-contempt hearing to proceed
Guyana yesterday sought to obtain an extension of time to comply with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) order to reinstate the Common External Tariff (CET) on cement, but the court dismissed the application.
The CCJ held a teleconference with the Guyana Government and Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) as it considered the contempt of court proceedings filed by TCL against Guyana. The proceedings were initiated after Guyana failed to reinstate the CET on cement within 28 days as ordered by the court back in August.
In a press statement yesterday TCL said the CCJ judges hearing the matter have directed Guyana to file its arguments in opposition to TCL’s application within 14 days and they have called upon TCL to have its response within 7 days of the court receiving Guyana’s arguments. The court, the statement said, noted that it regards the contempt matter as a serious and complicated issue and that the matter has to be heard in open court.
TCL added that it continues to be hopeful that Guyana will remedy the state of affairs expeditiously so that the CET on imported cement in Guyana is re-established.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett had said on Monday that Guyana will now pursue its application for a waiver on the CET based on the new procedures as set out by COTED during a recent regional meeting in Barbados.
The Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) has formally laid down the set of procedures that need to be followed for the suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET), the Minister said, noting that all requests must follow those procedures. Guyana had suspended the CET in 2006 without applying to COTED for a waiver.
“At the COTED, we approved those procedures (for the suspension of the CET) both for the Secretary General and for the COTED…” the Minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Government Information Agency (GINA). She explained the new procedures as including requirements such as consultations in-country and within member states as well while expressing optimism that the new procedures will move at a faster pace.
The President had also commented on the issue when he held a press conference on Monday and made reference to the application by his government to COTED for a certain course of action as it relates to the CET. He said also that a decision was taken sometime ago by regional heads that they would remove the CET from all goods that achieve international competitiveness. “As far as I am concerned, cement has achieved this”, the President said, before charging that TCL has been duplicitous. He stated that TCL continues to argue it can supply the local market yet in other bilateral discussions it has agreed that other countries can import cement.
