– might be cover for money laundering, other illicit activities

By Nigel Williams

A top economist here said he believed that the trade in counterfeit goods could be propping up Guyana’s ailing economy, but was also causing an untold number of job losses. He called for stiffer regulations to control the sale of fake commodities, which he said ranged from handbags to pharmaceuticals in this country.

But some consumers have pointed out that sometimes they got value for money with the fake goods and with the harsh economic realities here, it would be difficult for them to survive if they were to buy the “real” items.

Economist Dr Clive Thomas, in an interview with this newspaper on Wednes-day, said that not only was the sale of counterfeit goods criminal, but it was also harming the country’s international trade reputation, cutting jobs and breeding corruption. Illicit cross-border