Under the cover of seeking foreign investments President Irfan Ali is spending taxpayers’ money as there is no tomorrow. The head of State is presently in China accompanied by 10 persons. The President’s entourage includes Hugh Todd, Reyaud Rahaman, Anthony Whyte, Ernesto Choo, Francis Abraham, Dwayne Adams, Johan Joseph, Latchman Singh, and Bibi Fareeza Haniff. And if you think this cricket team is large then prepare for this bombshell.
There will be an additional 20 persons, already in China, joining this Chinese safari in Beijing. Komal Singh, Kishan Singh, Terry Singh,Tamesh Jagmohan,Morris Archer, Desmond Sears, Ganshyam Mahase, Clinton Urling, Paul Cheong, Rosh Khan, Steven Jacobs, Satynarine Sahadeo, Dion Mangali, Subrami Mangali, Ragunauth Ramsaroop, Gerry Gouveia, Song Weiwei, Jia Yin Yao, Jian Ping Che, Yu Zhangzhen will intermingle with the tourists to court ‘business’ from Chinese companies.
On the local scene the gov’t has embarked on a rapid road building exercise with the East Coast and East Bank lines taking precedence, however, the costly hinterland road and bridge infrastructure can be surmised as an improved mechanism for the Chinese, Canada, and Russian mining companies to transport Guyana’s gold and bauxite out of the country.
The ascertained costs for such an excursion of 30 person’s amounts to nearly US$90,000 in ticket costs (US$3, 00 return) with additional accommodation and travel expense at US$3,000 per person bring the total to US$180,000. This is a whopping sum of 36 million!
In a country with horrible roads, daily electric outages and poor water supply where people have to buy their own bandages at hospitals President Ali is splurging in typical third world dictator style. This is so typical of a man whose education credentials have been questioned by the nation and who grew in a rustic sugar village that it begets the common expression in local parlance ‘never see come fuh see’. I await his itinerary and attached spending and wait with trepidation knowing more will be rummaged from the coffers in view of his upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic.
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine