Guyana’s cakes are being shared out

Jun 10, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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America’s influence on the global stage is waning. Trump wants to reverse that. He wants to show the world that America cannot be taken for granted. He is putting America first and letting the world know that his foremost interest is that of the American people, regardless of the damage to the rule-based global trading system.
Trump came into office with the pledge of making America great again. He decided that in order to do this he had to fix the corrupt political establishment in his country, and ensure that America’s economic interests are foremost when dealing with the rest of the world. His methods have been controversial and, some will say, self-destructive. But others see these methods as putting America’s interests first.
The poor of America are finding it difficult to put food on their table. Trump believes that this is unacceptable, and further vindicates his decision to give priority to the policy of America First. As such, he is aggressively pursuing a policy of protectionism.
He has imposed sanctions on the Europeans for doing business with Iran and placed protective tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. Trump accuses Mexico, Canada and China of placing restrictions on American agricultural imports into their countries.
A trade war has developed. The European Union is considering responding in kind. China has already slapped retaliatory measures against American exports to its country; and Canada and Mexico have promised to do the same unless the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are reversed.
The Group of 7 – comprising the world’s most powerful economies – is presently meeting in Quebec, Canada. For the first time, the countries are likely to be unable to emerge with a communiqué because of the differences with Trump’s protectionist tariffs. The unity of the G7 is being threatened by Trump’s protectionist policies.
Every country looks after its interest. Whether you agree with Trump or not, you have to accept that his policies are motivated by what he sees as being in his country’s best interest – of putting America first when dealing with outsiders.
On the other hand, Guyana is doing the very opposite. It is placing the interests of foreign investors above that of its own people.
Guyana has no trade war to fight. We hardly have anything to export. Guyana is still exporting primary commodities without much value-added.
Guyana’s cause is, however, not a lost one. Guyana has something which the rest of the world wants. Guyana has the ‘cake’ – the national cake. Guyana has natural resources which others want. However, we have the national ‘cake’ and we are allowing foreign companies to come and cut our cake and throw the crumbs in our face.
Guyana is allowing foreign companies too many liberties. They are coming here, telling us what concessions they want – and getting them; employing how many persons they want – and getting away with it; deciding what local content they will utilize – and being excused for so doing.
In culinary terms, they are taking our cake, cutting it as they please and then deciding what share we should receive. Guess what they are leaving us? They are leaving us with the crumbs. And our Government is quite comfortable with this arrangement. Imagine these companies come to Guyana, take our cake, and share it out to us and our leaders as they please. And our leaders are happy with that.
Guyana has gold. Foreign companies like Omai came, promised great wealth, and by the time it left, Guyanese remained no better off. The company never declared a profit, and therefore Guyana never got any corporation tax from that entity. But millions of ounces of gold were shipped overseas without Guyana enjoying royalties. Other carpetbaggers are following Omai. Guyana is receiving the crumbs which fall when they cut up our cake to share among themselves.
Bai Shan Lin came and began to cut our timber cake. People protested that they were exporting logs and not adding value. They have promised to do so, but have gone under. The timber cake has been cut up and Guyana again got the crumbs.
The same thing is happening in the bauxite industry where the Russians and the Chinese have vested interests. Production has fallen and the windfall which Guyana should enjoy has not been forthcoming. Guyana again got shafted.
We are making the same mistake with other valuable resources. Look who is taking our lumber, bauxite, gold. And look at who is now after our oil. These are our cakes. And to add injury to insult, we have to turn around and beg them for the crumbs which fall from the table and for which they have no use.
America, Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union are putting their interests first. What happen to Guyana? Goat bite we?

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