Brassington opens up on NICIL
May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The following is the first part of an interview on the special series “Inside the Government” with Olive Gopaul and NICIL Executive Director Winston Brassington.
In the wide ranging interview, Brassington allayed fears about allegations of corruption at the government holding company and also answered his critics on a number of issues relating to NICIL.
Olive Gopaul: Welcome to this special series on Inside the government. This series will focus on government development to aid national development and some of the challenges the Government as well as the stakeholders are faced with when executing these initiatives to aid in national development.
In today’s [Friday's] programme, we will have an exclusive feature on the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) and joining us is Mr Winston Brassington, the chief executive director, as we discuss some of the issues, the hot topic now NICIL, welcome Mr Brassington. Let us get straight to business, can you say when was NICIL formed and what was its mandate.
Winston Brassington: NICIL was formed in July of 1990 by the PNC government of the day. It is a company under the Companies Act. Its mandate is pretty much to subscribe for, invest hold shares, hold investments, buy property, sell property, lease property, to do pretty much anything that one can imagine a company could do. So it was formed a long time ago, not by this government, under the Companies Act, registered as a private company with a mandate to basically be in essence a holding company, an investment company.
Olive Gopaul: And back then, the PNC government then would have outlined exactly the modus operandi of the company.
Winston Brassington: That is correct, the documents that were used to form the company, the articles and the memorandum spelt out the powers of the company and there is a list of 21 areas of what the company can do, so they went in to great detail in defining the powers of the company.
Olive Gopaul: Okay and this is how, using those mandates, that’s how you’re operating now?
Winston Brassington: That’s correct; we haven’t changed anything since then.
Olive Gopaul: Good, now when were you appointed executive director of NICIL?
Winston Brassington: I became CEO of NICIL in 2002. I was the head of Privatisation from 1994 and in 2002 the Privatisation Unit and NICIL were operationally merged.
Olive Gopaul: When you took over, what was the state of the company?
Winston Brassington: well, prior to 2002, NICIL financial statements were not being consolidated and that is a requirement not only of the accounting rules – Guyana’s *** but also of the Companies Act and we went around, we set about to basically prepare NICIL accounts to meet international accounting standards which were applied in Guyana and that required us to basically prepare accounts not simply for NICIL but for NICIL and its entire group of subsidiaries which were many and that was a substantial undertaking so that was the state of play and we set about to basically ensure that NICIL prepared its account in accordance with the accounting convention.
Olive Gopaul: Are there articles in the Constitution that deals specifically with the Company’s finances?
Winston Brassington: Not specifically with NICIL. NICIL is company formed pursuant to the Companies Act and that is basically the document that we have to comply with, like any other company.
Olive Gopaul: I understand that Mr Christopher Ram along with his Company, Ram and McRae played a part in furthering the development of NICIL, can you say exactly what was his role?
Winston Brassington: Mr Ram and Ram and McRae has provided consultancy services and accounting services to NICIL, in 2003, in 2004 when we set about preparing for the first time consolidated accounts for NICIL, we hired Ram and McRae to help us organise that and to provide training for our staff so Ram and McRae has been a consultant to NICIL going back to that time.
Olive Gopaul: Ok, now this is getting down to the interesting part of it, the finances, what is the Company’s current financial state?
Winston Brassington: The big question is how much money does NICIL have today and…
Olive Gopaul: There’s lots of figures throwing out there…
Winston Brassington: I wish they could be more responsible and transparent in how they do the arithmetic because I have looked at these figures that they are throwing around and it’s jumbie arithmetic. NICIL at the end of March this year had a little over $700 million in its accounts. Now that money, some of it is in escrow, some of it is committed, so that is the sum total of the entire monies held by NICIL. Of course this doesn’t include money relating to the subsidiaries of NICIL, but that is the money that NICIL has. So it’s not anything in the vicinity of what is being mentioned and I think when politicians go out and make these statements they should be accountable and responsible. They are trying to say we ought to do ABC, but they don’t exercise any due care in what they say and do.
Olive Gopaul: Now, is it required by law for the funds of NICIL to be deposited into a consolidated account?
Winston Brassington: No, no, the memorandum and articles or the articles and by-laws as we call them today provides for the funds to be held in NICIL and for dividends to be declared at the discretion of the directors so there is no requirement for the monies to be put into the Consolidated Fund. Any company, the distribution of profits is a decision of the directors and the articles and by-laws of NICIL is no different. It clearly states at the sole discretion of the directors, they may declare interim dividends from time to time. Didn’t mandate them to do anything in terms of distribution; it leaves it totally within their discretion.
Olive Gopaul: Okay, so given the pressure that NICIL is being bombarded with from the opposition, particularly AFC, it is not mandatory that this money, whatever money that is being held by NICIL be put into the Consolidated Fund.
Winston Brassington: That’s correct.
Olive Gopaul: All right, now I would like to quote something the AFC is saying that 50 billion dollars that needs to be accounted for and I quote: “This money which is being held in NICIL’s account accrued for the sale of assets that were owned by the people of the country, as a result the money should have been placed in the people’s treasury. Instead, the government has authorised NICIL to act as a sale agent who has pocketed the money in accounts under their control.” And this is quoted from Khemraj Ramjattan’s press briefing on May 4, 2012. What is your response?
Winston Brassington: As I have said before, I don’t know where he came up with that figure; it’s not grounded in reality, that’s the first point. The second point is the monies that are in NICIL’s accounts belong to NICIL, any assets, any monies that NICIL receives have to be accounted for in the books of NICIL and NICIL does that. There’s no obligation, in fact it would be a violation of the company’s rules if we were to bypass putting the monies in NICIL accounts. It would be a violation of the Companies Act and the rules of the company if we were to do that. All of that being said; we have transferred substantial sums to the Treasury from NICIL.
Between 2002 and 2011, NICIL paid over nine billion dollars to the Treasury in dividends. People don’t mention this: it’s in the estimates, it’s a public record each year how much monies are paid over, they don’t mention it but NICIL accounts for the money and we declare dividends from time to time and between 2002 and 2011 NICIL paid over to the treasury over nine billion dollars in dividends. Between the period 1994 and 2001, NICIL – and this is before I became CEO of NICIL – NICIL paid over to the Treasury $2.3 billion but in addition to that substantial sums were also paid over to the Treasury related to privatisation. Our records indicate that between 1994 and 2011 approximately 12 billion dollars were paid over as privatisation proceeds to the Treasury. Now, if anyone looks at the estimates, there are usually two line items – divestment proceeds and dividends – and every year the budget and the estimates of the company that contain these numbers so this is public information. Now, the auditor general also looks at this stuff in his audit, so I think that this issue has been blown totally out of proportion, because from our records since privatisation started under this government, NICIL has caused to be distributed either through the privatisation programme or through NICIL in excess of 20 billion dollars to the Treasury.
Olive Gopaul: Okay, now with every company there is a manner in which the company operates, how the company goes about doing things. You said that there is a board of directors, now what is the procedure that is required when an entity is being privatised? What is the procedure? What are the layers that you have to go through before it reaches the end point?
Winston Brassington: It’s a good question because nothing that we do is without a decision-making process that is above us. In 1993, the government, the PPP government promulgated a privatisation policy and it was stated, laid out in a document called Privatisation Policy Framework Paper and it set out the principles under which privatisation would be conducted to ensure a transparent system. One of the key aspects of this process was the institutional organisation which you’ll have a technical unit called the Privatisation Unit, which was simply a department, it wasn’t separate in law; that privatisation unit would report to a privatisation board and the privatisation board is made up of six members, three from government, three ministers and three from the private sector representing labour, consumers and the private sector, so we have a stakeholder board that is there. The privatisation board, in turn, makes recommendations on privatisation to Cabinet; so every privatisation that we have undertaken has gone through that process; every privatisation.
Olive Gopaul: Okay and there is a balance in the board of directors representing every aspect of our society.
Winston Brassington: That is correct. All of the members [who] are civil society have a seat at the Privatisation board.
Olive Gopaul: Okay, now let us talk about the auditing of the records, how up to date is the auditing of the records of NICIL.
Winston Brassington: NICIL, every year, within the first four months, NICIL as a company submits its accounts to the Office of the Auditor General. We have no choice in picking our auditors, it is set out in law that the auditor for the state sector is the auditor general and in law we have to submit everything to the auditor general to be audited, so we submit our financial statements which we prepare to the Office of the Auditor General for audit. Now the office of the Auditor General has completed the audit of NICIL as a company up to 2010, they are about to start 2011 next week. They have completed NICIL, the audit for NICIL as a group, up to the end of 2005. We have just recently received the consolidated audit opinion up to the end of 2005 and although NICIL as a company has had its audit completed up to the end of 2010, the auditor general does not issue the opinion until all of the subsidiaries of NICIL have had their audits completed.
Phillip woulda “envy” de GHRA “craftsmanship!”
May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Condolences to de family and friends of outstanding Guyanese artist/sculptor, Phillip, who is no more. He leff many intricate pieces including, what gon now be he “legacy”, de 1763 monument. People was hoping that before Phillip was given he “final call”, he woulda explain what relevance de monument gat to de National hero, Cuffy, and what was de “Kabaka” thinking at de time fuh such a representation! People gat dem own interpretation which can give “goosebumps!” Dem who know how Cuffy “look” in photographs, know that de monument ain’t look nothing like he! Some seh dem was even scared fuh pass there! Now that Phillip gone, de secret gone too! However, another man trying fuh expose other secrets. Ralph, who no longer “speak” officially, writing plenty letters and articles.
He expose a officer receiving a “take” from a motorist. Plenty does complain how dem does be at de “mercy” of some ranks pun de road and seh de “practice” is rank! Traffic build up at de Cemetery Road bridge that bruk recently meking it look like de harbour bridge. People couldn’t move fuh long and some even try fuh drive through de other roads in de cemetery but de bush turn dem back! Not a rank was around even though de outpost right there, but at Houston, seven ranks with vehicles was waiting, and Uncle Donald wasn’t passing! There de traffic was flowing like de flood waters in Region Nine! No ranks where be traffic build-up and plenty where it flowing! People call that “efficiency!” People seh de ranks was there to “practice” since if dem do so where traffic build up, people gat time fuh tek photos like Ralph use in he article!
Dem surprise that Ralph didn’t speak up when he was “holding de hammer” in de House! People also sehin dem surprise that de government sound surprise because de GHRA teking side with de opposition. Everybody know that de GHRA is a part of de Opposition! When bandits rob or kill people, de GHRA don’t be concern with de victims, but does be worried about de bandits welfare! Is de same way dem not worried about de workers that could lose dem jobs, but more concern about propping up de opposition one-seat dictatorship! Dem not even worried about de negative impact pun de Amerindian communities. De organisation “sculpt” itself long now as a “monument” of de opposition! Phillip woulda been envious of dem “craftsmanship!” People asking if Ralph next article gon be title, “GHRA on de opposition “take!” He not worried about photos – he gat plenty! Ting-a-ling-a-ling…Friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie!
Oily hypocrite
May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Transparency
We’ve referred before to the rhetorical ploy of Lincoln Lewis to strike the high ground even as he gets in his racist and inflammatory provocations. We called his manoeuvre “unctuous”: characterised by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness. Well, Lewis has been joined by Ramjattan in his unpleasantly and excessively ingratiating oleaginous hypocrisy. Could it be that the Opposition is taking lessons from the same elocution teacher? Or it’s a product of bile and bitterness?
In a long letter to the MuckrakerKN, Ramjattan simpered: “The AFC will continue its crusade and lobby in every quarter for transparency and accountability. This is the bounden duty of this generation of leaders.” Hello!!!! Ever heard the one about charity beginning at home, Ramjattan? Doesn’t “every quarter” include the AFC? What about “transparency and accountability” on the $4.5 million your AFC piss-doctor MP Ramayya claims he spent but has no receipts?
Remember, whenever you point your finger at somebody, three fingers are pointing at yourself! And in Ramjattan and his cronies’ cases, there has to be dozens of fingers pointed at them. We can start with the duty free vehicle Ramjattan filched when he squatted on the PPP’s seat back in 2005. What happened to the millions made when it was sold? Too busy to keep check?
Where’s the transparency when Ramjattan conspired with Trotman to deny his old friend (?) Gomattie Singh an AFC seat in favour of Chantelle Smith? Ah… such accountability! Where is dear old Chantelle? How well did she represent the AFC voters? Too busy to keep tabs? Then of course, there’s the corruption over in Region Two. Where’s the transparency when Reg Councillor Charles Daneville was bypassed for another friend of Ramjattan?
But even in the letter to KN with his smarmy comment, Ramjattan couldn’t be transparent. He went on at a rate about NICIL but didn’t think it necessary to mention that his best friend and fellow carpetbagger from the PPP, Moses “Shut yuh so-and-so mouth” Nagamootoo was being employed by NICIL! So here we have Ramjattan accusing NICIL of practically hoarding ‘blood money’ but it’s okay for the man who will be the AFC’s next presidential candidate (according to Kissoon) to fill his pockets with it! Lordy, lord!!
Like we said before: take the plank out of your eyes, Ramjattan, you wanker!
Sauce for the gander
GT&T’s CEO Mahadeo complained bitterly that NCN was using its ‘monopoly’ to ‘price gouge’ the telephone company’s 10/10 cricket finals. We find this rich beyond words for a host of reasons! GT&T complaining about monopoly price gouging!!!! ROTFLMAO! For two decades GT&T used the monopoly it secured from the PNC dictatorship in 1990 to not only gouge Guyanese on prices but to prevent competition from entering the critical industry. GT&T is still dragging its heels on this issue – just ask Digicel! But Mahadeo also has to be smoking something to assert that NCN has a monopoly on TV broadcasting in Guyana. What happened to all the other channels that are occupying our spectrum? Mahadeo is further burying his head in the sand – probably from the #63 beach from where he hails. Did he forget that NCN’s subvention has now been slashed to $1? Not much room in that to give discounts Mahadeo. Pennies maybe? NCN now has to earn its keep. We hope that other cricket lovers don’t get too bent out of shape when there’s no cricket from the England tour. Blame APNU/AFC!!
Guyanese hero
Everyone knows our view of the world is a bit jaded. But not so jaded as to not express condolences on the passing of Philip Moore – our home-grown, world-class sculptor and all round artistic spirit. Moore represents the best of what Guyanese can be if we would only be true to ourselves. He reached into himself to tap the reservoirs of creativity bequeathed by our forbears but neglected by the rest of us. RIP.
Carl now into “Stand-up Comedy!”
May 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Somehow, despite de serious implication of de happenings in Parliament, humour coming out steady. It ain’t only gat fuh do with de “presentation” of a certain MP who daddy own a TV station. People does call de MP “presentation”, “Stand Up Comedy” and he father show, “Comedy Non Stop”. People seh is another example of de “chip not being far from de block” and point out that de “comedy” is fuh “stress relief!” Is de same way Carl doing he own version of “comedy” fuh help relieve de tension in de House. As de debates about de budget continue, Carl pilot a motion fuh de Judiciary not to be under any budget agency so it could be independent.
He also seh de separation of powers is de pillar of “rule of law” and that operatives in de system might feel compromise, knowing that money coming from a government budget agency! Well, that is where de comedy is. People laff hearty and ask when was de Judiciary independent under de Coconut Tree party that Carl was minister in! Dem want fuh know how come Carl and he “comrades” didn’t talk about separating powers then! Dem also asking how come during all of de 28 year (mis) rule of de Coconut Tree party, Carl and some of he same “comrades”, who now sit with he in de House, didn’t seh then that de operatives might felt compromise knowing fully well that de government was providing all de money!
People ain’t forget how de Coconut Tree party control everything then just fuh keep it in office. Word is that de current operatives teking umbrage at Carl fuh suggesting that dem might compromise. Dem sehin that is a attack pun dem integrity! De same State media that Carl and he opposition pals vote fuh cut de budget, was de same state media that promote de Coconut Tree party and it government then! Why he didn’t ask fuh reform then? This is de same Carl who now driving a fancy expensive Porsche while accusing officials of extravagance! Given Carl “presentations” he might be challenging Chris Rock and would end up pun de MP father TV fuh more “Comedy Non Stop!’ If Carl get he way, some workers might be hitting rock bottom! Ting-a-ling-a-ling…Friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie!
Grandstanding
May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
(Bowel) Motion
The puerility of the opposition was on display for all to see last Thursday in Parliament. Carl ‘Barry” Greenidge, fighting desperately to raise his profile for his upcoming battle for leadership of the PNC, brought a raft of motions. Now before motions can be placed on the Order Paper of Parliament, they have to be vetted by the Speaker and the clerk to ensure they are in order. They were allowed to pass. Unbiased Speaker? Ha!!
Government spokespersons immediately informed all and sundry that the motions were flawed – fatally so. Some of the motions sought information when the opposition already had the power to ask questions directly. But it was the motions that sought to alter existing legislation that raised the issue of opposition motive, not to mention competence, most starkly.
The latter could either be challenged in the courts – as APNU’s MP Desmond Trotman had done with the Pensions and Benefits of the former President Jagdeo – or new legislation could be introduced. For what it is worth it, on that specific challenge, even parliament cannot retroactively alter the benefits of President Jagdeo – they can only do so for future presidents. And on that bit of vindictiveness towards Jagdeo, who had bested them so many times, that they just had to ‘try a ting’, the government pointed out that all the ‘big time’ lawyers like Ramjattan were ignoring the rule that they could not comment on the substance of a case that was sub judice!
But the wankers in the opposition went ahead. The first motion that came up was the one where the opposition was grandstanding to imply that the Judiciary was being bought out and controlled by the Executive! The funding for the judiciary, they screamed “must come directly from the Consolidated Fund”! Greenidge is obviously confused with his old PNC days when he and the rest of the dictatorship flew their party flag over the Appellate Court.
Anyhow Speaker Trotman, who had been educated by the government on the matter, immediately ruled that even though the motion would be carried, it would have no effect. As the government had argued, amendments to an Act must be done through legislation and not a motion! So after all the hot air and verbal diarrhoea they passed, all the opposition did was to have at best, a ‘bowel’ motion! And it must be quite debilitating because they declared a recess till the end of the month!
Rodneyite amnesia
Some people have no shame. Last week at the end of the Bocas literary festival in T&T, with a host of intellectuals present, George Lamming had to point out how even in Guyana people had forgotten how Walter Rodney had been assassinated. How can anyone remember this most horrific and dirty political deed committed by the PNC when the erstwhile comrades of Rodney are now in bed with the PNC? Their lips are sealed because of their own thirst for power.
There is indisputable evidence that the army was implicated in Rodney’s assassination: Gregory Smith was an army sergeant and he was spirited away on one of their aircraft. Granger had just been promoted as head of the army in a shake-up precipitated by alleged infiltration by Rodney. He was promoted because he was trusted by Burnham and he had to know something.
And now we have the second in command to Rodney, now the second in command to Granger!! Can there be any greater betrayal? Overvaulting ambition will do this to you.
Partisan press
The opposition is very vociferous in claiming that the state media is not sufficiently critical of the state. Well what about the opposition media and their criticism of the opposition? Why haven’t they even published the shocking expose by the AFC councillor of the corruption of the AFC MP Ramayya and the cover up by Ramjattan? What a bunch of wankers!!
Competition and economic growth
May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Today’s article is focused on competition and its role in the development of the national economy. As mentioned in previous articles, the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) is comprised of the Competition Policy Division and the Consumer Affairs Division. The roles of the Competition Policy Division may be broadly categorised as competition enforcement and competition advocacy; however its overarching goal is to secure vibrant, competitive markets in the interests of consumers and to promote productivity, innovation and economic growth. Research has shown that industries with intense rivalry among firms deliver better market outcomes such as; higher efficiency, innovative capacity, and more internationally competitive firms.
This in turn can generate increased exports, foreign exchange, jobs and industrial growth. Intense rivalry among firms is characterised by a higher number of players, dynamic entry and exit of firms in and out of the industry, and intense competition for customers, for example, through price discounts, promotions, and aggressive marketing. Competitive rivalry among firms tends to lower prices and produce better service for consumers as well. It is worthwhile to note that while the CCAC is a subvention of the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry, its decisions are independent of political or business influence or interest groups in general. Decisions are made on merits in order to promote, maintain and encourage competitive markets and promote the welfare and interest of consumers.
Competition enforcement
Competition laws set out the rules for competition amongst firms in the marketplace. It is comprised of a set of measures, enacted through competition legislation, which constrain the strategies available to firms, for example, strategies aimed at restraining or eliminating competition and exercising independent market power. These measures include provisions banning cartels, as well as provisions prohibiting predatory pricing. Other measures include provisions prohibiting abuse of a dominant position by a large incumbent firm or collective dominance by firms acting together to exercise market power. It should be noted that the goals of competition laws are stated in broad terms, and while mention is not made of the specific issues related to economic growth, it can be argued that addressing such issues is necessary for attaining the stated goals such as enhanced economic efficiency and economic growth. Such issues may include, for example, enhancing the investment climate for foreign direct investment as well as domestic investments, opening up markets to new entrants, and job creation.
Competition advocacy
In addition to competition enforcement, the Competition Policy Division also performs a competition advocacy role. Competition Advocacy may be regarded as those activities carried out by the CCAC with the aim of enhancing the competitive environment for economic activities by means of non-enforcement mechanisms. This includes cooperating with other associations and governmental bodies in developing policies that are compatible with the CFTA. Competition advocacy also involves the provision of information to businesses, associations, legal entities, governmental and non-governmental bodies and consumers in order to increase public awareness of the benefits of competition. This is intended to make governmental entities, the judicial system, economic agents and the public at large more familiar with the benefits that can be derived from competition and to establish a strong competition culture.
Competition culture reflects the intensity of competitive rivalry in the market place in various industries. Competition culture is demonstrate by the attitudes of consumers and producers in given market conditions, for example, if consumers’ attitude is to easily surrender to monopolistic abuse of dominant positions, this is indicative of a weak competition culture while consumers looking actively for better options is indicative of strong competition culture. Further, if the attitude of a producer that occupies a position of dominance in a particular market is to be complacent with the status quo of their privileges, this is indicative of a weak competition culture as opposed to a producer’s attitude of working to provide more variety and lower cost products to consumers is indicative of a strong competition culture. Competition advocacy is one means of enhancing the competition culture which in turn creates competitive markets and more efficient and productive firms, which ultimately contributes to economic growth and development.
Economic growth
Competition plays a crucial role in driving economic growth. To be successful in a competitive environment, firms are placed under pressure to increase their internal efficiency. Firms that are able to gain a competitive edge by increasing their efficiency are also able to increase their market share at the expense of less efficient firms. Less efficient firms may then exit the market, giving way for more efficient firms to enter and compete for market share. In addition to being more efficient, firms can gain a competitive edge by being more innovative to differentiate their products or bring new products to the market, or to gain a cost advantage.
Competition also contributes to economic growth in other ways, for example, there is evidence that it reduces inflation rates in economies with longstanding competition authorities. For example, this was shown in a study by the European Central Bank (2005) Does Product Market Competition Reduce Inflation?, which found a significant negative correlation between competition and inflation at the aggregate and sectoral levels. Competition guards against protectionism and vested interests from becoming rooted in markets. This opens up markets to new entrants and positions the national economy as a suitable option for having a conducive environment for foreign direct investment. In addition, domestic firms that emerge from competitive markets benefits from higher efficiency, innovation, productivity and lower cost of production and are therefore better equipped to compete internationally. The benefits of competition at the market level, thus results in better macro economic performance and benefits consumers at the same time.
To this end, the CCAC has embarked on a multi-faceted approach to promoting competitive markets by incorporating both competition enforcement and competition advocacy. Indeed competition enforcement and competition advocacy are two sides of the same coin since they complement and reinforce each other. Therefore, while competition enforcement is a staple in the daily work of the CCAC, it has also embarked on several initiatives to bolster its competition advocacy role. These include, for example, conducting an economic mapping survey aimed at assessing the competitive dynamics of key sectors in Guyana. This will enable the CCAC to focus its resources in the areas that are most important for economic growth and development. The CCAC is also in the early planning stages of a seminar series intended to make other government bodies, the judicial system, businesses and the public at large more familiar with the benefits of competition, the role of economics in competition law and the role competition can play in promoting and enhancing vibrant competitive markets and consumer welfare.
What is your role in all this?
Consumers play an integral role in the competitive process through their choice of which products to buy. Consumers’ choice of products provides important feedback to companies as to what direction they should take. You can also do your part to ensure businesses keep delivering more choice, quality, innovation and lower prices by staying informed. Contact the CCAC if you suspect that a business may be acting in an unfair or uncompetitive manner.
David getting a fat package – others getting “plimpla!”
May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Well, de story about de allegations of corruption by a leading “key” MP now officially in de public glare. Khemraj even comment publicly and admit that he was too busy fuh deal with it! People seh is just excuse since he and de “accuse” very close. He also seh that almost all of de leading “key” people spend dem own money during de last campaign and asking how much de man who expose de “key” MP spend. From de comment, it look like Khemraj done tek side with de MP! People done seh that is a attempt fuh try and cover up de allegations and want fuh know if is because de MP might be he “doctor” mek he taking sides! What he forget is that de same “bush” de “doctor” MP does deal with, gat ears!
Having heard through de “bushes”, people want fuh know how much he, Cathy, Nigel and Moses spend and if it was from dem own pocket! Also dem want fuh know if a “key” motion gon de laid fuh uncover that and wondering why Khemraj hinting at a cover up when de “key” party pride itself in sehin it gon expose corruption! People want fuh know if de party is now, All Fuh Corruption! Word from de “pumpkin vine” (since grapes don’t grow here) is that Gerhard also getting expose fuh allegedly exploiting some people who wuking pun he flower farm. Apparently, he underpaying dem. De workers, who is consider de “first people”, was “flower up” with “roses” of fancy talk about good salary and benefits fuh “bloom” de farm. Instead dem get “plimpla!”
According to de “word”, de po people get far less that half of what de minimum wage is! This is de same man who does “pope” protest and demand better wages fuh workers! Gradually de party “cats coming out de bag!” De Opposition “two-faceness” glaring! Is de same way dem ranting over de former President pension but not telling de public about what David and all he MPs getting! David also getting guards, maids, gardener, free medical bills, office and staff, duty free concession and so on! How come dem not talking about that! Nobody touching David package! Maybe it wrap with “plimpla!” David ain’t gon want he and he MPs benefits cut! Maybe that “package” should now be in de public glare! But, oh shucks, Khemraj might be too busy fuh that! Ting-a-ling-a-ling…Friend tell friend…Mattie tell mattie!
The mote and the log
May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The challenge
Ramjattan has been challenged by one of his Berbice Councillors to put up or shut up on the corruption charges engulfing his local acolyte – Ramayya, the ‘piss doctor’. After giving chapter and verse on the scandal of monies collected, unaccounted for and now ‘reimbursements” being demanded, the AFC councillor hazarded Ramjattan would never muster the ‘courage’ to resolve the issue.
The lack of testicular fortitude arises from the simple fact that ‘pot can’t call kettle black”! All these AFC types have played fast and loose with campaign funds. If councillor Yusuf is aghast at what took place with donations in Berbice, he would vomit if he witnessed the foreign escapades. And these hypocrites unctuously and sanctimoniously carp about corruption in Parliament! The wankers certainly know of what they speak!
Was it not written somewhere, “You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye”? From the beans now being spilled we might need some hymacs to remove the logs from Ramjattan’s eye. Just as Yusuf predicted, Ramjattan has passed the buck and now claims that ‘he’s too busy”!
Just debating the budget prevents him from investigating corruption in his own (tiny) backyard! Yet this charlatan cursed Jagdeo till water couldn’t wash it, for not fighting alleged contractors’ corruption in the whole country! Ramjattan wasn’t busy to run down during the budget debate to spread racial strife in Linden, but he can’t find time to investigate someone he’s just appointed to Parliament to decide on the nation’s future.
Then it is so nauseating to hear these scoundrels speak about ‘their’ money they spent on their campaign. Firstly there is no accounting that they ever took money from their own pockets. If the AFC demands accounting on the speciality hospital, why not for themselves? Secondly, how come they don’t mention how much they make on the tax exemptions they get as MP’s for the massive vehicles they import?
Is Ramjattan willing to have an audit of how much he’s made on ‘duty free’ by selling his vehicles? We suspect it might rival whatever NICIL made in selling off government enterprises! C’mon Ramjattan, are you gonna yank that plank from your eye? Should be easy: wankers yank all the time!
Not “foot in mouth”
For the longest while we thought Lincoln Lewis had been fighting a losing battle with chronic foot-in-mouth disease. We called him ‘Lincoln the Loud”. But then we realised we’d misdiagnosed the sickness: it was far worse – terminal racism. Placing and removing his feet (massive as they are) from his mouth made him out as a buffoon – but the racist venom he now injects into the body politic can metastasise into a cancer to destroy us all.
The cure for cancer is to destroy the element that triggers the uncontrolled multiplication of cells. PM Hinds has nailed the racist provocative statements made by Lewis that the government destroyed the electricity generating equipment at Linden then transferred them to “Berbice”. Linden and “Berbice” are of course tropes in Guyana for “African” and “Indian” Guyanese respectively. The racist incitement is clear!
We hope that the authorities are looking beyond the PM’s responses to more pertinent ones such as ‘hate speech’ and ‘racial provocations” to deal with Lewis. Does the government believe pointing out that the equipment had been abandoned, then reconditioned and deployed to Versailles and West Berbice – both areas of balanced ethnic populations – undid the damage caused by the racist initial charge? Deal with the provocateur condignly!
Might is right
The AG explained to the opposition that the motions they brought in Parliament yesterday were in violation of the Constitution. Does wiping their feet on the rule of law matter to these power drunk wankers? Not in this lifetime! Call Snap Elections!!
A “bush doctor” gat a “tree” in he eye!
May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
