The government is ineffective on corruption

May 14, 2013· By Staff Writer ·

Dear Editor,

In previous letters to your newspaper, I have expressed my deep concern about the rising crime rate inGuyana, and the need for our security forces to demonstrate a greater ability to arrest the situation. I had also expressed similar concerns over the government’s apparent lack of interest in investigating allegations of corrupt practices among government officials.

Well, Editor, recently the integrity ofGuyana’s public officials has come under public focus, as the World Bank; The USA’s 2012 Human Rights report; major private sector organizations inGuyana; and opposition parliamentarians have highlighted government’s ineffectiveness in implementing laws that prescribe penalties for public officials who (for example) do not comply with the Integrity Act.

MrKhemraj Ramjattan, the leader of theAlliancefor Change has claimed that the non- enactment of the Integrity Act (passed by parliament in 1997) is “because President Donald Ramotar has not appointed independent reliable individuals to become members of the Integrity Commission.”

Editor, onJune 14, 2012,Guyana’s National Assembly approved a motion for Members of Parliament to comply with the Integrity Commission Act, and I call for parliamentary and extra- parliamentary action in order to ensure that parliamentarians and other public officials comply with the provisions of the Integrity Act, because it is essential to police corrupt transactions in high places.

Yours faithfully,
Morris Wilson