What is next for the youths of Guyana?
Dear Editor, Today, increasingly the widespread perception is that the young are feeling not very involved or engaged. From my conversations with the hundreds of folks who take the time to communicate with me using the various social media channels, I am being told increasingly that something is really wrong with the economic system in Guyana in 2017.
While youth unemployment is a challenge globally at 13.5%,
in Guyana, according to the latest statistics from the World Bank, it was 25.5% in 2016. If their business is under a clear and present danger because of an oppressive business climate locally, the last thing on employers’ minds is the hiring of more staff. So clearly the main loser from this policy paralysis emanating from a very distracted Granger regime will be the young.
It is most unfortunate that today that there is a pervasive rent-seeking attitude from the small group of people that surrounds David Granger. Their public attitudes and private utterances on national matters portray a sort of “the transport for the nation we own now, leave us alone so we can collect our rent”. But if the Guyanese people allow them to get away with this strategic recklessness, the fortunes of the young people will be compromised for a long time to come.
The attempt by the Granger administration at the monopolization of the systems of power in the nation totally ignores the fact that they won the elections by 4,506 votes or one seat. With such a narrow margin, greater collaboration and adherence to the rule of law would have been the expected norm.
So what is next for the youths of Guyana? First off, let us all read more on the ideas put forward by our revolutionary thinkers like Walter Rodney. The season of peaceful but firm resistance is upon us because clearly, the attitude of those in the PNC does not represent the will of the people. Actually the imposed edicts of Congress Place since May 2015 have done great harm to the long-term wellbeing of the young. The nation has to pull together to stop this delusion of grandeur in the Granger regime.
Yours faithfully, Sase Singh