GIVE US THE SPECIFICS
April 20, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom, Source
Judging from the paucity of information about the specific measures that the opposition coalition will implement should they win the May 11 elections, one may be tempted to conclude that greater attention has been paid to positions rather than measures.
It is one thing to promise the young people that better will come their way in terms of jobs. It is another thing to identify specific initiatives to create these jobs. It is one thing to speak about corruption within the government but it is another thing to be merely proposing as a remedy the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission.
The opposition coalition has been promoting the need for change. But the people cannot simply be sold on the idea of change as merely a change in government. They also want to know what will happen when the opposition gets in, if they get in. They want specifics, not generalities.
It is known that the AFC will be offered three vice Presidents. This has been criticized as being a superfluous appendage to the government. Then we were told that even though three Vice Presidencies will be created, the number of ministries will be slashed.
This is rather confusing because if the number of ministries is being slashed then what is the purpose of the vice presidents. Is it for window dressing purposes? Will these Vice Presidents have any ministerial responsibilities or will they be vice presidents without any portfolio? Will they be ceremonial vice presidents? If they are not going to be, then it should by now have been revealed for what portfolios they will be responsible.
On a radio programme, one representative of the coalition suggested that some ministries will be disbanded. Two of those mentioned were the Ministries of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Local Government. It was explained that there is no need for a Local Government Ministry. It was also stated that even though the ministries are going to be disbanded, their functions are going to be undertaken by other ministries. On the issue of the staff of these disbanded ministries, it was stated that they were going to be rationalized.
The notion of rationalization carries with it certain negative connotation. Rationalization of staff is often a euphemism for downsizing and dismissals. The coalition had however promised that they would not be sending home persons. This talk about rationalization shows the danger about speaking in generalizations. The coalition must explain just what it means by the rationalization of the staff of the public service.
It must also offer a rationale for the proposed disbanding of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The resource sector is an important sector of the economy and the creation of this specific ministry was borne out of the importance that is attached to the management of Guyana’s natural resources especially in the context of the boom and increase in demand for resources by some of the fastest growing economies.
Even as some commodities are not attracting the best prices at the moment, the demand for commodities by emerging and developing economies opens up too great an opportunity for Guyana to risk changes at this time to the institutions that at present manage our natural resources and particularly the Ministry that superintends that sector.
As for the claim that Guyana does not need a Ministry of Local Government, this is a woefully misplaced notion. The fact that progressive local government legislation may be passed; the fact greater power will be devolved to local authorities does not negate the need for a Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. On the contrary devolving greater powers to local authorities has to be driven by a strong central ministry.
Guyana’s local authorities are anemic and weak. Merely devolving powers to them will not create the capacity for them to give effect to the new powers and responsibilities to which they will be entrusted. Indeed it will for some time be necessary for these local authorities to be superintended and to be guided in the discharge of their duties by a central policy making authority since local authorities cannot act independent of national policy. Guyana is not a federal republic and is not likely to go this route. This makes a Ministry of Local Government and Regional Authority all the more necessary.
The opposition probably has another perspective on this issue as well as its own rationale for saying that such a ministry is not needed. They should share these insights with the public who each day is wondering just when the coalition is going to say exactly how they are going to do what they are promising to do should they secure office after the May 11 elections.