HPS refutes ethnic prejudice in World Bank appointments
Guyana Chronicle
November 12, 2003
GINA - Ethnicity was not a criterion used by Government in appointing two Guyanese from the Bank of Guyana to the Board of the World Bank.
Recently, the Administration was informed that Guyana had the opportunity to secure two places on the Board and they were filled by Head of Research at the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobind Ganga and Ms. Lisaretta Ramotar, as Advisor to the Executive Director of the Inter-Development Bank (IDB).
But the appointments were criticized by persons, who claim that Government could have appointed other suitably qualified persons. The basis of the criticism largely has been that Government filled both position with Indo-Guyanese and no Afro-Guyanese was appointed, even though there are suitably qualified Afro-Guyanese personnel to fill the positions.
Responding to the concerns at his post-Cabinet briefing last week, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, noted that the appointments were already made and the process has resulted in "suitable appointments regardless of their race."
He further stated that once Government recognized that it had to make the appointments and that the two Bank of Guyana officials possessed the skills, training and qualification and importantly, the Region did not have any reservations, so there is no need for further justification.
"I do not feel that there is a need for the Administration to justify its choice and to entertain an argument about the appointment of two properly, fully qualified Guyanese in the Government Service who have been identified for that posting and to discuss the appointment on the basis of ethnicity. I think we are moving from the ground of intelligent and useful discourse into just pure and idle speculations," he said.