Jagdeo says creation of new jobs “incestuous, corrupt”

Jobs for duel citizens ex-Ministers

As Guyana faces economic instability, taxpayers’ monies continue to be wasted by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition Administration with the creation of new jobs that warrant the payout of exorbitant salaries.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday told media operatives that the Government is only interested in providing for itself and supporters while noting this their actions are supported by the creation of highly paid jobs for former Government Ministers who have dual citizenship.
He stated that Guyana is already carrying a “top heavy corrupt Government” and now citizens will have to bear the unnecessary burdens of carrying yet another layer with the former Ministers being paid exorbitant sums even after they refused to relinquish citizenships in other countries.
“So we had new Members of Parliament appointed to replace those who were dual citizens. We have a new set of Ministers, and what happened to the four Ministers? Now they have cushy high-paying jobs in the Government again, if this is not an incestuous, corrupt cabal nothing is, no one is.”
According to Jagdeo, he initially supported the retention of former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, in that Ministry for the purpose of ensuring continuity on the border matter that involves Guyana and Venezuela. However, his role exceeds what was expected.
“(The border issue) is a matter that we do not treat in a political fashion, that it is not partisan, we have a national position on but he has become the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign with responsibility for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation. So what is the portfolio of the Minister? And even the choice of the word Foreign Secretary, in the United Kingdom, the Foreign Secretary is the Ministry, that is the choice of the word,” he explained.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that in the case of former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, his appointment to Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within that Ministry is not warranted as his skills are lacking for such a position.
“As far as I know, he has absolutely no technical qualification there, this should be a technical position. So, a politician for convenience has replaced, without any competitive process, a technical staff and he has no competence in the area. It is a sinecure position to support this.”
The Opposition Leader added that even the retention of services of former Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine as Director of Public Service Training is not a wise move either.
“We have the same issue there, Rupert (Roopnaraine) has not functioned a single day in Government and now they just give him another sinecure position. This is precisely what we are saying, this cabal looks out for itself, corrupt Ministers, terms of contracts, everything that goes for themselves and they defend each other. So now, if there was any hope in Guyana that would see the last of these Ministers, that is not so.”
Only recently, President David Granger announced the new positions for Gaskin and Roopnaraine – one that did not sit well with the business community and other stakeholders.
The Head of State has also indicated that he has the intention of restricting the various Ministries and Permanent Secretaries.