West Demerara sugar workers have complained bitterly about the hike in prices of basic food items, including zero-rated items, by businesses in the region and relief in the form of trucks selling essential food items will be sent to the area this weekend, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud assured them.
The sugar workers aired their complaints at a meeting with Persaud, Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur and other officials at an early morning meeting at the Uitvlugt sugar estate compound on Monday to address Value Added Tax (VAT) issues.
The meeting saw a number of workers in attendance and Persaud along with other officials listening to the concerns of the sugar workers, with the most pressing one expressed being the rise in prices of basic items.
Distribution trucks were sent to Berbice, Linden and Essequibo after consumers complained that prices of essential items had risen. The workers also complained that when they bought items receipts were not being issued and when they asked about it, they were treated harshly by the shopkeepers.
Responding to the complaint that businesses were raising prices on items that are zero-rated, Persaud declared, “if they are unscrupulous there are ways to deal with them” adding that import licences for importers who “constantly break the law” in relation to the VAT could be taken away as there are “ways we can deal with that”. He also stated that recommended retail prices for items would be published in the newspapers and commended Banks DIH and Bakewell for providing their recommended prices to consumers.
Sattaur urged the workers to “police” businesses saying “if you don’t help to police the system think of what the consequences would be”.
Declaring that VAT would benefit the country, he told the workers that “VAT presents a wonderful opportunity for you not only to police the businesses but the customs officers” as well after a worker had complained that customs officers had gotten rich as a result of corruption. A worker who was apparently of the view that VAT is not a “wonderful opportunity”, shouted, “the VAT killing us”.
Sattaur, attempting to explain that with VAT some prices should be lower, told them “you have to bear up and put trust in us” to which a few persons were heard asking why they should trust him.
Asked about price control, Persaud, citing examples under previous governments, declared that it would not work.
Another concern raised was the management of the Uitvlugt estate which one worker said was being operated at a loss for five to six years now. Persaud assured him that it is being examined. “There are problems in terms of this estate,” he acknowledged, adding that making the estate a “profit unit” is being looked at. “We are looking at management constantly,” he asserted noting that there was no intention of closing the estate but looking at making it profitable. He urged the workers to support “some of the measures that will be taken”.
Meanwhile, a worker took the opportunity to tell of his experience with a minibus which he said had raised the fare. Persaud told him that bus fares are supposed to drop. Other persons complained of higher prices imposed by a particular store and Persaud asked GRA officials to visit that store. He told the workers to give the names of other businesses to GRA officials so that they could also pay them a visit.
Regional Chairman for Region Three, Julius Faerber in response to a question stated that there are plans in the 2007 budget for the access road to the estate to be looked after. Workers had complained about the dusty road that they traverse every day. He assured them that they would see work within the year. Also present was Minister within the Ministry of Education, Dr Desrey Fox with whom a few persons took the opportunity to chat.
After the meeting, the GRA officials distributed booklets with the lists of zero-rated items which persons rushed to receive.
