Fair, equitable governance system aim of Govt – AG tells Buxton

The Government is rethinking its approach to governance to overcome challenges. This was essentially what Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, told residents on Monday during a high-level-ministerial outreach to the East Coast Demerara (ECD) communities of Buxton and Friendship.

“Let me assure you that every single day our Government is working to establish a system of governance that is fair, equitable, and embracing,” he assured those gathered.
In order for this to be achieved, he pointed out that every law passed by the Government must pass the “litmus test” of constitutionality.
He, therefore, reminded that the Constitution – the supreme law – guarantees equal treatment to all irrespective of ethnicity, religion, class, creed, geographic location, or any form of differentiation and protects every Guyanese from discrimination of every kind.
The AG called out the Opposition for demanding that the Government put clauses in the Local Content Act (LCA) that would discriminate against classes of Guyanese.
He made it clear that the People’s Progressive Party Government, as a matter of policy, will not do so because such a law would be unconstitutional.
The Senior Counsel explained that the LCA and Natural Resource Fund Act, two important pieces of legislation, were put in place to ensure that Guyanese get the equity and equality they deserve from the petroleum sector to ensure that it is not overrun by foreigners.
“We have heard a lot about the new revenue stream and the abundance of revenue that will flow. Because we want an equitable distribution, of benefits from this sector and because we want to protect Guyanese, in this sector, because it is a new sector… if we don’t put this protection in place, we can have the sector overrun by foreigners at the expense of Guyanese.”
Moreover, the Attorney General rejected “fully” the notion that the Government is partisan.
He said that this belief is not founded in fact and in reality.
“There is some belief because you have not voted for the Government, the Government is not for you. I want to, on behalf of the Government, reject that notion fully and comprehensively. We are here for Buxtonians as we are for every Guyanese living in every community across the length and breadth of our country,” Nandlall said. (G1)