Dear Editor,
Our population size relative to our resources is adequate enough to add in a responsible way the improved standard of living that is being pursued. Hence the call for added focus on debt reduction and the utilisation of wind and solar energy as our primary energy sources. This is very achievable with what has been developed thus far in the oil industry and now is the time to say we have enough to responsibly accomplish our long-term goals.
Now, everyone wants to make enough money to go out and have a good time while also taking care of their family or families. This doesn’t mean that the next guy has to suffer for this to happen. Whether the next guy is a fisherman, cane cutter or the man up the road who is trying to take care of his own village. We do not have to take his living away to make ours happen. There is enough good land and a multitude of markets that we can support to make a good clean and honest living without putting everybody’s house at risk.
We know a bad deal and a crook when we see one and there is no reason to encourage such bad behaviour and detrimental actions just to make another dollar. Being honest to one’s self is very important and there is no reason for us to continue drilling new wells if we can’t understand what is currently going on with the current costs being presented and the costs being avoided in the agreement. This is not supposed to be a cat and mouse game when you have “GOOD” business partners and suppliers. However, it is prudent to “trust but verify”. Stop spending what the nation does not have and check closely for what the problem is and might be, because if a lot of wells continue to be drilled there is increased opportunity to hide artificial costs and “rip us all off”. Remember there are instances where less is more. Many people are taking their personal time, free of charge, to show clearly that there is a problem. Stop, and go and check what is really going on is all that is being asked.
There was a lot of research done to show everyone that we are dealing with an industry where the players like to take the upper hand and it’s not always done honestly. There is no reason to be naive. We are all from Guyana and common sense should tell us that this is what you do in such a situation. If there are continued requests to close our eyes to this important matter, people will start to question if there is corruption. Be honest about it, so the level of integrity of those involved is not furthered questioned. This is Guyana and people are not stupid, even though some may appear to want them to be. Spending more time in our people’s reality is a great way to better understand how annoyed people are getting with the perceived incompetence and bribery.
When people are frustrated with the corruption and incompetence, they look elsewhere for guidance. At the end of the day, this is why different parties get an opportunity to govern and lead.
Regards,
Jamil Changlee
