – now appears to snub the very initiative that directly addresses these public concerns.
For months, the newspaper has sought to highlight the daily struggles of citizens, and amplified demands for the Government to intervene meaningfully in reducing economic pressures; yet, in a bewildering twist, the editorial seems to dismiss toll-free bridges, a measure that directly reduces daily expenses for commuters, as inconsequential.
This inconsistency exposes a dissonance between the paper’s stance and the practical benefits of toll-free access for the average consumer, which facilitates mobility and reduces the financial strain on households.
The ability to finance public goods without direct user fees is not a sign of fiscal recklessness, but a demonstration of sovereign capability to utilize resources for the broader public good. This aligns with practices seen in nations like the United Arab Emirates, where toll-free access to certain infrastructure reflects a government’s commitment to enhancing public welfare without immediate recourse to regressive charges.
The editorial fails to acknowledge that the maintenance and operational costs of these bridges, once prohibitive, can now be comfortably met through the strategic use of the Natural Resource Fund. This liberates citizens from the financial burden of tolls, while simultaneously advancing public infrastructure.
Guyanese understand that removal of tolls is not an isolated policy decision, but is part of a continuum of efforts aimed at reducing barriers to mobility, enhancing economic participation, and fostering greater connectivity, with the potential for similar reforms in other transport sectors as national resources allow.
While the editorial laments that toll-free travel would not alleviate the broader cost-of-living pressures faced by households, it misses the fundamental point that this policy is but one component of a broader socio-economic strategy aimed at enhancing disposable incomes, reducing indirect costs, and fostering a more accessible economic environment.
The argument that such savings would not trickle down to consumers is speculative, and fails to consider the potential multiplier effects of reduced transport costs on business operations, logistics, and market dynamics; which, over time, can indeed have a positive impact on household finances.
Governments are not beholden to static fiscal doctrines, but are instead charged with the ongoing responsibility of adapting to the needs of their citizens, particularly in times of economic transition.
The Government’s decision to remove tolls on major bridges is a forward-looking initiative that embodies the Government’s commitment to utilising national resources for the direct benefit of its citizens, reflecting a progressive vision that transcends the constraints of conventional policy-making.
Rather than be decried as a reckless political gambit, the toll-free move should be recognized as a judicious deployment of our nation’s wealth that is designed to alleviate burdens, enhance connectivity, and ultimately drive us, as a people, towards a more equitable and prosperous future.

Sincerely,
Ryan Newton