Editorial, Kaieteur News
On May 26, 2016, Guyana celebrated its 50th Independence Anniversary, but not in the best of shape economically than it was five decades ago. Despite the various political, economic and social problems facing the country, including power outages, high unemployment, extensive poverty and inadequate potable water, among others, the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars for the independence celebrations, including the building of a new stadium at D'Urban Park.
Guyana is still a poor country and most citizens are not better off today than their parents and grandparents of 50 years ago. It is a vivid reminder that many continue to suffer and are finding it hard to make ends meet. Their inability to find employment may be a contributing factor to rising crime and deviance among youth.
Indeed, Guyana experienced a fundamental transformation when the government of the late Forbes Burnham took the bold step to manage the country's affairs and chart a destiny in pursuit of a better future for all. But 50 years later, the country does not compare favourably with many of its Caricom neighbours in terms of quality of life.
Substandard roads, standpipes to fetch water for use in the home or to take a bath, the use of outdoor latrines and the wearing of old and patched-up clothes still exist in many areas of the country. The Judiciary is archaic, the prisons are primitive and overcrowded, crime is out of control, the education system is antiquated, infant mortality rate remains high, and roads filled with potholes still exist. These examples illustrate that little has changed in the country since Independence.
Admittedly, the past few years have been tough economically as the country struggled to achieve a reasonable growth rate which is the single most important determinant of its economic success.
Moving Guyana out of its current quagmire requires innovative solutions to boost investments and business activities which are essential to development. Economists have stated that an annual GDP growth rate of four to five per cent is needed for sustainable development. While it has remained elusive, it could be achieved, with the expertise of knowledgeable and skilled people.
There has been no paradigm shift from the production of sugar and rice to a manufacturing or an industrial base. And there are no serious attempts to diversify the economy today despite the fact that it was touted by all the leaders since independence. However, the people have been resilient especially when they assumed control over their national affairs, but the political leaders were short-sighted in that they did not have the kind of foresight to harness their strength and courage to help develop the country.
The major political parties have been praised and commended for their separate roles in achieving independence, but the nation is very unfortunate to have had leaders who did not plan for a Guyana beyond their times. They were not transformative or visionary leaders; they were power grabbers who did not see the need to solve the country's problems.
The leaders today are no different. In fact, they are arrogant and are obsessed with power and status. The last 50 years have been a rough ride for many, especially the poor and the working class who continue to struggle to survive, which means that not much has improved in their lives.
However, it is the hope of many that by the time of the next election, they would be in much better shape, that their mood will be more upbeat, and that they will have reason to be more confident in relation to their future.
More importantly, survival of the government beyond 2020 weighs heavily on transformative and visionary leadership to develop beneficial and far-sighted policies and programmes to improve the economy and the lives of the poor. They must also treat the populace with respect. They must envisage a future with a social contract with the people in which the fruits of such vision must be visible.