{"id":581,"date":"2009-11-30T10:37:04","date_gmt":"2009-11-30T15:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/?p=581"},"modified":"2009-11-30T10:37:04","modified_gmt":"2009-11-30T15:37:04","slug":"2009-11-30-afc-responds-to-ppp-general-secretary-remarks-on-investments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/?p=581","title":{"rendered":"2009-11-30: AFC Responds to PPP General Secretary Remarks on Investments"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong>General Secretary to the People\u2019s Progressive Party Civic, Donald Ramotar, has described the Alliance For Change\u2019s (AFC) negative position on investors coming into Guyana as \u201cabsolute nonsense.\u201d\u00a0 KN Nov 23th 2009.<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Ramotar is of the opinion that even though there should be more investors entering Guyana, the absence of large scale investors \u201chas to do with infrastructure\u201d.\u00a0 This was a response to Chief Executive Officer of the AFC Peter Ramsaroop who had said that the current crime and general absence of rule of law are warding off any massive investments in agro proceedings. \u00a0The PPP General Secretary should be embarrassed to utter such a statement after 18 years in power.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Permit us to respond to Mr. Donald Ramotar\u2019s comment that the main constraint facing investments in Guyana is lack of infrastructure and not crime. We will address Mr. Ramotar\u2019s comments directly and we shall outline some of the key impediments to investments in Guyana.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Mr. Ramotar noted that Congo receives investments in spite of severe political instability. However, the General Secretary needs to understand that Congo receives mainly investments in extractive industries that take away Congo\u2019s resources with minimum value added at home. That is not the vision of the AFC, however.\u00a0 Our natural resources must be processed at home. Therefore, we seek long-term commitments from foreign investors that will have a social purpose for Guyana. We seek agro-industrial processing, ICT, eco-tourism, creative and cultural industries in the arts, etc.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The AFC sees the Diaspora as a key resource for skills, ideas and investments for the development of Guyana. The Diaspora is most influenced by crimes. Importantly also the Diaspora is influenced by the fact that too many crimes\/murders are never solved and too few criminals are convicted. These important and valuable Guyanese will never return home as long as there is no credibility in the police. Remember, Mr. Ramotar, that it is your government \u2013 famous for accepting foreign aid \u2013 which turned down the most important piece of aid to reform the police force. What message is the PPP sending to the Diaspora, Mr. Ramotar? Why did the PPP turn down this most critical piece of help to reform the police force?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Crimes also retard business formation. For example, drug dealers can launder funds while legitimate businesses must borrow from the commercial banks at 15% interest rate. Legitimate business folks have also been threatened and killed by the drug pushers. How can the legitimate businesses compete Mr. Ramotar? Also, there is a large smuggling economy that makes it difficult for legitimate businesses to compete. Crimes do retard investments, Mr. Ramotar.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Crime also destroys and corrupts key institutions that are needed for development; such as the legal institutions. Mr. Ramotar claimed to be an economist but he failed to realize that the evidence is clear. Investments are retarded because of the lack of strong laws and the enforcement of these laws. Take for instance the infringement of copyright in Guyana. It has killed the creative and cultural industries. Why write a poem, a song or story when others will abuse them? Why should our people be creative when they cannot enjoy the fruits of creativity? It has totally destroyed the cinemas in Guyana (yes investments!). \u00a0The AFC understands the importance of the rule of law in economic development, and would \u00a0implement specific policies to improve the administration of justice and deepen a rules based environment, so as to facilitate investments in the creative talents of Guyanese and therefore promote development.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Serious crimes also force our people to migrate. Many of these Guyanese are educated, technically skilled, investors and entrepreneurs. Therefore, crimes lead to shortage of investors\/risk takers and depletes our human capital. Thus, we have yet another channel through which crimes (and the failure to solve crimes) have led to low and unproductive investments in Guyana.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The AFC is of the view that the following are the key binding constraints that impede investments in Guyana. (i) Lack of infrastructure (energy and other infrastructure like farm to market roads). (ii) Lack of reasonable financing. (iii) Crime and the lack of credibility within the police force. (iv) A severe shortage of human capital. (v) Lack of suitable institutions\/laws (and the enforcement of these laws) that can stimulate the creative and cultural industries. (vi) A limited role and focus on research and development. The AFC blueprint shall outline these in more detail<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

An unpatriotic act<\/strong> by the PPP administration was not implementing the National Development Strategy (NDS ).\u00a0 Had we implemented the NDS since 2001 and started the smaller energy projects recommended, Guyana would have been in a position today to attract large investment.\u00a0 The PPP is waiting for the \u201csilver bullet hydro project\u201d, as economist Dr. Tarron Khemraj recently noted, to solve our energy needs.\u00a0 But one silver bullet energy project is not likely to solve the energy needs of Guyanese as Ramotar indicated.\u00a0 The AFC proposes the portfolio approach<\/span><\/strong> to energy \u2013 we prefer geographically focused small\/medium scale hydro projects, ethanol, bio-diesel, wind and solar energy. These are not only realistic, but also more likely to create jobs for our people.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The AFC also intends to tie in with the energy projects agro-industrial processing (of non-traditional crops) in regions 2, 3, 4, 10 and Lethem. The PPP has never thought about addressing the bottlenecks that limit these industries. That\u2019s as unpatriotic as it gets. It was made known recently that not even Dr. Cheddi Jagan had any idea what to do with the economy in 1992. Not having a vision of their own, the PPP opportunistically held on to the IMF\/World Bank backed Economic Recovery Programme (ERP). Not that the ERP did not include some positive measures. But the PPP should have had something to add to the ERP. They never did and up to recently they have pursued a beg\/borrow and spend strategy. That is also unpatriotic.\u00a0 The AFC believes that Leaders must have a vision and idea of what they intend to do for Guyana before they enter power. Today several PPP and PNC leaders are vying for the Presidential prize in 2011. But we are yet to have an idea of what they intend to do to transform the Guyana economy. What are Mr. Ramotar\u2019s and Mr. Ramkarran\u2019s view of the LCDS? Will they seek to reformulate the LCDS? We need some patriotic punch, please. No more stringing along on the coat tail of Dr. Jagan\u2019s legacy or Jadgeo\u2019s \u00a0failed policies.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The PPP has also not even worked out their foreign policy. They do not yet understand how foreign policy is part of economic policy. We have the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) through which we could sell products like ethanol to the United States. We can also sell agro-processed goods to the US. Yet they are busy building a cozy relationship with Venezuela, which claims 5\/8 of Guyana\u2019s territory. We are now dependent on that country for oil through Petrocaribe, we need to sell our low yielding rice to that country. Now we are about to join with the Chavez government to fight the drugs underworld. At the same time we have snubbed the United States request for a known Guyanese drugs dealer to be investigated and charged. Now, it is reckless and unpatriotic to have such close economic relations with an aggressive neighbour that claims 5\/8 of our land. If we continue on this path Venezuela will have a lot of leverage against Guyana.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The AFC will pursue a much closer relation with Brazil? We need ethanol technology and investments to save our sugar estates.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Recently the PPP, famous for its strategy of accepting foreign aid, turned down the most important piece of aid help Guyana could ever need \u2013 the proposed security deal with Great Britain. Imagine this government which is busy surrendering Guyana\u2019s leverage over Essequibo now is invoking nationalistic sentiments to turn down the British help. Guyana is a country of unsolved crimes and murders, yet this government turned down the security pact with the UK. Remember this is a government legendary for begging and accepting aid. But it now sees it fit to turn down an essential piece of help. What is the government afraid of? Does it have things to hide from independent help like the British? This is another incidence where the patriotism of the government was found lacking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The AFC Blueprint notes that security is a key binding constraint preventing the economic development of Guyana. Lack of security, unsolved murders\/brutal crimes and an unbelievably incompetent police force conspire to prevent Guyanese from relocating to Guyana. Foreign investors are also wary about the lack of security, the lack of closure for brutal crimes and the absence of the rule of law in our society. We need our Diaspora to invest here and share their skills and expertise. Yet, the government has taken no fundamental step to reform the security forces. That\u2019s as unpatriotic as it gets.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Point of contact:\u00a0 Peter R. Ramsaroop<\/p>\n

C.E.O \u2013 Alliance For Change<\/p>\n

Tel: 226-0181<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0General Secretary to the People\u2019s Progressive Party Civic, Donald Ramotar, has described the Alliance For Change\u2019s (AFC) negative position on investors coming into Guyana as \u201cabsolute nonsense.\u201d\u00a0 KN Nov 23th 2009.\u00a0\u00a0 Ramotar is of the opinion that even though there should be more investors entering Guyana, the absence of large scale investors \u201chas to do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7134,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pressreleases"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image001-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4F7T1-9n","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/afcguyana.com\/afcnew\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}