The allegations of corruption within the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government are no longer whispers, they are deafening. From the highest office to the lowest bureaucrat, the stench of graft is suffocating Guyana’s economic potential. Yet, where is the outrage from the private sector? Where are the bold condemnations from the very business leaders being bled dry by this system? Instead of demanding accountability, they cower in silence, trading long-term survival for short-term favors. It is not just spineless, it is economic suicide.
Allegations of presidential corruption are overwhelming. A Vice President and Senior Ministers allegedly demanding kickbacks. Ministers who insist on partnerships, or else sabotage projects. A beloved mother of the powerful allegedly demands her son’s 5%. These are not just rumors; they are widespread, accusations that have permeated every level of government procurement and project approval.
And what does the private sector do? Nothing. Worse than nothing, they comply hoping for economic crumbs. They accept slashed contracts, cut corners on quality, and watch as their profit margins evaporate. They allow government ministers via family members, to hoard land meant for manufacturing, agriculture, and housing, land that should be driving economic growth but is instead handed to PPP cronies, distorting the market and inflating commercial land values to absurd levels.
This should be Guyana’s golden era. With oil wealth and global interest surging, businesses should be thriving. Instead, properties are on sale. Entrepreneurs are begging for hardship loans. The only ones flourishing are the politically connected 1%, the same elite who laugh as the rest of the private sector struggles to survive.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) have become pathetic extensions of the PPP’s corruption machine. Once meant to advocate for fair business practices, they now serve as mute cheerleaders, too afraid to challenge a government that openly extorts their members. Their silence isn’t just cowardice, it’s complicity.
Racism Over Economics is A Fool’s Bargain
The most damning indictment? Some in the private sector would rather see their own businesses fail than break ranks with a government that thrives on racial loyalty. They have convinced themselves that short-term PPP patronage is worth the long-term destruction of Guyana’s business environment. This is not just shortsighted, it’s stupid, it is economic self-immolation but no one ever claimed that members of our private sector were bright.
The truth is simple, a corrupt system cannot sustain a thriving private sector. Every stolen contract, every inflated deal, every piece of land handed to a crony is a nail in the coffin of legitimate business. If the private sector does not wake up and demand accountability, loudly, publicly, and relentlessly, it will have no one to blame but itself when the entire economy becomes a rigged game where only the connected survive. One thing we know for sure, when the APNU returns to power, they will find their voices. They will speak out against corruption. They will once again engage, because their behavior is racially motivated.
The private sector must choose; Will it continue to grovel for scraps from a corrupt system, or will it finally stand up and fight for a fair, competitive economy? The time for quiet suffering is over. The time for defiance is now. Because if they won’t speak up for their own survival, then they deserve the ruin that’s coming.
