Dear Editor,
PERHAPS the leading bastion of the business and commerce sector and most senior member of the umbrella Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Incorporated (GCCI) has been voicing its concerns over the “uncertainties” that exist because of the political situation.

This organisation, pointedly, in its efforts at implying a very dangerous state, also quoted engagements with international business concerns to support their particular ‘’worry’’.
What is interesting is that this body has not produced any statistical data that supports its “concerns”. It is ironical that for the kind of “crisis” and “slowdown” mentioned that the Minister of Finance has just announced a 4.1% growth in the national economy, which, incidentally, is inclusive of the period when the no-confidence motion vote had been effected in the National Assembly, which would have given rise to some amount of social tension. The announced growth rate even surpasses the 3.4% that had been forecasted for 2018.

Editor, if indeed there are genuine indicators which suggest investor queries about the current business climate, which are causes for hesitancy in not being able “to plan” for investment, as contended by the newly-elected president of the Chamber, then one can understand such apprehension on its part.

However, given the fact that throughout Guyana, particularly in the capital city where commercial business is bright, evidencing wholesalers and retailers doing brisk trade, because of traditional customers and general shoppers; it would seem that the Private Sector-affiliated chamber and its other members are either frightened by the very imaginary ghosts which they have created, or those hoary- headed hosts which they have conspired to resurrect from their distant yonder place of abode in order to give support to their political daddy and party’s call for the Caribbean Court of Justice to treat their appeal urgently.

And I say this without fear or favour about a business organisation which, under its parent body, the PSC, has, since 2015, adopted an entirely anti-government stance, as evidence by a past Chairman’s many statements which were unmistakably political, and which drew criticisms from a respected captain of industry.

Also, the clear act of the hoarding of foreign currency, with the aim of economic destabilisation, and a naked, patently racist stance against President David Granger’s A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration, and one can discern the declared position of the PSC, of which the GCCI is its oldest member. And this has been part of the wider political plot led by the PPP/C, which culminated in the chronicled Charandass treachery in the form of a no-confidence motion vote against the coalition government.

The PSC’s role, inclusive of its members, amounted to what has been a planned, a grand national movement of disaffection against the government, for reasons which are only too patently obvious. It was a central part of the creation of a deliberate environment of hysteria, carefully aggregated to project the government in the most negative of lights, through which this cabal sought to inveigle the intervention of the international community, such as the Carter Center. One would have believed that this business collective had suddenly overnight become transposed as “constitutional experts’’ as it parroted the “resign now’’, “constitutional crises’’, and “elections now” refrain from its political choir master, the PPP/C.

For this business clique, it was necessary and urgent that it coalesce with the PPP/C and other like-minded anti-nationals to ensure the removal of a government which, since its ascension to office, has ensured that the numerous tax dodgers were reined in; that they pay their fair share of taxes; that it brought to an end the questionable system of concessions and waivers, the latter of which had been found to be dishonest in its numerous requests and fraudulent in its use; the introduction of systems, particularly those that are designed to combat under-invoicing.

Obviously compromised by lavish patronage and other grand concessionaries doled out by the former PPP/C administration that cost the State coffers multi-billions in revenue, which a poor country like ours cannot afford; in addition to being part and parcel of the criminal State, it became urgent for this business and commerce grouping to be part of the conspiracy, which culminated in the fraudulent no-confidence motion that will curtail the life of a government whose leader’s ethnicity had been adjudged as not competent or capable enough of governing this country, especially one that will shortly become an oil economy.

I must agree with President Granger when he emphasised the fact that “…the government has done nothing to engender any disorder or any despair in the business community…” He is absolutely correct for not only has he and his government followed the path as discussed with the opposition leader when the latter had engaged the president in the first bilateral after the no-confidence motion, but he has not diverted or contravened any constitutional rule in his government exercising the right to due process of appeal to a higher tribunal, as any other citizen. Surely, this right was/is well understood by all and sundry, inclusive of the PSC. Instead, it chose to mount the Jagdeo bandwagon with its agenda primed to whip up social tension.

In this all too plain conspiracy, the PSC cannot claim ignorance of its formatted existence and dark intent, for its numerous statements daily and equally contributed to such a promotion that has been playing no small role in the creation of the “uncertainties” about which its member, the GCCI has been complaining. The question is: How could the latter organisation now be hollering fears about “uncertainties”, if they do exist, that it would have been a more than willing supporting passenger aboard the conspiratorial vehicle in the hands of a most reckless and irresponsible national political leader as the driver? Indeed, it is the season in which the most dangerous hypocrites and political crooks have been emerging from the woodworks.

Regards
Earl Hamilton