THE Office of the Prime Minister is refuting what it deems a mischievous report in yesterday’s edition of Guyana Times.The report claimed that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo announced at his recent outreach to Anna Regina that he had held meetings with local banks regarding loans issued to rice farmers.

The report said, “Nagamootoo noted that he already met with the various banks and negotiations have started for a compromise regarding the loans farmers owe.”

When contacted for more details on these alleged meetings, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Imran Khan said no such meetings were held and pointed out that Guyana Times was continuing in its mission to engage in misinformation.

“The Guyana Times has once again engaged in reporting fiction in a despicable attempt to cause strife among rice farmers,” Mr Khan said.

“At no time did the Prime Minister or any other official during the outreach or at any other time in Essequibo or elsewhere announce that meetings with banks were held by government regarding loans issued to rice farmers,” he said.

“What the Prime Minister said was that he was hoping that the banks which had issued loans to rice farmers would take note of the challenges that the rice farmers were facing with regard to the price for paddy and be considerate in this regard,” Mr Khan explained.

“The recording of the speech, numerous copies of which exist, will verify this,” the Press Secretary to the Prime Minister noted.

He went on to explain further that Prime Minister Nagamootoo also announced that farmers who faced challenges paying their rental fees to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) should contact the commission’s regional office to discuss a payment plan.

The Prime Minister, Khan said, made an appeal to Mr Doerga Persaud, the Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of the GL&SC and Mr Persaud agreed that the plight of the Essequibo rice farmers would be addressed and had agreed that rice farmers who were unable to promptly pay their rental fees should commence discussions with the commission with a view to agreeing on a payment plan.

Mr Khan, who is also the Director of Public Information (DPI), said the coalition administration has noted Guyana Times’ growing reputation for misinformation, reporting falsities and outright lies and warned that the public should be hesitant in treating any report the newspaper publishes with even a modicum of credibility.

He pointed to other articles published by that newspaper which were proven to be false, including the fake report of government’s plans to buy a large number of high- end SUVs.