The meeting of the Guyana-China Business Council (GCBC) which was to be held today at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal has been postponed.
A statement from the Council had said that the meeting was to be addressed by APNU+AFC Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Minister of Investment, Dominic Gaskin. However, in a statement yesterday, the GCBC said the meeting had been postponed and the public would be notified as to when a new date has been fixed. Originally, the GCBC had said that President David Granger would address the council but this was later changed to Ministers Harmon and Gaskin.
The GCBC had said that the primary purpose of this special meeting was to facilitate the “exchange of ideas that will craft a way forward, as well as to discuss issues specific to the conduct of business in the various sectors of the economy in which Chinese investors and immigrants are involved.”
Observers had said that the meeting was likely to be interesting on several grounds. While in opposition, the APNU+AFC alliance had expressed deep reservations over several major projects that Chinese companies have been involved in here.
Prime among these are the forestry company Baishanlin which with its affiliates has also ventured into housing and mining. Separately and together, APNU and the AFC have highlighted local concerns about log exports by Baishanlin without the company living up to its value-added commitments. Numerous questions have also been raised about the transparency of Baishanlin’s operations, its tax concessions and the extent of its involvement in other key sectors of the economy.
Also under scrutiny has been the China Harbour and Engineering Corporation (CHEC) which is the contractor for the planned major expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. Both APNU and the AFC had raised strong reservations about the secrecy surrounding the deal between the former PPP/C government and China for the financing of the deal.
Another major Chinese company, China Railway First Group (CRFG) (Guyana) Inc has been caught up in the confrontation between the former PPP/C government and the then opposition over the Amaila Falls Hydropower project. This company also attracted negative attention over the awarding of land to it by government holding company, NICIL on the East Coast of Demerara and the awarding of a US$57.6M contract to it for a section of the East Coast Demerara Highway.
Another major Chinese company, the Shanghai Construction Group was pilloried for using only imported Chinese labour in the construction of the controversial Marriott Hotel.
These issues aside, the local business community has frequently raised concerns about Chinese entrepreneurs setting up in the retail sector and forcing small operators out of business.
There have been complaints from the business community that there is not a level playing field as many of the Chinese entrepreneurs do not operate with their overheads.
Concerns have also been raised about a number of Chinese citizens applying for naturalization for the sole reason of participating in the local mining sector or using Guyana as a springboard to migrate north.
