Dear Editor,
Private sector bodies including the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) are highly dominated by the Government.
The leadership of these bodies in the interest of its members ought to assert its independence from politics since given the nature of local politics, successive Governments since 2001 sought to resist the call for accountability, transparency and good governance. Since the advent of the Jagdeo Administration any critic is greeted with intimidation, victimisation and discrimination. A strong body is therefore essential to confront the abuses of the political directorate.
Businessmen except a few naturally became fearful and either toed the line or just remained silent. This is understandable but when the entire Private Sector which ought to be strong, and assert, advance and protect the rights of its members succumbs to political instructions in conflict with its mandate and the interest of its members, one is left to ask who do we have to represent us? When the executive of such bodies individually or collectively stoop to political direction in order to gain a favour for their respective companies or a photo shoot with political figures, this betrayal weakens such bodies and businessmen as a whole and strengthens the grasp on power by a corrupt political elite.
Since the advent of the Jagdeo Administration this scenario has been the norm instead of the exception. The GMSA, which made a booking to hold a luncheon in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel with President Donald Ramotar on Wednesday, April 23, without notifying the management of Pegasus, moved the event to the Marriott Hotel allegedly on the instruction of the leadership of the GMSA.
In a similar manner, private sector bodies and other organisations and Government Departments were directed or coerced to hold functions at the Buddy’s (now Princess) Hotel soon after its opening in 2007 when that facility was the Government’s “Marriott”.
Now, the GMSA is free to choose its venue but paying double the price per plate at a venue that has no proven performance record to date and which pays no taxes is hardly in the interest of its members or the citizens of Guyana.
This betrayal of members of Private Sector bodies by its leadership has been a feature of the last 15 years of its engagement with the PPP administration. Their silence on corruption, abuse of power and bad governance and poor decision making has contributed to the erosion of democracy, citizens’ rights, and lawlessness in the political administration.
The political domination of the executives of Private Sector bodies is so pervasive that some companies have paid permanent executives on these bodies who are often referred to as “Ambassadors to Freedom House”. As for President Ramotar, the people of Guyana need to remind him that his first duty is to Guyanese, not the Marriott or its Executives who flew to Guyana on a fancy corporate jet with representatives of regional media houses at our poor taxpayers’ expense.
This abuse of public office must be stopped.
Yours faithfully,
Robert Badal
