The royal couple’s visit and key opportunities where we can partner

Aug 29, 2026 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The upcoming visit of the Royal Couple to our shores is both timely and welcome. CRG recommends adding the following discussion topics to the agenda for the visit.

It will occur on the heels of our celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month, which is currently contentious due to the ongoing mourning occurring within the Amerindian community because of the MV Barima tragedy. Maybe this Heritage Month will be devoted to reflection and stand out as a memorial for those who have suffered from the injustices affecting the Amerindian community. Given the Royal Couple’s stewardship of environmental protection, and the current assault on Amerindian land the timing of the visit could not be better. Partnering with the Couple to expand our protected areas to include the lands belonging to our Amerindian tribes and villages is a great objective for the National Toshao Council to pursue in October. This will help prevent the further use of dangerous mining methods and prevent the mining of dangerous toxic minerals on Amerindian land.

In addition, the Couple has shown strong advocacy and appreciation for organic farming, and we should build a strong partnership with them in the agriculture sector to provide organic goods to the United Kingdom. This aligns well with the head village concept previously presented by CRG. The UK also has a strong history in the transportation sector, which we should leverage to ensure the efficient movement of these goods.

Literacy continues to be an area of interest on both sides of the pond, and we must revisit our goals for Queen’s College (QC) and the University of Guyana. When the University was first established it was to become the leading educational institution in the region and ultimately a top educational institution in the world. We must regain focus on these objectives. QC also has a great reputation for producing Guyana Scholars who have studied at some of the best universities in the UK. Reaffirming our commitment to the Guyana Scholar program by strengthening our partnerships with the best universities in the UK will add immense value to our larger educational system. There was a time when our beautiful nation had one of the highest literacy rates in the world. We must also strive to once again reach that level of achievement. Partnering with the Royal Couple on these initiatives will help ensure that they are achieved.

As the oil and gas sector continues to develop having a more diverse supplier network will prove beneficial. We must ensure that British Petroleum has an opportunity to participate in the sector under improved fiscal terms. This will also help increase our leverage with current suppliers as we pursue renegotiations in the future under new leadership.

The Royal Couple’s visit will also provide a boost to our tourism sector, and we must embrace the opportunity and not turn our backs on them as some others in the region have done. Many British citizens look forward to an opportunity to spend time vacationing in the tropics and given our recent exploitative history with the British, having a Royal vacation cottage in the tropics within our beautiful nation with the approval of our citizens may be an encouraging gesture that brings additional guests from the UK to visit our beautiful country. This would of course have to be done simultaneously with a signed agreement on financial reparations for the inhumane treatment of our Amerindians, slavery and indentureship. These financial reparations may take many different forms including but not limited to work by British Petroleum in our oil sector for free or with extremely favourable terms for Guyanese, with a clear stipulation that the income earned from the venture will be distributed directly to all Guyanese. This venture must also prevent any damage to the environment and restore the environment to its healthy state once completed.

Given the exploitative nature of the current Exxon oil contract such an arrangement would be most welcome. After all, King Charles has expressed sorrow concerning the transatlantic slave trade. The added security required for a Royal vacation cottage in the tropical climate of Guyana will also help bring about improved national security and improved law and order. Something we should be aspiring to with or without our esteemed guests. An opportunity that should be further discussed with the appropriate stakeholders. The Couple also has projects tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence. Areas that Vindhya and her team should further explore with the Couple for opportunities for us to do some good together.

Other areas within which to tee up ideas with the Royal Couple in the interest of strengthening our bilateral relationship are sports (cricket, football, and table tennis) and the development of our financial services sector. Bourda Cricket Ground has a long and distinguished history in the cricket world and reestablishing it as the centrepiece of our sports tourism pursuits in partnership with the United Kingdom will help strengthen our nation’s cricket offering and global appeal. As for the financial services sector, London has become a respected and powerful financial service provider within Europe and the world. There is a lot we can learn by partnering with key members of their financial services sector to develop and manage our nation’s financials with the goal of creating a regional financial service sector headquartered in Guyana. Not just as an extension of the United Kingdom’s offering, but also as a strong stand alone regional financial hub that connects global investors with businesses in the region. Creating a core pillar for Guyana’s economy as the sector has done for Britain.

Best regards,

Mr. Jamil Changlee

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• Amerindian Heritage Month, CRG, Letters, royal couple

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