Dear Editor,
I AM awestruck by the insulting declarations by some senior politicians to the citizens of this country, emanating from discussions of annual domestic payouts from anticipated oil revenues.

It would appear that Professor Clive Thomas’ recent proposition for direct annual payments (of US$5,000) to families from a small percentage of the oil money caught many by surprise, especially those plagued by initiative-bankruptcy and greed.

In the aftermath of Prof’s comments, there has been a whirlwind of reactions and comments; some supportive and others opposing. Prof Thomas’ suggestion was exclusive of an intended sovereign wealth fund being set up by government! Please bear that in mind.

Surprisingly, some of our once financially constrained politicians — now made filthy rich from our tax dollars – have been insinuating that small and middle-class families will squander any materialised cash payouts. Such politicians are bitter reminders of the colonialists. They have suddenly arrived, with expert knowledge on how only they can spend ‘big-money’. Many of them have conveniently forgotten their origins, from the fulcrum of survival struggle.

When a politician can refer to working-class citizens of this country as parasites, it speaks volumes about political mindsets in this country. It tells me we are in serious trouble with those who lead and seek to lead our country. No one has been more parasitic than those who live lavish lifestyles on the backs of the working class. I am presently constrained from mentioning certain things in this article, but many of the real parasites should beware that they are merely soaring on clouds of luck.

The proposition by Professor Thomas is an excellent one, particularly in Guyana’s context. Our history is clear testimony that the masses seldom enjoy even fractional, benefits of this country’s resources. The cream always seems to be exported legally or illegally, or is exclusively possessed by a few oligarchs.

Revenues derived from mineral resources invariably go directly from extracting companies to the government, never passing through the hands of the citizens whose patrimony they are. This process excludes citizens from scrutinising the actual revenues, expenditures and taxes.

Direct cash payouts to citizens empowers and enables them to decide how to spend on their own personal development. If there are concerns surrounding spending indiscipline, the government can undertake to provide guidance and education on how citizens can prioritise. The country is already poised to surrender over 50% of derived revenues from oil to the investors and costs, so what is the noise about a mere one per cent direct payment to citizens?

Government projects and spending for public goods — such as infrastructure, health care, national security and defence – can be derived from specific taxes and other revenue gains. That is for the policy-makers to engineer. As a native citizen of Guyana, I am very concerned by the current posturing by some of our politicians. Their sordid comments and attitudes are synonymous with the greed and corruption seen in resource-cursed countries. I am sure that many other citizens are similarly concerned!

Regards
Orette Cutting