IT is hard to understand how blame might be assigned based solely on impression, but there seems to be a fixation on perpetuating the perception of corruption instead of accepting the reality on the ground.

The reality is Guyana has made significant strides in improving the national anti-corruption framework, especially under successive People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administrations.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), last September, commended the Government of Guyana for its an anti-corruption efforts and steps to strengthen its governance framework.

In a report documenting the conclusions of its Article IV Consultation with local authorities, the IMF said: “Staff commended the authorities’ progress in strengthening AML/CFT, governance, anti-corruption frameworks, and support further advances in their effective implementation.”

The country has a robust anti-corruption framework built around a consultative process and enshrined in the Constitution. These processes date back to the year 2000 during the constitutional reform process, which created many of the systems and processes we know now.

Today, the country benefits from a mixture of laws; constitutional agencies; statutory bodiesand parliamentary committees, all working as pressure valves addressing a multitude of issues, including the Integrity Commission, Public Procurement Commission, and the Service Commissions, to name a few.

Chaired by a member of the parliamentary opposition, the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly remains a prime example of the power of bipartisanship as public-funded entities at the central and local government levels appear before the committee to answer queries raised by the Auditor General in annual audit reports tabled in the National Assembly.

Those hearings are attended by accounting officers of the respective agencies and their support teams. On the technical side, the committee’s work is supported by the Auditor General, Accountant General, and Finance Secretary.

Added to this, anti-corruption measures are part of Guyana’s obligations in the international system at regional and international levels. With compliance to each international anti-corruption measure, Guyana is obligated to submit to the periodic reporting mechanisms associated with the respective obligation.

In 2001, Guyana was one of the first countries to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, which is the oldest and the first convention of its kind. The country, similarly, acceded to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2008, adopted the Lima Commitment for Democratic Governance Against Corruption in 2018, and committed to the UN General Assembly Special Session’s Political Declaration on Corruption.

Even further, Guyana committed to the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) Working Group specialised in preventing and combating corruption. The list of Guyana’s international obligations is long.

Since coming to office in 2020, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C government prioritised transparency and accountability in every way possible.

Central to the PPP/C government’s building of the oil and gas framework, with Guyanese in mind, was repealing the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) Act and restructuring it in such a way that the new version removed the cumbersome formula employed by the last government for calculating withdrawals from the fund, and ensured a new provision which mandated the Finance Minister to make public disclosures or face a hefty prison term, once found guilty of violating the law.

In keeping with its efforts to further enhance transparency and accountability, the government has tabled the Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the National Assembly. It represents a crucial advancement in accelerating development and enhancing the delivery of essential services to the Guyanese populace.

This legislative move focuses on amending the Natural Resources Fund, which signals the government’s intent to effectively leverage the country’s oil revenues for swift and comprehensive public infrastructure and social services development.

The Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) Bill 2024 is a testament to the Guyana government’s commitment to rapidly advancing national development.

By reforming the NRF and other fiscal legislation, the bill lays the groundwork for a more robust, transparent, and efficient utilisation of the country’s resources, not just managing wealth but transforming it into tangible, widespread benefits for every Guyanese, thereby speeding up the delivery of development directly to the people.

There is no denying that the PPP/C government is committed to consistently working with stakeholders to build the country’s anti-corruption framework. The unfortunate thing, however, is that the truth and the reality of the situation are sometimes not bandied as far and as wide as spurious claims.