Dorwain Bess, leader of the Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC), has written to the President and the Government of Guyana requesting the restoration of his fuel import licence, which he says was revoked following the change of government.
In his letter, Bess said he returned from the United States, invested in Guyana, and built a fuel company that employed hundreds of Guyanese before his licence was taken away. He noted that for more than five years he has been unable to operate in the fuel sector, despite having significant assets, infrastructure, and experience in the industry, while multiple new licences have been issued to others.
Bess also pointed to the positive role his fuel business once played in the economy, saying it employed hundreds of Guyanese, supported fuel distribution across both coastal and interior regions, and contributed to national energy supply and broader economic activity. The closure of the business not only affected his investment but also displaced workers and disrupted livelihoods, strengthening his call for the licence to be restored so operations can resume.
Bess has had a long-running dispute with state authorities over his fuel operations. In 2024, a charge brought against him personally for importing fuel without a valid licence was dismissed by a magistrate after the court found that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, although the Guyana Energy Agency later filed an appeal against that ruling. In a separate matter, his company, SBF International Inc., was fined $300,000 in 2023 after being found guilty of operating as a petroleum wholesaler without a valid licence. Bess has maintained that he has not been convicted of any personal wrongdoing.
He further alleged that several new fuel licences were granted to politically connected individuals, including a sitting government minister who now operates a gas station, as well as to companies that have not placed their licences into active use.
With the President’s renewed call for Guyanese in the diaspora to return home and invest, Bess said that appeal must also apply to him. He stressed that he is not seeking special treatment, but equal treatment, and has requested the intervention of both the President and Vice President to allow his business to reopen, rehire Guyanese, and contribute once again to the economy. Copies of his correspondence were also sent to several local and international business support organisations.
