The Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) is calling on the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to urgently make payments due to millers/exporters of rice to Panama.
According to a release from the RPA General Secretary (GS) Dharamkumar Seeraj, they “recently learnt that the payments of approximately G$2 billion are due to these millers/exporters since July 2017.”
He noted that millers who were contracted by GRDB to supply rice to Panama, over the life of two contracts, and are still awaiting payments.
“We are of the strong view that the GRDB, is in a sound financial position based on the amount of levies collected from exports over the years, to pay these millers either fully or at least a substantial amount of the total due” said the RPA GS.
This publication was informed that the some of the millers are facing bankruptcy while others are unable to make investments for the much needed upgrades to their facilities.
This will of course affect efficiency and ultimately profitability.
According to Seeraj “the failure of the GRDB, a government agency to pay the millers is another betrayal of another campaign promise by the coalition government of the APNU/AFC.”
