Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Court fight over car parks?

Posted Aug 4th, 2010

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce says it is considering legal action against the government after it refused to renew the leases for two car parks operated by the private sector group.

Government has said it will give the leases to the Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) and the National Workers Movement (NWM).

Executive Director of the Chamber, Shafia London, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the business organisation had been notified earlier of the government’s intention not to renew the leases of the two car parks situated at the ET Joshua Airport and in the capital.

“The Chamber took the initiative, as a good corporate citizen, to develop the revenue generating idea of a car park, which did not compete with any activities of its constituents, with the view to effectively utilising abandoned land and providing a service that would support the needs of the business community.

“The Chamber invested over EC$500,000, (US$185,180) with the assistance of the business community, to develop the site into a car park.”

She said that in 2000, the Chamber entered into a lease arrangement with the government in the sum of EC$10,000 (US$3,703) annually for the first five years that was later increased in August 2005 to EC$50,000 (US$18, 518).

London insists that the car park in the capital was not a subsidy or gift from the government and on Tuesday, the Chamber was informed that the leases had not been extended.

The Chamber said it was urging the government to revisit the decision to withdraw the lease arrangement.