Concession provision for foreign workers is an insult to Guyanese - Jagdeo

Concession provision for foreign workers is an insult to Guyanese – Jagdeo

May 30, 2018 News

“Abhorrent” and “insulting” are some of the words used by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo to describe the fact that foreigners contracted to work with ExxonMobil will be given duty free concessions.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

Jagdeo expressed this at a recent press conference.
At that forum, the politician said that he can never beat up on the coalition government over its distribution of huge concessions to various companies. However, Jagdeo said that he has a longstanding problem with the giving of concessions to expat workers.
He told media workers, “I cannot beat up on this government for giving concessions to big companies. But I am not talking about every worker, that’s different. I have noticed in some contracts the foreigners get concessions too, I find this abhorrent.”
Jagdeo noted, “ExxonMobil can bring a driller or someone to drive a tractor, but because he is a foreigner he gets duty free. That should not be part of any agreement. We had it in the Omai Agreement and we started removing it.”
Jagdeo said that he would not put his head on the proverbial block, but he is almost certain that no contract signed by him has that provision. “That was a policy decision for all contracts during my time. You cannot bring in a foreman and he gets all these concessions and a Guyanese foreman does not.”