My greetings for Christmas this year are for peace and nostalgia. Yes, I am becoming a little mushy at this time, recalling the time when, at Christmas, all you had to be afraid of was the unarmed house-jumper and pickpocket.
Before I go down memory lane, I want to, again, thank all my readers for sticking with this column. I know many of you look forward to my controversial and thought-provoking articles. I want to thank those who love my articles, and forgive those who hate my guts but still read my daily columns.
I want to send Christmas greetings to the publisher of this newspaper, who endured harrowing times in August of this year. To Glenn Lall and his entire family, I hope that the peace of Christmas be with you and your home circle at this time.
To Uncle Freddie, I have set aside some foreign goodies because, no matter what he writes about false consciousness, this is one guy who gat sweet mouth.
To Uncle Adam, I know that things are looking rosy for you, even though, for politically correct purposes, the mind sees what it wants to see.
To Gwen Evelyn, I say thanks for waiting up for my articles, but you know that the ‘A' train sometimes is late.
To all the staff at Kaieteur News, I say, “Merry Christmas!”
It is said that it was the Peeper who was responsible for government ministers enjoying a much deserved salary increase this year. After the Peeper wrote about the shocking salaries that were paid to ministers, a decision was taken to upgrade the earnings of ministers.
I am glad that this has been done, but I am not satisfied with the level to which they have been raised. No minister of the government should be earning less than one million dollars per month. I have said this before, let us pay a minister a proper salary, give him or her a driver and a state vehicle and health benefits, but remove all the other perquisites that come with the job. You will get better performance, because persons of good reputation will see a career in public service and will aspire to become ministers.
Surely, paying ministers one million dollars a month -- taxable, of course -- is not going to bankrupt the treasury. In fact, I am sure that most of then can, with good management, each implement measures that would save more than twelve million dollars per year in their ministries, enough to compensate for their increased earnings.
My wish for the President of Guyana is that he will use this holiday weekend to give serious thought to returning to something that Cheddi was passionate about, lean administration. Millions upon millions can be saved within the government by just implementing stricter controls on procurement, and on ensuring proper use of the assets of the state.
There is, also, absolutely no need for a Minister for Public Service; no need for a separate Minister of Labour, or for two ministers each for Education, Health, and Foreign Affairs; or, for that matter, a separate Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture. Get rid of all this excess bloating, and let there be a slimmer, more efficient government, Mr. President. This is my wish for this Christmas.
To the Opposition Leader, I hope that your office, too, enjoys a salary increase. Imagine, a university lecturer earning more than the Leader of the Opposition. What is really happening in Guyana?
To Uncle Bob, I see they have you dressing up like Santa these years, and a few days after you appeared in the news giving out gifts to children, the President got into the act and shared out gifts to another group. Politics in Guyana is so predictable.
To Mr. VAT himself, I am sending a few bottles of Tylenol, because he is sure going to need it for the headaches he will get come January 1, 2007. Guyana changes to this improved system of taxation from the first of that year, and it will mean that when you go into a store, or some other place of business that is registered and authorised to collect VAT, you will have to be given a receipt that will show the price of your purchases plus the VAT that is chargeable.
I expect that, initially, especially for some of our large supermarkets, there will be a fallout from their customer base, but as the system gets going and prices are decreased, the customers will return.
Speaking about returning, the Kaieteur News feature about the “comebackees” has created quite a stir. I have been asked to write a satirical piece in response, but I have declined at this stage, because, regardless of how one feels about that article, you must admire the craft of the writer.
For today, my thoughts are about what used to be, in the old days, on Christmas Eve. My cake is in the oven baking, and I am about to spend Christmas as I have always spent it, the best way to enjoy the holidays, the traditional Guyanese way.