PSC condemns Suriname’s Corentyne River fees as anti-trade, anti-CSME & harmful to Guyanese livelihoods

See full statement below: 

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) condemns in the strongest terms the imposition of fees by the Government of Suriname on vessels using the Corentyne River, a move that will disrupt trade, increase costs for operators, and place Guyanese businesses and communities at an immediate disadvantage.

We have heard directly from our members. The impact is real, immediate, and damaging. From timber and quarrying to transport and river-based commerce, these unilateral charges are driving up the cost of doing business, weakening competitiveness, and placing additional pressure on livelihoods in communities that depend on the river every day.

These actions directly contradict the spirit of CARICOM and are fundamentally at odds with the principles of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, which are intended to promote the free movement of goods, fair treatment, and the removal of barriers to regional trade, not the creation of new ones.

At a time when the region should be deepening integration and strengthening confidence in cross border commerce, this action is regressive, disruptive to business certainty, and harmful to the wider economic interests of Guyana and the Caribbean. Guyanese operators must not be made to pay the price for unilateral measures that undermine long standing commercial arrangements and weaken trust between neighbouring states.

The PSC stands firmly with the affected businesses, workers, and communities of Guyana, especially those in river dependent regions now bearing the brunt of this decision. This is not merely a commercial inconvenience. It is a direct threat to enterprise, investment confidence, and the economic dignity of our people.

We therefore call on the Government of Guyana to engage the Surinamese authorities with urgency, firmness, and absolute clarity. Securing the removal of these fees and restoring a fair and predictable operating environment must be the immediate objective. Dialogue must remain the first path, but it must be dialogue that delivers results. If these measures are not reversed, the Government must be prepared to implement proportionate and strategic responses to defend Guyanese businesses, safeguard livelihoods, and restore balance to the trading relationship.

The PSC will continue to advocate relentlessly for the protection of Guyanese enterprise, the defence of fair trade, and full respect for regional commitments. Guyana must not accept conditions that place its people and industries at a disadvantage within a system meant to ensure equity and mutual benefit. Guyana cannot champion integration on one side and accept discriminatory barriers on the other. The principle of reciprocity is fundamental to fair trade, and where balance is not maintained, it inevitably invites proportionate responses.

A strong nation must stand up for its businesses, its workers, and its rightful place within the regional economy. On this matter, the PSC is unwavering.