AG wants predecessor to answer why payments were not made to Rudisa, and TCL
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, June 30, 2015, Source
Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams has accused his predecessor, Anil Nandlall, of failing to address the real issue, which is the non-payment to Suriname Company Rudisa Beverages, and Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL)
Nandlall, reacting to AG Williams recent revelations of the former government’s failure to pay money owed to Rudisa and TCL, had responded in sections of the media, and laid the blame at the feet of the present government. In defence, he had pointed out that the debts were incurred simply for the reason that Guyana failed in getting, in the National Assembly, the then Opposition, now Government’s support in amending its laws to bring them in conformity with the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
But AG Williams said that the former Attorney General was dodging the issue. “I did not claim not to have knowledge of something that passed through the House, and I am not sure why he is skittering the issue.” He said, “The issue is that he did not pay the judgment of over US$6M, which judgment is attracting interest at 4 percent.” He pointed out that he has in his position a Cabinet memo approving the payment, and “…when Cabinet approved of (that) payment why would that payment not be made? Aand that is the issue the former Attorney General has to address,” he said.
The Caribbean Court of Justice had ruled in favour of both Rudisa and TCL in two separate court proceedings. In the rulings, the then government was ordered to pay Rudisa Beverages GYD$1.8B and TCL close to GYD$57M. The ruling in favour of TCL was in regard to the imposition by Guyana in 1995, of an environmental levy or tax of $10 on all non-returnable beverage containers imported into Guyana, which the beverage company felt was discriminatory and amounted to a violation of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) passed into Guyana’s law in 2006.
TCL claims were due to the Guyana Government’s unilateral waiver of a 15% Common External Tariff (CET) on cement imports, being dealt with in accordance with Article 222 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and Part 10 of the Caribbean Court of Justice (Original Jurisdiction) Rules of 2006.
AG Williams had revealed in Parliament the former government’s failure to pay the monies owed to the regional companies. He had also said that he was unaware of the reasons behind the failure to pay the dues. (END)