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Luncheon unable to provide details of deals with Indian, Chinese Coys
Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, has failed to provide any answer to the growing questions regarding a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it inked with the DY Patil Group out of India, and a Chinese Company, “China Paper.”
The DY Patil Group has started the process of cultivating 10,000 hectares of land in the Canje Basin for
Cabinet Secretary,
Dr. Roger Luncheon
agricultural-related projects, while China Paper is a company seeking to start the utilization of forest pulp paper among central enterprises.
Luncheon at his weekly press briefing said that he could not answer any questions on the two companies at this time.
“I owe you and the members of the media an apology because I could have boned up on the matter, then I saw Rupert Roopnaraine’s (MP) incisive intervention on the matter and called for them to come clean…I could have but I didn’t,” Dr Luncheon told reporters yesterday.
He undertook to have the information by the next press briefing.
Meanwhile APNU’s Joe Harmon, commenting on the recent revelations of the two companies, said that Guyanese are getting to see every one of former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s “secret and shady” deals.
According to Harmon, these “deals” probably did not involve the elements of the state or any negotiations.
“This is the legacy that Jagdeo has left behind; a legacy of badly worked deals, the architecture of badly put together deals that are in no way the best interest of Guyana” Harmon said.
Dr. Ajeenka DY Patil is part of the Patil group which is a major Indian Company that has signed an MOU with the government. It has started the process of cultivating 10,000 hectares of land in the Canje Basin for agricultural-related projects.
The projects would include dairy processing, rice milling and processing; fisheries and poultry; fruit and vegetables; and sugar cane production with ethanol and power.
Dr. Patil on his official website is quoted as stating that investing in Guyana “is a financially viable and potentially profitable proposal for investors in the region due to the global growth in demand for agriculture produce.”
“The region [Guyana] is unexploited and is economically robust and politically stable. It will improve the quality of life of the average Guyanese citizen and increase the economic vitality of the country; all of this backed by the experienced management of the Ajeenka DY Patil Group,” Dr. Patil said.
Dr. Ajeenka Patil besides being a business investor happens to be Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Mumbai India.
On Monday Guyana’s Ambassador to Caricom and Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabeth Harper, said that “anyone” could be an Honorary Consul once the person is a resident in the country.
She said that the Ministry did make an announcement publicly but pointed out that this was “a long time” ago.
Kaieteur News was told that the situation with Dr Patil not being Guyanese is not something out of the ordinary. Harper explained that there are non Guyanese Honorary Consul in several countries, including Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon.
With regards to Government funding, Harper said Patil is not being paid for the position he holds since its “Honorary” as compared to someone who is a ‘Consul General.’
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