Gail Alexander
United National Congress Senator Wade Mark is calling for answers surrounding Government’s distribution of LED light bulbs.
“Some 1.6 million free LED Light Bulbs costing some $8.8 Million were purchased by Government through T&TEC aimed at promoting energy efficiency and energy conservation.”
However, Mark said the following facts have arisen:
*Emitter Energy Incorporated is a North Carolina-based company and is allegedly operating out of a residential property or house, which is the residential address of the same companies in the alleged manufacture of the LED Light Bulbs and Nare Lighting Limited, the importer and supplier.
* The house is also the living residence of its owner, namely one Seepersad Lyman.
* The warranty is a guarantee by the manufacturer and not the local distributor (T&TEC).
Mark said, “We’d like to know whether Emitter Energy Inc., the alleged manufacturer, can faithfully honour this warranty for 1.6 million LED light bulbs? The importer of the light bulbs was Nova Lighting Limited, a subsidiary of the well-established HADCO Group.
“We’ve retrieved some documentation for a purported shipment from a so-called manufacturer operating and located on another continent. Government must say. Who is the true manufacturer? Is it Emitter Energy Inc. and/or another manufacturer located on another continent?"
He added, “We’re aware that in June of 2019, three months prior to the Minister of Finance informing the country of his ‘bright idea’, a shipment of LED bulbs was sent to this same Emitter Energy Inc. We’re all aware of shell companies and the role of the middlemen in these suspicious transactions."
Mark said he saw catalogues belonging to Emitter Energy Inc. of the USA and the other from another manufacturer from another continent, in which the catalogue had identical information.
“It appears to be plagiarism at its best. We'd like to know the true origins of these bulbs?
"Nova Lighting Ltd, the alleged importer and supplier of the 1.6 million LED light bulbs is not on the warranty. This warranty is between the Government through T&TEC and Emitter Energy Inc. of North America. Is this the first tranche of LED bulbs being imported by this country? This is a straight case of 'bulb from a house'."
Mark also said Government must clear the air and say if it's pushing out gas stations dealers' bid to buy gas stations in favour of Prestige Holdings, which is a concessionaire at stations. He said dealers have a direct contract with National Petroleum, while concessionaires rent space on the stations' compound to sell a product.
"Would you believe who is the number one concessionaire in NP gas stations today? A company by the name of Prestige Holdings, the owners of KFC. The same owner who sits on the Roadmap to Recovery Committee as advisor to the Prime Minister, Christian Mouttet, the very man who advises PM Keith Rowley on how to run our economy," he said.
"Why are concessionaires being granted with first preference to purchase the gas stations which belongs to the people. The owners of KFC have never run a gas station. It's the dealers that toil in the service stations. Is Government signalling an attempt to squeeze out dealers and hand these profitable gas stations with valuable real estate and prime location to their main concessionaire Prestige Holdings Limited? Because we got information that there are several gas stations with KFC’s outlets on their premises."