Finance Minister compares private newspaper to Berbice River Bridge

Jul 07, 2014 News

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“It is time the people of Berbice stand up for themselves”- Granger

By Abena Rockcliffe

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh has resorted to the use of false analogies in justifying government’s refusal to adhere to parliamentary resolutions on the Berbice River Bridge toll. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, David Granger has made known his decision to leave the fate of Berbicans in their own hands saying that they must now stand up for themselves.

The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government, in May, rejected the Motion to reduce the tolls for crossing the Berbice River Bridge, but it was in the end approved by the Full House, given the voting strength of the Political Opposition.

The Motion was piloted by A Partnership For National Unity’s (APNU) Joseph Harmon, who argued that the toll being charged by the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. was excessively high and meant to only enrich  a few.

During that debate, Harmon said that the arguments that the company is a private one are nullified by the fact that under the Berbice Bridge Act, the Minister of Public Works has responsibility for the setting of the tolls. He highlighted that the Bridge earns an average of US$7.5 million annually, and as such the company can afford to reduce the tolls charged.

At his most recent press conference, Dr. Singh, in response to questions about the government’s stance on the issue, maintained that the Bridge is privately owned.

He said that the government does not ignore anything that goes on in the parliament or comes out, “we take it seriously.”

But he accused the Opposition of not taking it as serious. He said that a resolution cannot require action that would collide with the law.

According to Dr. Singh, numerous Motions that the Opposition takes to the National Assembly collide with the law.

Asked what law the resolutions of the Berbice River Bridge Motion collides with, the Minister said that “the Berbice River Bridge is a private company.”

To explain his position, the Minister said, “Imagine if someone brings to the National Assembly, a motion that requires Kaieteur News to reduce the cost of the paper. The Berbice River Bridge, just like Kaieteur News, is a privately owned company…owned by a shareholder who invested his money into the newspaper, grew his newspaper and now has a very successful paper to his credit and to the credit of his excellent cadre of reporters.”

The Minster says that if the government encourages the opposition, they can equally take a Motion to reduce the cost of the paper from $80 to 40$. He said that the Opposition can argue that the Kaieteur News is such a popular Newspaper that the man who can only afford $40 should be able to buy it.

But then Kaieteur News pointed out to the Minister that his statement was fallacious, a false analogy in that his attempt to compare the two is inadequate. This is because the newspaper is fully private and not a cent of taxpayers’ money was invested in it.

Dr. Singh responded, “The Berbice River Bridge is privately owned…I don’t want to get into to whether fully or whatever, but if you examine the ownership structure of the Berbice River Bridge, it was financed predominantely with private capital.” He said therefore that the demanded reduction is essentially an expropriation of private property.

Meanwhile, APNU leader, David Granger told Kaieteur News that the Berbice people must now stand up for themselves.

He said, “They need to bring pressure to bear on the party, which the majority of them voted for… on both sides of the river there are RDCs controlled by the PPP; the majority of the inhabitants of Region Five and Six must call on their Leader to treat them better. If APNU were there, we would treat them better even though they don’t support us.”

He said his party did its part to help the Berbice people but now they have to continue the struggle.

Granger added that “government always ignores our resolutions, they are the great ignorers.”

He said the people must now try to see if they can melt the heart of President Donald Ramotar.

The APNU’s position is that since the Government holds some $950M in shares in the bridge, it is incumbent for the Administration to have its Director on the Board call for the reduction of the toll.

Harmon, during debate of the Motion, had noted that when the toll was calculated, the then President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that it was done to cover operating costs, make repayments and earn a profit.
The APNU Member of Parliament lamented that there was nothing in the consideration of the toll “about public good; only money”.
Harmon pointed to a number of bridges across the world, including neighbouring Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil where the tolls for bridges in those countries are either free or far below that which is being charged to cross the Berbice River.

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