Where is the Special Organised Crime Unity (SOCU)? The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), either, by a horrendous mistake or through shockingly corruption, shipped more than 30 containers of parboiled rice instead of packaged white rice to Panama. A private citizen has delivered a complaint to the Police Commissioner and plans to sue the GRDB. The parboiled rice, after more than two months, is on its way back to Guyana. Somebody has to pay for this fiasco, rice farmers will suffer. Soon, farmers will not be paid because of this. Had this happened when I was Minister, I would have submitted a Cabinet report, held a media conference and would have been on the first available flight to Panama to assure my colleagues over there that this would never happen again all within 24 hours. I would have met with millers and farmers. None of this has happened yet. There is deafening silence, other than, under pressure, the General Manager of the GRDB merely stating there is no risk to the Panama rice market.
Almost two million pounds of parboiled rice, more than 80,000 bags in 30 shipping containers, were wrongly loaded and shipped to Panama. This is in spite of the rigid quality control measures that are in place to ensure that rice shipment to our overseas markets meet the highest standard. It is not just an innocent mistake. Panama is one of our most-valued markets at this time and has been since 2015, after we lost the Venezuelan rice market. How can we be nonchalant of this travesty, jeopardising the Panama rice market? Panama is not only an importer of more than 50,000 tons annually, equivalent to about 80,000 tons of paddy, but Panama pays a premium price. This not only benefits our farmers, it is significant for our foreign currency earnings and critical for our national economy. Yet, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) behaves as if it is a storm in a tea cup.
The President is silent, seemingly unconcerned and oblivious of the risk, carrying on as if he is merely ornamental; a non-Executive President. He has said nothing about the scandal and, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, has not sought an explanation. The threat to the rice industry is not “fit and proper” to elicit any presidential concern. These matters of national concern appear to never be within the President’s ambit of interest. Sugar, rice and general agricultural matters have been anathema to this President. He took time to address his supporters in Corriverton two weeks ago, in sugar territory, yet he did not find time to meet sugar workers. But he has had time to sign on to increased land rental and lease charges and has rescinded leases for farmers. President Granger has been [Absent Without Leave] AWOL from day one, since May 2015, when it comes to agriculture. This is the most anti-agriculture President and Government we have ever had.
No one is surprised the Agriculture Minister is AWOL, routinely playing “deaf and dumb”. Just last week, in my column, I asked if Guyana has a Minister of Agriculture. This is a matter that should have attracted his attention. He is the responsible Minister, but seems more comfortable looking and running away from the issues and concerns affecting agriculture. “Frankly”, this Minister just does not care. He is AWOL, just like the President. The Minister’s total silence is his way to pronounce “frankly, I do not care” if almost two million pounds of rice wrongly shipped to Panama must return to Guyana and threaten the Panama market.
The hands-off attitude to these matters of national concern is frightening, but none of us is shocked by it. It is a measure of the uncaring attitude of this Government. It took a strike and another threat of strike and many months before the President found it necessary to meet with teachers. In fact, the Opposition Leader has been calling on the President for weeks now to become engaged. He has now buckled under pressure.
There is growing concern about the $30 billion loan for the Guyana Sugar Corporation. The President is silent. Domestic and sexual abuse violence is careening out of control. The President is silent. The list of matters affecting our growth and development is growing exponentially and we wonder where the President is. This is the non-engagement with national issues that pervades this Government. They are so glued to the ‘oil boat’ that is coming that they have foolishly left the nation stumbling its way somewhere, anywhere. In the meanwhile, we have a Prime Minister with no official duty, other than “pompositing” and a President parading as a non-Executive President.
