Dear Editor
MANY of our columnists and critics have voiced their views on a number of issues that are of general interest to citizens. I have heard and read strong criticisms about the handling of our national affairs by the ministers and the President. People have criticised the President on statements about sugar and rice, but none of them referred criticisms about how the Government is dealing with Exxon and oil.
In the case of sugar and rice, I am yet to read from these Prophets of Doom what to do e.g. with sugar. With oil and gas, they forget that since the middle of the last century they have heard of the extraction of oil onshore and offshore, but only now it appears that something would be realised.

But Editor, my great worry is that certain folk are vocal on a number of issues. I live in Georgetown and know that from the days of the IMC, City Council, through the newly elected Mayor and Council of 1994, that it was generally known and accepted that rates and taxes by the Georgetown municipality were insufficient to provide basic and a satisfactory service to citizens who reside in our capital city.
The previous administration frustrated Mayor Green’s lottery project and every other proposal to expand the Council’s revenue base. The new mayor, another Green, proposed the ‘Parking Meter Project’ to bring in urgently needed funds to provide a better service to citizens. But alas, the coalition government seemed to have bent backwards to the demonstration and noises our particular group who took to the streets and ramped up a propaganda frenzy, which put a halt to this necessary project. I say ‘necessary’ because during the brief period of the Parking Meter Project, the business areas of Georgetown took on some semblance of orderliness. Today, these business areas are chaotic and unworthy of being the nation’s capital city. But I suppose demonstrations and threats by certain groups are necessary to bring attention to what they may consider to be able and to highlight things that are wrong and not beneficial to citizens as a whole.

But herein lie my worry and amazement. We read recently of a foreigner who turned out to be no more than a criminal come to Guyana, obtain firearms licence, gold-mining concessions, employs Brazilians, maybe five percent Guyanese, removing our gold and precious metals and becomes a millionaire until he was caught. My question is, why are these same concerned Guyanese not out in the streets on radio and television demanding that you shut down all of these gold concessions given out to non-Guyanese and that a careful audit and examination be made throughout these mining areas. And why our Government has not taken drastic– and I repeat — drastic action to ensure that they are not similar alien criminals exploiting our resources that our earlier ancestors found and extracted in an orderly and environmentally friendly manner.
These gold-miners are destroying our environment without a care or concern for tomorrow. They are contributing very little to the national coffers and not doing anything to provide a good life to our people. Why are our new traditional protestors and those who talk about all the wrong things silent on this crucial matter?

When we got independence in 1966, it was stated by our two national leaders, Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan of the exploitation of national resources, our gifts from God should be primarily for the benefit of the children of those indentured labourers and slaves who through sweat, blood and tears nourished our lands from Region One to Region 10.
I recall some years ago when the question of the responsible exploitation of the nation’s natural resources was discussed. Prime Minister Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago said ‘oil don’t spoil.’ For Guyana, I hope our government and all our people will chant noisily as the anti-Parking Meter, anti-Sugar, etc, groups that ‘gold don’t rust’ and urge the government to take steps to ensure an end be put to this ‘rape’ of our resources.
Our ancestors, both on the plantation and the pork-knockers, must be angrily turning in their graves when they see gold being harvested by alien criminals and others and their descendants getting the crumbs that fall from the tables of these new, rich masters.
Let us focus on what is important to ensure the integrity and the well-being of our people and their children.
Regards
Eric Moseley, A.A.