Pre-2015 Guyana appeared to be on solid economic footing. Efforts were being taken by the Donald Ramotar Administration to advance the country’s economic fortunes through the construction of several infrastructural projects and the piloting of other flagship initiatives that would eventually push private sector growth and development.
There were high levels of investor confidence in the economy and the Government’s ability to support foreign and domestic mechanisms aimed at creating socioeconomic wealth for the masses with specific emphasis on growing the middle class.
It would appear, then, that small- and medium-scale businesses and families were thriving under the tenures of former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar despite the sporadic rise in crime and continued attempts by the combined opposition (PNC then APNU and AFC) to sabotage progress with their consistent banter about corruption, ethnic discrimination and siphoning off of funds and public assets.
The truth is many businesses saw their fortunes increase triple-fold while ordinary citizens owned for the very first time their own properties inclusive of homes, vehicles and sole-trader enterprises. This did not stop the desire and thirst for more economic prosperity nor did it impact significantly the search by university graduates and tradesmen for better prospects abroad to be able to achieve a higher standard of living.
Also, there is no doubt that there were many who believed that the PPP was complacent and neglecting them in many ways. They felt that they deserved more contracts, more business from the Government and State and more of the economic pie or they would cry foul. And cry foul they did most times without any solid rationale but they had the support of those so called independent voices that would speak out about ethnic discrimination and PPP-wickedness.
Fast-forward post-May 2015. The tables have turned and now the A Partnership for National Unity/and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition is in Government and the PPP in opposition.
One would have thought that having lectured the PPP for so many years about good economic governance and mechanisms which should be implemented to fuel non-discriminatory growth and prosperity, the coalition would have been achieving great progress in this respect.
Instead, the economy is in a state of paralysis. It is sluggish and small businesses are crumbling. The local private sector appears to have lost confidence in the new Government’s ability to advance policies that would see it engineering growth and the creation of more direct employment for youths and the employable.
Since the appointments of Misters Winston Jordan and Jaipaul Sharma, there has been no progress in terms of properly servicing Guyana’s domestic and international debt. There was no progress in providing the much needed stimuli to boost public spending apart from the paltry salary increases for public servants.
Also, the ministers have failed twice to deliver National Budgets that are founded on sound and realistic economic principles aimed at reducing poverty, providing higher levels of social and welfare services, boosting research in core areas of modern agricultural diversification and environmental management.
Their budgets have also missed the mark as far as addressing the needs of the dying manufacturing industry and services sectors. Tourism advancement seems to have gone on the backburner and local businesses that were encouraged by the PPP/C to invest in this area are now witnessing the wastage of their investments.
It is also true that while millions are being spent on CoIs and probes set up at the whims and fancies of the Government, enough is not being spent to boost the crime fighting capability of the Guyana Police Force.
Each day, there are at least three robberies in different parts of the country and the police appear to be acting still in a ‘reactive’ as opposed to ‘proactive’ manner despite the increasing instances which is defined by death, spillage of human blood and the loss of investment. Businesspeople are growing weary and tired of the escalation of crime.
It appears they are under siege too from the 2:00am curfew which has done everything to reduce their profitability, restrict the freedoms of law abiding citizens and create a low morale amongst youths than to reduce crime, road accidents and the restoration of a highly productive society.
Local businesses are now convinced that they have no real voice. Forget those paper Commissions and Associations that were boisterous under the PPP rule but are now toothless under this Government because of fear of victimisation and loss of business.
In order to come out of this phase of paralysis, the Government must reshuffle its cabinet and end this wave of Jordanism economics which is not working and will not work in the long run regardless of how much statistics are manipulated at Main Street. Unless, the local businesses see mounting profits and citizens have more disposable income, and safer communities, the Government will not secure a second term.
