… For development
Many people from the APNU / AFC Opposition benches are waving their hands about “being left behind”. Well, we’re in a new globalized world now … and nobody wants to give away leaflets. You have risen and competed in that world. But it is now clear that all the PNC types were concerned about were wealthy schemes that included taking the nation’s assets for free and then flipping them to outsiders for astronomical sums. Never mind that apart from inflating their bank accounts, there is nothing injected into the local economy to spread the wealth.
Well, under President Irfaan Ali’s Administration, we learn how REAL development begins. Seeing that the Government is delivering on its Manifesto pledge to launch massive infrastructure projects, two local businessmen have shown what it takes to launch sustainable development. All it took was a little common sense to ask, “what goods and services will those infrastructure projects require?” The answer to that question goes to the heart of the “entrepreneurial phenomenon” that the PNC talked about and heavily analyzed, but NEVER encourage because of their anti-business stance and their compulsion for the ” fast buck ”.
The answer, of course, would be to identify BUSINESS NEEDS that could be met – which would then provide jobs and, not coincidentally, generate profit for the people with the vision and the guts to venture. In Guyana, some of the infrastructure projects identified were the two massive concrete bridges across the Corentyne and Demerara Rivers; the highway to Brazil; the Deep Water Harbor in the Berbice Estuary, etc.
What do each of these projects need? If you answered “concrete!”, Dear Reader, go to the top of the class! And what does concrete need? Cement, stone and sand, that’s what !! So what did the two business men above invest in? By far the largest quarry in the Caribbean, to be located in Region Seven, and a cement factory in Region Three !! Now some may say that we already have some quarries in Guyana – but one has to think back to how quickly we hear of “stone scarcity” to realize that we cannot afford such a restriction to curb our development drive.
In terms of cement, although we do not seem to have its main ingredient – limestone, it makes sense to import the raw materials and add value here. Your Eyewitness remembers that a cement plant was launched in Berbice a while back and perhaps the new candidate could learn what happened there.
As it could, a hat tip goes out to these two entrepreneurs. Your Eyewitness hopes that others will follow suit to seize opportunities ahead.
And that the PNC stopped whining!
… To clean GECOM?
Your Eyewitness was pleased to hear that GECOM’s CEO, Lowenfield – who had been accused of “public misconduct” for his role during the elections – had been sent on holiday. It is clear that 141 days have accrued. But strangely, this was only revealed by the Chairman Claudette Singh after the PSC had called on her to reveal whether the Secretariat was sanitized in advance of the LGE scheduled next year. That’s near us !!
But what’s even stranger is that Singh has announced that he has been replaced by Dep. Chief Executive Roxanne Myers – who has also been charged. It looks like Burnham’s prediction of “if one PNC man is removed, another Rasta will take his place” is fulfilled! And there was no word on the other GECOM officials who aided and abetted Mingo in his apparent high election offense of rigging!
This is disgusting! Singh says GECOM is not a “one man operation”. Enough truth. Well, today, the Commission is meeting.
Holding another election with the same corrupt officials and expecting a different result is crazy!
… For COVID mutations
With the announcement of a new, rolling strain of COVID-19 reported in the UK, it is no wonder that countries around the world – even Europe next door – are banning flights from the UK.
We better act now !!