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Dear Editor,
I will be happy if you can permit me space in your letter column to bring attention to matters of national importance.
Before I do, I want to congratulate H.E. President Dr. Ifran Ali and his newly appointed cabinet especially the subject minister, Hon. Zufikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture, who I know will bring lot of newness, experience and energy to this ministry. I am happy to read in the press of the appointment of a ‘special technical team’ to carry out a rapid assessment, look into the policies and the management of a number of agency included the Guyana Rice Development Board. I know this team will find many irregularities that has been going on in that organization and trust that they will recommend timely changes that would bring transparency, accountability and superior services to the rice farmers of this country which our newly appointed president H.E. Dr. Ali advocating.
Now for serious issues at hand need to be addressed immediately. The politically appointed General Manager and Deputy General Manager of GRDB should do the dignified thing and resign or be investigated and fired for the many wrong doings, serious mismanagement of funds, corrupt practices, gross dereliction of duties and very disturbing state they led the rice industry and the primer Rice Research Station Burma into.
Many farmers like I, have carefully watch and helplessly witnessed that no good can ever come out of the rice industry, under the watch of those two politically appointed General and Deputy Managers once stay in place. The facts are glaring and the display of clear actions in support of their political masters (APNU+AFC) and don’t care about the welfare of the staff, workers, poor rice farmers and rice industry of the country. If you look you would see since they have took office, they speedily discontinue the National Paddy Bug management Unit. This was set up by the PPP/C government and had a dedicated 110 million dollars funding put aside for conducting comprehensive studies for proper understanding the bug and development of comprehensive strategies for control of the Paddy bug in Guyana. Now 5 years after, we still have paddy bugs ripping the industry apart, because this program was terminated. We see in the run up to the election they started a spray program two crop ago, where millions was spent as a political tool or putting a plaster on the soar with no substantial relief. This program was carried out in some selected regions and truly lack transparency with some selective farmers benefited. Much more need to be done on paddy bug so the rice industry can stay alive.
I was reliable informed, that there was a modernization plan for the research station that started by the PPP/C administration under Chair Badri. This was discontinue as soon as the politically appointed managers took office. The team would see that the staff housing quarters are in a deplorable state, step are falling off buildings, rain wetting staff, and houses are poorly maintained in the compound; laboratories facilities are grossly neglected with numerous electrical and other defects, and all infrastructures at the Research Station was left to run-down to the ground. The team would also recognized the poor maintenance policies of machineries, equipment and vehicles at the Research Station. These and many more caused the research programme to suffer tremendously due to inadequate funds to purchase basic items. I was told by researcher that these managers are given them basket to fetch water. How you deliver under these deplorable conditions and why should this be allow to continue?
Also there is gross mismanagement of the rice export, particularly the Panama rice deal and milling license. This caused many millers to owe farmers for prolonged and extended periods resulted in destabilization of the rice industry. Farmers and they families continued to punish with some can’t even plant back. Millers who owe large sums to farmers and were give license to continue operate. This is goes against what is stated in the rice factory act and can be view as a highly corrupt deal between these defaulting millers and managers.
These politically appointed manager give away 200 or more millions to special purpose unit/ GUYSUCO for the Wales rice project. That put the organization in a serious financial woos. Unto now not a single farmer benefited for any seed paddy from that project. Not a single dollar was repaid to the board. Where are we heading?
They did not stop there. They went on have to enter in more secret deal with GUYSUCO. They renting of two housed in LBI compound to the tune of millions monthly with no proper agreement in place- basic word and mouth I was told. Plus they spend over 100 million to renovate these same two houses. I know the assessment team would find the substandard materials and works that was done to these house they now called the head office. Not forgetting they painted those building with political party colour (green) to please their political masters. That sum would have funded a brand new state of the art 3 story building in my estimation. Giving up you own house to rent someone house is no forward thinking.
The rapid assessment team would also found that funds was mismanaged. Millions of dollars of contracts were given to close friends and associates. No transparent bidding. Also the managers paid double the average cost for basic fertilizing, sowing and similar services used by farmers. How can this be right? Imaging the corruption so high that thousands of bags of seed paddy were sold to selected mills for prices far below the market value. This is evident in the records. These mills paid just over $700 for a bag of high quality seed paddy sold to them which was cost about $5,000 to produce. Is not this sufficient evidence of corruption?
There are much more to bring to talk about. I think I said enough for now. I know you investigating team will definitely come across these irregularities and more highly corrupt and neglect act perpetuated by these politically appointed General and Deputy Manager of the rice board.
I respectfully asked you my new President H.E. Dr. Ali, Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Government team to step in now, remove these managers and save the rice industry and farmers so that each and every one of the citizen of this beautiful land of Guyana can truly reap the benefits of this noble organization.
Regards
Suresh Rampersad
