Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s recent visit to China was in relation to an outstanding sum to the Guyana Government for the purchase by a Chinese company of 20% of the shares of the phone company, GT&T.
This was disclosed today in a statement by the Ministry of the Presidency in the wake of a furore over reports that Harmon had been accompanied to China by now disengaged business advisor to the government, Brian Tiwari.
A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency follows:
Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon and In-House Legal Counsel at National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), Ms. Natalia Seepersaud, yesterday, returned from an official trip to the People’s Republic of China. The purpose of the visit was to engage in discussions with regard to the payment of the US$5 million balance owed for the purchase of 20 percent of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) shares by Chinese company, Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group from NICIL in 2012. This deal was entered into by the previous administration but only US$25 million of the agreed US$30 million was paid.
Minister Harmon reported on his return that the investigations and enquiries that were conducted by the Guyanese delegation were highly successful. The team’s report will be submitted to the Board of Directors of NICIL for deliberations, after which, a full statement on this matter will be issued.
Separately, but during the same period, a team from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) comprised of Head Project Coordination, Mr. Fitzroy Corlette and Supervisor, Mr. David Hermonstine, along with the representative of the Chinese companies in Guyana, Mr. Clinton Williams, visited China to participate in negotiations with NUTECH, a Chinese security scanning equipment supplier, for the acquisition of container and baggage scanners.
NUTECH is recognised as one of the world’s top providers of security scanning equipment. The company produces scanners that are used to effectively prevent the trafficking of contraband such as explosives, narcotics and radioactive substances.
The acquisition of security scanners by the GRA is aimed at strengthening air, land and sea port security and to help in the fight against the trafficking of illegal drugs.
The GRA team and NUTECH both expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the negotiations and the Guyana Revenue Authority is expected to issue a separate statement on this matter shortly.
