Government not tolerating monopolies – VP Jagdeo

NO PRIVATE PERSON will have exclusive control over any of the country’s vast resources
with the government’s approval, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo assured.
Dr Jagdeo gave the assurance when he addressed media workers Wednesday at a press
conference at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
His assurances were voiced following criticisms by some trawler operators troubled that the
seven-month Irfaan Ali administration has licensed others to function in the sector.
“You can’t have 50 licenses… and you are complaining, there must be equity,” Jagdeo said in
his riposte to critics of the government’s decision.
“We (must) treat people fairly (so) that we do not contribute to a monopoly behaviour. I know
that some people, from what I heard, have large numbers of licenses. There are over 70-
something licenses issued to seven individuals; the bulk are with three companies. Maybe, (they
are) not flipping the licenses but getting other people to operate under the licenses. So …we
should periodically review this because it should not contribute to monopoly behaviour (where)
you cannot have new entrants. I believe that one or two of those individuals are very unhappy.
They feel that if they have a license from the government, they must have it forever,” Jagdeo
explained.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, has come under intense pressure fire from
several quarters over the expansion of operators in the sector. He said a few persons want to
dominate the market and because of the increase in operators by issuing more licenses they feel
threatened and spread falsehoods.
Said Jagdeo: “I spoke with the Minister of Agriculture, so contrary to what is reported, the
people are known. He said they met and are all Guyanese. One thing we have to make sure is
that first, we don’t jeopardise the industry,” Jagdeo said.

“If a few big guys have everything, no new person can break into this sector, not anybody with
one or two licenses,” Jagdeo explained defending the government’s decision to loosen the
stranglehold of a few on the sector.
He dismissed claims of corruption peddled by the disgruntled detractors.
“From what I gathered they were saying that this guy is a mystery person and when I asked the
(Agriculture) Minister, he said it's not a mystery person, they know the individual. So, it's not
like there is any corruption or anything like that. We have to formulate an entirely new policy, to
guide the sector, “Vice President Jagdeo explained.