Dear Editor,
IS the common idiomatic phrase “fresh off of” and “fresh out of” interchangeable? Not sure? Don’t worry or “break a sweat,” just relax and join the many millions, including Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Is there a mad rush on (gold)? Is it a blush from the rush of the blood, or, the anxiousness to go with the zeal of enthusiasm, or, being ready, willing and able to prove one’s worth, or, go with the flow of vigor and vitality? Perhaps it’s being fresh off the stove and being new, want to be innovative with a difference, or, fresh off the boat without grounded assimilation but assertive and confident? Then again, is it a deflection right off the bat, spontaneously, immediately and without thought or a case of to get the show on the road without wasting time and get the wheels turning without hesitation? One thing is for sure, this is certainly not a case of “fresh out of.” There is no depletion because the stock has been replenished with a knowledgeable quality of qualified freshness that radiates a personality of competence and capability, one that can accomplish the uphill task with professional proficiency. The many missives of opinioned variance should be welcomed, understood , acceptable and not regrettable. Sharing optimism and pessimism is within the parameters of human nature, primarily confined as a natural reaction and not necessarily intentionally superimposing “drawing first blood.” You bet, the first delivery will be a vicious bouncer, aimed straight at the head to create unsettlement or to drive in the fear of intimidation. The other choice will be a deadly yorker, thunderously sent down with the lightning of speed and curved to split the toes or the middle stump, causing pain, anger or being sent home. No opening batsman wants an early arrival with an early departure with a duck to fetch home and eyes glued to the ground!
The rescue workers are finding a bloody battlefield, soiled with battered bodies scattered in a matted configuration. The new Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat was, on Thursday, presented with a grim report from the various agencies within the ministry which points to gross mismanagement of the sector under the previous administration. On the surface is what meets the eyes. What will digging deeper reveal? The recently $1.6B recently commissioned Infectious Diseases Hospital, formerly the Ocean View International Hotel, was proclaimed to be “a total disaster,” by the newly-appointed Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony. It is not only a shell but a new building already in need of renovation and restructuring. A project that costs almost double the original budget is a gift from the previous administration, an empty box. There is no equipment nor any oxygen centralised suction pipe system that is so critical yet basic. Talk about hindsight or is it a drain pipe for the smooth flow of perks! More reason for the stall for time becomes more evident as the new government is sandwiched between COVID-19 repercussions and the misdemeanors from the past. What a choice at the tax payers’ expense.
In the process of picking up the pieces where the crumbs are tinier than the tiniest, the people’s expectations far outweigh the promises of the PPP/C Party’s manifesto. But a silver lining was revealed by Guyanese optimist, Sir Ron Saunders, when he underlined that, “The one upside of the challenges facing the Government of Guyana after a five-month impasse in declaring the result of General Elections held on March 2 is that the country’s economic growth in 2020 is projected at a whopping 52.8 per cent – surpassing all 26 Latin American and Caribbean States. This trend is likely to continue for many years to come.” The man in the street is anxiously and impatiently waiting and curious to know when this will materialise, if earlier than later and how this will translate to actual money in one’s pocket to feel the jingles, to plug the hole and replenish the exhausted depletion. Of much and lamentable concern is the cry of the agriculture industry where farmers are suffering tremendously and where the sugar industry is in a crisis, having seen the closure of four sugar estates and the loss of almost 7,500 jobs. The experienced Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, empathised that “I know for a fact that over the past five years, many farmers, have been suffering because the cost of production has been increased tremendously and there were not sufficient markets for farmers’ produce (to be sold).” “I am hoping that immediately we can address the plights of cash crop farmers, rice farmers, and more importantly development in the sugar industry.” The horse is starving while the grass is growing!
What methodology will this breed of optimists apply in their approach? Will it be one of “trial and error,” or “grabbing the bull by the horn,” or “the tried and tested method,” or the “brain storming fielder,” or the “let’s try a ting,” or the “luck and chance fling,” or the “wait and see hoping it will resolve itself or die,” or the “procrastinate for another person to resolve” or perhaps the “do nothing method?” The starting point may be the “bird in the hand” and according to the new kid on the block, Guyana’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, he cautioned, “It’s a learning curve for me but I have a team at the ministry, we have a structure there already,” the new minister explained, noting that he will look to his staff for the much-needed support in managing the country’s foreign affairs. This may represent a classic example of “reaching across the board,” “shared governance” and “inclusivity.” The elephant in the room remains the biggest challenge and the most horrible, living nightmare that grows larger than life daily i.e. money to spend from a bankrupt treasury that was brutally ravaged and raped in the most unceremonious and flagrant obscenity! It was reported that, not only has the general reserves been depleted to $0, but the account is also running an overdraft to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. This is in addition to an alarmingly depleted gold reserve. The Bank of Guyana’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities showed that at the time the General Reserve was almost -$300M. Additionally, public deposits were depleted to below $0, also recording a negative balance of almost $90B. Guyana’s Contingency Reserve account also reflected an alarming low of $2.3B. Luckily, the oil revenue of some US$93M was inaccessible by the last regime and remained secured in NY.
Today’s inauguration ceremony promises some degree of pomp and show that can provide, soberly at least, some relief for fun and entertainment, something that was sadly missing for the past five months, badly needed and gloriously earned. But with the startling reality that COVID-19 is very much alive and will not depart shortly or anytime in the near future, this problematic issue will necessitate full necessary precautions and all requirements and conditions will have to be strictly adhered to. Complacency cannot be tolerated and there should be no room for excuses or mistakes and all must be in compliance with established protocols. This is the stark reality, that is why the new Health Minister is tasked with the immediate restructuring of the COVID-19 team for efficient and effective management, to be led by qualified and competent medical personnel. “Managing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is also a major and urgent challenge,” Sir Saunders had lamented. It is commendable that the country has already received a sizeable amount of supplies on Wednesday to the CDC through the collaborative efforts of CARICOM, the CDEMA and the WHO. These include 5,730 N95 masks, 316,600 surgical masks, 46,250 rapid-test COVID-19 kits and 200 overalls and 5,000 gloves. This is the result of having a legitimate government, democracy prevailing and the cognisance of an “in-charge team” that responds to responsibility and having the interest of the people at heart. Guyana is surely in a better frame of mind and not in the “hand that rocks the boat” but one that “shakes the cradle.”
Respectfully,
Jai Lall.
