…claims ‘genuine social cohesion needed’

OPPOSITION Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told a concerned business sector yesterday that there will be no collaboration between the opposition and the government until there is genuine social cohesion. The former President was at the time speaking to diplomats and large and small business operators when the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) held their second luncheon at the Pegasus Hotel. Jagdeo has only recently been roundly condemned for alleged divisiveness in a racially-charged speech recently in New York. His presentation at the luncheon sought to provide a balance of views from both sides of the political arena, since Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had offered the government’s economic perspective at the association’s last event.
While Gaskin had assured manufacturers that there was no economic crisis and that the economy was in good shape, Jagdeo claimed that bad policy decisions and cases of discrimination were driving fear into the business community, causing reduced investments. Jagdeo slammed Gaskin for making comparisons with neighbouring countries whose economic make-up are different from Guyana.

The back and forth caused private persons to wonder at what point the government and the opposition would sit to collectively work on issues facing the country. Aviation personality and entrepreneur, Captain Gerry Gouveia, recognised the differences between the two political sides and questioned whether citizens could expect sometime in the next year to see team work between the government and the opposition.
Jagdeo’s response was that President David Granger had spoken about social cohesion, but the practice of his government is different. The opposition leader told the business sector that government must first transition to a government for all before any collaboration.
“What we said is that we have one pre-condition, that when you stop pursuing the politics, your manifesto, your election promise and transition to what is good for all of our people and move the country forward, that will be the opportune time. So although we have heard the right-sounding words, social cohesion, working together; transparency… we have seen in practice, a different picture and that is causing problems in collaboration.”
The former President said his party is proud of their track record and they will be doing nothing to tamper with the successes they have already brought to the country. Jagdeo focused however on the “capricious and misleading” statements made by Minister Gaskin when he was invited to address the manufacturers. The public is trying to find out government’s long-term plan, Jagdeo said, claiming that it cannot be found anywhere and different responses about the plan was coming from government members.
He continued that Gaskin had compared Guyana’s “better” economy to Barbados, but claimed this is unfair when the island does not have such fiscal room. He said Suriname depends heavily on gold, oil and alumina revenues and while oil and gold have been taking a beating for some time, the country’s alumina refinery was closed in 2015. Jagdeo pointed out that low oil prices in Trinidad has also affected that economy, but Guyana is not doing as well as they are despite their individual problems.
Jagdeo went on to say that unlike the former PPP/C government, the current administration is not keeping the nation up to date with plans other than making “declarative statements.” Under the PPP, Jagdeo said, the National Development Strategy was developed when macroeconomic stability and inflation were the concerns. Infrastructure then became the concern, he said, when the economy began to grow. He said the party then focused on poverty reduction and then the environment as global concerns changed and Guyana continued to show development.
The Opposition Leader went on to explain that government said $55B was lost to private concessions and that significant reduction to private sector concessions were thus made. Jagdeo explained that persons bringing excavators and the likes into the country will have to pay 19 percent more on heavy-duty equipment since the government believes the concessionary sum is too high.
“A slew of new taxes,” is also pressuring the economy. Jagdeo explained that the government is saying to someone selling on the roadside for instance, that they must pay six percent more on their licences and that they must now be tax- compliant for seven years to renew their licences. This is unconstitutional, because the tax does not deny one the right to work based on compliance. “But that’s what’s happening to thousands of businesses across Guyana,” he stated.
The government is also driving fear into investors by saying Guyana had operated on drug money, especially when U.S. banks are talking about de-risking. Jagdeo asked, “Why then would those banks and investors want to have correspondent relationships with any of your institutions? He said government must face it that, “they are doing badly and the conclusion is that there is a crisis in Guyana.”