What’s in the name? Trading Places

By Leonard Craig

TODAY I want to briefly handle two issues; first, the cessation of the official use of the term Negro and Guyana’s trade relations with Trinidad and Tobago.

Over the last week and a half or so there was a national upheaval about the use of the word “Negro” to identify Africans in Guyana, in official government entities.

There were lots of commentaries both in traditional and social media. What is glaring about the comments is that everything seems to denominate into a political zero-sum jab.

As is usual with anything pertaining to race or politics, this nation seems to filter into three distinct camps: you are either for the government or you are for the opposition, and a third group who stay absolutely silent because they either do not agree with the views of the side they support or they just eschew controversial subjects.

I don’t believe that everything, though involving political actors, need to be politicised. This is one such issue for which absolutely no political commentary was warranted. On this score, there were missteps on both sides of the political divide.

There were some false, inflammatory outrages from individuals who are in or support the opposition and some insensitive statements made by individuals who advocated on the government side. I want to stay clear of specifics. Because of the sensitive nature of this subject, there is always the potential to open wounds and worm cans. That said, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led government took swift and appropriate executive action.

Officially, all documents, standard operation manuals, curriculums, etc. will now discard “Negro” in favour of “Guyanese of African Ancestry.” One would have thought that this is a commendable move and a permanent and acceptable solution. Not so for perpetual detractors with an insatiable appetite for criticism.

Now they are saying, too many words, why not Afro-Guyanese, why not African Guyanese and a whole host of empty nomen-parley. I read one who passes himself for a serious commentator, expressing concern for how much more ink is required to print such a long expression in official documents and application forms. Idiotic? Excruciating? For me the lead-off with “Guyanese of …” is recognition first of our Guyaneseness before any other appellative identities.

Now I shift to the second topic at caption, intra-CARICOM trade. Trinidad and Tobago is the senior trade partner to every single CARICOM state and Associate Member State, meaning their exports outweigh their imports to each and every member state. Both goods and services including the arts.

This has been so for more than 20 years and Port of Spain maintains its trade dominance by directly flouting or using subterfuge to circumvent regional trade treaties. The concept of one economic and trade space for CARICOM originated products and services is elusive to successive administrations in Trinidad. Based on CARICOM rules, Trinidad cannot use high tariffs (import duties) to prevent member nations’ products from entering its ports.

Trinidad has been sending back products made in Guyana using many artificial technicalities that keep shifting every day. This is how Trinidad operates. When Guyana exports, especially agricultural products, to Trinidad, they bar entry by saying that even processed products must have original phytosanitary certification.

Then when this is obtained and another shipment is sent, they say we want to know if the crops were fumigated during harvest. When the same product is exported a third time, Port of Spain says the fat content in the finished product doesn’t meet its standards. Then when these standards are met and the product is exported again, meeting all previous barriers set, the exporter is then told, Guyana is not on Trinidad’s list of approved importers of that category of agricultural product. It’s ridiculous, and blatantly so.

While Trinidad is doing this, there are two important things to consider. One, Guyana exports the identical products to the USA, Canada, Europe and the rest of the Caribbean without issue. Exceeding these standards, Trinidad is special. Two, Guyana accepts all products from Trinidad without murmur.

Space doesn’t allow me to deal with the technical specifics of this issue. I simply provided a layman’s overview of the issue to communicate in simple terms to ordinary folk. Many large and internationally recognised companies fell victim to Port of Spain’s subtle trade embargo on Guyana. I am surprised the affected parties have not been swarming the airwaves and social media with this issue, probably even a picket action.

I wish to use this space to call on the Government of Guyana to implement full reciprocity rules to all imports from Trinidad. This action has to be swift, decisive and stern. After more than a quarter century of Port of Spain riding ‘ruff’ shod [sic] over Guyana, its now overdue for a strong, terse and forceful response