Dear Editor,
There have been a lot of views and statements about the signing of the EPA − from the government, the opposition and even from such notables as Sir Shridath Ramphal − all with the same common ground, which is, don’t sign! Sir Shridath even ventures to state that the EPA represents some sort of sell-out by Caricom and only Guyana has the correct position.
The citizens of Guyana are really confused as to what is really going on here, and how come we are the only country in Caricom which has a major problem with the EPA. Not one member of the cabinet has ever explained to the Guyanese people the essence of the EPA which leaves one with the question of whether any of them ever read the actual document.
Mr Jagdeo should have gone on national radio and television long ago to explain all the ramifications, both positive and negative, of this situation to the Guyanese people. But he didn’t!
The EPA has long been on the agenda and cabinet has met many times on this matter, knowing full well that time-tables had to be met and decisions were being taken by other Caricom countries to facilitate the smooth progress of this deal. Mr Jagdeo knew very well the importance of this EPA for the progress of Caribbean unity and economic prosperity and the importance of Guyana’s role in the process while protecting our economic future.
He and his government should have worked harder to preserve Guyana’s legacy as a leader in Caricom. But he didn’t!
This President, as a trained economist and as a former Finance Minister, knows fully well that this country depends almost wholly on sugar exports to the EU, a unique position in the Caribbean.
He had to know the severe limitations we face in dealing with this new situation with the EPA. Before going to the Caricom forum, Mr Jagdeo should have lobbied the local private sector and the opposition parties to bring about a national consensus in dealing with this problem, thus lining up the whole nation behind any serious give-and-take negotiations. But he didn’t!
Our relationship with Europe has been a long and relatively fruitful one, with preferential prices for our sugar over the years, and for the EPA, we should have demanded special and differential treatment for various of our products while preparing for the penetration of European investment and also importantly, European tourism into our country. Instead of working to prepare ourselves for this new economic arrangement by invigorating our local business sector, nothing has been done by this government. For example, business people in Europe get loans of 3-4% while Guyanese investors have to borrow at 11-12%, so how are they going to compete when Europeans will have the same access to our economy under the EPA? The Jagdeo regime should have reformed the banking system by de-regulation to get the tax rates and interest rates down so that we can compete.
Business taxes should be lowered and more concessions to the local business community should be given before the EPA is implemented. Mr Jagdeo certainly is aware of all these factors and could have prepared us for a long and meaningful economic relationship with Europe. But he didn’t!
Corruption, mismanagement and ‘square pegs in round holes’ still haunt this nation, and if we were so special in the world by being like Finland, then I could understand the stand on the EPA which Ramphal et al spoke out on. But we are not, and glaringly so. We have to believe in Caribbean unity because that is the legacy which Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan left us, as one defining consensus. The Caribbean brothers and sisters have agreed to sign the EPA protocols and therefore the Guyanese people should stand behind that decision because with all the shortcomings of Caricom, we still breathe the same air, dance the same dances, love
the same spices and dream the same dreams to bring us together as one, like the Europeans. The Europeans have no enmity towards us, but business is business, and Sir Shridath et al should know better and deliver the truth to the Guyanese people because with this government’s erroneous policies of high taxation, too much meddling to place the private sector in subservience and downright mismanagement we have been placed in a weak position in respect of the EPA.
We should join our Caricom brothers and sign the EPA while preparing our business and government community for the necessary accommodations, or else the
Guyanese taxpayer will be hurt at the end of the day.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
