– Agriculture Minister also lambastes unhelpful attitude of magistracy
As rice farmers seek to collect the more than $400M owed to them by the Mahaicony Rice Limited (MRL) for their 2010 first crop of paddy, efforts to locate the General Manager, Taramattie Ghanie, have been frustrated by the inaction of the police.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, at the weekend expressed his displeasure with the seeming inaction of the Guyana Police Force and the unhelpful position taken by the magistracy in the court matter involving the rice company. He stated that the Rice Factories Act No. 8 of 1998 provides for the retrieval of MRL’s records for review; and as a result, the cooperation of the company’s senior executive officers is integral to this objective.
Recently, the Director of Public Prosecutions advised that MRL’s accountant, Ishwar Singh, be charged for refusing an individual, identified by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), permission to inspect the books of the company.
Minister Persaud stated that inexplicably the presiding magistrate denied the application by the police for an arrest warrant to be issued to ensure that Singh attend court.
“Singh is yet to attend court and the legal process continues to be frustrated,” the minister said.
“The ministry, on behalf of the affected rice farmers, calls on the owner of MRL, Jai Beni, to do the decent thing and pay the farmers who are owed close to US$2M for paddy purchased in the first crop,” he said.
He added that this issue is a blotch on an otherwise thriving and expanding rice sector.
“Other millers are also frustrated by the uncaring position of this company which is creating a negative stigma. For me, a continuation of this type of behaviour is akin to daylight robbery,” Minister Persaud asserted.
The ministry is reminding the Police Force, as the enforcement agency, and the magistracy, as the adjudicating agency, that in matters related to the public interest, greater attention, urgency and commitment must be employed.
The minister said that while the independence of the judiciary is recognised, they should also think about the 400 farmers who are owed for their paddy.
He expressed the hope that good sense will prevail, adding that government, through the GRDB, will continue to engage its legal advisers to examine what other remedies there are to ensure that MRL complies.
“We are also aware of efforts by Mahaicony Rice Limited to enter into various arrangements so that it can attract the resources needed.  We do hope that these efforts and these undertakings will be dealt with expeditiously.”
Sowing for the first crop is well advanced, and the minister said that they do not want a situation such as this one to continue to blot the efforts and progress being made in the industry.

He stated that government will be tough on MRL and will not be issuing any licences until they have provided the payments outstanding and they have met all the conditions as stipulated under the law.
“We do expect that the facilities that the company has across the country cannot operate unless and until Mahaicony Rice Mill pays the sums owed to the farmers,” the minister said.
Minister Persaud added that as seen in the second crop in 2010, even without MRL’s milling capacity, the industry achieved the bumper crop, testimony to the fact that no single company can hold the industry hostage any more.  He added that the ministry is in discussions with existing millers and other investors to set up additional milling and even down stream processing facilities within the rice industry.
He noted that there is also much interest in acquiring MRL’s assets.
“We are open for investment, but we are open for investment for people who want to do business in a decent and in a fair way, and honour their obligations; we are very open, but we are not going to be tolerating foreign investors and particularly this individual… (believing) that he can treat our farmers and he can treat the industry in any manner he sees fit,” Minister Persaud declared.
He reiterated that government stands ready to support this company or any other company that invests in the country, but that they must conform to business ethics and honour their obligations and respect the laws of the country. (GINA)