Diaspora News - January 11 - 17, 2014

8/13/2019 Diaspora News - January 11 - 17, 2014

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APNU PROPOSES RENEWED DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR UP-PER DEMERARA-BERBICE REGION

A Partnership for National Unity proposes a renewed regional economic and social developmentinitiative to improve the economy and enhance the quality of life of residents of the Upper Deme-rara-Berbice Region.APNU has noted that the region, with a size of 19,387 km, is bigger than the country of Kuwait. Itis centrally and strategically located with borders with six other regions Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 and is the main land route to Region No. 9. It is the real gateway to much of the hinterland and,indeed, the rest of South America.The Regions mining and logging resources have been exploited for decades; the agricultural po-tential of its vast intermediate savannahs is still untapped; its physical infrastructure is undevel-oped and its tourism resources are largely unexplored. The Region is rich in resources but the resi-dents remain poor.

APNU is concerned that, given the economic potential and strategic importance of the Region, thePeoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration has been so reluctant to implement com-prehensive, administrative measures to improve the quality of life for residents of the Region:

Educational attainment has been affected adversely by the large number of dropouts from theprimary and secondary schools, the large number of failures at the National Grade Six As-sessment examinations and the threat of students violence against teachers. Some schoolsstill lack running water; classrooms are without lights; some are physically unsafe or insani-tary and repairs to others are incomplete.

Employment opportunities for the large number of school leavers are few. The presence of the

Russian Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc and the Chinese Bai Shan Lin and BOSAI compa-nies has provided slight relief but several labour issues remain unsettled. The Governmentnever fulfilled its promises of new investments; the proposed school of mining never mate-rialized and qualified young people migrate to other regions in search of work.

APNU AT WORK

A WEEKLY SUMMARY OF EVENTS

KEEPING THE DIASPORA INFORMED

January 11 -17, 2014

Vol. 25


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The main regional hospital the Linden Hospital Complex needs Electro-cardiogram and

Ultra-sound technicians to operate its imaging equipment. A river ambulance must be pro-vided to service the riverine areas such as Calcuni, Kimbia, Wiruni and Sand Hills.

Transport is severely restricted. The withdrawal of the Berbice river-boat service has affectedagricultural production and marketing in the upper Berbice River. The Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani; the Maria Elizabeth-Linden and the Lethem-Linden roads are all in a poor state.

Residents complain that, owing to the almost impassable roads in some areas, mini-busdrivers charge higher fares and some road trips that should take 90 minutes can take up to 5hours. Persons who want to go to Lethem or Mahdia have to travel to Georgetown to join abus, which passes through Linden.

Poverty is pervasive. The standard of living measured by the cost of essential goods, nethousehold income, life expectancy, access to health care and human safetyis low for manyresidents. The Linden Economic Advancement Fund (LEAF) the successor to the LindenEconomic Advancement Programme (LEAP) has been starved of funding thereby deprivingmany poor people from escaping from poverty.

The PPPC administration, seven years ago in 2007, did indeed promise to promulgate a five-yeardevelopment plan. Its objectives were to be the reduction of the Regions traditional dependencyon mining and the achievement of long-term economic diversification and collaboration betweenthe state, the private sector and the community. That plan targeted the agriculture, infrastructure,manufacturing, transport, tourism, information communication technology and mining sectors.

APNU laments the fact that the PPPC administration never fully implemented that plan. The Part-nership laments, also, that the PPPC administration has still not implemented the essential ele-ments of the 21stAugust 2012 agreement between the Central Government and the Regional Ad-ministration seventeen months after signing it.

A new plan is now needed to resume the task of the development of the Upper Demerara-BerbiceRegion.

Delayed US$32M fibre optic cableBe it the Presidents son or anyoneelses, we will still ask questionsJoseph HarmonJANUARY 17, 2014 | BYKNEWS| FILED UNDERNEWSParliaments largest Opposition faction, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), yesterday de-fended questions on the Governments US$32M fibre optic project from Brazil.

Speaking during a press conference before the start of first sitting of the Na-tional Assembly yesterday, APNU Member of Parliament (MP), Joseph Har-mon, insisted that questions posed by his faction are critical and have nothingto do with the fact that sitting at the head of the E-Governance is Alexei Ra-motar, son of President Donald Ramotar.

The project is under intense scrutiny following disclosures by the Office of thePresident that the fibre optic cable, designed to provide government officeswith its own secured internet connections, was two months behind schedule,and there is need to make critical changes.
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Harmon, through APNU, had immediately signaled intentions to raise questions over the project.Harmon said that it is of no concern that Ramotar is the son of the President, or related to FinanceMinister, Dr. Ashni Singh, or anyone for that matter, even if it is my son, I will ask the questions.

The MP said that Finance Minister, Dr. Singh, had sought to castigate him in the press, after thequestions were raised. He disagreed that APNU was chasing away investors as is being insinuatedby Dr. Singh.

Rather, the questions were spurred by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon,who admitted of the delays.

You are now taking about redesigning a project. You have given a contractor your house to build,and you told him you wanted this house to be completed in six months; you have a budget. Twoyears, six months later, the contractor comes to you and says look, we need to redesign this house.There is something wrong. You would not tell him to haul his a, you would probably give him aboot in that part of his anatomy. It is inconceivable that after such a long time, you can now comeback to say Im sorry; I need some more time.

Harmon said that among other things, APNU asked that the Prime Minister provide details on howmuch over-budget the project is. APNU also wants details of Ramotars previous experience withfibre optics, including with installation, designing and capacity to manage such a project. Also re-quested were details of Ramotars monthly pay. He does not rule out asking about details for otherstaffers too.

These are questions that any Guyanese would ask for a project that is worth in the vicinity ofUS$32M. This is our money. We have persons who are being paid on a monthly basis to run thisproject.

The project is two years behind. Actually, what you would be doing is eating

up the cost, or the monies for this project, by just paying salaries and wages,and therefore this is the basis for my asking what were the cost overruns.He also questioned whether any public process was followed to hire Ra-motar.My comfort to them is that this is the tip of the iceberg. More questions willbe asked.

The MP was also concerned about the actual project itself and what wouldhappen at the end of it. Will it only benefit the government or are there otherparties involved?

When Dr. Singh is talking about chasing away investors, we are also talking about protecting theinvestments that are already here in Guyana. If you cant stand the scrutiny, if you are doing legiti-mate business, you dont have anything to fear from us. We would not sit idly by and see Guyanesemonies being frittered away on persons who are not doing their work.


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The Opposition was not adequately consulted on 2014 budget-There will be cuts where necessary Granger

Kaieteur News, January 14, 2014

Leader of the political opposition, Mr. David Granger is saying that both parties, A Partnership forNational Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) were not adequately consulted on the

2014 budget. Granger is of the strong view that prior consultations would prevent collisions on thebudget. It is quite likely that since we were not properly consulted that there will be disagree-ments over the 2014 budget when it is brought to the National Assembly. Several cuts were madeby the Parliamentary Opposition to the 2012 and 2013 budgets which were estimated by the Minis-ter of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh. The matter was taken to the High Court by the Peoples ProgressiveParty where it is still being heard.

In an interview with this publication, Granger said, During 2013, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan (Leaderof the AFC) and I were given a commitment from since early in July to have discussions on the2014 budget. There had been some exchange between the Shadow Minister of Finance, Mr. CarlGreenidge and the Finance Minister, Dr. Singh but those were not consultations. Now the budget

is far ahead in work. We were not adequately consulted so our contribution to the budget is not aswe would have expected. Furthermore, If certain things in the 2014 budget are not in the publicsinterest then we will cut where necessary. We have made our position clear on certain issues andour position will remain the same, which is that we will continue to act in manner that representsthe people of this country. We want a budget that promotes the well being of all, one that is in thepeoples interest.

Also commenting on the issue was Financial Analyst, Mr. Ramon Gaskin. Gaskin posits that con-sultations on the budget are of paramount importance as is inscribed in the Constitution of Guy-ana. He stressed that consultations with the opposition should have occurred so that there can be abetter flow when the budget is brought to the Parliament. He added, Consultations should have

been done a long time ago and the fact that they were not adequately consulted speaks volumesabout how much the government really cares about having a budget that supports the economicdevelopment of this country.However, because the government has failed to do this, the 2014 budget will run into trouble justlike the ones for the past two years. The governments stubbornness will cost them. Moreover, thecourt should have made a decision on the 2012, 2013 budget cuts already. It is time for the finalruling since the 2014 budget is coming up soon.

Meanwhile, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Mr. ClintonUrling has said that his sector will certainly be making proposals for allocations towards the Guy-ana Police Force, more funding for the strengthening of Parliament as well as for political compro-mise. There is a dire need for political compromise on the 2014 budget or else we would not havea budget that is good and one that serves the people.Urling also expressed that the Chamber willbe meeting with other members of the Private Sector Commission and a public missive will be re-leased soon on their plans for the 2014 budget.


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New criteria tailor to suit favour New GPCopposition unableto prevent its implementation Granger


The Ministry of Health has clearly devised a mechanism whereas New Guyana PharmaceuticalCorporation (GPC) will be the only supplier of drugs to Government.

This is according to Leader of the Political Opposition, Brigadier David Granger, who in an invitedcomment yesterday, said that based on the changes made to the pre-qualification procedures bythe Ministry of Health; it creates a situation where rivals of New GPC will not be able to meet thecriteria. Under the revised criteria for the prequalification of suppliers of drugs and medical sup-plies they must demonstrate a gross turnover of $1B (US$5M) and net assets of $500M(US$2.5M).The Ministrys criteria said that maximum score will be awarded to applicants which have paid$50M in corporate taxes annually.The company with 50 or more employees, and warehousing ca-pacity of 30,000 square feet in the city, will also gain an edge.

New GPC is owned by Dr Ranjisinghi Bobby Ramroop, former president, Bharrat Jagdeos best

friend and is the only supplier, locally, with its own bond of that size.According to the revised prequalification criteria, maximum points will also be awarded in theevaluation process to the applicants who have been supplying Government more than seven yearswithout any negative reports.Brigadier Granger said that what the Ministry has done is to device tailor-made criteria meant tonegate other competitors so that New GPC will be used as the sole supplier of drugs.

The Opposition Leader conceded that the parliamentary would be unable to prevent the imple-mentation of this strategy, given that it is a Ministerial Order. He did say that with the coming intobeing of the Public Procurement Commission what they might be able to do is address procure-ment at that time.

Grangers sentiments come on the heels of recent criticism of the prequalification criteria, by Alli-ance for Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan. Ramjattan, in an earlier interview published byKaieteur News, had said, Could you imagine the resultant impoverishment of the treasury andcorresponding enrichment to New GPC! This is bloody larceny, but in the eyes of past and presentPPP administrations it is economics. The little boy who picks your pocket for a $2,000 would haveto go to jail.

But this big company will be extolled as virtuous when over $2B is what it profits in a roughlysimilar activity. The last pre-qualification period for suppliers of drugs and medical supplies ex-pired on December 31. The Ministry of Health had been looking to select the suppliers for the nextthree years. A pre-qualified contractor is automatically considered when it is time to order criticalor emergency supplies.

With billions of taxpayers dollars at stake, independent suppliers and the Opposition have timeand again been accusing Government of favouring New GPC, a company whose principal, BobbyRamroop, shares close ties with former President Jagdeo. The company has been benefiting frombillions of dollars annually, controlling supplies of up to 80 per cent of the drugs purchased by theGeorgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Ministry of Health.


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Flooding has gone to an utterly ridiculous state APNUJANUARY 17, 2014 | BYKNEWS| FILED UNDERNEWS

Governments care for the true development of this country is aptly reflected in the poor drainageand irrigation system which continues to manifest itself even to this day. The state of the drainagesystem continues to require the expenditure of millions of dollars for rehabilitation and upgradeseach year, yet we continue to experience devastating floods.

This is the conclusion of members of the political opposition coalition, APartnership for National Unity (APNU).At its weekly press conference, the faction had made a call on the govern-ment to launch a national flood control plan. Expressing his concern atlength on the issue was Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Shadow Minister of Natu-ral Resources and the Environment.

Roopnaraine expressed his disgust with the governments attitude towardsthe matter as he said that it is ridiculous that every year the country findsitself in this situation despite the millions of dollars allocated to improvingand boosting the area.

We first of all need reliable information from the Meteorological Office. Itsno longer a trustworthy guide on the weather pattern. Moreover, as it re-

lates to the issue of flooding, it comes as no surprise that with just a few hours of rainfall sectionsof the city are under water, forcing some schools to be closed. We have serious deficiencies in thearea of drainage and irrigation. It is sickening that the government only moves to implement pre-ventative measures when we are caught in a problem and it is never done properly. We need a ho-listic plan and not a quick fix.

We need to deal with the issues that are resulting in these frequent floods, one of which is the gar-bage situation.

It was here that the Shadow Minister piloted the call for the government to move forward with arecycling programme than can help alleviate the issue.In addition to this, Kaieteur News had an exclusive interview with Mr.Michael Mosgrove, Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of Panther Recycling Corporation.

The Canadian Company had proposed to the government last year a $26Mrecycling centre which came with curbside pick-up which is reportedlycheaper than the current costs for garbage collection.Mosgrove had also reminded that it was his own money being fuelled intothe project and that it would cost the government and the people of Guyanaabsolutely nothing for its establishment.

Unfortunately, the Canadian company was sidelined by a company that wasregistered under the name Natural Globe Inc which the government hadsigned aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU), to set up a US$30 Million recyclingplant.That arrangement did not materialize.


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Mosgrove had expressed his disappointment with the decision as he instantly recognized that theindividual who had negotiated with the government had no experience in the recycling field.After facing intense heat by members of the opposition and the Press, the MoU was dissolved andthe Local government Ministry is currently looking at six other companies.

In addition to this, Mosgrove told this publication that his interest lies in Guyana because heknows that the country is in dire need of a recycling plant project.I have seen the need for a recycling plant in this country. When I first came to this country and Isaw the state of the country, I realized that my company could be very useful to Guyana and thatwe can make a meaningful contribution. When I came back to Guyana, I presented a plan to Presi-dent Donald Ramotar and he thought it was good and he sent it to local government ministry. Ispent a year and a half getting it done and a MoU was finally inked.

But another company was chosen a ghost company. I was then called back on December 27,2013 to present it again and I have been here ever since and I have been talking to anyone who hasan interest in it and talking to members of the Guyanese community as well.He added, Considering the current situation in Guyana, the country drastically needs this plan.The government wants it and they have told me that they support it and I believe the general pub-lic wants it too, for it creates a lot of opportunities for the people.

The package we have is from a blueprint my team and I created for Jamaica and we have madesignificant progress with Jamaica. We have done the infrastructural work and we have workedwith Prime Minister, right down to the councilor, and we know the area; we just need to get theplant there.

The biggest challenge, the Canadian philanthropist asserts is the current back and forth betweenthe government and the opposition. It would be good if they can just move forward and look at theproject because the country really needs it. This programme was tailored for Guyana.

While Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon had said that they are concerned

about the confidence of future investors in Guyana, Mosgrove was adamant that the delay he facesat this point in time does not deter him or have any bearing on his confidence to help the people ofGuyana.

The delay does not break my confidence at all. I know the country needs it and if the governmentcontinues to delay it will continue to find that there are detrimental effects for the country. Themoney invested into this project is our private money it does not cost the government anything. Itsan easy steal.

Budget Cuts caseFull court decision erroneous APNUJANUARY 16, 2014 | BYKNEWS| FILED UNDERNEWS-We are confident that we will get satisfaction when we move to appeal the courtsdecision Basil Williams

The recent decision by the Full Court in the Budget Cuts Case does come as a disappointing turnin the proceedings of the matter, but it has not daunted the spirit of the political opposition Party,the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). In fact, Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. BasilWilliams of the APNU has emphatically stated that the Party will appeal the decision by the FullCourt will be appealed.


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The Full Court had ruled that it had no power to hear the appeal; that theChief Justices use of the word dismissed meant that the issues betweenthe Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall and Brig. David Granger who standsas the Leader of the political collation, APNU had been determined.

The Full Court of the Supreme Court after months of hearing argumentsfrom lawyers on both sides took less than five minutes to render their rulingin the controversial Budget Cut Case on Monday last.Justice James Bovell-Drakes and Rishi Persaud had refused to rule onwhether Chief Justice Ian Chang breached Brig. David Grangers constitu-tional right to be heard in that case even though he had waived his immunityto defend the cuts made to the budget when it was laid before the NationalAssembly.

Further, Williams told members of the media corps that he is confident that the appeal would begranted.

We are very confident about this appeal. The issue is a simple one. It is not the first time we havethis case. In fact the Attorney General and I had a case and he won that one and I appealed that

case at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and wonwe have to get leave to appeal. When we getthis leave, we have 14 days to file the appealThe decision by the Full Court was erroneous in thepoint of law because that was in fact the proper forum for such a matter. If the decision remainsunchanged we will go to the CCJ.

Moreover, Williams explained that APNU will stand by its position which is; the Opposition hasthe right to cut the budget in spite of the fact that Nandlall believes otherwise.

Williams however during a press briefing yesterday held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposi-tion on Hadfield Street expressed that an appeal lies with either the Full Court or the Court of Ap-peal depending on if the High Courts decision is final or interlocutory (not finished).

The Opposition faction, the Attorney asserted will therefore have to appeal the Full Courts ruling.It is convinced that the continuation of the issue of whether the Opposition can cut the budget be-fore the Chief Justice despite the exclusion of Brig. Granger means that it is still interlocutory.

Williams said that the decision by the Full Court will not have any effect on their approach to the2014 budget when it is laid before the National Assembly.

Regional Chairman Armogan makes about-turn on Liverpoolflooding


Despite extensive drainage work at several Corentyne communities, Regional Chairman David Ar-mogan admits that there are still problems of flooding in areas such as Liverpool village. The Re-gional Chairman was speaking at his end of year press briefing held on Friday at the Regional Ad-ministrations Office in New Amsterdam.


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The APNU delegation is similarly confused by what the Chairman means by swamplands andmarsh. None of the flooded areas visited were outside the residential community, neither backlands nor foreshore. What was seen, were drainage canals without withholding dams that had longdisappeared. Several trenches and drains were overgrown with reeds and brush, quite visible fromthe public road, indicating that they had not been cleaned for years. What they do suggest is sys-temic neglect and official dereliction well before the present Chairmans tenure. And while we too,under other circumstances, would naturally see marsh and swamplands, the Chairmans designa-tion is revealing. Human beings could hardly be expected to live in such conditions.

Certainly part of the problem is the absence of an NDC since the passing of the last Chairman afew years ago. Ironically, while the Minister of Local Government has seen fit to replace most ofthe existing NDCs in the Region with IMCs, Lancaster-Hogstye has been left to fend for itself. Noofficial authority to either take responsibility or provide accountability the best way, it seems, toexercise authority.

APNU to seek info on proposed US$500m Malaysia investmentStabroek News, January 13, 2014

Chairman of the opposition coalition APNU, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine says that he will be seekingfurther information on a proposed US$500 million investment by the Malaysian syndicate, WeeBoon Ping Group of Companies. I think that these are matters that are important enough to bebrought to the attention of the National Assembly, he told Stabroek News yesterday. StabroekNews had reported that Bornion Guyana Inc. (BGI) the local subsidiary of the Wee Boon PingGroup of Companies has begun the first phase of what it envisions will eventually be a US$500million investment in Guyanas agricultural and forestry sectors covering oil palm, rubber andsoya, among other crops.

When contacted yesterday, Roopnaraine said that he read the story in yesterdays Sunday Stabroekand noted that it is a very ambitious project. Alluding to previous comments he had made onsimilar investments, he said that it is not satisfactory to have to rely on the newspapers to get thedetails on such matters. APNU will be seeking further information on the investment, he said.

Last month, Roopnaraine had called on government to come clean on two potentially major agri-culture investments. The two Memoranda of Understanding for large agricultural projects whichwere quietly signed by the government with Indian and Chinese companies raised disquiet as theirterms were not publicized. Roopnaraine had said that the first knowledge of dealings with the D YPatil Group and China Paper came to his attention through reporting in the Stabroek News. Hesaid that with these MoUs we are of the firm belief that they need to be fully ventilated andbrought to the National Assembly.

Prior to the reportage in the Stabroek News there had been no information from the government

on the details of MoUs clinched with the two companies. In addition, apart from a release from theGovernment Information Agency (GINA) in April 2012 reporting on the visit of Wee Boon PingGroup officials, there has been no word from the government on this deal either. Last week, Minis-ter of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy told Stabroek News that BGI has been allocated 10,000acres in the Canje Basin to plant rubber. The company has already started its nursery for the rub-ber plants, he said.


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According to information provided, the company plans to establish a state-of-the-art industrialcomplex by 2017 to produce value-added products based on the commercial scale cultivation of120,000 hectares of rubber, 100,000 hectares of oil palm, 60,000 hectares of corn, and 30,000hectares of cassava.

During 2018-2020, it is envisioned that 80,000 hectares will be cultivated with acacia, rice and as-sorted beans. The 10-hectare industrial complex will include a large laboratory, several plants forprocessing and packaging rubber and food crops, a refinery for processing and refining palm oiland other ancillary infrastructure that will see Guyana producing and exporting a range of pro-cessed, value-added products, BGIs project summary says. It says that in setting up the complex,full use will be made of green energy sources.

Another major item in the planned investment is the construction of a pier with warehouse andrefrigeration facilities on left bank Corentyne River to ensure timely movement of large volumes ofgoods being exported, it says. The company envisages that up to 5,000 people will be employed innurseries, tending operations in plantations, food processing in factories, rubber and palm oil pro-cessing, in support services, and in research.

With the Canje basin appearing to be the major focus of the companys operations, a question that

has arisen is the availability of water for such large-scale operations. Last February, in a letter pub-lished in the Stabroek News, engineer Charles Sohan had said that irrigation supply from the CanjeRiver with supplemental flows from the Torani Canal is insufficient to meet the irrigation demandsfor existing rice and sugar cultivations in the Canje River Basin. He had said that the previous andthe present Government were made aware of the problem as engineering studies have recom-mended that for additional water supply, a dam and reservoir will have to be built in the upperreaches of the Canje River. At the same time the Torani Canal should be widened and deepenedand additional sluice doors added at both ends of the Canal to increase flows from the Berbice Riv-er into the Canje River, Sohan said. To date no action has been taken to execute any of these rec-ommendations although rice and sugar cultivation have been expanding with increased irrigationdemands as users vie with each other for the ever dwindling water supply, he had said.

Others such as Tony Vieira had also pointed to the shortage of water experienced during dry spells.Vieira had noted that there is no conservancy in East Berbice and communities and all agriculturaloperations in the area including Black Bush Polder draws directly from the Canje River and eventoday in dry periods the level of the Canje becomes so low that salt water from the Atlantic oceancan intrude as far as where Albion draws water from it, and this includes Rose Hall and Black BushPolder and everyone in between.

He noted that the Torani Canal had been dug to relieve the situation and was designed to bring wa-ter from the Berbice River to the Canje River to supplement the water requirements of the sugarestates and rice farmers and other agricultural operations in East Berbice.He had posited that pos-

sible solutions include increasing the size of the Torani canal or the building of a reservoir whichwould be costly.


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Forestry directors should be hauled before the Courts- ChrisRam


For 18 years, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) never submitted an Annual Report andwhen Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud, did eventually submit reports for eight years

in November last to the Parliament, it raised more questions than it did provide answers.

This is according to Financial Analyst, Christopher Ram, who in his latest writings on his chris-ram.net outlet provided some insight into the reports and castigated both Government and Oppo-sition, the Institute of Chartered Accountants as well as Auditor General Deodat Sharma over thereports. According to Ram, GFC is just another example of the perpetuation of Bharrat Jagdeoslegacy of financial lawlessness, a state that is as wide as it is deep. A state that allows incompleteand deceptive reports to be tabled and accepted by the National Assembly without any questionsbeing asked or challenges raised.

He said too that Guyana is in a state where the national accounting body the Institute of Chartered

Accountants of Guyana remains silent, even as basic rules of accounting are violated with impuni-ty. One in which the parliamentary bodies are paralysed by their own mediocrityOne in whichwe even have a mini-parallel Consolidated Fund called (the) National Industrial and CommercialInvestments Limited (NICIL) and where the evidence of slush funds everywhere mounts.

According to Ram, while the Government will not allow it and the weak opposition will not evenask for it, only a wide-ranging, independent investigation into the public financial management ofthis country generally and of NICIL specifically, can stem the relentless decline in accounting andaccountability. The people of Guyana must demand it.

Ram said that the actions of the combination of NICIL and GFC are not only an insult to the intelli-gence of Guyanese but a challenge and an affront to our decency.Surely even the most docile Guyanese must have some breaking point at which they say enough ismore than enough. In his analysis of the reports, he noted that except for royalty, there are hugefluctuations in income over the years which are not explained.

Surely citizens, if not the un-alert parliamentarians, would like to know why License Fees andFines moved from $181M in 2007 to $336M in 2008 only to fall back to $102M in 2009.

Ram said too that similar variations in the expenses are also evident, as is the case in operationalexpenses between 2009 and 2011, and Administrative Expenses which doubled between 2007 and2008, fell 23 per cent in 2009 and then witnessed a 32 per cent increase the next year.

Ram also found that in the six years between 2005 and 2010, the GFC paid out nearly half a billiondollars in professional fees and said that the persons to whom these payments were made shouldbe identified and the purpose of the payments should be explained.

Ram added that while the GFC acknowledged that it owes $1.1B in taxes, it has made no effort topay any of its tax liabilities to the Guyana Revenue Authority.It is not as if the GFC cannot afford to pay the taxes it owes: it has around $1B in the bank.Hesaid too that an even more objectionable and most offensive line item in the Income Statementare two payments to NICIL.The GFC paid some $300M to NICIL both in 2006 and 2007.


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According to Ram, these payments are unconstitutional and unlawful yet the Auditor Generalgave a clean audit opinion for these yearsThe qualified accountants in the Audit Office shouldhang their heads in shame to be associated with such blatant abuse of accounting and violation ofthe laws.

Ram posited that one expects Finance Ministers to be zealously vigilant and robustly protective ofmoneys payable into the countrys Consolidated Fund.Instead we have NICIL, under the successive chairmanship of two Finance Ministers, being usedto siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars due to the Consolidated Fund.He said that there can be no extenuating circumstances that could excuse let alone justify such un-lawful and reckless conduct, fully aware of the nescient state of the Auditor Office.

Ram went on further to say, as if the above are not bad enough, the Auditor General signs off onfinancial statements approved not by the Board which has the statutory duty for the financialstatements but by James Singh, the Commissioner. He said that for the $600M alone that theyhave allowed to be paid over to NICIL, all the GFC directors should be hauled before the courtswhile NICIL should be investigated and disbanded.

In flaying the Auditor General, Sharma further, Ram said that constitutionally, responsibility for

the audit falls on the Auditor General although the 2007 Act itself grants the Commission the rightto appoint the auditor. He said that as is the case with those entities which no auditor would give apassing grade, such as NICIL, NCN and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation, theAuditor General, Sharma, chooses not to contract out the audit of the GFC, but does it himself.

APNU says its actions in 2013 prevented a governmental disas-ter


A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has expressed concern over the remarks made by gov-ernment that it was the Opposition with its one seat majority, that stymied growth in the economyin 2013 by being unsupportive, un-cooperative and opposing projects intended to benefit Guyana.

Leader of APNU David Granger expressed that the actions that his party took are consistent withthe role that they have in the National Assembly, a role which Granger posits is to bring executiveaction under scrutiny, to insist on Ministerial accountability and to assert the authority of the Na-tional Assembly so the action we took actually prevented a governmental disaster. I think if wehad gone ahead with the Amaila Project without the careful scrutiny that we exercised, wewouldve had the same problems GuySuco has now of having a dead factory on our hands.

Elaborating further on GuySuco was Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of AgricultureDr. Rupert Roopnarine who stressed that APNU has been calling time and time again for a strate-gic inquiry into the GuySuco debacle. The fact of the matter is I think we have also called fromtime to time and we intend to call more forcefully this time for some kind of Commission of In-quiry (COI) or Special Parliamentary Committee because there must be an inquiry into the condi-tion of GuySuco, how has it reached to its present position and how are we going to get beyondit?According to Dr. Roopnarine, one can no longer be talking about another five year strategic or aturnaround plan what we need is to see where GuySuco is going to be in 20 years time, we need aserious strategic consideration of the development of GuySuco, but this we are not seeing.


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APNUs leader said that with respect to the Amaila Falls project, questions were asked and he feelsthat the position that his party took was vindicated. Similarly with the position we took on otherprojects, we asked where the money is coming from, we asked for due diligence, we asked for moreinformation. So I dont think we have blocked development, we have given Guyanese people theassurance that whatever development takes place will be done in a transparent manner.., that isour Parliamentary role and I think we have done very well, we have held the Ministers accountableand they are learning to accept that when they go to the National Assembly they must speak thetruth.

Granger expressed that they (government Ministers) know the consequences of not speaking thetruth adding that competence must be expected as well. Reference was made to Home Affairs Min-ister Clement Rohee and the security situation.

Look at what the government is reporting about the rise in crimes Mr. Rohee has been there forover seven years and right now we have three murders a week and this is the same level of murderas 2004 during the so called troubles when fineman was alive and killing.

So when we take action in the National Assembly it is considered action because we have consid-ered the consequences, weve studied, weve received advice, we met as a shadow Cabinet and con-

sidered the certain course and its an informed decision we take. We are not malicious, we are notspiteful or vengeful; we make sure that the Guyanese people get value for money and this has notbeen happening on many of the projects the government has been embarking on, thats why webrought those projects particularly infrastructural projects under scrutiny Said Granger.

Motion to reduce Berbice Bridge tolls for Parliament ThursdayBerbicians want return of river ferry


The main Opposition in the National Assembly is set to move a motion next Thursday to have thetolls reduced on the Berbice River Bridge. The issue is expected to raise hackle in the Governmentside which has been insisting that the Berbice Bridge is privately controlled and therefore Govern-ment does not have the authority to lower tolls. However, the Opposition has been insisting that alarge part of the investments came from taxpayers monies and therefore Government must havesome say.

According to the Order Papers issued by the Parliament Office for the sitting next Thursday, Janu-ary 16th, the motion will be moved by Lt Colonel (retd), Joseph Harmon, a senior Parliamentarianfor A Partnership For Nation Unity (APNU)He wants it resolved that the National Assembly calls on the Government of Guyana to instruct itsrepresentative on the Board of Directors of the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. to demand an imme-diate reduction in tolls charged by the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. for crossing the Berbice River.

In the motion, he argued that the bridge, commissioned in December 2008, was built with signifi-cant investment by the Government of Guyana on behalf of the People of Guyana and now man-aged by the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI). Significant to note is that the Government ofGuyana through its investment arm, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd(NICIL), is a preferential shareholder and a member of the Board of Directors of the BerbiceBridge Company Inc. Since its commissioning in 2008, the Berbice Bridge has facilitated crossingof over 650,000 vehicles resulting in annual revenue of over $1.5B.


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The MP stressed that when compared to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the tolls to cross the Ber-

bice River are exceedingly high and represent a significant devolution of wealth from the people

of Berbice in particular to the benefit of a private company.

The Parliamentarian also pointed out that the Bridges management in recognition that the tollwas too high, reduced the toll for a specific period over August 1, 2013 to August 12, 2013.

The Opposition MP noted that Berbice River Bridge Act 2006 provides for the Minister responsi-ble for Public Works to make Toll Orders. Among other things, Harmon wants the rates for se-dans (normal cars) to be slashed by half with motorcycles being allowed free passage. Apart fromNICIL being the single largest shareholder, in 2011, Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) whichis owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi Bobby Ramroop, the best friend of the former president, BharratJagdeo, acquired even more shares in the BBCI making him the second largest shareholder. Thatinformation was not filed in the companys annual report.

The main providers of the finance for the bridge are the investors in ordinary share capital of$400M, preference shares of $950M and various loans amounting to $7.2B.

The holders of the ordinary shares are NIS, New GPC, QAII and Secure International FinanceCompany each having $80M, and Hand-in-Hand and Demerara Contractors each holding $40M.New GPC is also owned by QAII, making Ramroop the second largest shareholder in the bridgeCompany behind NICIL. Compounding the situation further is the fact that NICIL has for yearswaived its dividends in order to ensure that the private investors make their profits and recouptheir investment.

Meanwhile, Trevor Williams, an MP for the Alliance For Change, is set to move another motionthat will be affecting Berbice. According to Williams in the proposed motion, the Berbice RiverFerry previously served a number of communities from New Amsterdam to Kwakwani, providingcritical and affordable transportation to hundreds of Guyanese families and their goods to and

from the Berbice Coast. And whereas the Government of Guyana with no explanation unilaterallyremoved this critical service which linked the hinterland with the Coast.

Individuals, families, organizations and institutions from communities of the Berbice river benefit-ted from this service in the past and now have to severely alter their way of life to the extent of re-locating and abandoning their primary economic activity, Williams claimed.Many of the communi-ties have now become abandoned and deserted due to lack of significant economic activities. Argu-ing that the ferry service remains a critical component to the development of the Berbice riveraincommunities, the MP argued that other far-flung areas in Guyana which remain accessible by rivermainly, Northwest, Bartica and Essequibo Coast, have had the ferry services maintained, therebyproviding critical support to residents and facilitating the transport of large scale commodities.

He wants the Government to restore the service giving hope and stability to the many Guyanesewho wish to venture into agricultural entrepreneurship.


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In scrutinising of the annual reports and some of the accounts of the GFC for the years 2005 to2012, which were tabled in the National Assembly by Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaudlast December, Ram found that payments of $300 million were made in each of years 2006 and2007. These payments are unconstitutional and unlawful yet the Auditor General gave a clean au-dit opinion for these years! he writes.

He also charges that Auditor General Deodat Sharma signed off on financial statements approvednot by the Board, which has the statutory duty, but by GFC Commissioner James Singh.

According to Ram, the Guyana Forestry Commission Act of 2007 requires the GFC to submit, nolater than six months after the end of the year, a report to the subject minister containing an ac-count of its activities in such details as the minister directs together with a copy of its audited ac-counts for the year. The minister is then required to lay these in the National Assembly as soon aspossible but not later than eight months after the end of the financial year. He says Persaud, whowas also responsible for the sector during his previous tenure as Minister of Agriculture, tabled thereport and some accounts of the GFC for the eight years 2005 to 2012 inclusively.

Ram, who says there appears to be a black hole when it comes to reports prior to 2005, notesthat the minister failed to table audited financial statements for the years 2010 2012. He says too

that all of the financial statements are incomplete, including those on which the Auditor Generalhas issued an opinion, which do not include even the limited notes to the financial statements.While pointing out that items in the Income Statement have to be dealt with cautiously in any ana-lytical exercise because there are no audited statements for 2010 to 2012, Ram found that hugefluctuations in both income and expenses stood out.

On the former, he says that except for royalty, there are huge fluctuations in income over the yearswhich are not explained in the narrative annual reports. Surely citizens, if not the unalert parlia-mentarians, would like to know why License Fees and Fines moved from $181 million in 2007 to$336 million in 2008 only to fall back to $102 million in 2009, he says. Similar variations in theexpenses, he adds, are also evident, such as in operational expenses between 2009 and 2011, and

Administrative Expenses which doubled between 2007 and 2008, fell 23% in 2009 and then wit-nessed a 32% increase the next year.

Ram also says that in the six years between 2005 and 2010, the GFC paid out nearly half a billionin professional fees. He says the persons to whom these payments were made should be identifiedand the purpose of the payments should be explained. Also highlighted are tax charges in theGFCs financial statements for each of the years 2005 to 2010. Ram says that the GFC, which is nottax-exempt, discloses that it owes $1,126 million in taxes but has made no effort to pay any of itstax liabilities to the Guyana Revenue Authority. It is not as if the GFC cannot afford to pay the tax-es it owes: it has around $1,000 million in the bank, he adds.

Forestry directors should be hauled before the Courts- ChrisRamKaieteur News, January 13, 2014

For 18 years, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) never submitted an Annual Report andwhen Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud, did eventually submit reports for eight yearsin November last to the Parliament, it raised more questions than it did provide answers.


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This is according to Financial Analyst, Christopher Ram, who in his latest writings on his chris-ram.net outlet provided some insight into the reports and castigated both Government and Oppo-sition, the Institute of Chartered Accountants as well as Auditor General Deodat Sharma over thereports. According to Ram, GFC is just another example of the perpetuation of Bharrat Jagdeoslegacy of financial lawlessness, a state that is as wide as it is deep. A state that allows incompleteand deceptive reports to be tabled and accepted by the National Assembly without any questionsbeing asked or challenges raised.

He said too that Guyana is in a state where the national accounting body the Institute of CharteredAccountants of Guyana remains silent, even as basic rules of accounting are violated with impuni-ty. One in which the parliamentary bodies are paralysed by their own mediocrityOne in whichwe even have a mini-parallel Consolidated Fund called (the) National Industrial and CommercialInvestments Limited (NICIL) and where the evidence of slush funds everywhere mounts.

According to Ram, while the Government will not allow it and the weak opposition will not evenask for it, only a wide-ranging, independent investigation into the public financial management ofthis country generally and of NICIL specifically, can stem the relentless decline in accounting andaccountability. The people of Guyana must demand it.

Ram said that the actions of the combination of NICIL and GFC are not only an insult to the intelli-

gence of Guyanese but a challenge and an affront to our decency.

Surely even the most docile Guyanese must have some breaking point at which they say enough is

more than enough. In his analysis of the reports, he noted that except for royalty, there are huge

fluctuations in income over the years which are not explained.

Surely citizens, if not the un-alert parliamentarians, would like to know why License Fees andFines moved from $181M in 2007 to $336M in 2008 only to fall back to $102M in 2009.

Ram said too that similar variations in the expenses are also evident, as is the case in operationalexpenses between 2009 and 2011, and Administrative Expenses which doubled between 2007 and2008, fell 23 per cent in 2009 and then witnessed a 32 per cent increase the next year.

Ram also found that in the six years between 2005 and 2010, the GFC paid out nearly half a billiondollars in professional fees and said that the persons to whom these payments were made shouldbe identified and the purpose of the payments should be explained.

Ram added that while the GFC acknowledged that it owes $1.1B in taxes, it has made no effort topay any of its tax liabilities to the Guyana Revenue Authority.It is not as if the GFC cannot afford to pay the taxes it owes: it has around $1B in the bank.Hesaid too that an even more objectionable and most offensive line item in the Income Statementare two payments to NICIL.The GFC paid some $300M to NICIL both in 2006 and 2007.

According to Ram, these payments are unconstitutional and unlawful yet the Auditor Generalgave a clean audit opinion for these yearsThe qualified accountants in the Audit Office shouldhang their heads in shame to be associated with such blatant abuse of accounting and violation ofthe laws.

Ram posited that one expects Finance Ministers to be zealously vigilant and robustly protective ofmoneys payable into the countrys Consolidated Fund.


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Instead we have NICIL, under the successive chairmanship of two Finance Ministers, being usedto siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars due to the Consolidated Fund.He said that there can be no extenuating circumstances that could excuse let alone justify such un-lawful and reckless conduct, fully aware of the nescient state of the Auditor Office.

Ram went on further to say, as if the above are not bad enough, the Auditor General signs off onfinancial statements approved not by the Board which has the statutory duty for the financialstatements but by James Singh, the Commissioner. He said that for the $600M alone that theyhave allowed to be paid over to NICIL, all the GFC directors should be hauled before the courtswhile NICIL should be investigated and disbanded.

In flaying the Auditor General, Sharma further, Ram said that constitutionally, responsibility forthe audit falls on the Auditor General although the 2007 Act itself grants the Commission the rightto appoint the auditor. He said that as is the case with those entities which no auditor would give apassing grade, such as NICIL, NCN and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation, theAuditor General, Sharma, chooses not to contract out the audit of the GFC, but does it himself.

Govt still to make case for SWAT unit

Stabroek News, January 12, 2014

Three months after it was announced that a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit will be setup here, government has not communicated any of its plans to the opposition and APNU LeaderDavid Granger is not convinced that a case has been made for such a group. I am not surprised atbeing left out of the loop, Granger told Stabroek News during a recent interview.

The Home Affairs Ministry made the announcement of a SWAT unit on October 1 last year, in thewake an alarming upsurge in crime including several execution-style murders. The approval of itsestablishment came from Cabinet.

Government has hired The Emergence Group (TEG), which is based in the United States, to trainthe ranks who are going to make up the SWAT unit. This newspaper was told that the training isexpected to begin either at the end of the month or early next month.Asked whether he knew anything about TEG, Granger responded in the negative. He said thatwhat he does know is that the concept of SWAT originated in the United States and perhaps ismore fully developed there because of violence in some US cities. He said that because of this fact,it is quite likely that they have more experience in SWAT than other jurisdictions. He said that asfar as the TEG is concerned, he does not know that it is specially qualified. I dont know what theywill actually teach is appropriate to Guyanese conditions, he added.

During the interview, Granger said that he is yet to see a careful analysis of the criminal violence

threat in Guyana to know whether the remedy that is prescribed by TEG is appropriate. It is notone size fits allyou need to do a very careful analysis of the situation before a remedy is pre-scribed, he stressed, while noting that it is always a tricky situation for the person who is doingthe examination to also be providing the remedy.


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It is difficult to see how the SWAT team could be employed when there are no targets, no gangs,Granger said before stressing that what is needed is an arrest of narco trafficking, gun running,people trafficking and money laundering, which are the big crimes that are fuelling other crime. Hemade the point that a SWAT team cannot stop weapons from entering the country. This was amisapplication of the law enforcement measures in this case, he added.

Recalling that the idea of a SWAT unit came up 12 years ago when British officials visited and actu-ally trained persons, Granger said that the call for it again is a knee jerk reaction to a bad situa-tion. He told this newspaper that there have been numerous consultations and reports on this is-sue. He stated that previously an agreement had been signed with former British High Commis-sioner Fraser Wheeler which embodied all the policies and recommendations for reform but thiswas thrown through the window. So I do not know that a new consultation would be useful at thispoint in time.

He stressed that police need resources, such as aircraft, to help them interdict drugs and weaponsbeing smuggled across the borders into Guyana. The idea is not to have a SWAT team. The idea isto prevent the narcotics from coming into the country; to prevent the guns from coming into thecountry, he stressed. He said that since the crime wave, he has not seen the emergence of gangshere.

He said that the government has not consulted with either him or retired police commissionerWinston Felix on the issue. Both he and Felix, who is APNUs Shadow Home Affairs Minister, havea wealth of knowledge about security issues.

According to Granger, APNU had informed the executive of the availability of members of the AP-NUs Shadow Cabinet to enter into consultations but to his knowledge that offer was never takenup. He said that in general such a consultation may be useful.

APNU, he noted, pursues a collaborative approach to governance so we would never refrain fromconsultation.

Painful experience

Granger noted that the experience with special units in Guyana has been very painful and saidAPNU thinks that great care must be exercised in their creation because of the tendency for politi-cal interference and because of the tendency of the police administration to send low performingpolicemen to these units. The entry of special units into the force should be done only after verycareful consideration, the promulgation of specific rules of engagement and the careful supervisionof the discipline and performance of the members of such a unit, he said. He was also doubtful thata special unit will be protected from being corrupted. Corruption, he noted, would be a major con-cern in the light of past experiences. He added that it would be difficult to protect such a unit from

unprofessional intervention by political personalities.

Several attempts to get the perspectives of the AFC were unsuccessful. The party has never taken aposition on the establishment of such a unit.

Meanwhile, a source close to the police force told Stabroek News that most of those persons whoreceived SWAT-type training from the British are still around. The source said that rather thantraining a fresh batch of ranks, trained ranks should have been rounded up and given refreshercourses.


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It has to be acknowledged that the precise position of the entire cabinet, not to mention PresidentDonald Ramotar, on the matter of mining in the New River is a little murky after Public WorksMinister Robeson Benn refused Muri a permit to build an airstrip in the Triangle, and then subse-quently said the denial was in line with governments policy for the area and because of securityconcerns. So what is governments policy in the area? Are we to understand that Minister Persaudwent ahead in defiance of government policy?

Dr Roger Luncheon had already let it be known that a decision had been taken to open the area tomining at the end of former President Jagdeos term and that not everyone in the cabinet was inagreement with this. He later attempted to backtrack on this, but whatever it was he intended tosay, he said what he said. In his final press conference for last year in an attempt to reconcile thetwo positions, he told the media the no-mining policy in the New River was not cast in stone. Thisstill did not dispel the confusion as to what government policy is currently, or what it will be for theforeseeable future.

In the meantime the public awaits some explanation about the sequence of events and exactly howthis permission came to be granted. Of course, after Muri decided to abandon its permission Min-ister Persaud wasted no time in telling the miners that this was part of a campaign against inves-tors in their sector. My question is who and what is next? he asked theatrically. One can merely

remark that the only thing which might deter bona fide investors would not be Muris withdrawal,but the clandestine nature of their investment, since regular investors would want the protocols tobe observed and would be uneasy about any deviation from standard good practice. As for theshadier operators, we dont want them investingdo we?

Then there was the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who blamed the opposition for the Muripull-out. He described it as the latest example of the harm being inflicted on Guyanas develop-mental prospects by APNU and the AFCs attack against investors in Guyana. He clearly wasasleep while this whole saga was under way, and is apparently indifferent to the nature of those in-vestors, whether their investment is in line with government policy or whether there are securityconcerns accompanying their investment. Such a cavalier approach seems hardly typical of the

usual sober-minded Minister of Finance in a normal democracy.

Even the President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry apparently found itnecessary to add his voice to the chorus of support emanating mostly from the mining industry forMinister Persaud, although he did express a reservation in relation to the Guyana-Norway agree-ment. However, he dismissed security concerns outright, describing them as a non-starter.Unfortunately, like several others he homed in on the wrong security matter.

Suriname does not come into question at this point; as has been said before, the issue is Brazil andBrazilian miners, although they might be joined by members of other nationalities as well. There isillegal mining being carried out on some scale in various Amazonian countries, and Mr Urling

must be better informed than the GDF if he believes that we are in a position to protect areas likethe New River Triangle from a flood of foreign miners once these are opened up. If Venezuela ishaving great difficulty controlling illegal mining, what makes him think we would do better?


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This government has been involved in a whole series of opaque deals, more particularly after for-mer Mr Jagdeo became president. We do not appear to have changed course, and the Muri permis-sion together with the Parabara road are especially problematical given that they raise such majorsecurity and environmental concerns and would have had such an impact on the indigenous peopleof the far south of Guyana. The question is, are there more of these kinds of deals in relation to ourinterior, that take no account of the interests of the people or the country, yet to be uncovered?

Jeffrey way off the mark on APNU posturing -GrangerStabroek News, January 11, 2013

Opposition leader David Granger yesterday dismissed claims by political analyst Henry Jeffreythat the main opposition coalition APNU is being nave in its policy suggestions.

I dont think that APNU is being nave. We are forward looking and trying to use our parliamen-tary clout to move governance forward and these are the tools, the devices at our disposal,Granger said. These are to call for support, to mobilise public opinion and to use the floor of thenational assembly to articulate our opinion. In his Wednesday column in Stabroek News, FutureNotes, Jeffrey had berated APNU forwhat he described as its predilection for fictitious politicalposturing.

Granger, in an invited comment yesterday, said Jeffreys statement was an unrealistic one as thecoalition is committed to democracy. I think it is a matter of intellectual ingenuity for someonewho has spent 18 years in something called the civic component of the PPP [to] still speak aboutposturing. No nursery child believes there has ever been anything like a civic component. How canhe spend 18 years in that place? That is posturing. I dont believe that the comment he made is arealistic and credible one,

Granger said, in a reference to Henrys tenure in the PPP/C administration, where he held a num-ber of ministerial portfolios. I think that it is a serious decision. I pointed out that APNU is com-mitted to inclusionary democracy and calling for 2014 to be a year for workers. I think Jeffrey isway off the mark. Jeffrey had also made reference to a motion last March in the name of APNUsVolda Lawrence to clean up Georgetown, noting that the situation seemed to worsen since the mo-tion was passed.

Granger responded that the motion once approved becomes a resolution and unfortunately thePresident sometimes doesnt implement those resolutions. It is not being nave, we are doingwhat we are supposed to do, scrutinize the executive and call for them to implement our resolu-tions. In a normal country, the government would not ignore our resolutions.

In his column, which appeared on Wednesday last, Jeffrey also cited the partys call for a social

contract among all stakeholders. One does not have to be a genius to realise that the establish-ment of a workable process for the formation of a social contract in our political context is all butimpossible! he argued. And why does APNU ask for the establishment of even more committeeswhen the government is already blocking outcomes from the ones that are already establishedinLinden for example- and for which some of its constituency have died!


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The answer is the same as posited above, namely propaganda, to give the impression that the partyis reasonable and making efforts, although it knows full well there will be no concrete results, headded. In response to a question on the social contract being rejected by the government, the op-position leader said it was regrettable.

APNU, from the start of its campaign, has proclaimed its adhesion to the constitutional injunctionunder article 13, that the aim of our political system is to create inclusionary democracy, he posit-ed. After two years experience with the PPP in the light of the 10th Parliament, it is our viewthat in order to give light to this article we should bring the various participants to the table so thatwe could prevent gridlock.

He also informed that he was surprised at the rejection since it was a way for the PPP to salvage itsreputation and to improve the quality of governance. The way they are going, we are headed foradministrative catastrophe. We have put this on the table and it is nothing new, it is part of ourmanifesto We are committed to shared governance, he said.

GHRA: Muri deal signals about face on environmental protec-tion

Stabroek News, January 11, 2013

The recently aborted Muri Brasil Ventures New River Triangle surveying scheme points to a shiftby the administration on the priority given to environmental protection under the low carbon de-velopment strategy, according to the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).The human rights body, which had questioned activity in the area before Muri pulled out in theface of a growing outcry over the venture, also yesterday issued a call for non-governmental sec-tions of society to step up to protect the public interest, while saying the administration cannot betrusted to so.

Muri last week announced that it made a decision to no longer pursue its geographical and geo-physical survey under the Permission for Geological and Geographical Surveys (PGGS) granted bythe Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The company claimed that while the processwas legal and transparent, its decision was due to the misinformation, prejudice and hostility tothe venture by persons and agencies fostering an adverse investment climate in Guyana.

In the wake of the companys abandoning the venture, Natural Resources and the EnvironmentMinister Robert Persaud on Monday warned of attempts to stymie potential investors in the min-ing sector and its contribution to the economy.But the GHRA yesterday said that the first lesson to be drawn from the episode would be that thepriority assigned to environmental protection under the low carbon strategy has been abandoned.The intention to grant mining licenses in the New River Triangle without regard to long-term de-structive impact on rivers and forests provides sufficient evidence of this, it said in a statementissued yesterday.


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The extent to which mining has displaced the environment as a priority is a sobering illustrationof how unevenly the odds are matched in the battle for the environment, it added, before notingthat the Muri venture follows on the heels of the recent revelation of government willingness tosacrifice state revenue from the Norwegian low carbon agreement in order to protect the privategain by miners involved in excessive de-forestation. (It was found last year that Guyanas defor-estation rate has jumped to 0.079% in the Year 3 reporting period (2012) under the Norway deal,from 0.054% in the Year 2 reporting period (2011). As a result, Persaud had suggested that Guyanawill lose out on around US$20M of the payment it would have received under its forest protectionagreement with Norway for 2012, once increased deforestation was independently verified.)

It was less than three years ago when the Norwegian agreement, crafted by the same PPP/C ad-ministration, was hailed as a break-through of global significance, the GHRA noted. It added thatthe obsession with accumulation is disguised by over-stating the contribution of mining to the na-tional economy, focusing solely on the foreign exchange value of gold production. Nothing is re-ported of the social cost (disorder, crime and exploitation of women in indigenous communitiesand mining settlements), the environmental costs (pollution of fresh water resources, bio-diversi-ty and ancient forests) and the real economic costs (disguised by duty-free concessions, tax conces-sions and subsidies), it said.

The myth of mining as a driver of development relies on another myth, namely that the GuyanaGeology and Mines Commission (GGMC) controls mining in Guyana. The grim reality is that theGGMC exercises nominal control over the numbers involved in mining, the amount of gold pro-duced, declared, smuggled out of the country or disposed of illegally, it added.

Not to be trusted

The GHRA observed that while Muris withdrawal is being characterised as a disaster by ele-ments of the mining sectors, as evidence of a conspiracy by Persaud, and as a blow to investorconfidence by the business sector, these powerful sectors of society see no abuse of power, con-flict of interest, deception, reason for regret, apology, explanation or shame in this saga. It added

that given this powerful coalition of unrepentant interests in the continuation of the project, thedecision to call a halt might more prudently be characterised as hitting the pause, rather than thestop button.

The GHRA also noted that the combination of mining and environment in the same Ministry en-sures subordination of the latter to the former in the event of a conflict of priorities. The conflict isbetween private accumulation and the public interest, it argued, while saying that a situation inwhich cabinet members have personal interests in mining, renders cabinet vulnerable to becominga vehicle for aggrandising private wealth rather than for protecting public interest. It further saidthat contamination of official decision-making processes by personal interests is reinforced by the

revelations of the involvement of Muris directors with the ruling partys election campaign in2011. Other policy conflicts arise between the promotion of eco-tourism and uncontrolled mining,it added.

The group also pointed to the extent to which decisions with far-reaching consequences for the fu-

ture of Guyana can be kept from the public, saying it is chilling.


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It charged that the lack of transparency over the Muri deal appears to be a matter of policy ratherthan an isolated example when viewed alongside the difficulty experienced by the parliamentaryopposition in securing details of the Marriott venture, the extension of the international airportand the broadband cable from Brazil.

The overall conclusion to be drawn is that government is not to be trusted to act in the public in-terest with respect to protecting the national patrimony, it further said, saying that the admin-istration can no longer be expected to place the national interest before private interests and otherforms of protection must be sought. It is against this background that the group argued that sec-tors of the society other than the government, such as the professional, trade union, religious, mili-tary, environmental and non-governmental agencies, together with enlightened business and min-ing interestshave to step up.

The GHRA acknowledged that this is not an easy matter and explained that a significant number ofpersons in the upper echelon of the professions, business and public service, while not directly in-volved in the decisions, derive sufficient benefits from this disordered situation to render themambivalent about manifesting indignation. It also observed that inter-governmental and interna-tional agencies operating in Guyana are not immune from this tendency and need also to ensuretheir interactions with administration are principled rather than opportunistic.

Rehabilitating society

According to the GHRA, the key question for concerned Guyanese to ponder at the start of thisnew year is where will the required dynamism come from to correct this state of affairs. Faced withan unaccountable government and gross conflicts of interests in the exercise of state power, it said,society has no other recourse than to fall back on its own resources. The task of rehabilitating so-ciety does not lie primarily in new laws and new institutions, but in a population having the politi-cal will and determination to demand accountability, speak the truth freely and not be deterred bycalculations about unpopularity, it argued. It said that the major challenge to civil society, there-fore, is to demonstrate in its own spheres of influence adherence to principles of equality, fairness,

accountability and integrity. On this basis, it added, fighting graft then becomes a matter of a soci-ety and social organisations demanding from the state standards it manifests in itself in its ownbehaviour.

The GHRA said revelation of information about how decisions had been taken with respect to rareearth exploration was itself sufficient to force the power-brokers to pause and the power of shameshould not be under-estimated. It added that it is clear that such a posture is incompatible withsimply co-existing alongside situations of abuse, criminality or exploitation. Nor is it acceptable tooppose the disordered features of society only to the point at which the opportunity for joining theband-wagon becomes too attractive to resist. Rehabilitating the state must go hand-in-hand withrehabilitating civil society, which in turn, requires the energies of individuals of integrity, it fur-

ther said.


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Rohee seems divorced from reality Most victims of seriouscrimes have been poor people Granger


Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee seems divorced from the reality of serious crimes affectingsociety. This assertion was made by Leader of the Opposition, David Granger yesterday at theweekly A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) press conference. Highlighting some of the seri-

ous crimes that affected Guyanese in 2013, Granger said he visited victims of piracy attacks on theCorentyne, spoke to battered wives, and reached out to relatives of persons who were murdered bytheir spouses.I have found out that the murder rate for 2013 is similar to that in 2004 and 2005 during thetroubles on the East Coast Demerara and most of the victims of violent crimes have been poor peo-ple, he emphasized.

Whilst acknowledging the rampant theft of Samsung and Blackberry cellular phones, Granger saidserious crimes such as murders, rapes and armed robberies are affecting citizens. And I dontknow he (Rohee) seems to be divorced from realityI am not quite sure whether we talking aboutthe same thingI cant imagine that the bulk of the population would agree with Mr. Rohee, he

said.

Granger had expressed similar sentiments earlier, stating that the security crisis (which exists inGuyana) has disproportionately hurt the poor.In a response to these claims, Minister Rohee rejected the assertion by Granger stating that thereis no security crisis in the country and such crisis only exists in the heads of the APNU leaders. TheMinistry further rejected the characterization of the internal security situation as false, stating thatcurrent data does not support it.

Region 10 works programme successful despite setbacks Sol-omon

Guyana Times, January 11, 2013The Region 10 Committee Works Programme enjoyed a successful 2013 despite several setbackswith general capital works, the Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon said.In outlining the factorswhich contributed to those setbacks, he said written protests by contractors of Alternative Con-struction mid last year played a major role.As such, an emergency works meeting was called by theRegional Democratic Council (RDC) in the latter part of 2013 to have certain issues ironedout.(Issues) where we have particular contractors who would have taken matters up at NationalTender Board as protest on the issuing of contracts in the region and that would have allowed forthe holding-up of at least four major capital works. That is measuring to close to about $40 mil-lion, $45 million, he said.

Capital worksThese capital works would have included the Christianburg Agricultural Building, the Vivian ParisHealth Centre (Linden), and these are programmes that the administration, nevertheless, wentahead with despite these protests, he said. Solomon explained that work is being held up in otherparts of Region 10 as a result of the protests, in areas such as Kwakwani and Hururu.

The contractors responsible for the projects in these areas, according to Solomon, are the ones thatthe RDC has serious issues with, since they have not fulfilled contractual obligations.
http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=45981


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He said nothing was heard from the contractors for approximately four months as it relates togrounds for the written protests, despite efforts to determine the cause. Coming out of the emer-gency works meeting, the regional chairman stated that it was agreed to have improved monitoringof projects in areas in Region 10 located along the Berbice River (Kwakwani, Ituni, Aroaima,etc).He added that it was also agreed that more updates on works being carried out were neces-sary. Areas where there was slow progress on works were then identified.

Delinquent contractors

Which would have been due to the fact that we have delinquent contractors. We were told by theadministration and we have reasons to believe that there was deliberate holding-up of these pro-tests to stall these works; that was another factor.

We also had late releases of payments or late releases of funds from central government, and wealso have some issues with payments by the administration to some of our contractors, he said.Also coming out of the meeting, the Region 10 chairman related, was the protocol for dealing withdelinquent contractors in future. Several contractors have already received letters imposing penal-ties and liquidated damages.

In terms of payment, it was agreed that upon inspection of works carried out, a committee to dealwith thorough inspection and timely payments would be established. The RDC went ahead with

works on the Vivian Paris Health Centre and the Christianburg Agricultural Building, Solomonstated. The region is encouraging from the government early releases of funds so that we can getour programmes up, he said. Last year, the RDC set up a committee to investigate what happenedto approximately $4 million which was deposited into a social account, approximately two yearsago by its former administration.

Fundraising activities

The monies were reportedly a percentage of the proceeds of the sale of scrap iron by residents ofItuni and fundraising activities conducted by the RDC, with the aim of securing funding to carryout developmental projects. Solomon said the matter is still being pursued. What we recognise isthat the bad handling of the access to a particular account at the (Republic) Bank is what allowed

for the mismanagement to the point where we have lack or little accountability of thosefunds.Nevertheless, the matter is still being pursued to ascertain exactly how those funds are uti-lised and if we can recoup those funds so that we can execute on behalf of the people of Ituni, herelated.

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Diaspora News - January 11 - 17, 2014

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