There must be no parallel treasury

Dear Editor, The 2015 Auditor General’s Report continues to inform the nation of some critical developments. One can find in that Report a write-up on the state of the Consolidated Fund (the so-called Official Treasury). The Consolidated Fund is reported to have declined by G$12,737 million over 2015, yet the Minister found it fit to have kept G$22,099 million in the Parallel Treasury at the end of 2015 and outside of the scope of the Parliament. This is an illegality, especially when the Constitution clearly states in Article 216 that all “revenues and other moneys raised or received by Guyana … be paid into and form part of the Consolidated Fund”. This is a very dangerous position for a nation to find itself, where one person and only one person, who claims he is “not answerable to the Auditor General” is exclusively in charge of G$22 billion of the people’s money.

As an example, this one person can “willy-nilly” peel away at his pleasure G$650 million to build a parade ground, without any proper justification or economic feasibility. Where is Khemraj Ramjattan? Is he comfortable with all these questionable acts all of a sudden? It was Candidate Granger, Candidate Nagamootoo and Candidate Ramjattan who collectively told the people in Whim Village that they shall shut down the Parallel Treasury?

Where is the explanation for the nondelivery on yet another broken promise?

Not formulating public policy to enrich the people is one thing, but using the dark art of financial deceit and subterfuge by secretly keeping the Parallel Treasury in place today, when you hypocritically promise the youth that you shall not, is a grave transgression.

I, therefore by this letter, am using the Fourth Estate to draw this matter to the attention of President David Arthur Granger. Presidential actions to de-fund this Parallel Treasury by transferring these funds to the Consolidated Fund is imperative, if the people are to trust his government as agents against financial transgressions. President Granger promised the youth that he would deconstruct the Parallel Treasury forthwith, over 18 months ago and he has not. I am just highlighting this fact. Yours faithfully, Sase Singh