Latest update February 3rd, 2025 7:00 AM
Latest News
- Govt. assures Exxon not hiding true oil data
- Sheriff Holdings distances self from convicted fraudster Ed Ahmad over suspicious Ogle land deal
- Trump says Americans could feel ‘pain’ in trade war with Mexico, Canada, China
- Soesdyke man killed after car crashes into truck
- Patterson pillories govt. for reckless spending of oil money
President engaging in political opportunism – Ramjattan
Presidential Candidate of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has noted with amusement President Jagdeo’s latest decree on clearing the 132 scrap metal containers on the wharves awaiting permission to export.
Presidential Candidate of AFC Khemraj Ramjattan
The AFC presidential candidate deemed the move as political opportunism with total disregard for the intelligence of the Guyanese people.
Ramjattan said that it must be recalled that on 8 July 2011, the AFC picketed the Office of the Prime Minister to register its disapproval and grave concern with the Government’s ill-advised handling of the scrap metal workers and dealers’ plight.
The AFC had asserted in July last, that the Guyana Metal Recyclers’ Association was willing to work with the Guyana Police Force in arresting and prosecuting those who ply the illegal non-ferrous metal trade as well as those who encourage and participate in the vandalism of public and private property in order to obtain ferrous scraps.
Ramjattan said that with regard to the containers of scrap metal on the wharves, the AFC had recommended that upon a thorough inspection for non-ferrous metals, they should be released forthwith.
“When this was reported in the local press, Jagdeo in typical autocratic manner shunned this counsel. He effectively usurped the authority of the Prime Minister who was not allowed to pronounce on the issue.” Ramjattan said.
He stated that it is quite amusing that with one month before the holding of elections, Jagdeo has now decided to heed the advice of the AFC that was given to him four months ago.
The AFC is calling on all stakeholders in the scrap metal trade not to be hoodwinked by such obvious electioneering.
“The AFC wishes to reiterate that in 2010, local scrap metal dealers, who are members of the Guyana Scrap Metal Dealers Association (GSMDA), asked the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce to properly account for a sum in the region of US$1 million reportedly paid to it over a period of time to finance a monitoring unit to inspect scrap metal prior to export,” Ramjattan noted.
“This monitoring unit never functioned and so the unscrupulous were allowed to continue their nefarious activities while the genuine metal workers and dealers were left to suffer income losses amounting to millions of dollars.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPP/C’s greatest liability
Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- One might have expected that a ruling party basking in the largesse of oil wealth would chart... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
