Publishing unproven information jeopardises foreign investment

In response to media coverage on Chinese-owned businesses, Clinton Williams, chairman of the Guyana-China Business Council has appeal-ed to local media to avoid publishing unsubstantiated information which could jeo-pardise foreign investment.

He made this appeal in a statement following an extraordinary meeting of the council last Friday. The statement requested local media to “make effort to avoid publishing unsubstantiated information which has the capacity to create fear that in itself presents a security dilemma and could diminish foreign investors’ interest in injecting much needed foreign capital into this country.”

According to the statement the meeting was held in response to “the current impasse” and the council wished to state that the investments made in Guyana by the Chinese government and private businesses over the years have been recognised as crucial to the development of Guyana’s economy.

The council said that such investments are implemented in accordance with “exigent social and economic requirements and within the confines of international best practice for technological transfer, training and other mandates.”

The statement said that the council will in its oversight and facilitation mandate, ensure that China-based companies engaged in business in Guyana are sufficiently familiar with Guyana’s labour laws and that there is across-the-board compliance.

Recently media coverage has been given to protests by labour, political and social outside the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, which is being built by the Shanghai Construction Group, solely with Chinese labour.