Latest update February 1st, 2025 6:45 AM
Latest News
- Record production in Guyana, Permian help Exxon pocket US$7.3B earnings for Q4 2024
- Govt. to seek another extension from World Bank to complete Petroleum Management Project
- Three Israelis and 183 Palestinians to be freed in next Gaza ceasefire swap
- CANU warns of dangerous ‘Strawberry Quick’ drug circulating in schools
- Piecemeal information on decisions and revenue management ingredients for corruption- NRGI
City Council accuses Houston Estates of multi-million-dollar tax fraud
City Mayor Ubraj Narine yesterday announced a move by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) to recover over $400M worth in taxes, allegedly owed by Houston Estates.
Mayor Ubraj Narine
According to the Mayor, Houston Estates, whose principal is prominent Guyanese businessman, Michael Vieira, has been selling lands in Houston, East Bank Demerara area for billions of dollars without remitting to the Council its rightful taxes.
Narine said that an article published in the daily newspapers about sale of lands earlier this year by Houston Estates caught his attention.
The article outlined that Houston Estates was selling to Redstart Investments, an international firm which has established a presence in Guyana, over 52 acres of land in the Houston/Rome area.
The article pointed out, too, that a number of oil and gas companies had acquired lands in the area and were in the developmental stages.
Mayor Narine said that the article caused him to pull Council‘s records on Houston Estates.
The Mayor said that to his surprise, the Houston Estates which is owned the popular Vieira family has not been paying its rightful rates.
“This is not a mere act of deception; it is downright fraud. The issue which most concerned me is compliance and of the payment on land taxes. What, we found is that the Estate was using one account number for compliance from Council but selling multiple properties.
“This is despite the fact that Houston Estates is subdivided in various sections. It is a large section of land to be sold. There is Houston, Rome North, South and so forth,” Narine added.
The Mayor told Kaieteur News that the Council had invited the representatives of the company to have the issue corrected.
“We invited Mr. Lopes. We said to him that this is the problem we have. We need for the estate to provide these documents, so that we can solve this problem.
“It was promised to us and we followed up by writing to them but got no response.
There are currently numerous infractions on general rates and taxes and all we are asking for is for Houston Estate to pay us what they owe. Give us our fair share. That‘s all we want but we have not been hearing from them at all.”
According to the Mayor, the Council has since moved to file an action to oppose any further sale of land by Houston Estates.
According to the action, which was recently filed, the Council is opposing the passage of the transport to Houston Estate Plantation Rome in the sum of $151,472,913.
According to the Council Transport of Area “SR4”, a portion of Plantation Rome (South Section), in the city of Georgetown, in the country of Demerara…the said Areas SR4 containing an area 52.5774 acres being shown on a plan by Enrique G. Monize, Sworn Land Surveyor dated the 10th day of January, 2019 and recorded at the Department of Lands and Surveys on the 25th day of February, 2019 as plan No.71468 and deposited in the Deeds Registry of Georgetown on the 5th day of April, 2019, no building and erections thereon but on all future building and erections requires the rates and tax compliance.
The Council stressed that before the passing of any conveyance to Redstart Investment, all outstanding indebtedness of rates and taxes must be paid in full.
The Council noted, too, that Houston Estates applied for rates and tax compliance under an account which has no bearing to the South Half of Plantation Rome.
The Council noted too Houston and Rome are separate and distinct from each other.
Given that the Houston Estates is indebted to the Council, a request was made to put a hold on all transaction as relates to the sale of the land. This includes any mortgage applied for to complete the sale /purchase of the land.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A wave of criminal deportees may be coming our way soon
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-It is peculiar the way the PPP/C government often finds itself staring down the barrel of... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
