Business sector hopeful of peaceful election season

– Unanimous in concern for orderly process

As Guyana prepares for its 2025 General and Regional Elections, which are expected to take place in November, business leaders across the country have shared their hopes, concerns, and expectations for the upcoming election period.
The nation is experiencing rapid economic growth, particularly due to its emerging oil and gas sector, and business leaders are calling for a smooth, transparent election process to ensure continued business stability and investor confidence.
The business community remains hopeful that the democratic process would be conducted without major disruption, allowing the country to continue its upward trajectory. The private sector having invested heavily in Guyana’s future, business leaders have emphasized that any attempt to derail the election process would have far-reaching consequences for both the people and the economy.
“We want the process to be one that is smooth and transparent, and free from any flaws,” President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kester Hutson, expressed.

Election periods in Guyana at times see heightened political tension, but with the country currently in an era of unprecedented economic growth, business leaders are particularly hopeful for a peaceful election, given the potential impact of the election season on economic stability. In sharing his desire for a smooth election process, Hutson has stressed that any disruption could jeopardize the country’s current momentum.
Expressing confidence that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) would uphold standards necessary to ensure transparency and voter confidence, he highlighted the importance of political parties maintaining a peaceful and law-abiding campaign to preserve investor confidence. Guyana has been lauded as the world’s fastest-growing economy due to its burgeoning oil sector, and any disruption during the election season could undermine this progress.
“If it goes smooth and transparent, we have the opportunity to continue to grow the country in a way that will fuel private sector development,” the GCCI president has said.

He has called on political parties to be responsible and respectful during the campaign, stressing that a peaceful and orderly election process is crucial to maintaining the nation’s economic growth.
“There’s a high expectation for the political parties to behave and be able to respect the rule of law in their campaigning, and ensure that they understand that the goal is to maintain a peaceful environment and to protect our Guyana,” Hutson has said.
With significant public and private investments having been made across the country over the past few years, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Komal Singh, has expressed the need for continuation of a stable economy to ensure Guyanese continue to benefit.

“Over the last four years, the private sector and many of our citizens have invested significantly in the country, in their businesses, in their own lives,” he said. “Any attempt to derail a free and fair election by anyone, and create mayhem in our society, will definitely have a significant impact on our people, businesses, and investors.”
Drawing attention to the long-term benefits of the current economic climate, Singh has urged political parties to focus on maintaining stability and preserving the progress made in the past few years.
He called on political leaders to use their campaign to not only canvass for votes, but also to encourage supporters and constituents to take advantage of all opportunities available, and to position themselves to capitalize on opportunities that are available.
“The opportunities that exist right now, 10 to 15 years from now, we will not see those opportunities,” he warned. “We implore every single leader to make use of the opportunity that exists around us. Make sure you work closely with your constituents to let them capitalize on the opportunities.”
Ramsay Ali, Chairman of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), in expressing his wish for a peaceful election season, has noted that it is in the country’s best interest to ensure there is minimal disruption to the business environment, particularly given how close a possible November election would be to the crucial Christmas season.
“We’ve had elections in the Christmas season before; but once we have elections, hopefully, we can have early results, within a couple of days, and then we can move on,” he said.
Stressing the importance of a timely declaration, Ali has said that if results are announced quickly, the country could move forward with minimal disruption. “If we could make the earliest decision now, it would be better for everybody,” he has declared.