“Sleepers exist in every ministry” – Min. Jordan

― GRA Commissioner-General conducting investigation into information leak

― “Obey the rules of the public service or resign” – Min. Jordan

 

 By Paul McAdam

 DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, May 29, 2019

“Obey the rules of the public service or resign,” Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan warned this evening.

While answering a question about the government’s retention of some officials known to be opposition supporters, the minister said that the Coalition Government remains steadfast in giving all, “a chance to be professional”.

The minister cited an incident where details concerning his duty-free concession, car payment and other personal business conducted via the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was posted on the Facebook Page of an opposition supporter. This occurrence, a few days ago, the minister said, brought home the stark details of what the government is facing in many ministries and not just the GRA.

“Sleepers exist in every ministry,” the finance minister said.

Highlighting that he has done nothing wrong and the legitimacy of his documents, he intimated that he, “did not mind, as a politician, since it comes with the territory, and your life becomes an open book”. The minister, however, shuddered to think what persons with ill intent, “could do to lesser mortals”.

He explained that while he was entitled, as a minister, to duty-free concessions and other emoluments, “subliminal messages were being sent”. These, he opined, were an attempt to demonstrate the difference between politicians and ordinary citizens as, “look he got duty free and you don’t have. He can buy a car and you can’t” and “we know your business and can expose it anytime.”

As a matter of principle, Minister Jordan indicated that he ordered the GRA’s Commissioner-General to investigate the breach thoroughly to ascertain the source, those responsible and to, “deal with them condignly”.

He reminded of the ill-advised purge undertaken by the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee. This action, immediately after the PPP took office in 1992, resulted in every person with “black sounding names being sent home”. This, Minister Jordan noted, was brought to light when the, then New York Consul General, whose surname name was “Singh”, was ordered fired after Rohee discovered she was not fully East Indian, much to his dismay.

Unlike the previous government, Minister Jordan reiterated, the Coalition Government believes in giving all persons “a chance to be professional”.

The minister warned, however, “don’t mistake government’s kindness for weakness… We are not going after people due to affiliation, but there are people in the ministries who are bent on frustrating the government’s efforts to end corruption.”

The GRA’s staffers are duty-bound to an oath of secrecy to not disclose the personal affairs and business of their clients. Minister Jordan opined that while this oath was breached several times under the previous government, the Coalition Government would not encourage such behaviour.