Seeing the bright side
Editorial
In her column in Sunday Stabroek 'Woman's Eye View' Andaiye noted that even though the constitutional reform process might not have achieved all that one might have hoped for it had done some good. One of the things she might have had in mind is the passing unanimously of the Constitution (Amendment) Act that will permit the setting up of an Ethnic Relations Commission that will be able, among other things, to investigate complaints of discrimination. This is long overdue and provides an avenue for persons who feel they have been given a raw deal on ethnic grounds in any area ranging from housing to employment to make a complaint to an independent body which can investigate and impose sanctions. It is an important mechanism that could go a long way to relieve ethnic grievances over alleged instances of unfair administrative decisions of one kind or another. She might also have had in mind the fact that the Oversight Committee has finished its job, though later than scheduled, so another hurdle has been crossed, though as Dr Rupert Roopnaraine noted a lot of work remains to be done. It is also good to note that the Public Accounts Committee headed by PNC MP Mr Dunstan Barrow which examines the national accounts audited by the Auditor General's department has put in a lot of work and completed its examination of the l998 accounts. This is a heartening sign as it shows a much better attitude to accountability and the ability of the members of this all-party committee to work together, a hopeful omen indeed. Dr Roopnaraine, a member of the committee, said in parliament that the committee had been assured by the Auditor General that were the timeframes established by law to be met by the accounting officers in the ministries, the committee could begin consideration of the l999 report in September which would bring it up to date. The problem remains with getting the accounting officers each year to carry out their duties efficiently and in a timely manner. It must be hoped that the government will take the committee's recommendations seriously. There is progress with the water supply in various parts of the country and though the news on the economic front has generally not been encouraging, especially given the hostile acts and statements of our neighbours that have threatened two major investments, the breakthrough of Mazaruni Granite Products in Trinidad has been quite a coup for Mr Peter Cummings and good news for Guyana and the formation of Guyjam Investments Limited, which seeks to market rice and other products in Jamaica, has shown that some of our businessmen are trying actively to overcome obstacles that exist and to rise to challenges. Mr Ian Glasford of Sterling Products has also outlined plans for the expansion of Sterling Products, one of our public companies. So despite the well known obstacles and the various uncertainties real, constructive work is being done in some areas. It is a good sign because at the end of the day, the more people that do their own thing and try to solve their own problems, the better our chances will be. It is a disastrous mistake to sit waiting for politicians to solve all our problems. It is politicians in fact and their mistaken ideas and inexperience that have got us in the mess we are in. The more people that get involved, the more people that accept responsibility for their own fate, the more people that take up their beds and walk, the more people that empower themselves, within the law, the better our chances will be. One of the curses of the colonial condition, which we inherited, is that we tend to sit waiting for others to solve our problems and blame everyone but ourselves for our failure and lack of development. Good governance is essential, particularly in areas like education, health, roads and drainage though here again one welcomes the increase in private education and the impressive expansion of the Marian Academy now under way. But properly conceived a large part of good governance is not to try to run everything, which has proved impossible and disastrous, but to play the role of a facilitator and provide the conditions within which the creative energies of individuals and groups can flourish, with only such interference as is necessary for the public welfare.As Cassandra has mentioned in his Sunday column there are still many unsung heroes who are doing their jobs unselfishly year in and year out, often for little reward. The more examples we see publicly of those who continue to strive mightily against fearful odds the more encouraged we will all be.
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