A few days ago I bumped into Mr. Robert Badal who is a well-known Guyanese investor and capitalist. I told him jokingly they should study his DNA structure for a risk-loving gene because he seems to have a penchant for taking on excessive risks, particularly investing while opposing the government of the day. Most capitalists would have fled given the opposition he faced, including the deliberate use of taxpayer monies to build the Marriott to compete with his Pegasus. A running principle of this column holds that government industrial policy should promote, complement and not substitute. If government is going to invest in hotels, they should open up new areas to make it easy for tourists to access Guyana’s beauty hidden away in the remote corners of the country. Government must complement and not compete with existing businesses given the challenges and high cost of doing business in this country.
We had a serious discussion on what an energy policy for Guyana should look like. In general, Robert argues that there should be a portfolio of renewable energy sources and natural gas should be used as the fossil fuel or non-renewable back up. For example, natural gas, solar and bagasse can be utilized in Demerara and Berbice; wind/solar/hydro/natural gas for the Essequibo islands and coast. Given the dispersed settlement pattern of the hinterland, it would require small hydroelectric