Tourism, Industry and Trade Minister Manzoor Nadir has said the threatened shutdown this Wednesday by a group of Regent street businessmen would send a signal to criminals that they are getting the upper hand.
While acknowledging some of the concerns expressed by the business group in a paid newspaper advertisement accusing the Jagdeo government and the opposition of failing 93% of the Guyanese people, the minister described the close-down threat as a reactive position. He wondered why the group did not first engage in dialogue with the government setting out their concerns and suggesting answers rather than going public with the planned closure. He added that the government stood ready to meet with business organisations to work out plans on how to deal with the crime wave.
Minister Nadir who is the guest on the Demico House sponsored interview programme One on One, to be broadcast on GTV at 8 o’clock tonight, said that in the present environment, businesses will have to beef up their security.
He said since taking office arrangements had been made for him to meet representatives from the different business and commercial umbrella organisations on a monthly basis. But he said on many occasions the business people excused themselves.
The Trade Minister said the Regent street group was going down the wrong road and could end up venturing into the political arena.
Asked whether he agreed that Guyana was in a crisis, Minister Nadir replied, “We have a criminal crisis on our hands...”