Guyana Inc Magazine Issue 33

YOUR FREE COPY TO KEEP! - ISSUE 33

UP IN SMOKE!!!

GUYANA AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CYBERCRIME THE GUYANAVENEZUELA BORDER CONTROVERSY… A

GUYANA’S MULTIBILLION DOLLAR TOBACCO INDUSTRY FEELS HEAT FROM NEW LAWS

CHRONICLE OF ITS HISTORY AND THE WAY FORWARD

THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE & THE OVERHAUL NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR OIL

GUYANA JOINS THE EMERGING GLOBAL NORM OF CONTRACT DISCLOSURE

CEO OF EUREKA MEDICAL LABORATORY...

Andrew Boyle ...WHERE HUMILITY MEETS DEDICATION, COMMITMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Managing Director Frank Sanichara Marketing Iconic Marketing & Printing Rozana Mohamed Design Iconic Marketing & Printing Inc. Editorial Contributors Akeela Europe Feona Morrison Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry Gordon French Guyana Rice Development Board Guyana Tourism Authority Honourable Basil Williams, MP Ian Gary Kiana Wilburg Ministry of Education Rae Dawn Brusch Royden James Sharmain Grainger Tiffanne Ramphal

Contents

Founder and Publisher Teshawna Lall, BA, MBA

CEO OF EUREKA MEDICAL LABORATORY...

William Andrew Boyle

...WHERE HUMILITY MEETS DEDICATION, COMMITMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Editorial: Guyana And The Fight Against Cybercrime............................................................4 Tapirs: The Oldest Garderners Of The Forests.......................................................5 GTA Enhances Tourism Efforts With New Website.................................................6

24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.

Tel: (592) 223-2169 or (592) 226-7454 For Subscription in Guyana and the Caribbean Contact: (592) 223-2169 or (592) 600-6887 North America: 347-599-6426 Email: guyanainc@gmail.com Website: www.guyanainc.biz

Guyana’s Debt And The Cemla Programme......8 CEO of Eureka Medical Laboratory William Andrew Boyle....................................... 11 The Ministry Of Finance & The Overhaul Needed To Prepare For Oil............................... 16 Tips On Improving Your Performance In The Work Place.............................................. 17 Guyana Rice Development Board…

Furthering The Development Of Guyana’s Rice Industry...................................... 18 Guyana And The Helping Hand Of Chatham House............................................ 20 Rose Ramdehol -The First Guyanese Woman To Own An Automotive Business In Guyana........................................... 22

While every effort has been made to ensure that information is correct at the time of going to print, Iconic Marketing & Printing cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication. The publishers or authors do not give any warranty for the content, explanation or opinion. It is advisable that prospective investors consult their attorney/s and/or financial investor/s prior to following/pursing any business opportunity or entering into any investments.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher.

Here’s What You Need To Know When Buying Your First Car.............................. 24 How Essential Is Appropriate Dress Attire To Your Business?................................... 25 IMF Projects Accelerated Growth In Run Up To Oil Production............................. 26

22 Rose Ramdehol -The First Guyanese Woman To Own An Automotive Business In Guyana

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The Talented Makeup Artist Miss Janica Sandy…

Helping Women Flawlessly Enhance Their Daily Beauty Regimen............................. 28 Guyana’s Inaugural Carnival Dubbed A Huge Success................................... 29 The Guyana-Venezuela Border Controversy… A Chronicle Of Its History And The Way Forward.......................... 30 GCCI’s Business Development Forum...

A Platform For Improving The Internal Dynamics Of Firms In Guyana.......................... 32 The Ombudsman: A Citizen’s Defender Against Maladministration............................... 34 Up In Smoke!!! Guyana’s Multibillion Dollar Tobacco Industry Feels Heat From New Laws.................................................. 36 Are You Suffering From Panic Anxiety Disorder?............................................... 37 The Morning Glory Rice Cereal: Impressively Healthy And Delicious!...................................... 38 Clash Of The Judiciary And Executive On The Judicial Review Act................................ 39 Guyana Joins The Emerging Global Norm Of Contract Disclosure........................... 40 The Ministry Of Education: Preparing Leaders To Advance Tvet In Guyana............... 41 Cervical Cancer: Get Screened Today!......................................... 42

36 Up In Smoke!!! Guyana’s Multibillion Dollar Tobacco Industry Feels Heat From New Laws

29 Guyana’s Inaugural Carnival Dubbed A Huge Success

EDITORIAL GUYANA AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CYBERCRIME

By Kiana Wilburg

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he development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over the last two decades has revolutionized the way in which societies of the world operate. ICT has significantly impacted on every facet of society and this is evident by its growing use and role in the government, banking, medical and business sectors. The revolution of ICT and, particularly, its growing use have led to the emergence of a different type of crime, cybercrime.

There is no universal definition of cybercrime, but it has been defined as “any activity in which computers or networks are a tool, a target or a place of criminal activity”. The prevalence of cybercrime may be attributed to the internet, a component of ICT, which has provided criminals with a fast, convenient, and anonymous avenue to commit various crimes which transcend traditional physical boundaries.

In 2013, the United Nations reported that a third to half of all nations have insufficient legal frameworks to criminalize cybercrimes. The Inter-American Development Bank, in its 2016 Cyber Security Report, stated that internet use had penetrated the country by thirty-seven percent. In light of our country’s rapidly increasing use of ICT technology and growing internet penetration, Guyana is more vulnerable to cybercrime.

Guyana’s current lack of cybercrime legislation may result in the country becoming a safe haven for cybercrime offenders, as offenders may be motivated to commit cybercrimes in our jurisdiction due to the country’s lack of mechanisms to prosecute the offences. Essentially, our lack of a legal framework leaves us powerless to address cybercrimes.

Therefore, in an effort to combat the occurrence of cybercrime in Guyana, the Cybercrime Bill was drafted to address offences related to cybercrime and to provide for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime offences. It was passed in the National Assembly recently and assented to by President David Granger.

HISTORY OF BILL In drafting the Bill, conventions, model laws and precedents from other jurisdictions were relied upon, particularly, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime; the Harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures in the Caribbean (HIPCAR) Cybercrime/e-crimes Model Policy

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Guidelines and Legislative Texts; the 2014 Cybercrime Bill of Trinidad and Tobago; the 2015 Cybercrimes Act of Jamaica and the 2013 Electronic Crimes Bills of Grenada and St. Vincent of the Grenadines. The United Kingdom’s Computer Misuse Act 1990 and cybercrime legislation from the United States were also considered.

The Draft Cybercrime Bill was heavily consulted upon. In September 2015, a Draft Cybercrime Bill was posted on the Ministry of Legal Affairs website for comments. Comments on the Bill were received by the Drafting Division between October 2015 and March 2016. The Bill was also sent out to various stakeholders for comments. Comments were received from many stakeholders including Qualfon Guyana Inc., the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Digicel and Teleperformance. As a result of the comments received, changes were made to the Bill.

Public consultation on the Bill was held at the Pegasus Hotel on March 16, 2016. It was well attended and suggestions and comments were made by stakeholders, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, GRA, Rights of the Child Commission, Global Technology, Red Thread andthe Guyana Bar Association. Their comments were considered and necessary changes were effected to the Bill.

The Bill was then reviewed and received in depth consideration at meetings in the Attorney General’s Chambers between drafters of the Chambers and senior officers of the DPP Chambers, resulting in certain changes being incorporated in it, namely the formulation of offences.

The Cybercrime Bill 2016 was sent to the National Assembly on August 3, 2016 and published in the Gazette on August 4th as Bill No. 17 of 2016. It had its first reading on the August 4, 2016 and was sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on that date.

While there, the Bill was reviewed by Mr. Steven Chabinsky, an expert on the law of cybercrime from the Law Firm of Case and White in the USA, whose service was made available to the Attorney General’s Chambers from the International Senior Lawyer’s Project (ISLP). The comments of the expert were made available to the Members of the Select Committee. Most of Mr. Chabinsky’s comments were incorporated into the Bill by the Committee.

It remained before the Select Committee from August 4, 2016 to April 9, 2018 and the Committee’s Report on the Bill was tabled in the National Assembly on April 26, 2018.

Key Features of the Bill The Bill has three parts. Part I addresses preliminary provisions, Part II addresses the cybercrime offences and Part III provides for enforcement.

Clauses 3 to 24 of the Bill identify and establish the cybercrime offences.

Clauses 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Bill protect our citizens from persons who illegally access their computer systems and illegally intercept, interfere and acquire their electronic data.

Clause 7 establishes the offence of illegal system interference and makes interfering with another person’s computer system or another person’s lawful use or operation of a computer system an offence.

The original clause 9 made the unauthorized receiving, giving or obtaining of access to electronic data an offence.

It must be noted that the “Reporters Without Borders” were concerned that this clause could be used to penalize journalists and media for publishing reports based on information from a confidential source, even if the journalists had no basis to suspect that the information was illegally obtained.

This clause has since been amended, taking into consideration the above concerns. The amendment has resulted in the removal of theprovision that may pose an obstacle to the freedom of the press, that is, the criminal aspect of receiving the electronic data. The type of conduct being criminalized has now been revised and is more specific.

The types of electronic data to which this clause refers to have also been defined to include commercially sensitive data, a trade secret or data which relates to national security.

Clause 9 now reads – “ 9. (1) A person commits an offence who, through authorized or unauthorized means, obtains or accesses electronic data which –

(a) is commercially sensitive or a trade secret; (b) relates to the national security of the State; or (c) is stored on a computer system and is protected against unauthorized access, and intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification grants access to or gives the electronic data to another person, whether or not he knows that the other person is authorized to receive or have access to the electronic data.

(2) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable –on summary conviction to a fine of three million dollars and to imprisonment for three years; or on conviction on indictment to a fine of eight million dollars and to imprisonment for five years.”

The Bill represents a collaborative effort between Government, the legislature and the people of Guyana. It is a Bill that was heavily consulted on, received expert advice and was reviewed by the Special Select Committee. It is a Bill that is timely and relevant because of the colossal damages of cybercrime.

This mode of crime has destroyed lives, the economies of countries and has been used to carry out terrorist acts all over the world. With this Bill, Guyana now stands ready to join the rest of the world to fight this scourge.

The creation of cybercrime legislation is the first step in our battle against cybercrime. However, I wish to state emphatically that the fight against cybercrime requires a comprehensive approach. This means that along with the legislation, which is essential as it is the foundation for successfully combating cybercrime, there needs to be training of law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, as this is a new area for Guyana. This is a process that the Government is fully committed to and endeavors to deploy the necessary resources to ensure our success.

TAPIRS: The Oldest Gardeners of the Forests

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he Brazilian Lowland is known as the Tapir or ‘Bush Cow’ in Guyana. They have an even brownish-grey colour and are the largest forest mammal. They are known to be very silent creatures until they’ve been threatened or alarmed, where they snort or stamp. Tapirs weigh approximately 250 kg and have a short stiff mane of dark hair that runs from their forehead to their shoulder.

They look like a cross between the hippopotamus, cow and elephant, due to its elongated nose. When a tapir is born, it has a brown colour and bright yellow and white spots along its sides and legs. They are considered excellent swimmers because of their webbed feet.

When they want to communicate, they do so by a loud, piercing, whistling sound and they do imitations of this call which attracts hunters, making them easy hunters. Tapirs can be found at the river bottoms of the Iwokrama Rain Forest or forested areas of the Rupununi and in the comfort of their homes or in any opaque weather. Their vegetation consists of searching through leaves for grass, shoots and fruits, which they choose using their long, grasping noses and shoot them into their mouths.

Tapirs are considered living fossils, since they’ve been around for millions of years. But it is quite surprising, since they reproduce very slowly, with a gestation period of thirteen to fourteen months, with one offspring being born at a time. They are called the gardeners of the forest due to their wide range and movement of great distances between different habitats. They travel from forest patch to forest patch, providing a well-designed link between them. Their travelling contributes to the dispersion of seeds, which creates a plant genetic flow between habitats.

By Rae Dawn Brusch

The Tapir or ‘Bush Cow’

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GTA enhances tourism efforts with new website G

uyana is often revered for its vast expanses of tropical forest, unique ecosystems, immense diversity of flora and fauna and vibrant cultural heritage. But it is an inescapable fact that Guyana is competing with every other attractive destinations in the world for visitors.

It is on this basis that the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has boosted its efforts with the launch of a new national tourism website (www.guyana-tourism. com).

The new website is designed to raise awareness about Guyana’s distinctive features in the areas of nature and culture.

Many often think of just Kaieteur Falls as the ultimate tourist spot in Guyana. But, the truth is, Guyana has a lot to offer the inquisitive traveler. Some of the highlighted travel experiences that cannot be found anywhere but here include abseiling Mount Roraima, caiman tagging at night and experiencing the daily ranch life of Guyana’s unique indigenous villages.

Want to know the best way to experience the aforementioned? Then take a weekend getaway! Here are three of the best weekend getaways you can enjoy in Guyana:1. Iwokrama

Travel to the spectacular Iwokrama Rainforest and River Lodge! This research centre and eco-lodge gives

you an unforgettable experience of Guyana’s pristine virgin rainforest.

Start your trip with a flight or drive to the lodge. Have a warm lunch, then set out to explore! Spend the next two days walking the wildlife trails, hiking Turtle Mountain, visiting the Amerindian Petroglyphs and, of course, taking a sky high

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walk along the Canopy Walkway found at nearby Atta Lodge.

2.

Arrowpoint Nature Resort After a short 45-min drive from Georgetown to the Timehri Mariana, take a quick boat ride to the Arrowpoint Nature Resort. On the way, stop by the Indigenous Village of Santa Mission for a tour and a chance to view local craft.

After the quick detour, continue your journey down the river to the Arrowpoint Resort. There, you can spend the first day kayaking and swimming, before having a bonfire dinner on the beach and embarking

on a ‘Creature of the Night’ tour.

You can spend the second day mountain biking, walking the nature trails, taking part in a cassava bread making presentation or just relaxing before having a delicious lunch and heading back to the mainland. This is one experience that is a must have!

3.

Kaieteur & Baganara Island Resort Want to see Kaieteur Falls during a weekend? Then you are in luck!

Evergreen Tours will be able to give you a full tour of the adventurous waterfall and a relaxing retreat at the Baganara Island Resort. There, you can explore the wonders of nature by walking the nature trails, kayaking and even bird watching.

Enjoy locally cooked food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a special meal on the beach before your return to Georgetown.

About the Guyana Tourism Authority The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), operating under the Ministry of Business, is a semi-autonomous governmental organization responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana. Its mission is to develop and promote sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the tourism private sector in order to maximize local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and to improve the visitors’ experience.

MONEY TALK:

GUYANA’S DEBT

AND THE CEMLA PROGRAMME

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he Center for Latin American Monetary Studies (CEMLA) is one of the key international agencies which has been assisting Guyana with its debt management for more than 20 years.

With CEMLA’s help, Guyana has made notable progress. Among the notable achievements to date have been: 1) The formulation of a National Sustainable Funding Strategy in 2015, inclusive of a Debt Sustainability Analysis and Public Debt Strategy; 2) A comprehensive Public Debt Management Procedures Manual which has improved and ensured consistent debt management operations whilst reducing operational risk; and 3) The first National Workshop on Debt Management Self-Evaluation and Improvement (DMSAI) in 2016, using the World Bank Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) Methodology to assess our debt management operations, and chart a course for improvement and achievement of international best practices.

These achievements are tangible indications of the Government’s redoubled efforts to ‘raise the bar’ in the management of public finances, including the public debt, in order to heighten transparency and accountability, value for money and efficient and effective allocation of our resources.

Further to this, Guyana is well acquainted with the harsh consequences of an onerous debt burden; the painful process of structural adjustment; and the acrid outcomes of weak and impudent management of the public purse by previous administrations. And, in spite of many unhelpful comments and misguided actions, since the presentation of the last budget, our Government remains firm in its stance to do all that is required to prevent the recurrence of such situations.

Some of our policy measures may be bold in their intent, leading to unpopular reactions. However, while governments are often swept into power on a wave of popularity, they are similarly swept out ignominiously when they succumb to demands, especially by special interest groups, to implement policy measures that have short term gain for these groups, but long term pain for the mass of the population.

To date, the Government has managed to reduce the debt further to 46 percent of GDP at the end of 2016, relative to 2015. But it cannot become complacent. In fact, it does not have the luxury of sitting on its laurels, for the lower debt ratio was achieved at the expense of the unsatisfactory implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), where it failed to achieve an exemplary disbursement rate of foreign funded projects. This led to the unacceptable situation of negative net inflows by Guyana’s major donor, at a time when foreign exchange supply was challenged because

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By Kiana Wilburg

of underperformance in critical sectors and areas of the economy.

One also has to be cognizant of the impact on the public debt, of the many loans contracted by the previous administration (for example, CJIA Modernization Loan of US$135 million and the East Coast Road Widening Loan of US$50 million from China Exim Bank), several of which remained largely undisbursed at the time this Government came to Office; and the ill-advised and/or poorly conceived projects (Skeldon Sugar Factory, Marriott Hotel, Widening of Sheriff Street) and investments (NIS investment in CLICO and Berbice Bridge) embarked upon by the previous administration, which do not contribute to the Treasury, but the repayment of whose debts, nevertheless, are being met by the Government and, by implication, the citizens of this country – at least those who pay taxes.

With an outer debt ceiling limit of 60 percent of GDP, these loans have restricted the fiscal space and reduced room for maneuver, at a time when the new government is seeking to implement a new generation of transformative projects such as the DemeraraHarbour Bridge and the Georgetown-Lethem Road.

Undoubtedly, the hard work must continue to ensure that debt levels remain sustainable, within prescribed parameters. Even with past fiscal consolidation and oil revenues on the horizon, we must be cognizant of the new challenges that confront us, such as dwindling sources of concessional financing and vulnerability to external shocks.

Over the last two years, the government has sought to widen the range of multilateral partners, from which it can access concessional or near concessional resources, given its new status of upper middle income country.

In this respect, Guyana has joined the Islamic Development Bank and is renewing its relationship with the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).

Further to this, it is critical that adequate attention be paid to the internal debt as moves are made to mobilize domestic resources, both as a means of reducing Guyana’s exposure to external risk factors and to support development goals. In fact, a team of experts from another development partner, Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), was in Guyana, on a mission to aid the government in developing its domestic bond market. In the context of debt sustainability, this gives the government more flexibility to respond to external shocks, while reducing Guyana’s reliance on external borrowing.

As part of this exercise, the government made efforts to improve the country’s rating on the DeMPA scorecard, in particular, on Debt Performance Indicators (DPI) 3 and 6, where Guyana has obtained relatively low scores.

These indicators cover the establishment of a formalized Debt Management Strategy and Coordination with Fiscal Policy.

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CEO of Eureka Medical Laboratory...

William

Andrew Boyle ...Where Humility meets Dedication, Commitment and Public Service

By Kiana Wilburg

W

hen the medical history of Guyana would have been written, the name ‘William Andrew Boyle’ will be carved into its pages. Referred to by many as Andrew Boyle or Andy, Mr. Boyle has pioneered medical laboratory services in Guyana, not only through the operationalisation of the Eureka Medical Laboratory (EML), but through the prominence he has given to the quality of health services in Guyana.

The foundation of his success is multifaceted. Many success stories have culminated through euphoric moments of self-drive or propelled by life’s experiences, driven by the admiration of role models or sparked by an imperious internal motivation. The Odyssey of Andrew Boyle’s success was built on his compelling selfdrive, compounded by his warm, infectious and altruistic personality.

An astute businessman for the past twenty-three years, Andrew has built himself an empire with EML, with the support of his ex-wife and mother of his children, Dr. Karen Gordon, and three other businesses. A decorated citizen and philanthropist with several coveted awards, he is undoubtedly the manifestation of “Excellence” in Health and Entrepreneurship in Guyana and in the Caribbean.

The Guyana Inc. magazine has been privileged to get a glimpse into the life and trace the genesis of the intellectual, dedicated, altruistic 5 feet 10 inches embodiment of entrepreneurial victory – Andrew Boyle. This article captures the real-life experiences of his success journey which may resonate deep within many of us.

CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION Born on May 11, 1964, Andrew is the third of ten children of Claudia and the late William Fitzgerald Boyle. He grew up in a family-oriented environment where his parents created a comfortable and modest home for their family at Haraculi, Kimbia, a remote area which is located 79 miles up the Berbice River.

As a lad, Boyle recalled the days when his daily chores entailed milking cows and watering plants before paddling for one hour in order to get to school. “I remember those days when I would paddle with my siblings to the Kimbia Primary school, even when it rained…”

He was elated when reflecting on the bond he shared with his parents and, more importantly, his grandparents; one which he described as “phenomenal.” The entrepreneur shared that this bond was one that has positively influenced his life to this very day. “I recall that it was my grandfather, Menzo Bender, who carved and shaped my values and mores, which are ingrained in the core principles I live by and practice in my daily life.”

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“I pushed for my dreams.

When you want something badly enough, you will work for it!”

I remember ‘Daddy’ (we referred to my grandfather as ‘Daddy’ from listening to our mother refer to him as such), and I would sit together and he would share very important lessons with me. One such lesson was, ‘Your word is your bond’. This meant that a commitment, once made, must be honored,” Boyle expressed. “My grandparents were super involved in the person I am today. My mom and dad were there for me too. My dad was not a teacher as such, but he was hardworking and taught me the value of dedication and discipline.”

A regimented daily routine at a very early age is what helped Andy to cultivate the necessary value system and attitude needed for success. This was reflected in his exceptional performance at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams. After his formative years at Kimbia Primary School, he commenced his secondary education journey at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School. At the NA Multilateral, as it is commonly called, he found his niche in the Science field, where he excelled effortlessly. He truly lived

by Aristotle’s benchmark for excellence, “...We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” For his outstanding performance at the secondary level, the young Boyle was awarded a government scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in Microbiology in Cuba.

However, before his departure on this new academic journey, Andrew’s business prowess metamorphed. He returned to Kimbia to manage his parent’s grocery shop and bar. This brief stint inculcated core business ethics into his heart, including the value for money, customer service, integrity and respect.

The dream of owning and building his own medical laboratory in Guyana was germinated in Cuba. After successfully completing his course, he returned to Guyana in 1990 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology and a Diploma in French and Spanish. Under his scholarship obligations, he gained employment at the Georgetown Public Hospital where he worked for five years, while simultaneously lecturing at the University of Guyana for ten years. He later left his teaching profession at the University of Guyana to focus wholeheartedly on his dream. To further strengthen his academic acumen, he later attained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Australian Institute of Business.

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Eureka!

After completing his contractual obligations at the Georgetown Hospital on March 5, 1995, Boyle set out to establish a medical laboratory to meet the growing demand for quality laboratory services in Guyana.

Having carefully researched the market structure and analyzed Guyana’s economic and medical landscape, the idea moved from being a mere mental design to a physical one. The dream was trapped in his mind and even through confidence that it can be done, there were many stumbling blocks. “I was discouraged, even by some of my family friends, about this venture. One of my close friends told me not to waste my time. I remember going into the bank with a fancy proposal and I told them that I needed US$25,000. I recollect the bank manager saying, ‘What am I going to do with this?’ then threw it on the table. I felt so small. But that was not going to stop me. I pushed for my dreams. When you want something badly enough, you will work for it!”

Andrew persevered. His perseverance remained ignited by his former wife, Dr. Karen Gordon. Dr. Gordon was the wind beneath his wings and his greatest motivator and support in the fruition of his vision. She was his partner and was with him every step of the way, from the mind-mapping to the commissioning of the lab and, later, the expansion in and out of Guyana.

In spite of the naysayers and a humble start, the Eureka Medical Laboratory, located at 263 Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, is now living and in colour. Boyle says the name ‘Eureka’, which has a Greek origin, is an interjection used to celebrate a discovery or an invention. Its meaning, “I found it!” was ideal, as it was a precise representation of the vision; a vision of a laboratory that would assist with the diagnosis of illnesses and support doctors and patients in their quest for health maintenance and restoration.

Eureka now has eight other branches. Seven in Guyana; in Parika, Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Linden, Bartica and Diamond and one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is managed by one of his brothers, Dr. Collin Boyle.

With a staff complement of almost 100, Eureka offers a diverse number of medical services, including regular check-ups, prenatal testing, chronic diseases tests, such as for diabetes, infectious diseases testing, ultrasounds, digital X-rays, medical clinics, exotic testing, food handlers’, food products, insurance medicals and more. You name it, they test it! Their practice uses cutting edge technology and equipment, providing their clients with quality and reliable health services.

Committed to satisfying the needs of their customers, when there was a gap and demand in the market for deoxyribonucleic acid testing (DNA), Andrew and his team answered the call. He sought a partnership with overseasbased DNA Diagnostic Centre (DDC) in Ohio, which has a stellar record in DNA diagnostic capacity. Through this partnership, Guyanese citizens can now access these services at a discounted cost. Complemented by DNA testing, EML services are related to endocrinology, haematology, clinical chemistry and microbiology.

On its quest to guarantee a diverse set of medical services available within the 83,000 square miles to the Guyanese populace, EML opened Guyana’s first Psycho Diagnostics and Family Therapy Centre. This entity is headed by Mr. Ren Gonzales, EML’s HR manager and Psychologist from the Philippines. This represents a pledge by Mr. Boyle and his team to provide quality health across the healthcare spectrum, to safeguard the physical, mental and social well-

being of all citizens. The mental health-intensive services offered include Counseling, Psychotherapy, Play Therapy for Children, Psychological Testing, Substance Abuse/Addiction Therapy, Family Therapy, Training and Contracted Services. As a country with one of the highest suicide rates in the world, these services are paramount in protecting the mental wellbeing of the country. The public’s response in return to this service has been favourable and overwhelming.

EML is the first Laboratory in Guyana and one of five in the Caribbean which has achieved International Standards Organization (ISO) accreditation, thereby boosting the capacity and services at its seven satellite branches countrywide. It is the first solar-powered medical facility in Guyana and the first and, so far, only lab in the country to offer the SchuyNet Lab Information System (LIS) services, whereby test results can be accessed by doctors online, and in real time.

Earlier this year, EML launched it’s one of a kind Fast Track Services aimed at expediting phlebotomy service delivery and targeting time-strapped clients. The Fast Track Services have been engineered to ensure minimal delay through the elimination of long queues and tailored for on-the-go business clients, specifically executives and government officials.

Extended services are offered from 07:00hrs to 22:00hrs daily, excluding Sundays, and are built on a guarantee of confidentiality and safety.

EML currently serves over 100 walk-in clients per day, (50%-60% of the industry market), an average of over 20,000 per year, and approximately sixty major companies, including the US Peace Corps. Senior citizens are also offered a 10% discount. The lab serves an average of thirty senior citizens per day – around ten thousand annually.

Boyle shared that the entity’s networks have been expanding tremendously and private-public partnerships are being garnered.

DIVERSIFICATION Eureka Medical Laboratory has cemented its place in the medical history and landscape of Guyana, but that isn’t the end of the road for entrepreneur Andrew Boyle. Under his business model, Boyle has established two other companies, Amazonia Farms Ltd. and Caribbean Wind and Sun Inc. He is a director in the recently coined Eureka Atlantic

Offshore Medical Services (EAOMS), a promising and solid partnership with Atlantic Offshore Medical Services (AOMS) of Newfoundland, Canada. EAOMS is now preparing to offer medical services to the evolving oil and gas industry.

Boyle is super excited about the proposed role of this new collaborative venture.

Amazonia Farms is a project conceived five years ago. He noted that his father was into farming. Before the death of his father and in honour of his father’s dream, he and some of his siblings resuscitated the business of egg farming. Amazonia Farm eggs are currently being sold in most of the major supermarkets in Guyana.

The doors to the Caribbean Wind and Sun Inc., where Boyle is the sole director, were opened in March 2017. This business venture aligns with Guyana’s Green Development Strategy and is committed to providing a cleaner, greener energy mix through supplying green energy services.

AWARDS Boyle, one of Georgetown’s most eligible bachelors, and a lover of the alto saxophone is the recipient of several awards, including PAHO/WHO’s award for an outstanding contribution to public health and leadership. He was also honoured and awarded by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce for innovation, in recognition of recorded breakthrough achievements in technology, processes, marketing campaigns and development. The Bank of Nova Scotia (Guyana) awarded Mr. Boyle and Eureka for being a laboratory with outstanding entrepreneurial achievement.

But his most prominent accolade is the Entrepreneur Laureate Award, which forms part of the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence (ANSCAFE). The Sabga awards, which is now the English-speaking Caribbean’s leading recognition programme, was initiated by Anthony Sabga, Founder and Chairman of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies.

The awards programme was launched in October 2005 and, as of 2015, focuses on four areas: Arts & Letters, Science & Technology, Public & Civic Contributions and Entrepreneurship. Boyle is the first Guyanese to win the award in the Entrepreneurship category.

Boyle, smiling from ear to ear, was more than ecstatic

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to recap the day he got the call that he was the recipient of the coveted award.

“When I got the call, it was a Friday afternoon. A young woman, Maria, called and said, ‘Mr. Boyle, good afternoon, are you sitting?’ And I said, ‘Yes I am.’

Then she said, ‘I am happy to let you know that you have been chosen as the Entrepreneur of the Year. Would you accept this accolade?’ My heart stopped beating, I think, because it is such a coveted award… And I shouted out in my office, ‘Oh Wow! Oh My God!’ Maria, who obviously was not surprised by my outburst said, ‘Ok! Ok! Take a moment to enjoy…” and she waited. That was truly an awesome feeling. It was one of the best moments of my life and I would never ever forget that afternoon. To be named the Entrepreneur of the Caribbean, it was a tremendous achievement!”

“The award ceremony, which was held in Jamaica, was magical; very much like the Oscars, with lots of pomp and ceremony. It was truly mind-blowing and was streamed live throughout the Caribbean. I received loads of kudos from around the world and I am still on cloud nine, but I could not have done it alone. My dream teams deserve all of the praises. Soon, I will be taking them on a trip to a resort to reflect and celebrate.

TIPS FOR BEING AN AWESOME BOSS When you walk into Boyle’s office, on a board to his left are the words: “You are an awesome boss!” Scribbled alongside those words are balloons and lots of smiley faces. It was, no doubt, the artwork of his faithful staffers. When

his attention was drawn to it, Boyle chuckled, stating that he is just as proud of his employees as they are of him.

The businessman noted that showing an appreciation for others and being honest are just two of the attributes that may be responsible for the love his staff exudes for him. He said, “They praise me, but I must praise them.

I have a very efficient staff and they are just truly phenomenal. One of the things that is key to keeping a cohesive working environment is getting your employees to understand your vision, your dream and letting them know that you are going to the destination of success together. They are not supposed to feel like they are working to take you alone to the top. You also need to be thankful and respectful.

People who feel appreciated do so much more for you. You get the best out of people and I have seen it happen.

For instance, I have my HR manager who has practically taken half of my responsibilities off of my shoulders; my quality manager and team who worked arduously for the repeated certifications and international accreditation, the laboratory managers and technical team players are our bloodline and our administrative and accounts staff who all lend invaluable support.”

“My growth is futile without my teams’ as well, so amidst all of these accolades, they need to understand that they do play huge roles.”

Andy smiles as he also confesses that the overwhelming favour of God continues to be manifested in his role as a successful servant leader.

A DEDICATED FATHER While Boyle may be an accomplished businessman and a beloved boss, he is a dedicated father to his three children: Mark, 28, Andrew, 25 and Keziah, 19.

They all reside overseas, but will be spending time with Boyle during the summer period.

“Mark studied marketing and management and he is working with Facebook. Andrew pursued Psychology and should be starting his Masters in September. Keziah is currently an undergrad in Natural Sciences and will go on to study Medicine.”

Boyle hopes that his children are inclined to take over the business and keep the Boyle legacy evergreen. “I would love that. Keziah is interested and I am going to have Andrew work along with our psychologist. Yes, one day, in the not too distant future, I would love to hand over the mantle.”

COMMUNITY SERVICE With all of his successes, Boyle takes pride in sharing part of it with others.

He is a staunch Rotarian and lives by its chief principle, which is, ‘Service Above Self.’ In fact, Boyle is working on giving a fully solar-powered computer lab to his hometown in Kimbia.

“My house there is now solar powered, but I grew up in Kimbia without electricity. The people who get electricity there now use generators, but there aren’t a lot of that there. It is not a massive computer lab, but a fully equipped centre that can afford those deprived youngsters a chance to be a step further than I was when I was growing up.”

THE ROAD AHEAD AND EXPANSION For this sprightly 54-year-old, there is still more to be accomplished. As such, Andy told the Guyana Inc. Magazine that he has plans of expanding, all of which he will reveal soon. ‘Andy’s story’, which outlines all of the intricate details of his childhood, will be soon published. In the meantime, he intends to continue his life’s mission of delivering exceptional medical service that will improve the lives of others, while dabbling, when he can, in the wonders of outdoor activities.

We wish him well!

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ECONOMIC FOCUS

THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE & THE OVERHAUL NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR OIL

By Kiana Wilburg

T

he Government is facing a significant challenge in preparing for the start of oil production within possibly two to three years. While efforts are underway simultaneously across multiple fronts, there is a need for the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to be strengthened, especially since it will be tasked with leading the way in protecting Guyana’s oil wealth while ensuring transparency for how it is used.

The first area that needs attention would be the area of Public Financial Management (PFM). PFM refers to the set of laws, rules, systems and processes used by a country to mobilize revenue, allocate public funds and undertake public spending.

Guyana has achieved good progress in implementing PFM reforms, yielding improvements in the management of public finances. The major milestones include: (i) the approval of the 2017 budget before the start of the fiscal year; (ii) gradual implementation of program and results based budgeting; (iii) developing a medium-term perspective in the budget; (iv) publishing a comprehensive mid-year review of the budget; and (v) timely completion and publishing of audited annual financial statements.

However, sustaining the reform agenda has proved increasingly challenging with the limited capacity in the MOF and line agencies. With the recent discovery of petroleum, there is even more pressure to have strong PFM systems to be able to effectively manage the volatile and temporary petroleum revenues. Therefore, the PFM reforms are expected to further intensify.

As it relates to strong public investment management, this becomes even more important once the petroleum revenues will start coming in. Inevitably, there will be a pressure to spend faster

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and more on developing the country’s infrastructure and inflows of petroleum revenues will give an impression of unlimited resources to invest. However, there should be a rigorous assessment of how fast investment could be scaled up without hitting supply bottlenecks and generating inefficiencies. If the public investment management process is weak, the investment will not be translated into better infrastructure and will not support the diversification of the economy and sustainable economic growth.

As it relates to a robust capital budget process, this is absent from the MOF and getting one takes considerable time. Project concept documents would generally be prepared two to three years before a project can be implemented and the detailed development process of a capital project will usually take at least one year to complete. Therefore, it would be a high priority for the MOF to start strengthening public investment management processes immediately to be able to complete the project proposals for major investment projects ahead of actual inflow of resource revenues.

Over the medium term, the MOF would have to lift the amount of analysis in the publicly available budget documents. Current budget documentation is extensive, but fragmented. The annex contains a number of tables that provide detailed information about spending, revenues and financing, but the documents include limited analytical information.

There are also some inconsistencies in the treatment of budget cash flows between different tables in the budget documents. In some tables, for example, financing is listed as revenue and loan repayments as expenditure (see 2017 Budget Estimates, Volume 1 table 5-6

and 9), whereas other tables give a correct treatment of financing items. If left unchecked, this could severely affect the accountability for future oil wealth.

Moving to the multi-year perspective in planning and budgeting would become a requirement with oil and gas.

As such, it would require improving the quality, coverage, and strategic direction of the document. It could have a more substantive analysis of macroeconomic development and future strategy and overall budget strategy and spending policy options, but also a fiscal risk analysis, including sensitivity analysis of the fiscal aggregates to key parameters (such as the oil price), a description of contingent liabilities and a debt sustainability analysis.

In the light of petroleum discovery, analytical comment on the key macroeconomic and fiscal challenges facing Guyana, for example, dealing with the impact of high and volatile oil prices on the economic and fiscal aggregates, becomes especially important. The draft Natural Resource Fund Law prescribes very comprehensive requirements for the documentation on the Natural Resource Fund that needs to be included in the annual budget documents. The MOF will need to start building capacity to be able to meet these demands.

Further to this, one must note that the structure of banking arrangements for government transactions have many features of a functional Treasury Single Account (TSA). A Consolidated Fund account held in the Bank of Guyana is largely acting like a TSA. In principle, all revenues contributing to the Consolidated Fund are credited to this account and all budgetary expenses are met from this account. However, bank accounts outside the TSA (authorized and unauthorized) for various purposes have prevented the MOF from having a

consolidated view of the government’s cash resources.

According to the FMAA (2003) line agencies need a prior approval of the MOF to open accounts in commercial banks. However, there is no formal register of bank accounts outside the BOG; the MOF does not receive routine information on the balances on these accounts and does not have access to these for the purposes of liquidity management. If there is to be increased accountability for the oil revenues to come, this would need to be improved.

Additionally, the government has 42 statutory authorities which are selfaccounting. These bodies operate bank accounts mostly held at commercial banks. Many of these statutory authorities are not profit-motivated and rely exclusively on Government transfers from the budget. Only nine statutory authorities (SAs) do not receive transfers from the central Government. 20 SAs receive more than 90% of their revenues as a transfer from centralGovernment.

Taken as a whole, the aggregated amount of cash held can be relatively high and their cash balances are not available for consolidation with the TSA. The authorities should consider establishing a fully functional TSA. A functional treasury single account

and a capability to forecast cash flows reliably are essential building blocks of a modern cash management system. A TSA would provide timely information about government funds, minimizes financing costs and allows full control over budget allocations. A policy document/strategy specifying the future form of the TSA would help to develop a common understanding of the reforms and its implications. The strategy should aim at consolidating Government cash currently held outside the system.

Given the likely resistance from those holding these accounts, the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) should develop prioritized actions focusing on accounts with significant balances that are risky from a control and transparency standpoint. Accounts of statutory authorities could be targeted in that order. This becomes highly important when the large petroleum revenues will start coming in, as the GRA, that will be a collecting agency for petroleum revenues, is a statutory authority and its accounts are held outside the government accounts.

A longer-term view of how the AGD would function has not been formulated by the MOF. The treasury should not be considered as just a department, but as a system. Ultimately, the treasury

should operate as the Government’s main control, information and funding system between the budget entities and the banking system. This wider view, or vision, of how the treasury system would operate to fulfill this role is presently lacking. For example, what is the correct division of labour between it and the Office of Budget, or between it and the banking system? More importantly, how will the division of labour be allocated between the AGD and the BOG regarding the Natural Resource Fund? For the next step in the treasury’s development, it would be essential to have such a longer-range view.

Currently, commitment control is not implemented. However, it is one of the most important expenditure control features of a PFM system. When properly implemented, it should provide a tool to limit the incidence of fiscal slippages and avoid the buildup of arrears. Therefore, a commitment control system should be initiated, with ministries recording all commitments. As a commitment control module exists in freebalance, a full control system should be implemented to ensure that advance knowledge of authorized expenditures is available.

Tips on improving your performance in the Workplace I

By Rae Dawn Brusch

n a competitive workplace, it is important to have the advantage to keep a job and be viewed as an asset to your company. You need to keep on your toes and ensure that your skills will still be as valuable to the changing and fastpaced world we live in. Continuous learning is necessary to improve skill which will put you in a good position to climb up the ladder. Setting goals and benchmarks will be necessary along with an evaluation of your character to be your best self at work.

Here are some ways to improve your reputation and performance at work:

3. Listen & Observe It is very important that we take heed of what is going on around us.

Not just what our boss tells us, but also our fellow employees. Be observant and pay attention to detail, it will improve your work and you will be more appreciated.

1. Organize & Prioritize Create daily schedules and stick to them. Select the priorities and critical projects that need to be completed first and commit to dealing with those. Timelines would need to be set to ensure a smooth flow of work. According to the Project Management Institute in the US, only 64% of projects meet their goals. This is why it is important to plan to avoid stretching deadlines which will affect your other projects.

Ensure your schedule is manageable and will benefit you and the team.

5. Improve the way you handle stress and conflict Every workplace will have stress and conflict, but how you handle the challenges will determine what type of employee you are. If you feel overwhelmed, take it up with a supervisor or manager who can assist you with whatever issue you may be facing. Some colleagues can also offer assistance. If it’s something you can control, then take a few minutes to excuse yourself from the office, have a glass of water, stretch or just take a few breaths to relax, then handle the problem head-on. When there are several persons working on one project, there will be differences of opinions that can escalate. Find solutions instead of disagreeing, compromise if need be.

2. Multitasking Although this is seen as a skill in a hectic work environment, it can also cost you. According to a study done by a group of Stanford University researchers, people who do heavy multitasking do not pay as much attention as others who try to maintain a more manageable workflow. If you must multitask, ensure that you are working within your limits and will be able to give each task the needed attention.

4. Don’t be Tardy Being tardy is always an awful look. It shows the lack of discipline or interest. Getting to work at least 15 minutes ahead will give you a lead in the day and if you haven’t organized your tasks the day before, you can begin doing so with the extra time that you have.

6. Connect and Cooperate Cooperation is key in any workplace. To make a connection involves, not only listening, but assisting and sharing opinions. A research done by TINYpulse and Microsoft Workplace Analytics revealed that the higher influencers in the office had the most connections with fellow employees.

It’s senseless to pretend to know everything. Asking for help shows that you are willing to learn and assisting means you are contributing to the overall benefit of the team.

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The Guyana Rice Development Board…

Furthering the development of Guyana’s Rice Industry Since its introduction to Guyana’s agricultural landscape in the eighteenth century, the production, consumption and exportation of rice and its byproducts have risen consistently.

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Guyana currently produces an average of one million tonnes of paddy in two crops annually which is equivalent to approximately 650,000 tonnes of rice and it exports to more than thirty-four countries.

In 2017, Guyana recorded its highest exports of rice and rice byproducts. 539,387 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice products valued at US$201 Million were exported to countries in CARICOM, Latin America and Europe.

This performance continued for the first half of 2018 and 290,000 tonnes valued at US$111 Million were exported compared to 203,000 tonnes valued at US$77 million for the first half of 2017.

With increasing global consumption of rice, Guyana’s export performance is projected to continue to increase. The demand for Guyana’s extra-long grain rice is growing because of its excellent cooking quality, taste and convenient preparation time.

Supporting the development of Guyana’s rice industry is the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). This agency of the Ministry of Agriculture that has been providing various services to the major stakeholders in the industry; to farmers, millers, exporters

and buyers.

Through its Rice Research Station located at Burma, Mahaicony, farmers are provided with high quality seeds for planting. Additionally, research on new varieties, pests and diseases complexes and improved agronomic practices are the lead focus of this research station.

Supporting the research work is a team of Extension Officers based in all of the rice producing regions of Guyana. Extension Officers provide training on the improved management of rice cultivation.

Once the paddy is harvested and taken to mills for processing, a team of Quality Control Officers located in all the rice producing regions provide quality control services, thereby ensuring the quality required by markets is produced at the mills and made available to buyers locally and internationally.

The Guyana Rice Development Board also provides marketing services, inclusive of shipping and logistics advice to millers, exporters and buyers of Guyana’s rice.

GUYANA AND THE HELPING HAND OF CHATHAM HOUSE

G

uyana is estimated to have 4 billion barrels of oil in its Stabroek Block. This development would likely result in billions of dollars in government revenues.

Such large petroleum revenues, if wisely managed, can contribute to sustainable economic development.

However, if poorly managed, they can retard economic development and create a ‘resource curse’. More specifically, they can lead to a loss of economic competitiveness, volatile and inefficient public spending and unsustainable consumption.

It is with this understanding in mind that organizations like Chatham House have been more than willing to help Guyana prepare adequately for the coming of oil. Chatham House is a London-based non-governmental organization which helps poor countries better manage their extractive industries.

In its many visits here, Chatham House has helped local authorities examine how petroleum funds might influence the country’s development trajectory as well as the various mechanisms for saving petroleum revenues and rules for spending them.

To discuss these new challenges facing Guyana, the organization held numerous discussions with officials from the Ministries of Natural Resources, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Communities and Education, the University of Guyana, the Parliament, the Guyana Commission of Geology and Mines, the Guyana Energy Agency, the Bank of Guyana, the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Department of the Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency, the NGO Conservation International and Go-Invest.

In determining its development path, Chatham House has noted that Guyana should consider the following issues: 1. The pace of development - Guyana will need to consider how quickly it should develop its oil reserves and how much it can invest in the economy over time.

2. It should also consider whether government or market forces would drive the chosen development

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path. There would be the tendency of government to establish new state vehicles (state-ownedenterprises, agencies) when they feel that the public sector is not responding or moving forward fast enough with their development agenda. However, these vehicles tend to create waste, confusion and opportunities for corruption.

A culture change is needed so the private sector becomes willing to take risks.

3. Should broad-based access to energy and inclusive growth guide Guyana’s development path? The discussion on this topic has often raised the concerns of indigenous communities in the hinterland, with some Guyanese officials suggesting that improving the livelihood of people and communities should guide the country’s thinking about the optimal path of development.

It should be noted that domestic access to energy (especially in rural or remote areas) would not be supported by a centralized model (or grid). In any case, the development of the oil sector should serve the national vision.

There is a risk that an emerging oil sector will undermine the national vision through economic distortions and by distracting policymakers from non-oil policy goals. Guyana will need a clear idea of what its priorities are.”

NATIONAL OIL COMPANY Chatham House has noted that there is great anxiety by Government officials to create a National Oil Company (NOC).

But in setting up a NOC, Chatham House has advised that Guyana would need to think about what role it would serve in the value chain and that it is not a risky venture. It noted that NOCs can create value by developing technical capacity that enables them to take on operatorship of oil and gas projects.

However, the time required to build the necessary capacity to handle such risk is long (one can expect 15 years of sustained efforts). Chatham House believes that another, more accessible ambition would be to offer a window

By Kiana Wilburg

to the operations. With a minority stake in licences (with costs carried by the partners until production), Chatham House says that the NOC can observe the decision-making of the oil company during development and production.

It said that this helps to build capacity in the NOC and helps government understand operations.

Chatham House noted that the NOC can also be a centre for development of skills and capacity in the oil sector.

It noted, however, that NOCs need constraints to avoid growing too ambitious, too slack in spending and too unfocused.

It said, “It is the government’s job to give the NOC a clear mandate and to oversee its performance. It needs to assess whether the NOC’s mandate and investments are too risky. The oil and gas sector is a capital-intensive one and the NOC would need to demonstrate its ability to manage risks. In light of the pressures a carbon-constrained world will impose on national or private oil companies, some thought should be given about how much to invest in developing its capacity and whether its mandate should include the support of renewables.”

“With regard to the creation of supply chains and opportunities for local content, the discussion emphasized the importance of identifying sectors with a competitive advantage. The small population and market size of Guyana is a disadvantage. Attracting the large Diaspora back to the country could be valuable. To reduce dependence on oil, Guyana should focus on supply chains that benefit growth in other sectors of economy (e.g., financial service, insurance, logistics)...”

FISCAL RULES Chatham House has often emphasized to local authorities that oil is a commodity with volatile international prices. As such, it is important for all governments to understand the impact of spending those volatile revenues on a small economy. It has noted that these impacts demonstrate the necessity to de-link these revenues from public spending. There are numerous fiscal rules that can be used to this end.

According to Chatham House, these are: • To spend based on structural income rather than on the volatile actual income. Structural income or permanent fiscal revenues can be determined by using the long-term average price for the commodity and save any revenues over that price. Governments can spend their savings when revenue flows fall below the long-term price. There are different ways to estimate the long-term price and none is perfect, but they do give a structure to the savings decision. Governments should also identify windfalls as transitory or permanent price surges and remain conservative in making this assessment.

• Under the so-called ‘Bird in Hand Rule’, the government saves all petroleum revenues in a fund and withdraws the long-term expected rate of return. This leads to a sustainable increase in public spending and, in consumption, disconnects public spending from volatile international oil prices and allows significant long-term savings.

The main disadvantage is that public spending only increases slowly, which may disappoint the public and be unsuitable for countries

•

with pressing development needs.

Under the ‘Permanent Income Hypothesis’, the aim is to achieve an equitable increase in consumption from petroleum wealth across generations. This is achieved by spending the long-term real rate of return from total petroleum wealth, when total petroleum wealth equals savings plus future petroleum revenues. The main disadvantage is the complexity involved in accurately forecasting future petroleum revenues.

RESOURCE CURSE According to Chatham House, the ‘resource curse’ is not inevitable, but frequently occurs. Petroleum revenues can lead to it through volatile and inefficient public spending, Dutch Disease, an unsustainable increase in consumption and weakening institutions. The London-based body notes that fiscal rules form part of the solution to these problems, as do strong institutions. It said that emerging producers, such as Guyana, should consider carefully the capacity of their economy to absorb public spending.

Many countries expect to use petroleum revenues to increase infrastructure

spending and the productive potential of the economy.

Chatham House said that emerging producers – especially those in the preproduction phase – can draw important lessons on managing their economy post-discovery from their peers. It noted that research at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) found that countries with giant discoveries tended to disappoint on economic growth forecasts.

It noted that many projects were delayed or faced cost overruns. No less than 73 percent were late and 64 percent had cost over-runs averaging 59 percent over budget. Others with early production faced a 60 percent drop in revenues as oil prices fell in 2014.

Common to the cases studied was the expectation of transformative economic impact from oil and gas as well as excessive borrowing, which led several countries in the study to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Chatham House noted that the biggest discoveries and countries with poor institutional governance had the most significant economic disappointment. As such, it stressed that Guyana will need to manage expectations about spending levels, be cautious on accruing debt and work to build strong institutions.

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ROSE RAMDEHOL

THE FIRST GUYANESE WOMAN TO OWN AN AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS IN GUYANA

By Feona Morrison

R

ose Ramdehol is said to be the first female to own an automotive business in Guyana. Her business was established in 1991, and at that time, it started with the sale of two Japanese-made used cars which Rose had acquired through a loan.

Now, more than two decades after its establishment, Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales has evolved into one of the country’s prominent auto dealerships.

Rose’s family was by her side to help foster the growth of the young business in its early days.

Although she retired as Managing Director last year, Rose is very much involved in the day to day activities of the company.

Operating out of Lot 226 South Road, Bourda, Georgetown, Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales is now under the direction of Rose’s son, Joshua Ramdehol.

Joshua has learnt a lot from his mother, and under his stewardship, the establishment has been offering a wide array of services to the populace. For instance, apart from retailing used Japanese vehicles, the company also exports them to various Caribbean territories.

The auto sales dealership is the only authorized retailer for HERO Motocorp Ltd., formerly HERO Honda, in the English speaking Caribbean and Suriname. HERO Motocorp is an Indian motorcycle and scooter manufacturer based in New Delhi, India.

It is the largest two wheel manufacturer in the world.

The business only sells brand new motorcycles and scooters at very affordable prices.

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It also offers all the necessary after sales services and can assist customers with acquiring finance to purchase any vehicle of their choice.

What is even more impressive is that Joshua is one of the youngest global dealers of the HERO brand of motorcycles and scooters. “They (the motorcycles) are very affordable, fuel efficient and appealing to the eyes,” Joshua revealed.

He added that the HERO brand has grown tremendously over the years and that it is the only brand of motorcycles in Guyana offering a two year warranty.

When asked of the challenges in the industry, Joshua admitted that from 2008 to 2015, the business faced difficulties due to competition from other auto sales businesses. He, however, said that since the introduction of the HERO brand, business has been booming. Joshua revealed that they are currently working on acquiring other motorcycle franchises.

Additionally, customers now have the enjoyment of pre-ordering their desired vehicles and a one year warranty is granted on all used cars.

Ultimately, Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales remains committed to their customers in every aspect of the car and motorcycle buying experience by offering world class customer service.

After all, this family business is synonymous with excellence and teamwork.

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CONSUMER TIP

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN BUYING YOUR FIRST CAR

C

ars are not only becoming more affordable to the ordinary man, but financing to purchase one is very much within reach, even if liquid asset is not readily available. Essentially, liquid asset is available cash or asset that can be quickly converted to cash when you need to make a purchase.

But even without ready cash, buyers can seek financing from lending institutions, such as banks, when the need for funding arises. Of course, seeking the latter option will attract an interest and the borrower will essentially have to weigh his/her option in terms of the ability to repay for the agreed period.

There are quite a few individuals who have a preference to make cash purchases. Utilizing this option might be deemed the simplest when making such a purchase.

However, persons must bear in mind that the circumstances are quite different when purchasing from a dealer or from a previous owner.

CASH PURCHASE

After choosing whether to buy directly from a dealer or a previous owner, the buyer can then choose to pay the cost of the car by way of cash, cheque or money transfer. It is often advisable to pay a portion of the cash to the seller up front. It is also advisable to pay by the safest means possible – either cheque or money transfer.

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By Sharmain Grainger

When buying from a dealer, the process of registration, which is facilitated by the local tax collection agency, the Guyana Revenue Authority [GRA], is for the most part taken care of by the dealer. This essentially leaves little work for the buyer, other than providing a valid form of identification, Tax Identification Number [TIN] Certificate and the payment for the vehicle. Once the buyer will also be the driver of the vehicle, a driver’s license will be required to legally drive the car out of the dealership’s showroom.

However, when buying from a previous owner, the buyer may be expected to be more hands-on in the registration process. This means that both the buyer and the seller will have to be involved in the process to have the vehicle transferred from the old owner to the new owner. This, of course, will require an agreement of sale between the buyer and the seller.

At GRA, a cost is attached to the transfer of the vehicle from the seller to the buyer, which is usually $25,000 or two percent of the sale price of the vehicle depending on which is greater.

The process of transfer entails the completion of an application form for transfer of ownership of the motor vehicle and both parties must be present at GRA when this is being processed. Both are required to have in place their TIN certificates and valid ID. Also, a copy of the original certificate of registration must be presented to GRA to facilitate the transfer of the vehicle.

If buying from a previous owner, the buyer will also have to present to the bank the previous owner’s valid identification and original registration of the vehicle to the bank.

Once the repayment agreement is completed and all dotted lines are signed, the bank is likely to take a few days to process the payment, allowing for the cutting of a cheque for the payment of the vehicle either to a car dealership or to the previous owner.

The process usually takes one business day before the new owner can receive the new registration certificate for the purchased car.

FINANCING FROM LENDING INSTITUTIONS

Should the buyer opt for financing from a bank, the process may take a few days longer than if he or she made a cash purchase.

Bear in mind, too, that the type of car you buy will add to your net worth and could even make you eligible for higher future financing once you prove to be a reliable client.

However, the buyer will certainly have to first prove to the bank that they have the capacity to repay the loan within a stipulated time. For instance, the buyer must have proof of income, which not only covers the monthly repayment amount but also leaves enough for the buyer to cover his or her other expenses. Often, the agreement between the bank and the buyer is that the buyer must have in hand at least 25 percent of the cost of the vehicle in question. This, however, may differ from one financial institution to another.

The buyer may also be required to have a bank account with the lending institution through which payments will be made. The buyer will also have to provide all necessary documents including valid identification, proof of address, job letter and pay slip or a notarized letter if they are self employed. Additionally, the buyer will also have to present to the bank a quotation from a recognized dealer of the cost of the vehicle or an agreement of sale if buying from a previous owner.

TAKING CARE

Whether through a lending institution or one’s liquid asset, the new owner of the vehicle will have to ensure that it is insured by a recognized insurance company which will help to offset cost should there be an unfortunate accident causing damage to the vehicle. Insurance is required by law.

But there is even more that a new buyer needs to know about buying his or her first car. In fact, those desirous of buying a car must bear in mind that owning a car means that you must be prepared for additional responsibilities. Primary among these is accepting that a car cannot run on fumes and will need gasoline to keep it zooming along.

Also, as a new owner of a car, you will have to take care of this asset in other ways. In addition to fuel, finances will have to be put aside to cater for regular servicing of the vehicle to ensure that it performs optimally. Regular washing and waxing will also be required and a paint job may at some point be needed to keep your car in good condition for years to come.

How essential is appropriate dress attire to your business?

By Rae Dawn Brusch

B

usiness attire, over the years, has changed and many people fail to realize its importance. Sometimes, it may be difficult to differentiate which is important and which is not. Knowing how to dress for everyday work and for those special meetings, appointments and events is a crucial skill.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” a phrase heard often in the business world. First impressions are crucial, they have the ability to make or break a business.

Businesses run on personal communication just as much as they do on money. In order to thrive, you need the persons who will have cause to connect with you to see you in good light. The way we dress at work has a huge impact on our career. People perceive us from the way we present ourselves and 55% of their perception is based on how we look.

Dressing well compliments your professionalism and will result in people taking you seriously. A professional look will make the difference between impressing clients and winning contracts or losing the client’s interest. After all, your image

is also a representation of the company you work for and the right look will boost your credibility.

Overdressing can be seen as trying too hard and may look tacky. Avoid chunky stuff, wear small sized accessories that wouldn’t be seen as a distraction or just too much. Do not wear contrasting colours when meeting with clients or prospective clients. Try to keep everything looking well blended and organized, it will pave the way for your presentation or proposal. At the same time, underdressing will cause the person you are meeting with to feel disrespected. Clients will think you have few interests and will not consider your offer or, at the workplace, your superior will think you do not care about your job.

Another important aspect when considering dressing patterns is the appearance of your clothing. It’s not just about the pieces you choose to wear, they need to be looking and smelling clean and well ironed for a neat look. A badly ironed shirt gives a scruffy unprofessional and unorganized appearance. Ensure your shirt is well tucked in your pants or skirt with a belt to complement and the option of matching shoes. Your shirt cuffs should be well folded and your pants, skirts, jackets or blazers well ironed.

If your work setting is a bit more creative or relaxed and casual wear is permitted, ensure your pants and jeans are not too tight or lose and tops do not restrict you from working and are not revealing.

Indeed, being dressed in the appropriate attire does have an impact on your business.

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IMF projects accelerated growth in run up to oil production ...gives favourable assessment of Guyana’s economic health 2017-2018

By Kiana Wilburg

On June 15, 2018, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Guyana as it relates to its economic health for 2017 through 2018.

It was noted that economic growth slowed in 2017, but became more broad-based. In fact, the economy grew by 2.1 percent, down from 3.4 percent in 2016, on the account of lower than expected mining output and weak performance in the sugar sector. Nonetheless, non-mining growth rebounded to 4.1 percent following a contraction in 2016.

Improvements in tax administration contributed to a 1.2 percentage point increase in the tax revenue to GDP ratio, which was partly offset by a 0.4 percentage point decline in the ratio for non-tax revenue.

Inflation remained stable at 1.5 percent at the end of 2017, largely driven by food items, while core inflation was close to zero. The external balance turned negative, due to weaker than expected export growth and higher oil prices. In 2017, the current account recorded a deficit of 6.7 percent of GDP from a surplus of 0.4 percent in 2016. The financial account improved due to Foreign Direct Investment, particularly in the oil and gas sector, and higher loan disbursements to the public sector. Gross reserve cover stood at 3.2 months of imports at the end of 2017. The Central Government’s deficit remained stable, at around 4.5 percent of GDP in 2017.

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Improvements in tax administration contributed to a 1.2 percentage point increase in the tax revenue to GDP ratio, which was partly offset by a 0.4 percentage point decline in the ratio for non-tax revenue. Public debt stood at 52.2 percent of GDP at the end of 2017. Credit to the private sector grew 2.1 percent in 2017, due to a combination of weak demand and banks continuing to strengthen their balance sheets.

Guyana’s banking system remains relatively stable.

Although banks remain profitable and have adequate capital buffers, non-performing loans (NPLs) remain high at 12.2 percent of total loans at the end of 2017, down from 12.9 percent at the end of 2016.

Guyana’s medium-term prospects are very favorable. The IMF notes that oil production is expected to commence in 2020 and additional oil discoveries have significantly improved the medium- and longterm outlook. Economic growth is projected to be 3.4 percent in 2018, driven by continued strength in the construction and rice sectors and a recovery in gold mining. The current account deficit is projected to narrow to 6.1 and 4.3 percent of GDP in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The deficit will be financed largely by FDI inflows and donor-supported investment.

The Fund projects that the Central Government deficit will widen to 5.4 and 5.1 percent of GDP in 2018 and 2019 due to the cost of restructuring the sugar sector and an increase in infrastructure-related capital expenditure. It notes that public debt is projected to rise in the short-term, before declining with the onset of oil production.

EXECUTIVE BOARD ASSESSMENT

In concluding the 2018 Article IV Consultation with Guyana, Executive Directors endorsed staff’s appraisals areas follows: While growth slowed down in 2017, it is expected to accelerate in the run-up to the start of oil production in 2020. The extractive industries and public investment will

be key drivers of economic growth over the medium-term.

Reducing the costs of doing business, strengthening private sector confidence, and advancing productivity-enhancing reforms are essential for sustaining growth in the shortterm and for reaping the full benefits of the oil windfall once it materializes.

Short-term financing needs should be carefully managed. The authorities’ prudence and restraint towards borrowing in anticipation of future oil revenue is commendable. They should rely as much as possible on Multilateral Development Banks, including their non-concessional financing operations. Developing the domestic capital markets would provide a more stable source of financing and help meet the needs of domestic long-term institutional investors. Private external borrowing should continue to be avoided and central bank financing should not be used at all. The staff welcomed the local authorities’ intention to close the overdraft balances at the central bank in the near-term. Saving the one-off gains from the tax amnesty would reduce financing needs and also help preserve external buffers.

The exchange rate should play a more active role in cushioning external shocks going forward. Guyana remains vulnerable to external shocks given the concentration of its exports in a few commodities and its reliance on imported oil in the short-term. Over the long-term, building an adequate buffer stock of savings from the oil revenues would also help cope with external shocks.

Significant progress has been made in implementing

the 2016 Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) recommendations, but further progress is needed in some areas. Ensuring the internal consistency of supervisory function from routine supervision to intervention and resolution remains a priority. Other important areas where work still needs to be finalized include: eliminating reduced provisioning requirements for “well-secured” portions of Non Performing Loans; refining the definition of “related parties” with the international standards; reducing the reliance on overdraft lending; clarifying the upstream and downstream ownership of institutions; raising minimum capital adequacy requirement to 12 percent; and reducing the banks’ large exposure limits.

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TALENT

THE TALENTED MAKEUP ARTIST

MISS JANICA SANDY HELPING WOMEN FLAWLESSLY ENHANCE THEIR DAILY BEAUTY REGIMEN By Kiana Wilburg and I began building a clientele from then.”

Recognising her talent, Sandy was made an offer in 2014 by a relative to undergo formal training in a cosmetology course in the twin island republic, Trinidad and Tobago. She admitted that she was not interested in the program at first, but later decided to take up the opportunity as it was there.

She has not regretted it since.

“It worked out really well. From that, it just gave me a boost and I started working; being a freelance makeup artist and going to people’s homes.” According to her, the experience in Trinidad opened up her eyes to a lot of things.

As a result, she wishes that more Guyanese would be more open to the idea of using makeup. Indeed, she believes that the industry is beginning to have more prominence in the country.

Sandy started her salon and make-up studio in Berbice some years ago, called ‘Ultimate Image’. When asked what the reason behind the name was, the talented woman said, “I created the name, ‘Ultimate Image’, because our image as women or people, in general, is very important in today’s society.”

Aside from dealing with her clients, Sandy has been involved in a number of projects, which include the

The talented Ms. Janica Sandy

M

akeup has become one of the avant-garde ways women showcase their beauty and tell the world a bit about who they are. And in the local landscape, 31-year-old Janica Sandy has been blazing the trail in helping women flawlessly enhance their beautiful features.

In her interview with the Guyana Inc. Magazine, Sandy explained how her interest in makeup began while growing up in Berbice. She said, “Since growing up as a child, I always liked to play dress-up and I was always self-conscious about the way I looked as a little girl. I had a passion for make-up from the age of 11, but I never thought I would have reached this far to becoming an international professional make-up artist.”

Influencing her even further was the fact that Sandy competed in two pageants while residing in Berbice. These were the Miss Berbice Mash Queen and the Miss Region Six Pageant in 2004, where she was the First Runner Up in both events.

Most of her initial skills were self-taught. Sandy said that she constantly practised on herself and received much praise from her friends who encouraged her to take up the field.

Even at that point, she doubted her ability to work on other people. However, one particular friend kept banging the idea into her head and invited Sandy to her salon to work on the face of a client.

It was after this experience that Sandy’s career kicked off.

“With that, people started to recognise me. I was like, ‘Wait, this is something I can actually do.’ So when I did work for different people, they would recommend me to their friends

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An Indian look by Sandy

Caribbean Premiere League cricket tournament, where she was tasked with doing the make-up of the cheerleaders. Additionally, Sandy is the official make-up artist for Homestretch Magazine.

She told the Guyana Inc. Magazine of one of her biggest projects, which was doing the makeup for a 21-person bridal party. According to her, all the faces took eight hours to complete, with the aid of her two assistants. “That was a short time. Doing a full and neat or more creative make-up would take like three hours on one person.”

Knowing how to treat each client, as it relates to the colours to use and the like, Sandy said that she uses certain determining factors, such as skin tone, the outfit to be worn and the attitude of the individual.

“From the minute a client walks through my door, I can tell what would best suit this person, or I would ask the client what they want and advise them on what would work.”

It brings much joy to her heart to see the effect that her work has on clients, as many of them cannot contain their smiles or are unable to resist the temptation to take numerous selfies to post on social media to show off their new look.

“When you apply make-up, your self-confidence is boosted. Right away my clients would want to take selfies. If they are not going anywhere special, they end up finding somewhere to go after.”

Knowing that men usually criticise the use of make-up, saying that it is not necessary for women to do all that extra work, Sandy said that it needs to be understood that make-up only serves to enhance a woman’s appearance and features and add confidence.

“You don’t even have to be going anywhere to apply make-up; you can apply make-up in your own home just to boost yourself, especially if you are having a bad day.”

Sandy has been teaching persons, for eight years now, how to apply their own make-up. She works every day, only by appointments, at her Lot 27 Gordon Street, Kitty location. She believes that the industry can be enhanced with a number of activities; one such being a “Make-Up Expo” where artists can come together, showcase their talent and pass on knowledge to others, while at the same time making them comfortable to use beauty products.

Pure elegance!

GUYANA’S INAUGURAL CARNIVAL DUBBED A HUGE SUCCESS

By Royden James

T

he inaugural Guyana Carnival was held on May 1827, 2018. The experience was nothing short of fun, and for every event, the energy was high. Hundreds of Guyanese participated in events such as all-inclusive parties, concerts, boat rides, day tours and a grand costume day parade through the streets of Georgetown.

On the actual carnival day, the weather threatened a bit, but thousands of locals still flocked the streets to get a glimpse of the extravagant proceedings which took place on May 26. On that day, Guyana also celebrated 52 years as an independent nation.

Persons were seen snapping selfies against the backdrop of revelers while others recorded videos of the event to post on social media. But apart from all the frolicking on the streets, the Guyana Carnival, without a doubt, also proved to be a successful business venture.

A number of local businesses in the food, beverage, and arts and crafts industry reaped huge benefits from the privately-led pilot Guyana Carnival 2018. The event, which was spearheaded by local promoters Hits and Jams, also attracted lots of interest from the Diaspora.

Guyana Carnival 2019 is expected to be launched soon.

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THE GUYANA-VENEZUELA BORDER CONTROVERSY…

A CHRONICLE OF ITS HISTORY AND THE WAY FORWARD

By Kiana Wilburg

O

n March 29, 2018, Guyana filed an application against Venezuela before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the two countries’ long-standing dispute over the Essequibo region. This application was filed after the UN Secretary General decided, on January 30, 2018, that the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela should be submitted to the Court.

The Secretary General’s decision was welcomed in Guyana and received support from Caribbean countries. But it was received with some hostility in Venezuela. A decision by the ICJ could be the final act in a dispute which has, sometimes bitterly, divided the neighbouring countries for over a century. The dispute between the two states includes both procedural and substantive elements. But before the ICJ can make any judgment on the case, Guyana must prove that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter. Both Venezuela and Guyana have until November 19 to submit statements for and against in this regard.

The dispute has a long and complex history, so in this article, we will offer only a brief outline of its historical context and the main issues now in contention between the parties, including the question of the ICJ’s competence to hear and determine the issue.

BACKGROUND AND THE PARIS AWARD OF 1899 The disputed area between the two states lies roughly between the Orinoco and the Essequibo Rivers. Venezuela lays claim to this territory as successor to the Spanish Empire, from which it declared independence in 1810, on the basis that the Spanish established sovereignty in the late 16th Century by discovering, settling and exercising political control over the region. The British, on the other hand, claim to have acquired the territory from the Dutch by a formal cession under the terms of

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the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814. According to the British, Dutch subjects had settled in the area in 1616 and continued trading on the Essequibo and other rivers in the vicinity in the following decades.

Dutch sovereignty over these settlements was recognized

by Spain in 1648 when, as part of the Peace of Westphalia, the Spanish and Dutch signed the Peace of Münster to end the eighty years war between them. Under Article 5 of the Peace of Münster, Spain agreed that the Dutch would retain all of the ‘lordships, cities, castles, fortresses, trades and lands in the… West Indies’ under their possession at that time, but the treaty did not specify the boundary dividing their respective possessions in the region. From the 1650s onwards, the Dutch expanded their settlements and trading activities in the area, and the Dutch West India Company controlled the coast between the Essequibo and Orinoco rivers. The British seized the Dutch settlements in 1803, and in 1814, the Dutch formally ceded to them, the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, though again, the boundaries of these colonies remained undefined.

In 1831, the British consolidated these settlements as British Guiana.

In 1840, Britain commissioned a German surveyor, Robert Schomburgk, who had previously explored the area, to delineate the boundaries of British Guiana (the ‘Schomburgk Line’). Venezuela disputed Schomburgk’s line, and in 1850, the parties agreed not to occupy the disputed area. Despite this, in the late 19th Century, British citizens settled in the area, prompting renewed protests by the Venezuelan Government, which later broke off diplomatic relations and sought assistance from the United States. In 1897, the parties agreed to submit the dispute to arbitration. A tribunal was constituted with two British members, two Americans and the Russian jurist, Fiodor de Martens, as president. The tribunal sat in Paris and, during the proceedings, Venezuela was represented by American counsel.

The tribunal issued a short, unanimous award in 1899, offering

merely a description of the course of the boundary line, without giving any reasons for the decision. The award granted Britain almost 90% of the disputed territory, but assigned to Venezuela a valuable portion at the mouth of the Orinoco river.

Under Article XIII of the Treaty of Arbitration, the parties had agreed to consider the result of the arbitration as ‘a full, perfect, and final settlement’ of the issue, and Venezuela did not protest the award after it was delivered. The border was subsequently fixed by the AngloVenezuelan Boundary Commission in 1905.

THE GENEVA AGREEMENT On February 8, 1944, Severo MalletPrevost, a junior lawyer in the Venezuelan legal team before the Paris Tribunal, wrote a letter which was posthumously published in the American Journal of International Law in 1949 ((1949) 43 AJIL 523). The letter contained allegations of impropriety by the tribunal, claiming that the award was the result of a secret deal between the president of the tribunal and the British arbitrators. In 1962, Venezuela declared that it would no longer abide by the 1899 Award on the basis that it was null and void.

The two states held talks and, in 1966, signed an agreement to resolve the controversy (the ‘Geneva Agreement’).

Article I of the Geneva Agreement provided for the establishment of a mixed commission, tasked with seeking ‘satisfactory solutions for the practical arrangement’ of the dispute. Furthermore, pursuant to Article IV, in the event that the mixed commission failed to reach a solution after four years, the parties would be required to select one the means of peaceful dispute settlement in Article 33 of the Charter to resolve the conflict. In accordance with Article VIII of the Agreement, Guyana became a party to the treaty when it gained independence in 1966.

The mixed commission referred to in Article I of the Geneva Agreement was established in 1966 and, after holding 16 sessions, its term expired in 1970 without a resolution to the dispute. In that same year, the parties agreed on the Protocol of Port-of-Spain, which suspended the operation of Article IV of the Agreement for 12 years. The Protocol expired at the end of its term in 1982, after Venezuela decided not to renew the agreement.

In 1990, in accordance with Article IV(2) of the Geneva Agreement, the parties sought the Good Offices of the UN Secretary General in an effort to move the dispute forward. In 2016, the UNSG announced absent significant progress

towards a solution of the controversy by the end of 2017, and unless both parties jointly request that he refrain from doing so, he would choose the ICJ as the next means of settlement.

As noted, after a series of unsuccessful meetings between the parties, the UNSG announced his decision to submit the dispute to the ICJ in January 2018.

PRESENT DISPUTE The dispute between the two states includes both substantive and procedural elements.

Substantively, this is not a straightforward territorial dispute. Indeed, the parties disagree as to whether a territorial dispute exists at all. The current issue turns on the meaning and implications of the 1966 Geneva Agreement. Venezuela’s understanding is that the Geneva Agreement constitutes an implicit acknowledgement by the parties that the 1899 Award is invalid, with the result that the dispute between the two countries concerning sovereignty over the Essequibo remains unresolved. According to Guyana, the Geneva Agreement carries no implications concerning the validity or nullity of the 1899 Award. In its view, the only subject in dispute between the parties is whether the 1899 Award is, as Venezuela asserts, null and void. Indeed, in its Application, Guyana has asked the Court to confirm that the award is valid and binding.

The parties have long disagreed on whether the ICJ has jurisdiction to hear the dispute. The Geneva Agreement does not expressly mention the ICJ as a means of dispute settlement. Rather Article IV(2) states that: If within three months of receiving the final report, the Government of Guyana and the Government of Venezuela should not have reached agreement regarding the choice of one of the means of settlement provided in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, they shall refer the decision as to the means of settlement to an appropriate international organ upon which they both agree or, failing agreement on this point, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. If the means so chosen do not lead to a solution of the controversy, the said organ or, as the case may be, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall choose another of the means stipulated in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, and so on until the controversy has been resolved or until all the means of peaceful settlement there contemplated have been exhausted.

Article 33 of the UN Charter does not expressly refer to the ICJ either, but it mentions ‘judicial settlement’ as one of the means for the pacific settlement of disputes. It seems logical to interpret, as the UNSG has done, Article 33 as including judicial settlement by the ICJ, seeing that it is the principal judicial organ of the UN, and that both States are parties to the ICJ Statute. On this interpretation, Article IV of the Geneva Agreement could be read, as Guyana has done in its application to the Court, as a compromissory clause, which confers jurisdiction on the ICJ, albeit indirectly.

(Information Provided by the European Journal of International Law and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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1. Introduction In 2017, the Private Sector Commission of Guyana (PSC) commenced a Business Summit which discussed matters of policy and external dynamics to the firm for ensuring private sector development. This Summit dealt with matters of an enabling environment and appropriate government policies to foster private sector development. Part of engendering a more robust private sector and ensuring the engine of growth is strong is to address the internal dynamics of the firm. The Business Development Forum seeks to address the internal dynamics of the firm A platform improving the internal dynamics of firms in Guyana that is, those which are for related to business development.

Figure 1 outlines the relationship of the Business Development Forum and how it maps into private sector development and, by extension, economic growth. of Guyana (PSC) the Private Sector Commission Answering the primary question: In order to answer

GCCI’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FORUM

I

Economic Growth

n 2017, commenced a Business Summit which addressed the internal dynamics of the firm, that is, those factors which are related to business development. Figure 1 outlines the relationship of the Business Development Forum and how it maps into private sector development, and by extension, economic growth.

Private Sector Development

the primary question, the Business Development Forum facilitated the following: 1. Presentations: Presentations made from the institutions, agencies, academia and a role model for each category of business, describing in their specific area, how an entity can improve its business.

Internal Dynamics of the Firm (Business Development)

GCCI'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FORUM

External Dynamics of the Firm (Enabling Environment)

Private Sector Commission's Business Summit

Environmental Policies

Appropriate Policies

Social Policies

Other Policies

Figure 1 - The Role of GCCI's Business Development Forum in Private Sector Development in Guyana 1. The Business Development Forum in Guyana’s Private Sector Development and Economic Growth

2. The Business Development Forum in Guyana’s Private Sector Development and

The Business Development Forum (BDF) was a two-day business Economic Growth forum which was intended to provide a platform for the growth of businesses. It catered for all businesses, irrespective of their size.

It was originally conceptualized as a forum for small businesses.

However, after discussions, research and analysis, it was realized that a forum to foster improvement of the internal dynamics of all firms in Guyana’s private sector was necessary.

It is with this in mind that the BDF sought to cover issues relating to private sector entities of all sizes, - Micro & Small businesses; Medium-sized businesses and large entities. To adequately address each of the aforementioned categories, a three-pronged approach has been designed.

1. Institutions & Agencies: Institutions and agencies relevant to the business growth of the specific category 2. Education & Academia: A theoretical perspective and the role of formal education presented by academia 3. Role Model: A role model or a success story by a company who has been able to grow from one category to another 2. Understanding the Method of the Business Development Forum Primary Question: The primary question which the Business Development Forum attempted to address can be succinctly stated as – How does a company in Guyana grow from one category to another?

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2. Panel Discussions: Facilitated panel discussions with questions from the audience and healthy discourse on business development.

3. Strategy Document: A single comprehensive document from the presentations and panel discussions on improving the internal dynamics of the firm in Guyana.

4. Public Exhibition: A public exhibition by relevant agencies and institutions, which provided a space for information sharing and facilitating easy-access to experts.

5. Networking: Industry experts, potential partners, clients and others in the supply chain will facilitate knowledge transfer, information sharing and industrywide connections.

3. Objectives of the Business Development Forum The primary objective of the Business Development Forum is to bring all the institutions which are relevant to a business at each stage of its development in one space for entities to understand different dimensions to unlocking their business growth. This will enable for categories of businesses to grow in accordance with the map depicted in Figure 3.

The secondary objectives of the Business Development Forum are to: 1. Provide a single, comprehensive event to facilitate business growth and strategy development.

2. Provide networking, support and capacity building opportunities for micro and small businesses.

3. Create a complete roadmap to developing entrepreneurs and growing businesses in Guyana.

4. Expanding the number of micro and small businesses subscribed to the Chamber of Commerce such that their business growth can be supported.

5. Provide a space for discussions on issues pertinent to business growth which will foster thinking in the private sector community.

6. Provide a space for relevant entities and agencies which interface with the business community to interact with businesses and the wider public.

7. Engender a sense of community and spirit of cooperation in the business community whilst maintaining a healthy dose of competition.

8. Providing an opportunity for companies which support business growth and development to display their products.

4. Understanding the context of the Businesses in Guyana 4.1 Developing and Vitalizing Large Businesses in Guyana It became apparent that many of the largest firms in Guyana were dwarfed when compared with their Caribbean counterparts – a fact substantiated by (Pasha, Wenner, & Bollers, 2018, p.

3) where it was noted that despite strong sales growth of the Guyanese private sector, ‘Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of…firms are the third lowest of 12 [major] Caribbean countries.’ Further credence is given to this by the same IDB Publication, which states that 62 percent of mature firms are either in a state of stagnation or decline in Guyana. (Pasha, Wenner, & Bollers, 2018, p. 1) The BDF sought to provide a platform for promoting expansion of large businesses in Guyana to become internationally competitive and penetrate new markets. The emergence of new dynamics in the international financial architecture, such as understanding Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, compounded by the limit of financial entities in Guyana to lend financing are just a few in a myriad of challenges.

4.2 Accelerating the growth of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) continue to remain pivotal to the development of the Guyanese economy.

Twenty years ago, the sector accounted for 40 percent of total employment and contributed approximately 28 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (Wenner & Chalmers, 2001). Since then, the contributions of MSMEs have grown in their contribution to the economy, with the crafting of a legal and institutional framework to promote their development.

Several programmes have been undertaken by different Guyanese Governments. Notable programmes undertaken over

the past decade include: the Women of Worth (WOW) project, the Micro and Small Enterprises Development (MSED) project, the Agricultural Export Diversification (AED) project and the Rural Enterprises and Agricultural Development (READ) project.

However, despite efforts by Government, SMEs are still constrained by limited access to finance. According to the McGarrell Reports in 2009 on the needs of MSMEs in Guyana, the historically high failure rates of these firms explain the aversion of lending

institution to provide financial support to them. (McGarrell, 2009).

(Rambarran & Shaw, 2018) maps the aversion of Guyanese lending institutions to provide financial support to MSMEs to nine (9) primary reasons. These are: 1. Poor Business Plans - The inability of these entities to formulate properly researched and credible business plans; 2. Financial Illiteracy - Financial illiteracy and poor financial practices in operations; 3. Educational Deficits - Lack of a capacity or engaging in an activity where not skilled or trained; 4. Reputational Absence - Absence of proven track record in and around the production; 5. Inefficient Management - Leading to inefficient production processes; 6. Lack of Information Sharing - Improper knowledge of markets including access to technology to do research; 7. Lack of Skill-set - Inability to forecast; 8. Market Standards - Inability to adapt or incorporate market standards such as quality assurance, packaging, environmental requirements, etc; 9. Women Entrepreneurship - Intra-household dynamics for women entrepreneurs who often times have little or no help in their childrearing or child-bearing duties; Further, (Gossai, 2016, pp. 15, 16) identifies that: 10. Trade Regulatory Education – “A platform for information sharing, networking, consultations, and feedback is vital to this effort.”

11. Digital Marketing– “The importance of leveraging the digital economy to expand internationalization opportunities for MSMEs by widening access to the internet and building capacities to enable MSMEs to adopt internet-based models, such as Online-to-Offline (O2O), utilizing e-commerce platforms and online portals that will enable them to explore and conduct crossborder transactions.”

12. The Role of Academia – “Partnerships, linkages and networking among innovation centers, research communities and academia, as well as those involving large and small businesses need to be supported and enhanced.”

5. Response to the Business Development Forum The inaugural Business Development Forum has been hailed as a success, being able to attract more than 140 participants from the private sector and approximately 35 presenters. Equally praised by the participants was the quality and relevance of the presentations, which were able to stimulate discussions examining firm-level inefficiencies and productivity constraints. The Forum will become an annual feature of the GCCI as it seeks to contribute to private sector development from a unique vantage point.

(For more information on partnering with the Chamber or supporting the Business Development Forum, one should make contact with the Chamber on telephone numbers 226-3519 or by email at gccicommerce2009@gmail.com.)

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THE OMBUDSMAN: A citizen’s defender against maladministration

By Royden James

I

n Jamaica and several other CARICOM nations, the role of the Ombudsman is to conduct investigations into complaints relating to party political issues and to perform other functions in accordance with the provisions of various acts. In Guyana, however, the Ombudsman serves as a watchdog, guarding against abuse or the violation of citizens’ rights by public officials and their departments and authorities. The Ombudsman is the public advocate for members of the public against injustices caused by maladministration. These services are free.

The establishment of an Ombudsman was enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana from the time of its Independence in 1966. Guyana was the first country in the western hemisphere and the second Commonwealth state to enshrine the position of Ombudsman in its Constitution. Article 192 (1) of Guyana’s

Constitution holds that the Ombudsman “…may investigate any action taken by any department of Government or by any other authority to which this article applies, or by the President, Ministers, officers or members of such a department or authority, being action taken in exercise of the administrative functions of that department or authority.”

The decision to establish an Ombudsman in Guyana had its genesis in the Report of the British Guiana Commission of Inquiry, constituted by the International Commission of Jurists in October 1965. During that era, the Premier of British Guiana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, had invited the International Commission of Jurists to send a team to undertake an appraisal of racial imbalances in the country’s public services in 1965, in the aftermath of the bloody ‘disturbances’ of 1964.

The ‘Report’ of the Commission of

Inquiry noted, inter alia, that: ‘Since there will be cases of alleged discrimination where it will not be practicable to invoke the Constitution in the courts as a means of redress, it would be desirable to have a simple, swift and inexpensive procedure for investigating such cases.’

As such, that report said that the government at that time recognized the need to investigate maladministration, which included racial discrimination, and supported the concept of an Ombudsman which is vested with Constitutional authority.

Retired Justice, Winston Patterson, currently serves as the country’s Ombudsman. Justice Patterson replaced the late retired Justice Winston Moore, who served as Ombudsman to Guyana from January 2014 until his death in September 2016.

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UP IN SMOKE!!!

By Gordon French

GUYANA’S MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR TOBACCO INDUSTRY FEELS HEAT FROM NEW LAWS

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he heat is on the tobacco industry in Guyana to play by new rules or face stiff penalties. On July 27, 2017, after a five-year process, efforts culminated in the passage of the National Tobacco Act, one of the most complete tobacco control laws in the Americas.

“Many persons would say that smoking is a matter of choice,” said Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence.

“And yes, that choice goes both ways. It is a matter of choice that our citizens choose to smoke or not to smoke. But we have a responsibility and choice to make sure that, as a government, we provide the best care, that we educate our people and that we take the necessary precautions to ensure that our people do not end up on the opposite side of being healthy.”

Since the passage of the Act, the Ministry of Public Health has consulted with the industry several times. This resulted in the publication of the tobacco packaging and labeling regulations on May 26, last, giving the industry until February 25, 2019 to comply.

The tobacco industry is now required to submit samples of its products with complete packaging and labeling to the Ministry of Public Health for approval before the deadline.

Non-compliance with labeling and packaging requirements of tobacco products can result in a maximum penalty of $200,000 for businesses and a maximum penalty of $9M for the corporate bodies in the tobacco industry.

Attorney-at-Law, Kesaundra Alves, who has been a consultant to the Ministry of Public Health on the tobacco legislation said that the regulations speak to the general labeling and health. As part of the new requirements, 60 percent of the packaging and labeling of tobacco products must bear graphic pictorial health warnings provided by the Ministry of Public Health. The other 40 percent is for branding.

These health warnings must highlight the harmful effects of tobacco.

Estimates indicate that the Government will lose $4B in taxes because of the new rules. But health officials say that the country uses more tax dollars to care for those that fall ill to tobacco smoke. Tobacco is responsible for 7 million deaths per year worldwide. This includes 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. If current

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trends continue, tobacco use will kill 10 million people per year by 2020. Seventy percent of these fatalities will occur in lessdeveloped and emerging nations.

According to health officials, Guyana is a developing nation where 78% of all deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), strongly related to tobacco use. Over 15% of the adult population currently smokes and, more worryingly, the results of a Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2015 revealed that 14.8% of adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years also use tobacco.

“We don’t want people to smoke; that’s the truth.

Therefore, we are giving them all of the information. This is part of a number of measures we are implementing to fight the tobacco epidemic,” Alves stated.

Guyana’s efforts to reign in the tobacco industry have not gone unnoticed. The Ministry of Public Health received an award in 2018 from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their accomplishments in tobacco control.

This recognition was for the outstanding leadership of the Ministry which led to the approval of the country’s comprehensive Tobacco Control Act. This law, according to the Pan American Organization (PAHO), positions Guyana as one of the most advanced CARICOM countries in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

“Ensuring the protection of a country’s population from the adverse effects of tobacco is a marathon process, requiring stamina, coordination, perseverance, dedication and support; but the payoff is huge – the improved health and wellbeing of citizens,” PAHO states.

Guyana is one of the latest countries in the region to run this marathon.

According to PAHO, this outstanding success, however, brings a new set of challenges, and the race continues to ensure the Right to Health of the citizens of Guyana with the enforcement of these measures to protect the population from the dangers of tobacco smoke.

“It is critical to ensure that the measures outlined in the Act are implemented immediately, while at the same time countering the threats posed by interference from the local tobacco industry aimed at reversing these public health gains,” PAHO notes.

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM PANIC ANXIETY DISORDER?

BY AKEELA EUROPE

I

t comes to ravage you; like a thief in the night. It pounces without warning; it makes you lose a piece of yourself every single time. The intense fear, your heart ripping through your chest, the inability to breathe as if you’re drowning, the immense sweating, the room spinning like a ferris wheel and, worse yet, the feeling that your heart is about to stop. Sounds familiar?

Well, Panic Anxiety Disorder is the culprit! It is a subtype of Anxiety Disorder, which is a psychological disorder that involves excessive levels of negative emotions, such as nervousness, tension, worry, fright and anxiety. Anxiety presents itself with a diffused, unpleasant, vague sense of apprehension, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as headaches, perspiration, palpitations, tightness in the chest, mild stomach discomfort, and restlessness, indicated by an inability to sit or stand still for long.

Consider Anxiety Disorder to be a big family of distinct mental disorders.

Its subtypes are Panic Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder or Phobia and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It [anxiety disorders] can also increase your risk of other medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse and depression.

Panic anxiety disorder surfaces when you experience recurring unexpected panic attacks and feelings of impending doom. While panic attacks are simply abrupt surges of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes, it comes with that daily fear of having another attack. Episodes are acute with intense periods of severe fear that varies from several attacks during one day to only a few attacks during the year.

Its first attack is spontaneous and sometimes followed by excitement, physical exertion, sexual activity or moderate emotional trauma. Changes in your dietary habits (consuming more caffeine, nicotine, alcohol; or unusual patterns of eating) or sleeping habits

may prompt an attack. Lasting about 30 - 60 minutes, the attack may begin with about 10 minutes of intense palpitations (accelerated heart rate), shortness of breath and sweating, feelings of choking, chest pain or discomfort, nausea or abdominal distress, feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, faint chills or heat sensations, feelings of unreality (de-realization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization), fear of losing control or “going crazy” and fear of dying. Symptoms disappear quickly or gradually.

But even around every dark cloud there is a silver lining and, contrary to beliefs, anxiety can be normal and we all experience it from time to time. For instance, it is present when preparing for an important examination, getting married, becoming a parent or even when considering finances and it is even beneficial in warning us of external threats, thus activating the flight or fright response.

Yet, for many of us, it is the opposite of what colours our life. The dominant emotions we experience daily are those dread of anxiety. There is always a lingering, overwhelming feeling that you will be humiliated in society, lose your job or the people you love.

If this is what you have been experiencing, you are not alone.

Approximately 1-4% of the world’s population suffer from this disorder and, more so, if you are a woman, you are two to three times more at risk than men. Its onset is usually early to mid20’s, but it can occur at any age.

Research shows that if you have a fearful, anxious, nervous or even a competitive personality, you are at risk of having this disorder. Furthermore, living in a household that is overly demanding and constantly expecting perfection, or even experiencing a stressful life event, such as a divorce, death of a loved one or losing your job, makes you are a prime candidate to develop Panic Anxiety Disorder . There is an even higher risk if you are a victim

of physical and/or sexual abuse or have experienced other traumatic events.

In addition, there is a strong link between panic disorder and familial patterns. People with a close biological family member with Panic Disorder are eight times more likely to develop this condition themselves.

The disorder has been found to be accompanied by depression and agoraphobia.

Depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a type of mood disorder characterized by persistent and pervasive feelings of sadness and worthlessness and a lack of desire to engage in formerly pleasurable activities and it may even coexist with panic disorder.

Agoraphobia is a fear of being in public places with an abnormal fear of being helpless in situations from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing. As a result, there is a sense of imprisonment, so you avoid public places and you never leave the house unaccompanied.

Combined, they leave you like an empty, hopeless shell and you may wonder if there is any escape from this ravenous beast. Fortunately, there is.

It is important to seek medical attention, since there are ways to regain your life and live without fear with the aid of pharmacological (medication) and non-pharmacological (cognitive and behavioural therapy) treatments.

When pharmacological treatment is coupled with cognitive and behavioural therapy, the treatment is more effective.

Cognitive therapy stresses the fact that panic attacks are time limited, not life threatening and gives awareness about panic attacks.

Research shows that 30- 40% of all individuals seem to be symptom free after a long follow up while about 50% have symptoms that are sufficiently mild and doesn’t affect their lives significantly. Less than 20% continue to have significant symptoms.

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THE MORNING GLORY RICE CEREAL: IMPRESSIVELY

HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS!

O

n October 5, 2017, the local market welcomed one of Guyana’s healthiest and tastiest products--the Morning Glory Cereal. It is produced at the Morning Glory Rice Cereal Manufacturing Facility in Anna Regina.

The project, which was launched by the PPP Administration in March of 2015, took two and a half years to complete. Though plagued during its early stages by a variety of bureaucratic and administrative challenges, the project was impressively delivered by the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST).

Since its use by hundreds of Guyanese, there is only one word which one can use to describe the product: Impressive! From the immaculate and world-class packaging to the taste profile and the texture and general organoleptic appeal of the cereal to the impressive nutritional profile, the product has received unanimous praise from various enterprises.

Based on information provided by

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the IAST, the product has a superior nutritional profile to several of the other well-known brands in the market, such as Kelloggs, Kashi, Nature Valley, General Mills, Sunshine Snacks and others. Furthermore, the cereal is fortified with an impressive vitamin profile. One serving of the Morning Glory Rice Cereal provides a full quarter of the daily recommended intake of vitamins.

Importantly, this product adds significant value to its main ingredient: rice. According to IAST’s Director, Professor Suresh Narine, the product allows 17 – 20 times the value of rice to be added, which means that this value is then distributed along the value chain in Guyana, rather than such products being produced from Guyana’s rice in other countries.

The process for the production of the cereal utilizes 99% raw materials, which are produced in Guyana. Indeed, of the list of ingredients, which include broken rice, rice bran, sugar and molasses, only salt, baking soda and the fortifying vitamin cocktail is imported. The broken

By Kiana Wilburg

rice is further milled into rice flour in a process which is relatively quiet and creates no dust pollution, and this is then mixed with fresh sifted rice bran, sugar, baking soda and salt in a high speed mixer. From this point onwards, the entire process is automated until the cereal is automatically packaged.

Workers in the plant, who are needed only to process the raw materials and introduce it to the process, and to monitor the quality of the cereal as it is produced as well as ensure that the plant environment is kept scrupulously clean, follow a strict regimen of hygienic controls. Firstly, no jewelry, cell phones, pens and other implements which can get into or contaminate the food product is allowed in the plant. Workers enter the plant only after they have showered in the facility and changed into medical scrubs, hairnets, gloves, shoes and face masks supplied by the facility.

Any worker leaving the confines of the ultra-clean processing area is required to again shower before re-entering the processing area.

Office staff, guards and other employees are not allowed into the processing section of the facility. In fact, they are prevented from doing so by locked doors with restricted access. All staff who are allowed into the processing area are required to have undergone the Authorized Food Handlers Course, complete an exhaustive medical disclosure questionnaire, get 6 monthly health checks and are mandated to immediately report any health problems to management, so that the facility’s focus on food safety and security can be maintained.

All clothing worn in the processing area are freshly washed and ironed on a daily basis, with workers being assigned several changes of clothing and personalized lockers to facilitate the process.

The processing area can be viewed by visitors and office staff, without breaking the hygiene controls, through windows constructed specifically for this purpose. Professor Narine explained that the design flow of the facility was motivated in part by the design of several food plants he worked in for M&M Mars

in the United States and internationally in research and development. He was also loud in praise of Mr. Sewpersaud Manohar, the Head of the Food and Feed Department at the IAST, who he credits as the inventor of the cereal and who had extensive input into the design of the final plant.

The process generates no waste.

Any cereal which is rejected due to quality deviations or over supply is fed to local pigs through relationships established by the facility with local livestock farmers.

The facility has a strict quality control system. Cereals are assessed on the basis of shape integrity, coating integrity, colour, the degree of carmelization, the amount of product dust, the integrity of packaging, etc. The facility itself is kept in an ultra clean state, with the plant being thoroughly cleaned after every production shift and complete line preventative maintenance being performed weekly.

The plant has the capacity to produce 200 kg of cereal in an hour, so that if three shifts are employed, it is possible to produce 1, 000 metric tonnes

of cereal in a calendar year. Professor Narine indicated that one would never want to run the facility that hard, so 800 metric tonnes is a more realistic figure.

Due to the amount of rice in the cereal, this is very nearly a demand of 800 metric tonnes of rice in a year, when the plant is operated at maximum capacity.

Professor Narine said that any credit for the facility accrues to a dedicated, committed and talented staff at the Institute, led by Deputy Director, Mr. Deonarine Jagdeo. He pointed out that in a project so large, everyone among the institute’s small staff (the institute has 15 technical staff members) has to play a role.

He was loud in praise for the technical as well as accounting and administrative staff of the institute.

“I have been fortunate to lead large projects in several countries in the world and can say without any fear of contradiction that the current IAST staff is among the very best with whom I have been honoured to work.”

Clash of the Judiciary and Executive on the Judicial Review Act

By Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

I

n December 2017, a High Court action was filed to compel the current Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Basil Williams S.C., MP to commence the Judicial Review Act 2010.

Five months later, the Court ordered, by way of a mandamus, that the Attorney General must bring the Judicial Review Act 2010 into force.

The decision of the Court raises some important questions regarding governance and the separation of powers between the Executive arm of the Government and the Judiciary. First, can the Judiciary govern? Second, can the Judiciary order the Government to create law? Third, can the Judiciary direct the current Government to implement an Act? It is important to note that the people of Guyana have vested power in the Cabinet as an expression of the Executive arm to govern and manage the affairs of the country. The Judiciary has an equally important role to play, to protect the rights of citizens, but must exercise this responsibility with great care.

President-Elect of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, when sitting as First Instances in the Eastern Caribbean Case of Benjamin et al v. Ministry of Information et al, an unreported case from the High Court of Anguilla, Suit No. 56 of 1997, decided on January 7th, opined: “… Our democracy rests on three fundamental pillars, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. All must keep within the bounds of the Constitution. The Judiciary has the task of seeing to it that legislative and executive action does not stray outside those boundaries onto forbidden territory. If that occurs and a citizen withstanding complains, the court declares the trespass and grants appropriate remedies. Within the constitutional parameters, the Legislative and the Executives are responsible for enacting and implementing such policy measures as they

consider to be most appropriate for the people. The Judiciary has to be careful that it, too, does not stray from its function and usurp the authority and role reserved for the other two pillars.”

The Parliament of Guyana vested the power upon the Legal Affairs Minister, as a member of the Executive arm of the Government, to determine the commencement of the Judicial Review Act. There has been no willful or malicious failure or refusal by the Attorney General to commence the Act, as alleged in the case brought before the Court.

The Attorney General is persuaded that opportunity and consideration ought to be given to the Executive to set a reasonable date for the commencement of the Judicial Review Act, given that eight years has passed since the passage of the Act. This would also allow the Cabinet the opportunity to engage in wide consultations with the Guyanese people before the Act is brought into law. This would also ensure that improvements and amendments be made to cure existing lacuna’s in the current Judicial Review Act and bring it in line with established regional and international best practices. Regrettably, the decision of the Court is premature, as there has been no opportunity for consultation on the commencement of the Act. The facts are that the Judicial Review Act 2010 was assented to on November 2, 2010. The Parliament and parties in Parliament in 2010 agreed and provided in Section 1 of the Act that, “the Judicial Review Act shall come into operation on a date appointed by order of the Minister”. But up to May 2015, 5 years after the passing of Act, it was not enforced.

Be that as it may, the situation presents a great opportunity for the Caribbean Court of Justice to answer these serious questions of governance and the separation of powers.

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Guyana joins the emerging global norm of contract disclosure

By Ian Gary, Director of Power and Money and Oxfam America

C

ontract disclosure has always been a challenge in many parts of the world. But many governments, international organizations and investors are beginning to see the benefits of contract disclosure. And Guyana, as of 2016, has joined the emerging global phenomenon.

But contract disclosure is not to be taken lightly. This type of transparency can undermine the drivers of unfair deals by addressing the asymmetry of power and information between governments and companies. For example, in many resourcerich developing countries, the government’s negotiating team may be limited in size and fiscal and technical experience. In contrast, companies have access to a wide range of knowledge and specialized expertise to negotiate each component of a deal.

The prospect of public scrutiny can help to deter select government officials from the corrupt use of their power in contract negotiations, thereby helping to secure a better overall deal in the public interest.

Despite the many benefits of contract transparency, some companies remain reticent to publicly support it. This is usually down to a number of widely shared ‘myths’. Below are just a few of these.

Myth 1: Contract disclosure conflicts with confidentiality of agreements In extractive industry contracts, one of the contracting parties is a national government representing its citizens, not private interests. In this scenario, the government is not accountable to private shareholders, but to a population of citizens, and the funds involved is also public. Therefore, the normal protocols for confidentiality between the two parties are not applicable, and full transparency regarding the terms of agreement may be reasonably expected.

Given governments’ primary obligation to citizens and the viable risks of corruption associated with contract secrecy, the public benefits of transparency should nullify any proprietary claims to confidentiality.

However, some governments and companies allege that contracts contain sensitive information that must be kept confidential. Unlike laws, regulations and statutes that are also used to govern extractive industry activity, those opposed to contract transparency argue that these agreements contain specific proprietary information that is not meant to be in the public domain.

Myth 2: All contractual information is commercially sensitive What information can be considered ‘commercially sensitive’ differs by industry and context. Generally, information may be considered commercially sensitive if disclosure of the information would cause competitive harm to the company, such as trade secrets, specific production techniques or other proprietary practices.

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In the extractive industries, this may include: • Financial terms of a deal; • Assumptions in assessing commercial terms; • Work obligations, operational data and cost information; • The exact quality and quantity measurements of the reserve; • Any pending mergers and acquisitions; • The identity of company shareholders; • Information on revenue, cash flow data and capital; and • Operating expenditure information.

Myth 3: Competitors are not able to access contracts According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), contract terms are frequently shared within the industry soon after a deal is made. Contracts are more widely shared within private industry than with the general public.

Contracts are shared among ‘competitors’ through payfor-access websites, industry publications and forums, and electronic mailing lists. Companies regularly use the profitable market of energy and mineral intelligence firms that provide precisely this type of information.

Additionally, large projects are often undertaken in joint-venture partnerships in which a number of companies operate as partners. In these circumstances, partners normally share contracts and detailed internal information relevant to the partnership. Through these means, competitors frequently share and compare contracts and generally have easy access as compared with citizens and project-affected communities for whom this information may be too expensive or out of reach.

Myth 4: Publishing contracts will make it harder to do business Many extractive industry contracts are already in the public domain. In total, nearly 1,600 extractive industry contracts have been made public with little to no apparent negative repercussions. This includes through government websites and gazettes, online contract repositories, stock exchange databases and company websites.

In countries with mandatory contract transparency policies, companies have demonstrated no reluctance or unwillingness to bid on contracts because of the increased transparency. In some cases, contract transparency has actually had the opposite effect. For instance, Peru’s decision to institute open contracting requirements in the country’s hydrocarbon sector had no negative effect on company interest in the sector as the country continued to attract investors in multiple subsequent successful bidding rounds.

The Ministry of Education:

Preparing leaders to advance TVET in Guyana

By Brushell Blackman

T

he Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) department recently conducted a five-day leadership conference at the Lake Mainstay Resort in the Whyaka Village, Essequibo CoastRegion Two. The intention of the MoE is to assemble 50 prospective leaders in the same space over five days and offer training and support; especially in the area of leadership as the Education Ministry endeavours to craft a definitive plan for technical and vocational education in Guyana for the next 15 years.

Addressing the participants who were drawn from practical instructional and technical and vocational centres from across the country was Chief Education Officer (CEO) Mr. Marcel Hutson. Mr Hutson reminded the participants of the integral role TVET is positioned to play in the development of Guyana.

The CEO asserted that the TVET Department should be in a position to offer training, not only in the traditional TVET programmes, but also in the new oil and gas sector. Towards this end, Hutson said that the notion that persons who attend TVET Instruction centres are not academically inclined is fallacious.

In fact, the CEO said that 80 percent of jobs advertised internationally are TVET related.

With this in mind, the former St. John’s College teacher urged the participants to take away as much as they can as they look to take another leap in their professional development. “This workshop is not a cosmetic exercise, we are here for serious business,” Huston quipped.

Added to the aforementioned, the CEO posited that Guyana is on the brink of greatness and the TVET programmes should be positioned to expedite this. He said that, for too long, some institutions

have been embracing the same approaches that do not work. He urged participants to look to new innovative and creative methods to deliver content and methodology in the classrooms.

Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) - Technical, Mr. Patrick Onwuzirike, in proffering an overview of the exercise, explained that the TVET system in Guyana has come a long way. In fact, Mr.Onwuzirike informed that, some time ago, a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) funded survey of TVET programmes in Guyana revealed that equipment used were too old to be inventoried. A research done on the instructing staff of the centres revealed that they did not have the professional skills to do the job they were employed to do.

However, Mr. Onwuzirike revealed that, at present, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) is offering two programmes for TVET instructors who have been graduating with Associate Degrees. On the other hand, the TVET institutions have been graduating students with the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). “Our TVET facilities have been transformed to meet standards set out by the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA)”.

Mr.Onwuzirike believes that Guyana is poised for a transformed economy and surmised that the retreat will begin the process of a succession plan to ensure that every TVET institution has a pool of leaders to effectively manage them in the future.

The five-day leadership retreat was held under the theme “Promoting operational excellence through the development of next-generation leaders in TVET to boost National Competitiveness”.

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C

ervical Cancer ranks as one of the leading cause of cancer mortality in Guyanese women and the first, most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. According to the World Health rankings, Guyana is ranked at #21 in the world.

Women who are most affected by cervical cancer are those who have unprotected sex, are below the age of 35 years, are Amerindian, are infected with HPV, are HIV/AIDS positive or are diabetic.

Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the

What are the risk factors associated with cervical cancer?

We know cervical cancer is caused by an infection of the high-risk HPV types, but not all persons who are infected will develop cancer. Therefore, other factors also play a role in the development of cervical cancer. Certain risk factors have been identified that increase a woman’s risk for developing cervical cancer. These are: • Family history of cervical cancer • Immune system suppression

CERVICAL CANCER:

GET SCREENED TODAY! uterus that opens into the vagina. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the virus that causes cervical cancer. You can attract the virus by having sexual contact with someone who has it.

The HPV virus comes in many forms, but not all types cause cervical cancer. Some of them cause genital warts, but other types may not cause any symptoms.

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

The symptoms of cervical cancer may not be noticeable in the early stages. But they may develop when the cervical cancer cells start to invade surrounding tissues. When they do develop, here are some of the things to look out for: • Abnormal vaginal bleeding • Vaginal bleeding after sex • Bleeding or spotting between periods • Longer or heavier menstrual periods than usual • Other abnormal vaginal discharge • Pain during sexual intercourse

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• • • • • • •

BY RAE DAWN BRUSCH

Past or current chlamydia infection Obesity Tobacco smoking Long-term use of oral contraceptives Having three or more full-term pregnancies Having a first full-term pregnancy before age 17 Poverty

How to prevent Cervical Cancer?

The proven way to prevent cervical cancer is to do a regular screening, called a pap smear, to find the affected cells in the cervix that have the potential to develop into pre-cancer cells. They are observed under a microscope and can be treated and reversed before they develop into the invasive cancer. Most invasive cervical cancers are found in women who have not had regular pap tests.

Another way to prevent cervical cancer is by taking the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine. The vaccine helps to protect against the Type 16 and 18 human papillomavirus that leads to cervical cancer.