By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – With the ongoing stalemate between the Government and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI), relating to the reduction of the tolls, President David Granger has expressed concern about the Directors of the company.
During an interview with iNews on Tuesday September 01 following the opening of Indigenous Heritage Month, the President noted that from all indications, the present directorship of the company is flawed.
Mr Granger contended that an undue amount of influence over the Board seems to lie in the hands of a few of the members which should not be the case.
“We feel that the actual directorship is badly flawed because it doesn’t represent the interest of some of the persons who put money into it…two or three Directors seem to have overwhelming power in that cooperation,” said President Granger.
The current contractual arrangements allow for two entities – The New GPC and Hand In Hand Trust Corporation – to control 50 percent of company. New GPC alone has two Directors on the Board namely, Ravi Ramcharitar and Avalon Jagnandan.
Other directors include, People’s Progressive Party Parliamentarian Gillian Burton Persaud, Egbert Carter, Paul Cheong, Cecil Kennard, and Maurice Solomon.
However despite the odds, Granger says that government will not falter in its quest to implement cheaper fares.
“We have a commitment to the people and we feel that the rate is oppressive and we understand their needs so that’s what we are working towards,” the President emphasized.
Imran, you claim top live in Canada, but it is doubtful. Right this moment in Montreal, they are talking about ferrying people to down town. There is a ferry between Quebec and Vermont, there is a ferry to the island in Toronto. You are posting a lot of CRAP.
This has nothing to do with paying a toll, it is a reduction in toll for the people. The bridge is a private/public partnership. When the government does nothing for the people, you guys complain, when they do something positive, you complain. The government was going to subsidize the reduction, but the private owners refused, that is how much they want to help the people. I live in Quebec and we have to rebuild the Champlain bridge and the Federal government want to put tolls, well the fight has started, because the municipal government does not want a toll, because they said it will be hard on the people having to cross the bridge. Guys make up your minds what you want, do not talk out of both sides of your mouth.
Ignorance will never die. You say you live in Toronto with HWY 407, but you obviously do not know how to read;
Hwy 407 ETR is privately owned, so they can do what they want it is not private/public. The Berbice bridge is private/public. Hwy 407 will be owned by the government of Ontaro, so 407 ETR will not be able to hold the government over a barrel. Read first, talk later instead of being abusive.
Highway 407 (pronounced “four-oh-seven”) is a tolled 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The present highway is owned by 407 ETR Concession Company Limited, which is officially known as the 407 Express Toll Route (407 ETR). However the extension of the tollway (Highway 407 East) will be owned by the province of Ontario.
Sandra Clearly you Open your mouth but you are not living in Canada – Go out and learn- The Canadian government had shares in the ETR HWY 407- but because they could NOT maintain the share holders value, they were forced to give it up to the sole private owners. NO one will invest and take a lost! Are you foolish to have EVEN a penny in your pocket and invest it for a LOSS! Please spare the people your drama and wise up….Every investors want a profit back….it is totally wrong for this PNC administration to begin dictatorship! How could the APNU had promised the people a price reduction without being the sole owner of the berbice bridge….When the APNU came to toronto and host meetings, they were begging for HELP! They clearly have NO vision on how to develop and economy, create jobs or reduce crimes….Real estate guys who were in those events are already regretting their support…it is ONLY a matter of time before people realized that they have re-install PNC back into power to take Guyana to the bottom of the atlantic just like the titanic sink…..
Imran they won’t change. A PNC will always be a PNC. Granger won’t change his mentality. What due diligence did his team execute prior to making this empty promise to Berbicians.
Did they consult with this company prior to making a commitment in a fee reduction. Abosolutely not. Granger wants to dictate just like his good old friend LFS Burnham.
Even in the U.S and Canada we pay toll.Because the bridge was built under the previous administration granger and followers would spare no effort but to condemn this great accomplishment that brought all Berbicians the long awaited relief.Berbicians will never welcome another ferry service.
They would have a choice, bridge or ferry it is a God given right…that’s the bottom line
Well Said! The government will NEVER take a lost and reduce cost! They will always try to offset their low dollar value with the high price they install on their own goods and services to the public….It is the same in Canada, because the USA dollar is strong, the Canadian government will NOT take a lost by reducing fuel prices. What is even more disgusting, is Granger and co. wants the investors to absorb the loss in the price reduction of the bridge! Why is the world would anyone want to take a lost in their investments! This is what the public is failing to see! Ask them the same question if they had an investment that is being BULLIED to take a lost how they would take it! What these clowns need to do is develop the economy, create jobs, build a strong reserve and get the country on the positive! NONE -of which they have accomplished so far- All they are doing is running after the PPP wealth!
You need to educate yourself not me! There is a 400 million dollars of private investors money into the Berbice bridge. IF the Guyana government had money to be the sole owner of this, then they would have not needed investors to put their money out in the first place! What you and the APNU members need to realized is that the Guyana government is broke! They are always taking debts left right and centre! Jagdeo got rich by pushing his stuff with Roger Khan and Ed Ahmed….so these clowns are foolishly trying to get wealth from the Guyana economy that has no reserve! What I suspect, if they start acting like the un-educated baboons that they are, private investors will pull their money out, the Chinese will stop investing and Guyana economy will head towards the bottom of the Atlantic just like the titanic did with captin Granger aboard! In Canada and the USA, the government has a set of laws, the investors has ALL the rights because if a company share falls by a dollar and they decided to pull their money, guess what -BANKRUPTCY is what they will head for! So I suggest you learn economics before opening your mouth on how public share companies operate….In this case Granger and co. are being BULLY! What the board of investors should do is take them to the international court of law and file a LAW suit against them since the investors has legal contracts….O wait, they dont have money to pay paddy farmers how can they finance the berbice bridge….lol its all words from Granger….I see no action!
Imram Persaud you know as well as I do, because I live in Canada also, if there is a Government/Private partnership, the Government will dictate what it wants, the Berbice bridge is not fully private, one and two James Pedro, you talk about the price of oil and what should be paid for gas, as I said I live in Canada and if you think that the price of gas was reduced to what it was when they were paying the present price for a barrel of oil, think again. It is good for us to sit on our high horses and criticize, let us compare apples to apples first.
it is still hard to believe that we have people who cannot distinguish POLITICAL GIMMICK from reality in life, What can $300 reduction in the Bridge toll have on the general consumer, are the hire cars / mini buses driver willing to reduce their fares by $37and $10 respectively.
They are the ones who are enjoying and the RICH, If the President and his good for nothing ministers them the public interest at heart why aren’t they reducing the cost of fuel which will have a reduction of all goods and services and reduced the price for electricity which is be consumed by the majority of Guyanese. Today the world market price for fuel is less than US $ per barrel , but we in Guyana is paying the price for fuel as when the price was US $110 per barrel
Imran persaud,
sorry to say this, but you need to read and educate yourself before you open your mouth to talk. NIS is the biggest player in this bridge is is the GUYANESE people’s money. Where in the world do you put five percent investment and have ninety percent say of the operations of the bridge. All this talk is bunk, the government should excercise their right and take total control of this bridge totally. Put forward details of the bridge to any one in Canada and they will tell you this is absoloutely ridiculous, outrageous and disgustingly disgraceful. The entire PPP cabal along with Jagdeo should be in jail, because if it was USA of CANADA where you live they would be in jail right now.
Can someone Educate Granger and his crew? This is a fake promise they made to the public! The Berbice people are not crying to pay the current fare because they had to wait hours/days for the Ferry which is an out dated means of transportation. In the first place if these clowns had money in their pockets, they could have very well buy shares in the public company….instead, now that they have power and very minimal shares, they want to control a private company? Please – This is ILLEGAL! I live in Canada where we have TOLL express highways which are owned privately…..the government has ZERO control over the fares installed because they company has to know its expense and operational cost and also show a profit to its share holders….No wonder Jageo has to educate these clowns of economics….they are living in the 70s….patterson is talking about bring back ferry! Which part of the world has this monkey been hiding in to not realized that time has changed and people will not wait hours for Ferry services. The dictator ship needs to stop, investors will pull their monies out leaving the Guyana economy to crash and burn if these clowns do not change their mentality……
Mr. President, do what has to be done to help the traveling public. Enough of this parasitic Bridge BLEEDERS. Let us have Proportional Representation -Directors according to the money invested.
The government of guyana (if need be) take the bridge away by force in the best interest of guyana and it’s people. All public infrastructure belongs to the government and people of guyana. In a different jurisdiction some soldiers would have make their presence felt and allow the people to travel for a mininal fee or free