PNCR activates business arm

Last Updated on Sunday, 30 August 2026, 7:21 by Denis Chabrol

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Aubrey Norton on Friday said his party has activated its business arm to bring in much-need money.

“We know that finance needs to be raised and that is critical and it is for that reason, the party now has a business arm that is proceeding with our investment,” he told the unveiling of the PNCR’s diaspora honour wall.

Demerara Waves Online News was informed that the company being used as the vehicle to push the PNCR’s business agenda is Maikwak Ltd.

Almost one year ago,  former APNU+Alliance For Change administration finance minister, Winston Jordan had said the PNCR could not depend on corn house and fish fry to raise revenue but should instead invest some of its real estate, establish companies and bid for contracts.

The PNCR leader, who is also chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), tasked the party with creating perceptions by linking the “old approach” with the the new information technology system. “I want to say this to you about information technology. Facts seem not to matter. Perception! and we have got to work on creating perceptions that we want created,” he said,

Second only to the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC), the political newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), clinched 16 parliamentary seats in last year’s general and regional elections to replace the PNCR/APNU as Guyana’s main opposition party for the first time. WIN appeared to have combined its apparent access to a large sum of money with an aggressive social media presence.

Mr Norton, who entered politics through the PNC’s then youth arm, the Young Socialist Movement, conceded that the old approach would not work. He encouraged party faithful to link that methodology with information technology, including Artificial Intelligence. “The  best way to rebuild this party is, really, to put on the ground a corps of people who can give the kind of leadership on the ground that used to be given years ago. That is our immediate task: to build that corps of persons on the ground,” he said.

The PNCR leader is on record as saying repeatedly over the years that youths must be trained, educated and prepared to take over the leadership of that party.

Mr Norton recently said he was interested in remaining PNCR leader and would make way for someone else to emerge as APNU presidential candidate. So far, likely favourites are city businessman Dr Terrence Campbell and Dr Dexter Todd.