`We need to get arrangements with the Venezuelans on track'
- President Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Edward Boyer
Guyana Chronicle
February 22, 2004
PRESIDENT of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Edward Boyer, is buoyed by the attempts by Guyana and Venezuela to forge closer ties, particularly in the economic realm.
Mr. Boyer was among private sector officials, parliamentarians, representatives of civic organisations and secondary school students at a forum Venezuela President Hugo Chavez addressed at Le Meridien Pegasus Thursday evening.
Boyer considers a solution to the border controversy as primary goal for the two states. At a press conference at State House immediately after the Le Meridien forum, President Chavez announced that Venezuela would not stand in the way of any projects in the Essequibo that would be beneficial to the inhabitants.
The GCCI President sat briefly for an interview the Sunday Chronicle at Le Meridien. We publish below excerpts of that interview.
Sunday Chronicle: What are your expectations from this visit?
Boyer: "There are persons from the Venezuelan private sector here, but because of his schedule, this being a state visit, we haven't had the opportunity to meet with them, but under the circumstances, I would like to say that there are agreements in place with Venezuela - the Partial Scope Agreement, as well as a bilateral trade agreement between Venezuela and CARICOM that we're also a part of - and we've got to take advantage of these things.
"Venezuela remains a mass producer for the world... I think our biggest problem is the energy cost and I think we need to focus on the fact that in the energy sector, we need to have the preferential arrangement that was offered to CARICOM, offered to Guyana, I think this is very, very important given the fact that we will see an increase in price of oil. We are now seeing an increase in the price of commodities in the world today, steel and other products, and as such, I would feel more secure if we had a commitment on this trip by the president of Venezuela.
"On the arrangement that we have now - we have an arrangement with Trinidad now with oil - but I would like to see a more tangible arrangement with Venezuela, given the fact that they are a major oil producer and they are our next-door neighbour.
"We've had an address by the President at the State Luncheon and the President spoke of a lot of bilateral arrangements and that Guyana should look with Venezuela South-South and he talked about improving our trade relations which are very encouraging (signals).
"I feel very positive that President Bharrat Jagdeo, given the fact that these two leaders have met and had a closed door discussion, knowing the President, he would have made a pitch for Guyana. I understand there is some debt write-off in the pipeline. We need to get arrangements with the Venezuela on track.
"The border issue remains an issue that the whole of Guyanese nation wants to wake up one morning and know that it has been solved or it has being taken care of so that we could get our investments on board. Again I feel very confident that President Bharrat Jagdeo would bring this to a conclusion.
"President Chavez is a very warm and charismatic leader. I remember when he came in at State House he warmly welcomed everybody, and he is definitely a humane kind of person who has a consideration for the poor. Seeing that our nation is a poor nation, I am sure that he wouldn't take advantage of it. So I'm very confident.
Sunday Chronicle: Are we taking full advantage of our existing agreements with Venezuela?
Boyer: "This is our third meeting of our presidents - President Cheddi Jagan, President Janet Jagan, and President Jagdeo has met (Chavez) before. I'm sure the bilateral discussions would have taken a form that we, in Guyana, would be pleased with. I am very confident that things are going in the right direction. We are doing the right thing and I wish we could do the same thing with Suriname.
"We have a great relation with the Venezuelans in terms of the local diplomatic mission here, the Guyana mission in Venezuela, the Guyana business community. We definitely are on the right course. These things take time but I'm quite sure that these two young presidents are going to work something out for both nations.
Sunday Chronicle: There are proposals for a road linking Venezuela and Guyana, and considering the completion of the road to Brazil, what are the opportunities to be opened up here and are you concerned in any that we would be overrun by products from those countries?
Boyer: "Aren't we overrun by products from North America and Europe now?
"I would like to see CARICOM playing an important role in bridging the links with Venezuela, Brazil ... Definitely our future lies South-South. I would like to see Guyana benefit from a free zone ... getting into assisting South America bearing in mind we are the only English-speaking country in South America.
"We talk about the road and areas of collaboration with Brazil: we are definitely on course with some of these things. There are constraints. Guyana has a financial constraint where we are in an IMF programme that constricts any kind of development. If we are to go into any kind of development, we have to look at the borrowing ratio...
"We have these constraints, but we definitely have to move our economy. There are no `ifs' and `buts', our economy started very slowly this year. I think the Government realises that. We have to have some adjustments in the economy to make it more buoyant. We keep using the word jumpstart, but I think we have jumpstarted the economy already. What we need is consumer spending. We've met all these IMF conditionalities: we've tightened our belt; we've done everything the IMF wanted us to do; we've met all their conditions for HIPC.
"Please, Mr. IMF, could you look in terms of getting consumer spending... we need to get something going. The country bleeds for investment ... and we need to start with the local investment. You determine investment when you see construction, when you see things happening in the country...
"I don't want to say that I'm more of a nationalist than everybody else, but I just love this country. I feel at ease. When I travel and come back, I feel at home. Please, Mr. New Commissioner, let's get the crime behind us. Let's get things moving. Let's create jobs. Let the private sector and the government work hand in hand. Let us develop this country. This is our country."