Chaguanas Chamber: Businessmen fleeing

About ten per cent of business owners in Chaguanas have opted to flee the country and run their businesses remotely because of rampant crime, Baldath Maharaj, president of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said on Friday.

He made the statement after being re-elected on Thursday.

“As a chamber, we are supposed to be focused on businessmen, how to get them to function properly and make the environment better, but if there is criminal activity and they cannot go about their normal business, that becomes the number-one priority.”

He said the exodus is largely due to some criminals extorting businessmen and others posing as police officers to stage robberies.

“We have quite a lot of people who were victims of extortion,” he said. “There is one person who I can recall who went straight to the commissioner for help through his lawyer. I can’t say what happened after, but he is still under a form of 'house arrest.' There are quite a number of people who are living like that."

“Those extortionists know where your children go to school. They will make themselves visible to the children to send a message to their parents that they will have to pay or their children will be in danger.”

He added that he had contacted the Commissioner of Police to advise businessmen on strategies to differentiate police officers from people posing as police but had got no response.

“You are at home, police knock at your door, and you are not sure whether or not they are police.

"What do you do? Who do you call?"

“There is quite a lot the commissioner can do, and it is not being done. We are living in fear and a lot of people are not sure what to do about it.”

The release said: “Our focus is to fully support Chaguanas businessmen. We will be vocal on all issues affecting business including criminal activities, traffic issues and creating the necessary training and networking opportunities for businesses to thrive."

The release said the chamber plans to launch an e-card which will enable participating businesses to offer discounts and promote services through the chamber. It said the project is at an advanced stage.

“It will be available for anyone to present at participating businesses to receive discounts,” the release said.

Chaguanas Chamber executive:

President: Baldath Maharaj (re-elected)

Vice president: Dr Vaalmikki Arjoon

Secretary: Sunil Moonasar

Treasurer: Kevin Ramgoolie

Other elected members: Daniel Austin, Sajjad Hamid, Sarfraz Alsaran, Racine Escallier, Vishnu Charran.