Make Sanata deal public

May 22, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is a lot wrong and people seem to be afraid to talk for fear of either victimization or because they are among those who enjoy the benefits of the fruits of the trade that seems to be wrong. At issue here is the privatization of the Sanata Textiles Limited.

The government has made bold to say that in privatizing Sanata Textiles, it has been able to secure the best possible deal—a deal that is even better than that which it sought when it advertised the complex. The government makes bold to say that it will collect $50 million per year by way of rental and it will not have to worry about finding jobs for 600 people.

I listened to the newscasts on a press conference hosted by the Privatisation Unit and GoInvest and I heard Mr Geoffrey Da Silva say that in the long run the government and the country would benefit from whatever concessions it now grants to the new investor. The concessions are going to be worth millions of dollars a year (Mr Da Silva puts the figure at some $100 million). This alone means that the government is going to be giving the investor $50 million a year, if Mr Da Silva is being honest.
One view is that the 600 people employed would pay taxes but I heard that the people would be the ordinary women of Ruimveldt and Charlestown. They would be working for the minimum wage and would not pay taxes.

There are many questions to be asked. When will the nation see the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the government and Queens Atlantic Investment Inc? Will this MoU be tabled in parliament?
Mr Da Silva said that the concessions granted to the new investors are no different from those granted to any investor. I would like Mr Winston Brassington to inform the nation of these investors who enjoyed the benefits now being enjoyed by the new investor.

More than anything else I am shocked at the web of silence. The various political parties have not said a peep nor have they questioned the package. Mr Winston Murray of the People’s National Congress chairs the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament. He needs to tell us whether this issue has come up in the committee and if not, he needs to ensure that it does because he is presiding over a body that must oversee public spending.

The deal may be good but I need to be convinced. I am trying to understand the reason for foregoing much needed money by way of Customs waivers, tax holidays, foregoing VAT payments and the like even as the investor is bringing in money to the country. The very investor is being invited to ship out his money without restriction and to open a foreign exchange account.
Worried Guyanese

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Make Sanata deal public

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