Bettering the image of the country
THE organisers of Guyexpo 2000, the trade exhibition they are billing as the biggest ever, have set themselves a laudable aim of helping to change the negative image that has been spread about Guyana. Guyana had been doing pretty well for itself after it came back on the road of democracy at the elections of October 1992, when it at long last shook off the dirty baggage of rigged elections that it had been weighed down with for almost three decades. That change restored pride in almost everything Guyanese but maintaining that momentum has been difficult, especially since the political street troubles stirred up in Georgetown after the December 1997 general elections. The anti-government protests organised by the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC) from then up to early last year, did not assure potential investors and local business people that setting up shop or expanding operations here was the best thing. Although the street protests and rising tensions were limited to Georgetown, the `Guyana bouncing back' image took some bad dents and a major task now is restoring that good image. It will not be easy but getting business people, manufacturers and others to put on a grand display of what they have done and what can be done will be one healthy dose of good medicine. Guyanese sometimes are their own worst enemies and the restoring of the good image has to start at home. If they want investors here and if they want those driven overseas to return, the messages and signals of reassurance have to be sincere and convincing. The element of fear has to be exorcised and a first step is identifying the bogey man (folks) responsible for starting the scaring up. Pulling the stops out for a show stopper at Guyexpo 2000 is a major step on the way.
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