Minister Bulkan responds to former, President Ramotar

Feb 14, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter appearing under the name of Mr. Donald Ramotar captioned, ‘Former President, Ramotar responds to Attorney General,’ (KN, February 10). I refer specifically to Mr. Ramotar’s reference to me “disclosing” that US$5.7 million was paid to BK International (BKI) on, “a mere letter threatening litigation.”
I hardly need to remind Guyanese that Mr. Ramotar, the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors of GuySuCo, presided over the destruction of the sugar industry. His history as President too, speaks for itself, and citizens may decide for themselves the weight that they wish to give to his pronouncements.
Editor, it appears to me that Mr. Ramotar has gone from being President to acting as mouthpiece for Anil Nandlall. I say this since in Mr. Ramotar’s letter he repeated some of the falsehoods uttered and iterated by Mr. Nandlall in the press including those regarding the settlement with BKI for the construction and operation of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill. Unless I have overestimated the intelligence of both Mr. Nandlall and Mr. Ramotar, I presume that they are both aware that their statements are baseless, deliberately malicious, and aimed at misleading the public. Editor, the settlement with BKI was arrived at against the backdrop of their claim which included:
Payment due for the processing of, 250,000 tonnes of waste (158,000 tonnes at $17.03, 92,000 tonnes at $13.63, as per contract, for a total of $3,950,316), retention (operations) – $182,207, retention (construction) – $386,491, interest – $725,914, tires (handling, from 2011 to 2015) – $1,500,000, construction in 2013 – $1,058,583, loss of profits (2016 to 2021) – $ 2,000,000+, totaling in excess of US$10 million.
Editor, the foregoing information was provided by me on the 8th of August, 2016, at the Committee of Supply during the examination of Financial Paper No. 2 / 2016. During that exercise, I was extensively questioned about this matter by Honourable members of the parliamentary opposition. Those members included Mr. Nandlall, Mr. Edghill, Mr.Croal, Ms. Teixeira, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Dharmlall. I was asked a total of twenty-six (26) questions, including twelve (12) by Mr.Nandlall and eight (8) by Mr. Edghill.
Having regard to the facts, all of which are in the public domain, and form part of the transcripts of Parliament (Hansard), I believe that it is most unfortunate that members of the parliamentary opposition would continue to utilize their time and energies for the mischievous regurgitation of that which they know to be falsehoods.
Ronald Bulkan
Minister of Communities

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