Weekend Mirror 7-8 August, 2021

PPP/C’s job creation initiatives gaining ‘rapid momentum’ 7-8 August, 2021 / Vol. 11 ‒ No. 84 / Price: $100

Email: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com

PAGE 17

Ali tells World Bank…

‘Dedicated funding partner for education’ needed to advance Guyana’s development agenda Plans for small hydropower plants moving apace PAGE 9

PAGE 3

New COVID measures for August announced ‒ Vaccination requirement imposed for certain activities PAGE 23

SEE INSIDE

Amendments to Petroleum Act to be debated at Monday sitting PAGE 8

High Court to rule in Lowenfield’s case on Monday PAGE 18

Black Entrepreneurs Association indicate support for ‘One Guyana’ Commission PAGE 16

2

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

COM M ENTARY

A phenomenal first year for the Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C Administration

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

I

n just one year of the new PPP/C government, in just one year of the Irfaan Ali presidency, the government has implemented a robust direct cash transfer program in which almost $20B, the equivalent of about $US100M, have been transferred from government’s bank account directly into the pockets of families across Guyana.

In this first year, Government has transferred more money directly into the pockets of people than were done between 2015 and 2020. In fact, I can dare anyone to tell me of any government in Guyana’s history that was able to transfer as much money into the pockets of families in its first year as this PPP/C government has done. No

government has ever done as much in direct cash transfers as this Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C government in Guyana’s history. Moreover, no government has been able to transfer in its first year $US100M anywhere in CARICOM. The PPP/C government has shown it cares for the people and has implemented a first-year direct cash transfer that is unprecedented anywhere in the Caribbean.

After just one year in Government, President Irfaan Ali has earned the title – the People’s President.

After one year, the PPP/C government has earned a reputation as not just a People’s Government, but as a caring government. Even among persons who were hostile to the PPP/C are people now openly saying that they are happy the

PPP/C is Guyana’s government. There were those who were vehement that Dr. Irfaan Ali was not qualified to be President of Guyana.

Today most of those persons are either openly or grudgingly admitting that Dr. Irfaan Ali has excelled in his first year as President.

Dr. Irfaan Ali has turned pessimism into total admiration and a confidence that Guyana is in good hands for the remaining years of this first term. Those same persons who insisted that the PPP/C chose the wrong candidate now are of the view that Dr. Irfaan Ali has already began to establish himself as a great President.

This past week marked the first anniversary for the Presidency of Dr. Irfaan Ali and for the PPP/C Government. By any standard, this first year has been a phenomenal success story. Most new governments spend their first year familiarizing themselves with running a government, putting together plans, setting the stage for implementing programs. But President Irfaan Ali wasted no time in learning the job. It is as if he was President for some time. The President and his Cabinet have been in all ten Regions of Guyana. Every community in Guyana has seen government busy in action, with Ministers visiting regularly. There are new housing schemes, new wells and water coming to communities that never had

potable water. Roads and streets are being built. New schools, hospitals, bridges are being built across the country. One thing is for sure, Guyana has never seen a busier government in its first year. The Irfaan Aliled government appears as if they want to make up for the lost five years – 2015 to 2020.

COVID-19 is a crisis everywhere in the world. It has taken its toll on Guyana.

Inclement weather, with unprecedented amounts of rain, have brought floods around the country. But neither COVID-19 nor floods have been able to derail the frenzied pace of development in the country. Amid the numerous development programs that have rolled out, President Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Government have clearly established one hallmark – it is a government that believes in direct cash transfers to the people.

In this first year of a fiveyear term, President Ali has embraced direct cash transfers as one way to improve the lives of families across Guyana.

The first year of an Irfaan Ali Presidency has established one fundamental difference between his government and the government Guyana was burdened with for five years between 2015 and 2020. The David Granger – led APNU/ AFC government believed they needed to move money from people’s pockets into the government by increasing the tax burden on the people. The Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C Government has fundamentally changed that approach, immediately reducing the tax burden and shifting cash from the government’s bank account into the pockets of people across Guyana. No factory has been closed. The Cabinet has not gotten a phenomenal increase in salaries and benefits. These things happened in the first year, 2015-2016, during the Granger-led APNU/AFC government. But the PPP/C government believes that people must benefit first, that a government must has an obligation to assist families, no matter who they voted for, no matter what race or religion or which region they live.

Almost immediately as President Irfaan Ali was sworn into office on August 2, 2020, the PPP/C government announced a $25,000 per family COVID-19 relief package, an unconditional direct transfer of more than $8B into people’s pockets.

In addition, special payments and year-end bonuses amounting to more than $1B were made to the disciplined services, health workers and others. Presently, cash transfers are being made to families with public school children across Guyana.

The government has already announced that the program will be extended to families whose children are attending private schools also. By the time the “Because We Care” education cash grant is completed the program would amount to almost $4B. The government has recently announced further cash transfers for farmers and miners who suffered losses during the recent floods. This latest round of cash transfers amount to almost $8B. These cash transfers do not include the salary increases given to workers, the increases in old-age pensions, the increases in public assistance, the subsidies for water and electricity bills for pensioners. The PPP/C government has been able to, at the same time, remove all the increases in taxes that the previous APNU/AFC government unconscionably imposed on the citizens of our country.

The previous APNU/AFC government collected almost $100B annually from the increases in about 200 different taxes and licenses. In reversing these, the PPP/C essentially returned almost $100B that the government used to transfer from people’s pockets into the government coffers.

People want to know what happened to all the money APNU/AFC collected because the people now also recognize that no real big project was implemented between 2015 and 2020.

The big projects, like the CJIA modernization and expansion, the completion of the East Coast Highway and the West Demerara Highway were already funded through loans the PPP/C had already mobilized and

put in place. The PPP/C has returned to complete the CJIA and the East Coast highway. The PPP/C also left big projects like the Demerara River Bridge, the Sheriff Street/Mandella Avenue city by-pass expansion road, the road around Ogle to Eccles as a major Georgetown by-pass connecting the East Coast to the East bank Demerara on the books. On return, the PPP/C now has to take over from where it left off five years ago. The most remarkable things that happened between 2015 and 2020 were an increase of up to 100%in salaries and benefits of ministers, the closing of four sugar estates and the termination of employment for 7,000 sugar workers, the closing of a call center in Linden with the firing of several hundred workers, the virtual closing of the bauxite industry, the downgrading of agriculture, mining. Almost 35,000 workers lost their jobs.

But Guyana has experienced a phenomenal year between August 2, 2020 and August 2, 2021.

Dr. Irfaan Ali took a country with an economy in the tank and has transformed it into one of the most robust in CARICOM in just one year.

Direct foreign investment has increased by more than several hundred percentage points. Construction is booming again. Thousands of new jobs are being created. At least four international-standard hotels have started construction. Confidence in our country has never been so high. From despair and hopelessness, Dr. Irfaan Ali and his PPP/C government has lifted Guyana into an era of unprecedented confidence, into an era where Guyanese truly believe that prosperity that has eluded our country for so long is within our grasp.

We believe that Guyana in this term can take our place as CARICOM’s leading economy. Walter Raleigh came looking for Eldorado. We now know that Eldorado was real. With Bharat Jagdeo by his side, with a young and dynamic cabinet working alongside him, Dr. Irfaan Ali is taking us to the Guyana that Dr. Cheddi Jagan gave his life for.

3

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Cheaper, more reliable electricity

Plans for small hydropower plants moving apace T

he Government of Guyana has applied to the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for financial support for the Hinterland Electrification Programme, and intends to use some of the proceeds to fund the construction and rehabilitation of two small, hydropower plants at Lethem, Region Nine.

These are a 1.5 Megawatt (MW) plant at Kumu and a 0.7 MW plant at Moco Moco.

The executing agency, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), has invited sealed bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) from eligible and qualified bidders, to handle the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the plants.

The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2021.

This is in line with the PPP/C Government’s plan to deliver cheap, reliable, cleaner energy to all communities in Guyana.

In addition to the operationalisation of the largescale Gas-to-Energy and Amaila Falls Hydropower projects for the main grid, the Government intends to expand the Hinterland Electrification Programme by implementing several small, renewable energy projects for urban and off-grid communities.

Financing for these hydropower plants was sought under a previous deal with the Islamic Bank by the Coalition Government. However, former Finance Minister,

Energy mix will add 500 MW into grid by 2024 B y 2024 an additional 500 megawatts (MW) of energy will be added to the electricity grid, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. At a news conference on Monday (August 2, 2021) he said, “[The] energy sector is critical; recognising the importance of energy sufficiency, reliability, affordability and sustainability, your Government has commenced investment in the energy sector, aiming for a new generation capacity of at least 500 MW in the immediate term, with the option to expand this further in the longer term.”

President Ali add that the highly-anticipated gasto-shore project terminating at the Wales Development Authority, will see 250 MW of new power generation constructed.

This US$900 million project will utilise natural gas from the Liza One and Liza Two development projects offshore Guyana. The project is being developed in partnership with ExxonMobil, the operator of the lucrative Stabroek Block. It is expected to come on stream by 2024 and with a lifetime of 25 years.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday (August 4, 2021), the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Natural Resources announced vacancies for the positions of Project Manager and Senior Manager of the gas-to-shore project.

The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project is slated to deliver another 160 MW of new power with intent to start construction in 2022

and completion in 2025.

Last month, the Office of the Prime Minister announced its search for a partner to develop the project. It has published a request for proposals which outlines two options for the project’s development. With the first option, Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT), all of the costs of the project up to the commissioning date would be borne by the developer, who would operate the project for a 20year BOOT period. At the end of the BOOT period, the project would revert to the Government at no cost. With the second option, Design-Build-Finance (D-B-F), the developer would finance the development of the project up to commissioning date. The Government would take over the project and fulfill the financing repayment obligations, only upon and at satisfactory completion of construction and commissioning.

Solar generating capacity will also be installed to deliver at least 30 MW of power.

Ali said, “Within individual remote communities and clusters of communities, stand-alone renewable solutions will also be explored, including hydropower and solar power plants as well as stand-alone solar panels.

Work in all of these areas have commenced and are at various stages of implementation.”

Notably, the final outcome would see energy cost slashed by at least 50 per cent before the end of 2024.

Winston Jordan signed the contract with the Bank during the protracted period following the General and Regional Elections in 2020.

The PPP/C, while in Opposition, had warned the then Government against entering into deals when it was ille-

gitimate due to the passing of the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion. The PPP/C Government, upon taking office committed to reviewing this and all actions of the former Government, with the view of correcting any illegalities.

The IsDB is one of Guyana’s newest development partners; Guyana joined in 2016. Its goodwill was demonstrated when the Bank offered Guyana a US$900 million package for mainly infrastructural development works in the period

2018-2020. President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali met virtually with IsDB President, Dr. Bandar Hajjar in June.

President Ali mainly discussed plans for rebuilding in the aftermath of the countrywide floods, and thanked Dr. Hajjar for the IsDB’s support.

We Fry it, You Try it!

PICKUP AND DELIVERY AVAILABLE! Opening Hours: 7:00hrs - 21:00hrs

We do Chicken Better STABROEK

CAMP ST

SHERIFF ST

MAIN ST

226-3935 227-7070 223-5236 225-4387

NEW AMSTERDAM

333-3477

4

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

EDITORIAL Foundation for Guyana’s transformation has been laid

H

aving past the one-year mark of the PPP/C 2020-2025 term in office, it is clear that the foundation has been laid to achieve the transformative agenda, which was detailed in the PPP/C Manifesto.

The physical transformation of Guyana, advances in the energy sector and security, as well as in the social sectors are all areas where successes have been recorded.

Importantly, the social sector achievements have also included direct transfers of billions to Guyanese. Further, additional support measures have injected well over $50B into the economy, improving household disposable income as well as injecting liquidity into the economy. Some of the PPP/C Administration’s successes, in this regard, included: • Recognising the devastating impact of Covid-19 on families, and introducing a COVID-19 cash grants, which by the end of the second phase will put more than $8B into the hands of families across the country.

• Restoring and increasing the annual cash grants for school children. This ongoing exercise will place in excess of $3.3B into the hands of the parents of these children.

• Commencement of the phased increase of old age pension by injecting an addition $4B annually in disposable income for senior citizens.

• Increasing public assistance from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly, providing an additional $500M in income support to beneficiaries.

• Reducing land rentals for farmers, releasing $1.4B annually back to farmers’ cash flow.

• Re-introducing the year-end-bonus for members of the Disciplined Forces, paying out more than $500M to our men and women in uniform.

• Launching a special one-off grant to frontline healthcare workers to the tune of $3B. • Removing the punitive and draconian APNU/AFC taxes, placed on the people of Guyana, including, vat on electricity, water, education medical supplies, basic household necessities, data for residential and individual use, basic construction materials and heavy equipment for industry.

• Taking steps to make home ownership more affordable, restoring the $30M ceiling on mortgage interest relief and increasing the ceiling on low-income housing loans from $8M to $12M. • Eliminating income tax on education and healthcare.

• Allocating $120M for programmes supporting the community of persons living with disabilities and a further $50M to organisations working with victims of domestic violence.

• Responding to the devastating floods affecting all our regions, we have injected through direct cash transfers to households and farmers, more than $7.5B. • Investing more than $14B, allocated more than 65,000 house lots, processed almost 2,000 titles and transports, commenced construction of almost 1,000 low, moderate, and young professional homes, and we are in the process of designing and implementing infrastructure works to see the allocation of an additional 10,000 in the coming year.

• Reinvesting in sugar and reopened the industry, returned jobs and brought back vibrancy to communities, while at the same time aggressively pursuing various initiatives to restore Linden and the Bauxite Sector that also collapsed under the former Coalition administration.

• Restoring almost 2,000 Amerindian jobs lost, stolen by the former APNU+AFC Coalition regime.

Guyana’s legal and institutional architecture to support the development aspirations of a modern Guyana have also been transformed.

In the midst of these efforts, the Coalition’s anti-national rhetoric has not been missed. Head of State, Dr. Irfaan Ali, in response has sent a clear signal. On August 2, 2021, he said: “To those who use race as a means to accomplish an end. I say to you that you are an enemy of your own country. You're an enemy of your own people…we all have the responsibility of leaving a better Guyana for those to come.”

A day after the President made this statement, Guyanese saw Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, engage in the unconscionable in the National Assembly. Using the occasion of Emancipation, Harmon’s message was: “Let us celebrate today knowing that the fight continues for our people to be

Tremendous progress made in just one year Dear Editor,

A

t the end of one year of the PPP/C in government, to say that the achievements are outstanding would be a gross understatement. No one had expected that the PPP/C government would start its delivery immediately.

This government has to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic; the rigging ‘epidemic’ of the PNC; the worst flooding ever and the Herculean task of reversing the socio-economic devastation and havoc which the coalition wreaked on this nation for five long and arduous years.

But it has reversed the effects of all these in just one year.

Of course, the PPP/C government has never failed this nation. Immediately upon assuming office, they took to the task at hand and began to accelerate the plan which was in place long before it assumed office on August 2020 and was outlined in their manifesto, unlike the coalition whose manifesto was not their ‘plan,’ but just a campaign gimmick to fool the people. Unlike the coalition, this government has embarked on economic and social programmes which have benefited every region and community.

There is no differentiation between who voted for you or not for you and no one can claim discrimination on any basis, be it race or religion. The President has kept the vow at his inauguration that he will govern for all Guyanese.

Indeed it will take a rather long dissertation to capture each and every achievement, so I will confine myself to a few. The government knew that to stimulate the economy there must be an immediate measure to put money into the hands of the people and therefore not only did it cut taxes and remove VAT from essential, items but also gave a cash stimulus in the form of the COVID grant. This resulted in billions being spent in the economy, which, when the multiplier effect is considered, will create a ripple effect. The Ministry of Local Government must be lauded for this great initiative and its distribution to every household. In addition to each household, GuySuCo workers, medical professionals, and the Joint Services benefited twice from the cash grant — a total of 60,000 persons. In total, $20 billion dollars was placed into the pockets of the people and this created an instant stimulus to a dying economy. We should recall that all the coalition did at the inception was to give themselves humongous salary increases ranging from 50 to 100 per cent as an incentive not to steal. But “thief” they did, on a grand and unprecedented scale.

The education sector saw the rolling out of the $3.2 billion ‘Because We Care’(BWC) cash grants which again put monies into the hands of parents to assist with their children’s education.

The multiplier effect will again boost the economy manifold and happiness was seen on all the parents’ faces. On the other hand, Granger’s Bs had benefited only the coalition support base. The BWC has benefited each and every child in Guyana who attends school. This will increase each year to $50,000 per child by 2025. In addition, the Guyana Online Scholarship programme is already set on course to deliver the 20,000 online scholarships as promised. This is in addition to increasing technical and vocational training and apprenticeship schemes.

The Ministry of Public Works has invested heavily in infrastructures and the landscape which had deteriorated under the coalition across the country is progressing at a rapid pace. This ministry had suffered massive corruption under the previous administration; imagine an ailing entity giving a $500,000 gold bracelet birthday present to a then sitting minister!

The Ministry of Housing has also been moving rapidly in making 50,000 house lots available to Guyanese, as housing schemes are being opened across the various regions. How many house lots did the coalition gave in its five-year term? They gave 360 house lots! This government gave 400 in Linden in one day and in less than a year has distributed nearly 5,000. Getting a house lot is not a nightmare anymore.

The Ministry of Health must be congratulated for the manner in which it has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. It completed the infectious disease facility at Liliendaal in just a few months and has embarked on a massive vaccination drive to achieve ‘herd immunity.’ It must be recalled that the coalition stole hundreds of millions from the Liliendaal facility whilst Guyanese were dying from the disease. They had only one focus and that was to rig the 2020 elections and stay in power to continue its thieving and squandermania.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has seen massive improvements with oil leading the sector. In fact, crude-oil production increased by 82.4 per cent and has now earned nearly US$500 million.

All the sub-sectors which were dying under the coalition are now improving rapidly. Under the coalition, it was a mystery to know what had happened to the US$18 million signing bonus.

It makes us wonder what would have

emancipated physically, mentally, spiritually and economically.” Harmon’s comments were a not so subtle and communicated the notion that the current administration was not delivering for all Guyanese.

The Coalition must understand that all Guyanese demand

happened to the U.S. millions now being earned. The gas-to-shore project will ensure that our economy continues to benefit from oil and gas.

The Ministry of Agriculture has ensured and guaranteed that Guyana does not become victim to the oil curse.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, this sector has continued to grow at a rapid pace. In March, despite adverse weather conditions, rice output increased by 79.9 per cent, fish and shrimp by 9.2 per cent and even sugar which was actually destroyed by the coalition has shown a growth of 0.5 per cent. The government has delivered on its promise to reopen the closed estates and the Rose Hall estate has already employed nearly 700 persons and will be grinding in the second crop next year. The entire Canje and surrounding areas are once again coming to life economically. The other estates are already embarking on the reopening process. This again is a promise delivered.

This sector faced the worst challenge. The flooding was deemed a national disaster and crops were completely wiped out throughout the country as thousands of hectares of agricultural lands and entire communities became inundated. But this disaster brought out only the best of this government and its ministers. Moreover, the Minister of Agriculture toiled endlessly and without any respite to ensure that the crisis is brought under control. Again, the government has made a cash-compensation commitment of more than $7 billion to everyone affected by the flood, in addition to a $10 billion supplementary budget to repair the fallout from the flood. It’s anyone’s guess what the coalition would have done; it would have been just another avenue to steal and squander.

There are so many achievements that it is impossible to mention them here. Congratulations to this government! No doubt the President, the Vice-President and his team have done wonders at this juncture when our country has been so hard hit by not only the flood and the pandemic, but by an opposition which continues to lie and deceive the people.

We must beware of what happened in 2015 when the Goebbels strategy was used to perfection. The chief propagandist for the Nazi party, Joseph Goebbels, had said that, ‘If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.’

Yours sincerely, H. Yusuf

effective representation, not its anti-national rhetoric. This is a fact that the PPP/C Government is, demonstrably, aware of as indicated by the many successes in its first year – successes that are driven by a commitment to respond to the needs of Guyanese.

5

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

We must never forget the numerous attempts to rig elections Dear Editor,

G

uyanese are indeed celebrating the first one-year of Dr. Irfaan Ali as the President of Guyana. However, we must never forget the numerous attempts to rig and derail the results of the National and Regional Elections in 2020.

Genuine efforts are in place for constitutional and electoral reforms must be completed for us to have complete reformation of Guyana’s electoral machinery. The Guyana Elections Commission must be transformed into an organisation in which Guyanese have confidence and trust and must hold free and fair elections. The commission must get

rid of the infamous ‘trio’ immediately. The motion to dismiss the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, along with Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers and Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was amended to add termination of contracts as a means of removing the unwanted officers from their posts at GECOM. It is most heartening to know that the amendments were approved by the Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh. The blatant disregard and disrespect to the chairperson and open defiance of court orders in his desperate pursuit to fraudulently declare the APNU+AFC coalition winners of the March 2nd 2020 National and Regional

United we stand strong Dear Editor,

W

e as Guyanese have endured so much outside of the pandemic. We have faced challenge after challenge but we are still standing. That in itself shows how strong we are as a people.

August 2nd marked one full year since the PPP/C was sworn into office. I am sure that thousands of my fellow Guyanese would join me when I say that the Government has done a lot which deserves recognition and applause. It is time we give just that unto them.

However, we cannot simply forget the journey we took to get to this point. In March 2020, we had our elections. We can all agree that that election period was tense and the

five months that followed were just stressful to say the least. That entire period along with the 5 years that preceded it allowed us to distinguish between what a Government for the people looks like, and what a government for themselves looks like.

One thing was revealed throughout that period; the APNU/AFC coalition has no regard for anyone but themselves, not even their supporters. They kept on lying and deceiving their supporters saying that they won the elections even when the recount showed that the PPP/C won. To date, they continue to spew lies and propaganda to score cheap political points with their supporters, holding out that they won the elections last year. We all know that they did not win but what they did was

Elections are more than enough sins to remove Lowenfield.

The events that unfolded after a peaceful and successful March 2nd National and Regional elections were serious and were punctuated with brazen and blatant attempts to steal a government.

As the counting and verification processes were successfully carried out in nine of the 10 administrative districts, the PNC abandoned the legal process of using the Statements of Poll and then decided to call false numbers from a manufactured ‘broadsheet’ in an effort to rig the results in Region Four.

That disgraceful and most glaring attempt to ‘thief’ votes in favour of the PNC was not acceptable, as the political parties and the international observers protested vehemently against the ‘riggers.’

Guyanese had to endure all the tension and frustration, along with threats and bullying as a 33-day recount took place only to verify that the People’s Progressive Party’s SoPs were true and correct. As a consequence, the PPP/C was declared clear winner of the National and Regional Elections. This nation had to wait for five long months as the PNC/ APNU/AFC had their knees on our people’s necks in their efforts to rig and later to derail the elections.

As the verification process took place and the thievery was in action at the GECOM Command Centre in the Ashmin’s Building, the ‘riggers’ were caught red-handed and

they stopped the verification process. They threatened the international and local observers that there was a ‘bomb’ in the building; the ‘pompous’ Roxanne Myers threatened us and demanded that we leave the building with a false alarm. As a consequence, Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas was removed from his position of Officer-in-charge of the Command Centre and Commissioner Sase Gunraj was also humiliated as he was threatened to be removed from the building.

It was most embarrassing to see the prominent ambassadors, observers and civil society persons along with other parties’ representatives being threatened and harassed by the police and political thugs. Commissioner Robeson Benn was brutally manhandled as he suffered a fractured arm and it had to be in cast for several weeks.

Court action after court action was the order of the day as all attempts were put in place to derail the elections after the PNC and GECOM conspirators failed in their attempts to do the rigging.

As Guyanese celebrate the first anniversary, we must recognise the fact that it was the dynamic leadership of the PPP/C, the unity of our people and the powerful support of our leaders in CARICOM and the eminent ambassadors that made it possible.

Our democracy must prevail.

try to rig the elections more than once.

I recall clearly that the coalition tried to get Mr Mingo, the Returning Officer of Region 4, to declare that they won. No one that was present could corroborate the figures Mr Mingo presented and not even the Statement of Polls could reflect what he was saying. The PPP/C released their Statements of Poll, but the coalition kept theirs hidden only because they knew it would reveal that they lost the elections.

We had a whole debacle with the declaration of the results that led to the courts many times. It even got to the point where the coalition got their supporters to file injunctions to stop GECOM from declaring the results.

It was protest after protest, it was chaos day and night, and even up to now with all the courts declaring that the votes were valid and the recount figures are correct, the coalition continues to be petty and refuses to recognise

the PPP/C Government as legitimate.

Nonetheless, despite the propaganda and misinformation that are being peddled daily, the PPP/C has remained steadfast in their approach to good governance. This past year has been a good one for the PPP/C as their accomplishments are seen in every part of the country. There are infrastructural works ongoing, there are projects being undertaken regularly, education is being prioritised, healthcare and COVID-19 is being focused on heavily. Indigenous peoples are being recognised and vulnerable and minority groups are being provided with initiatives to help themselves.

I applaud the Government for how they handled the first year and I look forward to their second year in office.

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

Respectfully, Brian Azore

Daily exposure of APNU+AFC profligacy, nepotism, and outright corruption Dear Editor,

T

he profligacy, nepotism, and outright corruption that hallmarked the APNU+AFC Government’s 5-year tenure in office is being revealed, almost on a daily basis, by the Auditor-General’s office.

The revelations include but are not limited to: The Ministry of Public Security purchase of, in 2019, $600 million worth of office furniture and other equipment; but the report indicated that millions are unaccounted for due to no findings of record or documentation of assets being received.

Instead, a verification process showed that old and rusty furniture was presented as the newly-bought items, together with other used items unmarked as the Ministry’s property. $2.17 billion was used to fund the land

transfers between the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), still outstanding.

No supporting documents authenticated that cheques totaling $865.2 million had been paid out without any supporting documents to trace the transactions made by the former Ministry of Public Infrastructure, which also, in December 2019, kept 611 cheques, totaling $2 Billion. These cheques should have been refunded to the Consolidated Funds. That same year the ministry also awarded a $450 million contract to a company for the design, supply, and installation of a 150-kilowatt hydropower plant at the Chiung River at Kato Village, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). This project was signed in September 2019 but the project has not yet

been fructified.

Emergency works on the sea defenses along the East Coast of Demerara, at a cost of A $1.7 Billion, proved inadequate because flooding did not abate when the PPP/C Government took office. Included was G$179.3 million to conduct emergency works to reduce flooding in Regions Two (Pomeroo-Supenaam); Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and Six (East Berbice Corentyne), which proved no inhibitor to flooding in those areas.

In 2015, the coalition Government appropriated $19 million from the Contingency Funds, ostensibly to purchase CCTV cameras, which were never delivered.

In addition, on December 28, 2020, Financial Paper Two, with a sum of $4.1 Billion was passed in Parliament, which was an

advance the coalition Government withdrew from the Consolidated Funds, in the last half of 2019.

The above are just a few examples, to which can be added illegal land transfers, the Larry Singh bond, Ocean View hotel, the Demerara bridge feasibility study, and a multitude of other corrupt deals made at the expense of taxpayers, even as the Auditor General’s office continue to investigate the thefts from various ministries under coalition government’s tenure.

One wonders when and if the corrupt coalition cabal will ever be made to account for this outright misappropriation of State funds and resources.

Yours truly, Baldeo Mathura

6

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Uninformed negative opinions will cause Guyana significant harm Dear Editor,

T

he Request for Proposals for Amaila Falls Hydro has once again motivated persons to write and express negatives about the project; this leads me to ask if our opinionated class (media, professionals of various types, and armchair experts) have any interest in real development for Guyana?

We cannot continue to pour uninformed negative opinions into the public domain without understanding the impact on the investment climate, to be pellucid, I have no issue with well researched and presented arguments against any development project but the noise of ‘Negative Nancys’ has cost us dearly in the past and seem poised to attempt same again.

Winston Brassington wrote a document entitled ‘Challenges to building the Georgetown Marriott’ and it should be required reading in high school; the document details among other things a preponderance of negative newspaper editorials, opinions, letters to the Editor aimed at stopping or stymieing that project. The Marriott was conceived and executed preoil and today stands as a monument to the vision and ability of a PPP/C administration to conceive, finance, and execute projects to successful completion. This brings us back to the barriers to progress for Guyana is faced with challenges beyond negative opinions and these require some tough decisions from the Irfaan Ali administration.

Among them is the unavailability of sand to meet construction schedules; this is due to

increased demand and the inability/refusal of those with licenses to operate sandpits to increase production hours. Guyana needs a mental shift in all sectors to realize real development; the new paradigm requires 24/7 work shifts and operators who understand how they fit into the development matrix.

Government has to inform and assist sand pit operators to get to 24/7 capacity or find alternative operators to operate sandpits as a boost to supply. The local wharves are operating at capacity (import and export) and logically the Government will make a request for proposals for a deep water harbor to facilitate new wharves (possibly in the Berbice river) and this will trigger a new wave of negatives to add to the technical challenges posed by such a large-scale project.

Is it too much to ask that the (inevitable) criticism be based on fact and research?

Failing that, Guyana is going to become a pariah state for investors whom we are asking to fund, build, own, operate, and then transfer to state various massive bits of essential infrastructure. If we cannot attract this type of investor, Guyana will have to borrow and/or fund its infrastructure projects, which is not the most desirable model for development.

If the Amaila Hydro can be built without taxpayers’ dollars being spent, then I say more power to us as a people (literally) and naysayers need to put energies towards positive suggestions on how we can achieve this and other major projects at the lowest possible cost and greatest returns for all Guyanese.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

What of value did the Coalition give to the nation’s children?

Dear Editor,

I

have observed several rants on social media made by members of the opposition about the PPP/C’s reintroduction of the Because We Care initiative as well as the School Uniform Cash Grant. It is ridiculous to say the least and I ask that you kindly permit me a few minutes to echo my thoughts.

In 2015 when the APNU+AFC Government took office, they immediately stopped the Because We Care initiative. This meant that all the nation’s children in the public school system were placed at a disadvantage since many of their parents had to find additional finances on their own to provide them with their school supplies etc. One would say that it was as if the Coalition did not care about the children of Guyana and the burden, which the removal of the cash grant would place on parents. We saw that instead of providing for our children, they chose to increase their own expenditure on dietary by $1.8 billion approximately. Now, these very people have the audacity to criticize the PPP/C for reintroducing the grant, which will benefit each child in the public school system.

Something is clearly wrong with them.

I am sure hundreds of thousands of Guyanese, even those that do not support the PPP/C, would join me when I say that the reintroduction of the Because We Care ini-

tiative will definitely help in bringing relief by providing our children with the necessary resources for their schooling. At this time, there is no doubt that parents are finding it hard to provide for their children, as many of them are out of jobs due to the pandemic. As such, the fact that the Government has seen the need to fulfill their manifesto promise of reintroducing the cash grant which the cowards of the Coalition halted, is worthy of all the applause at this time.

Parents will now receive $15,000 for each child in the public school system as part of the Because We Care initiative. In addition to this, each child will be provided with an additional $4,000 as part of the School Uniform Cash Grant initiative. This totals to $19,000 per child.

I ask the Coalition, why are you criticising such provisions, which will benefit our children when you did not give them anything of value during your tenure? I call on all Guyanese to reject the efforts of the Coalition to paint these initiatives of the PPP/C Government as bad.

In my view, the Coalition is only upset because they know that these initiatives are great, hence them being so worked up about them.

Yours respectfully, Erin Northe

We Care Cash Grant would go a long way in helping kids have access to resources Dear Editor,

I

t is with great enthusiasm that I write to you to express my gratitude and satisfaction with the Government of Guyana regarding the “Because We Care and School Uniform Cash Grant” initiatives.

Speaking from personal experience, such initiatives are geared at helping parents provide for their children so that they can excel academically and they usually help a great deal.

One of the things that I must stress on is the fact that the Because We Care initiative is one that is tailor-made for parents at this time. The $15,000 would go a long way in helping kids have access to the resources, which they need to keep up-to-date with their schooling. In addition, parents are able to get another form of relief with regard to school uniforms, as the School Uniform Cash Grant of $4,000 will help offset such expense.

The PPP/C Government should be applauded for reintroducing these grants since they are critical especially at this time.

Further, Guyanese should condemn all the negative narratives, which are being created by the APNU+AFC regarding these two

grants. It is important for everyone to realize that with the reintroduction of the Because We Care and School Uniform Cash Grant initiatives, about 172,000 children across Guyana will benefit from a total in excess of $3.2 billion, which was allocated. This is in keeping with the PPP/C’s 2020 election promise. The Coalition should in no way, shape or form, criticise the reintroduction of these cash grants because they will benefit each and every child in the public school system. Everyone will gain. There should not be anything negative about that.

One must ask the critical questions on why the Coalition continues to oppose progress and development for the people of Guyana. In fact, it was the APNU+AFC Coalition who stopped the Because We Care cash grant initiative when they took office in 2015.

It was as a result of their actions that our kids were robbed of billions just so that they could have more money at their disposal to spend on refreshment and meals totalling approximately $1.8 billion.

Yours truly, Alvin Hamilton

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

PARLIAMENT HAPPENINGS UNDER REVIEW...

The PPP/C’s legislative agenda, more Gov’t spent $2.2 billion on COVID-19 vaccines − including logistics costs

T

he Government has spent over $2.2 billion to date on COVID-19 vaccines for the nation.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, provided this information to the 30th Sitting of the National Assembly of the 12th Parliament of Guyana on Tuesday (August 3, 2021). His disclosure was in the form of a written response to a question on the

matter, posed by Opposition MP, Dr. Karen Cummings.

“The Government of Guyana has spent approximately $2.2 billion Guyana on vaccine purchase and logistics of getting the vaccines to Guyana,” he said.

The Government, through the Ministry of Health, has procured enough vaccines for the adult population and is now working with its partners

to get vaccines for children, he said in the document.

Anthony said, “The Ministry of Heath has procured enough vaccines for all persons 18 years and over who live in Guyana. The Ministry is currently securing vaccines for persons between the ages of 12 to 18 years.”

While the Government did not purchase the AstraZeneca vaccines, he said, it procured the Sputnik V, SinoPharm and the Johnson and Johnson vaccines to ensure

that every adult had access to a vaccine as quickly as possible. The AstraZeneca doses were donated by the Governments of Barbados, India, the United Kingdom and acquired through the COVAX mechanism.

The Health Minister said, “Agreement with COVAX was for 20 per cent of our population. COVAX had difficulty fulfilling this commitment because of a global shortage and funding difficulties. So far, that quota is

not fulfilled.… Also, poorer countries are having difficulties getting access to vaccines et cetera. In this context, the Government of Guyana decide to buy vaccines so that every adult can be vaccinated expeditiously to reach herd immunity.”

Dr. Anthony, in response to another question on COVID-19 deaths and vaccine pharmacovigilance, said there have been no deaths in Guyana due to COVID-19 vaccination. He said the Min-

istry has a pharmacovigilance committee that monitors for rare adverse events. That Committee, he noted, is obligated to report any adverse findings to regional and international pharmacovigilance bodies.

To date, over half of Guyana’s adult population, that is over 252,000 or 52 per cent, have taken their first COVID-19 vaccine. Further, over 141,000 or 29 per cent are now fully vaccinated against the disease.

New provision to address international adoptions approved T he Adoption of Children (Amendment) Bill 2021 was approved by the National Assembly on Tuesday (August 3, 2021).

This is one of the several advances included on the PPP/C Administration’s legislative agenda.

Tabled by Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, the Bill was read for the first time in the House in February 2021.

The amendment gives effect to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption. The 1996 Hague Convention’s function aims to avoid legal and administrative conflicts whilst building a structure for effective international cooperation in child protection matters. The passage of this Bill would provide children with the necessary stability, nurture, and love they need to become productive citizens.

The Bill provides further safeguards which protect the child’s parents’ information and the provision of a thorough evaluation of the prospective adoptive parents.

This includes the accreditation of bodies, including any private adoption body or agency, which would be accountable to a supervising or accrediting authority. It also allows the Minister to establish a central authority or elect an entity to conduct these functions as outlined in

Section 35C. According to Persaud adoption is a legal and permanent procedure that transfers the rights and responsibilities of parenting to those who are willing to adopt.

She said, “The amendment of this Bill will allow the establishment of common practice, and procedures that will harmonise the individualised regime, which governs our country’s inter-country adoption with other countries not a party to the Hague Convention…we [all] know that even every well-intention legal process like adoption can be manipulated, abused or exploited by profiteers willing to sell children, unscrupulous persons willing to buy children and adults seeking to obtain children for baseless, or selfish reasons, such as sexual, labour and criminal exploitation. As such, the Convention aims at creating the right condition under which adoption may take place across borders.”

Also contributing to the debate was Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who said, “The well-being of our children remains a key concern for this Government, as children, due to their vulnerabilities, require our special attention. This Bill symbolises the concrete action of this Government to protect, fulfil and respect the rights of children.”

The Bill includes a penalty for people who breach any

provision of the Act, that is, a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.

Currently, 100 countries have adopted this measure, includ-

ing Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Between 2013 and 2020, 247 children were adopted by non-Guyanese and over-

seas-based Guyanese. Of this amount, 192 children were adopted by overseas-based Guyanese, and 55 were adopted by non-Guyanese.

Meanwhile, in 2014 and 2018, the Ministry recorded the highest rate of international adoption, that is, 22 per cent, by non-Guyanese.

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

PARLIAMENT HAPPENINGS UNDER REVIEW...

The PPP/C’s legislative agenda, more Access to birth certificates made easier – Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill approved

T

he process to acquire a birth certificate has been made easier with the passage of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the National Assembly on Tuesday (August 3, 2021).

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, in presenting the Bill for passage, said a birth certificate is a critical representation of one’s citizenship and there are many instances where persons have faced challenges acquiring this document. “Sometimes the process and systems work against people in the interior communities, particularly people who we have to acknowledge are the First Peoples of Guyana and who by any means necessary should obtain a birth certificate,” he said.

The amendment adds a new clause that allows an

adult with no original document containing particulars of his or her birth or record of birth, to be issued a certificate after being validated by a high standing person in their community which includes a Toshao.

Minister Benn said the previous Department of Citizenship was accused of working against the interest of persons getting a birth certificate. He said this is coupled with the discovery of fake stamps that were used to stamp birth certificates and other documents at the General Register Office. He said, “Our efforts now in bringing the amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths, relates to strengthening the measures by which persons can validly be given their birth certificate, that we expand the architecture in respect of places where peo-

ple could get documentation to prove that they were born as Guyanese citizens. That we can ensure that there is a track record, that there is a paper trail in respect of ensuring that we can go back up the ladder to assure that documentation which is presented is valid, that we speed up the ability of persons to get birth certificates.”

The Minister said the delay in issuing birth certificates conflicts with the rights of Guyanese to have in their possession first form of identification. “This Bill seeks to simplify and clarify certain areas in the Act. An area of change is where an application is made to a Magistrate to correct an error in the birth or death registration form.

“We are aware that in many cases mistakes are made in the record and having seen the discovery of an error, it

results in finding an opportunity for delays, for frustration and sometimes for grief and the giving up of persons in relation to obtain what is rightfully theirs in respect in having a birth certificate,” he said.

Minister Benn said the Bill also identifies the types of error a Magistrate may correct. The Minister said the unnecessary restrictive provision limiting the timeframe within which a child’s name can be changed on the registration form, and the necessity to appear before a Magistrate to have the entry done have been removed.

The law against the discriminatory practice to issue a different colour document for an adopted child as opposed to a birthed child has also been removed. Opposition Member of Parliament, Ms. Amanza Walton-Desir praised this amendment during the presentation.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, said the amendment to the Bill has allowed the Government to fulfil Guy-

ana’s duties under the treaties it has signed at the level of the United Nations. He said, “What we are doing here, we have a duty to do… This Bill, Mr. Speaker, must be situated and predicated into that context…what we are doing here is to give effect to Guyana’s international obligation, which we are all required to do. It binds the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary and every other organ of the State to do what we are doing here.”

The Attorney General further said that every provision in the Bill had been carefully thought-out. He said, “It is a remarkable step in taking us forward, in advancing our obligations under the Rights of the Child Convention and the United Nations Development Sustainable Goals.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, MP, during her presentation, said that laws are made based on the reality and social needs of citizens. The Minister pointed out that there are several households headed by single mothers and many Indo-Guyanese, mostly

females with only one name.

The amended Bill, Minister Teixeira said, fixes the problem by allowing for the parent to choose any name for the child. Additionally, the Minister highlighted that there are many people in the hinterland without identification cards due to the lack of a birth certificate.

Teixeira said, “There are people all over this country who statistically do not exist. So, when you talk about a population of less than 700,000, we may very well be dealing with a population with way over 800,000. The only time we discover this is when we have elections and you go house-to-house and you discover people who do not have an identification card. This attempts to deal with that,” she said.

Government MP Alister Charlie representing Region Nine said the Amendment to Bill will address the woes of Amerindian people in the hinterland. MP Charlie said it is another intervention by the President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led administration to bring relief to Amerindian and hinterland residents.

Amendments to Petroleum Act to be debated at Monday sitting

T

he sitting of the National Assembly on Monday, August 9, 2021, is expected to see a debate on the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (Amendment) Bill 2021.

The Bill was tabled in the House on Tuesday (August 3, 2021). The proposed amendment will see a change to Section 52 of the principal act.

According to the Explanatory Memorandum of the amended bill, the amendment seeks to give the Government more control over the use of both public and private lands in the oil and gas sector. The bill indicates that the amendment aims to strengthen private proprietary constitutional rights.

The Bill specifically targets work done by a petroleum licensee, in furtherance of its operations on State land, Government land, or land that is otherwise controlled or under the management of the Government of Guyana.

The amendments also speaks to the granting of consent to the Minister and a petroleum licensee for use of land by the private owners or lawful

occupiers of said land, in aid of petroleum operations.

Minister Bharrat told Mirror, “The Amendment gives government the oversight of acquisition of private properties, as opposed to what previously obtained with the licensee. For example, in this case, the licensee, ExxonMobil, having the right to acquire private property for compensation at their discretion. However, government is trying to minimize acquiring private lands as much as possible.

But wherever it is necessary – and our initial studies have shown most of these lands to be farm lands – the Minister will seek written consent from land owners who will be compensated at market value.”

Based on the amendment, the Minister would have the power to grant permission to the licensee to land, install or operate any pipelines, fibre optic cable or similar infrastructure, on or through the said land. It would also empower the Minister to order the licensee to maintain, inspect, repair or renew such infra-

structure.

Minister Bharrat said, “With regards to the fiber optic cable, the Act speaks to seeking permission and compensates private lands owners if the laying of infrastructure is within 200 meters of the property.

However, fiber optic cable poses no danger to anyone, as demonstrated by prior works by telecommunications companies, such at GTT, E-Networks, etc.

Therefore, the amendment seeks to removes the previous provision.”

The amendment comes ahead of several oil-based projects coming on stream, including Exxon’s US$900 million gas-to-shore project.

The gas-to-shore project is a game-changing initiative that will see gas from the Liza Field offshore Guyana being pumped onshore to generate power. The main objective of the initiative is to transport sufficient gas from the Stabroek Block’s petroleum operations to supply some 200-250 megawatts of energy to the national grid, leading to a significant reduction in electricity costs.

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Ferguson’s trial in cyberbullying case set to start on September 13th A

PNU+AFC Coalition’s Annette Ferguson, having been charged and granted self-bail on a cyberbullying charge, is expected back in court on September 13, 2021 for the start of her trial.

Ferguson, last month, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. She denied the charge which stated that on June 15, 2021, she used a computer system to humiliate the senior Guyana Defence Force rank, Colonel Omar Khan. She was represented by Attorney-at-Law Lyndon Amsterdam.

Khan is reported to have made a complaint with the Cyber Crime Unit after Ferguson, in a Facebook post,

said he will be in charge of a killing squad. As such, she was called in for questioning at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters. Police subsequently, on June 30, 2021, instituted the charge against her after receiving advice from the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Ferguson was charged under Section 19 (5) (a) of the Cybercrime Act. Ferguson, in her social media post, accused the PPP/C Government of “setting up of Death Squad and Black Clothes groups.”

Notably, the Joint Services Coordinating Council (JSCC) denounced the harmful misinformation com-

ing from the APNU+AFC Coalition camp. According to them, such commentary could have a damaging effect on society. The JSC said, “The Council has noted a circulating document which services to implicate members of the Joint Services in illegal activities and wishes to make it clear that operational troops remain under the command and administration of the Joint Services.” They also noted that claims that a senior officer in the GDF would head this squad were outrageous.

The Council urged persons to be responsible and avoid creating public mischief.

Further, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and

Governance, Gail Teixeira, dubbed the comments as “malicious and deluded” and not founded in facts. She had said, “This is totally untrue. It is malicious both on the part of the MP (Member of Parliament) and the news agency that published it. On Monday (June 14, 2021), the Parliament looked at two financial papers. The second financial paper dealt with a number of agencies. One of those agencies was the Guyana Defence Force… the majority items had to do with the Regional Joint Support teams. This is a decision of the Defence Board and the implementation commenced in April 2021.

The Regional Joint Support

teams are made up of the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force.

This is an operational issue to enhance our capabilities to fight crime, all types of crime…this has nothing to do with any Black Clothes Group. This is not a resuscitation of anything. This is a new initiative by the Government through the Guyana Defence Board to be able to reduce the level of crime, to be able to have better access to information and intelligence sharing between agencies in order to make our society safer and to be able to make our people live in a safer environment.”

The approved supplementary provision for the

GDF included $394,391,923 for current and $318,662,251 for capital expenditures.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said neither the line of questioning from the Opposition’s side on the supplementary provision for the GDF, nor the response by the Government side, made mention of ‘black clothes’ or ‘death squad.’

“This fiction that is being created by Annette Ferguson…this is an attempt to drive fear amongst people…

Ms. Ferguson is deliberately misinforming the people of our country and this is unacceptable,” she charged.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, also condemned Ferguson’s post.

Ali tells World Bank…

‘Dedicated funding partner for education’ needed to advance Guyana’s development agenda A visiting delegation from the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)—a member of the World Bank Group, here to discuss Guyana’s transformation agenda, was engaged by top government officials.

The visiting high-level team was led by the World Bank’s Vice President responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr Carlos Felipe Jaramillo and the Country Director for the Caribbean, Ms Lilia Burunciuc.

At Wednesday’s (August 4, 2021) meeting, President Dr. Irfaan Ali stressed that while the oil and gas sector is important, it will not be Guyana’s sole sector moving forward. He said that funds will be used to help strengthen other sectors, including tourism, agriculture, educational services for export, health services for export, ICT, environmental services, industrial development and manufacturing, among others.

He noted that the most inhibiting factors to growth and development in the country are the cost of energy and the country’s human resource capacity—both of which, he noted, the Government is aiming to enhance.

To this end, he said that the Government wants a

“dedicated funding partner for education”. He said, “We want an international partner who will commit to the education sector: primary, secondary, technical education, even building our international capacity. And that is an area that we would like to explore in great detail. To build a funding programme with the World Bank that focuses heavily on the education sector.”

President Ali also expounded on the Government’s development framework, which focuses on an expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). This strategy, he noted, will also address issues of equality, human rights, climate change, environmental services, among other key areas. He said, “We have made it very clear that we have to exploit the oil and gas resources but to do so in a manner that does not change our standing on the environment. We have a very strong standing on the environment.”

The President told the group that the Government is pursuing an energy mix of solar, wind, gas and hydropower to ensure energy sustainability and reliability, which in turn will also reduce the cost of energy by 50% before the end of 2024. He said, “This will bring us closer to being very competitive in the region

to support development in manufacturing.”

The Head of State also explained that while there are opportunities in the oil and gas sector, there are also massive opportunities in other sectors like agriculture. He pointed to the recent public-private partnership by a consortium to grow soya beans and corn with the intention of providing the local livestock sector with feed that is usually imported. This, according to him, will save

millions of US dollars and is in line with CARICOM’s goal of 25 by 2025—a plan to reduce importation in the Caribbean region by 25% in the next four years.

Mr Jaramillo said that the World Bank is very pleased that the Government has clarity and consistency as it relates to its development plans. He also stated that the visit to Guyana has left the team impressed as it relates to the country’s emphasis on the expanded LCDS, human

resource capacity and educational development, the Government’s handling and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its focus on involving the private sector in its progression. Further, the World Bank officials also applauded President Ali for the Government’s aggressive and ambitious vaccination programme.

Mr Jaramillo specifically highlighted the vaccination rates, which he stressed is one of the best in the region, and the Government’s cre-

ativity by having drive-thru vaccination options, among other initiatives. The visiting officials also explained that they are concerned with the strain the pandemic will put on the education sector and agreed to put education at the centre of discussions.

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, were also at the meeting at the Office of the President.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

PPP/C deliv er ing on ‘ Plan f or Pr os per it y ’ PPP/C gov’t demonstrates commitment to engagement T he first year in office for the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led Administration saw a strong commitment to engagement of Guyanese from all walks of life – Guyanese in their communities, civil society, and partner organisations to support Guyana’s development, among others.

Recently, given a mandate by President Ali, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, on July

28, 2021 hosted a three hour conversation with the leaders and representatives of faith-based organisations in Guyana. Faithbased organisations from all major religious groups including the Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian and Baha’i communities were represented in the conversation. This is one of the several consultations being facilitated through the Ministry’s Governance programme, which aims to build and maintain a

healthy rapport with national stakeholders and to resuscitate the National Stakeholders Forum that was established in 2008 by former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo – a forum that did not function after 2015.

The President and all PPP/C Ministers have been part of the nation-wide engagement, in an effort to respond effectively to the need of Guyanese.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

1 Anniversary Congratulations st

To our Government and other members of the team on your 1st Anniversary and preservation of Democracy.

We look forward to continue working closely with your Administration on building a United, Peaceful & Prosperous nation.

Mohamed's Enterprise 29 Lombard S treet, W e r k -e n -R u s t , G e o r g e t o w n P h o n e : 2 2 7 -7 9 5 2 ; F a x : 2 2 5 -9 0 19

Hadis Wor ld Inc. 111 Regent Street, Lacytown, Georgetown Phone: 225-8777, 225-8788

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

P P P /C d e l i v e r i n g o n

[As part of the detailed plans for the development and progress of our nation, which were reflected in the PPP/C’s 2020-2025 manifesto, the Party committed to several major deliverables

The PPP/C, just a month after taking office, removed VAT from Electricity.

The PPP/C, in September 2020, announced that VAT and duties were removed from machinery and equipment.

This was a measure intended to recapitalize industries such as mining and agriculture. VAT was also removed on fertilizers, agro chemicals and pesticides, as well as key inputs in poultry industry. This was intended to help manufacturers reduce cost of production make them more competitive.

In September 2020, the PPP/C announced that corporate tax will be removed from private health care. VAT was also removed from all medical supplies.

The PPP/C removed VAT from residential and individual data services. The move came at a crucial time when the demand for quality internet services was, and continues to be, driven by the pandemic-related shift to virtual work, education, and entertainment.

The PPP/C delivered on its promise. Effective October 1, 2020, locally produced building and construction materials no longer attracted VAT. This measure is in accordance with amendment to Schedule I of the Value Added Tax Act to include the following paragraph, which states that: “8. Zero- rated for the purposes of section 7 are supplies of locally produced sand, stones, concrete blocks, plywood, logs and lumber of a type and quality used in construction and housing.”

The PPP/C worked to ensure that the land rentals and other charges for farmers were reversed, releasing $1.4B annually back to farmers.

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

‘ Plan f or Pr os pe r it y ’

13

s. Of those a significant portion of the promises made have already been delivered on. These are only a few of the measures taken that saw an immediate impact on the loves of Guyanese]

The PPP/C delivered some 5,000 house lots in less than one year. As part of the 2021/2022 budgetary allocation programme, the Housing Ministry will be investing about $2.1 billion in housing alone.

The PPP/C 20,000 online scholarship programme has commenced with the first batch of 6000 Guyanese to be awarded before the end of this month.

The PPP/C took steps to make home ownership more affordable, restoring the $30M ceiling on mortgage interest relief and increasing the ceiling on low-income housing loans from $8M to $12M.

The PPP/C reintroduced the annual bonus for members of the Joint Services, paying out more than $500M to Guyanese service men and women.

The PPP/C set aside over $3.3B the reintroduction of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for public school students. The amount for each student was increased from $10,000 to $15,000 and distribution across the country is currently being done.

The PPP/C put in place several measures, which injected well over $50B into the economy, improving household disposable income as well as injecting liquidity into the economy.

14

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

PPP/C deliv er ing on ‘ Plan f or Pr os per it y ’

Address by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on the First Anniversary of the PPP/C Administration in Office My Fellow Guyanese,

A

year ago today, we, the people of Guyana, celebrated the recovery of our democratic rights.

With the support of every well-thinking nation in the world, we stopped a force determined to steal the March General and Regional Elections, and we declared that, never again, shall we countenance in our country any attempt to deny the popular will of the people.

It was an historic moment in our nation’s life.

We, the people, decided that the history of rigged and stolen elections, which we suffered in the past, would not be tolerated then, or at any time in the future.

We established, with resolve, that Guyana and the Guyanese people are committed to democracy and democratic principles, including respect for the decision of the majority.

The PPP/Civic was declared the winner of the elections, and I, as its candidate, was cloaked with the responsibility of the Presidency of our beloved country.

That victory was ours.

Ours, as a people longing for peace, progress, and prosperity.

It was a triumph for democracy, the rule of law and for our One Guyana.

On this first anniversary of that momentous Guyanese accomplishment, I salute all who stood firm in our efforts to defeat the assault on our institutions and our Constitution.

And, I recall that amongst those Guyanese were persons who had supported and advocated for other political parties, but whose moral sense rejected electoral theft in favour of truth, transparency, and trust.

I commend civil society, the private sector, our young people, and the media for standing up for democracy.

I acknowledge, with thanks, the important part played by members of our Diaspora who made their voices heard to spread awareness of what was happening in Guyana.

I honour the important role played by the Disciplined Services and by the Judiciary in upholding the rule of law.

I thank CARICOM, the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth and the international community as a whole, for their steadfast support and for helping us to regain our rightful place in the global family of democratic nations.

On our collective behalf, I recall with gratitude the support of Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the European Union particularly.

There were outstanding individuals who fearlessly raised their voices both here, at home and in regional, hemispheric, and international bodies.

Those countries and persons

honoured us, and we, in turn, must honour them.

My sisters and brothers, I hope and pray that never again will our people have to endure the agonising and fearful ordeal that we suffered for five months, from March 2nd to August 2nd, 2020.

Never again should the air of freedom that we breathe be poisoned by the noxious fumes of electoral malpractice and fraud.

Never again should our integrity as a nation be threatened by the base motives and nefarious intrigues of those who would defy the will of the people and subvert our democracy in their lust for personal power.

It is a striking commentary on those who sought to steal the elections that, without any shame – even though they are unmasked as the culprits that they are – they continue to masquerade as paragons of virtue, and to continue to try to deceive and mislead the people whose hopes they dashed and whose beliefs they destroyed.

They remain trapped in the failed politics of race and in the flawed policies of division, offering no new ideas, no novel vision, and no creative pathways for Guyana’s future.

They have become yesterday’s shadows.

By contrast, over the past year, I have made clear - by words and by deeds - my deep and unswerving commitment to One Guyana, One people, One nation in which all races and all persons are equal with common rights, common entitlements, and shared benefits.

From the first day of my Presidency, I have insisted on – and demonstrated - a firm commitment to good governance and transparency, to upholding fundamental human rights and to advancing equitable development for all.

It is upon that platform of One Guyana for all Guyanese, in equity and in opportunity, that I will continue to carry out my duties and fulfil my obligations to all.

On this first anniversary of the government, I renew that pledge with the strength of my belief, the courage of my commitment, and the fidelity of my heart and soul.

My Fellow Guyanese, We all know that our beloved country is on the cusp of massive socio-economic transformation that can take us to new heights of prosperity.

We have only just begun the climb.

But all of us are now imbued with the confidence that we will reach those heights if we do it together.

Never have our people been so buoyant, so positive, and so sure that economic good fortune has smiled upon us and that a real chance is within our grasp to lift up Guyana and all Guyanese.

The past year of the pandemic may have dampened the fire of our

enthusiasm, but it has not extinguished the flames of our optimism.

It is no understatement to say that the past year has been difficult, and it is no exaggeration to say that it has been deadly so.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not spare us.

Of course, we were not alone in having to contend with the ravages of this virus, and we are not alone in continuing to battle to contain it, suppress it and overcome it.

We have had to mourn the loss of some 547 lives, with more than 22,619 infections.

I wish it were not so.

And I grieve with all who have lost their family and their friends.

The coronavirus and its variants continue to threaten all in our society because we all know that none of us is safe, until all of us are safe.

That is why your government has spent large sums of money procuring vaccines to inoculate everyone against this dreaded and deadly virus.

All of us should be troubled by those who refuse to be vaccinated.

The unvaccinated are now as deadly as the virus itself, for they are not only greatly susceptible to infection; they could carry it to others, crippling or killing their own families, their friends, and their co-workers.

I appeal once again to all to protect yourselves, shelter your family, safeguard your country.

Please get inoculated.

Your government has a responsibility to defend the health of all.

That is why we have had to introduce measures lasting throughout the month of August, including a curfew, limitation on certain social activities, restrictions on public movements of unvaccinated persons, and shorter opening times for certain businesses.

Your government would much prefer an open economy with unrestricted movement.

It would be good for government revenues.

It would be good for businesses.

But the profit would come at the loss of many more lives and the health of the nation.

Our hospitals would not be able to cope, nor would we be able to bury the dead, if the coronavirus were allowed to infect the unvaccinated and spread throughout the country.

We are in a war with an unseen enemy.

We have no idea when and where that enemy will turn up with lethal force.

Consequently, we must fortify ourselves against penetration, deny the enemy victims, and build up our strength through vaccinations to repel the foe.

We can defeat this enemy and win this battle, returning to the life we enjoyed, but to do so, all must join the battle; all must be inoculated.

You also know that COVID-19 is not the only formidable enemy we fought over the past year.

We have had to deal with the widespread flooding occasioned by heavier than normal rainfall - a clear sign of the disastrous effects of climate change.

All of this has threatened the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of our people and placed an enormous strain on our economy.

We did not create these challenges.

But we confronted them.

We did all this, while re-engineering broken systems and introducing new, innovative approaches.

That is the style and manner of your government – not to wring our hands in lamentation; not to be paralysed to inaction, but to tackle problems vigorously by finding the best solutions and implementing them- swiftly and comprehensively.

The good of the nation and the welfare of our people are always our first priority.

This first year has seen success at the International Court of Justice in its ruling that the Court has jurisdiction to entertain Guyana’s claim concerning the validity of the 1899 award.

It is the first step on our way forward to confirming Guyana’s patrimony, and we are proceeding with vigour and confidence to the next stage of the judicial Hearing on the Merits of our Case.

My Fellow Guyanese, over the past year, despite the challenges, your government has been working to implement a comprehensive plan to transform Guyana into a highly prosperous country, for the benefit of all Guyanese in the shortest possible time.

You have already witnessed the roll-out of aspects of that plan, and it is right that – on this first anniversary of the recovery of our people’s rights – that I should lay out, in some detail, the pathways to progress and prosperity that the PPP/C Government has carved out for the nation.

Based on the PPP/C Manifesto on which we campaigned for the 2020 elections and on which we were elected, we have commenced the transformative agenda in building a modern, safe, prosperous and united Guyana in which all our people can realise their dreams and aspirations.

I wish to spend some time highlighting some key areas that are essential for the future of our country.

THE PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION OF GUYANA: A rapid expansion of Guyana’s physical infrastructure has already been launched with the aims of: improving connectivity with our neighbours and trading partners, thereby expanding the economic space in which we operate; opening up new lands to unleash productive potential; and improving internal

connectivity to enhance citizen and commuter convenience. To achieve this, the following key projects are already underway: 1. Construction of the Lethem to Linden Road has commenced with the Linden to Mabura section already tendered.

2. Expressions of interest have already been received for a new bridge across the Corentyne river in partnership with our Surinamese neighbours.

3. To ensure we develop enough capacity to service the oil and gas sector, the Government of Guyana welcomes private sector investment to construct multiple shore-based and deep-water facilities at the mouths of the Demerara and Berbice rivers. Works that would see hundreds of millions of U.S dollars invested by private investors have commenced.

To expand access to productive lands for agricultural and other productive purposes, while creating opportunities for new investors and developers, work on major roads have commenced: 1. No. 58 to Canje Creek Road is already at the tendering stage with works expected to be commence before the end of the year.

2. Parika to Goshen Road – the clearing of the alignment and surveying has commenced.

3. Timehri to Bartica link connecting Sand Hills to Makouria - clearing of alignment and surveys have commenced on this project.

4. as well as a vast array of new and upgraded roads in the intermediate savannahs and the hinterland regions.

To improve internal connectivity, the following key initiatives are being undertaken: i. the new bridge across the Demerara River has already been tendered and is expected to open on October 3rd, 2021. ii. The new road from Schoonard to Parika- the feasibility study has been completed and we are at the design and finance stage. iii. The new highway from Eccles to Mandela Avenue has commenced and is expected to be completed long before the end of the year.

Works on the further expansion of this highway from Eccles to Diamond has already commenced with designs and costings completed.

To complement this, the Ogle to Eccles highway is expected to be awarded by the end of this quarter with works commencing before the end of the year. Further, efforts to secure financing for the Ogle to Diamond, and from Diamond to Timehri phases of this project have also commenced with the feasibility study already completed. iv. Pre-construction feasibility studies and efforts to secure financing for the further extension of the four-lane road on the East Coast of Demerara to at least Mahaica has (Continued on page 15)

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Address by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on the First Anniversary of the PPP/C Administration in Office also commenced. v. Project planning and pre-design analysis for a four-lane Corentyne highway upgrade has commenced.

The objective of this project is the construction of an upgraded fourlane highway from New Amsterdam to Skeldon. vi. The rehabilitation of Soesdyke to Linden highway has commenced. vii. Works on community roads, streets, and residential areas have commenced in all 10 Administrative Regions. viii. Works on aerodromes and air strips have also commenced, with Lethem’s extended runway already completed and works to the CJIA to secure two additional air-bridges, 30 new shops in the commercial centre and completion of the front side curtain-walls. All expected to be completed by the end of the year. ix. Work has already commenced on modernising our river transport system. We have already commenced upgrading of many stellings and we expect to secure a new ocean-going ferry in 2021. This contract has already been awarded 10 months ago with a construction period of 18 months.

The platform is also being laid for new growth poles and urban centres with a planned sustainable new city. Works on Silica city are at a planning stage, with surveys and land acquisition being pursued. The physical landscape of our country is changing dramatically as a result of renewed private sector confidence in our economy. In addition, the conceptual planning for Wales development is in the final stage of completion.

Investments have already commenced that would see many new internationally branded hotels and other modern facilities synonymous with a vibrant and multi-dimensional economy already on the way.

ENERGY SECTOR IS CRITICAL Recognising the importance of energy sufficiency, reliability, affordability and sustainability, your government has commenced investment in the energy sector, aiming for a new generation capacity of at least 500 MW in the immediate term, with the option to expand this further in the longer term. Major initiatives in this sector will include: a. The gas-to-shore project terminating at the Wales Development Authority, which will see 250 MW of new power generation constructed. b. The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which will deliver another 160 MW of new power. c. Solar generating capacity will also be installed to deliver at least 30 MW of power. d. Within individual remote communities and clusters of communities, stand-alone renewable solutions will also be explored, including hydropower and solar power plants as well as stand-alone solar panels.

Work in all of these areas have commenced and are at various stages of implementation. The final outcome would see energy cost

slashed by at least 50 percent before the end of 2024.

ADDRESSING EXTERNALITIES AND BUILDING RESILIENCE IS KEY TO SUCCESS Since your government has had to grapple with COVID-19 and the May/June 2021 floods, we plan to ensure that our country is safely navigated through the prevailing external shocks and that our resilience to future shocks is reinforced. a. The COVID-19 Action Plan will continue to be implemented, including by ensuring the roll-out of vaccines to the adult population, while vaccines will also soon be made available to children between the ages of 12 and 18, starting with older children first. b. A major programme of flood response measures is already being rolled out. This aims at getting both households and producers such as our farmers back on their feet in the shortest possible time. The assistance aims at ensuring that they are able to replant their crops and restore their livestock as a matter of the highest urgency. c. Work will continue on reinforcing our sea and coastal defences, including the construction of three new major outfalls similar to the Hope Canal, one each in Regions 3, 5 and 6. Planning will commence soon on a massive project to relief South Georgetown from flooding with the construction of a new drainage system and other infrastructure to facilitate this, whilst at the same time other areas of the city will also benefit from significant investment to mitigate against flooding and enhanced infrastructure. We believe strongly that future generations in Guyana and that of the world depend on sustainable development. d. That is why we commenced work in an expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy. This strategy is already being developed. It will focus on ensuring that our vast standing forest resource is adequately remunerated for the global climate service it is providing, as well as ensuring that the vast potential of the blue economy is harnessed for national development. e. Additionally, our productive sector will be widely diversified to ensure resilience to economic shocks. This will see a strong nonoil mining sector, including large and medium scale gold production, bauxite, manganese and diamonds, as well as possibilities for expansion into copper and rare earths.

TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY’S HUMAN RESOURCES The rapid structural change that the Guyanese economy will be undergoing in the immediate years ahead will have important implications for our pool of human resources. In our new oil and nonoil economy, new skills will be required and vast improvements in productivity needed. In order to address these needs, as well as to ensure that every single Guyanese

person of employable age is adequately equipped to obtain gainful employment, a vast transformation in our human resources will be imperative. This will be achieved through: a. Our 20,000 online scholarship programme, which has commenced with the first batch of 6000 Guyanese to be awarded before the end of this month. b. Establishment of a world class oil and gas institute to serve as a centre of excellence for training of personnel for the oil and gas sector in Guyana, regionally and worldwide.

Discussions are in the final stage to realise this. c. Establishing centres of excellence at the University of Guyana in particular fields of study in which Guyana has a natural competitive advantage, such as tropical agriculture, climate change, and environmental studies. d. Facilitating the rapid training of at least 3000 Guyanese to work in the rapidly expanding tourism sector. e. Strengthening technical and vocational education delivered through all of the technical institutes and industrial training centres and promoting on-the-job training through apprenticeships, aimed at providing trainees with practical experience.

AS A COUNTRY WE MUST DEVELOP WORLD CLASS HEALTHCARE In much the same manner, your government strives to achieve world class health care, both for delivery to our own citizens as well as a service to be offered to international clients on a commercial basis. In this regard, ongoing efforts will see: a. Strategic partnerships, with the private sector, to develop speciality hospitals, specialised care and to attract major international providers to develop world class medical facilities in Guyana. b. Develop a new Maternity and Paediatric Hospital with strategic partners. c. Resuscitate the specialist Ophthalmology Hospital in Port Mourant. d. Upgrade the GPHC and all regional hospitals and health centres, as well as hinterland clinics and health huts.

It is important while we pursue all of this that we ensure we improve the social welfare of our people.

Throughout the rapid transformation that the country will witness, it will be important to ensure that no one is left behind, and that social welfare continues to be improved.

A number of initiatives have already been implemented and others will continue to be implemented. These include: e. Improving the provision of support to the elderly. In this regard, the old age pension has already been increased since our return to government, while the water subsidy provided to the elderly has also been restored. f. Implementing special programmes for persons living with disabilities, with particular empha-

sis on training to ensure that these persons are able to engage in meaningful and gainful activity. g. We commenced work on ensuring universal primary and secondary education, as well as early childhood education, and continuing work to raise the quality of education provided to our children at all levels. h. We have continued to emphasise issues related to gender equality, with special emphasis on promoting full female participation in the classroom and the workplace, including by ensuring availability of training places where needed.

Community development with economic growth and improved prosperity is critical. There will be a greater need for attention to be paid to community development, particularly in the most vulnerable communities. For this reason, we will promote the growth and development of strong communities. Examples of initiatives which will be implemented in this regard include: i. Strengthening the Amerindian village economy in all villages. We have already acquired equipment (tractors and implements) for distribution to these communities. j. Promoting social spaces and social and cultural activities in all communities with a view to promoting greater cross-cultural awareness and appreciation. k. Promoting more event-based observances in the national calendar, thereby also promoting greater cross-cultural empathy. l. Developing a National Cultural and Creative Industries Policy to guide the development of the sector and reinstituting the Advisory Boards for the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives.

YOUTH AND SPORTS ARE A L S O C R I T I C A L. A N E SSENTIAL PILLAR OF OUR STRATEGY WILL BE TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ENJOY A W E L L-R O U N D E D L I F E IN GUYANA, INCLUDING THROUGH ACCESS TO WORLD CLASS SPORTING FACILITIES. IN THIS REGARD: a. The existing sports infrastructure will be overhauled, to include the establishment of three new multi-purpose centres to accommodate a wider range of sporting facilities and events. b. Upgrading all public sports facilities, including the sports grounds in rural and hinterland areas. c. Working closely with the sports federations to strengthen sports administration in Guyana.

Improving competitiveness is also critical in moving our country forward. Your government will ensure that Guyana’s competitiveness as a destination for investment, as well as a producer of goods and services in the global marketplace is strengthened. To ensure this, many new initiatives have already started, which include: a. Restoring and maintaining a favourable macroeconomic envi-

ronment to ensure that potential investors are unaffected by either policy unpredictability or weak macroeconomic fundamentals. b. Reducing the cost of doing business in Guyana, first and foremost must be on the top of the agenda by addressing the challenges in respect of the availability and cost of energy. c. Providing investment incentives for new investments, retooling, and technological improvements. d. Partnership with the private sector in strategic sectors, e.g., the BPO/call centre sector, agro-processing. To achieve this, we have already liberalised the telecommunication sector and created new opportunities for fibre optic cables, reduce cost of bandwidth, reduce cost of data so that our ICT environment will also become competitive. e. Reducing the cost of bureaucracy and red tape is also critical. That is why we have commenced work on the implementation of a Single Window Approval System, where there is predictability, transparency and accountability.

It is important that our legal and institutional architecture to support the development aspirations of a modern Guyana also be transformed.

The new, modern Guyana we envision will be one that has a world class legal and institutional architecture. This will involve overhauling many of our laws and regulations to make them more relevant to the realities of the Guyana of the future. f. Some of this will be driven by ongoing law reform, with a newly elected, constituted Law Reform Commission just appointed. g. Some will also be driven by sector specific reviews of the legal frameworks while others will be of a more cross-cutting nature. For example, the use of electronic transactions, and electronic means of settling transactions, will unavoidably become a reality in tomorrow’s Guyana. So, your government will ensure the relevant legal frameworks are in place. h. Our institutions will also be strengthened, including for the purpose of ensuring accountable and transparent stewardship of our national patrimony. For example, in the case of our sovereign wealth fund (the Natural Resources Fund which is slated for reform), we will ensure a modern legal framework is in place to ensure openness and transparency.

SECURITY All of these developments can only take place in a secure environment and rest assured; no efforts would be spared in creating a stable and secure Guyana. To this end, we have already commenced a programme that will see the modernisation of the sector, improvement of the welfare and working conditions of those in the sector, and the institutional strengthening to aid transparency, efficiency and accountability have begun. Also, work has commenced on the building of (Turn to page 22)

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Over $7B assistance for households, farmers affected by floods T

he PPP/C led government has made available over $7 billion to assist persons severely affected by the recent floods. President Dr. Irfaan Ali made this disclosure in a statement to the nation on Saturday.

Of the $7.8 billion, some $7.3 billion will be direct cash injection to those who suffered losses during the national disaster with the remainder to be utilised by the Ministry of Agriculture.

This measure is the fulfilment of a commitment President Ali made to assist those affected.

The President noted that based on an assessment, over 300 communities and 52,000 households were affected by the flood. The Government, through the National Assembly, had secured $10 billion for flood relief efforts.

The assessment also re-

vealed that every sector took a hit, losing billions of dollars. However, the President made it clear that while some large-scale farmers were affected, the ceiling of assistance would not exceed $10 million per farmer.

President Ali said more than $3.5 billion will be transferred to homestead farmers, kitchen garden farmers and to households that exclude either of the two farms. Homestead farmers would receive $100,000 each, kitchen garden farmers will receive $50,000 each while persons with households excluding kitchen gardens and homestead farms will also get $50,000 each.

Over $3.2 billion will be given to rice farmers as over 50,000 acres of rice land and 2,000 farmers were directly affected by the flood.

The President said farmers who had rice ready to

harvest will receive $80,000 per acre. Those with rice sowed and lost in the autumn crop will get $65,000 per acre and farmers with land completely prepared but not sowed, will get $45,000 per acre. Some 60,000 bags of seed paddy would also be given to those farmers.

The President said in the livestock industry, assistance would be broken down into four categories. Those are subsistence, small, medium and large-scale farmers.

Over 2,000 farmers are set to benefit from $600 million in direct cash transfer.

Additionally, they will also receive assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority.

This will be undertaken in the form of genetic improvement, drainage and irrigation work, technical support

and extension services to the tune of $500 million.

President Ali said ongoing infrastructural works will continue in those affected areas. This includes the rebuilding of dams, farmto-market access roads, hinterland roads, mining roads, community roads and drainage system. “This assistance will go a long way in bringing relief. However, it can never compensate for the emotional and social loss which I saw and experienced first-hand. I assure you this Government will continue to work on an aggressive national drainage plan in the context of climate change so as to mitigate further climate events and disasters,” Ali said.

The President also extended gratitude to Guyanese at home and abroad and the country’s Caribbean neighbours for their support.

He also thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, the Civil Defence Commission and other

sectors for working beyond the call of duty to bring relief to affected persons.

Black Entrepreneurs Association indicate support for ‘One Guyana’ Commission

G

overnment’s position and intention of crafting and executing policies that will benefit all of Guyana was reiterated by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during his latest engagement.

The Head of State and several members of his Cabinet met with a delegation from the Black Entrepreneurs Association (BEA) from the United States of America at the Office of the President on Tuesday (August 3, 2021).

The visiting BEA delegates included the Honourable Senator (Georgia State District 33) Dr Michael Rhett; the Honourable State Representative (Alabama State) Laura Hall; the Honourable State Representative (South Carolina) Annie McDaniel; the Honourable State Representative (South Carolina) John King; former Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives Dee Dawkins Haigler; Human Rights Activist Dr Richard Freeman; Human Rights Activist Marcus Coleman; Keith Grandberry, Keyford Langley, Quinetha Fraiser, Letron Pryce, Stacey Mollison and Melissa Varswyk.

President Ali told the gathering that his Government has been pursuing an agenda to improve the welfare and prosperity of all Guyanese. He said, “We

have rolled out a number of programmes that seek to improve the living conditions, creating opportunities for every segment of the Guyanese population to advance and achieve their dreams and aspirations.”

He also pointed to Government’s programmes to ensure that the vulnerable sections of society are not left out in the country’s development agenda. According to him, over the last year, his administration has been “aggressively” building on its promises after a protracted struggle for democracy following the March 2020 Elections. He said, “I want to thank the United States of America, and I know many of you would have played a part in ensuring that we remained on a democratic pathway so that the rule of law and democracy won at the end of the day. It was a struggle that all Guyanese embraced; it was a struggle that the Diaspora supported.”

Ali emphasised that it now rests on the collective shoulders of all stakeholders to ensure that Guyana never repeats its post-elections experience.

The President also used the opportunity to point out that the resources from the oil and gas sector will be used as an impetus to build

and fortify other sectors of the economy; these include enhanced focus on food security, the services sector, manufacturing and industrial development, among others.

BEA COLLABORATING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES The BEA delegates explained that they were grateful for the opportunity to meet with the Head of State and members of the Cabinet and to have the opportunity to engage in the conversation around diversity, inclusion, equity and justice, specifically as it relates to black entrepreneurs and those of African descent.

“We are grateful that you have commissioned efforts that will unify your administration’s efforts to not only bring attention but to bring resources to your business owners; so thank you,” Ms Frasier said.

The BEA currently has 300 registered members in Guyana and 300 in the UK chapter. The association highlighted that it is committed to creating a blueprint for black-owned businesses, which creates generational wealth while transforming the business economy and community.

The representatives also explained that they are of-

fering their services in guidance to entrepreneurs when it comes to foundational strategies and processes within their businesses. They expressed interest in collaborating with the Government to achieve their objectives and create the necessary mechanism to support businesses development.

“So part of this process is yes, we are concerned about how to get access to opportunity, but we are also aware that we have a responsibility to bring people to the table that can help us support the businesses here. That is why you see a lot of businesses around the table, and we will continue to bring and engage the Diaspora in terms of what can be done … for me I want you to understand it’s not just about what the Government can do for us, we are taking an active and proactive role in making sure that we are ready to implement and activate once an opportunity is identified … so it is a twoway street,” Ms Mollison of the Guyana- Georgia Tourism and Business Authority explained.

BEA SUPPORTS ‘ONE GUYANA’ VISION The group also called attention to the ways in which the BEA can contribute to the functioning of the ‘One Guy-

ana Commission’ by lending their professional expertise from their “talent pool” in addressing the priority areas and realising projects and programmes. Representatives also praised the Head of State for his Emancipation Day message.

Several concerns raised by the BEA representatives touched on the functioning of the One Guyana Commission, the President’s stance on reparations and addressing cohesion.

President Ali assured them that his Government understands the potential that exists within the Diaspora, pointing out that it is a forward and backward relationship that will create the important linkages. He emphasised that a part of the Government’s agenda, even before the elections, was a consultative approach to development. He said, “We will definitely find a vehicle, a mechanism through which we can build off of this initial meeting and continue the collaboration to see how we can develop opportunities for collaboration and partnership. We don’t really define our policies by black, brown, white…. Our policy is to ensure that all of Guyana benefit.”

The Head of State assured the delegation that they are

pushing at an open door in the sense that Government intends to continue to create policies and programmes that will help every segment of the Guyanese population in every sector and has already demonstrated this through many sectors, including housing, agriculture and policy formulation.

He also encouraged them to become part of the national consultations, including Local Content consultations, to share their ideas to be taken into account in policy formulation.

Following the lengthy engagement, President Ali indicated that the meeting was the first step to future collaborations with the group.

Also making remarks were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, who reiterated that the Government’s policies are geared towards oneness and reaching all Guyanese.

In his remarks, Vice President the Honourable Dr Jagdeo provided a historical overview of the political dynamics in Guyana while he outlined the objectives of the formation of several committees and their role in addressing rights agenda, addressing the needs of vulnerable groups and ensuring (Turn to page 17)

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT PPP/C’s job creation initiatives gaining ‘rapid momentum’ T he promise of job creation by the PPP/C Administration is tied to the vibrancy of the private sector, among government initiatives to advance this objective, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. At a news conference on Monday (August 2, 2021), Ali said, “On the push to create new jobs let me just give you a few examples.

We have turned the side for about three hotels. We are finalizing maybe another four….the construction phase in that industry itself has already generated hundreds of jobs. By the time we get to the end of the year that will go to thousands.

“The housing program itself has already engaged thousands of Guyanese, the sugar industry, new investments coming in. Let me give you the example. A survey recently showed that daily, we had 1100 trucks moving from Soesdyke along the East Bank, with sand that is close to 24,000 tons of sand. Every day each of those trucks would have at a minimum, a laborer, a driver, you then have mechanics that have to support those trucks.

And this is just one sector… more than 70 per cent of the mining sector is back in operation.

“All of this is creating

jobs for people, the vibrancy in the private sector, the investment that the private sector is making the new shore based facilities will open up opportunities for thousands of people. Then you will hotels at a minimum with the plans that we are seeing, we will need about 3000 persons by the time you get up to year to the end of 2023 permanently to service the needs of those hotels.”

The Head of State noted that the push to create jobs is gaining rapid momentum.

“We are going to add to this, the new highways that we're going to build…and all of this is happening in the context of a global economy that is suffering,” Ali said, referring to the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The President assured that the job creation initiatives will continue to be pursued aggressively. “We have made so many advances. This is not about the PPP/C. This is about us, as a people understanding and appreciating the advances that we have made and working together to even move faster ahead with the development of our country,” he posited.

The PPP/C prior to taking office promised the creation of 50,000 jobs in five years.

Black Entrepreneurs Association... (From page 16) accountability. He also expressed interest in working with the representatives of the BEA and their membership.

Several other cabinet members attended the meeting, including: Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo; Senior Minister in the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh;

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, and National Security Advisor, Gerry Gouveia.

17

18

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

High Court to rule in Lowenfield’s case on Monday

A

ruling by Justice JoAnn Barlow, from the High Court in a case filed by Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, is expected on Monday, August 9, 2021.

Lowenfield had moved to the High Court seeking an order preventing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)nominated GECOM Commissioners, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick from participating as adjudicators in the hearing of the motion for his dismissal.

Last month, Lowenfield,

through his attorney, Nigel Hughes, had filed a fixed-date application against GECOM, seeking, among other things, a declaration that Gunraj and Shadick, in their motion for his dismissal, cannot properly participate, hear and determine their own complaint against him.

Justice Barlow had granted an interim injunction restraining GECOM from proceeding with the hearing of the notice of motion for dismissal based on the complaint

by Gunraj and Shadick.

During Wednesday’s (August 4, 2021) hearing of the case, timelines for submissions were agreed upon and August 9, 2021, was set for ruling.

MOTIONS FOR DISMISSAL Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers, and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo are the subject of motions at GECOM, which are

calling for their dismissal.

The motions were supported by government-nominated GECOM Commissioners, Gunraj, Bibi Shaddick and Manoj Narayan.

The motion to dismiss Lowenfield was tabled by Gunraj and Shadick and listed 20 grounds on which he should be dismissed. The Commissioners said that Lowenfield breached his functions, duties, responsibilities and obligations when he neglected to ensure due adherence and compliance with the statutory process outlined in Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act (RoPA), Chapter 1:03 by Mingo, who was under his direct supervision. Mingo, according to the Commissioners, failed to follow the stipulated process of adding up the Statements of Poll (SoPs) for his District and Lowenfield aided in his noncompliance.

Lowenfield is accused of also breaching his functions when he neglected to provide proper and lawful directions, instructions and guidance to the officers and employees of the Secretariat in the performance of their statutory duties during the process of the adding up of the votes recorded in the SoPs for Electoral District Four.

Myers is accused of aiding and abetting Lowenfield’s actions. In her case, the motion was submitted in the names of Shadick and Narayan. They argued that she also went out of her way to facilitate a meeting in a GECOM facility by then Foreign Affairs Minister Karen Cummings where she threatened to revoke the accreditation of international observers. Myers’ order to have the Guyana Police Force remove Commissioner Gunraj and political party representatives from the GECOM

Command Centre during the tabulation of the SOPs is also listed as one of the reasons she should be dismissed from her substantive post as DCEO. Meanwhile, Mingo is accused of discarding his oath of office and failing to act fairly and impartially or legally in the discharge of his duties.

The grounds for Mingo’s dismissal surround his tabulation of the SOPs in which he clearly manufactured numbers to reflect a win by the APNU+AFC Coalition. It also concerns his conduct and defiance of the court orders mandating that he follow the outlined statutory process to acquire his final tally of the SOPs. The three were informed of the motions by GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, and were given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Sam Hinds takes up new post as Guyana’s OAS rep T

he new Permanent Representative of Guyana to the Organization of American States (OAS), Samuel Hinds, presented his credentials on Tuesday (August 3, 2021) to OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro in a virtual ceremony.

During the ceremony, Secretary General Almagro highlighted the common values between the hemispheric institution and the

Caribbean country and reiterated the Organization's commitment to the defense of democratic institutions and equitable access to vaccines. "Ambassador Hinds, during the pandemic we have worked intensely in this Organization and we continue to do so. From the OAS we have carried out actions with PAHO and the IDB -also with the Joint Summit Working Group- to coordinate

strategies to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in the hemisphere."

For his part, Ambassador Hinds underscored his country's respect for the rule of law and human rights and praised the Organization's fight for the equal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. ""Mister Secretary General, I commend you in your role as the head of this Organization and the members of

the OAS Permanent Council, particularly those constituting the CARICOM group, that initiated and endorsed on February 17 the resolution on "The Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines," that was adopted by acclamation,” said Ambassador Hinds.

Guyana has been a member of the OAS since 1991.

Ambassador Hinds is Guyana's fifth Permanent Representative to the OAS.

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Because We Care: Region 4 - Cash Grant Distribution Schedule Friday August 06, 2021

Saturday August 07, 2021

Monday August 09, 2021

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

21

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

Address by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on the First Anniversary of the PPP/C Administration in Office (From page 15) three new prison blocks that will house 900 prisoners in Lusignan; the acquisition of vehicles, and crime fighting equipment have also been accomplished.

Whilst we have laid the foundation for the transformative agenda, we have also transferred billions of dollars directly to the people of Guyana. Examples of a few initiatives are: 1. Recognising the devastating impact of Covid-19 on families, we have introduced a Covid-19 cash grants, which by the end of the second phase will put more than $8B into the hands of families across the country.

2. We restored and increased the annual cash grants for school children. This ongoing exercise will place in excess of $3.3B into the hands of the parents of these children.

3. We have commenced the phased increase of old age pension by injecting an addition $4 B annually in disposable income for senior citizens.

4. We have increase public assistance from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly, providing an additional $500M in income support to beneficiaries.

5. We reduced land rentals

for farmers, releasing $1.4B annually back to farmers cash flow.

6. We reintroduced the yearend-bonus for members of the Disciplined Forces, paying out more than $500M to our men and women in uniform.

7. We launched a special one-off grant to frontline healthcare workers to the tune of $3B. 8. We removed the punitive and draconian APNU/AFC taxes, placed on the people of Guyana, including, vat on electricity, water, education medical supplies, basic household necessities, data for residential and individual use, basic construction materials and heavy equipment for industry.

9. We took steps to make home ownership more affordable, restoring the $30M ceiling on mortgage interest relief and increasing the ceiling on low-income housing loans from $8M to $12M. 10. We eliminated income tax on education and healthcare.

11. We allocated $120M for programmes supporting the community of persons living with disabilities and a further $50M to organisations working with victims of domestic violence.

12. Put together, these measures injected well over $50B

into the economy, improving household disposable income as well as injecting liquidity into the economy.

13. Responding to the devasting floods affecting all our regions, we have injected through direct cash transfers to households and farmers, more than $7.5B. 14. We have kickstarted our housing programme; we have already invested more than $14B, allocated more than 65,000 house lots, processed almost 2,000 titles and transports, commenced construction of almost 1,000 low, moderate, and young professional homes, and we are in the process of designing and implementing infrastructure works to see the allocation of an additional 10,000 in the coming year.

15. Against all odds, we have reinvested in sugar and reopened the industry, returned jobs and brought back vibrancy to communities. In addition, we have restored the almost 2,000 Amerindian jobs lost, stolen by the APNU/AFC government, while at the same time we are aggressively pursuing various initiatives to restore Linden and the Bauxite Sector that also collapsed under the APNU/AFC government.

16. Hundreds of millions have been spent to keep children in a learning en-

vironment, as a result of COVID-19.

17. Businesses that were sent into bankruptcy or that were on the verge of bankruptcy

by APNU/AFC government are once again re-emerging as confidence has returned.

18. The wasteful spending and extravagance by the APNU/AFC government has been slashed from public expenditure, creating greater space for those resources to be transferred to the people of Guyana.

Some may believe that this is a report of a government five years in office, I however, humbly remind every Guyanese that these accomplishments are just in our first year in office, and the foundation has been laid for a rapid take off.

With a positive mind set and a determined spirit, we assure all Guyanese that together our future will be better.

My Fellow Guyanese, A wise person once said that a vision without a plan is nothing but a mirage.

Clearly, the plans that I have outlined to you is both visionary and strategic.

In addition, given Guyana’s growing geo-economic and geopolitical importance as an emerging major player in the energy sector in the

Caribbean and the Americas, your government will continue to work towards maintaining a diversified portfolio of international relations.

With our abundant natural resources, we can anchor the energy security and prosperity of our Caribbean Community.

With our vast agricultural capacity, we can realise the long-standing promise of being the breadbasket of the Caribbean.

And, given our geo-strategic location, we can turn our gaze south, to be a bridge between the Caribbean and Latin America.

In all this, we will continue to tap into the huge reservoir of skills and other resources in our dynamic Diaspora, and work with our regional and international partners and investors, to pursue the objectives of the plan.

Moreover, we will do so never losing sight of the paramount imperative of maintaining our sovereignty and securing our territorial integrity.

And we commit, to guaranteeing the security of all our people in all its dimensions, including physical, socio-economic, health and environmental security.

My Fellow Guyanese, One year ago, in my inaugural address to the nation, I promised to be the President for all the people of Guyana.

I pledged my government to pursue certain strategic lines.

Those pledges remain firm.

Their fulfilment is my personal ambition for all my Guyanese brethren, as your President.

With this plan, your government will strive tirelessly for the transformation of our country, the creation of a knowledge-based economy and accelerated, sustainable and equitable development for all.

No Guyanese will be left out, none will be overlooked, and none will be abandoned.

I look to the young people of our One Guyana particularly, to put their energies into participating in implementing our plan in which they have a stake, and which can give them opportunities for their personal growth and development that no other generation had.

On this first anniversary of the recovery of our nation from the snatch of those who sought to steal our rights, subvert our democracy, and blight our future, I recommit to leading the work that will consolidate our democracy, build our country, and secure the future for this generation and generations to come.

God bless you and God bless our beloved Guyana.

(August 2, 2021)

WEEKEND MIRROR 7-8 AUGUST, 2021

23

New COVID measures for August announced ‒ Vaccination requirement imposed for certain activities

T

he Government has made significant changes to the gazetted COVID-19 Emergency Measures for August in an effort to reduce the transmission of the deadly disease, even as persons go about their business.

The new guidelines mandate that conductors and operators of public transportation be vaccinated against COVID-19, so that they can safely transport passengers along various routes on land and along the waterways.

They are also required to ensure that their passengers are masked during their journeys.

The Measures define

“vaccinated” as having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines offered in Guyana or others, including the Sinovac-Corona Vac; Pfizer-BioNTech Covic 19-BNT16b2, Moderna- mRNA-1273, and the Johnson and Johnson-Jassen Ad26CoV2.S vaccine.

Similar vaccination requirements will also impact casinos, betting shops and cinemas, which will now be allowed to open at 40 per cent capacity.

To gain access to these businesses, patrons will be required to have a COVID vaccination card in their pos-

session, accompanied by official identification.

Importantly, no concession stands can operate at cinemas and patrons will be required to be masked at all times.

Concerning in-person access to Government services at its ministries and agencies, members of the public are now required to be vaccinated.

Persons who are unvaccinated can only access Government services by appointment. The mask mandate, restriction on social activities and curfew remain unchanged.

Travellers to Guyana must be vaccinated, produce negative PCR test

M

inister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, who has purview over the aviation sector, has disclosed that the Government is taking further action to ensure the safety of both visitors and the local population.

Edghill stressed that the PPP/C Government remains committed to achieving herd immunity and will work assiduously to protect the health and wellbeing of all Guyanese.

Foreign travellers will be required to be vaccinated and also to produce a negative PCR test prior to entering Guyana. This restriction

will take effect from Sunday, August 8, 2021.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said persons should have taken the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before travelling here. He said, “As of now, vaccination, as defined in the Order, means having one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, so, for now, we are asking for at least one dose. So, you must show proof of vaccination.”

With the restriction coming into effect until August 8, Minister Anthony said this would allow persons some time to get inoculat-

ed if they wish to travel to Guyana.

Minister Anthony also said the National Covid-19 Taskforce and Police would be making random checks at various places and restaurant owners who are found flouting the mandate, would face stiff penalties.

The gazetted COVID-19 Measures for August has also stipulated other restrictions on certain services in Guyana. Persons accessing Government offices must be vaccinated. Unvaccinated persons must make an appointment to access those services.

Stakeholder engagement to advance Elections CoI ongoing – Ali E

fforts are being advanced with the aim of establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to examine what transpired in the 2020 General and Regional Elections, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during a news conference on Monday (August 2, 2021).

He said, “IN relation to the commission of inquiry… there are many moving parts in relation to what took place

in the last elections. There are many court cases that are ongoing; and deliberations at the level of the Guyana Elections Commission in relation to specific staff who are identified for various practices, not consistent with transparency and free and fair elections.

“Notwithstanding this our commitment of having a Commission of Inquiry into the events of the last election

still stands. For a matter of fact, we have been engaging various stakeholders in finding suitable names that can be part of such a Commission, so that we can be able to identify not only those individuals who placed us in the position we were in.”

He noted that, among other things, the Commission of Inquiry will be tasked with identifying possible weaknesses that can form

part of the plan to strengthen Guyana’s electoral system.

“Never again can we experience such a bare face attempt at facilitating and attempts to steal in elections,” Ali declared.

In October 2020, Ali disclosed that the Government of Guyana is in talks with the international community regarding a Commission of Inquiry into the events of the March 2020 Elections, which

saw a five-month delay in the declaration of final election results. He had said, “We’ve already started conversation with various international stakeholders on the subject matter and the international community is also very much interested…the international community was a key part in ensuring that democracy was protected…so the international community is going to play a key part in this and they are very keen and they are very interested…in relation to a timeframe in having the CoI, I would say that it is in the, not the medium-term, but the immediate-term plan for the Government as we proceed towards the end of the year.”

Prior to that the President had stated that the panel for the CoI could be drawn from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and The Commonwealth. “Between the OAS, Commonwealth and CARICOM, I think we will have a great opportunity to determine a good panel to look at the CoI,” he had said.

The first mention of an investigation into the elections was made by Ali, during his inauguration speech on August 8, 2020. “All of us have an obligation to the nation and to ourselves to ensure that, never again, should any

generation of our people be subjected to such unlawful behaviour. Therefore, a review of events related to the electoral process over the last five months will begin shortly to determine forensically exactly what transpired and to hold accountable any person who sought to pervert and corrupt the system.” The Head of State had said too that all necessary reforms will be pursued to make democracy stronger, and the electoral process more transparent.

In the aftermath of the controversial five-monthlong March 2020 Election fiasco, a number of high-ranking Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials have been investigated by the Police and charged for misconduct in public office and forgery. They include Lowenfield, who on October 12, 2020, was slapped with six charges by the Police relating to forgery and misconduct in public office pertaining to his alleged role in the attempts to rig the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. The CEO is being accused of attempting to undermine the will of the people by repeatedly refusing to submit the verified results from the National Recount to Chair of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, for a final declaration.

Triskits Crackers & Cookies are now available PRE-PACKED for your convenience.

(Each packet contains three individually wrapped packs.)

Committed to Excellence

PUBLISHED BY NEW GUYANA Co. Ltd., Freedom House, Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: [592] 226-2042 / 227-2095 / 655-0459 / 627-7432