Finance Minister Winston Jordan believes the arrival of an oil and gas sector will only worsen the issues plaguing the public sector, if prudent measures are not immediately taken to correct those problems.
“As it stands right now, oil will worsen our problems because of the huge inefficiency in the public sector,” Jordan told a diaspora gathering at the Guyana Embassy in Washington DC on Friday.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan
Jordan explained that the present state of the public sector is less than desirable and conducive if the country is to benefit tremendously from the burgeoning oil and gas sector.
According to him, the public sector suffers from both management and skills deficits. “This is reflected particularly in the implementation of PSIP (public sector investment policies), the dearth of capable contractors to implement projects, and the less-than-efficient service delivery in many areas,” he told the Guyana Times when contacted on Saturday to expand on his statements made during the diaspora meeting.
The minister further explained that the emerging oil and gas industry will demand skillsets, management and competencies that are currently in short supply in the public sector. “In that regard therefore, the arrival of oil and gas would only worsen the present situation if bold and creative attempts are not made to address the problems,” he asserted.
Moreover, Jordan acknowledged, Government will have to move with haste to improve the public sector so that such a dismal situation does not eventuate.
He called upon the diaspora community to lend support in any possible way to enhance the situation in Guyana.
Honest
In an invited comment, Guyana’s former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, observed that the Finance Minister seems to be more forthcoming and honest in his assessment of the economic realities when he is speaking to a foreign audience.
Referring to the Finance Minister’s admission that there are problems plaguing the public sector, particularly in regard to inefficiency, the Opposition Leader outlined that underspending of the $230 billion National Budget for 2016 illustrates one of the major inefficiencies of the public sector.
Former Minister within the Finance Ministry in the PPP Administration, Bishop Juan Edghill, had noted thus: “Money isn’t the problem, management is the problem; so we can best describe this coalition Government as incompetent. They have mismanaged the economy…it is clear that strategic planning is woefully lacking.”
Sailing
At his most recent press conference, Jagdeo had argued that many of the economic woes facing Guyana are mainly due to the incompetence and ignorance of the Minister of Finance.
“They are at sea at that ministry… At the Ministry of Finance, (they are) sailing all over the place,” Jagdeo declared. (Devina Samaroo)
