— DG Harmon takes aim at Opposition posture on TT investors
THE basis of patriotism and being an advocate for the socio-economic development of one’s country should not be on whether someone is in opposition or in government, but should solely be on being Guyanese.
It is on this reasoning that Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, rubbished the anti-national behaviour of executive members of the PPP, who, during a recent investment forum in Trinidad, where about 225 leading investors were present, urged that they do not invest in Guyana.
Harmon was at the time addressing residents at Richmond Hill on Saturday. Residents there, along with many others across Guyana, have taken the initiative to enhance their communities to attract tourists and investors.
The director-general urged the residents and all Guyanese to reject anti-national behaviour, contending that it does not augur well for Guyana’s economic growth.
Harmon was part of a wider delegation of politicians, including Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and several ministers of government who, a few weeks ago, attended the forum hosted by the Guyana High Commissioner to Trinidad, Cammie Ramsaroop.
“People who we call the captains of industry were all there because they wanted to understand what was happening in Guyana, and they wanted to be part of that investment opportunity in Guyana,” Harmon related.
While the team made efforts to highlight Guyana’s investment opportunities and Guyana’s Green State Development Policy, which all foreign investors are expected to implement in their projects, an Opposition team, led by former Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, was encouraging the investors to not invest in Guyana.
“Irrespective of who is in government, you would want to know that people want to come to Guyana to invest in it, but there you had people, while we were promoting Guyana, you had people from the opposition going there to tell the people do not invest in Guyana. What kind of people are these?” Harmon questioned, adding, “I say that it is anti-national behaviour.”
Edghill, he alleged, will do all the ‘dirty work’ he is asked to do, as he tries to compete for the prime ministerial candidacy for the PPP. After the investors paid no attention to Edghill and team, Edghill took it upon himself to, reportedly, describe the investors, many of whom expressed interest in setting up shop in Guyana, as carpetbaggers.
The investors had expressed profound confidence in Guyana’s economy and the prospects for exponential growth and development in the coming years. Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Energy, Franklin Khan, at the forum, praised the coalition government for the heavy emphasis on human development, particularly investment in educating young people. Khan also noted the impressive oil finds in Guyana’s deep waters and the phenomenal rate of discoveries. He said Guyana has the highest per capita reserves in the world, higher than even Saudi Arabia.
The director-general said anyone is welcomed to invest in Guyana as long as they are willing to operate within the framework implemented by the government.
“As far as we are concerned, I believe that people are free to come to Guyana to invest, as long as they understand one thing, that in our promotion of the investment climate in Guyana. We make this very clear, that our first priority is our people, so whatever investor may come, they must understand this, that our priority is the people of Guyana,” he said.
