Guyana will re-introduce CET on non-Caricom cement imports

The Guyana government says it will abide by a recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and re-impose the Common External Tariff (CET) on cement imported from outside of the region.

The move ends a legal battle over the issue. Earlier this month, Trinidad Cement and its Guyana subsidiary announced that they were taking the Guyana government to the Caribean Court of Appeal (CCJ) for contempt of court for failing to implement the CET on cement from non-Caricom sources, as ordered by the court.

Read the story: Trinidad cement takes Guyana to court

Guyanese Attorney General Charles Ramson told reporters the Bharrat Jagdeo administration is left with no other option after the CCJ denied Georgetown’s request for more time start charging the duty on cement imported from sources outside the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

"It’s a step in the process and this Attorney General always does the legal thing. The court order will be observed," Ramson said.

On August 20, the CCJ gave Guyana 28 days to re-introduce the tariff that has not been charged on cement imported here since 2006.

The government argued that putting the CET back into effect immediately would have negative economic implications for Guyana and that it needed to maintain the status quo until the end of the year. The CCJ dismissed that application.