Alliance for Change (AFC) members Dominic Gaskin and Khemraj Ramjattan abstained from voting for duty-free concessions for two officials of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) on Monday because they had unanswered questions on the legality of the move.
The abstentions have given rise to speculation that they were meant as a sign to the APNU section of the government that the AFC can apply pressure in this manner. The abstentions enabled the opposition PPP/C to defeat a government motion for the first time since 2015.
“I didn’t feel that I should support a motion like that, on the grounds that it was in variation of the statutes that gives the power for duty-free concessions to the Minister of Finance and the GRA boss Mister (Godfrey) Statia,” Ramjattan told Stabroek News on Tuesday evening when contacted.