By James Mc Allister

LAST week I said, “We will have the Good Life,” and first oil naysayers became agitated. Some declared, “weak analysis,” while others demurred, “GDP is not a reliable indicator.” One even said that ExxonMobil will take 98 per cent of the GPD, and leave only two per cent for us.

It is not my intention to get into a back and forth with these naysayers. However, a few misconceptions need clarification, lest people are misled. Firstly, the person who said ExxonMobil will be taking 98 per cent of the GDP clearly does not know what GDP is. The GDP is the measure of ALL economic activity, not just the hydrocarbon industry. Construction, agriculture, service and tourism sectors will all contribute to the GDP. These, hydrocarbon, and others will all contribute to the US$13B GDP by 2025, and US$30 by 2030.

Those who point to Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana as evidence that GDP does not translate into a ‘Good Life’ are missing a serious aspect of this issue. Yes, Nigeria’s GDP is US$375B. Yes, Angola’s GDP is US$125B. Yes, Ghana’s GDP is US$48B. However, the populations of Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana are 190 million, 30 million, and 29 million respectively. These population sizes result in per capita GDP of US$2,000 in Nigeria, US$4100 in Angola, and $2100 in Ghana. The per capita GDP in Guyana is US$4,600, double Nigeria and Ghana, and yet some will point to these countries as examples why we will not have the Good Life when our GDP reaches US$30B in 2030. Give me a break.

For those uncomfortable with GDP, let us look at government revenue. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordon, projected that total government revenue in 2019 will be G$238.3B or UD$1.135B (my conversation). International experts project that the Government of Guyana’s total revenue will be G$650B or US$3.1 in 2025. The government will have an additional US$2B to spend on delivering the Good Life. By 2030, the total revenue could be in excess of US$10B; ten times more than 2019. The New York Times even estimates the Government of Guyana’s total revenue in 2030 as US$20B.

Naysayers will ask, “So what if the government has US$10B to spend each year?” They will continue to paint gloom and doom, and deny the good life. What Good Life, they will ask.
It will be the good life after tens of thousands of high-paying jobs are created. The good life after average household income increased three or four fold. The Good Life after physical and economic security is vastly improved. The Good Life after we have world-class healthcare services in the country.

Already the APNU-AFC Government has started to make bold steps in the direction of the Good Life. Steps to ensure small contractors have a 20 per cent share of all government contracts is a huge deal. This will guarantee income for small contractors, and allow them to grow and expand. A small contractor, based in a village, will be a source of employment for people from that village and surrounding villages. This step will create thousands of jobs for masons, carpenters, steel benders, equipment operators and labourers.

CRIME AND SECURITY
A major part of the Good Life is crime and security. There will be no good life if we have to live in fear of criminals. However, the Ministry of Public Security has taken a critical step to cut off the supply of new recruits to the criminal gangs. The ministry launched its Citizens Security Strengthening Programme that will focus on skills training in various communities. Naysayers laughed, saying Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has no clue what he is supposed to be doing. They are clearly ignorant to the fact that Ramjattan is aware that skills training will prepare these youths for full involvement in the oil economy. Boys and young men, meaningfully involved in a high-paying career, have no time for crime.

Naysayers will say, “but what about the hardened criminals?” Well, more money will be available for adequately equipping the Guyana Police Force. Two policemen patrolling in a car, just like in the US and other developed countries. Police response time to crime could be four to five minutes, while bandits are still on the scene. Robust training in the Guyana Police Force will bring crime scene investigation to first-world level. Imagine the policeman saying, “don’t show me the criminal, just show me the spot where the criminal passed, and I will find him.” We will have adequate forensic kits to collect evidence at the scene of crimes. A network of public CCTV cameras around the country will allow the police, not only to monitor for potential crime, but to locate those criminals identified though effective crime scene investigations.

ECONOMIC SECURITY
Another aspect of security is economic security. What will happen to me and my family if I lose my job? Will I lose my house and my car? The Good Life promised by President Granger will ensure Guyanese do not have that worry. High-paying jobs will allow for adequate savings for rainy days, and low unemployment will allow you to find another well-paying job relatively easily.

The US$120M Ogle-to-Diamond Bypass Project, previously called The Georgetown Bypass, will meaningfully contribute to the achievement of the Good Life. Firstly, US$24M of this amount must go to small contractors, and this will mean hundreds of jobs in the villages. When completed, this project will significantly improve quality of life. The horrendous stress caused by traffic gridlock on the East Bank road will be eliminated.

The Ogle-to-Diamond Bypass will create access to a significant amount of land. During his 2019 budget presentation, Minister Winston Jordan said, the bypass “will open over 15,000 hectares of housing, industrial and commercial lands.” What this has to do with the Good Life? Well, here is how.

If only half of this land is used for housing it would provide over 130,000 house lots with dimensions 60 feet by 100 feet. Everyone who wants a house lot will be able to get one. Plus, money will be available for the government to put in the needed infrastructure like roads and drains, along with utilities like electricity, cable and telephone. This activity will provide well-paying jobs for thousands of skilled and unskilled workers for years.
Land will be available for the construction of scores of factories. Naysayers will say, “what factories?” Well, the many, many factories that will open when cost of electricity drops from the present US$0.30 per kWh to approximately US$0.13. This lowers the cost of production, makes Guyana more attractive for investment in manufacturing, and allow for increased salaries for factory workers.

This will bring benefit for farmers who must now accept explorative prices from unscrupulous middlemen, or dump tons of perishables because of no markets. We will have a robust canning industry that will be a stable market for our farmers.

These are the benefits of the Ogle-to- Diamond Bypass alone. However, government has a lot more projects in the pipeline. I cannot mention all, but here are some: The Linden-Lethem Road, New Demerara Bridge, new Wismsr Bridge, Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Widening, Hunter Street Albouystown Rehabilitation, and scores of village roads. Roads will also be built in Lima Sands, Bamboo, and sparta in Region Two. Philadelphia, La Grange, Ladestein, Vergenoengen, Goed Hope, Hubu and Parika, in Region Three. Enmore, Haslington, Paradise, Buxton, Coldingen, Cane Grove, Betterhope, Courbane Park, Industry, Clonbrook, Temehri, Diamond Housing scheme, Grove, and Mocha, in Region Four. And I could go on and on.

In the past, potholes and unpaved roads were a thing in our villages. No more! People in our villages are entitled to, and will have first-class roads. After all, this is the Good Life. Naysayers will say, “that is all?” Well, there is a lot more in the areas of health, education, leisure, race relations, etc., but they will have to wait. I am in Atlanta, in my hotel room writing when I should be on the road enjoying the Memorial Day weekend activities, and a certain someone is giving me the eye.