In the past year, the Government of Guyana has embarked on numerous ambitious infrastructure projects, heralded as monumental strides toward national development. According to the Guyana Chronicle, $40.6 billion was spent in the first half of 2023 on enhancing transport infrastructure, including $39 billion on roads and $1.6 billion on bridges. Key projects include the Linden to Mabura Hill Road, upgrades to the East Coast Railway Embankment Road, and the extension of the East Coast roadway from Belfield to Orange Nassau. The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that Budget 2023 included allocations for upgrading the Corentyne Highway ($27.7 billion), transforming the East Coast Railway embankment road into a four-lane highway ($16.6 billion), and constructing the New Demerara River Bridge ($5.2 billion). Additionally, DPI highlighted massive investments in local communities, such as a $44.1 million farm-to-market road in Arukamai and a $31.8 million bridge in Matthews Ridge.
While these figures and projects appear impressive on paper, they mask a deeper, more sinister reality: every project announced by the PPP is an opportunity to pillage and pilfer.
Contractors have revealed that a standard “kickback” of 10% is demanded from major contracts awarded, facilitated by ministers, procurement officials, and permanent secretaries. This culture of corruption is further evidenced by reports of ministers acting as silent owners and partners in construction companies to which they funnel contracts. One contractor disclosed that procurement officials demanded a staggering GYD 40 million from a single contract.
The web of corruption extends beyond kickbacks. For example, there are whispers of a certain auditor who is consistently awarded contracts under questionable circumstances, a minister’s husband who dominates the brick-buying business, friends of the First Lady awarded business locations on the sea-walls, and massive corruption within Ministry of Public Works, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) that may be beyond even the ministers’ awareness. Every major contract awarded under this PPP government appears to be yet another opportunity for corruption.
Given this pervasive corruption, one must ask; why would foreign direct investors come to Guyana? The answer is dishearteningly simple, to make an abusively quick and easy buck or to launder money. Legitimate investors seeking to engage in fair business practices and contribute to the country’s development are likely to be deterred by the rampant corruption and lack of transparency.
The PPP government’s failure to address these issues not only undermines public trust but also jeopardizes the country’s economic future. Infrastructure projects that should serve as pillars of national progress are instead being used as conduits for personal enrichment. This betrayal of public trust in addition to being a matter of financial loss, is also a profound ethical and moral failing.
Guyana deserves better. Our nation deserves leaders who prioritize the public good over personal gain, who uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, and who are committed to fostering an environment where legitimate investors can thrive. The current trajectory, however, suggests a government more interested in exploiting opportunities for personal enrichment than in truly advancing the nation’s development.
It is time for the citizens of Guyana to demand better from their leaders. We must call for greater transparency in the awarding of contracts, stringent anti-corruption measures, and accountability for those who betray the public trust.
