Greenidge defends Honorary Consul in Miami

Nov 16, 2017 News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...ary-consul-in-miami/

– says he is not bound by public service rules

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, yesterday, explained the role and position of Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Miami, Florida. Ramzan Roshanali.

Roshanali’s actions recently came in for much criticism from Guyanese nationals in Florida.

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has no intention to toss the complaints against Roshanali into a corner, Greenidge made it clear that the honorary consuls—people like Roshanali– are not paid a salary and are not bound by public service rules.

His comments came on the heels of two publications in the Monday and Tuesday Editions of Kaieteur News.

The articles highlighted the complaints of Guyanese national, Harold Smith, who in a letter to this newspaper detailed the ordeal that his brother endured in carrying out a transaction at the Miami Consulate.

Roshanali had confirmed that he receives no money from the Government of Guyana for his services or rent. He said that the one worker who happens to be his wife is compensated. However, he claims ignorance regarding how much she is paid.

At a press conference yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greenidge stressed that the Foreign Affairs Ministry carries out its work with the assistance of professional staff.

Those members, he said, are employed at the Ministry and in missions abroad. Greenidge explained that there are High Commissioners, Ambassadors, and then there are Consuls General.

The Vice President said that these are offices belonging to the government and they are manned by full-time employees.

Greenidge said, “Now most countries can’t afford to have such missions in all the states in which they would like to have relations with so they utilise the post of Honorary Consul.

“This is someone who a government has asked to provide a service for the government on behalf of citizens. Their work would touch on getting passports, helping nations who need documents notarised etc.”

The Foreign Affairs Minister continued, “Since we don’t have money, the Honorary Consul is unpaid as regards his labour. We try to ensure that the expenses they incur are minimised…

“They are chosen because they have a capacity to save us money. More than likely, an Honorary Consul would be an established businessman or professional like a lawyer or a dentist.”

He added, “So they are asked if they can make available, services to Guyanese on behalf of the government from time to time. They are asked if they would be willing to take on the task. They are also asked if they have an office and if persons can call that office.

“Now, we don’t say to the Honorary Consul, ‘You alone must answer the phone.’”

The Minister emphasised that Honorary Consuls utilise their own resources and are given a stipend which covers the expenses they incur on behalf of carrying out services for the Government.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said, “They are asked to send passports back to Guyana and that would cost them money. We have an interest in ensuring those documents get here. Sometimes, we reimburse them in advance or after.

If an ambassador earns $10,000 a month, an Honorary Consul would get about less than one tenth of that in a stipend.

“You can’t instruct them as you would instruct an Ambassador and many of them are not even Guyanese nationals…”

Greenidge said that as far as he is aware, there is no automatic entitlement for Honorary Consuls as it relates to duty free concessions.

He said, too, that the stipend for an Honorary Consul is in the neighbourhood of US$500 per month. Greenidge also noted that the Government has 29 Honorary Consuls.

The Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated to media operatives that all complaints against such officers would be looked into by the ministry.