The National Assembly last Thursday confirmed an order for continuing trade with the United Kingdom following its withdrawal from the European Union (EU).
Opposition members from the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) with the exception of Khemraj Ramjattan were absent from the House when it considered the government’s motion for the confirmation of the Customs (Amendment of First Schedule) (No. 3) Order 2020 but he expressed the coalition’s support for it.
The order was made on December 30th, 2020, and was published in the official Gazette of the same date.
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with the responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh explained that in 2008 CARIFORUM, a group of Caribbean states, signed an agreement with the EU which included a number of provisions relating to preferential economic market access to particular goods and services between the two parties. At that time the UK was still part of the EU. The UK later decided to leave the EU and commenced discussions with CARIFORUM to continue with similar trade advantages in the CARIFORUM/EU agreement.
Singh recalled that discussions were successful and the agreement was signed on March 22nd, 2016. He explained that this agreement preserves several trade opportunities that were enjoyed by Guyana and other Caribbean states under the CARIFORUM/EU agreement.
Following Singh’s presentation, Minister of Tourism and Commence Oneidge Walrond express-ed her support for the motion, while reiterating that the order maintains the status quo in terms of trade access to the UK and the agreement replicates the one singed between the CARIFORUM and the EU.
She said that some of the benefits include duty free export of rice and sugar and other commodities to the UK, the commitment to remove technical barriers to trade, such as phytosanitary measures which remain a significant barrier to the export of Guyana’s agricultural products, and the regulatory cooperation between key sectors.
Walrond revealed that exports to the UK amounts to a total of $10.1 billion every year. She said that 99 per cent of Guyana’s sugar and 77 per cent of alcohol is exported to the UK each year while rice exports have also increase from $15 million in 2017 to almost $1 billion in 2019. She noted that it is because of the given figures the government believes in maintaining such an important relationship with the UK.
The motion was subsequently confirmed.
