Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) and its subsidiary TCL Guyana Incorporated (TGI) on Tuesday filed an application in the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) against the Government of Guyana.The cement producers are asking the CCJ to hold Guyana in contempt of court for failing to implement the Common External Tariff (CET) on cement from non-Caricom sources, as ordered by the court.
In the application, TCL and TGI are requesting the CCJ to summon the Attorney General of Guyana, to give evidence and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court for failing to obey the order of the CCJ.
On August 20, the CCJ ruled that Guyana breached the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by failing to apply the tariff on cement imported from outside the region.
Read the judgment
The CCJ ordered Guyana to reinstate the tariff within 28 days of the ruling. Guyanese Attorney General Charles Ramsom said his government would honour the court's ruling.
However, TCL said in a news release that while an application was subsequently made to Caricom by the Government of Guyana to waive the CET on cement, this request was turned down before the 28-day deadline stipulated by the CCJ.
"The time for compliance with the order of the court also expired on September 17, and Guyana has not taken any steps to act in accordance with the ruling of the CCJ," the release stated.
"TCL views this failure to abide by and implement the ruling of the CCJ as a flagrant departure from the rule of the law...It also negatively impacts upon the public’s confidence and respect for the court.
"It is hoped that Guyana will remedy this state of affairs expeditiously, and the CET on imported cement into that country be immediately re-established," the release stated.
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