Military should be used to spur Economic Growth and Development

I am prompted to write this letter after reading the headline, “Strengthening army to depend on economy” (SN, January 20, 2012).  I firmly believe that the military could, and should, be deployed as an instrument to generate the type of economic growth referenced by the President. This would require the reconceptualisation and reorganisation of the Guyana Defense Force from an institution focused overwhelmingly upon issues of national security and humanitarian interventions to one that is prominently focused upon economic development.

This concept is not new or atypical, as many militaries around the global have deployed their forces in initiatives to spur economic growth. The most obvious that comes to mind is the US military establishment, which has craftily and guilefully used its military as a form of industrial policy to foster its longer-term economic ambitions. The US government funds and subsidizes its military to create employment, carry out research and develop new technologies and products, to build infrastructure, to name a few major functions. Another example that comes to mind is the Brazilian military and its engineers who have been involved in building critical infrastructure projects, including the recently opened Takatu Bridge.

In Guyana’s case, the military transformation should begin with establishing a tertiary level military academy worthy of international accreditation. This institution must have the distinction of providing a world-class standard of education and, to this end, it must be adequately resourced and outfitted with the best facilities and tutors.  Full scholarships and other incentives should be offered to the top students who graduate from the nation’s secondary schools after they have written the Caribbean Examination Council’s examinations.

This academy’s main focus should encompass science and technology. The next generation of engineers, scientists, and computer experts should emerge from this academic setting. Furthermore, those who graduate should be called upon to undertake scientific research and development projects that can assist the private sector (more specifically, the manufacturing sector), and build many of our infrastructure development projects including, but not limited to, the road or rail to Lethem, the bridge to Suriname, and a deep-water port. Moreover, the army corps of engineers should have been the ideal institution tasked with designing and building the access road to Amaila Falls.

Think of the huge sums of monies that this would save our county if we were to go this route. Within a matter of years we could easily recoup the costs of establishing such an academy.

This, however, would require a smaller and more efficient military.  In this era, I don’t believe that our military should be solely in the business of fighting wars and the current expenditure of resources to train and equip our military to this dispensation has been misguided and wasteful. Emphasis instead should be placed on responding to humanitarian disasters and to nation building through training in vocational skills, especially for those who might fall short of the academy’s standards.

It is the opportune time to stop talking about initiatives for economic growth and to start implementing bold, innovative policies that would help us collectively in doubling our current economic growth levels.