FORMER President and Leader of the Opposition, Bharat Jagdeo, has denied having any knowledge of applications from owner of Baron Foods, Ronald Ramjattan, to do business here.

“I don’t know how many applications he made…I don’t know who he applied to,” said Jagdeo during a press conference at the leader of the opposition’s office on Thursday.
Ramjattan reportedly had applied under the PPP administration six times for land to erect his business, but was unsuccessful. In a Stabroek News article dated December 17, 2017, under the heading, “Guyana lost out on US$5M investment – Baron Foods Head still hoping to set up factory here,” the Baron Foods owner said he believes politics had a role to play in him not being able to access land to establish his business here.
“I did six, yes six, applications under the last government and I want to think that it is because of Khemraj (Ramjattan, Minister of Public Security) that I never got through,” said Ramjattan in a recent Stabroek News report.

His remarks were contended by Jagdeo, who said that the businessman was possibly looking for special treatment that the law does not allow him to get. The opposition leader pointed out that they (the party) were not vindictive to persons who were against the party because persons like Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, the owner of CNS Channel Six, Chandra Narine Sharma and owner of the Pegasus, Robert Badal, became wealthy under the PPP administration.

The businessman however believes that Guyana missed out on a US$5M investment which he diverted to Trinidad and Tobago. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), Owen Verwey, said that energy costs among other factors contributed heavily to the decision by Baron Foods to make a US$5M investment in Trinidad rather than Guyana. “Part of his operation is very energy-intensive. In Guyana you are looking at somewhere between 22 and 28 cents per kWh; where he is at in Trinidad, you are looking at some six cents per Kwh. That’s a very big difference and one that is very difficult to compete with at this time, hence government [here] looking at a [natural] gas to energy strategy,” Verwey said in a response to questions on Monday on the issue.

Jagdeo also accepted that indeed energy prices are high and the prices for energy in Trinidad are more favourable, but he pointed out that there were thousands of investors who invested in Guyana under the PPP. On Monday, Minister Jordan made it clear that under his administration’s watch business investments would not be lost. “This must never be allowed to happen, again,” he said, noting that all “investors, whether foreign or local, must be treated equally and with respect,” said the minister, while delivering the feature address at the opening of the Burger King franchise here.