THE President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Justice D. Byron, on behalf of the CCJ, has complimented the Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney General Basil Williams and the Government of Guyana for the swift manner in which the Government complied with the Order of the Court. The AG, in association with the Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon, appeared on July 31, 2015, via video conferencing, before Caribbean Court of Justice President, Justice D. Byron, Justice R. Nelson, Justice A. Saunders, Justice Wit and Justice Hayton where the AG intimated to the Court that an Agreement of Settlement was reached between the parties whereby the Government of Guyana agreed to pay to the claimants, Rudisa Beverages & Juices N.V., the sum of US six million, two hundred thousand dollars ($6,200,00,00) on or before January 31, 2016.
The AG had reported to the CCJ on July 23, 2015, that the Government of Guyana was in negotiations with Rudisa Beverages & Juices N.V. for a settlement of the judgment delivered by the CCJ on May 08, 2014. That information presented by the AG resulted in the CCJ ordering that the parties reach an agreement of settlement with regard to the judgment delivered by the CCJ in Rudisa Beverages & Juices N.V. and Caribbean International Distributors Inc. v. the Co-operative Republic of Guyana No. OA 003 of 2013
Informing the Court that the claimants agreed to accept payment in full and final discharge and satisfaction of the judgment of the Court made on the May 08, 2015, the AG also said that the Co-operative Republic of Guyana would cease to collect the Environmental Tax on imported non-returnable beverage containers, which qualify for (CARICOM) Community Treatment as of July 31, 2015.
The CCJ said that they had become aware, through the internet, that the Government of Guyana had repealed the Environmental Tax on July 30, 2015. The AG then informed the Court that a repeal of the offending legislation that breached the Treaty of Chaguramas, which was the cause of the litigation by Rudisa Beverages, had been successfully passed by the National Assembly and was awaiting the assent of the President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger.
The case has been adjourned to February 26, 2016, for report on compliance by the Government of Guyana with the Agreement of Settlement between the parties.