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City Dep’t accused of hindering growth of fast food franchise – Owner opts for court action
Businessman: Paul Campbell
Guyanese businessman, Terrence Campbell is accusing the City Engineer’s Department of deliberately hindering the expansion of his fast food franchise.
Campbell is the proprietor of Camex Restaurants Inc, which is the licensed dealer for Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza, Pollo Tropical, Quiznos and Dairy Queen in Guyana.
Camex has been managing fast food outlets like Church’s in Guyana for several years.
Campbell detailed to the Commission of Inquiry, (CoI) into City Hall, yesterday highlighted what he claimed were hurdles he has encountered with officers of the Council, in his bid to expand his business.
According to the businessman, the setbacks and difficulties have not only taken a toll on him mentally but financially.
The franchise holders stated the company invested over $30M in renovation and acquiring a building but was unable to occupy it after the City Engineers Department denied them permission.
The building had been in operation under the name SINO Fast Foods in a prime commercial area of the city for over two years.
However, Mr. Campbell said that the company encountered difficulty with Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) from the moment they opted to rent the building.
“It is my understanding from my staff that the Mayor, the Town Clerk and the City Engineer turned up to say the building, which previously operated as SINO had no permission to operate.”
“What I find very strange is for two years this building is operating as a restaurant and nobody said you don’t have permission to operate as a restaurant.
But the moment that they heard that Church’s was going there they turned up and said you have no permission to operate.”
According to the businessman, he was forced to cease work on the building immediately.
The man told the Commission too that he was forced to terminate his lease to the property because he had to keep paying the rent on a building that he could not occupy.
“We then had to submit an application to Central Housing, which was approved. GWI approved our application but City Hall has sat on our application.”
“They still owe me in relation to that application I submitted; they still owe me a response. To this day, they have never responded.”
Mr. Campbell said that he is baffled at the reason that City Hall would delay and deny his company a permit.
“It could be a combination of things. Business people have said to me, ‘come I will take you to so and so’, but taking me to those people, you would have to pay something under the table and as a matter of principle, I will not pay a bribe. I will not pay a traffic policeman a bribe; I will not pay a customs officer a bribe; I will not pay anyone from city council a bribe. I don’t pay bribes.”
The businessman said what he finds strange too is that in the past even up until the Sooba administration, there were no difficulties.
“It would take six months to a year but permissions would come. From the time the new administration, and being more specific, I don’t believe that we have had any application approved since Colvern Venture has become City Engineer. I believe the last one to be approved was an extension done to Church’s in Camp Street.
And I remember Mr. Venture coming to me and saying you don’t have permission but I said ‘no, that permission has been there over a year ago.
“I don’t believe we have had any permission granted for any work whatsoever since Mr. Venture took office.”
Additionally, the businessman claimed that he knows no reason why he should be targeted.
“It has to stop. I am Guyanese; I have to pay taxes, a lot of it and it’s unfair to me that permission is not granted. And it’s not even a question of denying the plans. It’s actually disrespectful that you collect my money for an application and never respond to me,” Campbell said.
He noted that given the setbacks, the Company is preparing to take the matter to Court.
“It is important for us to take action. We do have other plans, for other development and those developments require building permission. I have sent the document to my lawyer and I believe he might be writing to them soon,” he added.
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