GMSA condemns boycott call: “Our business community must not be politicised”

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), in a press release Saturday, strongly condemned a recent statement by the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party that called for a public boycott of several longstanding Guyanese businesses.
The GMSA described the call as “a dangerous assault on private enterprise and national stability.”
The organisation reiterated that political competition must never come at the cost of economic sabotage.
“Our business community must not be politicised, and attempts to weaponise the private sector are destructive to national progress. We have always championed efforts for the Guyanese business environment to be seen as a credible economy, and statements such as these serve only to introduce uncertainty,” it asserted.
According to the GMSA, the businesses named in WIN’s boycott are among the largest manufacturers in Guyana’s private sector. They collectively sustain thousands of jobs, contribute significantly to national revenues, and provide goods and services essential to everyday life.
Several of these companies are publicly traded and have a legal and fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, many of whom are ordinary Guyanese citizens with savings and investments tied to the success of these institutions.
Echoing the general sentiments of the Guyanese business community, the GSMA pointed out that commercial banks have a legal obligation to manage risk and uphold compliance with international standards, including Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions and anti-money laundering regulations.
They also carry a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard the interests of depositors, shareholders, and the country’s financial stability, the GMSA added.
“The GMSA stands in firm solidarity with all law-abiding businesses that have contributed tirelessly to Guyana’s development. We call on all political actors to exercise restraint, act responsibly, and put the interest of the nation above partisan ambitions. Let us not undermine the private sector, the very engine of Guyana’s economic future.” the release concluded.