Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698077569967.pdf (Guyana)
THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES OFFICIAL REPORT [VOLUME3] PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF GUY ANA 51 stsitting 2.00 p.m. Thursday, zih November, 1969 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The Assembly met at 2 p.m. Prayers [Mr. Deputy Speaker in the Chair] Present His Honour, the Deputy Speaker, Mr. 0.
E. Clarke Members of the Government Ministers Dr. the Honourable P. A. Reid, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance The Honourable Minister M. Kasim, of Communications The Honourable Minister H. D. Hoyte, of Home Affairs The Honourable Minister N. J. Bissember, Affairs of Trade and Parliamentary 1469 27.11.69 National Assembly 2.05 -2.15 p.m. "The gallant heir."

To save Llewellyn's hound the wolf had slain, after all he had stood for and done for the party which is now in office.
And my friend next to me says, "Who next?"

In a little while we shall hear from the big -business section of this House supporting this legislation.

Today, the P. N. C. stands out as it always has stood out, as a party -with all its talk about working class, all its talk about the poor people, all its talk about labour and what not, its clap -trap, in the words of the Hon.

Deputy Prime Minister -holding the interest of big business.
It seeks to make it worthwhile for those people who have created it -big busi�ess.

2.15 p.m. Perhaps it is the reason why the giant of big business who was once a member of this House has given up the leadership of the party and has left to his underlings the shadow of the substance, for this Government already represents big business.

[Interruptions J That is why we have proportional representation.

The P. N. C., as I said before, is naked as big business representa tives.
This question of --[Interruptions] --tax holidays is not a new one.

The Hon.

Minister of Finance (Dr. Reid) ought to know that for two decades now starting with Puerto Rico across and stretching the Caribbean from Jamaica, all the territories including Guyana have been stretch ing out their hands to offer tax holidays and concessions to big business.

Some have been mildly successful -I say mildly because this bit of fooling the people cannot be successful forever.
We have learnt that in some territ ories, y Puerto particular!

big Rico and Jamaica, business comes in, sets up its trade and, with the extension of seven years provided in these territories, which have been able to make all the profits paying back all the capital costs, making fantastic profits and moving out.
We have a sorry history of this for I recall that in\953 when the P. P. P. tried to abnegate big business representatives, we were pilloried by the then Minister of Education (Mr. Burnham) to give tax concessions to one Mr. Keller in Essequibo.
Even though the Leader of the party resisted because we knew that tax holidays did not mean any 1475 27.11.69 National Assembly 2.15 -2.25 p.m. development at all, Mr. Keller, as we pointed out and we have been proved correct, merely wanted to save some corporate tax from the U. S. A. he came, expended a lot of money and became a more vicious landlord than the feudal ones we have had.

The Hon.

Mernbers of the Government cannot deny that tax holidays in that sense did not in any way help.
We have had tax holidays granted in recent times and these Hon.

Members who were then on this side of the House pilloried the Government.

"Why don't you give tax holidays?

Do like Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados and all the social democratic governments!"

Tax holidays granted, were reluctantly but what has been the result?

Indeed, the records will show that more business came to the country during the office of the P. P. P. than after 1964.
Indeed, what has been coming to them is loans, loans; all the time.

I have not seen any big business; all have been going away.

The Hon.

Deputy Prime Minister (Dr. Reid) cannot deny that.

The Manganese Company has closed down and others are going away; not only big business but the population in large numbers and if Your Honour wishes to examine this he has only to go to the Passport Office and he will see the large number of people who are booking passages.
So this is to fool the business people or perhaps new businesses will come in.

What big business wants in cheap labour, cheap electricityand other facilities.

Perhaps the Government is moving in that direction to provide empty stomachs and empty mouths so that new business can come to exploit but so far there is no indication that they are successful.

I wish to refer to what the Hon Prime Minister said with respect to tax holidays.

He speaks so seldom on any subject, he is a man for generalization.
In one of his criticisms in 1962 he said that the Govermnent should not impose a measure without saying specifically in the law what is to be obtained.

What concessions are going to be given?

Here we find not only vagueness but another dictator being created in the person of the Hon.

Minister of Finance.


I remember that during the recent debate on the Local Government elections, we on this side pointed out that the Bill sought to give a great deal of power to the unfortlmate Minister of Local Government (Mr. John).

[Pause} 1476