By GHK Lall
In a recent writing on the impact of spiraling prices in the local arena, I had mentioned a number. It was that Guyana’s astonishing growth has now resulted in a per capita (person) calculation of US$17,000. The headline seen in an online business grouping made sense on the surface of it, and ought not to be challenged: the oil is gushing, and the money is rolling, except not to all Guyanese. The problem with these calculations is that they represent averages; what, in the best of all worlds, each Guyanese citizen is reaping, actually receiving, and pocketing.
We all know that it is not so, in that no such reality exists. Not even remotely. Not even among the dreamy, or the hallucinatory. The US$17,000 a head, I accept; but what no Guyanese should accept is that, other than on paper, each Guyanese is US$17,000 richer, living life at the level made possible by that kind of inflow of money to them. Certainly not those Guyanese, who are considered to be against the PPP Government, those who didn’t vote for it, which is the first truth of our oil wealth.
The harder truth is that only a few thousand (single digits) Guyanese are capitalizing and capturing 95% of all that those US$17,000 amount to when multiplied by about 740,000 citizens. In other words, approximately less than 10,000 well-placed, well-rewarded Guyanese are grabbing hold of most of the money coming from our amazing new growth largely driven by oil. The rest of the population (95%) have no choice but to kick one another out of the way to give themselves a chance to get a piece of the 5% of the national pie that remains, after the big dogs collect. To emphasize: most of the billions in American dollars in our economy go to the already rich, the powerful, and the politically connected. That is, PPP cabals and henchmen, and mainly their communities. This is the real story, a pathetic one, about US$17,000 per capita in half starving Guyana.
But there was still another inspiring headline, and this time it was from Guyana’s luminous man of numbers, money, and high finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. According to that headline attributed to the erudite Dr. Singh, Guyana’s oil economy grew at the breathtaking and “better than expected” rate of 124.8%. I knew it was going to be massive, but I still have to pick myself from off the floor, collect myself. To say it in my simpler way, the nation’s oil economy alone doubled in results, and with another 25% as extras. Again, I have no cause for quarrel with either local wunderkind, Dr. Singh, or his awesome oil economy numbers. But if the same smart Dr. Singh possesses only a quarter of the intelligence I assign to him, he should see where I am coming from, and heading next.
For, when our oil economy, by itself only, doubled, then the lot of the Guyanese people should be better. Each and every single one of them should be in a much better, sweeter position, which is what I assert and venture to lay that at Dr. Singh’s winged feet. The trouble (and contradiction) is that it is not so, and moneyman Ashni Singh knows that, too. He doesn’t need a heat map, or Black-Scholes calculation to arrive there. Nonetheless, being the considerate citizen that I am, I would not spoil matters by insisting that each Guyanese be twice as better than they were before, given the state of the nation’s oil economy, so as to keep on par with that stupendous growth. I would plead, be content, with a mere 25% of that growth being earmarked, being actually delivered in a few palpable forms, to all Guyanese, rich and poor, but especially the poor; and not to forget those not finding favor with the PPP Government, leadership, and its brain trust. How about a little more to be spared for those left out, those scorned?
Surely, I ask not for too much of Dr. Singh, the man with the magical economy numbers, for lesser folks like us. A few dollars more for pensioners and minimum wage workers; a fistful of oil dollars for public servants and other taxpayers, through the taxing system, if not directly in cash; or a paperbag full of dollars for those Guyanese dying from distress. The rich ones, the fat cat ones, and the insider ones are not begrudged their lion’s (and lionesses’ share) of the cream from the top. They still get the pig, but let the little people get some added pieces of pittance out of that 124.8% growth, to make them really feel like they are citizens of an oil producing country, to help them manage their lives with more dignity. In a country that is fastest of this, and the 5th biggest of that and the other (and what my grandmother would have called the ‘tara’). Ow! Dr. Singh, Dr. Ali, and Dr. Vice President, mek dem feel like peeple, nah. Give dem a li’l sumting, nah big boss!). With all this lavish oil money, and these glorious oil economy numbers, sloshing around at higher and higher levels, mek de peeple feel good about demself nah….
It should be noticed that I was ever so careful as to steer clear of any negative talk about potentially overheating economy. At 10% growth, with more promised, the fears of that kind of situation usually start to spiral. But, I am positive that a man of Dr. Singh pedigree has a smooth, sweet answer for that one, too. Growth absorption capacity has a persuasive ring to a smallminded fellow like me. Meanwhile, many Guyanese suffer with their troubles-money troubles, having-to-do-without troubles, health troubles-while wondering why does it have to be so in this country, among the richest in the world. Why does this have to be their grim existence? Why are non-PPP supporters and citizens looked upon so cruelly, so disdainfully? How is my thinking wrong? Somebody enlighten, please?
