Last evening, I attended BBC World Questions, hosted at the Pegasus Corporate Centre and Suites in Georgetown. The programme was chaired by veteran journalist Jonny Dymond and featured a robust panel discussion with representatives from government and the opposition, responding to questions from a live audience on matters of national importance.
One particular exchange stood out—an audience question on transparency and accountability in governance. The People’s Progressive Party government was defended by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh, who sought to reassure the public of the administration’s commitment to transparency. However, Opposition Member of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo presented a starkly different reality—one that many Guyanese continue to experience.
More than five months have passed since the General and Regional Elections. Yes, elections were held. Yes, the largest national budget in our history was passed in Parliament. Yes, contracts have commenced and public funds are being spent at a rapid pace. Yet, despite all of this, key parliamentary committees have not been constituted to ensure oversight, transparency, and accountability. Most troubling of all is the continued failure of the government to appoint the Public Procurement Commission (PPC)—an independent constitutional body mandated to monitor public procurement and safeguard against abuse.
The term of the PPC has come to an end, and still there is no reconstitution. In this context, public lectures on transparency ring hollow. One cannot credibly speak of accountability while deliberately neglecting the very constitutional mechanisms designed to enforce it. This is not a procedural oversight; it is a fundamental failure of governance.
To defend such omissions is to show disregard for the Constitution of Guyana and disrespect for the people whose resources are being managed.
Transparency is not a talking point—it is a practice, demonstrated through action, institutions, and respect for the rule of law.
I continue to say to the youth of today: we must rise. We must demand better. Our national wealth must benefit the people of Guyana—not a small clique enriched by access and influence. We must work to restore genuine democracy, constitutional respect, and accountability to our nation. The future of Guyana depends on it.
