Georgetown, Guyana.

May 2, 2023

For immediate release to all media houses.

PRESS RELEASE

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has already sounded the alarm that the new head of GYEITI, Dr. Prem Misir, does not have the competence or qualifications to lead the organization. We had also raised concerns that Dr. Misir’s membership and loyalty to the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would interfere with his judgment and administration of the operations of EITI.

The country is still awaiting the completion and publication of the 2020 and 2021 GYEITI reports. However, as a card-carrying member of the PPP, and despite being less qualified than his predecessor, Dr Misir was awarded a lucrative employment contract befitting his membership as a PPP elite.

When Dr. Jadoopat occupied the position, he earned an annual remuneration of $639,229. On the other hand, the less qualified Dr. Misir gets $840,000 plus a monthly residential allowance of $387,000, among other benefits. What is the real reason for this augmented salary structure for someone who, to date, has not produced the agency’s report and failed to maintain the transparency and high standards of EITI?

On top of the blatantly corrupt and outlandish contract, two other hired contractors are being paid huge sums to fast-track the completion of the reports to meet the new deadline. A few weeks ago, the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, used his Facebook page to blame others for the delay in an attempt to muddy the waters to cover the agency’s incompetence.

However, it is very evident that this bloated salary package is yet another case of PPP corruption when it remunerates DOUBLY the unqualified Dr Misir for his continued incompetence simply because he is a card-carrying member, friend and family of those feeding at the trough. This is how the PPP regime spends our hard-earned monies.

As we have stated before, whenever and wherever the ugly scourge of corruption raises its head, the AFC will call it out for what it is – corruption of any kind is anathema to our democracy.

END.

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