WITH his government facing heavy criticism for corruption, President David Granger has said when those reports are made they are investigated. “…when complaints are made they are investigated and I have asked non-governmental organisations to ask for those investigations or ask for information before going on the street or going to the press.
“I am not saying that there were no error(s) but explanation(s) can be given.”
The President admitted that “from time to time errors of judgement will be made.”
As a result, the President wants Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) to meet with Minister of State Joseph Harmon.
In a recent statement, TIGI said: “The appointment of advisors to the APNU +AFC Government and political interference in the work of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) by Minister of State Mr. Joseph Harmon have set a dark cloud over the operations of the current government.”
Minister Harmon had issued an Instrument of Appointment to Brian “BK” Tiwari as a Ministerial Advisor on Business – a move which had received widespread criticism and was subsequently rescinded by President Granger.
According to TIGI, Minister Harmon in the local press had confirmed that the government has been using its position to employ and reward, out of state resources, its supporters and donors.
“By the minister’s own admission, well-paying and prestigious jobs and other privileges were up for sale during the 2015 elections campaign in which the party stood on an anti-corruption and transparency platform. By any international standard, the conduct of Mr. Harmon and by extension, the Government, constitutes corruption,” TIGI contended.
But President Granger, on Friday during his weekly televised Public Interest Programme, said the statement issued by TIGI is “outrageous.”
“It is an outrageous statement and I would ask TIGI to verify its information before going to the media.
“As a responsible non-governmental organisation, I would ask Transparency International to have a meeting with Mr. Harmon and ask those questions, before going to the press. It is very difficult for the government as a whole or any individual minister to conduct that type of debate – shouting at each other – in the press. If they need information let them approach Mr. Harmon.”
He made it clear, however, that it is difficult for him to accept blanket criticism of the entire administration because of one incident. He alluded to the fact, that as the President he took the decision to rescind Tiwari’s appointment upon learning of it, reiterating that Guyana has a competent Minister of Business who has the ability to advise the Government.
Alluding to the allegation of political interference into the operations of Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), President Granger disclosed that he spoke to Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who is in the process of taking corrective action.
Bai Shan Lin, which has been at the centre of controversies over the years, had two luxury vehicles seized last week by the GRA. A Nissan minivan, PRR 3888, and a Lexus SUV, PRR 2888, were taken to the GRA storage bond at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, following the confiscation. It was determined that Bai Shan Lin owed over $60 million in taxes on the brand new SUV alone. The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has been investigating the Chinese company for tax evasion.
President Granger, while reiterating that corrective action is being taken, underscored the importance of seeking clarity before turning to the press. With Guyana languishing in the lower levels of the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, TIGI said it had expected that the coalition which had campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption would have immediately and vigorously confronted corruption as a primary goal. “Regretfully, the action by Mr. Harmon and the inaction and silence of the coalition on corruption suggest that any expectation of early improvement in the perception of corruption in Guyana is at best premature and at worst dangerously misconceived.”