THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has expressed concern about the escalation in armed robberies and violent crimes being perpetrated on members of the business community and the country as a whole.The Chamber has said in a release that it would like to implore the Government and the Disciplined Forces that the need to address this issue is even more urgent as celebration of the Golden Jubilee fast approaches.

The Government has been asking tourists and Guyanese abroad to come back to visit, celebrate, and moreover invest in Guyana.

“It is extremely disturbing that all the support, over the years, from both local and international agencies seems to have done very little to improve the overall effectiveness of the Guyana Police Force in securing the nation. Clearly, there is an urgent need for a national discussion on the long-term capacity of the Force to address the level of crime in Guyana, starting with an increase in foot patrols.

“Robberies such as those committed on the Princess Casino; the murder of the two prominent rice farmers, both burnt to death, and numerous other businesses across the country continue to be documented in our daily newspapers (and) are regularly viewed by our intended overseas guests. These incidents will loom like a large cloud over our parades and related activities, deter visitors from coming to participate in our celebrations, and can place a damper on lucrative future investment,” the GCCI has said.

UNCOMFORTABLE
The Indian Action Committee (IAC), in a separate statement, also bemoaned the crime situation.

“The Indian Action Committee (IAC), like all Guyanese, is horrified at the deaths of the elderly East Bank Essequibo couple, seventy-five-year-old Mohammed Munir, and his wife, sixty-nine-year-old Jamila Munir, who perished after their home was allegedly set ablaze,” the non-governmental organisation said.

“The IAC understands that the unsuspecting rice-farming couple was attacked by bandits just before their home was set on fire. Reports suggest that the home was deliberately set ablaze by bandits. This horrific incident is yet another example of heinous crimes that continue to be meted out to innocent Guyanese at the hands of merciless bandits. These incidents, which seemingly appear unabated, continue to drive fear into the hearts of Guyanese,” the IAC contended.

OTHER INCIDENTS
The IAC is also reportedly horrified over the killing of businessman Mahendra Persaud, 26, of Wakenaam, Essequibo, who lost his life on April 19, 2016 in Georgetown after being attacked and robbed by an armed bandit; the recent killing of a security guard on the East Coast of Demerara; the robbery at the Ramada Princess Hotel earlier the morning, and other “frightful incidents” of crime.

According to the IAC, it cannot help noticing that these attacks, some of which result in deaths, are perpetrated largely against Indo-Guyanese.

The organisation is also of the view that it would not be unreasonable to suggest that Indo-Guyanese appear to be targeted by heartless criminals.

In forthrightly condemning these latest incidents, the IAC called on the authorities to immediately implement effective security measures to curb these attacks on Guyanese.

The IAC is also urging the authorities to ensure that the security of the populace is given utmost priority, as promised, and noted that the fear that continues to be instilled into the hearts of the citizenry can no longer be tolerated.

“The IAC, having expressed these sentiments in the past, can only hope, like all Guyanese, that counter-measures would be implemented as swiftly as possible, so as to cease the haemorrhaging of innocent lives.

“The IAC takes this opportunity to express its deepest condolences to the immediate family (members) and relatives of the victims, and calls on civil society to join in its call”, the statement concluded.