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WPA disappointed cash grant not given to household Oct 22, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, Since President Ali’s announcement of his government’s intention to give a one-off cash transfer to Guyanese, there has been a flurry of discussion in the public media and within the wider society.  WPA is not surprised at this development. We recall a similar mass interest when Professor Clive Thomas first put the idea on the agenda at the annual Eusi Kwayana Emancipation Symposium held in Buxton in August 2018. We recall that many of the major political players were either lukewarm or dismissive of the proposal.  But it was clear that it had captured the imagination of the masses, especially the working people and the poor. Despite the skepticism from the political elites, the WPA has kept the idea in the public arena. We remain convinced that a Universal Basic Income in the form of Cash Transfers is one of the most effective means of  reducing poverty in Guyana. Our Oil and Gas windfall affords us a golden opportunity to implement this idea, which has been successfully adopted in many countries across the world. Indeed, the United Nations has adopted it as part of its Sustainable Development goals. For the WPA, this matter of the Cash Transfer is rooted in our commitment to alleviate poverty as a developmental goal-it goes beyond politicking. WPA is, therefore, heartened that some of the initial skeptics have warmed to the idea as a serious policy initiative. In this regard, the PPP’s attempt to utilize it as a political gimmick should not diminish its seriousness. While WPA does not claim ownership of the idea, we are proud to have been the first Guyanese political party to place it on the national developmental agenda.  What is now patently clear is that it is the only area of the Oil and Gas discourse that the broad masses of Guyanese feel connected to. Attempts by Vice-President Jagdeo to claim ownership of the idea should be treated as a form of desperation by a government which has failed to generate any serious polices since taking office in 2020. Further, the president’s swift reversal of the initial announcement points to a lack of thought and foresight on the government’s part.  Had the government heeded the WPA’s call for a feasibility study before implementation, it would not have found itself in such an embarrassing situation. WPA is disappointed at the government’s retreat from using the household as the unit to distribute the proposed cash transfer. It betrays a lack of seriousness and a callous disregard for basic economic praxis. We feel that giving it to each individual is in effect giving it to voters rather than families. While we understand the practical challenges of using the household as the unit of distribution, it must be pointed out that the use of the individual exudes many families. WPA notes, for example, that there are many single-parent households, including those headed by parents below the age of eighteen, who will either be short-changed or excluded from the government’s plan. Since its initial roll-out in 2018, WPA has been updating what we call the Buxton Proposal. We are thankful to Professor Thomas and the WPA’s Policy Committee for the work in this regard. Given the renewed interest, we feel the time has come to again engage the public on the matter. Finally, WPA feels that its initial estimation of an annual transfer of approximately $1 million annually is still valid. In fact, given our estimation that Guyana’s oil reserves are closer to 30 billion barrels, it is our view that Guyanese households should be afforded more than that initial estimate. Sincerely, Working People’s Alliance Related Similar Articles

NIS and its complexities  Oct 22, 2024 Letters Dear Editor,  The National Insurance Scheme has been in the news for years now, and all for bad reasons. Recently His Excellency announced interventions that would attempt to address some of the miseries of contributors that have been plaguing the Scheme, but would these satisfy the other complaints experienced by the contributors? In a discussion recently with some concerned citizens, I was asked to make a public appeal for some alleviation of those currently affected and to avoid “problems” in the future. The first observation made was that visits to the various offices of the NIS seem to indicate some amount of over staffing, and suggest that a manpower audit be conducted, to conclusively determine if the Scheme would benefit from a restructuring. The Scheme should also consider an aggressive campaign to inform contributors of the benefits to which they are entitled and the regulations governing such benefits, e.g. that a person cannot be absent from work, the day before sickness benefit is claimed. With respect to sickness benefits, it is now mandatory for a contributor to have on record a medical condition, BEFORE attaining retirement age, to be able to claim for such an ailment AFTER retirement. It is as clear as on a bright sunshine day that many people, as they age develop sicknesses from which they require treatment, e.g. diabetes. Shouldn’t the regulations be amended to address this apparent problematic situation? It was also argued that NIS be transitioned to a digital system to more accurately, efficiently and effectively deal with workers’ issues. Even though NIS has an online platform to have Life Certificates, etc. it is a hassle and time consuming exercise, sometimes in futility to have anyone respond. Forget calling the telephone numbers listed. It’s impossible to get anyone to respond. A problem affecting contributors for decades has been the accurate number of contributions made by workers. This has more often affects workers in the Private sector, but workers in the Public/Government sector also have less contributions recorded. I personally know persons who have been employed continuously all their lives in the Public sector and at the time of being eligible for a pension, the number of contributions have deficiencies for many years. Something must be done to correct this injustice. A NIS Board member has commented that some of his colleague members are more often than not absent from meetings, and at least one member, often sleep through meetings. He also said that with the Chairman of the Board, rather than being from the Private sector should preferably be a professional, and NOT aligned. Another complaint is the non-increase of NIS pensions in recent years, even though many such increases have been made to working persons. Surely, the administration must be aware that some retired persons have ONLY their NIS pensions to survive on. A recent announcement indicated that NIS is in a favourable financial health condition.  The Government, while it should be complimented on its interventions, in my opinion, would not achieve the desired results, by just tinkering with changes, but should consider a complete overhaul of the NIS.Hopefully, those with the authority would take these observations in the spirit in which they are made. Regards,  Harry N Nawbatt Related Similar Articles

State advertisements Oct 22, 2024 Editorial, News Kaieteur News – Go ahead, Mr. Jagdeo!  Yank the State ads, pull all of them.  Take them and give them to whoever serves Guyana’s interests more.  Go further, Jagdeo: pressure private sector friends to stop placing their ads in KN.  If that is what is believed will paralyze this publication, then go ahead and give it a good try.  Write the president and let him decide.  KN will survive, will be better for the experience.  Encourage friendly businesses to withdraw their ad placements with KN, and the world will see what kind of leader Bharrat Jagdeo is. To threaten to yank ads from a small newspaper market like Guyana is lower than low, the lowest.  To do it before, and now bring out that poisoned tipped weapon again, is an exercise in futility.  KN will not be stopped; truth has a way to shine through any darkness, rise above any deed that speaks to the ugly nature of leaders bent on silencing freedom of the press.  Ads were stopped before in one of Jagdeo’s vindictive moves and look where it got him.  Does he really want to attract the attention and outrage of the world during an election period, with such a punitive measure as to be holding State ads like a weapon over KN?  The message from this paper and its publisher is straight from the shoulder: pull the ads and put Kaieteur News on a higher pedestal.  What reporting is being suppressed, what is it that the government seeks so passionately to hide?  What possible secrets and failures do Jagdeo himself wish not to be exposed to the reading public, local and foreign? It is familiar knowledge that ads are part of the oxygen of any newspaper.  Jagdeo knows this, so for him even to go down the road of uttering a threat to tamper with the flow of ads to this paper has only one objective.  It is to block Guyanese from knowing all the weaknesses and wrongs that are part and parcel of his oil management, of his uselessness as a national leader.  Even whispering privately about what is tormenting and then threatening indicate how so much has gone wrong in Guyana, why so much is going downhill in this the Age of Oil in this country.  The PPPC Government, the president, and this same Vice President Jagdeo all should be firmly and fearlessly focused on facing up to ExxonMobil, so that Guyana does better with its oil wealth.  Instead, Jagdeo squanders his time, wastes his energy, and misuses resources to crush KN into silence, or out of existence.  He will not succeed; he will fail and fall on his face.  This happened to him before when State ads were pulled, and it will happen to him again, with his own actions coming back to reveal the lowness and meanness in him, which is what already make many look differently at him. The free and independent media in Guyana should never be seen as an adversary in the fight for what is fair for Guyana for its oil patrimony.  The independent and unfettered media, of which this publication is proud to be a part of, is a worthwhile and formidable ally to any nationally oriented government, any national leader, in the tough struggle for more for Guyana from its wealth.  Jagdeo knows this as well as anyone, but he is so enslaved to the commands of ExxonMobil that he cannot help himself.  He is so imprisoned by the likes of Alistair Routledge that he is helpless to do anything, even to save his own dignity.  So, he is now resorting to taking his curses and intimidations to another level.  There is the soft, setup question involving State ads served to him week after week by one of his media pawns, which even a blind man can see, or an idiot detect, so brazenly transparent Jagdeo is. The threat, repeated more than once, is now out in the open.  We don’t know if Jagdeo expects KN to turn turtle and allow him to kick Guyanese around.  What we do know is that he will not prevail.  The darkness in Jagdeo fears the light of truth.  KN is about that light. Related Similar Articles

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