Introduction
In today’s Business Page I conclude the discussion started last week on the announcement by Dr Roger Luncheon that the government has sold the country’s 20% shareholding in the telecommunication company Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T) to an unknown Chinese entity. The announcement came a few days after the 2012 Budget Speech which contained no mention of the sale negotiated by NICIL of which the Finance Minister is the Chairman.
Well we now know that the Chinese company is Datang, less known for its connection with the Chinese Liberation Army than for its development, production and sale of electronic information systems and equipment. Incredibly the company appears to have not had a formal meeting with the 80% shareholder, Atlantic Tele-Network of the USA and it will certainly be interesting to learn how the usually sceptical US Government will view a partnership of their company with the Chinese who do not have a good record as a respecter of intellectual property or confidentiality of information.
Under the Companies Act 1991, the ownership of the shares in the company will pass to Datang on the delivery to them of the transfer form and the share certificate. At that point, except that the government is the government, it would cease to have any interest in GT&T. Interestingly, at that point, the Government of Guyana’s rights under the