Concern
The concern over the deal on the Berbice River Bridge is not only about the level of the investment made by the government vis-à-vis the private sector, but also about the mode of the investment. There is something to be said about the disquiet expressed concerning the integrity of the deal and the place in which the NIS finds itself in the investment. The Berbice River Bridge was sold to Guyanese as a public-private-partnership venture that made the construction of the bridge possible. This use of the public-private-partnership is the element of the deal that makes the entire investment questionable to the point of raising concerns about the motive of the decision to build the bridge. It comes from the impression given by the previous government that the public-private-partnership was the only means available to make a desirable public investment possible. However, recent disclosures about the structure of the deal, its small private ownership with an inordinate amount of control and the role of the administration in its management bring into conflict the ability-to-pay and the benefits principles of taxation. In light of this conflict, this article seeks to examine the public-private-partnership concept in the context of the construction of the Berbice River Bridge.
Monopoly
Before discussing the implications of the public-private-partnership investment vehicle,