PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo believes the APNU+AFC administration has established and enhanced the landscape for inclusivity and accountability in the governance process.
The prime minister, in his ‘My Turn’ column in the Sunday Chronicle, said several measures have been implemented by the Government to ensure transparency while in office.
These include the holding of Local Government Elections, the establishment of several new towns, the passage of anti-money laundering legislation, the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission as well as steps taken towards the implementation of constitutional reform.
In addition, the prime minister noted that the passage of the State Asset Recovery Agency Bill to secure the people’s properties from unlawful appropriation as well as Government’s proactive approach to ensure the protection of Guyana’s sovereignty are among the enhanced steps taken by the Government to aid the governance process.
He said that Guyana was “way down at the bottom “of the corruption perception ladder and has since moved to 108 in 2016 as compared to 136 in 2013.
Corruption, he said,was the country’s largest single human rights violation as monies which were expected to benefit the population were diverted elsewhere.
According to the prime minister, the open ‘incestuous’ relationships which existed between the ruling elite and underground figures in the past have been contained.
He said that while Government has been ‘humbled’ by its own ‘political jumbies’ such as ‘over-zealous’ business dealings including the Durban Park Project and the Public Health Ministry’s storage bond fiasco, there have been no cover-ups.
According to him, the Government has been forthcoming as regards information it has provided in such matters.
“I think we have had our full share of public criticisms and we have collectively learned our lessons,” he said.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo also noted that since assuming office, the armed forces have not been called to confront picketing or protest exercises.
He noted that the era of such occurrences ended when the government assumed office in May 2015.