Election, COVID-19 uncertainty creating hardship for Private Sector – GMSA

– says layoffs already started; urges stakeholders to arrive at credible solution

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), has joined in urging the various stakeholders to resolve the current impasse delaying the end of the election process, while noting that the political uncertainty combined with the coronavirus threat is creating hardship for all.

In a statement on Tuesday, GMSA expressed “grave concern” over the effects the two events are having. According to the association, it is important that the major political stakeholders seek a democratic and timely resolution.
“We support a transparent process of verification of votes cast, in all regions, in a manner that sustains confidence in our electoral process, and that establishes mature governance of our country for present and future generations. This will redound to a good business climate, and secure livelihoods.”
“Business thrives on political stability, and the current impasse is very disruptive. It threatens to erode gains made through the support of our regional and international partners and widens ethnic divisions,” GMSA also said.
The association explained that the failure to settle the election issues, compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic that has impacted not only lives but the global economy, has implications for everyone including the employers and employees.
“Layoffs have already commenced at some companies and may be expanding. We recognise the specific roles ascribed to political parties, civil society, and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as outlined in our Constitution, in consort with the neutral presence of both local and international observers.”
“Nevertheless, we call on the political parties and GECOM to put the interest of Guyanese citizens first in all decisions and actions. The verification of all votes, based on established transparent procedures and processes in accordance with the relevant laws, remains a prudent course of action, for all regions and districts.”
The GMSA’s statement came on the same day that the court discharged an injunction preventing GECOM from conducting a national recount. This means that nothing prevents GECOM from following through on the recount it promised and was about to start before a member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) stalled the process.
“As responsible members of Guyanese society, with a primary focus on industrial and social development, we wish to make a special plea to GECOM for appropriate action, as recommended, to be taken to defuse the present dangerous and volatile environment,” GMSA said in its statement.
Since the elections were held over four weeks ago, a winner is yet to be announced. The majority of observers who scrutinised the tabulation process have pronounced it to have not been credible and the court case had prohibited GECOM from conducting a recount.
GECOM itself had come in for much of the criticism, with repeated attempts being made by Mingo to subvert the process going unchecked by the Commission. Only the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated Commissioners have voiced their disapproval.
The international community has warned Guyana that it could be isolated and even sanctioned if a President is sworn in on the flawed results, resulting in an uneasy standoff between the international community and the Government. In fact, not a single international observer has pronounced the tabulation process as credible.
Meanwhile, Guyana now has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with two deaths. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recently released an assessment in which it ranked Guyana among the few countries in the region least prepared to deal with the effects of the coronavirus epidemic, particularly the negative effects it will have on the economy and tourism.
In the assessment, the IMF rated countries in the Americas from red (least prepared) to green (most prepared). Countries like the United States and Canada were in the green zone. However, Guyana, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras were not so lucky.
Neighbouring Brazil was considered more prepared than average, while countries like Columbia were rated as less prepared. According to the IMF, the virus is likely to have immediate economic impacts in the region, including financial restrictions, declining commodity prices and reduced tourism.
Some measures have been taken by authorities in Guyana to slow the spread of the virus. These measures include closing schools and the Bank of Guyana interceding with local banks to make conditions favourable to allow customers to stay home and practice social distancing without a financial blowback. The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) also announced measures of its own.
An application to the World Bank for a loan of US$5 million was also made. The World Bank was offering loans to several developing countries to aid their fight against the coronavirus. Around the same time Guyana made its application, however, Venezuela was turned down after making a similar application.