Dear Editor,
We, the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL), would like to make it clear that we do not report to Kaieteur News nor are we obligated to respond to Kaieteur News. However, as a Government agency and a responsible employer and business entity, we believe that we should share the facts with all of our stakeholders including the people of Guyana.
About the company
Firstly, GNPL is a legitimate organization registered under The Companies Act, Chapter 89:01 and has been providing printing service to the Government of Guyana and other customers for decades. As a government organization, owned by the Government of Guyana,
a. All profits recorded by the company are by extension profits for the Government and the people of Guyana.
b. All savings in Printing Costs accrue to the Government and People of Guyana
After many years of decline and three consecutive years of losses, GNPL bounced back in 2017 declaring tens of millions in net profit. This positive performance became a trend when the company again in 2018 recorded even greater profits than 2017. These are profits of the Government of Guyana and not any private entity or individual.
Important to note is that the profits recorded in 2017 and 2018 are without the Government of Guyana G$100 million loan intervention. The pieces of equipment acquired with the G$100 million loan were commissioned in 2018 and became operational until later that year.
But the company’s contribution to the economy does not stop with profits. GNPL’s operations generate taxes. Taxes which are turned over to the Government. In the past three years alone, GNPL is responsible for approximately G$100 million in taxes for the Government.
Guyana National Printers Limited, is one of the oldest state owned companies and has proven over the years that it is a survivor. It is the largest commercial printing establishment in Guyana, employing over 70 permanent employees and providing temporary employment for more than 20 persons annually. Almost 100 households directly depend on GNPL for their livelihoods.
GNPL is not just on the come-back but on the rise. The company is gearing itself to expand its products and services portfolio to include packaging products in support of the Government’s policy of expanding agro-processing. Currently, agro-processors and food distributors source the majority of their packaging from overseas suppliers. We intend to fill this market gap and provide competitively priced quality packaging products to the local agro-processors.
With its recent capacity expansion which includes a wide format six-colour offset printing press, a state-of-the-art CTP, and a Multifunctional collator among others, GNPL is prepared to produce the text books for the Ministry of Education. As a Government-owned entity, GNPL has the interest of the Government at heart and guarantees that it will deliver quality text books from its facility moving forward.
GNPL would also like to state that it advocates for local business and would like to invite the local printers to partner with the company when practical. We hereby publicly invite the privately owned printers to submit their portfolio and expression of interest to do business with GNPL.
Before we address Kaieteur News’ malicious attack on the state-owned printer, it would be useful to understand the motives of the Kaieteur group of companies. It is believed that the cries of Kaieteur News and its sister company Kaieteur Books Inc. are a combination of mischief and fear at the reawakening of a giant (GNPL). GNPL is again a major player in the commercial print arena, setting high standards and competitive prices. GNPL is not only bringing back large print business to Guyana which the Ministry of Education was previously forced to outsource to Trinidad due to lack of local capacity, but is now seen as a threat to Kaieteur’s newly invested commercial print business (Kaieteur Books Inc.). Kaieteur News has never openly declared its connection to Kaieteur Books Inc. and how it stands to benefit from its daily attacks on a state-owned entity.
Responses to Kaieteur News allegations. There have been numerous articles published by Kaieteur News which in their own words are ‘blatant untruth’. In an effort the sensitize the public, GNPL has compiled a table listing Kaieteur News’ unconfirmed information and lies in one column and stating the facts in another. We are very much aware that Kaieteur News will now cook up some new story or twist this very same one in order to ‘save face’ and come with an even more aggressive attack but we felt it is time to make the truth public. Moving forward, GNPL has no intention of responding to additional scurrilous attacks by Kaieteur News. Instead the company will continue to direct its focus towards serving the Government and people of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Trevor Bassoo
for Guyana National Printers Ltd
