Monthly Archives: June, 2024

Gold Smuggling Jun 29, 2024 Editorial Kaieteur News – Gold mining has been a blessing for Guyanese.  Gold smuggling is a curse on this country.  The close friends of gold smuggling are tax evasion and money laundering, some lesser ones, are bribery and corruption with all contributing to a criminal stew.  Recent US Treasury Department developments have brought Guyana the kind of attention that it abhors at any time, especially now with many foreign presence and favorable investment sentiment.  Corruption on the scale alleged by the US Treasury Department makes investors question themselves about what Guyana is at the core, what is required to succeed here.  Though unspecified, and perhaps unintended, the reputation of this country, from top to bottom, has been tarnished.  These are the circumstances that have prompted well-meaning resident Guyanese, and others in the diaspora, to offer helpful ideas and measures that they believe could make a difference.  That is, a material reduction in gold smuggling, and more of the benefits of the sector flowing into the national treasury. Recommendations include camp visits, marking the gold and greater use of technology, among some constructive proposals.  The latter involves blockchain technology and drones.  We, at this paper, believe that these are sound recommendations; all have some level of merit.  It would be helpful if a few, and more from the same menu, could become part of the policies and procedures of the relevant state agencies, and then enforced diligently, without fear or favor.  Unfortunately, this is where great ideas and suggestions run into the reality of unhelpful circumstances on the ground.  A Sicilian proverb captures what goes on at different levels in Guyana, and which forms part of the widespread perception, throughout Guyana.  The proverb has a definite and profound texture to it: to wit, a fish rots from the head.  This is the fundamental Guyana problem that seeps from head to trunk to tail, with only a handful standing in the way, fighting a tough fight in a culture that is diminished and dragged down by corruption. The US Treasury Department’s allegations spoke repeatedly of corruption by “government officials.”  For sure, it is bland but has lots of teeth that go deep in gold and many other public sectors.  Given what the US has alleged, government officials, as a practical issue, could rope in public servants at the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Gold Board, and various supporting law enforcement agencies.  It is a wide net that ensnares more than a few.  Also, there is reason to believe that the Treasury Department’s careful use of “government officials” stretches beyond compromised public servants.  Politicians are also a major part of government, which begs the question about whether the Treasury Department’s use of “government officials” extended to them, and to what heights. It is obvious that politics and business in Guyana enjoy a close relationship.  It shouldn’t surprise that a top government politician found it necessary to issue a statement indicating that his relationship with two of the three Guyana named by the US Treasury Department does not have any taint. It is soothing to hear that political disclaimer.  But there are doubts about how many Guyanese take that defensive posture without considerable misgiving.  In contrast, government leaders did not instill much confidence in their handling of the senior Guyanese public servant now burdened by the sinister identifier of ‘Specially Designated National.’ The fact that this now former official, was among the highest-ranking Guyanese public servants when this matter first surfaced reflects poorly on this country.  The fact that over a year later, she emerged even stronger (politically) and seemingly highly favored puts a pall on the ruling politicians in the Guyana Government.  It was only when the US Government showed its hand (blacklisting) that the PPPC Government rushed to take action to put a good face on a bad situation. The handling of this sensitive matter, the belated public postures, and the slipshod ethics of leading politicians, provide glimpses into the corruption culture that reigns in Guyana.  This culture puts the gold sector in the worst light.  Unless the PPPC Government is honest about cleaning house and then the mindsets of its inner circle, then the best recommendations all mean nothing. Related Similar Articles

The elephant is in the room Jun 29, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom Kaieteur News – Aubrey Norton’s address at the Opening Ceremony of the 22nd Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) left many with unanswered questions. He focused heavily on the state of the country’s economy, critiquing the PPPC government as “corrupt and incompetent.” This is likely to be the PNCR’s tagline going into to next year’s General and Regional Elections. The issue of corruption has always been the Achilles Heel of the PPPC government but it can hardly be cited for being incompetent relative to the performance of the PNCR during its tenure in government. The Leader of the PNCR outlined his party’s plans for a just, inclusive, and prosperous future for Guyana. It was a well-articulated presentation. But there was a glaring omission in his speech. Norton barely touched on the serious internal divisions within his own party. His failure to effectively address these issues was a significant shortcoming of his address to the Congress. Factionalism within the PNCR is not new. It has been a persistent problem that has plagued the party for years. Norton’s attempt to downplay this issue by suggesting that the party should be careful about airing its business in public is not enough. Ignoring these divisions will not help the party achieve its ultimate goal: winning the next general and regional elections.  In fact, the opposite is true. Unless the factionalism is addressed, it can weaken the party. In a previous column I had suggested that the factionalism can be transformed for the benefit of the party which is yet to clarify its ideological position. The current Congress has been besieged by accusations regarding the transparency of the election process. Concerns over the delegates’ list have been particularly troubling. Two candidates for leadership withdrew at the last moment, citing transparency issues. The party has promised a fair and transparent voting process, but it has not effectively addressed the concerns about how delegates were selected and identified. This has been a recurring issue at previous congresses and remains a sore point. The controversy surrounding this congress was further fueled by the resignation of the General Secretary on the eve of the event. She alleged that she was being alienated from certain processes leading up to the Congress. She also made other troubling allegations. In such a contentious atmosphere, it was expected that Norton would spend more time in his address discussing what needs to be done to forge a strong and united party. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It was surprising that Norton did not address the issue of the PNCR’s role within A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), especially considering the recent events where APNU held elections without the involvement of the PNCR, its main political constituency. This significant exclusion raised questions about the unity and collaboration between the coalition partners, and it was expected that Norton would shed light on this matter and outline steps to ensure stronger cohesion within the alliance. Ignoring such a critical issue only adds to the perception of division and lack of clear direction within the party. Addressing internal divisions is crucial for any political party. The PNCR cannot afford to ignore this issue if it hopes to be successful in future elections. Norton’s speech should have focused more on how to bring the party together. The divisions within the party could potentially weaken it and undermine its chances of winning at the polls. But factionalism could also be used to transform the party into a more ideologically-plural party. The leadership had promised that the voting process will be transparent and fair. However, it has not done enough to address concerns about the delegates’ representation. The same issue was a major problem at previous congresses. The PNCR needs to learn from past mistakes and ensure that the process is transparent from start to finish, and not just in terms of the voting. For a party which wants a new national voters’ list not to address concerns about its delegates’ list reeks of double standards. If the elections to positions of leadership are going to be mired in controversy, it will affect the legitimacy and credibility of the new executive. One solution could be to postpone the elections to a separate special congress There is no reason why the present Congress cannot today move a resolution to have elections postponed to a special congress, pending a forensic audit of the membership list and the process of identifying delegates to the Congress. This would allow more time to address the concerns about delegates’ representation. It would also provide an opportunity to ensure that the entire congress process is fair and transparent. The Council of Elders was asked to investigate an allegation against the party’s leader. It is surprising that it has not intervened to ensure that the concerns of the candidates are addressed. This is not too late to do so. The congress can still make a decision to postpone the elections and take the necessary steps to ensure transparency. The PNCR’s goal is to win the next general and regional elections. The divisions within the party are a significant obstacle. Downplaying this issue will not make it go away. It will only fester and potentially weaken the party’s chances of success. The PNCR, however, cannot win the next general and regional elections. The ‘jumbie bird’ of its attempt to rig the 2020 general and regional elections will hover over and haunt the party’s electoral path. But at least it can make a break with its past conduct of electoral shenanigans at both the national level and at the level of the party. Related Similar Articles

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Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Díaz HAVANA TIMES – For some years now, it has become increasingly common to see electric motorcycles and motorbikes in...

.tdi_3.td-a-rec{text-align:center}.tdi_3.td-a-rec:not(.td-a-rec-no-translate){transform:translateZ(0)}.tdi_3 .td-element-style{z-index:-1}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:left}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img img{margin:0 auto 0 0}@media (max-width:767px){.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:center}} ECCB Ends 2023/24 Financial Year on Very High Note 28 June 2024, Basseterre, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis...

By Andres Kogan Valderrama HAVANA TIMES – Regarding the presentation of a proposal for the Update of Curricular Bases (from 1st to 12th grades) by...

.tdi_3.td-a-rec{text-align:center}.tdi_3.td-a-rec:not(.td-a-rec-no-translate){transform:translateZ(0)}.tdi_3 .td-element-style{z-index:-1}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:left}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img img{margin:0 auto 0 0}@media (max-width:767px){.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:center}} The Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) is pleased to announce the official selection of our national swimming...