EVER since her re-assignment to the Natural Resources Ministry, Minister Simona Broomes has become the subject of many a conversation. From disappointments regarding her move from the Social Protection Ministry, to questions of her current position being a conflict of interest due to her mining holdings – the subject of Broomes has appeared in many a headline over the past few weeks. She even became the catalyst for an exchange between local blogger Sara Bharrat and a spirited citizen, who felt that Bharrat’s article citing Broomes as “The best minister in the coalition government” for reasons which she explained, was “ill-informed” and part of “a sinister plot to mislead others.” Needless to say, the subject switched from Broomes in Bharrat’s crisp and satirical response to “Anna Correia, Without Wax”- but I find this all amusing, the myriad directions in which discourse can flow stemming from a single topic. Of course, Broomes – now a minister of government – can’t very well lash out the way we know she is likely to have done, had she been a regular citizen, but it would be interesting to hear her defence on all that is being said.
Are we ready?
As the country’s biggest independence celebrations draw near, one post in which Guyana was listed among the Business Insider UK’s ’12 Emerging travel destinations that you have to visit in 2016’ has gone viral, as hopes hang high that perhaps the country will finally get the attention it is meant to receive. Subsequent reports, which have captured the initial article – written by Anisha Shah, a freelance journalist, who writes for CNN, Huffington Post and other top-class news houses- have said that this augurs well for Guyana in light of our upcoming Golden Jubilee celebrations. It certainly does, but there are comments being shared that much more “fixing up” needs to be done.  People believe that while our natural splendour and unmatched hospitality are both things to boast of, we do still have some cleaning up to do (in more ways than one). We’re not perfect yet, people, but should this and other good PR indeed bring tourists flowing our way, we’d better make sure that we are ready on every front. Others feel that these skeptics have little faith in good ol’ Guyana, but I can’t help but share the same views that there is much to be fixed before our guests arrive.