Dear Editor,
The August 15, 2017 issue of the Guyana Chronicle carried a screaming front page headline: “Tracking The Money”. The strapline went on to add: “Sleepin boss, associates snared in money laundering probe…”
This is the Government’s newspaper talking about one of our young, bright and upcoming entrepreneurs.
This vicious attack on one of our progressive businessmen, Mr. Clifton Bacchus, the proprietor of the Sleepin Hotel chain, is an indication of how low this regime has sunk. It is a reflection of their viciousness.
Sleepin International was given a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the PPP/C Administration. It was during my presidency that it was done.
The PPP/C Administration had identified tourism as one of the areas wherein our country had potential for rapid growth. It was in pursuit of this position that we aggressively worked with stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors in laying the infrastructure for its take-off.
It was that policy that guided the PPP/C Administration’s investment in several projects, including the Guyana National Stadium, The Convention Centre, the Marriott Hotel, a world class Olympic size swimming pool, and an international standard track and field facility.
The PPP/C also worked hard on big projects like the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project, and did a great deal of work on our roads. We upgraded the Ogle airstrip, transforming it into an international airport.
The idea was to promote a multi-faceted tourism product. The traditional eco–tourism was one area. However, we were looking at developing sports and health tourism (that was why we were also building a specialty hospital — to serve the Guyanese people firstly, but also to attract foreigners to use the facilities). The position included making Guyana a destination for conferences and also for education tourism.
This is why the PPP/C Government worked closely with all hotel owners and persons with tourist businesses. Most, if not all, benefited from concessions granted by the administration.
In the case of the Sleepin Hotel, the Government committed to grant a casino licence if the owner built a hotel comprising 150 rooms.
It was on that commitment that the owner of Sleepin put in his own resources, and also sought an international partner to finance this project.
This project will create jobs for more than 300 persons. It will expand our country‘s accommodation facilities, and offer a world class service to its clientele.
It is a bold initiative, and has proven to be an excellent tourism lure for our country as a whole.
Entrepreneurs like Mr Bacchus would be highly valued in most countries of the world.
Why then has the regime become so vicious to this initiative, which is certainly good for our country?
The first reason is because Mr. Clifton Bacchus and I are good friends. The pattern of this regime is to try to punish persons because of their association/ friendship with opposition politicians.
Finally, the attack on Sleepin violates the oath they took on assuming power. They swore to govern without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
