Wholehearted support for Barama penalty

Wholehearted support for Barama penalty
Guyana Chronicle, 27 October 2007
I am reading with interest and concern the situation with Barama and
the Government of Guyana, and wish to give my wholehearted support to
the Minister of Agriculture for his stand of defending the exploitation
of our natural resources by companies wanting to do business and taking
advantage of our so-called third world country in the belief that there
are doing us a favor in investing in Guyana and can do anything and get
away with it.

I was somewhat surprised at the liberal concessions and conditions
Barama was given to operate and do business in Guyana, but the
decision-makers at that time was desperate for foreign investment to
concede to such a deal.

The penalty imposed by the Minister is to an average US$575,000
dollars, which is a drop in the ocean as compared to the revenue
Baramais earning, and has cheated the people of Guyana in their
corrupt practice by circumventing procedures with others to save
expenditures and levies.

It must be noted that their cost of operation particularly labour cost
would have been the cheapest globally, but still helped Guyanese who
badly needed work, some of their benevolent gestures to various
communities and infrastructure must be well noted, but is expected to
be the cost of doing business in such a favourable environment.

I call on the people of Guyana to stand firm and proud in their
rejection when Multinational companies come to our shores and want to
exploit our resources and people, because we are poor so-called Third
World countries, we must not go back to the days of plantation living
in modern loggie, and have to sacrifice our wives and daughters to the
plantation masters.

It must be noted that forest and timber extraction is of global concern
to most Third World countries not only because of the global climate
debate, but in the manner in which Multinational timber companies
operate in exploiting forest resources.

It is not surprising that Barama would use threat of job losses and
closing down of operation, because they are caught in illegal
practices, what they are saying they are too big to be disciplined or
reprimanded, and should be allowed to do as they please, if they want
to go so be it, when one door is closed the other will open,
politicians and labour leaders please take note and don’t be misled by
the few pennies gained for workers, as against the huge sums stolen
from our national coffers by these practices.
B. BLACKMAN