Guyanese Business Leaders Slam PSC and GMSA Over Silence on U.S. Tariff Talks
By HGP Nightly news
Prominent attorney and chartered accountant Christopher Ram has issued a scathing critique of Guyana’s leading private sector bodies, accusing them of prioritizing optics over advocacy in the face of critical trade negotiations with the United States.
In a sharply worded letter, Ram described the recent actions of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) as “political theater masquerading as advocacy.” He questioned whether their leadership was genuinely committed to defending member interests or merely leveraging their roles for personal gain.
“Only the leader of those bodies can say whether they seek these offices to satisfy their ego or promote their personal business or political interest,” Ram wrote.
The letter also referenced businessman Howard Bulkan, director of Precision Woodworking Limited and a GMSA member, who had voiced his own concerns just days earlier. In his August 5 letter, Bulkan criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the temporary suspension of U.S. reciprocal tariffs—a move with major implications for Guyanese exporters.
Rather than launching a direct attack, Bulkan highlighted a “troubling pattern of detachment” from the PSC and GMSA, suggesting their public statements “read less like endorsements than rehearsal lines.” He implied that both organizations may have been excluded from key discussions with U.S. counterparts.
“One begins to suspect that the GMSA and PSC were not only not consulted, but were desperate to pretend they were,” Bulkan stated.
The controversy centers on a 90-day pause on U.S. tariffs affecting Guyanese exports. While government officials hailed the move as a diplomatic win, many in the business community remain skeptical about its long-term benefits and criticized the lack of consultation.
Guyana’s economy, though increasingly fueled by oil revenues, still relies heavily on traditional exports like timber, rice, and sugar. With the U.S. as a major trading partner, favorable access to its markets is crucial for sustaining smaller industries amid rising costs and shifting global trade dynamics.
Ram concluded that the PSC and GMSA have “failed their members” by avoiding meaningful engagement on high-stakes issues like trade negotiations, sparking broader concerns that private sector institutions have grown too close to the government and too timid in defending economic interests.
