Govt slams ‘continuous attacks’ on foreign investors

The Government of Guyana has once again raised its voice against the continuous attacks on foreign investors, as it underscored the importance of having such investments to develop the country’s economy.

At the launching of JAGS Aviation on Monday, Transport Minister Robeson Benn expressed his dissatisfaction at what he described as the xenophobia adopted by some local newspapers, particularly their attacks on the Chinese investors in Guyana.

He condemned these actions stating that foreign investors are imperative to sustain development in the country. Benn recalled that similar attacks were previously launched on the Brazilian investors as he questioned who they will next assail. The Minister went on to say that with all of the allegations made against these investors, no substantial evidence has been proffered to support the claims.

He noted that such attacks are “deplorable” and will only result in the reversal of Government’s efforts to develop the country. The minister pointed out that Guyana has a small population base with poor infrastructure, so with the aid of these investors, Government is looking to develop the country for future generations. “We want to develop this country for future generations of Guyanese. We want those future generations of Guyanese to have a better life that we ourselves never had. And we cannot do it alone; we have to rely on foreign partners. We have to rely on Guyanese business partners to join with those people to learn from their experiences, so we can have a safe and sustainable development pact,” he said.

President Donald Ramotar also added his voice against the attacks on the Chinese investors. He said Government has created special economic regimes to attract both local and foreign investors to develop the potential of the country and such attacks will have a negative impact on its efforts.

The President pointed out that the attacks on the Chinese are uncalled for, noting that none of the country’s rules were broken by the Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin. “None of these things has happened; there is no raping of our interior, but we see this massive attack and one wonders what is the motive behind these things,” he explained.

However, Ramotar noted that despite this negative attitude to investors, he was pleased to know that both local and foreign businesses have continued to show confidence in Guyana’s economy by investing in the various sectors.