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Land giveaways…Guyana has lost faith in NICIL to negotiate state deals – APNU
A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon,
Joseph Harmon
has said that the recent revelation of NICIL gifting two prime pieces of lands to a Chinese firm, underscores exactly why the Opposition has absolutely no faith in the negotiating skills and competence of Winston Brassington.
Brassington is head of NICIL.
The gifting of the two plots of land was made known by NICIL as it sought to justify giving away one acre of Turkeyen land to China Railway First Group (CRFG).
“The price on the contract with CRFG was executed in September 2012 and expired in June 2013. Given the expected delay of postponing financial closure until the latter part of 2013, it was necessary to have the contract price extended.”
Two matters were negotiated due to the delay. The negotiations, according to NICIL, resulted in two pieces of land being committed to CRFG.
The two pieces of land were one acre at Liliendaal and over seven acres at Friendship, East Bank Demerara. The latter is in the process of being transferred.
CRFG would use the land at Liliendaal for building its Head Office and the land at Friendship for a materials marshalling yard and also a fixed price contract in preference to a measured works contract.
In light of this, Harmon said that NICIL needs to stop sharing away state assets “in their secret arrangements with the Chinese.”
“NICIL has essentially robbed the country of certain monies which is due on the transfer of property because when a company transfers or sells from one company to the other or to an individual there are certain fees which have to be paid to the registry as well as other taxes to GRA.
But saying that it is a gift it is saying that there was no consideration for that… Mr. Brassington must face the music.”
Harmon also said, “NICIL needs to stop sharing away state assets in their secret arrangements with foreign companies. NICIL was not established to facilitate these improper deals.”
“Brassington said that the original contract for a section of the road going to the Amaila falls was US$11.2M but due to delays, they have been able to now arrange for the company to accept $8.5 M and then they gave the Chinese company two pieces of land.”
The difference between the initial and the negotiated prices is $2.7M so in fact what they did was sell it for that amount and on the face of it, calls it a gift. In effect they are trying to hoodwink the Guyanese people. We have to be careful. We have no confidence in Brassington.
Rather than meeting the different costs they are sharing out Guyana’s lands and quarrying properties and sharing out the assets of this country ostensibly as gifts…”
As it relates to the Friendship land, the APNU Member of Parliament challenged Brassington to come out and display the title for the land he is trying to gift to the company.
“I dare Mr. Brassington to come out and display that title that he is trying to gift to the company.”
His colleague, Carl Greenidge who serves in the APNU as the Shadow Minster of Finance had also described the gifting of the two prime lands as being “highly improper” and “the height of dishonesty.”
Considering the fact that the government holding agency seems to have a history of “gifting state assets,” the former Finance Minister made a strong call for the Chinese government and its Embassy to insist that its companies refrain from secret deals.
One has to draw the conclusion that Government has embarked on a deliberate policy on handing over state assets to three sets of people; Indian firms, Chinese firms and Caribbean firms with special political interest to them.”
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