Govt wasting money on CoI  “fishing expeditions”

– while “real problems” and “plights” of citizens fester – Opposition Leader Jagdeo

Tens of millions of dollars are being exhausted on the numerous Commissions of Inquiries (CoIs) launched in almost every agency in Guyana while the ordinary citizen cannot even benefit from a reasonable salary increase. Electricity and water subsidies were taken away from pensioners and children were denied the $10,000 ‘Because We Care’ grant to aid in the purchase of back to school supplies.

According to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government appears to be locked in a haze, given the haphazard manner in which they keep wasting taxpayers’ monies to launch CoIs while nothing of substance is being done to address the plight of the people of Guyana.

Millions being wasted What’s even more depressing, Jagdeo said, is the fact that most of the reports coming out of the Inquiries will not be utilised by the Administration or relevant authorities; therefore, millions of dollars are basically being pumped into nothing. “I am betting you that these reports will sit on some shelf and will not serve any of the real problems that our people now face,” he posited.

Since accession to office, Government launched several CoIs with the aim of detecting flaws and mismanagement in the various state systems and coming up with applicable solutions to the apparent problems in each.

Inquiries are being done into the sugar industry, the education sector, the public service, mining industry, among others. In addition to the Inquiries, more millions are being pumped into state forensic audits into the various state agencies with the aim of discovering alleged “corruption practices”.

But while this is ongoing, Jagdeo pointed out that the country is suffering. owing to the fact that Government is paying no attention to the people.

“I spoke to tons of people, these aren’t just supporters of the [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] PPP/C, they confess openly that they supported the coalition, these are not people hostile to the Government and they’re all hurting out there,” he stated. Jagdeo said the entire country is at a standstill, waiting for a positive indication from Government but to no avail.

“When people feel the Government does not know what it is doing; and it is demonstrated everyday in policy, it is a big worry… People are holding onto their money because why should they spend if they anticipate bad times ahead,” he posited.

He reminded that the rice farmers are yet to receive the $23 billion that was promised by the Government; the sugar industry is yet to know its fate; many of the developmental projects are currently stalled; and businesses are hardly investing. He added that many persons are being fired by the coalition Government, resulting in more people on the breadline which will ultimately result in higher poverty levels.

It is against this backdrop that the former President is urging the new Government to give up the chase and focus on managing the country instead.

Focus on managing the country “I have one message to the government- get on with the business of managing our country, people out there need a clear signal where this country is going,” he advised.

Moreover, it was already revealed that Government will have to fork out some $50 million from the treasury to pay handpicked auditors Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran for their works on the forensic audits.

More monies will have to be spent on the other auditors and other miscellaneous expenses incurred for these audits which, thus far has been observed to be doing nothing to benefit the country.

Government has also been engaging in conspicuous spending on events that, again, will not address the woes of the people. It was previously revealed that millions of dollars were pumped into the extravagant inauguration day celebrations for President David Granger. Additionally, it is assumed that an equal amount of taxpayers’ monies were used for the President’s birthday bash.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo alone has allegedly cost the State in excess of $50 million after only being in office for some four months. Aside from the $22 million that was spent to purchase his brand new luxury Land Cruiser – which will be added to his existing fleet of 22 vehicles – the National Budget 2015 has allotted in excess of $20 million for the refurbishing of the Prime Minister’s Official Residence and the Prime Minister’s Office; the same that was humbly occupied by former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.

While the Government is engaging in all this spending on themselves; it deemed it impractical to continue with the $10,000 cash grants; to provide a significant salary increase; to keep water and electricity subsidies for pensioners while increasing the pension; or to provide a more meaningful reduction to the Berbice River Bridge tolls.