Guyana dissatisfied with CARICOM member states’ submissions to COTED
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| Published on Saturday, June 16, 2007 |
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GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): Guyana has expressed dissatisfaction with the continued inadequate data submissions of several CARICOM member States, to the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). This, coupled with a blatant disregard for the rules as it relates to the application of the correct duty on rice from extra-regional sources was denounced by Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Dr. Henry Jeffrey, who represented Guyana at the 23rd COTED meeting held in St Lucia from May 16 to 18.
In his comments, Minister Jeffrey opined that the CARICOM Secretariat’s analysis should be done with an emphasis on conformity which would expose member States’ non-compliance over a period of time.
The Minister also expressed frustration over the disregard for established rules with the continued non-submission of data and non-application of the Common External Tariff (CET) on imports of rice from extra-regional sources. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines were identified as defaulters.
Dr. Jeffrey was adamant about the need for a method that exposes such States, thereby encouraging them to comply with the obligations of the treaty which requires each State to apply the requisite Tariffs on third country imports.
The Secretariat’s report revealed that imports of 4,031 tonnes of cargo parboiled rice from the United States of America did not attract the 25 percent import duty from St Vincent and the Grenadines while there was no request for a suspension of the CET for 2006, from that country or any other member State.
A study was recommended by Barbados to determine the difficulties which result in the untimely and inefficient compilation and submission of data by member States.
The Regional Task Force on Rice will also review this issue and make recommendations at the next regular COTED meeting.
Jamaica supported Guyana on this issue and impressed the need for countries to take Treaty obligations seriously.
The Secretariat’s report highlighted areas in rice production, processing, and export. Data on the production of processed rice, which was received from Guyana, Belize, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, showed that total production of processed rice for 2006 amounted to 441,445 tonnes. Guyana produced 68.7 percent or 303,288 tonnes, comprising cargo, white, parboiled and broken rice while Suriname produced 137, 100 tonnes.
When compared with 2005, the report stated, processed rice production increased by 44,084 tonnes or 11.1 percent. However, a 2004/2005 comparison indicated a decrease by 19,565 tonnes or 4 percent.
The export data submitted by the four member States show that a total of 231,915 tonnes of rice was exported for 2006.
Guyana’s submission indicates exports to CARICOM and third countries totalling 197,444.8 tonnes for 2006.
The Monitoring Mechanism for Rice (MMR) which has been in place since 2002 requires all member States to report their rice import and production data on a half-year basis via their Customs Administrations to the Secretariat. This data is necessary to enable the effective monitoring of the production and trade so that stakeholders in the industry could effectively plan and make projections.
Since COTED’s decision to implement the MMR, the CARICOM Secretariat has not been able to present a full analysis to the Council due to the non-submission of the required data by member States.
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