MANY commentators across the political spectrum seem not to understand the parable of the tortoise and the hare and its underlying principle that “slow and steady” wins the race. In Guyanese parlance, the saying of “one, one dutty build dam” may be better understood. They seem not to understand how Government operates and the fact that it is limited by what it can do with the resources it controls.

Therefore, calling for Government to build, for example, a deep water harbour that estimates suggest would cause as much as US$200M is not feasible. To do that, the resources must be found, and if it has to be built now, as some insist, money must be taken from many other areas of Government spending to meet the expenditure. Should we stop building some schools or paying our nurses to complete such a project? What about the old age pensioners? We could save $4B there! 

These commentators must understand that there are competing priorities for Government resources and difficult choices have to be made to decide what is completed now and what will be done later. 

Another issue that shows the lack of understanding of these commentators is their ill-advised criticism of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). I will use an example of a letter in Stabroek News of January 19, 2010, by F. Skinner entitled “Where are we going as a country?” to illustrate my point. 

Mr. Skinner complains that Government is condemning Guyana to a perpetual cycle of under-development by propagating the LCDS and signing the agreement with Norway instead of using our forestry resources to the maximum to generate revenue. He even berates the Agriculture Minister for saying that Government is not only interested in earning money. 

Such arguments understate Mr. Skinner’s ignorance. Government’s responsibility is to its people, the majority of whom lives on a narrow strip of coastland that is below sea-level. Climate change, despite the argument of skeptics, is a real phenomenon and will have an effect on Guyana in the future. Therefore, there is a need for Guyana to do its part in combating climate change by using its most abundant resource, its forests, to aid the global effort. 

Secondly, this country can benefit significantly from the LCDS over the long-term – to the tune of US$580M annually. That is not peanuts. It is serious money. And what does Guyana have to give up in exchange? All it has to do is maintain the forests. Not a difficult task and in the end, the forests will still be there for future generations to enjoy, or exploit if they so wish. 

This money will be in addition to what Government is already generating. Consider that! By 2020, when the LCDS should be generating US$580M for the country, it will probably increase the national budget by about 33%. Can Mr. Skinner or any of the other political commentators suggest another alternative that can achieve such an increase in revenue for Guyana? 
Remember, as the old people say, “one, one dutty build dam”.  
QUACIE GALLOWAY