Dear Editor,
Both I and the company as a whole have noted with interest two articles published in the Tuesday June 20 and 21 editions of Kaieteur News headlined ‘Controversial sale of Duke street annexe to Gouviea…No evidence that Board member Gouveia recused himself from transaction’; ‘Questionable transactions by privatization unit….Gouveia gets two state properties during his first year as Director’. Both articles contain profound inaccuracies and innuendos.
With respect to the conflict of interest assertion contained in the June 20 and 21 editions, we want to firmly state the following:
- I was not a member of the Privatization Board during the period covering the transactions associated with the purchase of the property located at 94 Duke Street, housing what is now the Roraima Duke Lodge.
- There were nine other bidders and Roraima Airways bid was the highest.
- The bids were opened in the presence of all of the other bidders and officials of the Accountant General’s office.
- I myself was never present nor was I part of any discussion with the Board of the Privatization Unit during all of the proceedings associated with the sale of the property situated at Lot 93 Duke Street, Kingston.
- The processes associated with the sale of the aforementioned properties were certainly not handled expeditiously. In fact, it took approximately two years in the first instance and one year, in the second instance, to fully conclude the transactions.
- Roraima Airways won the public bid/ tender for the second building on the merit of its business plan proposal and the final price that was paid was G$50,000,000 plus VAT of G$8,000,000.
Today approximately one decade since the properties were acquired, both buildings were renovated and house hotel rooms, conference facilities, a restaurant and bar and other facilities which contribute to enhancing Guyana’s tourism product.
Most important, the two buildings which today make up Duke Lodge account for some 100 direct jobs and hundreds more indirect jobs which have been created on the basis of fair hiring practices without any regard to race, gender, religion or political affiliation. Today, the integrated services of the Roraima Group of Companies account for almost 300 direct jobs.
The Roraima Group of Companies remains committed to contributing to the development of Guyana and to maintaining its track record of being among the best corporate citizens of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Captain Gerry Gouveia.
CEO
Roraima Airways
Arrowpoint Resort
Duke Lodge
Roraima Residence Inn
