Monthly Archives: July, 2024

Guyana faithfully respects CARICOM free trade protocols and buys Trinidad goods and services while Trinidad uses non-tariff barriers to reject Guyana’s products Jul 07, 2024 Consumer Concerns, Features / Columnists, News CONSUMER CONCERNS PAT  DIAL Kaieteur News – Guyana buys five times the value of Trinidad products as Trinidad buys from Guyana and part of the reason for this lopsided trade balance in favour of Trinidad is because Trinidad uses non-tariff trade barriers to reject Guyanese products.  Examples of this unfair treatment of Guyanese exports are the rejection of pineapple shipments because the crowns were not removed;  rejection of pepper exports because they had their stems;  requirement of fumigation of agricultural products with methyl bromide in contravention of the Montreal Protocol;  application of hypocholorous acid on eddoes;  and even the banning of poultry meat though no trade in this product had taken place and Trinidad has so far been  allowed to escape these and similar infringements without any correction or penalty. Trinidad’s most recent rejection of Guyanese products was in March/April last when four 20ft shipping containers containing a quantity of Demerara Distillers (DDL) packaged milk and bottled flavoured water were rejected.  Two of the containers containing the packaged milk were denied entry and returned to Guyana while the water was restricted from sale pending “an unconventionally exhaustive examination”.    Mr. Komal Samaroo, Chairman of DDL pointed out that all requirements were satisfied by his Company and that the products were even approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration and had been exported to other CARICOM states without encountering any problem as the one presented by Trinidad. Unlike in the past, this recent rejection of the DDL products has resulted in widespread national outrage. And some of the reasons for this is that DDL is one of Guyana’s flagship companies;  its products are known to be of a uniformly high quality as for instance it is universally accepted that its  rums are the best in the world;   consumers regard its  boxed milk as being of the highest quality and that the Trinidadian rejection of it is, accordingly, unfair and dishonest; every would be Guyanese exporter to Trinidad now realises that he/she will eventually encounter the same discrimination;   and Chairman Samaroo’s integrity,  honesty of purpose and commitment to the wellbeing of Guyanese and Caribbean people are known and trusted in the business community and by the  public and all these facts are attested by the support DDL’s case has received nationally across the board: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in its release said “The refusal of entry to the dairy products wholly produced in Guyana by CARICOM member state is an affront to the spirit of a Caribbean integration agenda and must not be accepted.   It is appreciated that regional products must satisfy the necessary sanitary and phyto sanitary rules, the technical regulations as well as any product specific rules of origin required to qualify the products for regional preferential treatment.  Available information, however, indicates that the dairy products from Guyana destined into Trinidad and Tobago were in full compliance with these requirements”. The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), one of the Caribbean’s oldest trade organizations, in its release said “These non-tariff barriers (NBTs) particularly targeting the Agricultural Sector, undermine CARICOM ‘s goal of reducing the regional food import bill by 25% by 2025.  The GCCI views these barriers as attempts to thwart the efforts of H.E. Dr. Irfaan Ali, who has been leading CARICOM’s initiative to remove such obstacles.  Despite repeated instructions from the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to eliminate these NTBs, Trinidad and Tobago continue to flout the principles and directives of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.  Many goods rejected by T&T have been accepted by other CARICOM nations which adhere more closely to the spirit of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).  In the light of these ongoing issues, the GCCI urges the Government of Guyana to consider strictly applying the Principle of Reciprocity in trade with T&T until these NBTs are removed and T&T demonstrates good faith in its trade practices”.` The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) called for the immediate intervention of the Government of Guyana and the CARICOM leadership to address the DDL issue with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.  It emphasized that such trade barriers which Trinidad has erected undermine the collective efforts of CARICOM Heads of Government to achieve regional food security and reduce the regional food import bill. The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) expressed its support for DDL and denounced the situation as a clear violation of the spirit of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to which both Trinidad and Guyana are signatories. At the Private Sector Commission (PSC)’s Annual General Meeting held at the Marriott Hotel, Chairman Komal Singh pledged his Commission’s support to Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) in their impasse with the Trinidad authorities.  Chairman Singh remarked that for years Guyanese companies have been bitterly complaining about the trade restrictions encountered with the Twin-island Republic which at the same time is allowed to freely and easily export its products to Guyana. . . “Our Commission will continue to review and work with other countries to have these non-tariff barriers removed as quickly as possible.” Finally, we report on the position of the governing Peoples Progressive Party as adumbrated by its General Secretary Vice President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo: . . .”We will insist upon full reciprocity in matters of trade . . . the way our goods and exports are treated across the Region – but in this particular case in Trinidad and Tobago – the same way their goods entering the Guyanese market will be treated.  There will be full reciprocity on all the issues because if they can insist upon a phytosanitary test that we don’t implement on their goods but that they want to conduct on our goods before they enter their market, then we will have to deal in the same manner as they are doing”. In the discussions DDL had with the Trinidadian authorities on 19th April, DDL was advised that their milk was not approved for entry into Trinidad by its Ministry of Agriculture as Guyana is not an approved country for importation of animal and animal products.  Likewise, Trinidad and Tobago is similarly not an approved country for importation into Guyana of animal and animal products and the Government of Guyana must take immediate reciprocal action in rejecting entry of all animal and animal products from Trinidad and Tobago. Except this is done, there would be no movement in this matter on the part of Trinidad.  Two months have already passed since the matter came on the table and Trinidad’s approach is to delay it ad infinitum; Guyana would have to force the pace for a resolution and be prepared to refer to the CCJ in case there is no positive solution. Related Similar Articles

GNBS ENCOURAGES USERS TO SUBMIT THEIR MEASURING INSTRUMENTS FOR VERIFICATION Jul 07, 2024 Features / Columnists, GNBS, News GNBS IN FOCUS Kaieteur News – Verification (stamping) of measuring instruments is a crucial function of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) since this service was relinquished by the Licenses and Revenue Department in 1997. Accurate measurements are essential for fair trade, consumer protection, and compliance with conformance to international best practices. It also ensures traceability and reliability of measuring instruments. As the GNBS prepares to conduct verification for the second half for 2024, vendors, shop keepers and other users are encouraged to submit their instruments for this routine check. Starting in mid-July, Inspectors will be available at the GNBS Offices countrywide and at publicised locations including markets to check all weighing and measuring instruments for accuracy. It is necessary to conduct this exercise twice a year (every six months) to maintain accuracy primarily because many of these instruments are of a mechanical nature and their parts may become worn from frequent use; and in other case mishandling. Additionally, there have been instances where measuring instruments submitted for verification had missing parts and major defects which can result in inaccurate measurements. Verification helps to identify and rectify these. Significantly, verification ensures retailers do not incur losses because of defective and inaccurate weighing and measuring instruments and consumers are protected from short weight and measure during transactions. Scales, masses, measures, storage tanks, flow meters, measuring rules, electricity meters, petrol pumps, speed guns and breathalysers and other commercial measuring instruments are required to be verified by the GNBS. In the realm of trade, establishing accurate measurements is supported in the law. By virtue of the 1981 Weights & Measures Act, the GNBS is mandated to verify all measuring instruments used in trade. Additionally, the Standards Act of 1984 and its Amendment of 1997 also empowers the GNBS to carry out this crucial function. Year round, the GNBS Legal Metrology Services Department manages all verification and monitoring activities. This team comprises of trained and appointed Inspectors operating from the Bureau’s Main and Sub-Offices. Measurement services are also provided by Weights and Measures Officers within some Administrative Regions. During the first half of this year, the GNBS successfully verified a total of 19,804 measuring instruments at various shops, markets, supermarkets, at factories in the rice and sugar industries, fisheries, manufacturing companies, hospitals, health centres, airlines, shipping companies, post offices, petrol stations, bulk terminals and on fuel vessels. Measuring instruments verified included 5,821 masses, 3,940scales and 3,105 electricity meters for the Guyana Power and Light Corporation. Importantly, the GNBS does not validate unapproved dial scales used for commerce by retailers, merchants, and other users. These are domestic measuring instruments, and they were not designed for business use. The GNBS advises consumers to avoid buying from users of these unapproved instruments. Trade-approved instruments include red equal arm scales, platform scales and electronic/digital scales. A blue and yellow approval seal is affixed by GNBS Inspectors to instruments after verification. Consumers should look for this seal of approval. Finally, users are reminded that at the time of submission, instruments must be fully metric, clean, and well-painted. Look out for the mobile stamping schedules which will be publicised in local newspapers, on the radio, television and the GNBS Facebook page. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or WhatsApp: 692-4627 Related Similar Articles

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