UPDATED: Ramsammy denies ‘60,000 hectares’ claims by Indian group
Guyana will guarantee financing for India group – company website claims
– says it was given 60,000 hectares in Canje Basin
Photo : Dr Leslie Ramsammy Min. of Agriculture
AUGUST 29, 2014 | BY KNEWS— |ndian conglomerate, Ajeenkya DY Patil, says that it has been provided with a 99-year lease on 60,000 hectares of land located in Canje Basin for a mega-farm. The Government of Guyana will provide tax holidays, waive import and export duties, and provide exemption from local taxes, the company said on its website.
The Ministry of Agriculture had initially stated that it had given approximately 10,000 hectares of land in the Canje Basin to the group for “mega farming”. There have been no announcements by Government of these new arrangements.
The company said it was also able to acquire the rights to not only what is above the ground but below, a significant allowance, as it could pave the way for even mining to taking place in the concession.
It is unclear whether the group has even started doing anything with the land allotted to them. Several calls between Wednesday and Thursday to Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, went unanswered.
On the group’s website, the conglomerate stated that the administration will provide a single window clearance for all approvals like visas for importing labour. Further, Government will provide “sovereign guarantees” for successful funding of the project by international institutions. [Read more]
Comments
If this is so, I Love it. It means more investment for Guyana particularly in Agriculture.
tHis is the kind of investment that will auger well for food securityin the future the caricom grouping of nations should hang their heads in shame for not grabbingat the opportunies presented by the Guyana’s 83000 square miles that is bathed by the precious fresh waters of the AMAzon Basin. when will the Caribbean begin to wake up to the reality of life in this century?
CARICOM looks north for its security…NAIVETY…
AMERICA serves one GOD ….American money God !
Not only India and China should be encouraged to
invest in Guyana ..its neighbours should also be encouraged
in competition with USA CARICOM BRAZIL VENEZUELA SURINAME Et al….our world is ‘global’ economicly’
‘unique’ politically !
We must see not only the leaves and trees but the forrest !
Think global and act local…..
My spill…..
Where is the African input, I do hope that the investments would harbor well for the entire Guyanese community/, bringing our people together as one group dedicated to the prosperity of the country
Joseph share your sentiments and your call for a UNITED Guyana.
Unity is strength……United we stand decided we fall/fail.
My apologies
The african input is included in the USA CARICOM BRAZIL VENEZUELA SURINAME ET AL……
input is not only ‘external investment’….its also internal
Investment in the guyanese peoples !
Regardless of race colour or creed…..’religious belief’
Kamtan UKPLC
Correction
United we stand ‘devided’ we fall/fail………
Too much of a skeptic to accept things so easily. This is “talk” about secret agreements for agric. investments by certain groups. These kinds of agreements should be transparent so everyone could know see what the investors are really expected to do and how it would benefit Guyana.
Albert
In the ‘develpped’ world the business ethos is changing…
Deals are ‘advertised’ to gain consumers confidence…PR.
(public relations advertising etc)…which is monitored
aggressively by governmental institutions. Misdemeanors
penalised with fines that hopefully not only offset the
administrative cost but makes a profit for taxpayers….
the way forward….Catch 22 in political thinking.
I share both your sentiments and scepticism in the guyanese
scenario…..trust the operative word !
…….
In my part of the world no global deal involving US estate is made without Congress approval. The President may float an idea to see how the Congress/public react before submitting for a vote. US govt may facilitate but rarely makes business deals.
In Guyana my reading of the article is that this is not a proposed but a secretly done deal in which major portions of Guyana has been given away (99 years lease) without public debate. Since this is a business deal done by politicians, as it seem without Parliament approval, what is to stop a next govt from reviewing all these agreements to void or modify them. For one thing the public need to know how the deal is monitored to verify investor’s compliance. A true investor would also make sure these political loose ends are tied up.
Exactly…who owns Guyana ? Multi national corporations
who put political pressure on politicians to ‘sell’ their crown
jewels……Thatcher was about to sell UKPLC to Reagan
but dem rich Brits said no ! at the ballot box.
Cameron is a Thatherite just as Putin is a Stalinist !
Maybe these two have more in common !
Today its UKPLC tomorrow ENGLAND.PLC.
HISTORY HAS A FUNNY WAY OF BEING REPETITIVE
boring…….
Wake up guyanese may be too little too late !
RIP
After Scots have voted (think it may be a ‘No’ vote ) YES to
independence we will have EWIPLC (ENGLISH WELCH IRISH
PLC remaining…..wealthier UKPLC.
UKPLC under Cameron is a stable tax haven…..
London city the ‘money launderer’ of east West money
movement…..location location in financial terms…..
Sun rises in East sets in West….GMT in middle.
Pound the middle man.
the ways I see it !
Jeff 2014/09/14 ” Above and below the ground”? Agriculture or mining or just take whatever you want? This certainly seems to be a wholesale sell out or give away Are we that badly off? Who knows anything about this company’s track record? I acquiesce with Albert Sept 1 this whole deal lacks transparency.
Raymond
The wealth of a nation is not measured by its natural resources
Or strength of its currency but by the desire of its peoples to
achieve…there must be the opportunity for them to do
so by the decisions of their political class. Get the decisions
right and just (fair) and everyone benefits …get it wrong
can be disastrous !…win win situ or loose loose situ….
But you can only win most of the time neither loose all
of the time. Am hopeful for Guyana and its peoples.!!
Selling Guyana s natural resources for short term gain
will only lead to long term disaster….deforestation etc etc
Sustainable development the way forward….
Decisions decisions !