ATTORNEY-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, is leading a delegation from Guyana, including witnesses, to testify in the arbitration proceedings in the matter of Smart City Solutions Holdings Inc. v The Co-operative Republic of Guyana (aka The Parking Meter Case).

The matter is scheduled to be heard before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Paris, France, from Monday, September 29, to Saturday, October 4.

Guyana is being sued for damages of US $100 million arising from a contract executed by the former A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government for the implementation of the Georgetown parking meter project, which was ultimately abandoned following strong public opposition.

The witnesses scheduled to testify for and on behalf of Guyana are former Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, and former Georgetown Mayor and City Council councillors Malcolm Ferreira and Bishram Kuppen. In addition, a former Chancellor of the Judiciary will also testify as an expert witness.

The case was registered with ICSID on December 22, 2021. A tribunal to hear the matter was constituted on September 20, 2022, comprising Dr. Campbell Alan McLachlan, KC, of New Zealand as President, with arbitrators Stephan Schill of Germany, appointed by the Claimant, and Marcelo Kohen of Argentina, appointed by the Respondent.

Guyana is represented in the proceedings by the Washington-based law firm, Foley Hoag, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

In 2016, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), under then-Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and then-Town Clerk Royston King, signed a contract with Smart City Solutions Holdings to implement a parking meter system in Georgetown while the APNU+AFC David Granger-led coalition government was in office.

Installations were happening throughout the capital city, as well as staff training for the new parking meter regime. However, the initiative faced immediate backlash, and saw massive protests against its implementation.

Citizens contended then that the fees were too high and placed an undue financial burden on the populace. Others argued that the awarding of the contract lacked transparency. Public pressure forced a suspension of the project.

Throughout the process, however, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), while in opposition, argued against the awarding of the contract and rolling out of the parking meter system.

Smart City Solutions Holdings subsequently sued the government of Guyana for millions of dollars in damages for the non-implementation of the project.