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Govt- owned Marriott sells VP Jagdeo expired soft drink
…says sale of expired goods unconscionable, dangerous and intolerable
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. (expired soft drink)
Kaieteur News- Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday described as unconscionable, dangerous, irresponsible and intolerable the sale and re-stamping of expired goods in Guyana.
The VP told reporters at his weekly press conference held at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown that there is a growing incidence of expired goods on sale in the country.
“It is intolerable…unconscionable. They are putting people at risk. It is happening and it is like an industry here with some people. I think we should pay more attention to it,” the VP said.
Jagdeo told reporters of his own experience at the Marriott Hotel where he was served a bottle of soft drink that had expired six months before it was sold.
“I tasted it, and it was clear it was off,” he said. “When I checked the bottom, it was supposed to expire a year later, but after having it analyzed, we found it was already past its date. Worse, the expiration had been re-stamped,” Jagdeo told reporters.
The VP said the re-stamping of the beverage was traced to a facility on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), suggesting a deliberate effort to pass off expired goods as fresh.
“It’s not an isolated incident… So, I am in favour of severe punishment for people who re-stamp and sell goods,” Jagdeo stated noting that there may be corruption involved.
“I think we should pay more attention to it… not just the public agencies. The agencies that are responsible for this should come under greater scrutiny whether they are Customs or the different Departments of government and the media should look at exposing this more because it’s intolerable. It’s totally intolerable, it’s unconscionable actually. They’re putting people at risk and I think those people who are caught should get severe penalty for doing this,” he said.
The VP also pointed to a Stabroek News article published on Thursday and titled ‘Corruption more than monitoring weaknesses responsible for tsunami of sub-standard imports, senior state official tells Stabroek Business’.
“Too many businessmen are ripping people off not by bringing in not only substandard goods but goods that are near expiration date that they get for cheap… They are not selling the goods for cheap here. They just bring them in so that their profit margins can be bigger. And this is happening across the country, and it’s not just about expired goods. Some businessmen are buying products cheap, re-stamping them, and selling them at inflated prices. But it’s the people who are at risk, particularly our children,” the Vice President said.
The VP’s remarks echoed the concerns raised by President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kester Hutson who has been vocal about the problem.
In a statement issued earlier this month, Hutson said that GCCI has grown increasingly concerned by the practice of non-compliance to Guyana’s laws and regulations by retailers and supermarkets— particularly as it relates to the quality and standards of goods being provided to consumers and the flouting of labour and tax laws.
He noted that there has been an alarming increase in the presence of counterfeit, expired, and inappropriately labelled goods in the market, which are not only clear violations of lawful standards but also a health hazard to consumers.
According to the statement, the Chamber has since issued a call to the Bureau of Standards and the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department to ensure that an investigation is conducted and any product that is not within the guidelines be removed from shelves and prohibited for sale.
Furthermore, the GCCI urged the Customs, Excise and Trade Operations of the Guyana Revenue Authority to ensure that all goods being imported meet the regulatory requirements.
Notably, too, the group pointed to the need for a closer examination of adherence to taxation laws by these businesses and to ensure the equal application of the rule of law for all enterprises operating in this industry.
In the same vein, the Chamber called for labour laws to be respected. The GCCI recommended that the Ministry of Labour ensures that these businesses are in compliance with the Labour Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act and other pertinent Labour.
(Jagdeo was sold expired soft drink at Marriott Hotel)
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- Customs, expired goods, GCCI, Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, Jagdeo counterfeit, substandard
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