–private sector organisations say in welcoming decision by British authorities

THE decision by the British Government to waive visa requirements for Guyanese travelling to the United Kingdom (UK) for leisure and business, justifies the growing strength of Guyana’s economy, which is being driven by significant movement in the oil and gas sector and advancements in other key sectors, private sector organisations have said.

Sharing its views on the decision announced by British High Commissioner, Jane Miller on Tuesday, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) said: “We commend the Government of Guyana, particularly His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali for his leadership and initiative in aggressively pursuing this opportunity for Guyanese.

“This decision demonstrates the strength of our economy, signals the ease of travel, deepening of co-operation and collaboration between the UK and Guyana, and will bring great value to our growing private sector.”
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said too that the waiver clears the way for greater economic relations and partnerships between local companies and those native to the UK.

According to a press release from GCCI, the organisation, in 2019, made formal representation to the government of the UK to remove its requirement for Guyanese to obtain a visa to enter the country.
“Since the onset of his time at the Chamber, GCCI’s President, Mr. Timothy Tucker, has lobbied consistently for the removal of visa restrictions and today the chamber is proud to see this initiative come to fruition,” the chamber said.

President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad, also commended President Ali and the government for successfully finalising the waiver of the visa requirement for Guyanese to travel to the UK.

“GOGEC wishes to also acknowledge the supporting role that the private sector played along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by extension, its hardworking staff. We would also like to recognise the key role played by Her Excellency, Jane Miller, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Guyana, in supporting President Ali’s initiative,” Prashad said.

He related that this move bodes well for Guyana and the UK in terms of improving and strengthening bilateral trade relations between the two countries while promoting the free movement of people to the UK.
Prashad noted that Guyana, as it is now, enjoys a trade balance surplus with the UK. As of 2021, exports to the UK accounted for 6.5 per cent of total exports, while imports accounted for 1.7 per cent of total imports. In 2021, the trade balance surplus stood at US$208 million.

Considering this, the GOGEC President also supported President Ali’s call for the Schengen visa, which allows smooth travel throughout Europe, to be issued in Guyana. They are optimistic that this will also be facilitated shortly.

“Visa waivers save administrative costs and, much more importantly, spur international business activities and tourism by facilitating the cross-border mobility of people,” the Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSInc) said in a press statement, adding that visa systems cause high administrative costs, which are certainly not fully covered by the visa fees usually charged to applicants.

The decision announced on Tuesday, the organisation said, is a symbol of trust between Guyana and the UK that will result in many social and economic benefits of open borders.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry GGCI’s formal request to end visa requirements in 2019 must be acknowledged and congratulated, since the private sector body predicted the buoyant business activity between the UK and Guyana.

“President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali must also be lauded for his foresight and for creating an environment making visa-free travel a reality. We are looking forward to other trading partners following suit in this visa-free travel arrangement,” the R3PSInc said.
The visa waiver is also timely since British Airways is slated to operate the Guyana to UK route from the first quarter of next year.