QUOTE: "If the Govt’s so bent on doing what it wants with the rolls, why don’t it buy out the shareholders?"

That may eventually happen. The shareholders may force the government's hand to effect a takeover. The state can count on nearly 40 years' experience running the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The Berbice tolls are too high.

Not only is the toll too high now, but shareholders should not have the sole option to increase the toll, on the backs of people who have difficulty paying, with no other option of crossing the river. 

On another matter, way did crime escalated immediately after the PPP lost the election.  Is the 55% toll increase part of a similar strategy.

Even while in government the PPP is well known for their nasty and vindictive attitude. Many are now in the opposition.

The government should take action to control the bridge, or restore ferry service.  I am sure people will wait to cross by ferry, instead of paying a 55% increase.      

Gil and Tola sound like Old Style Communist Burnhamites. Nationalize Everything and destroy Guyana.

You Guys are outdated in your thinking and should to move to communist Cuba.

Let the Free Market decide pricing. The Government is free to start their Ferry service to compete, what is stopping the PNC communists ?

If Fat Pig moses could give back the 80 Million, it will help a lot. Start with Fat Pig Moses.

Free market my ass !!

Parents in Berbice cant afford pencils for the school kids and Jagdeo 'fiend' wants to increase the bridge toll 55%.

Is this what a  third-term  President of Guyana wants to do to elevate the poor.

Go take hike and the people gun put his ass in place.   

Shareholders agreement for Berbice Bridge must be made public – Clive Thomas

Contractual arrangements are outrageous, ruthless and unconscionable By Kiana Wilburg Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Dr. Clive Thomas, believes that the contractual agreement for the Berbice River Bridge Inc. which allows New GPC and Hand in Hand Trust to own 50 percent of the entity when their investment is less than five percent, is “outrageous, ruthless and unconscionable.” New GPC, a company owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, has close relations to former President Bharrat Jagdeo and, according to an article on chrisram.net, that company has two Directors on the Board. The structure of the company allows equity shareholders whose investment is less than five percent ($400 million) of the total funds of the company to exercise controlling interest over the company. Of the $400 million, the Ramroop Group owns 40 percent and the Hand-in-Hand Group owns 10 percent.

Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Dr. Clive Thomas

The contract also provides for the equity shareholders to receive 23 percent on their investments. Dr. Thomas said, “This contract agreement is clearly designed to make just a handful of people filthy rich for the rest of their lives at the expense of the poor. It is a despicable contract which must be changed. The contract agreement and the implications for our taxpayers can only be described as criminal and I will insist that the Shareholder Agreement be made public.” The Presidential Advisor added, “It is clear, also, that under the past regime there was a disease of greed which infected every project, every plan and almost every entity. We are seeing this behaviour on display from the company. Government has a right to reduce the tolls. “It is unconscionable to think that this entity wants to increase the tolls and suggest in any way that it wants the government to consider extending the concession agreement.” The coalition government, in the lead up to the May 11, 2015 elections, had accused the previous administration of hijacking the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI), deliberately structuring operations in a manner that allowed investors and their close friends with disproportionately small investment to control the company. To ease the burden on users of the bridge, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, pursued the reduction of the tolls in a phased manner. The first phase would see the toll reduction for cars, from $2,200 to $1,900. This was announced during the budget presentation. It was set for implementation on Tuesday. Jordan had also indicated a 10 percent reduction on other categories of vehicles. But the Finance Minister at a recent post Cabinet press briefing revealed that the implementation of the reduction seems to be in limbo at the moment. He disclosed that the prescribed toll reduction was in limbo because BBCI’s Directors decided to take that matter to its shareholders. Jordan believed that the Bridge Company was deliberately delaying the implementation of the toll reduction. The reduction is estimated to see the company collect annually about $120M less from commuters but being compensated by Government with an equivalent amount. For the remaining months of the year, the Government has allocated $36M. The company subsequently placed an advertisement in this newspaper, refuting the allegations by Jordan as well as providing the public with its take of the discussions conducted with the Finance Minister. But on Monday, Jordan expressed “grave concern” about the inaccuracies contained in a press release issued by the Berbice Bridge Company. He also noted that the Berbice Bridge Company is seeking to impose a further 55 percent increase in tolls on an “already suffering population.” Commenting on the BCCI statement, the Minister noted that “there is no toll reduction to the company.” He had said that the company will continue to receive the full amount of the existing toll; if there is a reduction the company would receive the difference from the Government. Therefore the Bridge Company would not lose a cent. Jordan also raised concerns about BCCI reporting on a statement he allegedly made at the meeting on August 12, last. BBCI had stated that Jordan “accepted that ‘the company would like further discussions to take place on the proposal and an extension in the concession period from 21 years to 40 years: or for the Government to give consideration to an application for an increase in toll made to the PPP/C Government on March 15, 2015.” But, the Minister said that contrary to that assertion, his record of the meeting indicates that he restated the intention of the Government to facilitate lower tolls for users of the Bridge to bring some relief to the people of Regions Five and Six. “I further indicated that the Company would not suffer any loss.” Minister Jordan said that he was prepared to enter into a series of discussions on matters of mutual interest, “beginning with the reductions announced in the Budget Speech. “It was with Mr. (Christopher) Ram, and not with me, that the company indicated that it would like discussions to take place on extending the concession period from twenty-one years to forty years, or for the government to consider its letter to the PPP/C as an application to this Government for a toll increase.” The Minister stated that he was given false hope by the “spirit in which both meetings of August 12 were conducted. It gave hope of an expeditious conclusion of this matter.” “Alas, there now appears to be other forces who want to use the Government as a compensatory mechanism for a faulty investment model of the Berbice Bridge, one that seeks to impose a further 55 percent increase in tolls on an already suffering population.Such an unreasonable charge will not be countenanced by our Government.” Jordan also noted that it is now approaching three weeks since his meeting with the officials of BBCI and the public is being inconvenienced. “I hope that the company will move swiftly to demonstrate its commitment to achieving the objective of reducing the burden on the people of Guyana caused by prohibitively high tolls.”

That is a lie about pencil.

Fat Pig Moses ate $ 80 million off the trough, let him make the first sacrifice by giving some back. Your silence on Fat Pig Moses is quite disgraceful.

Quit acting like a dunce and start making a case for your propositions. This is not a free-market project. That would mean the investors build the bridge. It would not permit them to put in 5 percent, get complete control when the rest is the peoples money, and yet demand a fixed return on income for some 20 years. Only an idiot would see free-market here when it is in fact plain and simple the implantation of parasites on the people's back by a crooked government elevating friends and family.

You are entitled to your distorted opinion.

Burnhamites like D2 are now showing up with their: Nationalize ! Nationalize ! chants.

Ha Ha,what a bunch of fools !

This is a leech job plain and simple. Hand in Hand was also created similarly with Brazzie selling on one hand and buing for his brother in the other hand. The Marriot deal need to be made public also. You will find these same people with their proboscis plunged deep into the heart of the project. Amalia falls had the same structure and I bet these fellows were up to their hacks there also. Then there is the oil company. These fellows are also in that and the reason they were given the 25 hectares including crab island.

A proper name for the people here crabs....but while we fuss they are laughing all the way to the bank. This is Granger's job to unravel and he better get to it and be a soldier for us. This Jesus principle he embraces has to go. We need a CEO not a prophet or a god. We need accountability in the here and now.

The statement above highlights what an ignoramus and disciple to willful ignorance we are dealing with.

Stormy was a detainee in the sixties. Ain't I telling the truth Storm?

Do you think calling me a burnhamite will make your position viable? Listen you little crab...I grew up inside the PPP. I am glad I grew out of them.  Nationalize was Cheddi's mantra so suck on that.

Again, it will not allay the reality that these crooks were implanted in by a crooked regime to suck on us for 20 years.

On independence day I was six years old...actually five an a half because I was born in November on the beginning of the decade.

Last year school supplies were free in Guyana(supplied by the PPP government). What went wrong?

You don't seem to understand the difference between making a profit from satisfying a need and rampant exploitation at the public's expense. Either you don't understand it or you support such exploitation. Oh wait. You're PPP fanatic. Guess the point is moot.

yuji22, I'll ignore the misplaced name calling and deal with the core issue.

Some social goods are best provided by the State or regional authority. Roads, bridges, ferry, trains, subways, etc. This has nothing to do with free market or communism. The federal government in Canada and its 10 provincial governments provide some social goods to the population. Ditto the US and UK. Even those capitalist countries recognize that they cannot allow greedy rapacious capitalists and entrepreneurs to own and control everything. As Tola says: People before profits.

I agree with 50 percent of what you said by the capitalist in me says otherwise.