GUYANA ON THE MEND
In spite of the doom and gloom criticism being heard daily by some politicians, it seems that some good things are happening in Guyana under this administration. From all indications, Guyana appears to be on the mend. The crime rate, especially murder, rapes and gang violence have reduced, traffic fatalities are lower, and there is a significant decrease in corruption and the illegal narcotics trade. The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is no longer as corrupt as it used to be. Under its new Commissioner General, the GRA has reduced the smuggling of counterfeit items into the country and has plugged a number of tax loopholes which has led to an increase in the collection of revenue by some 30 percent.
Georgetown is now cleaner; garbage is being collected daily, and the stench that had hovered over the city during the last administration has disappeared. Today, there are fewer potholes in the city streets, and there has been an increase in the flow of potable water. Construction has increased and several small companies have sprung-up, not only in Georgetown, but in other cities and towns across the country. The fear and hopelessness that once gripped the nation have drifted away and have been replaced with confidence and optimism. For many, especially the youths, the future looks bright and Guyana is no longer considered a pariah state as it once was.
As Guyanese, one of our unique traits is our ability to rise above adversity. We actually obtained such traits from our leaders who seemingly overcame insurmountable odds in their struggle for independence. These traits became very useful during the abysmal failure of the last fifteen years to end the sale of illegal drugs, the crime wave and the murders of several prominent persons, including the former Minister of Agriculture, Sash Sawh, journalist Ron Waddell and more than 450 youths. Today, Guyana has drifted away from being a corrupt, crime-ridden and drug-infested state. It seems that the government’s “zero tolerance” policy on crime, corruption and illegal drugs is working.
History has proved that we are a resilient people. Those who continue to preach damnation need to know that during the last three years,the majority of people overcame adversity and have embraced hope. The citizens, especially youths, have moved off the cynicism bandwagon and have become more productive. The entrepreneurial spirit in the country is at its highest level in the last few years. People are not interested in political gimmicks, but in issues that will improve their well-being in the short, medium and long term. Empty promises and propaganda are things of the past.
It is not surprising that people are very informed about what is happening in the country and they have pronounced upon who among our politicians are performing poorly. They are concerned about incivility of our politicians from both sides of the isle and the gradual disappearance of the traditional societal values and a myriad other issues, but they are not about to throw in the towel. Instead, many are hoping for a better and brighter future for themselves and the country.
Gone are the days when there was a tremendous amount of ill-will towards the country. Today, people believe that things are getting better under this government and that the country is on the mend, especially with the impending production of oil scheduled for 2020. However, given ExxonMobil track record, they are hoping that the government does not pin all its hopes on oil. It should take into consideration the warnings from this publication and several countries whose poor policies have brought untold suffering to their citizen from the company.
While the future prospects of oil look bright for Guyana, the government must acknowledge that the supply of and demand for oil could impact the cash inflows. Oil prices fell before, and while it is rising again, albeit slowly, it could also fall again. But the people are hopeful that Guyana is on the mend and could have a very bright future.
