Fair treatment of all businesses and no taxes on start-ups until they begin to turn a profit is a key pledge of the soon-to-be-launched Change Guyana political party, whose presidential candidate Robert Badal is asking voters to trust his experience and leadership as a businessman.
“If I am the leader of this country, any incentive, economic measure, or policy that is applicable will be across the board. It will be open and transparent and applicable to everyone in that industry,” Badal told Sunday Stabroek in an interview on Thursday, during which he said that politics would not be a permanent career choice for him. Badal added that even he will not benefit from preferential treatment.
Badal along with chartered accountant Nigel Hinds, who is the prime ministerial candidate, will launch a political party called Change Guyana this Tuesday at the Pegasus Hotel, which is owned by Badal. Badal is also the proprietor of Guyana Stockfeeds Limited. He had previously been close to governing coalition partner AFC and the news of the new party caught key AFC executives off guard.
Badal said that one key policy of Change Guyana is that start-up businesses will not be taxed until they begin turning profits. He emphasised that the policy is not driven by the fact that he has established businesses and has current investments across the country even as he assured that his trustworthiness and integrity will ensure that he governs transparently.
“Do not see Badal as a politician but Badal as a leader that wants to bring economic change and upliftment of the standard of living for the people of Guyana,” he said.
“Taxes play a significant role in attracting investments. Under my leadership, I will see that investments are only taxed when it becomes profitable,” he added.
On keeping his businesses while also being a politician, Badal said that he will hold on to them but said that any policy or measures they benefit from will be the same for all others countrywide.
“Of course I will keep my business. Who will I give them to? My business has no benefit over other people right now. You saw what they did with the property at the side here [referring to the Marriott Hotel] where they gave them all the concession and they didn’t give Pegasus any. If I am the leader of this country, any incentive, economic measure, or policy that is applicable will be across the board. It will be open and transparent and applicable to everyone in that industry,” he declared.
Questioned on how he will compartmentalise holding office and his business interests, he said, “The best way to do that is to have strong independent institutions, and you make things very transparent.”
Further, the businessman added, “anything that is under the cloud, secret deals, non-disclosure agreements, those are the things that bring the perception that something is being done under the table. Under my administration, nothing like that will exist. It will be fully open, fully transparent and fully open to all. I believe that was the lack and created the problem with successive administrations. And I believe that is what propagate political support of the two main parties; where they create political spoils or scarcity because of underdevelopment and because there is not enough to go around for everybody so you have to go to them and you pledge loyalty in return for the benefits. What makes the first world so effective is the fact that these things, in the most part and for few exceptions, don’t exist. And if they do, then the hands of the law comes in. So I won’t worry myself with being leader of this country about conflict of interest.”
Best president
Firm in his belief that a businessman would make the best president, Badal said that experience in economics would see necessary policies being implemented for growth.
“I believe that it is so much better for a businessman to be head of the [economy] of a country because he understands how to create jobs, he understands what brings investments, he understands the social consequences of no investment and the impact on people’s lives much more than any other,” he said.
Explaining his decision to launch the political party, Badal previously said he wants to lead Guyana out of “economic underdevelopment” after successive administrations since independence have failed to address the challenges of the day. “The biggest challenge facing Guyana is undoubtedly its economic woes caused by decades of leadership which have been unable to competently lay out a vision and strategy to make Guyana a rich and productive nation and fulfill the aspiration of its citizens,” he had noted in a statement.
He told this newspaper that while he is running for Guyana’s highest political office, he has no intention of growing old as a politician. He explained that he felt fed up with the local political situation and feels that he cannot sit and just complain but act.
“Really, I have no intention of getting into politics. I prefer the quiet life. Even sometimes doing business…is not always quiet but politics and business are related to each other in the sense that when there are good economic policies in a country, business prospers and you can see the prosperities. But I have no interest in politics in the long-term or being a career politician. As I said, I like my quiet life but I have seen that change is necessary,” he said.
He emphasised that he does not need politics to enjoy a comfortable life since he believes he is living his best life.
Down to earth
Questioned about if his actions now is about the power that comes with the presidential or political office, Badal said, “I don’t need power. I have never been somebody like that. I am just leveraging my goodwill to bring about change in Guyana. I never need power. [I] would never be the one to go down there and raise his voice and have people cheerleading me. That is not my character, never has been. The most frequent reference to me by persons is that ‘he is so simple and down to earth’.”
Badal was born in Berbice to a farmer and housewife. His mother died before he was five years old. The businessman pointed to his humble beginnings and rise in the business world and said that he has much experience to share and “can recognise with the grassroots.”
Badal received his formal schooling in Berbice at the Berbice High School. While in high school, his father passed away. Nonetheless, Badal said, he continued to press on and graduated from the Berbice High school with honours with seven subjects at the GCE ‘O’ levels.
And while he could have furthered his studies, priority for him was taking care of his aunt and family so he got a job as a water boy with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). That job instilled discipline in him since he had to wake at 4 am to get to work and could not miss a day. He worked there for several years until he joined GuySuCo’s trade school where he studied for a diploma in Agriculture.
Badal subsequently studied accounting and gained the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification. He later obtained an MBA from the University of the West Indies.
Speaking about his leap into his current businesses, Badal recalled that when he ventured into the hospitality sector and also began selling animal feed, he had no experience in either of the two industries but asked for help and did analyses of markets. He believes those qualities will make him and Hinds great leaders for this country.
“Politics is an unknown like any other activity and like a business as well. But I am very optimistic because Nigel and I discussed it so many times and we see the difference we can make based on our experiences and we see the impact it could have on the lives [of people]. We see the difference it could make. I think that difference is required now more than any other time in our history. On that basis, I think we will have overwhelming support,” he said.
“Both Nigel and I have track records of development. Nigel is a consultant to a lot of businesses. We see so many defects in the administration, going on and on and on. We have seen the culture of reacting to problems rather than preventing problems, doing analyses, doing checks on industry standards, preventing problems, look at changing dynamics and preparing accordingly. We have not been seeing that because of the culture of the main political parties. The way they dominate and the ethnic composition, the lack of the good skills with benefits [depending] on party loyalty; shunning the bright people and independent thinkers. Our policy is to deliver a very strong, open, versatile economy that is sustainable in the long-term. That will alleviate poverty and not be subjected to the risks of oil shocks. That is our focus,” he added.
Badal is asking voters to research his past and career and see for themselves that he is an honest businessman with integrity.
“I am a man of integrity. I don’t think I owe anybody money. All my life, the rice farmers, they love to deal with me because I always pay the highest price for paddy. The poultry farmers love to deal with me because I support their businesses…,” he said.
