-GCCI talks of labour shortage
In a recent Kaieteur News article, GCCI representative Richard Rambarran claimed that Guyana would need 100,000 additional workers to facilitate national development. His statements echoed Vice President Jagdeo, who recently stated that “If we want to keep the economy growing at the pace it is growing, we will probably have to look in the future to get more people here”. Jagdeo further stated that “we are running out of labour in many parts of the country”.
Guyana’s non-oil economy today is in reality smaller than it was in 2019, having suffered a recession of -7.3% in 2020 and only growing by 4.6% in 2021 compared to 2020. The anemic growth is due to contractions in almost every non-oil sector of the economy since the PPP came to power.
4% reduction in sugar production, 20% reduction in rice production, 3.8% reduction in Bauxite, 14.8% reduction in gold production and more in 2021 alone. Though significant economic growth due to the oil sector was projected, that potential is far from being realized.
Due to the poor performance in all non-oil sectors, Guyana has lost more than 5,000 jobs since the PPP was installed. Unemployment now stands at 42,000 Guyanese. Considering these facts, Jagdeo’s claims that Guyana already has a labor shortage in some parts of the country is rather strange.
With more Guyanese unemployed today than at any point in our history, the PPP and its GCCI allies believe that now is the time to talk of importing labour. The PPP is currently attempting to cover up its failure to produce job-creating policies by handing out part-time work.
More, In The Ring.
