Dear Editor,
IN my humble opinion, Guyana suffered a massive setback when the government gave in to the popular belief that lifting the restrictions on imports was what Guyanese believed would have guaranteed prosperity, but in retrospect, it was the catalyst that brought back the dependency syndrome. The large multinational corporations in conjunction with the business elite proceeded to exert leverage in the country by bringing in massive amounts of tinned milk, processed foods, cheese and other goods to whet our appetites for the so-called good life of nice foods. Who suffered in that fiasco? It was the farmers in the rural areas, and they were hurting. The dairy industry collapsed, cash-crop farming perished, local produce was by and large ignored for the potatoes, apples, grapes and a host of other items; the merchants and business class reaped the windfall of cash and the resulting prosperity. The nation reverted from a fledgling producing country striving to be self-sufficient to a nation of impoverished wage earners.
The working people had no choice but to abandon thousands of acres of farmlands, cattle pasturage, the coconut industry. They had to abandon the dream of an independent Guyana. The resulting closure of these operations caused a scramble for the few jobs available and fierce competition that was really a hustle for a living.
The only industry surviving is the fishing industry along with the dried-fish dealers. The closure of the Agriculture Bank by the last administration was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The building that they tried to build for a rice flour mill and the plantain factory (in a flooded area) sounds like a feeble attempt to clone Forbes Burnham’s plans in a development drive. The current David Granger Administration is caught between a rock and a hard place, for any moves to restrict imports to bolster local industries will meet with vigorous sanctions by the developed world to protect their lucrative trade with Guyana. The dairy industry which will save billions in foreign exchange will be red-flagged by businessmen and merchants, shippers etc. It calls for massive funding with plants for processing, cooler trucks etc. With the brilliant chess moves being manoeuvred by our President, I am sure he will find a way out of this quagmire.
Happy 50th anniversary to all of my Guyanese brothers and sisters.
Regards
M. Bacchus