Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 29, 2013 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
The title of this article should be, “The most dangerous mind in the world,” referring to the mindset that is in charge of this hapless, helpless, hellish country. Let us quote from one of the most influential power-holders in Guyana, Mr. Winston Brassington, in the September 26 issue of the Stabroek News; I would ask all readers to read this extract again and think of the mind of the people who are in charge of Guyana and reflect on whether we will ever come out of the mess this country has been in for over sixty years.
Here are the words of Mr. Brasington: “There continues to be demand for high quality rooms, in fact, we have had a number of investors coming to Guyana who have said that after having looked at the best we had to offer that they would prefer to go to Trinidad and come back the next day for the meetings. We have investors on record who fly their jets to Guyana have meetings and fly back preferring to stay in Trinidad because of our lack of high end rooms,” (end of quote).
Could you believe what you have just read? These were the words of one of the closest advisors to former President Jagdeo, and he has continued in that role with the current President. Do you understand what Mr. Brassington is saying? Please forgive me, but I think I want to explain the thinking behind Mr. Brassington’s words. Basically, he is telling Guyanese that foreign investors do not want to stay at any hotels in Guyana because our rooms do not meet international standards so the people fly here, have their business confabulations and stay over in Trinidad and come back the day to negotiate in Guyana.
Against this background, Mr. Brasington said that Guyana needs a Marriott. Well here is what I will boldly say to Mr. Brassington; none of those investors, not one of them who complain about the rooms they see at Princess Hotel and the Pegasus, would invest in Guyana if they see what Guyana is like; if they see what a rotten, stink, smelly city Georgetown is and the mountains of filth that have enveloped the territory of Guyana.
I am telling Mr. Brassington that none of those investors will even want to see Guyana again, if when they concluded their talks, before they embark on the private jets they visit the University of Guyana or our public schools. Why would any investor want to put money in a country where there are no working traffic signals and no stop signs on the roads to tell you who has the right-of-way. I am saying most boldly to Mr. Brassington that I know this world as much as he does, and if an investor frowns on the hotel rooms he/she sees in Guyana, then those persons will not touch Guyana again if they see what a dilapidated country it is.
What would President Ramotar and Mr. Brassington do if one of these investors, say someone from Microsoft, request to see the Faculty of Technology at the University of Guyana? Someone is going to dirty the inside of their trousers if that request is made. First, the investor will have to see the garbage on the roads while on the way to UG. Secondly, there are no functioning labs in the Faculty of Technology. Thirdly, the Technology Faculty is surrounded by bush and garbage.
Mr. Brassington went on to say; “Princess is not an international brand.”
It has to be an act of madness for a country to want an international brand name hotel and the country’s infrastructure is falling down and is a total disgrace. How can you put money into an international brand name hotel and your only university is falling apart or has fallen apart? How can you want an international brand name hotel and the central office for criminal investigation of the police force is an awful looking, dirty place with all the windows broken and no fans and working toilets and not even a half-working computer?. How can you want an international brand name hotel and your capital city has no functioning waterways to act as outlets when it rains even for half of a day?
But just as important as these questions are other questions. For example, why would any sane, decent investor leave Barbados, Suriname and Trinidad and put money in this country when they see what Georgetown is like? I am an academic not a business person, but I would advise any investor from any nation not to put their capital in a land that looks like Guyana. Guyana is not a country you want to invest in, in 2013, when we look like a territory that is still in the 12th century. Man oh man, even traffic lights we don’t have in Guyana. Why do we want a Marriott then?
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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