Businessman Peter Ramsaroop has resigned as a member of the PNCR and from all political institutions "to concentrate on effecting economic development of the country and to play a more active role in civil society efforts" to bring the country back on an even keel.

In an interview in his North Road and King Street office yesterday, Ramsaroop told Stabroek News that he handed in his resignation to the Leader of the Reform component of the PNCR, Stanley Ming recently.

He said that he was strongly behind the PNCR in 2001 because of the vision of the plan to 'Put Guyana First' but the Reform component of the alliance has been merged with the PNC and there is no difference in the two entities. "This has compromised our integrity as a reform entity. Therefore I can't see that we can live up to the desire to put Guyana first and to influence the changes needed to create an enabling environment for political stability."

He added that he has "no intention of forming a political group or joining a political party'. He was interested, he said, in joining "like-minded citizens in civil society who can help to reclaim Guyana from the politicians, and as one Member of Parliament aptly said, from `destructive politics.'"

With general elections due in about 18 months time he said there would be need for level-headed Guyanese "such as the Joe Singhs, the Raphael Trotmans and the Khemraj Ramjattans to keep Guyana together. We can't let politics ruin this country." Noting the response to the launching of his recent publication 'Hope for our Guyana' where several members of civil society were invited, he said that he would continue to energise civil society to play a greater role in impacting on the political scene regardless of who is in power to help the country move forward. "I will remain around the political system but not within," he said.

He said that at present the main political parties are on a collision course without their headlights on, with one party wanting shared governance and the other holding on to no shared governance. This situation had led to the current political instability and poor governance. It does not matter who is in power, but the private sector, considered the engine of growth in Guyana, needs political stability and good governance, he reiterated.

He was not happy about the bureaucracy in place to attract investments and the fact that power and decision-making were so centralised that they interfered with the decision-making process. "It proves that people, he (President Bharrat Jagdeo) selects to have around him are not qualified to make decisions."

His drive to do business the right way, he said, is also to expose any corruption he sees in the system. At present, he said that a lot of businessmen are defaulting on loans taken from the banks because of their inability to obtain contracts from the government, and because of a poor investment climate. He felt that the banks, too, were a stumbling block and not aiding in development since they do not want to give loans because of the fear that they would not be repaid.

Stressing the need for economic growth, he said that, "if we do not give hope to the young generation, they would grow up with the mentality that they have to work towards leaving Guyana." He said that more than 1,000 students graduate from the University of Guyana each year without being able to get suitable jobs.

He feels that Guyana should be aligning itself with Brazil, Venezuela and the bigger countries in South America instead of the smaller Caribbean countries "and lowering ourselves", instead of being a leader or part of the leadership in the hemisphere.

Ramsaroop, who has re-migrated from the USA, said that he is hoping that his success in business here in Guyana would be an example to other successful Guyanese living abroad to return and invest in the development of the country. (Miranda La Rose)