| …‘Business as usual’ urges subject Minister GaskinWhile the military buildup on Guyana’s western border with Venezuela is cause for concern, the local business community is being urged to conduct “business as usual”. And potential international investors looking to set up shop in Guyana can also breathe a sigh of relief since Guyana is a sovereign country of laws and as such both local and international investments will beMinister of Business, Dominic Gaskinprotected.Minister of Business,NFL Jerseys China, Dominic Gaskin, yesterday, said that businesses can be assured that the matter is being handled at the highest level of Government, with a view to seeking a diplomatic solution rather than a military one.Gaskin told Kaieteur News that while his Ministry is not in receipt of any formal reports of concerns on behalf of the business community operating in the Essequibo County of Guyana,Jerseys China Wholesale, “this is not to say there is no cause for concern.”He is adamant that these businesses should continue to carry on as usual since Guyana is a country of laws,holesale Soccer Jerseys, “laws that will be respected.” He said that Guyanese and international business partners should not allow the actions on the part of the Venezuelan Government and its military to put a damper on their operations.“The matter is being dealt with at the diplomatic level and there is no reason for the business community in Guyana to do anything different…They are protected under the laws of the country.”Speaking directly to potential investors, Gaskin lamented that while the current situation is less than desired as it relates to attracting international investments, “there is nothing to fear.”He said, “It is not a good thing for Guyana,”Gaskin said, too, that while the problem between Guyana and Venezuela is not a new one and has in fact been “festering for some time,Cheap Jerseys For Sale,” the recent escalation clearly makes a case for the urgent judicial settlement of the issue.This, he said, is in the best interest of Guyana, but may not necessarily be a priority of the Venezuelans, since it is an issue Guyana’s western neighbour utilizes whenever the occasions suits it.“Until we get a judicial settlement, this is something that will always be on the table,” said Gaskin. He saw the need for an urgent settling of the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela in an international court.Cross Border TradeOn the matter of cross border trade, Minister Gaskin told this publication that while he is not aware of any significant activities in this realm,NFL Jerseys China, Guyanese are being urged to ensure that they ply their trade using lawful means and ports.He said that while there was some hiccup with Guyana’s ‘Oil for Rice’ transaction with its western neighbour, the concessionary arrangements with which oil is purchased from that country under the PetroCaribe agreement has not been affected.“As of (yesterday) we are still part of the PetroCaribe agreement,Cheap NFL Jerseys Supply,” Minister Gaskin,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, underscored.“While we are saying it is a matter for concern, it is a matter of important concern. The matter is being handled at the highest level of Government.”The business community, he said, is being urged to conduct, “business as usual, we don’t see any impediment to investors coming from any part of the world.”Head of State, President David Granger, recently denounced the recent actions on the part of the Nicolas Maduro led administration, calling it an ‘extraordinary escalation’ of an ongoing border dispute.Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brig Mark Phillips, this past week, told media operatives that ranks of the local military are strategically positioned along the border with Venezuela and are actively monitoring the situation.“We continue to monitor the activities by the Venezuelan armed forces on our frontiers. Our deployment is geared to define aggression and acts of incursion of our border. We remain ready to deploy additional troops and equipment, if need be, to those locations.”He said that a build-up in troops on the Venezuelan side had been observed about one week ago but over the past weekend, there was a noticeable increase in troops in the area.Guyana’s land border with its western neighbour was settled by an 1899 Arbitration panel with the support of the United States of America and Britain, much to the chagrin of the Venezuelan authorities.This past week tensions escalated as the Venezuelan military positioned several hundred military personnel and hardware inclusive of mobile missile launchers and even positioning ranks on gunboats in Guyana’s Cuyuni River.Guyana has already signaled its intention to abandon the 23-year-old ‘UN Good Officer’ mechanism which has so far failed to settle the dispute. President Granger has signalled a willingness to have the matter settled under international law utilizing the International Court of Justice in Hague. |
