Dear Editor,
I have written a letter to the press expressing my utter disappointment on how the noise pollution on the Upper Corentyne areas are negatively affecting the residents, especially the vulnerable, through the illegal use of 1200 watt amplifiers and loudspeakers to do mobile commercial advertising and vending.

I would like to point out that the Commander of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)in Region 6 should not be the one to grant permission to do this. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the body responsible for this. Those in authority in this country seem to be harbouring a debilitating misbelief that if you ignore facts then they will go away with time. However, what they have failed to recognise is that ignoring negative things that need to be fixed cannot only be counterproductive but destructive as well.

I have intended to invoke the attention of the Minister of Public Security, the Commissioner of Police and the EPA. In fact, the scenario is getting worse since it now seems that only a particular person is given the Commander’s ‘permission’ to conduct this illegal commercial mobile advertisement. This same particular person has a virtual monopoly and is doing as many as six advertisements per day using a few vehicles. This would rake in at least hundreds of thousands per week. I hope the GRA office is taking notes.

This person has great connections with high persons in the GPF. Unless given a top rank police a commission to get the monopoly to advertise. Indeed, he has mastered of the art of getting maximum benefits. This just goes to show the power of money. This individual has his hands in everything: he is in contracting, he is in advertising, he is in promoting shows, he is doing pujaree (doing religious services for money) work and he is actively involved in playing both sides of politics as a means of amassing his material wealth.

Indeed, this man is real ’fit and proper’ for all seasons. My region has five local television programmes that cover from end to end and these commercial advertisements can be advertised on these programmes so why use public announcement system to disturb the peace?

It is difficult to fathom such massive corruption perpetrated by a man in society. The EPA has failed, the Public Security Minister has failed, the Commissioner has failed and of course the Commander of the Region has failed the elderly, single mothers and not to mention the workers in the night trying to rest. I do feel it will be futile to call upon the authorities to do anything, so Good Lord will you help us? However, a final word of advice to the Government: By ignoring the show you’re ignoring the audience who put you there.

Yours sincerely,
Sherry Ann Johnson
(Retired teacher)