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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
Editorial Development Institutions If our country is to continue to develop and, as is necessary to catch up with even our CariCom neighbours in the next decade, accelerate the pace of development, our squabbling politicians will have to take some time out to agree on the major fetters to our efforts. This does not mean that the present enthusiasm for housecleaning has to be abandoned, but merely suggests that even if the house is cleaned we are still left with the question as to what to refurnish it with. The factors for development are multiple and diverse. We all know, from our personal experience, that there isn’t one simple answer to the question why each of us becomes richer or poorer: it depends on inheritance, education, ambition, talent, health, personal connections, opportunities, and luck, just to mention some factors. Hence we shouldn’t be surprised that the question of why whole societies become richer or poorer also cannot be given one simple answer. Different experts have different views about the relative importance of the conditions and factors that make countries richer or poorer. The factors they most discuss are so-called “good institutions,” which may be defined as laws and practices that motivate people to work hard, become economically productive, and thereby enrich both themselves and their countries. Among the good economic institutions that motivate people to become productive are the protection of their private property rights, predictable enforcement of their contracts, opportunities to invest and retain control of their money, control of inflation, and open exchange of currency. For instance, people are motivated to work hard if they have opportunities to invest their earnings profitably, but not if they have few such opportunities or if their earnings or profits are likely to be confiscated. There is no doubt that good institutions are important in determining a country’s wealth. To our credit, we have introduced most of the above institutions since 1990. So why haven’t we progressed farther? There is the question of time. A long history of government doesn’t guarantee good institutions but at least permits them; a short history makes them very unlikely. One cannot just suddenly introduce government institutions and expect people to adopt them and to unlearn their long history of backward organization. Next Saturday is the 42nd anniversary of our Independence from Britain: this is a blip in the life of nations. Our politicians must appreciate we are a very young work in progress. An additional factor behind the origin of the good institutions is that in our country, Europeans introduced corrupt “extractive” economic institutions, such as slave and indentured labour and confiscation of produce, to drain wealth from our country. There were also authoritarian political institutions. In our case “extractive economic institutions” meant practices and policies designed to extract incomes and wealth from our entire society to benefit the foreign imperial power. For instance, even though we produce sugar, not a single refinery was established here to give a higher value added product. This is the ‘underdevelopment’ of which Rodney spoke. This was unlike countries such a Canada and Australia where European settlers had to work themselves and they developed institutional incentives rewarding work. When the former colonies like ours achieved independence we inherited the extractive and authoritarian institutions that coerced the masses to produce wealth for dictators and the elite. In the ‘settler’ colonies of Australian etc, they were left with institutions by which the government shared power and gave people incentives to pursue. The extractive institutions retarded economic development, but incentivizing institutions promoted it. But while we have noted the comparative youthfulness of our nation, this does not give our political elite an exemption. It is an indictment of their maturity that while the questions above were confronted by the founders of our independent nation some seem to revel in fingerpointing. Unless the institutions undergirding our flawed systems are modified to match our circumstances and patience is exercised to ensure their rules are inculcated in our people (including mainly themselves) we will be arguing about our ‘underdevelopment’ forty-two years from today.
Kaieteur News
Monday May 21, 2012
Letters... Where your views make the news
“COCK AND BULL STORY”
DEAR EDITOR, The recent public meetings that the AFC has been having in many parts of the country are highlighting a trend of rising anger of the poor and the working class against the ruling PPP cabal. This trend is quite noticeable in the sugar belt. It is our humble political calculation that if such anger had existed during the 2011 elections campaign, the PPP would not have been in Government. Therefore, all this loose talk of “snap elections” can be a blessing in disguise for any political force that is on the path of exposing the wanton corruption and executive lawlessness that continues unabated under the minority PPP Government today. The latest of these AFC public meeting at Port Morant, Berbice was quite a revelation. The members of the working class who attended (mainly cane cutters, ordinary workers and their families) have informed us of the continued suffering today as a result of the oppressive system,
especially on the sugar estates, where a few have most of the benefits and the majority have to settle for the crumbs. To add insult to their injury, they continue to face floods on their own with little if any support from the Government. These floods severely affect their main financial support during the “crop over” season in the form of their gardens and poultry stocks. The people are so consumed with survival that the PPP’s “Goebbels styled” propaganda is the last thing on their minds. Since the start of 2012, the PPP has not put any additional loaf of bread on the people’s table and they are fully up to speed on who is resisting the 10% wages increase for the workers. No amount of propaganda can destroy that fact. We believe that President Ramotar is being ill-advised and plead with him to seek alternative advice on the wages increase for the workers. It is imperative for his political survival.
The people continue to tell our leaders how much they appreciate the fight by the AFC to release the G$50 billion from NICIL and to cut the fat for the “big fishes” out of the Budget to secure enough funding to pay a 10% increase NOW. Not next year or the year after but NOW. The recent pronouncement by Mr. Brassington that NICIL has only $700 million has sent shockwaves throughout THE NATION. This pronouncement has cemented the loss of credibility in the NICIL Board. Where are all the privatization proceeds and the dividends from state companies deposited in that company? This NICIL affair is shaping up to be the largest “Madofftype fraud” on the people. In desperation, NICIL claims that Moses Nagamootoo and Christopher Ram benefited from portions of the $50 billion but all and sundry know that is a “redherring” to distract and distort the real issue. What the NICIL Board has failed to
tell the nation is who else benefited from the largesse at NICIL and by what amounts. When the Ram and Nagamotoo earnings from NICIL are compared to what the big PPP fishes got from NICIL, we will be comparing peanuts from Ram and Nagamootoo vs. the whole cow for the PPP fat cats. We challenge NICIL to publish all the facts on who got what. Why single out Ram and Nagamootoo, what happen to the Ramkarrans and the Nandlalls? In addition, to answer that question, in this season of questions, the NICIL Board must come clean on the following questions: 1. Did NICIL foot the bill of G$280 million to re-route the sewer under the proposed site of the Marriot Hotel, a private investment? 2. Did NICIL foot the bill of G$400 million in design fees for the Marriot Hotel, a private investment? 3. Is NICIL going to foot the bill of G$3.8B in subordinate loans and equity in Continued on page 5
DEAR EDITOR, They say that lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place but I beg to differ, read on and you will see why I actually use the phrase of “lightning striking twice”. Just a few days ago I embarked on a #56 mini bus at the Rosignol Stelling Bus Park. The bus departed with 15 adult passengers inclusive of driver, but this quickly became 17 adult passengers and 3 children under the age of 7; as the driver picked up three more adults and their three children. This bus now carried a total of twenty passengers across the Berbice Bridge to the eastern side en route to New Amsterdam. What really peeves me is the audacity of these bus drivers who are so unscrupulous; not only do they overload their buses at the discomfort of paying passengers but they charge the same fare of $300; as well as charge about another $100-$200 per child. On completion of my business in New Amsterdam, I embarked on another #56 mini bus, this time at the New Amsterdam Stelling Bus Park. Would you believe the overloading was replayed all over again with the exception of no children on my return trip? The bus again departed with 15 passengers, inclusive of driver, and picked up two oversized adult passengers! To add insult to injury I was again the unfortunate person to have my seat made for 3
become a seat for 5 as the guy was obese. It is obvious that most if not all of these drivers overload their buses. That is the reason why on both of my trips within hours, I was cramped in an overloaded #56 mini bus. Thus: my reason for using the phrase of ‘lightning striking twice in the same place’. Here is the best part. Right there on the road leading to the bridge at the Palmyra end was a white police patrol car PKK 884 parked in the bushes with at least three officers and they did not even attempt to stop the bus. I wonder what kind of stakeout were they on. Was it only to catch speeding vehicles? That would have been mission impossible as all the vehicles proceeding in both directions gave each other the light signal
everyone is so familiar with. It’s the Morse code of drivers to inform each other cops are nearby. Also in this particular bus, the front passenger was not wearing his seatbelt, yet the cops never saw that or the fact that the bus was overloaded. My question as well as suggestion is why doesn’t the Police Force, moreso the Traffic Dept of ‘B’ Division, have ranks stationed at each approach to the bridge where it will be impossible to let off the passengers once the police are sighted? This way the defaulters can be prosecuted. However, this should not be a short term exercise; conducted for a week or few days, but all year long and if possible all 24hours. Another question: Isn’t there a law that states that all mini buses operating for hire consist of a conductor? News
flash none of these #56 mini buses operates with a conductor! Is it not time to put an end to all the lawlessness on our roads? Minister Rohee you are once more the Home Affairs Minister; it’s time to get your act together. You do not need millions of dollars to put an end to this problem commuters face each time they use the #56 buses or any vehicle that operate for hire. Overloading is a major and daily problem and many times the police are aware of it but turn a blind eye. May I remind you that “Familiarity breeds contempt?” In closing, I look forward to the next time I venture either side of the Berbice Bridge that I will see the traffic ranks working to eliminate the lawlessness on our roads. Juliet Dukhi
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE
The State is in charge of marriages DEAR EDITOR, Some Evangelical Pastors have seemingly arrogated to themselves some sort of divine right in relation to marriage. They fancy themselves the arbiters of coupling. This may be so in essence, but not in actuality. Marriage may (or may not) be established by a God but its legitimacy and recognition remains an instrument of the State. Marriage Officers, and that include Evangelical Pastors, may be suggested by their churches to perform marriage services but the permission to do so is granted to them by the government. In other words, the State is in charge of marriages, the rituals of which are outsourced to pastors. Their job is merely to “solemnize” the event for those who desire their presence. They basically oversee the signing ceremony.
These days though, they have commandeered some imagined authority and have escalated their own power to determine who can and who cannot be married. To be clear, the authority to marry people rests with man, not with any God. Clerics performing the legal function without permission from the government could end up in jail. Without the government’s imprimatur, his act is a sham. Religious extremists would do well to remember that the State can revoke any marriage officer’s license, if it finds reason to do so. Therefore, that power, the right to bind two people together in wedlock, belongs to the State and not to those claiming to represent any other authority. Justin de Freitas