Guyana to supply raw sugar for Trinidad and Tobago refinery

Thursday, January 1, 2004

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: On Christmas Eve Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago concluded an agreement for the twin island Republic to import raw sugar from Guyana in 2004. This will allow Trinidad and Tobago to meet the additional requirements of the refinery operated by Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited (SCML). 

At a media conference held Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee issued a statement which noted that the agreement was reached in discussions in Port of Spain on December 10 last.

The discussions involved Guyana's Minister Rohee, Hon Ken Valley, Minister of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago and representatives of the sugar industry of Guyana and the Trinidad and Tobago refinery. Also present was the President of the Manufacturers Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the CEO of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean and a representative of the CARICOM Secretariat.

The agreement is in keeping with Trinidad and Tobago's commitment to implement measures that will ensure that all of its requirements for sugar for direct consumption and refining will be sourced from within the region.

Trinidad and Tobago assured that it will closely monitor sugar entering its domestic market from extra-regional sources to ensure that such imports were subject to the duties and surcharges applicable to such imports.

The two countries also agreed to establish a joint monitoring mechanism involving their industry and Customs authorities to prevent the possibility of under-invoicing or dumping of extra-regional sugar on the Trinidad and Tobago market.

The statement also noted that options for the development of capacity to meet CARICOM's total requirements for refined sugar were also the subject of exchanges between the Ministers. These are to be continued at the wider CARICOM level. During the discussions, the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association emphasized the need to ensure that the region's manufacturers enjoyed a level playing field in the face of increasing competition from extra-regional sugar-­based products.

Minister Valley reiterated the concern of the domestic manufacturers about the discriminatory environmental tax levied by Guyana on imported plastic bottles and expressed the hope that the issue would be dealt with expeditiously. Minister Rohee recalled that the issue is to be addressed at the level of CARICOM Heads of Government.

The Ministers also agreed that the issue of trade in rice will be the subject of discussion in their next bilateral engagement. 

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