SO, owner of the Pegasus Hotel, Robert Badal, is in the news again. This time he is accusing the government of sidelining his business from tourism–related activities. No surprise, as this hotelier, well known for his union-busting activities that have forced a number of employees to leave his hotel’s employment after many years service, has been grumbling incessantly, since the announcement that there was going to be another ultra-modern hotel in his hotel’s  neighbourhood.

This is plainly, the frightened and frantic throes of businessman cum political opponent of the government who, like the political party of which he is a member, is bent on continuing to wage a vicious war of slander and baseless lies against a progressive government. Obviously, he is afraid that with the eventual realisation of the Marriot project, his hotel will probably be consigned to the dustbin of irrelevance.

In fact, Badal is afraid of competition; but he must understand that such is the engine that improves quality of service, particularly in his kind of industry. But instead, his idea of business seems to be one of “Me alone and nobody else”.
This is the mindset that resulted in his anti-worker tactic towards his staff at the Pegasus Hotel causing so many long-service staff to leave. To think that such an outlook is displayed by someone who aspires to political leadership  in this country!

He must understand that the PPP/C government is very much proactive in promoting the local tourism sector, as evidenced by the introduction of Guyana as a sailing destination, in Trinidad last Tuesday. The policy has always been  for all the stakeholders to become involved in a joint effort for the cumulative  benefit of the industry. But Mr. Badal seems to have other ideas, which do not fit with those that are beneficial to the nation.

His latest outbursts are those of a drowning man desperately clutching at straws