Fastest growing economy and an empty stadium

Nov 29, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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…Peeping Tom

 Kaieteur News- It’s a classic Guyanese tale, really. You live in the fastest growing economy in the world—an economy that’s gushing oil wealth like a fire hydrant busted wide open—and yet, when the Global Super League (GSL) cricket tournament is held, the stands at the National Stadium look like an Opposition political meeting. Forget crowds roaring for every boundary; you’re more likely to hear the echo of the cricket ball than the cheers of a packed audience.

Let’s take this sparse attendance as a metaphor for the average Guyanese bank account—empty. Sure, there was a good showing last month for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Back then, the local team, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, had us dreaming of glory. Families scraped together the money to attend and to scream their support for the local franchise. But two tournaments in two months? Sorry, that’s asking too much. Christmas is around the corner, and Guyanese wallets have officially hit their crease.

Let’s break down the seeming paradox. We are told—repeatedly, as if it’s a hymn to modern prosperity—that Guyana is the fastest growing economy in the world. Oil revenues are flowing. GDP figures are soaring. Foreign investors are elbowing each other to get in on the action. If we were to believe the headlines, we should all be sipping whiskey at cricket matches while feasting on lobster rolls.

The organizers of the GSL must have been gobsmacked. They probably envisioned crowds spilling out of the stadium gates, vendors hawking flags, and fans chanting like it was Carnival. Instead, they got a handful of spectators, many of whom were probably wondering whether they should’ve spent that money on their light bill instead.

Here’s the rub: those who engineered this economic marvel—the government, the technocrats, the oil magnates—are either in denial or utterly out of touch. They seem genuinely surprised that the common Guyanese fan can’t afford to attend back-to-back cricket tournaments. It’s as though they believe that economic growth translates directly into disposable income for everyone. Newsflash: it doesn’t.

The truth is, the oil wealth isn’t trickling down. It’s pooling at the top. Meanwhile, the average citizen is living in “prosperity limbo.” They hear about the wealth, they see the numbers, but their paychecks remain the same. The price of food goes up, rent skyrockets, and even going to the cinema costs a hand and a leg. All the while, the mythical oil dividend is nowhere to be found.

What’s particularly galling is the government’s apparent shock at the sparse GSL crowds. You’d think they’d notice that the cost of living has been climbing like a six in cricket while wages are like dot balls. But no, they’re too busy patting themselves on the back for being the poster children of economic growth. Never mind that the average Guyanese can’t afford to enjoy the very entertainment that’s supposed to distract them from their struggles.

To the politicians and planners, here’s some free advice: stop drinking your own Kool-Aid. GDP growth is a number; it’s not a meal on a table or a ticket to a cricket match. Real wealth is measured by the quality of life of your citizens, not by how many foreign investors are salivating over your oil reserves.

The GSL fiasco should be a wake-up call. Governments have a way of interpreting failure as a “learning opportunity” without actually learning anything. They’ll probably chalk this up to “poor marketing” or “timing issues” rather than face the uncomfortable truth: their economic policies are widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Meanwhile, the cricket fans of Guyana—the real cricket fans, the ones who bleed Amazon Warriors —are left to wonder what happened. They’ve spent their savings on CPL, juggled their budgets to keep up with rising costs, and now they’re being asked to dig even deeper for the GSL. Sorry, but Santa Claus is already knocking, and the kids’ Christmas gifts take priority over another T20 match.

So here we are, in the fastest growing economy in the world, where the cricket stadium is half-empty, and the average citizen is struggling to keep up with the rising cost of everything. It’s a paradox worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy, except there’s no catharsis at the end, just more bills to pay.

Maybe the GSL organizers will figure out a way to fill the stands for the remaining matches. Maybe they’ll slash ticket prices or hand out free ones. Or maybe they’ll realize what the rest of us already know: the real problem isn’t cricket; it’s the economy.

(Fastest growing economy and an empty stadium)

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• classic Guyanese tale, empty stadium, Fastest growing economy, Global Super League, Peeping Tom

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