The Guyana Manufacturers' Asso-ciation (GMA) has expressed concern over an article in the April 2 edition of Stabroek Business captioned `Remission system still a mess - says manufacturers.'
A GMA statement says the GMA's executive director, Derrick Cummings, commented in a telephone conversation with Stabroek Business that the meeting with the Guyana Revenue Authority was cordial and encouraging.
"The issues presented were adequately addressed and the GMA was satisfied that efforts were in train to put systems in place to deal with the constraints manufacturers were experiencing as a result of the provisions of Order 29 of September 1 2003 and the subsequent amendment of February 10 2004", that statement said.
Additionally, the statement said Cummings further told Stabroek Business that a joint statement would have been issued on the outcome of the meeting and noted that the article ignores the GMA opinion and did not have a comment from any GMA member/manufacturer present at the said meeting. The statement said such an undesirable situation could only serve to fuel distrust, disharmony and non-co-operation among manufacturers, the GRA and by extension policy makers and implementers.
The statement appealed to Stabroek Business to re-examine the facts surrounding the GMA and the GRA as they currently apply to the Fiscal Enactments Amendment Act and inform the nation accordingly. The statement went on to say that the GMA and the GRA have agreed to monthly meetings and contact persons were identified within both agencies to deal with emergency situations should they arise.
Asked to comment on the GMA statement, Business Editor, Gitanjali Singh, confirms that she spoke with Mr Cummings on the outcome of the meeting with the GRA and he said he was heartened by the meeting with the GRA.
However, her conversation with Mr Cummings raised more questions than provided answers on the solution sought to the remission problem and hence more calls had to be made and the story developed to comprehensively reflect what was really taking place with remissions. MS Ally of the Continental Group of Companies gave a good example of the runaround to clear linseed oil, a process, which took two months and expressed his concern on the effects on his company's production if an effective solution is not found.
The headline of the story, Ms Singh points out, reflects the problems importers continue to face and a cordial and encouraging meeting does not change that fact until a new and effective remission system is effected.
She said Cummings did not mention that a joint statement would be released. The import of his feelings on the outcome of the meeting were subsumed by the need to express the remission situation as it stood and the efforts to solve it, which the article captured.