AMIDST the global issues of economic crisis, terrorism, climate change and rising extremism, the United Kingdom (UK) seems determined to support its partners in the Caribbean region through increased funding and technical assistance, as tangible evidence of its commitment to their development.

The UK is one of the Caribbean region’s biggest trade investment partners.
At the opening of the 7th UK/Caribbean Ministerial Forum, held in Grenada earlier this year, William Hague, UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth, said: “It is our desire to see trade and investment grow, to deepen the wide range of people-to- people links, and to work more effectively to help each other on the foreign policy challenges we face… And the substance of that cooperation could come from four areas: prosperity, security, climate change and foreign policy.”
He also said that, over the next four years, the Caribbean will receive 75M pounds sterling in development projects from the United Kingdom. This, of course, was welcome news for many Caribbean countries that compete for international funding.
Foreign aid has come under sharp scrutiny as the developed world grapples with domestic cuts and austerity measures. This has forced many developed countries to be more strategic in their allocations, resulting in instances of total loss of, or diminished, financial support for many dependent countries.
In fact, the UK Government itself has been criticised for increasing aid to developing countries. The Cameron government will see foreign aid increase from 7.8 billion pounds sterling to 11.5 billion pounds sterling by 2015.
Ironically, in a stunning rebuke to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Lord Ashcroft, advisor to the Prime Minister, has said that developing countries want “trade and tourism”, and that “aid corrodes civil society and encourages corruption and conflict in poor countries.” But Downing Street has dismissed criticisms of its aid policy, and has said instead that it has established a watchdog to scrutinize spending.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle, High Commissioner Andrew Ayre said that despite its own economic challenges, the UK is intent on pursuing with Guyana the goals of trade and investment, climate change, and reform and modernization of the security sector.
He also underscored the importance of commitments made by his government to the region, and described how his office is actively working towards realization of those goals.
Ayre has just wrapped up his first year in Guyana, having replaced the Honourable Fraser Wheeler, who left in 2010.
He was high in praise for the people of Guyana, saying he is grateful for their friendliness and kindness.
He also said he was proud of the work done by his counterparts from the U.S., Canada and the European Union, especially during the general elections of November 28, 2011.
The UK, along with the US, Canada and the European Union, provided funding for the Elections Assistance Bureau (EAB), The Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), among other initiatives.
Asked if he was satisfied with the way the elections went, the High Commissioner said he was very satisfied with the execution of the process, and cited excellent working relations with GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally.
He added that his office endorses the conclusions of the OAS observer mission that, “By any reasonable standard, the election was perfectly run.” There is, however, a need to keep an open mind as to how best to improve the process further, including by a speedy release of results.
He also said that the result of the election is a landmark moment for the politics of Guyana, even though it does not represent the individual will of Guyanese. He thinks that the political face of Guyana has changed with its first ever minority Government and a hung Parliament, and he believes that the ramifications of the results of the elections are still working themselves through the system.
He believes, however, that the politicians have been presented with a unique opportunity to engage in collaboration and compromise to avoid the risk of a stalemate, which is something both sides should guard against.
High Commissioner Ayre outlined several areas that his office is actively engaged in, which will see strengthened diplomatic and trade relations between Guyana and the UK.
He said he is particularly pleased about next month’s opening of the Trade Office at the High Commission, which will be headed by an experienced business developer. That office will, in a more systematic way, promote and track in British exports to Guyana and Suriname, and provide assistance to any substantial Guyanese or Surinamese investments by way of appropriate contacts in the UK, should they have an interest in doing business there.
Establishment of the Trade Office is a reflection of the growing economies of Guyana and Suriname, and the opportunities that they present to UK companies and investors.
Andrew Ayre is High Commissioner to both Guyana and Suriname.
The UK has only recently expanded its visa operations to Suriname. Previously, Surinamese nationals travelled to Georgetown to have their visa applications processed. However, since Suriname is presently enjoying a boom in its economy, it has become a more viable partner to the developed world.
On the issue of visas for Guyanese, he explained that, in 2007, the High Commission took a decision to consolidate its entire visa operation in Jamaica, as it was no longer practical to have so many visa operations in the Caribbean. This means that any Guyanese or Surinamese applying for a UK visa will have their biometrics, application and passport sent to Jamaica for processing.
Granting and refusal of the visa are done in Jamaica. The refusal rate for Guyana is approximately 20%; i.e.’ 1 in 5 applications is refused.
Mr. Ayre added that when this new process was introduced, the number of applications had reduced; since then, though, it has been fairly stable. He attributed that reduction to citizens being uncomfortable with sending their passports to Jamaica, and the higher costs attached to the visa processing.
However, he said that as Guyana’s economy expanded, its desire to do business with the UK and vice versa has been increased, and therefore he expects more people to travel between the two countries.
In the case of Suriname, demand has increased substantially, especially since Surinamese can now more easily access the visa services.
According to Ayre, UK investors have shown interest in local investment opportunities in the areas of housing, infrastructure, oil exploration, mining, water management, and the printing of bank notes and passports, among other areas. This is primarily because profits can be easily repatriated without restrictions, and there is existing institutional architecture and support from the government through the various ministries and through Go–Invest and GRA for British and other companies that want to operate here.
Already there are a number of British companies operating here. Mott Macdonald, Tullow Oil and Petropavlovsk are among many others. However, while acknowledging that Guyana fulfils most of the requirements for doing business with countries like the UK, Ayre said there are still some challenges that have to be overcome if the levels of investment here are to increase exponentially.
A key challenge is the perception that Guyana suffers badly from corruption. This perception is compounded by the 2011 report of Transparency International, which listed Guyana as 134th in the world on perceived public sector corruption. This rating fell from 116th in 2010.
High Commissioner Ayre said, “Perception is perception. I’m not saying that Guyana is the 134th most corrupt country in the world, but what I am saying is that there is a perception out there, and companies will look at that as part of an investment decision.”
The Guyana Government has long disputed the ranking it receives from Transparency International (TI), citing lack of objectivity by the persons who provide the data to TI.
Ayre added: “Investors will look for reasons to invest in Guyana; and in doing so, they will consider issues of corruption, the kind of infrastructure available, and the labour market, among other things. But clearly, if a country is perceived to be having problems with corruption, then that is something that can put off some investors.”
Bilaterally, the single most important development project that the British High Commission is doing in Guyana is funding an agricultural diversification programme formerly run by the USAID under the name of GTIS – Guyana Trade and Investment Support. That programme has an approximate value of US$2.5 million, and is designed to get produce to market. At the moment, Guyana produces lots of fruits and vegetables, but has been unable to have them successfully shipped or air freighted to other places because of a lack of infrastructure and market access. This programme will therefore benefit Guyana’s agriculture sector through technical assistance.
The UK Government is also doing some work with the local security sector. Two UK consultants are working with the Ministry of Legal Affairs on the Government’s Justice Sector Reform Strategy. Ayre says the UK Government will continue to support initiatives to combat illegal drugs, violent crimes, and the challenges posed by organized crime.
The British believe that Guyana’s security sector can have further modernization and reform, which will no doubt reassure international investors that Guyana is a safe and good place to do business. The UK also provides some assistance and funding for the FIU, CANU and the police drug squad.
The UK’s aid to Guyana also extends to climate change and sustainable development initiatives spearheaded by former President Bharat Jagdeo.
Mr. Ayre said the UK accepts that, historically, emissions have come from the developed world; and while nobody can change the past, they can change what happens going forward, hence the UK’s quite radical reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, and commitments to halve them by 2050. But in order for damaging climate change to be reduced, the whole world has to decide to act.
William Hague, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth, has acknowledged that the region played a crucial role in focusing attention on the threats brought on by climate change.
Guyana has been the leading voice in the region in creating awareness of these threats, and in devising practical solutions for them, as evidenced by the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
In a demonstration of its commitment, the UK has increased by 50% the money provided to Caribbean nations to mitigate the effects of these emissions, and also support renewable energy development and deployment.
The UK has also provided scholarships to Guyanese professionals under its Chevening Scholarship awards. For this year alone, more than 80 applications have been sent for consideration. Joel Simpson and Chuvika Harilal were the eventual winners of the scholarships. Chevening scholarships are each valued at approximately 15,000 pounds sterling.
Mr Ayre was keen to point out that the UK stands ready to assist wherever the Government of Guyana finds areas that need to be improved. He cited the country’s recent challenges with funding textbooks for schools. Ayre said that while the UK certainly cannot endorse the misuse of its intellectual property, the UK could examine ways in which the Government of Guyana and the UK Publishers Association can best resolve the issue. But it is important to note that the UK Government has no control of associated legal processes, something which Ayre said the Guyana Government should be mindful of.
These are only a few of the challenges that High Commissioner Ayre has to deal with during his tenure here. There are other global issues that still have to be confronted, like the war in Syria, Iran’s nuclear arms aspirations, and the Falklands fallout with Argentina. And he was quick to point out that the UK wants the support of Guyana in these critical areas of foreign policy.
On the Falklands issue, Ayre thought that next year’s referendum on the future of the islands would provide further proof of the desire of the islanders to remain British, thus supporting the right to self determination under the UN Charter. On Syria, there was a pressing need to end violence by securing a Syrian-led solution to the current conflict, as called for in UNGA Resolution 11266 of 4th August. Ayre added that there was a particular onus on the Government to stop the killing and use of heavy weapons against its own people.
And the situation over Iran’s nuclear programme continues to give the international community concern. Guyana’s support was welcome, and would be appreciated.
After all, we are all affected by these issues, whether they are in or out of the Caribbean region. Because often, these issues underscore the need for agreement on global governance, and solving them requires solidarity.
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