Former President, Donald Ramotar complains

May 09, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
The Guyana Times last week carried a story about “Another Beverage Company sues government for billions.” This unfortunate situation is the result of the APNU and AFCs short sighted and vindictive politics. This should never have happened if those parties while in opposition had shown an iota of patriotism.
This matter arose some years ago when Rudisa Beverages of Suriname sued the Guyana Government for violating the Caricom agreement in relation to the treatment of a Caricom company operating in Guyana. This action was in relation to the Environmental tax that the PPP/C government had imposed on companies bringing in plastic bottles in our country. It affected mainly Soft Drink Companies.
The contention was that the local companies, mainly Banks and DDL, were not subjected to the same tax. This case should never have reached the CCJ for a decision, because the company and the PPP/C government had reached agreement with Rudisa that if all the companies were treated the same, Rudisa would drop the case.
The PPP/C consulted both local companies, did not have full agreement, but it was decided to cut the tax by half and apply it to all the companies operating in Guyana. We thought that the opposition would find no difficulty in supporting this, that the opposition would realize the cost to Guyana’s taxpayers and support the amendment to the law.
Unfortunately the opposition saw this as another tool to damage the PPP/C government. Despite very forceful and convincing arguments by Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and Carolyn Rodrigues, the APNU and AFC voted against the Bill.
As a result, the case went forward and the CCJ ruled in favour of the company. The Guyana government had to find US$6 million to honour the award of the CCJ. This amount could have been invested in sugar and prevent any closure of estates.
The PPP/C had also warned that that would not be the end of the matter. It was pointed out, then, that some companies from Trinidad and Tobago could also take Guyana to court because the case with Rudisa was the same. APNU and AFC seemed delighted to hear this seeing that it would hurt the PPP/C government. That seemed to spur them even more to vote against the amendment.
As things turned out, those parties are in Government now and had to pay the US$6 million which they so delighted in imposing on the Guyanese taxpayers.
What the PPP/C warned them about is now coming to pass. Companies from T&T are now suing the government as well. This can cost the taxpayers of Guyana much more than the Rudisa judgement. Some of those companies are much bigger and the award can be even greater.
This was totally unnecessary and completely avoidable. However the APNU and AFC displayed a strong unpatriotic stance and a level of selfishness unseen in our country.
These are the parties that now wield power in our country. The level of vindictiveness and hatred is unprecedented. The cost of such an attitude is great. The bill is climbing.
Donald Ramotar

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