OVER the past seven years we have been plagued by the flooding of our city and other parts of Guyana due to incessant rainfall. Our drains are encumbered with plastic bottles, sanitary boxes, plates and cups; garbage is being thrown in our drains, making it difficult for water to flow freely. The City Council seems to be either unwilling or incapable of keeping our drains and parapets clear and clean. How long are we going to sit by and allow this deplorable condition to continue? I am of the view that this situation can be changed by the establishment of Sanitary Cooperative Societies (weeders and cleaners, drainage and irrigation) in our communities throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.
Please remember we have our tourism sector to protect and to enhance.
On the 25th January, 2012, the International year of Cooperatives was launched. In his address on that day at the Umana Yana, the Minister responsible for Cooperative Development lauded the Sugarcane and Rice Farmers’ Cooperative Societies for the splendid work they were doing in supplying sugarcane to GUYSUCO and rice to the Rice Marketing Board for the shipment of sugar and rice overseas in order to satisfy our international markets. I am now wondering whether the present government is really and truly interested in the development of the cooperative movement in this country. If the government is sincerely interested in this movement, I am proposing that steps be taken, immediately, to promote Sanitary Cooperative Societies in every community in this country. Contractual arrangements must be entered into between the City Council, the NDCs and the respective Cooperative Societies.
Again, we have approximately, 500 miles of road between Lethem and Linden for development. Along that route we ought to consider promoting and organising Farmers Cooperative Societies which will rear cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and cultivate white potatoes, soya bean, coffee, corn, nuts, garlic, onions and citrus fruits among other crops on a cooperative basis, not to mention the setting up of  Cooperative processing factories. Is it difficult to undertake these ventures?
Are we going to say that cooperatives cannot work? Take a look at the Police Consumers, Sugarcane and Rice Growers Cooperatives which have been serving their members for over 40 years and adding to our country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Citizens of Guyana are you apprehensive of the management of the Cooperative Societies which I propose? Let us, through the Guyana National Cooperative union employ persons, qualified in book-keeping to write up the books and accounts of these Societies where necessary. I say write up not merely supervise. I emphasise ‘write up’.
The Cooperative Department is solely responsible for the registration, arbitration disputes, audit and dissolution of cooperative Societies. The National Cooperative Union must be equipped to do its work, that is, to promote and organise Cooperative Societies.
We must stop complaining about unemployment in our country. Let us begin in our schools to train our children to be good book-keepers; we must begin to do things the cooperative way. Was Mashramani not a huge success? It was because of cooperation.
This is the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Let us all be proud of it.
We must become conscious of sharing profits among ourselves. This is not a capitalist country wherein all the profits go to the outside investors. We must be careful about the manner in which we develop Guyana. Let us, therefore, begin to develop Guyana the Cooperative way.
Can we do it? Yes we can.
Long live the Cooperative Republic of Guyana!