General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and Vice President of Guyana Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has issued a stern warning to retailers across Guyana, following recent concerns about an increase of sub-standard and expired goods in the local markets. He said on Thursday that he supports these businesses facing severe penalties for this malpractice.
“I think the problem is a combination of both corruption and weak monitoring of the systems,” the General Secretary said during his weekly Freedom House press conference. He went on to add, “Too many businessmen are reaping people off not just by bringing in sub-standard goods, but those that are also nearing the expiration date, that they get cheaper, [and] they are not selling the goods cheap here; they just want their profit margins to be bigger. They are putting at risk of people and children of this country, as well as everyone else.”
The vice president said there may be weaknesses in monitoring the import of these goods, or that there may be corruption involved. “I think we should pay more attention to it,” the official said. “The agencies that are supposed to monitor this should come under greater scrutiny – whether they are customs of different parts of government, and the media should also look at exposing this more because it is totally intolerable and unconscionable.”
