Amazon Caribbean Guyana Ltd is calling on private sector organisations to voice their concerns about stalled negotiations on the Anti-Money Laundering Bill as these delays are already having adverse effects on its shipments to European markets.
“Transactions are getting more complicated. Business entities have expressed suspicion towards Guyana,” CEO Jean-Francois Gerin said in a press statement. “North American and European customers can quickly boycott products from Guyana once they feel our country is not putting sufficient effort into fighting money laundering or people and drugs smuggling.”
As such, the company, which employs farmers, casual harvesters and other employees, is calling on the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Private Sector Commission, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and all other organisations representing the private sector to voice their concern about this situation. At a time when Guyana is inviting investors, some European investors have already expressed their concern about starting a business in Guyana or investing in an existing one, the company said.
The company said it adheres to the IFS Food Defence Act, which calls for security and control procedures from supply to delivery to the customers. It has also always been shipping through one agency, in order to control its shipments.
The company said it wishes to reassure its customers and the public at large that existing strict security measures will still be reinforced to ensure the safety of its products and exports.
The Company said it wished to reaffirm that it has specific contracts with some farmers supplying pineapples and hearts of palm to its factories. All transactions purchasing fruits for processing are monitored by its head office in Georgetown. The company said it has not delegated to any individual, other than the personnel designated by the Mainstay Association of Farmers, to sell pineapples from the Mainstay area for processing and export. The company reaffirms also that its products are not available locally for re-export. All sales are done solely by its Head Office.
Its recounting of these arrangements come in the wake of another alleged plot involving the Italian mafia and Mexican cartels to ship cocaine out of Guyana in cans.
Amazon Caribbean has been a food processor in Guyana for over 26 years, exporting organic pineapples and heart of palm fruit to Europe.
