One time Minister of Agriculture and former member of the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) and the New National Party (NNP) Michael Baptiste, took a swipe at Sissons Paint Grenada Ltd.
Baptiste cites the company’s investment in selling building blocks as discriminating since it can bring in blocks from Trinidad at a much lower cost than the local block makers can.
“The company is enjoying unfair trade advantage,” he said, as he quotes the Managing Director Senator Christopher De Allie as saying that Sissons paints is enjoying protectionist laws from Government.
The former Minister said that other people are required to pay taxes on sand, gravel, electricity and cement. So Sissons paints has put small block makers out of business while it enjoys protection.
In speaking on the issue, De Allie told The Grenadian Voice that importing building blocks is related to our business as we expand our product line. “It is an investment for the company because when we supply blocks and a building is constructed, we then supply paints,” he said.
“The blocks are from the CARICOM market, and paint has no protection once it comes from our region through the CARICOM market,” De Allie explained in relation to his company being protected by Government.
Sissons Paints Grenada which is located at Frequente, St George was introduced to Grenada in 1986. The paint factory is part of a Trinidad and Tobago company.
