Buzz: Critics unleashed as honeymoon cut short

(Chronicle photo) 

“Without this influx of foreign currency, our currency would devalue and there are already worrying signs that the US dollar is trading at G$209 to US$1 instead for the G$200 to US$1 that held for years,” warns the Times as part of its narrative that the economy is being neglected mismanaged by the current administration. They are assisted today by former PPP cheerleader and Pradoville II house lot recipient Ramesh Dookhoo whose only suggestion seems to be speeding up customs clearances and awarding of contracts.  As we have written before, the economy has been running on fumes for the past two years. As for the exchange rate let’s go to the Bank of Guyana half year report 2014: “At the non-bank cambios, the average buying rate increased from G$200.43 to G$205.35 at end June 2014. The average selling rate grew to G$209.02 from G$204.81 in 2013. ” As of last week the rates were $205/$210.

NewsSource reports on the Ban Ki-moon layover and also adds that “an investigative team from the UN Secretary General’s office will arrive in Guyana tomorrow to begin talks with the Guyana government on the border controversy involving neighbouring Venezuela.”

SN Editorial: “Appointing international civil servant Dr Richard Van West-Charles as the new Chief Executive (CE) of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) is another ill-advised decision by the APNU+AFC administration that immediately leads reasonable minds to question whether the coalition is truly wedded to separating itself from the debased culture of the former PPP/C government….So no matter how it is spun, packaged or transmogrified, the appointment of Dr Van West-Charles will be seen for what it is – another job for the boys and in this instance one that can have serious repercussions on an ailing, poorly performing, vital utility.”

Anand Goolsaran: “This column joins in condemnation of the Government’s move, and calls on the Government to rescind its decision to grant Ministers a 50% increase in salaries. If there is going to be an increase, it should not exceed that which has been given to public servants.” (SN)

Ralph Ramkarran probably gave Basil an instant headache with this one: “when…Chief Justice (Ag) Chang retires, the President has two options, namely, to require the acting Chancellor to resume his substantive post as Chief Justice and appoint a Chancellor or, appoint a Chief Justice.”Should the President adopt the first option of appointing a Chancellor, then he will face substantial difficulty, according to Ramkarran.
He believes that there is no one in Guyana, in the private bar who would be age qualified and willing, or in the judiciary, who is currently qualified, save for the two judges of the Court of Appeal.” (KN)

In brief…

Government will soon table a bill that would permit financial institutions to disclose customer information to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) when the agency makes a “lawful request” for the information..Head of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) Dr Clive Thomas told Stabroek News that the unit is awaiting new legislation as well as reformed laws to comprehensively move to recover stolen state assets.”

Henry Jeffrey warns the government will feel the repercussions of their pay increases at local government elections “While these people (the APNU/AFC supporters) may not vote for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), they certainly wouldn’t go to the polls…This would stay in the public’s mind until the next national elections also. So there is no question about this,” (Times)

Meanwhile former Agri minister and financier Leslie Ramsammy repeats the dangerous lie: “They wrecked the rice industry by causing a collapse of the market and the price for paddy because it is a Private Sector business.” Perhaps if he had worked harder to diversify the market away from Venezuela especially as they had repeatedly said the agreement would eventually end then it would not have been so catastrophic.