Dear Editor,
I pen this missive to commend the Minister of Finance for always bringing clarity on matters or issues relating to his ministry that the wider public may not understand.
Despite those many occurrences to bring a greater degree of simplicity, I have read with some amusement, the continued engagement of the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, and one political grasshopper and disaffected diasporee.

This attention seeker, Mr. Sasenarine Singh, seems not to get it, despite the minister has shown commendable patience in explaining at great length the various safeguards that surrounds the management of the Natural Resource Fund, including the establishment of three oversight committees – the Macroeconomic Committee, the Investment Committee and the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

Mr. Editor, as a young politician and  Guyanese I’m personally elated that the Ministry of Finance has ensured that this  mechanism is put in place before first oil to prevent any unscrupulous person or entity from getting an opportunity to dip into these revenues outside of a legal framework, which is provided for by the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act. Mr. Editor, it is important to remind readers once again, by reestablishing the point, that the NRF legislation meets all the “Santiago Principles” regarding sovereign wealth funds as they relate to “transparency, good governance, accountability and prudent investment practices”.

The NRF Act has been lauded by Guyanese local and abroad and also garnered praises from our development partners including the IMF. Mr. Sase, in his sick convoluted and perverted mind, continues to harp on about hypotheticals and “what ifs” hence, appointees becoming “creatures” of the minister and President!

This reminds me of the old adage, “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” Mr. Editor, the question for this individual is, If the individuals on these three committees are nominated by various civil society and private sector organisations as well as the leader of the opposition,  how on earth, will they do the bidding of the minister or the President?
Is this “special individual” suggesting that Guyana’s Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission, Guyana Press Association, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana or the many other reputable organisations named in the NRF Act, will nominate friends, family members and cronies of the minister or President?

Is this man for real?
Mr. Editor, it’s difficult to discern if Sase really has an issue with the NRF Act or whether he has an issue with the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. This gentleman has written numerous letters over the years that are grossly misleading and on many occasions they are punctuated with inaccuracies and unproven data.  One can’t help think, his remove from Guyana for so long, has instilled a certain obsession with the country of his birth, even though he is not willing to actually come and live here to make sensible and meaningful contributions which I believe he is capable of. But it’s understandable.

It must be difficult for him to have to live in a foreign land that won’t listen to or recognise his “brilliance”, so to ease the pain of his irrelevance, he continues to write drivel and mombo jumbo about matters in Guyana. It’s so pathetic and sad.
Regards,
Jermaine Figueira
Member of Parliament
Region 10