The government has acknowledged that it has no statistical data to show whether anti-corruption workshops conducted over the past two years have produced measurable results and this has led a WIN MP to accuse it of “sugar coating” the problem.
Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira was responding to We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley on June 5th when the National Assembly met after a hiatus of more than a hundred days at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
Sarabo-Halley had asked why Guyana still lacks a modern anti-corruption law and whether the government intends to bring comprehensive legislation in line with the country’s obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). She argued that the existing framework falls short of what is required in 2026.
In response, Teixeira said Guyana’s anti-corruption framework has been publicly available since 2022 and noted that the country already has several laws aimed at combating corruption, including reforms to anti-money laundering legislation. She said Guyana has ratified the UNCAC and remains compliant with many of its requirements.
Teixeira pointed to commitments outlined in the PPP/C manifesto, including strengthening laws where necessary, establishing an anti-corruption unit and fully enforcing access to information measures.
“We are constantly reforming and reviewing. The laws of Guyana are being used to deal with corruption…the courts are working, the agencies are working,” she said, adding that Guyana has more than 15 laws related to anti-corruption and would continue to modernise them as required.
Sarabo-Halley then questioned what measurable outcomes had emerged from anti-corruption workshops and what evidence existed to support the government’s claims in light of ongoing allegations of corruption. Teixeira responded that Guyana is legally bound to implement international conventions incrementally and disclosed that an amended Integrity Commission Act is being prepared.
Pressed further on whether any publicly available data showed that the workshops had made a difference, Teixeira conceded that the government does not have data, percentages or statistical information to measure the impact of the anti-corruption workshops because the initiative only began two years ago. However, she said there are indicators and other information suggesting that progress has been made, in terms of increased collaboration and greater participation among agencies.
Following the parliamentary session, Sarabo-Halley charged that Teixeira was attempting to sugarcoat the reality of the level of corruption that exists in Guyana and with pretending to address the issue when little is in fact being done.
“I expected a response that would not really deal with the issue at hand. It is a sugarcoating of the reality and trying to pretend that they are actually doing work when nothing is actually being done to deal with the issue,” Sarabo-Halley told Kiskadee Watch, adding, “Nothing that she said suggested to me that they are actually dealing with the matter.”
She pointed out that efforts to deal with corruption must go beyond workshops and be guided by data that aids decision-making, noting that workshops alone would not eradicate this “scourge” in society. Authorities, she said, must move toward enforcing existing laws or introducing new legislation to address the problem.
Sarabo-Halley also referenced numerous allegations of corruption involving government officials, noting that while President Irfaan Ali had said he reviewed information regarding allegations surrounding then Housing Minister Susan Rodrigues’ accumulation of wealth over a relatively short period and concluded that she had done nothing wrong, there had been no formal investigation into the matter.
She noted that allegations have repeatedly been made against various officials, but no agency has made any effort to investigate them.
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