Forward to the past

Jul 21, 2016 Peeping Tom

With each passing day, Guyana is moving forward, slowly but surely, into the past. Guyana is returning to the dreadful and frightening days of dictatorship when the people felt they were oppressed by acts of bullying.
This past week barricades were placed at the exits of two of the country’s main wharves. The owners were reportedly told that they had to pay a container tax of $25,000 for each container leaving the facility.
The tax was said to be for usage of heavy duty vehicles towing the containers on the city’s roads. One of the companies was even told that this was provided for under the by-laws.
His lawyer said he could not find any such authority under the section quoted by the city official. The Shipping Association has reportedly filed an action in the High Court challenging this decision.
One city official was quoted in the media as saying that the barricades were to allow for the maintenance of the roads since the engineers were on the ground. This contradicted what another official said. The situation got even more confusing when a third official is reported as saying that no containers were prevented from leaving the wharves.
This proliferation of contradictory explanations is familiar to Guyanese who lived through the days of dictatorship in Guyana. Back then there numerous attempts to run roughshod over people. High-handed action was not unknown back then.
The City of Georgetown had previously failed in its attempts to institute a container tax or fee or whatever else they wanted to call it. The City was forced to withdraw a number of cases which it had filed against persons who had refused to pay the tax.
The City has quickly regrouped. It put up barriers in front two of the city wharves and pictures in the media showed council guards not far away. This was totally unnecessary.
The City has not seen the wisdom in consulting or dialoguing with the business community on the imposition of this tax. It has taken the high handed action to go ahead despite the actions of last week where it was forced to withdraw a number of charges.
Why would the City not give the wharves advance notice of the actions that it proposed to collect the container tax? Why could they not have simply issued a letter to the wharves indicating that it would now be collecting the tax when the containers leave the wharves.
The actions of the City resemble a show of strength. It was almost as if they were saying that we have the power and we will exercise it. Well, they are wrong. There is a higher power and it is not the President. It is called the rule of law.
The City did give notice to wharf owners. Could it be because it felt that the wharf operators would have bowed to their pressure?
Could it be also that the City felt that because it has a sympathetic government in power it could ram the container tax down the throats of the business community?
Guyanese are getting a taste of what to expect in the future. They are getting a taste of what it was like to live in a dictatorship.
What will be next? The business community is already burdened by high taxation. The playing field is not level. There is unfair competition from vendors. Licence fees have increased. Now the City wants to impose a container tax. Parking fees will cripple their businesses come September.
Business is already slow, It will grind to halt when motorist have to pay to park in front of stores.
What next? Is the City going to implement a head tax on residents? Will they erect barriers and charge pedestrians for using the pavements? Will persons have to pay to park their cars on the parapets in front of their homes?
The City went on spending spree for the 50th Anniversary of Guyana’s Independence. They now are struggling to find the money to sustain the work they undertook.
And so the pressure is going to come down. Let us hope that they do not take to barricading the premises of businesses who owe them money.

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One thought on “Forward to the past”

RLSG July 21, 2016 at 12:33 pm

These in the City Council will find themselves in the street in 5 years if they continue this dictatorial and arrogant behavior .. I hope the citizens of Georgetown are taking note .. and I am sure the PPP is laughing at them. They will be responsible for their own demise .. both the king and queen green.

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