Candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), attorney Dexter Todd, on Thursday attempted to shift responsibility for the party’s economic challenges during their tenure in government squarely on the shoulders of the private sector.
He told supporters to blame any disappointments that they had with the party’s performance during their 2015 – 2020 time in government on the business community.
Addressing one of the party’s public meetings held at Gilhuys Square in West Ruimveldt, Todd told the sprinkling of attendees that APNU, and its coalition partner the Alliance for Change (AFC), were undermined by the business community since those who “own the businesses and have the economic power” were not aligned with the APNU+AFC.
“There are some disappointments with how many of you were treated from 2015 to 2020. They are disappointments, and I understand those disappointments,” Todd said.
“When Granger took over under the APNU+AFC in 2015, it was easy for them to set the stage for David Granger and the APNU+AFC to fail.”
Granger, head of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) , served as Guyana’s President during the APNU+AFC tenure.
According to Todd, Granger’s inability to give a satisfactory performance was spearheaded by the party’s main political opponent, People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC), which is currently in government.
Todd said it is also the PPP/C’s fault that the APNU+AFC government had to raise taxes.
“They shut down the economic activities in this country. So the only thing that remained was taxes to run this country. And that is why when you see that the APNU… wanted to give public servants more and you wanted to do more in terms of infrastructure. One of the things that you had to go back to was to see if you could get a little more tax money,” Todd reasoned.
Todd told the supporters to stop concerning themselves about money, or lack thereof and focus on issues. He did not specify which issues needed focus.
“If 90% of Guyanese were… more concerned about issues rather than materials, things like money, the PPP would have never been in power,” Todd said.
One of the most contentious policies in 2015-2020 was the implementation of a 14% Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity and water, mobile internet, and private health and education services, which sparked widespread disgruntlement from business owners and consumers alike.
The private sector frequently accused the APNU+AFC of creating significant barriers to investment through heavy taxation and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Concerns about the high cost of doing business in Guyana, compounded by lack of investments in critical areas such as energy and infrastructure, and limited access to credit, were cited as major obstacles to private sector growth.
Business leaders also complained of delays in public sector procurement and a slow approval process for major projects. Construction firms, in particular, expressed frustration with red tape and a lack of timely decision-making, which, they argued, prevented the industry from expanding and creating more jobs.
The APNU+AFC also did not heed calls from the private sector to put in place local content legislation, though oil had been discovered since 2015. There was also limited or no opportunities for training Guyanese to take up roles in the sector.
Additionally, a number of international companies exited the market, citing the lack of conducive environment in Guyana to do business during that period. For example, RUSAL’s subsidiary Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) had initially suspended its operations and then exited the market, leaving hundreds of workers jobless.
Moreover, the APNU+AFC government had sent thousands of persons on the breadline – for instance by shutting down the sugar industry – thereby significantly reducing the spending power of those individuals and their families.
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