MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon, and in-house Legal Counsel at the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Natalia Seepersaud, have returned from an official trip to the People’s Republic of China.The purpose of their visit was to engage in discussions in regard to payment for the 20 per cent shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), bought from NICIL by Chinese company Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group for US$5 million in 2012, for which a balance is owed for the purchase.

This deal was entered into by the previous administration, but only US$25 million of the agreed US$30 million was paid, a Ministry of the Presidency release has said.

Minister Harmon reported on his return that the investigations and enquiries that were conducted by the Guyanese delegation were highly successful.

The team’s report will be submitted to the Board of Directors of NICIL for deliberation, after which a full statement on this matter will be issued.

Separately, but during the same period, a team from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), comprising Head of Project Coordination, Fitzroy Corlette, and Supervisor David Hermonstine; along with the representative of the Chinese companies in Guyana, Clinton Williams, visited China to participate in negotiations with NUTECH, a Chinese security scanning equipment supplier, for the acquisition of container and baggage scanners.

NUTECH is recognised as one of the world’s top providers of security scanning equipment. The company produces scanners that are used to effectively prevent trafficking of contraband such as explosives, narcotics and radioactive substances.

The acquisition of security scanners by the GRA is aimed at strengthening air, land and sea-port security, and to help in the fight against the trafficking of illegal drugs.

The GRA team and NUTECH both expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the negotiations, and the Guyana Revenue Authority is expected to issue a separate statement on this matter shortly.