…for Business
So who’s the man with the plan for business? Well, the Minister of Business, of course – Dominic Gaskin. But it seems he didn’t really set out to create the plan. As revealed by one Shabnam Mallick from the local UNDP office, the plan for the plan was hatched when she and her staff “were brainstorming” and when some “consultant” of theirs arrived.
And that’s the story of Guyana, isn’t it? We’ve been independent for fifty years – which we celebrated in grand style earlier this year – and yet we can’t even come up with a plan that addresses all the reasons, or at least some of them, as to why we’re still such a basket case. So here it is, we’ll go along with the foreign plan – just as we’ve been doing for the last 50 years. And we’ll expect a different outcome!!
But we don’t have to talk in generalities – let’s get more granular and mention some specifics. Well… er… there ARE no specifics! The plan is pitched at such a high level of generality that it might just be talking about Timbuktu. Evidently the plan highlights the “lack of adequate infrastructure – particularly access and cost of electricity, and logistics.” But let’s hold it right there! This is news? What the heck have everyone and their uncle been talking about for the last two decades as the PPP tried to get out of the mess the PNC left us in 1992?
Could Gaskin explain why his AFC supported the APNU (headed by his father-in-law) in opposing the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP)? This is an “Infrastructure” that would’ve specifically addressed the cost and supply of electricity! If Sithe Global hadn’t walked away because of the Opposition AFC and APNU’s threat to cancel the contracts, by now we would’ve been getting electricity from AFHEP. And we wouldn’t need a new Columbus from the UNDP telling us we need “Infrastructure”.
The “plan” also says we need “access to finance”. Really? Good golly Miss Molly! We never thought of that! But seems the UNDP consultant didn’t tell Gaskin how to actually “access the finance”. Your Eyewitness hopes it’s not what the Bank of America did by laundering drugs money from Mexico, seeing that we’ll soon be shipping tons and tons of rice to that country now that PM Nagamootoo clinched that deal!
Imagine the UNDP identified our “intricate tax laws” as a constraint to doing business here!! Intricate as compared to what? The US Federal Tax Code that weighs in at 72,000 pages? Yes… that’s right… we’re talking about 70,000 pages of tax laws!!
Well the UNDP has to spend their hefty US denominated budget… what’s Gaskin’s excuse?
…for the Convention Centre
OK… by now your Eyewitness has been advised about “confidentiality clauses” in contracts between the government and private companies. He’s told there might be “industrial secrets” revealing that competitors are always lurking in the background to pilfer. Like for instance that real estate contract the Public Health Minister negotiated with Larry Singh. God forbid EVERYONE finds out how to get your lessee to fund your purchase of the rented property – at a rate three times market rates!!
Anyhow, how come we aren’t being told what’s the “fault” with the Convention Centre, that it’ll take as much money and time as it did to build it from scratch. Since this is a government-to-government contract, does it concern some earth shaking principle of international law or treaty? Or are we pivoting away from the US towards China – like the Philippines – if we get a “fixed” Centre?
Or is it, as your Eyewitness was told, the Chinese built it “back to front”? OOPS!!
…on textbooks
So what’s wrong with the officials of the Education Ministry getting contracts to rewrite textbooks for our little darlings in school?
Oops! There WERE no contracts and the money was paid BEFORE the books were written!!
