By Kemol King
In Guyana, the start time of an event is often treated as a suggestion.
Anyone who regularly attends certain public events knows the pattern. An invitation says the programme begins at 6 p.m. Some guests arrive on time; some don’t. The room fills. People wait. Sometimes an hour passes. Sometimes two.
In the arena of business, there is a common reason. The featured speaker has not arrived; a minister or the President himself. The event cannot begin without them, so hundreds of people sit idle until the arrival of one individual.
This has become so routine that some attendees plan for it. I know I do. Some arrive late on purpose. Others simply accept it as part of the culture.
That acceptance is precisely the problem.
To be clear, the responsibilities carried by senior government officials are immense. Ministers and the President manage matters that affect the entire country. Their schedules are demanding, and unforeseen obligations arise. I am not unappreciative of that.
But acknowledging that does not justify a pattern that repeatedly inconveniences hundreds of people at once. You are already doing the hosts an honour by agreeing to address their event in the first place. So they wouldn’t complain. But I will.
Every delayed start sends a message that the person at the podium does not sufficiently value the time of everyone in the audience. That audience often includes business leaders, professionals, civil servants, students, journalists and other citizens who made the effort to arrive at the time they were asked.
The President held a 5:30 a.m. meeting last year with senior officials, contractors, engineers, and others, to talk about delays to work awarded to them by the government. Reports indicate that the gates were locked to latecomers. This clearly was meant to show that the President means business.
The President’s invitations for media officers to attend press conferences would include a requirement for journalists to arrive at a certain time in advance of the scheduled time of the event. The idea is that if you do not arrive by that time, you risk not being let in.
Arriving promptly to a destination requires you to prepare well in advance, to cater for traffic and lights at intersections. A President doesn’t have that trouble. He can turn on his siren, clear the road and bend traffic to his will, as one person put it.
The issue does not begin or end with government officials. It reflects something broader in Guyanese culture. Across the country, events start late. Social and professional events drift far beyond their scheduled time.
The phrase “Guyanese punctuality” exists for a reason.
What was excused in one Guyana because of an official’s status does not belong in the One Guyana leaders now promise to build.
To respect people, you also have to respect their time.
Transformation requires infrastructure, investment and policy. Yes. It also requires discipline in everyday practices. Time discipline is one of them.
Businesses cannot operate efficiently if meetings routinely begin hours late. Conferences lose value when agendas are unreliable.
The same standard must apply to those who lead the country. Government leaders can set the tone for people’s behavior. Leadership must be by example.
If Guyana is serious about becoming a more efficient, professional and globally competitive society, punctuality must become the norm. We have to respect the commitments we make to one another.
The next time an event invitation says 6 p.m., the expectation should be exactly that; six, not seven not eight.
