Weekend Mirror 29-30 May, 2021

Chief Justice orders release of SOPs, SORs 29-30 May, 2021 / Vol. 11 No. 74 / Price: $100

Internet: http: //www.mirrornewsgy.com / e-mail: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com

‒ documents to be released in 10 days

PAGE 18

SEE INSIDE Gov’t addressing crime with ‘We will forensics scholarships, expansion not be of Smart City programme bullied’ PAGE 15

Government will not be a scapegoat for City Hall’s mismanagement PAGE 11

Education Ministry launches QuizMe Platform PAGE 2

– President on Guyana’s territorial integrity PAGE 3

Incentives in store for public school teachers under GOAL’s initiative PAGE 17 Almost 200,000 persons receive PAGE 23 first dose of COVID vaccine

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Labour Ministry recovers $19.2M GPL’s 46.5-megawatt power generation plant for employees treated unfairly set for mid-August finish M ‒ PM says gov’t will not sacrifice efficiency for expediency

P

rime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, this week conducted an on-site inspection of the 46.5-megawatt power generation plant being constructed

by Wärtsilä, at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Garden of Eden Power Station.

It is expected that the plant will begin its testing phase in early June 2021 and will become fully operational a few months after.

The Prime Minister said that although there was extensive work done since his last visit in October 2020, the Government understands that the project’s original date of completion would not be met. He pointed out that the main objective is to give Guyanese a quality product and indicated that efficiency will not be sacrificed for

expediency.

He said, “We have to work with the contractor to ensure that what is delivered here to the people of Guyana is in keeping with the same high standard, quality and reputation that Wärtsilä has internationally… A lot of work has been done, but the work has been affected negatively by COVID-19 and the weather conditions”.

As a result, the project which was scheduled to be completed by the end of June, will now be finished in August 2021.

The Prime Minister had said that the project was a part of the Government’s plan for reliable electricity and will greatly enhance the consistency of electric power in the Demerara – Berbice Interconnected System.

Minister within the

Ministry of Public Works, Honourable Deodat Indar, who accompanied the Prime Minister, said that the new power generation facility is the biggest project in terms of single location generating capacity.

He said, “There are two parts of the project which will cause the extra delay, which are the transformers and the fuel tank, we have an alternative arrangement for fuel, because we have an existing facility here, but the plant itself will be testing during June and July… we want to make sure that when the project comes fully on stream there will be no issues, because it’s the biggest project in terms of single location generating capacity”.

Also present was Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Bharat Dindyal.

inister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton has said his Ministry was able to recover over $19.2 million for employees who suffered after their employers had breached the labour laws.

Minister Hamilton made this disclosure Tuesday (May 25, 2021) during a press conference held at the Ministry’s boardroom. He said the Ministry has received about 729 complaints since the PPP/C Administration took office up to May this year. Of that number, 477 complaints were filed in 2021. These range from leave without pay, overtime, status of employment, deductions from wages and other infractions.

He said, “Complaints were investigated with a view of arriving at amicable settlement and so far, we have closed 640 of these matters and a total six charges were

M

lall and Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, on the proposed works for the enhancement of the community. The works are intended to enhance the community ahead of Guyana’s 55th Independence Anniversary.

The Minister and his team distributed the hampers using a ticket system implemented before the distribution, and under strict COVID-19 guidelines.

Speaking on the side-

lines of the activity, the Minister said, “I made a commitment that I will help them with hampers. We distributed 400 tickets and this afternoon we’re on the ground to distribute 400 hampers to the 400 households that received tickets.”

From the onset of the pandemic, the PPP/C has been partnering with various stakeholders to distribute relief hampers to households nationwide.

Ministry’s OSH Department.

Minister Hamilton said while the Government is pro-business and encourages investments and job creation, these must be done in a manner that will ensure workers rights are protected and the country’s laws are upheld.

He said, “We don’t want to shut down any site as the Government’s position is that we are open for business, and that we support all developmental programmes in this country as well as the private sector. But it must be done within the law and anytime it is not being done within the law, we will engage and hopefully, people follow the law. Once you follow, we will have less problems.”

The Ministry of Labour was re-established as a separate entity when the PPP/C returned to office in August 2020.

Education Ministry launches QuizMe Platform ‒ to prep students for upcoming NGSA examination

he Ministry of Education East Ruimveldt residents benefit T has launched its online QuizMe platform to provide an additional education resource from promised COVID support for children preparing for this inister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, on Tuesday (May 25, 2021) delivered some 400 hampers to the East Ruimveldt community, honouring a commitment he made to the residents to help cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister met the residents late last week, along with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharam-

filed against delinquent employers for breach of the various labour legislation, and a total of six cases closed.

We have been able thus far since we have arrived here, to ensure that $19.2 million gets to the pocket of workers because of the recalcitration of employers.”

Minister Hamilton urged employers to observe Guyana’s Labour Act and its Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) regulations. He said, “If you don’t want to obey the law then believe me that it will become a thing recurring because our position is that everyone must obey the law, and the law says if you have a building constructing then there are things that you must do.”

He said legal action will be taken against business owners who fail to adhere to recommendations of the

year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

Minister, Priya Manickchand, introduced the platform at a ceremony held in the Smart Room of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) on Tuesday (May 25, 2021).

She said the platform is another tool the Ministry has provided to help students, in the wake of the pandemic.

QuizMe provides exam quality multiple choice questions that students can practice as they prepare for the NGSA. “This year on the NGSA particularly, is the year that Guyana has found it hardest in many respects and definitely in education. [This] is the year Guyana will, with political and the supporting financial

resources, give to her students the most than any other student has ever had in the history of this country,” the Minister said.

In addition to the online programme, students are also benefitting from a consolidated curriculum through the NGSA booster programme and other resources, to ensure their success. She said, “NGSA students this year, in 2021, are receiving all the text books, all the past papers, all the worksheets, all the resources, notes, things they never got before in any other year.”

The Education Ministry has also collaborated with the two main internet service providers to ensure that students are able to access the websites.

Meanwhile, Head of the Ministry’s Information System, Mr. Phil Mingo said the team decided to re-assess the usefulness of the quiz platform which was developed back in 2014, to determine whether it

could respond to the challenges faced by students, teachers and parents during COVID. He said the programme can work on any device and is also designed t0 help students who are visually impaired.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson said he is pleased that the Ministry has been able to provide another means to help NGSA students succeed. He said, “I am indeed happy that our students have been given different avenues to do well at the NGSA. They’ve been given different avenues so what we’ve seen here today is just another method as to how we can improve their performance in terms of the results that we will see.”

The facility is expected to be enhanced with the necessary resources to reach the needs of students at all levels in the school system.

The link can be accessed here: https://education.gov.gy/ quizme/

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

‘We will not be bullied’ – President on Guyana’s territorial integrity

G

uyana’s strength as a united nation was hailed

by President Dr Irfaan Ali as being quintessential to the defense of our nation’s territorial integrity.

In his address to the nation on Tuesday (May 25, 2021) to march the occasion of Guyana’s 55th Independence anniversary, he said, “We hold out not a fist of war but a hand of friendship, based on respect for our borders and theirs. But we will not be cowered, nor will we be bullied. My Fellow Guyanese, it is not only in relation to protecting our territorial integrity that we must stand as one nation. “…we cannot recall the moment of Guyana’s Independence without also remembering the efforts of Venezuela to prevent it. As we released ourselves from the colonial cord of Britain, the Venezuelan government sought to stifle our birth by falsely laying claim to twothirds of our country. They have spent the last fifty-five years of the Independence of all of Guyana pursuing this claim—but international law is not silent.”

Ali noted that the International Court of Jus-

tice is the forum where the voice of international law will be heard, and justice will be determined. He said, As one people, with one united voice, and a spirit that will not be broken, we will advance the validity of the 122-year-old award that fixed our boundaries. In our continuing struggle, we are not without friends. We deeply appreciate all those who have stood by our side - from the Caribbean, from the Commonwealth, from the Americas and beyond.”

The Head of State stressed that Guyana’s desire in to live peacefully and in cooperation with its neighbours. “The Venezuelans must understand that we sought no quarrel with them, and we do not do so now.

Our only wish is to live in harmony and cooperation with all our neighbours,” he said.

PRIORITY In September 2020, President Dr. Irfaan Ali made clear that a resolution of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case, which is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is a priority of the PPP/C

government He reminded that it was the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2014 that had put an end to the interminable ‘good offices’ dialogue with Venezuela, after “it had become, for them, a strategy of prolonging contention rather than of seeking solution.”

The Guyanese Head of State contended that there is no policy more sacred than those relating to the country’s border for his Administration. “As Guyanese, all of us stood with the previous Administration in defence of Guyana’s patrimony. For us, Guyana’s territorial integrity is never a matter for domestic division; it is always a matter for national cohesion,” he said.

Ali added that Guyana must be loyal to the enduring vision of the country being truly “One Nation” and indivisible. “Therefore, the PPP/C gave full support to the former Administration when, as initiated by us, they submitted the Venezuela contention to the International Court of Justice. We shall not descend. The sovereignty of our State, the integrity of our territory – both land and

sea – is a sacred trust. We must defend, and we will do so in collaboration with our partners and allies,” he noted.

ICJ CASE The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) held public hearings on the question of the Court’s jurisdiction in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v.

Venezuela) on June 30, 2020.

The ICJ has fixed a time limit of March 8, 2022, for the submission of Guyana’s Memorial on the merits of the case and March 8, 2023, for the submission by Venezuela of its Counter-Memorial.

Guyana is seeking to obtain from the Court a final and binding judgment that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid and binding, and that Guyana’s Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela.

Guyana took its case to the Court following the decision by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in January 2018, that the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela should be decided by the International Court of Justice. In taking his decision, the Secretary-General was exercising the power

vested in him in the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom to decide how the controversy should be settled.

Venezuela has claimed, in a letter to the Court, that the Secretary-General exceeded his authority under the Geneva Agreement, and that the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate Guyana’s lawsuit. On this basis, Venezuela has indicated that it will not participate in the proceedings. On November 19, 2018, Guyana submitted its Memorial to the Court refuting Venezuela’s arguments and demonstrating that the Court has jurisdiction.

However, under well-established judicial precedent, the Court will proceed to decide if it has jurisdiction over Guyana’s claims, irrespective of whether or not Venezuela participates in the proceedings.

MOVE TO COURT Under the United Nations Charter and the Court’s own rules, its final judgments both on jurisdiction and the merits will be legally binding on Guyana and Venezuela, whether or not Venezuela participates in the proceedings.

Efforts over more than half-a-century, including a

four-year Mixed Commission (1966-1970), a twelve-year moratorium (1970-1982), a seven-year process of consultations on a means of settlement (1983-1990), and a twenty-seven-year Good Offices Process under the UN Secretary-General’s authority (1990-2017), all failed to end the border controversy.

The move to the ICJ was advanced there was no success with a further attempt, using the United Nations’ Good Offices process, to resolve the matter of Venezuela’s renewed claim to Guyana’s territory, the Essequibo County. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in 2015, charged that the signing of the 1966 Geneva Agreement rendered the 1899 Arbitral Award null and void.

On 30 January 2018, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, acting under the authority bestowed upon him by the Geneva Agreement, chose adjudication by the Court as the means for resolving the controversy with finality.

Guyana commenced proceedings before the Court on 29 March 2018 in accordance with the Secretary-General’s decision.

Guyana’s legal representatives before the Court includes the efforts of Sir Shridath Ramphal.

$25M well at Oronoque to improve potable water supply R

esidents of Oronoque community, Matarkai sub-district (Barima-Waini Region) would soon benefit from improved water services following the completion of a new well and pipeline connections valued about $25 million.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal made this announcement during a two-day outreach in the sub-Region recently. He was accompanied by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Nigel Dharamlall and regional officials.

The Minister told residents this intervention would expand the water system and allow 200 more households to receive potable water. He said, “Right now, you are receiving what we call rationing water hence the intention is; we are attempting to have this done properly within a month so that we will be interconnecting Two Miles, Oronoque system because the reason for the drilling of that well at Two Miles is to expand the water network

from One to Four Miles.”

Earlier this year, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) began to drill a new well in the Two Miles community following the installation of about six kilometres of pipelines to provide potable water to those residents.

Minister Croal said this plan, had been delayed due to a power surge that damaged one of the motors.

Croal said, “We had the motor replaced, but we are putting some additional current system to protect the system when there are surges like this at Two Miles to prevent similar incidences.”

The Ministry’s 2021 work programme for water will also see the establishment of wells in Baramita and Arakaka which the Minister said will be completed within a short time via the deployment of a rig.

“This rig is owned by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and so when that comes, we will be drilling another well for Citrus Grove and Port Kaituma to completely remove you from ac-

cessing water from the river here,” the Minister said.

The drilling of those wells will start this year.

Accordingly, Minister Croal said by the first quarter of 2022, these works would allow the system to be connected to the electrical system as opposed to the motor system. This will reduce the Region’s dependence on the Port Kaituma River as a source of water.

Croal said, “Within a few months, from Four Miles to Citrus Grove should receive increased water pressure and of course, it will be connected to your generating system that is Port Kaituma Power and Light Incorporated (PKPL) which will mean that guarantees that you (Citrus Grove) will have 23 -hours of pumping water.”

At Eclipse Falls village, Minister Croal committed to providing pipes within the next three weeks through GWI for the water distribution network. These works, he said, can start with the assistance of the residents, who have agreed to provide

labour.

Meanwhile, both Ministers encouraged the residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help Guy-

ana achieve herd immunity.

About 2, 392 persons from the Matarkai sub-Region have vaccinated to date. Earlier this month, both Min-

isters visited the Moruca sub-district, where they called on residents to take the vaccine to protect themselves.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

EDITORIAL

We are stronger together T

he face of colonialism was division – division of the people in countries under the control of colonial masters.

If Guyana is to move forward as a progressive nation, together, then the advance forward must be made with the recognition that Guyana is stronger that the things that divide the Guyanese people.

Independence and the reflection around independence must take account of the struggles of all those who fought for it. This includes the progressive policies that the 1950 group (the PPP and its leaders) started to enact – because they wanted to change the lives of the Guyanese people for the better.

Undoubtedly, the scars of colonialism are still visible in Guyanese society and doing better over the next decades years will depend on recognizing this fact and taking steps to address it.

In brief, Janet Jagan on her writings about Independence, had explained that Guyana's history shows that the very beginning of the recognition of the need to be independent of Britain began with the formation of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) in 1950. The concept of a struggle to free British Guiana of colonialism probably had its origin in Cheddi Jagan's studies, while a student in the USA, of the writings of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. At that time, India was on a course aimed at complete independence from British rule. The struggle inspired many in the British, Dutch, French, Belgium and other colonies in all parts of the world to follow suit.

As early as 1945 Cheddi Jagan, in .an article wrote that: “It therefore behooves the working class people to get control of government through their Constitutional ballots in our forthcoming election, with a view towards complete independence."

In November 1946, the Political Affairs Committee was established, a landmark decision, as its goal was the establishment of a political party that could unite all forces in the anti-colonial struggle. The four founder members, Cheddi Jagan, Ashton Chase, H. J. M. Hubbard and myself were all in the trade union movement and realised the need to have a larger, vision of how the problems of the working class could be solved. The larger issue of exploitation- the whole colonial system - had to be dealt with if the task of uplifting the living standards of workers was to be achieved.

And after the PPP was founded, in its first Manifesto, the Party declared: "The People's Progressive Party recognising that the final abolition of exploitation and oppression, of economic crises and unemployinent and wars will only be achieved by the socialist reorganisation of society, pledges itself to the task of winning a free and independent Guiana... a society in which security, plenty, peace and freedom shall be the heritage of all."

Thus began the struggle in, the then British Guiana for independence.

Shortly after the formation of the People's Progressive Party in January 1950, the Party launched a campaign calling for constitutional changes to bring the country to self-determination, as set out in the Atlantic Charter, in favour of the rights of the Guyanese people to form their own constitution by the election of a constituent assembly. It called for universal adult suffrage, a fully elected single chamber parliament and a ministerial system with the Governor as a titular head of state with no veto powers. The PPP agitated for this countrywide, laying before the Governor thousands of signatures on petitions, to be sent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

As a people we must learn from the lessons of history as we move forward. We must examine our economic history, our political history, and our institutional history to be better positioned for greater prosperity. This is quintessential if we are going to make progress in the future, as a cohesive nation.

PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, on this matter had said: “We believe that, as Guyanese, we have more in common than those things that divide us – regardless of the robust debates that we have, regardless of the numerous encounters that we have….we are all children of the soil. We all share this history and our history, regardless of our race, did not start when we came to this land – it is the entire history of Guyana….that common history binds us. The pride we share when we travel abroad to talk of our country, regardless of who is in power, is common to all of us. We believe that this blood tie that binds us is stronger that the heated political divisions we have that may find very robust expressions.”

As we mark our 55th anniversary as an independent nation, all our people must be mindful of the fact that we are stronger than the things that divide us; we are stronger together.

GECOM must act decisively on Lowenfield et al Dear Editor,

I

am a son of this soil and a tax paying Guyanese who keeps abreast with the political, economic and social developments in this country.

And we are almost a year into the PPP's term in office and there is one question that I am dying to know.

Why is the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers and the embattled Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo still on the job or employed by GECOM? And why is it “okay” with the powers that be at GECOM to have this stateof-affairs continue into oblivion? These

officials cost us many sleepless nights and delayed our Elections results and tried to derail our democracy. These individuals preyed on our innocence and the fact that we put our collective trust in GECOM to get the results right the first time and declare them.

Is it a hard task to dismiss or fire them? Is it not wise to point out all the breaches which they committed and severe ties with them? Help me to understand how these individuals are able to hold our electoral system at ransom and keep us in political Gridlock.

Well, GECOM will have to find a way out of the hole that it is in so that we can hold our local government Elections

and general elections too. I don’t think the PPP would go to another election with those persons at the helm regardless of what GECOM or APNU+AFC says. I don’t think the people of this country would stand for it!

I want to urge the commission and the Secretariat to part ways with these individuals who caused the people to think ‘Guyana is not a real place or country” because of how it is handling these crimes.

Do it for the good of our democracy.

Do it for Guyana’s independence.

Sincerely, Attiya Baksh

Appropriate changes must be operationalised at GECOM Dear Editor,

T

he constitutional mandate of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) engenders that the institution must, at all times, be fully prepared to hold free and fair elections. Local Government Elections (LGEs) is due this year. The lack of a definitive position from GECOM on the LGEs certainly threatens our national development thrust, and further undermines the revered democratic principles on which we stand for national, regional and global recognition.

The evolved circumstance, whereby our citizens are required to petition this call, informs troubling concerns regarding GECOM’s commitment and delivery of its constitutional role. This is given the negative impact that GECOM’s failure to uphold this essential democratic pillar obtains. Indeed, the LGEs serve to sustain a key countercheck mechanism on community development at the municipal, community, and village levels. Similar to those elected to determine national policies in leading our country for defined periods, it is paramount that leaders at these levels also be brought to a decisive review point, held accountable by the citizens they serve for delivery of essential services, and in ensuring parallel development in partnership with the national plans.

It is of significant note that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic team has regained the confidence of the Guyanese people, with the astute leadership of His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali, General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Brigadier (retd) Mark Phillips at the helm. Their exceptionally hard-working cadre of cabinet members has quickly demonstrated collective pol-

icy approaches that have poised Guyana for swift development at the national level. No agency or political system must be allowed to suppress these positive developments for biased individual, sentimental, secular, or otherwise power-driven aggrandisement.

We must therefore ensure a harmonised approach for the optimised delivery to citizens at the various levels, in which no community must be left behind in receiving the optimised resultant benefits as our economy thrives. Essential to this ideal is the key purpose of the LGEs, and one that GECOM is expected to recognise, support, and demonstrate in its expected timely assertion over the execution of this central role.

Editor, our nation’s greatest asset is our children, and they are now setting the pace in this part of the world. Amid the threatening COVID-19 pandemic, their development prioritisation to become our future leaders at every level is recognized, and now strongly supported by our new PPPC Government. In this respect, the revolutionised approach of the Government’s education delivery support is much admired, given the roll-out of the non-discriminatory scholarship programmes available to every child from every community or background. As for the PPP/C Government scholarship programme, mere words cannot adequately describe the success. So let us pause to congratulate our children/ students who are a revelation in education, what this Government maintains is not a privilege, but a must.

Notwithstanding the positive success stories of the Government at the national level, it is imperative for the Local Government mechanism in the urban/rural communities via the municipalities, Neighbourhood Democratic, and Vil-

lage Councils to become bigger success stories as they work in partnership to advance essential community agenda.

Stronger communities would naturally lead to better leadership at the grass roots levels, and this movement must not be suppressed by moves to deter the mechanism for its necessary review and advancement. Hence, we must have regular LGEs so that we will have more disciplined and trained persons at the local levels. In this framework, Electoral Reform is a necessity for development at all levels.

Given the lethargy now evident in GECOM, the PPP/C and civil society must work towards the swift advancement of all the necessary electoral reforms. Resistance to the necessary interventions in this regard is heavily justified at the national and international levels. In particular, the revamping of GECOM. GECOM cannot continue with the overwhelming evidence of thievery related to election fraud by key staff in the Secretariat. All those that are before the Courts for fraud must be sent home immediately.

Of note is the resistance being put up by oppositionist PNC elements and their surrogates, who have sought to ethnicise their rejections to improvements in transparency and fair practices targeted in these reforms. In context, the recent launch of the “Labour for Electoral Reform” committee, led by GLU General Secretary Carvil Duncan and its Secretary, the GAWU General Secretary Aslim Singh, is indeed admirable, given their representation of a wide conglomeration of workers’ support for these necessary reforms. The stifling of our democracy must never be supported.

Kudos to Labour for Electoral Reform!

(Turn to page 5)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Sound management of Guyana’s natural resources demonstrated

by PPP/C gov’t Dear Editor,

R

ecently, Guyanese citizens filed the first constitutional climate case in the Caribbean to challenge fossil fuel production on the grounds that it exacerbates global warming and threatens human rights. The case, before Guyana’s constitutional court, claims that Guyana’s approval of a massive, ExxonMobil-led oil and gas buildout off the country’s coast violates the Government’s legal duty to protect the rights to a healthy environment, sustainable development, and the rights of future generations, claiming the case reflects a growing concern within Guyana regarding the risks oil extraction poses on a national, regional, and international level. However, it is ironic that some Guyanese citizens will go this far to prevent development in their own country.

What bothers me is Guyana passed an Environmental Protection Act in June 1996.

The Government of Guyana now uses this as the regulatory instrument to implement environmental policy and to promote environmental management which is integral to sustainable development. This Act estab-

lishes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the institution with the mandate for coordinating environmental management and provides for the management, conservation, protection and improvement of the environment, the prevention or control of pollution and the assessment of the impacts of economic development activities on the environment.

Aiming to advance sustainable economic growth in Guyana while preserving the country’s vast natural capital, UN Environment, in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, had presented the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040 to Guyana in May 2019.

The objective of this comprehensive policy was to reorient and diversify the Caribbean nation’s economy, reducing its reliance on resource-intensive sectors. It was also aiming to open new sustainable income and investment opportunities in green sectors with higher added value, while promoting equitable distribution of benefits and opportunities to all Guyanese citizens.

The Strategy was the platform from which Guyana can start its transition to a

No one is about the law

Dear Editor,

I

read in the daily news that Police Service Commission Chairman Paul Slowe and others will face the music for their part in defrauding the State of millions of dollars.

I, as a member of the public, feel this is a step in the right direction, and the authorities should prosecute them to their full power, if they are indeed guilty.

These men ought to have known that the PPP was keeping a close eye on the Govern-

ment because stories were told (some factual and credible) about their roles in questionable dealings in the Force even though they retired some years ago, especially during the days when Guyana was under the siege of the APNU+AFC dictatorship right up until this present administration. No one is above the law.

I am watching. The public is watching.

Regards, Baldeo Mathura

Appropriate changes...

Critically, the Commission at GECOM must be cognisant of its leading role and functions within the limitations of its granted autonomy to be prepared to hold LGEs this year. Our Nation must not be held to ransom by fraudsters. We understand that there must be consultations and thorough discussions on the way forward. In addition, the rational parameters point to a need for international oversight and guidance of optional considerations in the process.

GECOM’s immediate agenda must be the purging of all the thieves and the preparation of the Register of all registrants. Adequate and appropriate changes must be operation-

(From page 4)

alised to ensure that a smooth process takes place in the elections. None of the naysayers must be allowed to dictate the rigging process.

Guyana is on the rise, and our people must understand the world is looking at us, and we must transparently do things. Come on, Madam Chairwoman, do not permit the suppression of our children and emerging young leaders. Objectivity demands that you ensure the holding of LGEs this year is on the agenda.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

diversified and inclusive economy, transforming itself into a ‘green state’ and serve as an inspiration to other countries in the region and worldwide.

The world has come to realise that climate change is a grim, relentless reality.

There is no avoidance. Hardly a day passes that we do not see the adverse impact of climate change. It was great for us to be ahead of the game, we have challenges with our coastal zone management, El Nino, droughts and floods.

And we have industries which are now starting to have an impact on air quality and water quality. The Development Strategy sets out multiple strategic actions to strengthen fiscal and monetary policy; sustainably manage land resources; increase economic competitiveness and resilience; build resilient infrastructure; move towards renewable energy; improve trade, investment and international cooperation; and foster a healthy, educated and socially cohesive population.

The national development policy reflected then, outlined guiding vision and principles of the ‘green agenda’ – an inclusive and prosperous Guyana that provides a good quality life for all its citizens based on sound education and social protection, low-carbon and resilient development, providing new economic opportunities, justice and political empowerment. It is evident now that PPP/C Government has a sound management of Guyana’s natural resources, which is essential to the country’s global leadership in relation to climate change and sustainable development. The country has significant potential in the conservation of forests, which cover 87 per cent of its territory.

The Government of Guyana uses the knowledge the UN Environment as the leading global voice on the environment.

It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by

inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment has worked with governments, the private sector, civil society and with other UN entities and international organisations across the world.

With that being said, with reference to decision making, strategies, policies and plans.

The EPA created various mechanisms for action with respect to environmental management. The environmental monitoring capability of the EPA has been enhanced through the establishment of a laboratory facility to undertake monitoring of various chemical parameters and to determine their environmental effects.

This was established through a private sector donation. Guyana has recognised that environmental management is a multi-disciplinary task. In this regard, the EPA carries out its task through linkages with sectoral natural resource agencies and the involvement of stakeholders and other interest groups, with several projects aiming to strengthen the technical and organisational capability of the agency that had also assisted in the legal and regulatory framework in environment and natural resources management. Under these projects, the PPP/C Government had strengthened the environmental management capacity of selected sectoral agencies, Ministries and Local Governments with significant environmental management responsibilities.

In this regard, initial work had begun with the mining and forestry sectors with a Memoranda of Understanding already being signed.

It is widely established that sustainable development cannot be achieved without an integrated approach which involves the public and private sectors and other groups.

Sincerely, David Adams

Building economically-strong, powerful nation Dear Editor,

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n the 55th Anniversary of our Independence, I honour and respect the theme, “Building an economically strong and powerful nation”. IT is a fit and proper way to herald our Independence, as it ushers in a sense of pride and purpose for us all as a nation, that we can now stand on the path of a great and new tomorrow. As an independent people, we boldly pursue our goal of economic freedom and development.

Now our Government have set the tone for development, in that they have taken the lead in that process with sound visionary leadership. We have our goal in sight, it is now left to us as a people to get on board to make that dream a reality. There is no doubt that we are in good hands as we forge ahead together.

Team PPP/C, together with the people of this great fledgling nation, we can, we must, we will reach for success as the emerging Third World powerhouse.

The call is also made for unity as we move forward together. A land of six peoples with the greatest possibilities for social cohesion to showcase to the region and the wider world on a whole a nation of peoples working to-

gether in peaceful harmony and progressive unity. Together we can make it happen.

Finally, as we continuously move forward, we must not forget those who sought to divide us, those who stood up against our hard-fought democracy, and are still belligerent about it. We will not forget those few who set up a diabolical plot to steal our democracy and our ability to choose who governs us. We will not forget those who stood in the path of freedom, peace and progress. We remember those five long months of nerve-wracking agony, waiting to finally see the dawn of a new day. We welcome this new-found freedom with open arms.

Therefore, as responsible citizens, we call for justice to be served. We would like those so stained in the putrid mire of electoral fraud to be rooted out of mainstream society, never to raise the ugly head again.

We are calling on the justice system to ensure that justice is served swiftly and condignly, as we separate ourselves from such demonic forces. Long live an independent Guyana!

Respectfully, Neil Adams

6

Online learning a catalyst for tertiary education equity and opportunities in Guyana (Part 1) Dear Editor,

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ajor world events are often an inflection point for rapid innovation and social changes. Just reflect on a few events, such as for example, the change from agrarian economy forged by the industrial revolution; the post-911 world-wide travel restrictions and bans; and the rise of e-commerce post-200203 SARS outbreak and the picture should become clear.

Now the COVID-19 outbreak sees similar transformations taking place due to its impacts on individuals, communities and nations.

One transformation in this prolonged COVID-19 applies to education with the sudden,

but necessary, shift towards, and increasing growth of online or e-learning. One thing that has been clear through this pandemic thus far, is the importance of disseminating information and knowledge across all levels of society, institutions, companies, and borders. To such ends, online learning technology has begun to play a vital role, and many institutions and governments are exploring ways of cashing-in on its full potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, in reality, closed many sectors of the global economy.

Isolation and social distance precaution meant that schools and other educational institutions have had to shut down entirely while contemplating

and designing or adapting new forms of imparting knowledge. The education sectors and related institutions have since adapted, refocused and recast educational opportunities afforded the masses. To such ends, many governments and institutions have begun adopting and or strengthening online/distance mode of delivering classes.

The primary objective of distance education is to create educational opportunities for the under-represented and for those without access to a traditional educational institution. Online learning, as part of distance education, like other forms of education, should equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021 to transform them into innovative and efficient individuals, with the capacity for a sustainable future.

Distance education is simply a teaching-learning experience where the student and teacher are physically separated. It utilizes any of or a combination of technologies, including correspondence, audio, video, computer, and the Internet. Today’s version of distance education is online education or e-learning, which uses computers and the Internet as the delivery mechanism.

Online learning can potentially be the catalyst to create a new, more effective method of educating students. The informed view holds that e-learning will become part of the ‘new normal’ as learners experience the benefits first-hand.

It is ‘flexible learning’ with environments for learning that have the following characteristics: convergence of open and distance learning methods, media and classroom strategies; learner-centered philosophy; recognition of diversity in learning styles and learners’ needs; recognition of the importance of equity in curriculum and pedagogy; use of a variety of learning resources and media; and recognition of diversity in learning styles and learners’ needs that foster lifelong learning habits and skills in learners.

Flexible learning provides learners with increased choice, convenience, and personalization, ie, choices about where, when, and how learning occurs. Not many people have the opportunity to take time off from work to commit to a full-time university program, and others often travel for work. For those who still need to juggle working and going back to school, the flexibility of an online program provides them with the opportunity to learn while still working and growing professionally. That flexibility allows for more easily balance work, life, and school.

Distance learning, which traditionally had focused on nontraditional students, such as full-time workers, military personnel, and nonresidents or individuals in remote regions who are unable to attend classroom lectures, has broadened in scope to include traditional students and academic disciplines. While a precise figure for the international enrollment in distance learning is unavailable, the enrollment at two of the largest public universities that heavily utilize distance learning methods gives some indication. For eg, in the early 21st century the Indira Gandhi National Open University in New Delhi, had an enrollment in excess of 1.5 million students, while the China Central Radio and TV University in Beijing, had more than 500,000 students.

In 2018, there were over 6.9 million students enrolled in distance education at degree granting institutions in the U.S. This number reflected an increase from more than 5.6 million university students in the Autumn of 2009, and up

from 1.6 million in 2002.

Globally, enrollments in higher education have been growing faster than any other level of education. The drivers behind the fast growth of online learning are varied and include increased barriers, such as, familial obligations, financial, geographic, to attending a traditional university, increasing accessibility, advances in communication technologies, increasing student demand for online flexible learning, institutional need to maintain a competitive offering of diverse learning platforms, and positive financial gains to institutions and students. Further, from 1995 to 2014, enrollments have grown in primary education by 9.5 percent, in secondary education by 34.3 percent, and in higher education by a whopping 60.9 percent. Such increases also reflected the millennium education goals which focused on increasing enrollments in primary education and gender equality.

Meanwhile, the boundaries between conventional higher education and distance education appear to be blurring.

This reflects a common theme across many countries, i.e, the strong student-demand for more flexibility because an increasing number of students want more convenient and accessible education offerings.

Despite centuries between the first correspondence/distance learning course and today’s flexible online/e-learning format, and the numerous changes and innovations that have occurred, three characteristic qualities of distance education remain to this day: first, distance education is just as good, valid, and high-quality as in person./traditional learning; second, earning potential increases for anyone who takes a course/program of study; and third, distance education is scalable to give access to students everywhere.

THE ROLE OF GOAL IN THE EDUCATION VALUE ADDED CHAIN In this rapidly changing world, governments and higher education institutions have an obligation to respond to social needs of the economy.

Experience has shown that tertiary institutions which are committed continuous improvement in the quality of their services provide the best services to the community. The objective of creating educational opportunities for the under-represented and for those without access to a traditional higher educational institution gave birth to the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). To such ends, it aims to provide services which would add to the higher education value chain.

However, unlike what has been occurring in Guyana and elsewhere in the world in recent months, GOAL was established not as a reaction to the shutting down of the education system, but in fact, resulted from and reflected the transformative vision and leadership of the President and

his government in fulfilling the promise of creating and expanding educational opportunities for all Guyanese across the length and breadth of Guyana by providing 20,000 online scholarships. Establishing a national online education institution is not only a bold initiative, but may also be the first such undertaking by a government, today. This initiative ushers a new era of higher education in Guyana, or what I consider to be a higher education revolution that promises to transform the teaching-learning landscape from a classroom-based event to an online-flexible-distance mode of imparting knowledge.

However, GOAL is not set up as a tertiary institution to offer courses and programs of study; it functions as an intermediary, broker or clearing house with student support services. While GOAL may evolve into a full-fledged academic institution in the future, its current mandate under the auspices of the Ministry of Education is to research educational institutions worldwide that provide internationally recognized and accredited programs and courses relevant to both, the actual and perceived needs of the Guyanese economy; to negotiate price deals with these institutions; and to facilitate and connect Guyanese interested in pursuing the identified courses and programs. It is also geared-up to offer advice and support on matters pertaining to student and academic affairs with the objective of guiding students on the path to successful completion of their courses/ programs. Put differently, the activities of GOAL will contribute to the education value chain in delivering an educational service to self-directed learners.

It is estimated that about 20 percent, or roughly 170,000 Guyanese live in hinterland regions and remote parts of Guyana. About 90,000 are Indigenous peoples. These indigenous peoples today, comprise nine distinct cultural groups, each predominating in particular geographical areas, particularly, Regions 1, 2, 7, 8 & 9 with small numbers in the other regions. Until the 1970s, travelling to even the least remote communities was slow and hazardous.

There are more than 250 indigenous villages, each with its own peculiarities and issues, generally located in remote dense rain-forested mountains, and hills, or in savannah regions, and serviced by many rivers. The social and economic conditions of the indigenous peoples are characterized by poverty, marginalization and inequality. For eg while there are variances across and within regions world-wide, indigenous women are generally among the poorest of the poor, and they are also more likely to be illiterate. These people have also been affected by traditional social protection systems due to various challenges, such as for eg, increasing levels of pover(Turn to page 8)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Prime Minister, Agri Minister pledge gov’t support to flooded Black Bush farmers

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rime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has made clear that the Government is committed to assisting farmers in Yakusari, Johanna, Mibicuri and Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder, whose livelihoods have been severely affected by flooding.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar

Mustapha, braved the rains on Wednesday (May 26, 2021) to visit farmers in the East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) communities.

“The Government, myself, Minister Mustapha and all the other Ministers, we are committed to working to ease the suffering of the people during this time. This is a difficult time for all of us, so we have to work together. We

hear that it will take a while for the water to come off the land, and we also heard that more rain is coming. We have to work together on this issue, this too shall pass, it will take a while, people will suffer, but it will pass,” the Prime Minister said.

The rice, cash-crop and livestock farmers have experienced tremendous losses.

However, the Prime Min-

CDC provides hampers for Region 10 communities affected by flooding

T

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) handed over a quantity of cleaning hampers to the Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) regional authority for communities affected by flooding.

After conducting assessments, hampers were given to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Silver-

town/Silver City, and to the Community Development Councils of Three Friends, and Coomacka.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority has dug several drains to help alleviate flooding in that community. Additionally, a large tube has been installed under the roadway to help with water recession. Older tubes

that have incurred damage are currently being repaired.

Assessments will subsequently be done in Malali, Muritaro, Watooka and Nottinghampshire.

The CDC will continue to monitor those areas and provide relief hampers where needed, while working in tandem with the Regional and community authorities.

Region Nine welcomes CDC assistance as more floods loom ‒ over 300 households affected

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ver 300 households and hundreds of acres of farmlands have been affected by the recent seasonal flooding in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine).

Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Lieutenant Colonel, Kester Craig, who led a team to the Region to provide emergency aid, advised residents to avoid the floodwaters.

The CDC delivered 4,300 hampers; 2000 sanitation hampers and 2,300

food hampers to the Region, in addition to organising emergency shelters for residents, who were forced to abandon their homes.

Lt. Col. Craig noted that the flash flood was caused by heavy rainfall and the overtopping of the Rupununi River. Flood waters are currently receding in Central and South Rupununi, but in the South Pakaraima, Toshao of Karasabai, Mr. Marlon Edwards is fearful of a possible flood. “What happens during… is that Karasabai becomes an is-

land. We would be surrounded by very high water and it is very difficult for us to traverse, for us to go to Lethem, for us to go to Georgetown. So, we would be stuck here for the meanwhile,” he said.

Lt. Col. Craig said another flood is likely and advised there must be a collaborative effort to examine ways to mitigate its impact.

“I think it is unsustainable to continue to be responding every time to incidents. So, I think we need to talk about (Turn to page 8)

ister said their plight is not isolated, as other parts of the country are also experiencing similar challenges, and are receiving support. He said, “This is an unusual rainy season that all of us are experiencing, not only in this area, but throughout Guyana – Region Ten, Region Nine. I was in Region Nine only Saturday and they are flooded too. Mahaicony, Region One, all the areas, Region Two, Pomeroon, all the areas have been experiencing severe flooding at this time.”

Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha assured farmers that steps have already been taken to ensure a quick as possible runoff of the accumulated water. He said, ‘The last time I came I said the machine should be here to do all the back ways. So, if the

back way was done, I think that will help a little. The machine left here yesterday to take out a pump on the road and will be back here later on today, so that machine will remain in the area. We understand also that water is coming from the back and we told them to close all the intakes. I ask the Regional Chairman, to take out the wire rope and the regulators, so water would not come in the housing area. What we have is the pump working, so as soon as the sluice closes, the pump will [work].”

The Minister said the high intensity rainfall over the last 24 hours measured approximately 2 ½ inches.

He said the rain, along with the drainage system could see the water taking longer than usual to subside.

Minister Mustapha assured residents, however, that everything will be done to ease their hardships. “We are here to do that, we brought up two more pumps from Georgetown to boost the system in the area also. So, we are putting all these mechanisms in place to drain,” he said.

The Minister also noted the Government will continue to provide food and sanitation hampers to persons affected by the floods.

Along with Region Six, communities in Regions One, Two, Three, Seven, Nine and Ten have been under water due to heavy rainfall. The Civil Defence Commission, under the direction of the Office of the Prime Minister, has been assessing floods across the country and rendering assistance.

8

Region Nine welcomes... how we reduce the risk. We would have worked with this entire Region to develop a risk profile that outlined some of the high-risk areas and I will share that risk profile document with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority,” he said.

Meanwhile, four buildings have collapsed in Sand Creek, Awarewaunau, Shea and Aishalton.

At Sand Creek, 114 households were affected and there have been cases of persons suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

Toshao of Shea, Mr. Jason Kaikan said the building that came crashing down was used as a garage for the village’s tractor. The structure collapsed killing several sheep. “Seven sheep have been killed; four belong to the school and two belong to the villagers and one also belong to one of them teachers. Twelve sheep were rescued and they are safe now.”

Many villages depend heavily on subsistence farming, planting mostly cassava, papaya and plantains.

(From page 7)

Toshao of Aishalton, Mr. Michael Thomas said the flood has caused many cassava tubers to rot, forcing villagers to harvest prematurely. “We are working closely with the Region also to address these issues but it would be grateful if you can intervene immediately in supporting our farmers with the farine pans and the barrels for faster processing of their cassava,” Mr. Thomas said.

Meanwhile, the CDC has established a men’s and women’s shelters in Lethem, which have been equipped with cots and per-

sonal hygiene hampers for 36 persons.

The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has also converted the Culvert City Nursery, Arapaima Primary and Tabatinga Sports Complex into shelters. Five persons are currently housed at the Tabatinga Sports Complex.

The regional authorities will be assisting with meals, while the CDC has equipped the facility with the necessary amenities.

Lt. Col. Craig said the shelters would be observing the gazetted COVID-19 safety measures.

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Online learning a catalyst... ty, weakening commitments to social obligations, increasing inequality, as well as climate change and technology. For most indigenous peoples, poverty does not only reflect lack of monetary resources, it involves access to land, culture, medicine, food, education and safety. Given these multiple negative circumstances, it should come as no surprise that Indigenous adolescents who aspire to study at tertiary institutions would like to live in Georgetown or in another country. In essence, young indigenous peoples see no end to their plight and therefore would prefer to abandon their villages, and to some extent, families, in search of a life that meets their aspirations and expectations.

It would not be too farfetched to envisage the same kind of thinking among other young Guyanese populations living in remote or riverain areas, such as for example, those along the banks of Bonasika Creek, Mahaica and Mahaicony Rivers, the upper reaches of the Pomeroon River, remote parts of Hogg Island, other nearby islands and other places that lack modern amenities.

Meanwhile, there have been shifts in populations from the Coastal Belt of Guyana to the hinterland regions.

Large-scale logging and mining operations, whether

through employment opportunities or the lure of gold, have encouraged mixed-population villages in and around these sites. This shift has increased the number of people in remote parts of Guyana who may lack opportunities for higher education.

Mitigating the challenges facing indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups that scratch their living in remote and riverain areas requires new approaches and concomitant investment in essential skills-development and capacity building, complemented by gap-bridging measures, such as for eg, specialized business education and vocational programs and include awareness-raising information dissemination.

In light of the challenges posed by distance, remoteness and access to many villages in hinterland Guyana, and the villagers’ lack of, or inability to access to higher education, the online-distance education scholarships promise to redress some of these structural inequality and other barriers and deliver equitable education opportunities to people in these remote villages, and indeed all across Guyana.

However, while the scholarship funds would remove the financial barrier to tertiary education, at least over the next five years, other barriers. such as, the lack of internet and

(From page 6)

related communication technologies, may still be cause for concern. As a way out, GOAL is gearing up to piggy-back on available or existing internet and communication technologies platforms/infrastructures across the country. In the absence of such facilities, it plans to establish or collaborate, or both, with the private and public sector entities to put platforms/infrastructures in place to facilitate online learners. This is part of the wider objective of establishing study centers in each of the 10 administrative regions to facilitate and support online learners. These study centers, equipped with internet and its related technologies, would allow learners to download their reading/study materials, and subsequently upload their assignments as required/ dictated by the respective academic institutions. This first year, 2021, 4,500 Guyanese learners are expected to pursue vocational and academic courses and programs across the spectrum from certificate to master’s degree levels.

Some doctoral programs are expected to be offered in subsequent years.

Sincerely, Ronald Singh [LLM, MS, Deputy Director (Student Affairs), Guyana Online Academy of Learning]

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT Address by His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on the occasion of Guyana’s 55th Independence Anniversary

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onourable Prime Minister, Madam Chancellor of the Judiciary, Former Presidents, Ministers of Government, Heads of Service, Members of the Diplomatic Community, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Men and Women in Uniform, Members of the Media.

It gives me great honour and privilege, and indeed, it is a humbling time for me, to stand before you, to stand before the people of this beautiful country, Guyana, and address you on the occasion of our 55th Independence Anniversary.

Perhaps it is fitting before I move forward to observe the environment in which we are—an environment that straddles time. We have the Appeal Court, an important symbol of democracy and the rule of law, we have our great Amerindian Heritage, we have our commitment to conservation, we have the old Pegasus and as you look beyond that you will see a feature of what the new and modern Guyana would be like with the new construction. And just in front of where I stand is the Marriot Hotel. Fifty five years captured around our very surrounding. My brothers and sisters of Guyana, just a few hours from now is the 55th anniversary of our people’s collective struggle for Independence.

We hold this annual celebration to remind ourselves that our one nation has a joint history of oppression, of subjugation and of exploitation.

We celebrate because a great victory was achieved by our foreparents, acting together to end colonialism, to fashion our own future, and to shape our own destiny.

No one race of our people achieved that victory.

People of all races did it collectively, as Guyanese born in this land and of this land, each the equal of the other, and each devoted to the common purpose of making of Guyana, a homeland in which all Guyanese could thrive and prosper.

Now, it falls to us to keep faith with them and all the great Guyanese of the past.

To do so, we must recall the spirit of common pur-

pose that motivated them.

And in recalling that spirit, with pride and respect, we must commit to continue the journey they began, realising our hopes and aspirations for the future of our much-loved Guyana.

My brothers and sisters, we cannot recall the moment of Guyana’s Independence without also remembering the efforts of Venezuela to prevent it.

As we released ourselves from the colonial cord of Britain, the Venezuelan government sought to stifle our birth by falsely laying claim to two-thirds of our country.

They have spent the last fifty-five years of the Independence of all of Guyana pursuing this claim—but international law is not silent.

The International Court of Justice is the forum where the voice of international law will be heard, and justice will be determined.

As one people, with one united voice, and a spirit that will not be broken, we will advance the validity of the 122-year-old award that fixed our boundaries.

In our continuing struggle, we are not without friends. We deeply appreciate all those who have stood by our side - from the Caribbean, from the Commonwealth, from the Americas and beyond.

The Venezuelans must understand that we sought no quarrel with them, and we do not do so now.

Our only wish is to live in harmony and cooperation with all our neighbours.

We hold out not a fist of war but a hand of friendship, based on respect for our borders and theirs.

But we will not be cowered, nor will we be bullied.

My Fellow Guyanese, it is not only in relation to protecting our territorial integrity that we must stand as one nation.

Like every other country in the world, we are fighting an unseen, but ever-present enemy in the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 16000 of our people have been infected with the dreadful coronavirus and, sadly, more than 360 of them have died.

We mourn those deaths and sympathise with the families who have lost loved

ones.

I plead with all to help stop these deaths; stop the tears of anguish; stop the grief.

Your government has instituted measures to try to protect every person in Guyana, particularly our elderly and the vulnerable.

However, the active participation of all is required to deploy the protective measures of masks, physical distancing, hand-washing and using sanitisers.

Already, 20 percent of our people have been vaccinated.

This is a significant accomplishment in a world where less than one percent of people in the developing countries have access to vaccines, and where recent World Health Organisation studies suggest that more than six million people have died globally.

We have already purchased thousands of vaccines, and we are sparing no expense in ensuring that we have enough vaccines to cover our full population 18 and above.

Our objective is to ensure that we can inoculate everyone from this dreadful virus.

The length of this battle depends on how soon each of us is fully vaccinated, liberating ourselves to return to a high level of normal life, and protecting others from infection.

In the past, we have immunised generations of our people from measles, mumps, typhoid, polio, yellow fever, meningitis, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases, proving that vaccination saves lives— vaccination saves lives. My brothers and sisters please let us get vaccinated, let us take each other and get vaccination, so that we can return to normalcy as fast as possible.

I urge that we all recognise the value to our own lives, to the lives of our family and friends, to our livelihoods and to the betterment of our country by vaccinating to defeat the coronavirus, as we have defeated so many others in the past.

My brothers and sisters, while much of our health resources have been devoted

to fighting the harmful effects of COVID-19, I assure you that our intention is to deliver the highest international standard of health care for every citizen of our country.

There is already considerable private sector enthusiasm for investing in modern hospitals, fully equipped with the latest technology.

Your government will partner with these private sector initiatives, to give to all Guyanese the high-quality medical care that each of you deserve.

What we are putting in place in medical care, we are also doing in education.

Guyana and Guyanese must be assured of educational facilities that will allow everyone to attain the highest standard of achievement.

Since your Government came to office nine months ago, we have commenced the programme to award 20,000 scholarships to young men and women, to further their education.

We did not make an empty promise; we kept it.

As we intend to keep all our promises to the people of Guyana.

Free University education will be delivered, and schools’ infrastructure will be improved to provide a conducive environment for learning.

Guyana must become a knowledge-based society, capable of competing with the best in the world.

My fellow Guyanese, our manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors have been affected in the past by the high price of energy.

Our private sector partners have rightly pointed to the adverse effects of this high price to the cost of doing business and to their capacity to market their goods abroad competitively, earning revenues in foreign exchange for the benefit of the country.

Your government will respond to this situation.

We cannot be a nation that produces oil and gas, earning considerable sums from it without passing on the benefits to all sectors of our society.

The cost of electricity must be reduced for both business and household con-

sumption.

Therefore, Government is carefully considering mechanisms by which the cost of energy can be reduced across our society by utilising an appropriate percentage of our national earnings from oil and gas to do so.

These mechanisms will be presented to the nation, through the appropriate bodies, for endorsement.

At the bottom line, domestic consumers must be given relief and businesses should be rendered more competitive.

Our financial resources must be utilised to improve the quality of life for all our communities.

We fought for Independence to give our people the quality of life of which they had been deprived.

If Independence is to have any real meaning, it is to uplift our people from the ravages and limitations of the past, and to give them a better life with better opportunities under better circumstances.

My brothers and sisters, everyone should be aware of the considerable work upon which the Government has already embarked in relation to building infrastructure throughout our country.

Our objective is to build connectivity to all parts of Guyana, by roads, bridges, telecommunications, air and river transportation.

Every part of our vast country should be accessible to all Guyanese so that we can all enjoy the marvels of its attractions in waterfalls, lakes, forests, and its flora and fauna.

We also need to build new communities further inland from our coastal belt to spread our population, reduce prices for land and housing, and cease traffic congestion.

In other words, we must use the land space with which we have been blessed as Guyanese to create new and improved living conditions. New area of growth and development and new population centres.

That is why, apart from the infrastructure build-out upon which we are embarked, we will also establish a new city.

Government will incen-

tivise the private sector and persons wishing to own their own homes to locate in the new city where government will also provide major facilities.

My fellow Guyanese, I have said it before, and I repeat it now.

This is an exciting time, with exciting prospects.

Every person in our society now has real economic opportunities to grow and develop, and to contribute to the enlargement of our national wealth.

I urge each of you to dream big.

Your government will support those dreams and help make them reality.

We are on the cusp of being an economically strong Guyana, with opportunities for growth and development of all Guyanese.

This is a cause to which I am personally and deeply committed.

It is why I have been travelling this country from the start of my presidency, listening to individuals, to communities, to groups of all kinds, and acting on what I see and what I hear.

We want not only an economically strong Guyana, we also want a powerful Guyanese nation in which there is no distinction of race, no determination by colour, no differentiation by creed.

Let there be no doubt about it – just as we were divided and ruled in our colonial past, there are those who would divide us for their own purpose in the future.

That must not happen.

We must never allow that to happen.

Earlier this month was “Arrival Day”; ahead of us is “Emancipation Day”.

We all celebrate these occasions together as integral parts of the rich tapestry that makes us uniquely Guyanese.

We are all proud of our ancestral heritage – as we should be.

Our ancestors suffered greatly so that we could inherit this land in freedom.

Let us make them proud that their children belong to this new country built on their blood, sweat and tears, and on their creativity, their ingenuity and their recogni(Turn to page 19)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Diaspora support key in building a new Guyana D

r Irfaan Ali assured overseas-based Guyanese, over the weekend, that his Government remains committed to Diaspora engagements and is vigorously pursuing policies and plans to ensure that they are integrally involved in the process.

The Head of State made this assertion during his address to the inaugural Virtual Diaspora Conference which was held under the theme ‘A New Era of Engagement for the Guyanese Diaspora’.

More than 500 overseas-based Guyanese participated in the three-hour-long discussion.

The President told the gathering that it is essential to have a two-way communication process to ensure the viability and longevity of the proposed plans and opportunities available in the country. He said, “We would like feedback on how we can ensure that not only the Diaspora Unit but the entire strategy is developed in a way that makes it sustainable, workable; ensuring that the plan and outputs can be realised. And this is critical for me because we have to get this right from the start.”

In emphasising the importance of the Diaspora in helping to build a better Guyana, the President referred to their pro-democratic stance in the 2020 elections and remittance support over the years. “Your role in securing our democratic values, your role in securing the rule of law cannot go understated. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you sincerely for your interest, your time, your dedication, and your commitment. Indeed, during very difficult times, it is remittances and the contribution of the Diaspora that saw many Guyanese breaking the barriers of extreme poverty. It is the remittances of Guyanese in the Diaspora that contributed significantly to the eradication of many social problems. It is your commitment over the years that have helped us during many difficult times,” the President stated.

He charged the Diaspora to use their influence, finances and expertise to

help develop the country and the lives of their fellow Guyanese. Ali said, “As we navigate into the future, we would like the hands of the Diaspora to be a key element in the new Guyana that will bring with it great opportunities, great prosperity….

The unification and coming together of the Guyanese people is paramount to the prosperity we will achieve.”

PILLARS AND PRINCIPLES OF DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT The President pointed to five important pillars of the Diaspora: influence, investment, information, identity, and integration. He said that “in each of these pillars, we have seen how important the Diaspora can be.”

He added that the forum and the Diaspora Unit provide a platform to integrate the Diaspora and link the ‘powerful asset’ that they represent with the development pathway of the country. It also provided the platform to separate the real information from the misinformation.

The Head of State noted that the Diaspora Unit and the way it supports development and integration must further be founded on the principles of coordination, participation and facilitation.

He pointed to the response of the Diaspora following the eruption of the volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines as a perfect example of how the output of the three principles led to a positive outcome.

Ali said, “And at its very early stage, we are seeing the impact of the unit in facilitating, coordinating and participating with St Vincent and the Grenadines in dealing with the aftermath of the volcano. Guyana indeed has a Diaspora in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Diaspora Unit from a very early stage…was able to engage and connect with the Guyanese community and the leadership of that country.”

THE PATH FORWARD The President elaborated on the plans moving forward and pointed to the impor-

tance of democratic values— which he said will be guarded vigorously. As important, will be the rule of law and the active involvement and participation of Guyanese.

He said, “What we want to achieve is not only prosperity for the people in an economic and monetary way, but for us to leave lasting prosperity. We have to have social development and advancement, political development and advancement and indeed, economic advancement and development.”

In this regard, he acknowledged that key areas need to and will be addressed, including access to healthcare, education, security, infrastructure, and access to affordable and reliable energy.

He said, “We’re talking about world-class education and health systems for all Guyanese, and included in that too are plans and a strategy for investment that would see healthcare services for members of the Diaspora too…”

The Head of State revealed that work has already commenced on a comprehensive strategy to address security, as this is an important factor in the Diaspora’s decision-making process.

MORE THAN OIL AND GAS President Ali urged those present to move away from the misguided notion and “narrow narrative” of where Guyana is heading and realise that the excitement is not only about oil and gas. He elaborated on several innovative and transformative plans ahead in key areas, including agriculture, the environment and eco-tourism.

He said, “Yes, oil and gas will give us a massive push, but we are planning, much, much bigger than oil and gas. We are planning to be the leader, regionally, in food sustainability and agricultural production. And we have an entire strategy. We have recently assumed once again the leadership on agriculture in the region.”

He pointed to the Jagdeo Initiative on Agriculture.

The goal, he explained, is

for Guyana to become not only a full supplier of our own food but a net exporter regionally. President Ali said that he is confident that the Government will provide the incentives to support this drive.

Environmental leadership is another important aspect of the Government’s agenda moving forward and, the President disclosed that the Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo is already engaging not only Norway, but many other multilateral development partners in pursuit of this goal.

Additionally, the President stressed the importance of making informed decisions that match the country’s development agenda.

An example of such is the idea of moving the support services for oil and gas to Guyana and not wanting to open up the necessary lands along the Demerara River to create opportunities for those investments.

PURSUING DEVELOPMENT GOALS He guaranteed that his PPP/C Government will pursue the creation of 50,000 jobs, as it committed to in its manifesto, the provision of 50,000 house lots, the facilitation of foreign direct investment, the provision of 20,000 scholarships and having a competitive oil and gas support infrastructure in Guyana to provide employment.

“We are in pursuit of these goals. And they’re not fly-by-night objectives of the Government. We campaigned on these. We asked the Guyanese people to support us on this, on these projects and this vision, and we have a responsibility to execute,” he said.

He pointed to the importance of the Diaspora in also taking advantage of the opportunities ahead and encouraged them to participate in the process as the future of Guyana depends on their skills, experience and their investment.

Ali said, “Importantly, these attributes must be driven by a vision and ideas, and today gives us an opportunity to engage in that vision and

those ideas that will fuel the future of Guyana.”

After the keynote address, President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo fielded questions from the participants in several areas, including access to education, agriculture, the natural resources sector and women’s empowerment.

ACCESS TO EDUCATION When asked about the systems that will be put in place to address the unemployment of youths and school drop-outs, President Ali explained that the Government is developing a system to harness the best potential of each individual.

This system, he said, will focus on the expansion of technical and vocational education that will be integrated into the secondary school system.

“What we are doing now is developing community learning facilities. And these community facilities are linked to the programmes of Government. So in the housing programme now we have many of these young persons who are trained in block making, not only trained but also given seed capital to start up the operations from a community level,” he said.

Vice President Jagdeo added that the Government is opening up several service-type opportunities. In addition, it is co-sponsoring the training of young people and has introduced apprenticeship programmes through the heavily-invested Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

The Vice President pointed out that as it relates to the Diaspora getting involved in the education sector, the Government has already incentivised investments into the private education system by removing corporate tax on education at every level—this it achieved within the first 30 days of assuming office.

POLITICS AND PROFESSIONALISM In answering a question about job security for skilled members of the Diaspora, who are interested in taking up positions in

the Government, President Ali emphasised that professionals and public servants have nothing to worry about or fear.

“Professionals and true public servants, you have nothing to fear; but there is a line between professional and political, and I have made it very clear we have to make choices. If you are a politician, don’t hide it under being a public servant.

If you are a politician and you pursue that route, then you must understand that you are pursuing a political career,” he said.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT In addressing women’s empowerment, President Ali stressed that the Government takes responsibility for the removal of barriers in society that inhibits the participation of women and girls very seriously. He said, “We started to change legislatively, the role of women and girls in policymaking, in decision making and in Government. We have seen over the years greater and greater participation at every level, at the level of policy or level of management in the private sector itself, and now the universities.”

One of the participants also raised the issue of the availability of lands to members of the Diaspora who meet the criteria. He stressed that the allocation and sale of lands will be market-driven. “The land will be available, but it is not going to be free land in those areas. It will be closer to market price because we use resources from the sale of those lands to cross-subsidise low-income housing, middle-income housing, and so on,” President Ali said.

The President made clear that the prosperity of Guyana remains his government’s priority. He said, “Giving Guyana that opportunity to become competitive, giving the people of Guyana the opportunity to get world-class services, giving Guyana the opportunity to get world-class infrastructure. That is the stage that we’re concentrating on at this moment.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Government will not be a scapegoat for City Hall’s mismanagement – President Ali says Central Gov’t remains committed to improving conditions in Georgetown

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he welfare of the City remains paramount, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who stressed that the Government will not allow itself to be used as a scapegoat when the M&CC fails in fulfilling its responsibility and mandate.

The Head of State made this assertion while responding to a recent statement made by Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine in which he claimed that the President is starving the Mayor and City Council of resources.

“Let me be very clear, this Government cares tremendously about our city, but we will not allow ourselves to be used as a scapegoat in the city not fulfilling its responsibility and mandate or in the city converting everything into political opportunism or a political football. As President, we're not going to allow the Mayor to get away with a statement like this,” he said.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO THE RESCUE The President reiterated that whilst the city is not fulfilling its responsibilities in the main-

tenance of the environment and its infrastructure and the cleaning of drainage, Central Government has embarked on a massive programme to clean the city, to clean and maintain the roadways, establish roundabouts, and maintain drainage.

He said, “We have invested in pumps to ensure, as far as possible, we have improved the drainage situation in the city to prevent flooding. These are the necessary investments because as a Government the city reflects who we are as a country too. But the mismanagement of the City Council cannot be passed on to Central Government. And we have to address this; we have to address this honestly.”

He pointed to the array of programmes already implemented to engage communities in the cleaning-up of various wards in the city, including South Georgetown, Sophia and Albouystown.

“But this is the responsibility of the city council, and the city council continues to fail the people of the city and every time they fail the people of the city, they try to pass the buck on or pass the burden on,” Ali said.

The President added too that the Government is fully committed to ensuring that City Hall is restored. He said, “That is a project we have budgeted resources for in the budget and we are going to work on implementing.”

RECORD OF DISCREPANCIES President Ali reminded that Central Government has a responsibility to ensure that resources are spent for what they are budgeted for and to ensure that there is accountability and transparency. He pointed to the discrepancies uncovered at City Hall over the years.

“In accordance with Section 177 of Chapter 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana, the Council is required to prepare accounts yearly and submit same for audit no later than four months after the end of the year. The Mayor and City Councilors of Georgetown has breached this provision and continues to do so,” he said.

He highlighted that in 2004, in the last audited financial statement, a disclaimer of opinion was issued by the Auditor General- a disclaimer is where

Gov’t discussing regional energy corridor with Suriname, Brazil, French Guiana

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he Government is in talks with some of its neighbours to create a regional energy corridor, linking Guyana’s energy infrastructure to Suriname’s, Northern Brazil’s and French Guiana’s.

This is according to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who said, “The strategy of Guyana is to become a major player in the energy corridor of Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.”

Recent hydrocarbon discoveries in the Guyana-Suriname basin include significant gas reserves with potential, which has renewed interest in the corridor.

Guyana intends to pipe gas to shore from the Liza field to substitute its current oil-fired power generation.

The Liza field was the first significant oil find offshore Guyana.

The Government is also operationalising plans for renewable energy projects to support its intention of creating a cleaner energy mix.

The energy corridor would see the countries teaming-up to share power

based on a collective understanding of their needs and ability to supply.

President Ali said the operationalisation of this plan would require development of local knowledge and capacity in the area of logistics. “Our own demand locally and the spinoff of our own investment that will see more export, would require greater logistics planning.

The integration of Suriname and Brazil, creation of that new corridor, making Guyana an important shipping hub for the region, requires careful planning and development of a logistics hub and industry. And that by itself brings a stream of benefit. It’s not only what is happening in Guyana,” he said.

The President also addressed the energy corridor during an April 28 press conference at State House.

He said, “Later this year, we are expecting to have a meeting between Brazil, Guyana and Suriname to look at the energy corridor because as you’re aware, Suriname also has a lot of development that

is taking place in the oil and gas sector, and we have to look at what the net output would be, and what it means in supplying Northern Brazil, and in supplying French Guiana…our energy mix would be broad and comprehensive beyond our shores.”

Additionally, in his address during the ceremonial opening of the 12th Parliament in February, the President said Government had already commenced discussions with its neighbours on this matter.

The project had been in talks for several years, as the Inter-American Development Bank conducted baseline and pre-feasibility studies in 2016 and 2017 on what it calls the ‘Arco Norte Electrical Interconnection.’

The Bank stated that the main benefits of such a project would be lower-cost generation for all countries involved; potentially lowered electricity prices for consumers in Guyana and Suriname; more secure supply; reduced carbon dioxide emissions and export earnings, especially for Guyana.

the information submitted cannot stand up to scrutiny; in 2005, again a disclaimer opinion was issued; 2006 to 2011, no financial statements were submitted; 2012 to 2015 financial statements were submitted but the information required could not have allowed auditors to express an opinion; 2016 to 2020, again, no financial statements were submitted for the period.

President Ali also revealed that in 2019, following an investigation of the M&CC, several discrepancies were revealed and reported to the Audit Office. These include; failure to remit workers National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, failure to remit workers Credit Union contributions, failure to remit workers Guyana Revenue Authority Pay as You Earn (P.A.Y.E) deductions from workers, failure to effect payment of retirement benefits (gratuity) to a number of workers, issues surrounding the number of contracts in keeping with financial regu-

lations, transparency, and accountability, waiver of rates and taxes, rental of wharf facilities and the granting of leases.

He added that as recent as March of 2021, a special audit commenced, and again similar issues were uncovered with regards to the National Insurance Scheme, Guyana Revenue Authority, and monies not paid over.

“All of these were issues highlighted, where transparency, accountability and clear violations and breaches we found, yet, Central Government continues to transfer resources to the city. But how long must we, as a people, and as a Government allow this blatant disregard for transparency and accountability, this blatant disregard for the rules and laws governing the financial accountability of the Mayor and City Council? There must come a time when things will come to a head and these things have to be fixed. We cannot continue this level of mismanagement,” he said.

President Ali reiterated that while His Government is desirous of “nothing short of an excellent relationship with the city”, it will not be blamed for the City’s mismanagement nor will they disregard all of these discrepancies over the years and continue to transfer money blindly knowing of all of the irregularities.

“So, I just want to make it very, very clear, that we want a partnership for the development of the city, but we cannot allow the City Council to continue to blatantly disregard what is out there in terms of its responsibility and in terms of its fiduciary responsibility.

And we will not allow the Central Government to be used as a political football.

Notwithstanding all of this, we are moving forward with a plan and programme to improve the welfare, well-being, living conditions, and standard of the people of the city and those who use the city and we are sparing no resources in achieving this,” the Head of State declared.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

GUYANA AT 5 5

Scenes f r om f lag r ais ing cer emony t o mar k Independence Anniv er s ar y

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

GUYANA AT 5 5

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Scenes f r om f lag r ais ing cer emony t o mar k Independence Anniv er s ar y

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM FREEDOM HOUSE

Be inspired by the invaluable struggles of those before us [A MESSAGE FROM THE PPP ON THE OCCASION OF GUYANA'S 55TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY]

O

ur beloved nation has reached another milestone, its 55th Independence Anniversary. It comes at a time when Guyana is on the cusp of unprecedented transformational development. The unleashing of our nation’s vast potential is within reach. Our developmental trajectory has, undoubtedly, imbued all Guyanese with a tremendous sense of optimism, pride, expectation and confidence that our individual and collective dreams and aspirations for a prosperous nation will be realised.

As we observe this very significant moment in our nation’s history, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to extend greetings to all Guyanese, both here and those globally in the Diaspora.

The 55 years since the Golden Arrowhead was first hoisted in May 1966, was not without its challenges. Our nation and its people were tested at various points, but on every occasion, despite the severity of what confronted us, our

resilience and indomitable will to rise to those challenges and to forge ahead, prevailed. It is demonstrative of our resoluteness as a people to work assiduously and to sustain our efforts to build a brighter future for all.

During those 55 years, there were periods when much was achieved – a period that saw our physical and social infrastructures being transformed through sustained growth and development – and periods of regression. There were periods when our freedoms were suppressed and periods when they were restored.

There were periods when pride was lost and periods when it returned after relentless struggles. However, throughout these times, our people never allowed hope to slip away and remained steadfast in their commitment to nation-building and the advancement of all.

Guyanese are aware that the 55th Independence Anniversary comes months after glaring attempts to suppress freedoms and democracy. The fact that our free-

dom and nascent democracy were vigorously defended is testimony to our collective resolve and the value we, as a people, attached to our democratic principles.

This is not dissimilar to the values of those who led the struggles and fought valiantly for Independence would have attached to breaking the shackles of colonialism. Those selfless struggles remain a revered source of inspiration and a demonstration of patriotism in guiding us to work in the best interest of our country and all of its peoples.

As we celebrate this independence anniversary, albeit restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Party urges that we be encouraged by the invaluable efforts of those who struggled to free us from colonialism, as we endeavor together to safeguard our democratic values and to advance ourselves and fellow countrymen and women as a new era of transformational development beckons.

Happy Independence to all Guyanese!

People’s Progressive

WPO celebrates its 68th anniversary

T

he Women’s Progressive Organization celebrated its 68th anniversary this week, on May 27, 2021.

The occasion served to remind us of the long and perilous journey that was undertaken to bring attention to the plight of women who were oppressed, down trodden with the burden of poverty, under-development, religious and cultural bias.

We take this opportunity in paying homage to all those who were instrumental in nurturing this organization from its inception. We remember with pride the founder members especially Cde Janet Jagan in this year of her 100 birth anniversary, Jessica Huntley, Jane Philip Gay and Ms Aukland. We also extend our sincerest appreciation to all the leaders and members both past and present for their dedicated services.

It is opportune to recall as well the role of its forerunner the Women’s Political & Economic Organization

(WPEO) which was formed 75 years ago in July 1946.

Its mission was to ensure “the political and economic organization of women in order to promote their economic welfare, their political and social emancipation and betterment”.

The WPEO successfully advocated for better living conditions for the poor who were living in the city in tenement yards and exposed the plight of domestics who were working for long hours. It was the first time such fundamental issues were raised by women at the national level.

The WPEO played a historical role in awakening women to their rights and potentials. It lifted women beyond the purely social and charitable associations that existed and gave them a sense of purpose. Although it did not succeed in being a permanent body, its influence in opening new horizons for Guyanese women cannot be over-looked.

The formation of the PPP in 1950 provided the political leadership which was needed and under the astute leadership of Dr Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Jocelyn Hubbard and Ashton Chase - a new era had emerged in the colony of British Guiana.

The struggle for adult suffrage was won in 1953 where all persons 18 years and over whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated participated in the first ever elections held under universal adult suffrage in April which saw the PPP winning 18 out of 24 seats.

Three women Janet Jagan, Jane Philip Gay and Jessie Burnham were elected to the Legislative Council and Janet Jagan was appointed to the position of Deputy Speaker. Thereafter, the Women’s Progressive Organization (WPO) was formed on May 27th 1953 and once again women’s involvement in the economic and political life of the country became a central (Turn to page 22)

[The following is a publication from January 1987 written by former President Janet Jagan]

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM VICE PRESIDENT

BHARRAT JAGDEO

[Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo addressed several issues during a recent engagement with the private sector]

Gov’t addressing crime with forensics scholarships, expansion of Smart City programme T

he PPP/C Government is very concerned about what its statistics indicate about the crime rate, and will address it through multiple

interventions, according to Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his most recent news conference, he said,

“What we are looking at now is resuscitating the Smart city programme… It’s in chaos and it’s limited to 265 cameras, but taking this across the

Draft changes to election laws to be ready by end of June 2021

I

n keeping with the promise of electoral reform, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has disclosed that a draft of proposed amendments to the Representation of the People Act is expected be completed by the end of June 2021.

Thereafter, he assured that there will be consultation.

Speaking at a news conference, he said, “The idea is to make more transparent and to define responsibilities in the Act that are unambiguous and… to put in place a set of penalties for people who may try to steal the elections… any right-thinking person will support that. That’s the objective. “...we will look at issues right from registration to declaration of the results, so everything that is not unambiguous, not transparent etcetera.

We made it clear that we want SoPs [Statements of Poll] in the public domain before the tabulation starts, that sort of thing. “…this is an open process…every person will have a chance to have an input. So, we are soliciting these views.

Eventually there will be a draft, hopefully by the end of June – a draft bill. Then that draft will be sent to the international community, all the political parties in Guyana, civil society bodies and GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) too, and will be up on the website. Then people would have 3 months in Guyana to give their input. “…everyone will get a chance. So when that is done, APNU will get a chance to give their input there and several civil society organisations. And then when that’s done, a draft bill would be

had, taking into account the input made and it will be presented to the parliament, where the Parliamentary Opposition will once again have an input…. when the debate takes place it will Guyanese who finally decide.”

COMPROMISED PERSONS When asked, the Vice President stressed that the PPP/C will not accept Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, being a part of any other elections in this country. “Before the elections are held, we’ve made it clear that Lowenfield and the others cannot conduct the elections.

These are people who tried to steal the elections. They can’t be there to conduct any future elections in this country,” he said.

In a prior interview, Jagdeo named Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Election Officer Ms. Roxanne Myers and Region Four Returning Officer Mr. Clairmont Mingo as persons who have contributed to the tainted image of the GECOM. The trio is before the court on fraud and misconduct charges concerning the elections and its aftermath.

Further, in response to a question regarding the prosecution of the elections officials, the Vice President had said the PPP/C Government respects Guyana’s Constitution and will abide by it.

“The Commission is independent. They hired, and they should have fired, and that is why I am saying here tonight, I don’t see any reason why these individuals should be there, but it is for the Commission to take action, we can’t from the Executive, that

would be interfering with the process, and we do not intend to interfere with any process of a constitutional institution,” he said.

Jagdeo had also highlighted an audit report submitted on the Commission had shown mismanagement of some $7 billion to $8 billion by known officials, further exposing some persons’ corrupt nature at the entity.

FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS Also, in prior comments, the Vice President had said that the electoral reform process is necessary to ensure Local Government and other elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He had said, “In that Act, which requires a simple majority to pass, there will be some key reforms, so there is no ambiguity in how things are conducted. So, the areas which we have issues in are recruitment of staff… We have to build into the legislation a clear process for recruitment and placement of staff that is fair, open, transparent, random placement, so it favours none of the parties.”

Jagdeo added this should include substantial penalties, a clear definition of how recounts are to be conducted and publication of the Statements of Poll (SOPs) before tabulation begins. “A lot of changes along these lines will have to take place,” he said.

Guyanese were subject to a five-month wait for the final results from the March 2020 General and Regional Elections because of the actions of several persons involved in the process at GECOM.

country with a capability of monitoring and operating it so you can see what’s going on.”

The Vice President said while this would help fight crime, new privacy laws, among other interventions, would be needed to implement and apply this law enforcement tool.

The surveillance system was installed in areas around Georgetown in 2019.

Jagdeo also spoke about the interventions included in the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship initiative. He

said, “Under this scholarship programme, we are building to identify at least maybe 100 programmes. If you look at the scholarships on offer, a lot of them are for forensic science and stuff like that, to ensure that we can better populate the forensic lab, the facilities that will be built.”

The GOAL programme offers many diplomas and post graduate diplomas from the Sherlock Institute of India, in over 20 areas of study related to investigative law enforcement work. The programmes can be viewed at

https://www.guyanagoal.org/ In addition, the Vice President said 40 new vehicles will be coming in next month to equip the Guyana Police Force, and that training of its staff will also be crucial for the force to tackle serious crime.

The Government is also working with its international partners on drug enforcement and transnational crime.

Jagdeo stated too that the Police have been asked to provide regular statistical updates on the crime situation to the media, so that they can keep the country abreast.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

POSITIONS FROM VICE PRESIDENT

BHARRAT JAGDEO

[Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo addressed several issues during a recent engagement with the private sector]

Exxon to pay US$1.3M for excess flaring T

he Government expects to rake in about US$1.3 million in fees from ExxonMobil for excess flaring, according Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

This was revealed during his last press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The Vice President said Exxon’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), applied for an allowance to flare for 36 days, from May 25, for which it will have to pay. He said the company expects to have corrected its deficient

gas compression equipment by the end of this period. He said, “So, it is approximately, they say they’re flaring about 15 million cubic [feet] per day now. That will be equivalent to about 1,152 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or just below that. And so, if you work out 1,100 tonnes per day, say 1,100 tonnes per day multiplied by 30 – US$30 per tonne – multiply by 36 days that they’ve applied for the continued flaring, it should take us to about US$1.3 million, around that, for the period they have applied for.”

Jagdeo countered criticisms about the fee, noting that it is globally competitive and even higher than some developed countries.

He said the fee would be applied even before the permit expires next year. At this point, the new permit will include fines for flaring, consistent with the Payara permit granted by the Government last year.

“We don’t believe that this fee is recoverable against cost oil. That is our position.” he said, in response to a question posed at the briefing.

He also noted concerns that Guyana may have to compensate the ExxonMobil-led consortium for any fine imposed on it because of the stability clause within the Stabroek block’s Production Sharing Agreement.

The clause, which was agreed to by former Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman in 2016, forbids the Government from imposing new taxes or fees on the companies.

If it does, Guyana would have to compensate those companies.

The Vice President gave assurances that no compensation would be offered.

Rising cost of living due to external factors

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he Government is paying attention to the increase in the cost of living, according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who explained that this is due to external factors.

During his last news conference, he explained that the Administration is concerned about the situation, and is examining ways to help the people.

Jagdeo noted that the Government reversed over 200 taxes imposed by the Coalition when it took office in August. Those tax breaks meant that some $40 billion has been returning to the economy. However, despite the tax relief, the Vice President said

the Government has noted the rising cost of commodities and construction material. He said, “We are very concerned about this… It is a big struggle, but since we have removed the taxes already, there’s a limit to what you can do. But I want people to be conscious that we’re looking at the cost of living issues carefully. We are engaging the attention of the policy makers.”

The Vice President linked the increases to international manufacturers operating at limited capacity. Added to this, he said there have been significant increases in freight/ shipping costs, which in some (Turn to page 20)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Incentives in store for public school teachers under GOAL’s initiative T he Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), Government’s flagship, free online 20,000 scholarship initiative, will reward teachers in public schools across the country who secure scholarships and successfully complete programmes and courses under this innovative project.

Teachers who embark in studies in various disciplines at the partnering universities in distinctive and diverse programmes and are successful will receive incentives and recognition including monetary incentives; points for promotion; graduate status among other considerations.

On a noteworthy point,

teachers who fail to meet Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) entry requirements are encouraged to enroll for the Bachelor Preparatory Programme being offered at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

Successful completion of this programme will facilitate entry into CPCE. All courses and programmes are fully online and accessible to students to download material and assignments at their convenience. In explaining the courses delivery to students, Jacob Opadeyi, GOAL’s Director, noted that students are expected to inculcate the personal study habit as

there will be no daily, virtual online classes. However, scheduled online tutorials will be held to offer clarification and guidance, as may be required.

Turning his attention to the application criteria for degree programmes, Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) CAPE will form the basis for these programmes. However, applicants without CAPE’s certification, but who can provide evidence of higher level education, academically or technical including a Certificate from The Cyril Potter College; any Technical Institute (TI) in Guyana and a Diploma from an accredited University in Guyana, will

be eligible for consideration.

Referring to contractual obligation, it was pointed out under the GOAL initiative, successful applicants will have to serve a period of community service during the life of their respective programme/course.

The deadline for application submission is Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 23:59hours (Midnight).

To apply online, prospective applicants can visit https://goal.edu.gy/ For further details on the scholarship initiative visit the Guyana Online Academy Learning Facebook page: Call/whatsapp 6437783/687-6331 or Email: info@goal.edu.gy

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WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Chief Justice orders release of SOPs, SORs ‒ documents to be released in 10 days

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he High Court on Thursday (May 27, 2021) blocked the move by embattled Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, to prevent the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Police Commissioner from accessing the Statements of Poll (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) from the March 2020 Elections.

This was in the case where an application was filed by the DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, and Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie, requesting certified copies of the SOPs and SORs. Last week, Lowenfield, through his Attorney, Nigel

Hughes, made an oral application before the seeking to be listed as intended respondent in the case, with the intent to block the release of the documents to the DPP and the Police Commissioner.

In her ruling, acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire said, “For the Court to allow the CEO to become a party… would have the effect of complicating these legal proceeding unnecessarily… although the legal custodian of the documents, the CEO does not have an interest such as to object to the court granting permission for such a release.”

Further, the acting Chief Justice ordered that the statutory documents be released within the next 10 days.

COURT CASE The DPP and Acting Police Commissioner had initiated legal proceedings in the High Court, seeking orders to obtain certified copies of the SOPs and SORs from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, which are currently lodged with the Registrar of the High Court.

The decision to move to the High Court came after the Police Commissioner wrote the Registrar of the High Court, Sueanna Lovell, to obtain the certified copies of the documents, but was informed, by way of a letter,

this could not be done without an order from the Court.

The Acting Chief Justice on January 18, 2021 had ordered that the SORS and SOPS be lodged with the High Court for “safekeeping”, after she struck out one of the elections petitions – Petition 99 – which sought to overturn the results of the polls. The request for the documents to be lodged at the court was made by Attorneys-at-law Douglas Mendes, S.C., and Kashir Khan, who brought to the court’s attention that the Representation of the People Act allows for the Chief Elections Officer to destroy all elections documents after a 12-month period would have elapsed.

Accordingly, Chief Elec-

tions Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield on January 27, 2021 delivered the SOPS and SORS to the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

According to Ali-Hack, the SOPS and SORS are necessary for the fair hearing of the charges as they constitute relevant evidence for the prosecution to prove the commission of the offences related to the March 2020 Election debacle.

Pursuant to the Representation of the People Act, the DPP pointed out that the documents are public records for which there is no restriction such as privacy, privilege, or secrecy. As such, the DPP submitted that: “There is no restriction to the Police obtaining them…by

the common law and statute, namely Section 50 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, the Commissioner of Police and any member of the Police Force have the lawful right to collect and recover all documents and property which are relevant to the investigation and prosecution of any criminal offence.”

PERSONS CHARGED To date, several persons have been charged in relation to electoral fraud and misconduct in public office.

Earlier this year, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan ruled that the electoral fraud charges against PNCR Chairperson, Volda Lawrence; APNU+AFC activist, Carol (Turn to page 19)

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Chief Justice orders...

(From page 18)

Joseph, and embattled Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, will be disposed of summarily. In effect, this means that the cases will be tried in the Magistrates’ Courts. As a result of the Chief Magistrate’s ruling, Lawrence, Mingo, and Joseph have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were instructed to return to court on June 11, 2021, for disclosure of statements. Afterwards, the Chief Magistrate will set a date to begin their trial. The trio is represented by Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes, Lawrence was slapped with two charges of conspiracy to commit fraud at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. She was placed on bail.

Joseph is charged joint-

self in declaring fraudulent results for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. She has been placed on $300,000 bail in relation to both charges.

The Chief Elections Officer is facing three counts of forgery and three counts of misconduct in public office. He has been placed on $300,000 bail.

There are also electoral fraud charges against GECOM clerks Denise Bob-Cummings and Michelle Miller, as well as GECOM Elections Officer Shefern February and Information Technology Officer Enrique Livan. They, too, have been released on bail.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has hired a team of lawyers to prosecute these cases on the State’s behalf.

ly with Mingo for forgery.

They, too, have been placed on bail.

Mingo has been charged with several counts of misconduct in public office in relation to their conduct at March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Additionally, in February 2021, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly ruled that a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) will be conducted into the two counts of misconduct in public office against Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers. This was after she upheld submissions

by Hughes for the charges to remain indictable. Myers was not required to plead to the indictable charges which stated that, during the period March 4 and 14, 2020, she willfully misconducted her-

Address by His Excellency... (From page 9) tion that, in the end, their success could only be the result of their unity.

In the course of our independent history, many persons have contributed immensely to the social and economic development of our country.

And to respect the contribution of those persons to Guyana and to the wider global society, on this 55th anniversary of our Independence, it is right that we should honour some of these persons who have shown their devotion to Guyana and Guyanese, benefiting us all.

Therefore, national awards, for their outstanding contribution would be announced shortly.

It is only we ourselves

who can either spoil Guyana’s future or make it glorious.

Our country will not be built by negativity or nay-sayers, poor losers, and purveyors of destruction.

I ask you to remember that our Nation has endured and triumphed over colonialism and exploitation, over political differences, over social discord at home and challengers from abroad.

Yet, we are still here, still living together, still working together, still looking toward tomorrow.

It is our job to carry on this great enterprise.

Make no mistake about it, as long as we have faith in the future and the courage to seize the opportuni-

ties, our Nation is unstoppable.

The greatest of our perils is to forget our overriding oneness.

It must not be so.

I am determined that it shall not.

On this 55th anniversary of our Independence, as economic prosperity surely lies before us, let us ensure that national cohesion strengthens us even more.

I urge that we pledge ourselves to each other and to the cause of our collective economic and social development.

Happy Independence Anniversary to all our Guyanese home and abroad, God bless you and God bless your families.

Thank you very much.

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Rising cost of living due... cases have “doubled and tripled.”

He said the Government is seeking to increase its construction production capacity.

To this end, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission has been given the green light to grant quarrying licenses.

“But in the meantime, we have to import,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.

Notwithstanding this, the Vice President believes that once the COVID-19 pandemic ends, production levels will increase, thereby reducing costs.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce said recently that it is monitoring the increase in the cost of vegetables across the country.

Back in February, several consumers had complained of an almost 100 per cent increase in the cost of most vegetables at both markets and supermarkets. Research conducted by the Department of Commerce, within the Ministry confirmed the price increases.

Stakeholders in the construction sector have also complained about an increase in cost of steel, which skyrocketed due to increasing product and freight costs.

Minister Hon. Oneidge Walrond, and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibilities for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh met with stakeholders in January

(From page 16)

to discuss the increase.

Minister Singh had noted that the Government has moved away from fixed prices and a regulated market to a more open and competitive environment.

The Finance Minister had also promised to examine the legal and administrative implications of adjusting taxes associated with shipping costs.

Minister Walrond had committed to engaging agencies under her supervision, such as the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to safeguard against unscrupulous business practices and to ensure quality.

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

21

22

WPO celebrates its... issue.

Thus, a new chapter had emerged in the country with the appointment of the three women at the highest decision making body. Unfortunately, the euphoria of the 1953 elections was short lived, when only after 133 days in office, the PPP was removed from office and an interim government was installed.

Women’s involvement at this juncture was crucial, in a period when leaders of the PPP were restricted and jailed. It was the women who used their shopping baskets to distribute Party leaflets and information. They also used their place of worship to share information which was prohibited. The militancy which began in 1946 was intensified after the democratically elected government was removed from office in 1953.

The task of the WPO at that time was to advocate for mothers to send their daughters to school. This was necessary to bring them out of under-development and poverty. Unfortunately, that call was hindered by the policy of colonial rule where almost all the schools were church controlled and in order to attend school you were expected to

convert.

Nonetheless, some people who wanted to elevate themselves chose to convert as a means to educate themselves while others chose to remain without an education.

The PPP had to raise the political consciousness of the masses in order to engage them in the struggle for independence and self-determination. Women were very much in the forefront of that struggle and as early as May, 1953, Mrs. Janet Jagan at a Conference in Copenhagen called on the delegates present to give solidarity to British Guiana in its desire to rid itself from colonial rule.

The WPO as a mass women’s organization undertook the important task of ensuring that women in the rural communities were given leadership to make them more politically aware. Women in the urban centers were already benefitting from the education which provided the much needed confidence to propel them in public service jobs. Working with unorganized women proved to be a daunting task since they were conditioned to believe that their role was only limited to their home and families.

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

(From page 14)

Many leaders in the community recalled the difficulties which they had to face in dealing with reluctant fathers and spouses who did not want their daughters or wives to become involved in any organization whatsoever.

Thus, as a mass women organization we had to use women exclusive issues to cater for that suspicion and reluctance. We had to keep changing the goal post from home to community and then to the issues that affected their lives nationally. Finally, women started to become more involved especially during the period of shortages and long lines under the PNC. Women were always in the forefront of all activities of the PPP. They fought for independence as well as against 28 years of PNC dictatorship, for free and fair election and for the restoration of democracy.

When the PPP was returned to power in 1992 the women took up their tasks with much gusto because they wanted to see improvements in their lives and that of their communities. More women were coming forward and over time we have seen more female leaders emerging

within the ranks of the PPP. In 2001 the government embraced the recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Committee and the Parliamentary Oversight Committee mandating Lists of all political parties contesting the General and Regional Elections must be made up of 33 and 1/3 per cent of women in 2010. As a consequence of that recommendation, political parties have ensured that the desired amount of women as recommended forms part of their parliamentary representatives.

The Reform Committee also recommended four (4) Rights Commission one of which is the Women & Gender Equality Commission which was sworn in 2009 and constituted in 2010, This Commission has fourteen (14) mandates enshrined in the Constitution and the Vision is to create an environment where the rights of women are recognized as human rights and gender equality is upheld.

Presently there are 24 female Members of Parliament, with the PPP/C accounting for 11 and there are 7 female Ministers. What a terrific achievement for women of

Guyana. And last but not least was the election of the first female head of state Mrs. Janet Jagan.

The WPO has touched the lives of almost all rural communities and over the years; we were able to organize women in the urban centers as well as hinterland communities.

As we reflect on 68 years we are proud of the achievements of women in all areas of endeavor. Many progressive legislations protecting the rights of women and her family, as well as the various policies and programmes have helped to empower women and girls.

The PPP’s commitment to gender equality is visible in all the sectors and we thank our Party and government for their support in improving the lives and conditions of all Guyanese. We encourage all parents to utilize the free scholarship initiative of the government and we call on all the young girls who are desirous of educating themselves to take advantage of that opportunity.

We have weathered the storm as an organization throughout all the highs and lows in the affairs of our

country. We believe that better days are yet to come since more than 60% of those graduating from University are confident young women who will make a difference in the country. There are well poised to articulate and lobby for the Millennium Development Goal 5 - Gender Equality 50/50 in 2030.

The women in the WPO have always been volunteers and we take this opportunity to thank them for their selfless contributions to the organization. We are committed to the mission statement as spelt out

by Jessica Huntley in 1953 which stated that “The WPO stands for a better educated woman who can bring up her children in surroundings of security; it stands for the raising of our living standards and it stands for peace and friendship among the peoples of the world and for the ultimate liberation of our women from colonialism and poverty".

This is a mission which we are all committed to – ‘Women Unite! Stand Up and Fight! Onward go with the WPO’.

Women’s Progressive Organisation

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 29-30 MAY, 2021

Almost 200,000 persons receive first dose of COVID vaccine M

inister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony says over 187,000 persons or over 38 per cent of Guyana’s adult population have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. From that amount, over 58,000 or 12 per cent of the adult population have been fully immunised.

According to him, the vaccination campaign has been improving steadily. He noted that all Regions are showing signs of increased vaccinations, although Region 10 still lags behind. He said, “For first dose, the Region that is doing extremely well would be Region Six at 45 per cent of their regional population, regional adult population that is, and the one that is not doing well is Region Ten, which still remains about 11.2 per cent with their population. “Region Ten, at one point we were at nine per cent, so that has increased marginally.

We have a lot more work to be done in Region Ten and

again, we are appealing to everyone to come out and get their vaccines.”

The Minister reiterated that the COVID-19 vaccines currently in use in Guyana have been tested and work effectively. He said at the moment, more than one billion persons around the globe have taken the vaccines.

Minister Anthony said the National COVID-19 Task Force continues to work with groups and organisations across the country to address vaccine hesitancy.

Anthony said, “In some of the other regions like in Regions Seven, Eight, Region One, there are pockets of hesitancy and we have identified particular communities where there is a high level of hesitancy and we have asked different community leaders to go in, religious leaders, to talk to those persons in the particular area, hoping that we can provide them with accurate information, which would lead to them taking their vaccine.

It’s an ongoing job of talking to people, giving them the information so that they can make a decision.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “Millions of people have safely received COVID-19 vaccines. All of the approved COVID-19 vaccines have been carefully tested and continue to be monitored…

COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large, randomized controlled trials that include people of a broad age range, both sexes, different ethnicities, and those with known medical conditions.

The vaccines have shown a high level of efficacy across all populations. Vaccines have been found to be safe and effective in people with various underlying medical conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe disease. These include high blood pressure; diabetes; asthma; pulmonary, liver or kidney disease; and chronic infections that are stable and controlled.”

NOTICE: COVID–19 Measures for water taxis and stellings

Waikrebi Toshao leads by example with first COVID-19 jab ‒ encourages residents to do the same

T

oshao of Waikrebi village, Region One (Barima-Waini) Mr. Eric Williams, led by example when he took his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and called on residents of the Moruca sub-region to do the same.

Before Mr. Williams, only the Community Health Worker (CHW) and Headmaster of the Primary School had taken the vaccine.

The Toshao said he wants his entire village of approximately 2,000 residents to be vaccinated against the deadly disease. “I am glad the COVID -19 vaccines are out.

I want everyone in my village to be vaccinated. You are free to get vaccinated since it is important for your health,” he told villagers.

Waikrebi was one of several areas visited last week by a specialist medical team headed by the Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo. He encouraged residents to protect

themselves and their families against the deadly disease.

Dr. Mahadeo assured them that the Government remains committed to providing proper health care for all Guyanese, regardless of where they live.

Meanwhile, the Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region One, Dr. Steven Cheefoon, said Waikrebi is among the few vaccine-resistant communities because of misinformation. He noted, however, that it would not stop the vaccination teams from doing their work. The RHO said Toshao Williams’s example was progress made.

“Today we gained success, we managed to convince the Toshao to take the vaccine, and after he took his vaccine, another resident came up and took the vaccine also. We think that this is a success and hope with his influence, more and more persons take the step towards being vaccinated,” Dr. Cheefoon said.

He added that because of its

Toshao of Waikrebi village, Mr. Eric Williams displays his COVID-19 immunisation card

location and logging trade, Waikrebi residents frequently interact with coastlanders and therefore need the added protection.

The Government last week secured another consignment of the Sputnik V vaccines purchased from Russia. Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony had also announced that another 600,000 doses of vaccines were being acquired to vaccinate the country’s adult population fully.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has instituted various measures to keep the travelling public safe on the various water taxis (speedboat) services.

These measures range from ensuring compliance with the Ministry of Health’s COVID 19 protocols vis-à-vis these boats, to additional measures by the Department. They include the following: • All passengers using these boats must wear mask; • The hands of all passengers are to be sanitised before boarding; • Lifejackets are to be sanitized after each trip; • The passengers’ transit areas on the Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings are sanitized twice daily (morning and afternoon).

Over the past weekend MARAD has installed portable handrails for use by persons embarking and disembarking the boats. The handrails will be constantly sanitized.

MARAD has employed additional monitors at Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop to support the Associations’ monitors for compliance with the above and other safety protocols.

For the above measures to be successful and for the safety of the public, the Department seeks the support of the travelling public, and is urging compliance with these protocols.

Various models for Sovereign Wealth Fund being examined ‒ PPP/C gov’t committed to transparent use of oil funds Q

uestions about the Sovereign Wealth Fund and what model would be used to guide its development were addressed by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who explained that in addition to the Norway Model, various other models

are being examined, notably the Kazakhstan Model.

He said, “We are in dire need of transformation in the health sector, in the education sector, in the energy sector.

And we have to create the framework for the expansion

of these and other important sectors that will bring jobs and create the platform through which our country will evolve into the future, and through which these funds can be modelled, and that is the stage we are in now

in Guyana. “…there is a lot of academic debate on different funds and different ways in which Natural Resources Funds are managed globally, but what a lot of academic debate does not tell you is

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that, for example, in the Norwegian model it was adopted after the country had a certain level of infrastructure, a certain level of service, a certain level of development.”

Moving forward, the President noted that the focus is to enhance the lives of all Guyanese, while balancing priorities.

TRANSPARENT USE OF OIL FUNDS Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo made clear the fact that the Government is committed to ensuring the transparent use of its resources in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) – the investment account into which all of Guyana’s oil revenues would be deposited.

Jagdeo said the Government intends to embrace accountability in the use of fund, in response to a question about whether it intends to replicate the Norwegian model of the NRF here. “We have always been in favour of one principle in the Norwegian Fund, and that is that the Fund must be managed in a professional manner; in an arm’s length way from political interference. We are committed to that principle,” he said.

Notwithstanding this commitment, the Vice President also observed nuances in the Government’s position about the management of the fund. He said, “There is a level- the United States has a per-capita of US$67,000, say in Europe and UK, $40,000; our per capita GDP is $5,000.

How do we get to $25,000 or $30,000 in the next ten years?”

Jagdeo explained that the only way this goal can be achieved is through investing oil revenues in Guyana’s education, health and infrastructure sectors. He was keen to note that this investment is key to ensuring that the other traditional sectors are not impacted by Dutch disease. In economics, ‘Dutch disease’ is the relationship between the increase in the economic development of a specific sector and a decline in other sectors.

He said, “When you look at the magnitude of what we are receiving so far, and we’ll receive up to 2025, we’re receiving about US$300 million annually. That is a drop in the bucket. Our infrastructure needs now, just to build a single bridge, the DHB, may cost us US$200 million.

These resources, right at the beginning, have to be used in transparent manner to get us to a standard,” he said.

The VP also reminded participants that while in Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C_ had been critical of the NRF, since it was passed after the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion. He also pointed out that the former model promoted more of an arm-in-arm engagement with politicians.

Guyana’s NRF currently holds $43.1billion (US$206.6 million) including January’s royalty payment of US$8.3 million.

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