Weekend Mirror 8-9 January, 2022 by Weekend Mirror

GOAL to open application process for 2022 scholarships soon 8-9 January, 2022 / Vol. 12 ‒ No. 4 / Price: $100

Email: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com

PAGE 3

Attempted theft of Speaker’s Mace was a ‘treacherous act’ – Teixeira PAGE 15

Interviews to fill other vacant GECOM posts to begin in new week PAGE 2

Critical interventions being undertaken to support housing drive – Min Croal PAGE 10

SEE INSIDE

Ali encourages vaccines, boosters and mask-wearing to tackle rise in COVID-19 cases PAGE 23

GECOM recommences distribution of replacement ID cards PAGE 2

Two more oil finds in Stabroek Block PAGE 21

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

GECOM recommences Interviews to fill other vacant GECOM posts to begin in new week distribution of replacement ID cards T T he Guyana Elections Commission has resumed the production of National Identification cards for persons who have applied for replacements during the period August to October 2021.

In this regard, persons who would have completed a replacement transaction have been advised that they can uplift their National Identification Card from the GECOM Registration Office where the transaction was

done with effect from Thursday, January 6, 2022. The Commission is also advising persons that it has recommenced treating routinely with applications for ID cards replacement.

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) meet on Tuesday (January 4, 2022), the first meeting of the year, where critical issues were addressed. Among the decisions made was that interviews to fill the remaining vacant positions would commence

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in the new week. GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick disclosed that that the Commission will start looking at all the shortlisted names and begin the process of arranging interviews. “Looking at all the shortlisted, we’re going to go ahead with interviewing as we go along. We’re going to go through all the shortlists that we have and like we did with the CEO, we’ll be further able to resolve (the appointments),” the Commissioner said. The vacant positions include Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer, Logistics Manager, and Civic and Voter Education Manager. These positions were advertised in October 2021. To date, four persons have been shortlisted for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer: Deodat Persaud, Neil Bacchus, Melanie Marshall and Mohammed Arjoon, while applications for the five other critical posts are being considered. For the post of Assistant Chief Elections Officer those shortlisted include: Delon Clarke, Noland Jervis, Melanie Marshall, Paul Jaisingh, Mohamed Arjoon, Neil Bacchus, Deolall Ramlall, Natasha Grenion Dipchand, Andrea Sparman, Duarte Hetsberger and Colin April. Shortlisted for Chief Accountant are: Jaiwattie Singh, Abeossa Simon, Orlando Small, Victor Arjune and Roland Charles. For Legal Officer those shortlisted include: Shareefa Parks, Kurt DaSilva, Kimberly Yearwood and Felicia Toby. For Logistics Manager, those shortlisted include: Paul Sookdeo, Colin April,

Duarte Hetsberger, Lawrence Duncan, Terrence Stuart, Preston Paul, Alborn Carbon, Avinash Bookmohan, Shivnand Ramnanand, Dwarka Bhadur, Kenneth White, Nandran Persaud, David Cole, Bodhan Nipan, Winston Harlequin, Adrian Gangaram, Sharon Harry-Munroe, Noland Jervis, Quintyn Patrick, Mohamed Arjoon, Mellone Frank, Neil Bacchus, Anil Roberts and Yuvindra Rampersaud. Those shortlisted for Civic and Voter Education Manager are: Nardeo Persaud, Tyrone Singh, Marcey Parker, Imran Mohamed Ally, Natoya De Santos, Paul Jaisingh, Yolanda Ward, Ronelle Arokium, Thalisa Grant-Moore, Abiva Cort, Prem Khanhai, Andre Sparman, Gordon Baker, Lauretta Smith-Gray, Telitta Franklin, Pamela Nauth and Jacob Corbin. Additionally, the first report of newly appointed Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud, was also addressed. The report included references to the holding of Local Government Elections. Shadick said, “We were looking at the CEO report. But of course, the bogeyman of House-to-House Registration seems to be coming up. And so, we’re going to deal with it and so on. But the CEO does have in his report anticipation that we have to prepare for it. But no specific decisions on that as yet.” Meanwhile, GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, on the CEO’s report, said, “We received a report from the CEO about what he found when he assumed duty and we are in the process of discussing that report.” GECOM is expected to meet again on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

GOAL to open application process for 2022 scholarships soon A

Ministry of Public Service employee assisting a member of the public in filling out his GOAL application form The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) will very soon roll out its 2022 edition of the 20,000 online scholarships initiative. GOAL said it is expected to announced all programmes offered for this year “in another week”. In a notice published by the institution, interested applicants were advised to get themselves prepared for when the official rollout begins in order to facilitate a “seamless” application reviewing process. EMAIL ADDRESS Each applicant should have an email address already

created before applying for the scholarship. If an applicant does not have an email, it is advisable that you create one today. iii. Email is the primary mode of communications amongst GOAL, the university and applicant. It is advisable to create an email address with your name. The following as an example (Firstname.Lastname@gmail.com). TELEPHONE NUMBER Each applicant should have access to either a mobile or landline telephone number to ensure direct communication is maintained. An applicant should also provide the name and contact telephone number of an individual, in the event GOAL personnel is unable to contact the applicant directly.

ELIGIBILITY The award of scholarship and admission into any of the universities is dependent on key documents submitted with your application. ACADEMIC CERTIFICATES Only the following form of academic certificates should be submitted with your application: 1. Academic Board certificates from the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) [CSEC and/or CAPE] or General Certificate of Education (GCE) [“0” and/or “A” levels]. 2. Diplomas from Guyana Technical Institutes, Cyril Potter College of Education, Guyana School of Agriculture and University of Guyana. 3. Graduate Degrees from any accredited University (locally or internationally).

Cabinet Taskforce on Flooding addressing flood mitigation measures

he Cabinet Level Taskforce on Flooding, led by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, on Wednesday (January 5, 2022) met with members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to collaborate on flood mitigation measures. The virtual session allowed for engagement between government officials and corporate and commercial individuals to ascertain the resources needed to manage any potential significant inundation across Guyana. National Security Advisor, Mr. Gerry Gouviea, lauded the contributions of the business community thus far and noted that the assis-

tance hails from all parts of the country. Cameras, provided by the PSC, have been installed and operational at some pumps in the county of Demerara. This will allow for responsible agencies to monitor real-time footage and immediately identify any issues with the equipment. Additionally, some pumps can be monitored via the 4G network to determine its functionality, but that initiative too is still in its pilot stage. Further, a live dashboard will be implemented which will provide access to agencies and individuals so that they can observe the progress of all pumps logged into the 4G network. These

systems will be directed by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the National Data Management Agency (NDMA). The monitoring initiatives for the pumps and sluices are proposed to leave the pilot stages once the results continue to be favourable. The PSC has pledged to continuously provide any support that is necessary to ensure that such endeavours are successful. The Prime Minister, in closing, declared the meeting fruitful and has called for a subsequent session to provide updates on the initiatives proposed and to work through any issues that may arise.

FORM OF IDENTIFICATION A copy of the Bio data page of your passport or National ID card. WORK EXPERIENCE An updated Curriculum

Vitae (CV) with details of work experience. The CV should include two references including their names, designation, email addresses and contact telephone number. GOAL has advised that all academic certificates and identification documents

should be certified by a Justice of Peace or Commissioner of Oaths. Interested applicants are urged to ensure these documents are scanned in pdf format and be ready for GOAL’S 2022 rollout application and registration processes.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

EDITORIAL

PPP remains committed to Guyana and Guyanese By Zulfikar Mustapha, PPP Executive Secretary

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has reached another anniversary since its establishment – 72 years on January 1, 2022. The fact that the Party is in government and, through visionary leadership and prudent management, continues to make meaningful interventions to advance Guyana and Guyanese, speaks to its character over that seven decades. It is also testimony to the resoluteness of its founders and membership over that period. Those familiar with Guyana’s history, pre and post-independence, would be cognizant of the tremendous challenges the Party would have faced and withstood and of the economic prosperity it would have brought to the nation and all of its people. With regard to the former, the founder of the Party, the indomitable Dr. Cheddi Jagan, was relentless in his selfless struggles to free the country from the shackles of colonialism and to improve the lives of the citizenry. The task was daunting and may have appeared insurmountable, but Dr. Jagan and the Party leadership remained steadfast to their objectives. In the process, he, his wife Janet and others, were imprisoned but never relented while making personal sacrifices for the betterment of their fellow countrymen and women. Throughout the difficult times, including the 28 years he and the PPP were prevented from being in government as a result of massive and blatant rigging of the elections under the People’s National Congress (PNC) dictatorship, Dr. Jagan was able to inspire the Party, his followers and the nation and lead the struggles for both an independent Guyana and for the return of democracy. His indefatigable spirit was infused in subsequent leaders and throughout the Party membership as evident only as recent as 2020 when the General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, led the fight to safeguard our freedom and democracy when the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition desperately tried to steal the elections held in March that year. The struggles to prevent the PNC from its daring and blatant attempts to subvert the will of the Guyanese people, is testimony to the legacy of Dr. Jagan and the undefeatable spirit he instilled. The PPP, throughout its existence, has undisputedly remained committed to its core objectives of working in the best interest of the Guyanese people, remained rooted in their cause and to better their lives and conditions. The consistency over time; from working for an independent Guyana, to the hard-fought struggles for the restoration of democracy in 1992 at which point a bankrupt country was inherited and necessitated rebuilding, withstanding the PNC’s assault on democracy and now bringing Guyana to the cusp of unprecedented transformative development is firmly etched in our history. The engrained characteristic of working assiduously to develop our people and country, was evident even when in government prior to independence. That penchant to put people first and to make them the center of development, is and remain the hallmark of the Party. The rebuilding of Guyana from 1992 and the rapid development during the twenty-three years the PPP in was government up to 2015, saw not only a transformation of the physical and social infrastructure, but an era of unprecedented economic growth, a re-classification of Guyana from a highly indebted poor country to a developing one, advancement of the lives of Guyanese and a restoration of the country’s image on the international scene. During that period, Guyana took its rightful place as a leader in the region and through its advocacy on climate change, became a voice and respected partner internationally. These achievements were not coincidental, but as a result of astute and visionary leadership, innovativeness and prudence in managing the country’s resources and an unwavering commitment to the development of all the people of Guyana. This was the objective at the inception when the Party was established on January 1, 1950 and remains the same now in 2022 since it is back in government following the March 2020 elections; evidence of the PPP remaining true to its values.

Opposition for the sake of opposing serves no one’s interests Dear Editor,

ow we live our lives and treat each other, plus our cherished values and reputation here in Guyana, are symbolised in the image of our country. This is something the newly elected Leader of the PNCR must understand moving forward: if you don’t respect others and disregard our democratic principles, other nations will not respect you. Regrettably, prejudice has existed since the beginning of humanity, and is a learned behaviour we internalise from what we’re taught by our parents, those we admire, and our environment. Plus, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have inner prejudices and things we dislike. What makes us honourable is looking for the best in everyone, and treating every individual with respect, tolerance, and compassion, instead of searching for their flaws and mistakes they’ve made. Acting out our prejudices to disadvantage, degrade, or physically hurt someone is irresponsible and inexcusable conduct. My sincere advice to the PNCR leadership, who feels unjustly treated, angry, and vengeful, is to “be better, not bitter”. We must work together to build this country of ours. National unity requires people who are prepared to accept democratic principles that govern all democracies, instead of greeting electoral defeats with burning, looting and beating of opponents on the streets, or spreading propaganda. It is time for the new PNCR Leader and his executive members to stop the “obsession” with Vice President Jagdeo and start dealing with the principles of national unity. “National unity must be based on principles. It can’t be based on personality and personage. It must be based on principles, and must to be done in the context of all Guyanese. The new PNCR leadership must now acknowledge the importance of national unity as a fundamental ingredient of Guyana’s future prosperity, dating back to 1966, at the time of independence. So, first on the agenda of

the PNCR new executive is to have their party leaders and supporters prepare to abide by the rules of law while accepting the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government. They must prepare to abide by the constitution of Guyana. There’s no denying that our PPP/C Government has made some mistakes in the past, and still have many imperfections; however, there’s enough evident to show that our country is stronger and more prosperous by so many measures than it was before the PPP/C came into office on August 02,2020. Guyana is stronger and more prosperous than it was six years ago under the previous APNU/AFC Administration. Almost every country sees Guyana as stronger and more respected, and one of the best countries to invest in today under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government. I regret that we all can’t erase the injustices of our nation’s past, regardless of how many statues we remove, streets and buildings we rename, presidents we replace, or constitutions we rewrite. Although it’s wise to learn from our past, it’s imprudent to carry a bitter grudge and dwell there. Instead, we must focus on the present, and work together to build a better future for every Guyanese. The PPP/C Government presently is on that path, so join us. Most importantly, we must conduct ourselves as honourable Guyanese who demonstrate respect, compassion, and tolerance for each other, regardless of our ethnic diversities, cultural differences, contrasting opinions, religious beliefs, political affiliations, and past histories. It is time for the APNU/AFC to stop their well-intended protesting and grievances during the National Assembly with their irresponsible behaviour that dishonours our nation and disrespects hundreds of thousands of fellow Guyanese and our cherished beliefs. Seeking to silence others who disagree with their opinions demonstrates dishonourable conduct. One must find responsible and prudent ways to direct attention to the injustices you seek to address.

There is no doubt that our laws are only as good as the character and integrity of those who enforce them. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of our Police officers and judiciary officials are exceptional, and do an outstanding job, selflessly serving our communities and courageously keeping us safe each and every day under stewardship of Honourable Minister R Benn. However, what is most important is making and keeping our neighbourhoods safe, and for us to eliminate prejudice starts at home, by setting a positive example for our children to emulate. Be a dependable and ethically responsible parent. Always remember that the greatest gifts we can give our precious children are our love, our time, our encouragement, our support, and our guidance; all are free, irreplaceable, and last a lifetime. On Aug. 28, 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King said: “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” In honour of his legacy, we must take responsibility and seek ways to eliminate prejudice, keep our neighbourhoods safe, and make Guyana a great place for Guyanese. We must never forget the indomitable spirit and patriotism of our ethnically diverse people, which remains our nation’s strength. I continue to call on the Opposition to join with the Government and let us build this country together. Guyanese of every walk of life expects our PPP/C Government and the APNU/AFC Opposition to “work together” in the face of “this unprecedented pandemic”, as I request the Opposition parties to swallow their pride and get behind the Government and stop the criticism that has no merit. In the national interest, it is time for the Opposition to engage constructively with the PPP/C Government, and stop indulging in “opposition for opposition’s sake”. Sincerely, David Adams

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Will the PNCR now set in motion a series of corrective actions?

GECOM must be W transparent and must win the trust of the nation

Dear Editor,

he appointment of Vishnu Persaud as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), is most welcome, encouraging, and a step pointing towards some level of incisive decision-making at the level of the commission. However, much more is required to realign GECOM to an institution of national embrace, through its review where necessary, and implementation of fair and transparent policies worthy of our citizens’ trust. Given the recent elections milieu which almost brought our country to its knees, Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh will have to give that superb leadership to the commission. This is necessary, since the structure of the commission itself lends to the need for strong, assertive positions from the chairperson, since there is much evidence of some commissioners playing dubious bi-partisan roles contrary to their constitutional mandate. The position APNU+AFC commissioners took in support of the GECOM Secretariat’s preparation for the March 2020 elections together with their public assault on the commission’s decisions related procedures and the final results is quite despicable. The recent Vincent Alexander public attack on the chairperson, given her rationalisation of the best candidate for the CEO position is slanderous and leaves much to be desired. Consequently, the role of the commissioners and the GECOM Secretariat will have to be demarcated. The approach by the commission regarding delegation of responsibilities must have emphatic and robust monitoring counter-checks where they are to be applied. This should be done together with strengthened policies; commission-approved Standard Operating Procedures and directives outlining the scope of performance defined for compliance by officials of the secretariat contributed to by a number of the senior administrative staff of its secretariat. We can no longer accept the CEO usurping the authority and responsibility of the commission without approval, and one who then turns around and challenges the commission to whom he reports in the courts of law. Of course, the results of such undercurrents are clear and these are evidenced by the almost unchecked fraudulent contribution by a number of the senior administrative staff from the secretariat who were charged and placed before the courts. The immediate task of the commission is to win the confidence and trust of the nation through several internal reviews, particularly related to staff selections and financial policies. The filling of all vacancies for the

advertised posts must be carefully done as all people employed must be untainted with regard to corrupt activities. Hence, the stained persons who were working at GECOM who reapply for work must be carefully screened and approved on established criteria, particularly for senior vacancies. Vetting for junior staff vacancies must also be thorough and must be done with some level of balance. GECOM will also have to immediately address the issue of replacement of national identification cards. Given the delays caused by the last elections debacle, the commission is far behind time in respect of the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs). Therefore, it is imperative that GECOM advance immediately, the task of updating the Register of Registrants. To this end, a period of continuous registration will serve to make provision for all those youths, 14 years and over, to be registered. It follows that the subsequent period of Claims and Objection will also have to be done by competent persons. There is no doubt that future audits of GECOM will be very revealing given the issues raised by the auditor-general several years ago and the lack of cooperation by the previous CEO. Vishnu Persaud as the new CEO will have his hands full, but with the commission’s concurrence, will have to immediately take an inventory of all what they have in the stores and conduct a needs assessment of all the materials, supplies, and equipment to run the commission effectively. The chief election officer must be also thorough in his takeover process to establish a basis from which counterchecks could be made. This will serve well for the building of trust and confidence. This new-look GECOM Secretariat will have to work with a plan and, therefore, be diligent in that they will have to carefully put together a work programme for the year 2022. Regarding the immediate task of holding LGEs, GECOM will have to conduct public education to bring public awareness for the registration commencement period and the related procedures for uplifting identification cards. The production and distribution of ID cards must be done in a very thorough way, while GECOM must also revisit the shifting of the many boundaries that were done arbitrarily by the previous CEO. The GECOM Secretariat under the leadership of Vishnu Persaud and his team will need the support of all our people. To win our trust, there must not be any secret deals; all activities must be transparent and accountable. In context, professionalism is required and will be demanded. Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

ith the dark clouds of the 2020 regional and national elections still hovering above, PNCR operatives appear to calm fears about electoral irregularity by conducting a ‘free and fair’ internal election to choose their leaders. It was critical that the PNCR show to the country and the world that, despite their intransigence during the 5-month post-2020 election saga, they have not abandoned the democratic way. However, while the PNCR party has elected new leaders, this does not necessarily mean that they will bring visionary leadership to the party and the country. The challenges ahead are numerous, and the most formidable one is not only about consolidating their (PNCR) base, but also about expanding their reach across ethnic lines. It is not only the PNCR, but all political parties need to seek support across ethnic lines. While the PPPC and PNCR have historically received cross-ethnic support from Amerindians and Mixed, each major ethnic group (Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese) has been unable to make a similar impact on each other. The AFC had begun to make a breakthrough in ethnic-based voting in 2006, built upon that in 2011, and picked up momentum in 2015. Those Guyanese voted on issues, and not race. The demographics of the country are changing rapidly, as well as its social conditions. About 60% of the population is below 35 years. This age group does not necessarily have a penchant for “the old politics” (except those interested in history, or a political career); instead, they are more interested in NOW and the FUTURE. A pragmatic and hedonistic ideology drives their needs. They want to know who could better lead them to realise the good life. Time is not on their side. With such a transformation in attitudes, it is becoming apparent that the force of race in voting preference would gradually weaken, and be replaced with reason (informed choice). Issues, and not race, have begun to creep towards centre stage, as evidenced in the two previous elections (2015 and 2020). This movement (advancing issues and reason) picked up steam in 2011 when other political parties, particularly the AFC, had been able to attract a substantial amount of traditional PPPC voters. This inroad into the PPPC base had caused the PPPC to lose its Parliamentary majority following the 2011 polls. The movement continued to expand its growth into 2015, when the APNU+AFC coalition cracked further the PPPC traditional base by securing the support of 11% of its voters. These crossover voters were persuaded by the coalition’s position on issues which were forcefully articulated by the APNU+AFC leaders. They declared their “Sermon on the Mount” message that sugar was sacred; it was too big to fail; and that they would not close the sugar industry. Instead, they would grant sugar workers a 20% pay hike, while promising rice farmers $9,000 per bag of paddy. Those traditional PPPC voters bought into those messages, and cast their ballots for the coalition based

on issues, and not on race. The PPPC hopes that its efforts to break into the PNCR traditional base would ultimately result in some measure of success. The PPPC realises that its traditional base has shrunk sharply from the 1990s to comprise less than 36% of the country’s total voters. Its continued viability, therefore, depends on a sustained cross-ethnic outreach, buttressed with effective policies and programmes. The new PNCR leaders have a similar challenge. Their traditional voter base has also shrunk (but to a lesser extent than the PPPC); it comprises about 28% of the voting population. For its political viability, the PNCR must move beyond its base and seek cross-ethnic support. However, before planning its strategy as an Opposition party and as a potential governing party, some fundamental concerns must be addressed by the new leader. Now that the PNCR has a new leader, Mr. Aubrey Norton, and it has carried out one of the basic principles of democracy, i.e., free, and fair election, Guyanese have the reasonable expectation that the leader and his team would continue to walk the democratic track. One of the leader’s top priorities should be to repair the battered image of the PNCR following the 2020 regional and national elections. At a legal and constitutional level, he must sort out the power anomaly: in a context where he is neither the Leader of the Opposition nor the Leader of the APNU-AFC Parliamentary List (when the PPPC was in the Opposition, all these titles were properly occupied by one person). Additionally, he must clarify the PNCR’s relationship with the smaller parties in APNU, particularly the AFC. There are a few critical issues surrounding the battered image of the PNCR that require quick action. Image, like charisma, plays a significant role in politics. To repair the PNCR’s battered image, therefore, the leader needs to set in motion a series of corrective actions: (1) Since PNCR operatives have been accusing and demonising Caricom leaders of complicity with the PPPC just because they support free and fair election results, shouldn’t the new leader apologise to Caribbean leaders whom they have vilified? (2) Would the new leader consider apologising to the nation for his party’s behaviour during the 5-month post-election saga? (3) Would the new leader denounce and reject racism and violence as political tools? (4) Would the new leader recognise the legally elected PPPC Government, a status recognised by 100 countries, including all Western democracies: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, as well as by international organisations such as Caricom, Organization of American States, and the Commonwealth? Failure to resolve these and other issues would not work to his advantage. The country and the international community are watching. Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

True nature of PNCR continues to be exposed

Consequences must follow T the revolting actions of APNU+AFC MPs

Dear Editor,

join the Government’s call “…for (some serious) consequences against some members of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition over their “terrorist” actions in the National Assembly, during Wednesday’s debate of the Natural Resource Fund Bill.” My take is that APNU+/AFC and their few followers are still in the ‘rigging mode’ that was manifested during the post March 02 2020 period, when they tried to steal the Guyana elections. During that time, they were brazen, shameless and totally unruly. On Wednesday, these traits came to the fore, when they sought to block the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill. They did everything that gives credence to the word ‘terrorism,’ as used by Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Gail Teixeira, when she echoed the call for censuring. According to Minister Gail Teixeira, who expressed concerns over the ‘no-boundary’ posture of the Coalition Opposition: “This display that we witnessed must not be taken lightly by anybody whether they like the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) or not, whether they like the government or not, whether they like the Bills or not. The issue is that the National Assembly, the legislature of the Guyana Parliament, was violated. It was defiled repeatedly with the worst thing happening nearly at the end, and that is, the seizure, attempt to steal the Mace of the Guyana Parliament.” I recall, back in in 1992, Former Indian President, KR Narayanan, described indiscipline and disorder in the legislative bodies as “Infantile disorders or the measles of the middle-age” which “...are bound to pass, but pass they must, otherwise the system will be in mortal danger”. At the time, an unholy disruption had taken place, and consequently, the Speaker of India's parliament suspended 25 opposition MPs for "causing grave disruption". Before that, the MPs, who had been protesting with placards in the well of the house, were warned and verbally rep-

rimanded. On the day in question here, Opposition Members of Parliament protested the hearing of the NRF Bill, which they wanted to be sent to the parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. However, in being overruled, they resorted to disrupting the session. As was witnessed on the occasion and which can now be seen on social media, Coalition MPs stood banging on their desks when the Bill was called up for debate and subsequently gathered in the pit of the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where National Assembly sittings are now being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bill was eventually passed, but the Opposition’s protest escalated into a physical confrontation with Parliament staff, after one of the Coalition MPs snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker. I remind our readers that “… no matter where parliament sessions are being held, the space in the middle between the Government and Opposition sides is sacred ground and a peace zone.” Therefore, it is forbidden territory and no one is ever allowed to be in that area. However, it was stormed by the Opposition's MPs and supporters, who threateningly surrounded presenter of the Bill, Dr. Ashni Singh, in an intimidating and physically violent manner. The behaviour was so raucous, it resulted in the compromising of the Control Room, as the internet was disconnected and the loudspeaker system shut down. I concur with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister that the “… events in the National Assembly were not spontaneous but were preplanned, organised and orchestrated prior with the aim of delaying the passage of the NRF Bill…” I also believe “… there must be consequences … whether it’s a civil court, whether it’s a criminal court or whether it’s a ruling of the Speaker.” I think too that the discipline must be meted out in a just and prompt manner. Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

he newly elected leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr. Aubrey Norton, has been on a relentless campaign seeking relevance. It is sad to see and hear the rhetoric emanating from this relic politician of a bygone era. In various recent media appearances since becoming the new leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr. Norton has vowed to do a lot. Such comments leave much to be desired as most of these will not materialize. One such statement was the PNCR leader signaling his intention of holding the People’s Progressive Party Civic government, led by Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali accountable. Whilst this is admirably said and seems a genuine thing to do, the reality is a different story. Firstly, and quite frankly what does Mr. Norton and by extension, his political outfit the People’s National Congress know about accountability? Mr. Norton was an executive member of the PNC, the party that controlled the Government during the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change controversial reign in office. Never once did that clique of geriatrics which campaigned at the last General and Regional Elections on honesty and decency, sought to hold any of their officials accountable for the atrocities that occurred - the open nepotism, corruption, racism, and cronyism. This nation remembers all too well the events of the failed elections rigging and the way in which the likes of Norton and his cohorts defended the attempt to subvert

Guyana’s democracy. Norton was a daily mouthpiece for the corrupt cabal who were bent on remaining in power at any cost so as to cover their own corrupt practices, of which many of them are before the courts on various charges of corruption, misconduct in public office, and notably electoral fraud. Norton’s failure to hold his own government accountable to the Guyanese people who elected them and his subsequent silence and support of other wrongdoings renders him significantly unqualified and ethically unfit to hold the current administration accountable. Norton is a tribalist leader and cannot be expected to foster the unification needed in Guyana in this our country’s embryonic stage of transformational development. Such a task requires strong leadership and leadership qualities the likes of which have significantly eluded the People’s National Congress Reform for more than two decades now. Many of the younger generations of Guyanese who have heard of the PNCR and witnessed what transpired over the past few years whilst they were in Government have gotten a glimpse of the indecent, corrupt, and racial tendencies of the People’s National Congress. All of Guyana saw and suffered as a result of the racist policies of the past administration and their infamous attempt to rig an election thereby attempting to thwart the will of the people; violating the Constitution of Guyana, the supreme Law of the Land, and their recent desecration of Parliament. Sincerely, Thomas Cole

Is the PNCR under Norton capable of change? Dear Editor,

he People National Congress Reform (PNC/R) last Saturday held its biennial congress in which several persons emerged into leadership positions. This crop of leaders does not enjoy the confidence of the letter writer. The Aubrey Norton landslide victory leaves much to be expected. It was Mr. Norton, then a PNC executive, who daily embraced and defended electoral fraud and illegality in full view of this nation and by extension the world during the infamous five-month rigging attempt. Such is the historical nature of the People National Congress Reform of which Mr. Norton boasts some 45 plus years of service. This leaves little to be expected. Many Guyanese are wondering now if the replacement of Mr. David Granger brings a different direction from the seemingly lost PNC, a political outfit whose track record both in and out of power is far from impressive. This new PNC leader is sure to be unelected at any national and regional elections. It would be a herculean task for the PNC to regain its lost support. Most Indo Guyanese and even others would never support Norton. For a multiracial country like Guyana, the likes of Norton are grossly inadequate when it comes to being able to foster unity and harmony in this beautiful land. This is evidenced by his past actions

and utterances. It was the PNC lead coalition A Partnership For National Unity and its puppet the Alliance For Change, who attempted the most daring electoral rigging in modern history; to the point of annexing power, violating the constitution, setting a world record, destabilizing the business climate, disrespecting the Guyanese people and damaging the image of the country and altogether causing undue hardship and burden in Guyana in the midst of a pandemic. What this new generation of young educated Guyanese is interested in knowing is whether this new PNC leadership would accept the legitimacy of the People's Progressive Party Civic government. This nation deserves a disciplined and responsible opposition and given the asinine statements that continuously emanate from the APNU/ AFC combined opposition (in which the PNC controls) and their activists both home and abroad it is clear that the wait for such will be longer. Any aspirations and or intentions of the People's National Congress Reform returning to the reign of power, anytime, would be far-fetched and literally impossible. This is based on the PNC history and due to the fact that Guyana now boasts a more matured and educated Guyanese population, who are eager to be rid of divisive politics. Yours Truly, Alvin Hamilton

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Actions of PNCR-led Opposition validate confidence Guyanese reposed in PPP/C gov’t Dear Editor,

he recent despicable and repugnant behaviour of PNC/APNU+AFC Members of Parliament in the National Assembly leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of Guyanese and much to be desired. Such undesirables breathe contempt in the face of rationality and certainly points to the inherent and derived interpretation of some PNC/R parliamentary representatives. The new PNC/R leader is Aubrey Norton. Norton’s exhibited lack of charisma and his adopted posture of bullish character, are among the many reasons why he was always in and out of the PNC leadership for more than three decades. By now, he must certainly understand why he never enjoyed the support of none of the previous leaders of the PNC and even when younger, as contributory factors to why he was never allowed to be the leader of the Young Socialist Movement. Nothing in his political past qualifies

his condemnation of the GECOM Chairperson; His Excellency President Irfaan Ali; Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and other eminent leaders in the Guyanese society. He has certainly started on a slippery slope reflective of his past and early failures, his first job was as an office assistant at the Demerara Bauxite Company, and then the struggles he faced at the Critchlow Labour College to gain entrance to the University of Guyana. To his credit, he survived on ‘mouthing up’, always arguing to the extent that more than seven of the leaders of the YSM always had cause to caution him about his behaviour. Those old enough to know will recall that while in the PNC, former President Desmond Hoyte sent him packing from the PNC party. He was given a short stint in Parliament, but because of his unacceptable attitude, he was also removed forthwith from the Parliament. The Guyanese people are certainly not witnessing any positive traits of leadership

The PPP/C has delivered above and beyond Dear Editor,

he PPP/C Government led by President, Irfaan Ali has delivered far beyond its campaign promises and the good life, which was only an illusion for five years under the Coalition, are being made a reality. Beyond question, President Ali has continued the progressive trend which past Presidents of the PPP/C have set. The President has made known from the inception that he is the servant of the people and since then he has been engaging Guyanese from all walks of life and from different political persuasion. He listens and resolves issues on the spot and what is remarkable is that he allows the audience to speak first about their problems. He is not on the campaign trail, as his predecessor was. His humble and sympathetic demeanor removes all barriers and Guyanese are allowed to speak freely and without any pretensions. One could sense the complete ease with which the people interact with him. In July 2019, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, pointed out the need for a deep-water port in Guyana. She spoke of the port as an infrastructural gap and highlighted the numerous significant benefits, which will accrue from this investment and will be a major source in promoting economic growth and development. And as usual, the Coalition conducted a number of costly studies which bore no fruit. Moreover, when contacted by the media at that time, Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson was

unable to give an update. He was clueless, as was his government. The deep-water harbour was just an illusion, just as the many campaign promises. With just over a year in office, the PPP/C Government has delivered not only on the deep-water harbour, but also on the bridge to Suriname. On Friday, the President was again in Berbice and this time, he cut the ribbon to the access bridge at Seawell, which is the first step in the building of the deep-water port to be built by CGX Energy Inc. This massive investment will create business and employment opportunities for Region 6. A few days ago, Minister Mustapha hinted at this development in addition to the building of the all-weather roads at 52 and 58 villages and the opening of over 50,000 acres of new land. He also spoke about the road to Brazil linking the deep-water harbour. This will create access across the borders of Guyana, Brazil, Suriname and the rest of the world via the Atlantic. The increase in trade will definitely push the Region and Guyana into being an important partner in international trade bringing a multitude of socio-economic benefits. This Government has placed emphasis on the development of all the sectors and it is just a matter of time that our economic development will grow by leaps and bounds. Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

in Aubrey Norton. Some leaders are born great; some achieve greatness, while others have greatness thrust upon them. None of these are likely to emerge from Norton, who seems to feel that he could upturn the democratic balance by force. It would be recalled that he attempted to defend the exaggerated attempts to steal the March 2020 elections by his party. Norton is therefore not qualified to accuse anyone of thievery. Contrary to the PNC, PPP leaders were elected and won the votes of the genuine leadership and confidence of the party. After the founder-leaders had made way for new leadership, the PPP leadership carefully selected Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, a brilliant young leader, to the helm of government. His tremendous and qualitative qualities inspired and motivated the party to elect him General-Secretary of the PPP. Further, after thorough discussions in the party, Dr Irfaan Ali was nominated and elected the presidential candidate from among a cadre of PPP men and women of substance, themed with heavy leadership potential. Of note, winning a place in the PPP Executive and Central Committee is not easy, but will always continue to be all-inclusive, democratic, and as mature people, they will lead Guyana and make our country a paradise. Comparatively, therefore, the PPP’s fairness of process although highly competitive will never run out of solid leadership options. The abominable and atrocious behaviour in the Parliament last Wednesday night must be carefully monitored. The few who threatened to organise the massive protest proved the general lack of support through its massive failure. I am indeed heartened to have received several calls from prominent citizens who are extremely happy that the two ‘bills” were successfully passed.

The new leadership of the Aubrey Norton-led PNC/R must have recognised the reality and appreciate that we are living in better times, to resort to this kind of attention-seeking, irrational actions. His immediate challenge to the chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh and the Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud, further exposes his unchanged, unqualified and unfounded contempt for the PPP. His challenge and demand to be Leader of the Opposition are certainly baseless and internally divisive. Further, the baseless criticisms of the government, particularly the PPP leadership, have only exposed his infantile mentality. The show that went on in Parliament did not have the support of the majority of members on the opposition benches. More than half the members were sitting in their seats while others went away. Those who are insecure put on the show to show that they are protesters. The real story behind the Wednesday protest is the total failure of the opposition to put on the massive protest that they were hoping to organise. The year 2021 was indeed a better year for all Guyanese. Consequently, the ‘jumbies’ and haters must all wake up and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Burnham died trying to have talks with the PPP; Hoyte died with the credit that he allowed free and fair elections in 1992; Granger, after all, had to concede defeat at the polls after allowing party hacks to have their way in trying to steal the true results. Guyanese must unite and let us recognise the reality that the PPP/C is more transparent, inclusive, and certainly offering good leadership. Yours sincerely, N. Kumar

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Amerindian Development…

FOCUS ON GUYANA’ S FIRST PEOPLE Specialist doctors Upper Mazaruni villages get deployed to new boat engines Mabaruma ‘smart hospital’ T S everal specialist doctors are being deployed to the Mabaruma hospital in Region One, this month, to provide services at the institution, which was recently upgraded to a ‘smart hospital’. The ‘smart hospital’ initiative links structural and operational safety and disaster resilience, while maintaining a ‘green’ status in operations. The $835 million (US$4.175 million) project is a collaborative effort between the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID). Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who was addressing Hosororo residents at recently, explained

that since taking office in August 2020, the government has been investing heavily in the health sector to ensure world-class healthcare services is provided in Guyana. He noted that the upgrade is one of the many initiatives set to boost the delivery of healthcare services in the region. “We have right now a team of doctors that are lined up to be posted here in Mabaruma to strengthen the healthcare providers, so that we will see several specialised services being offered. At the end of the day, what we want to achieve, is that we must have fewer persons travelling to Georgetown, fewer persons being medevacked and moreso, fewer persons leaving the

region to receive healthcare,” the minister added. Estimated to cost approximately $16.7 million (US$800,000), the hospital will feature a new Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, a renovated recovery room, a state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a refurbished kitchen, a sterilisation room, as well as two surgical theatres. X-ray, gynaecology, ophthalmology and other healthcare services will be offered at the health institution. In addition, the regional administration intends to intensify its medical outreaches in the riverine and surrounding communities to assist those unable to travel to the township for medical assistance.

Isseneru gets support for agriculture production I

sseneru is the latest village to benefit from a tractor under the Government’s initiative to equip Amerindian villages with the machinery to expand agriculture. Toshao of Isseneru, Dhaness Larson said the tractor which is equipped with a trailer, will provide great relief to farmers in the village. “I would like to thank the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government as a whole for bringing a tractor into our village and it will be very useful for us in doing many

things in our village to assist us in doing our community work. It was very difficult for us that is why we requested a tractor.” Parliamentary Secretary Brown noted that the tractor is part of the fleet of 112 that the government purchased to satisfy the economic needs of Amerindian communities. “While the tractor is basically for agriculture purposes it isn’t limited to that. Depending on the needs of the village, if there are things like lumbering,

transportation it can help and whatever the village council sees fit for the tractor be used for,” Brown added. She stated that government sees it necessary, to continue supporting Amerindian and hinterland communities due to the challenges they face, unlike the residents on the coast. Brown affirmed that the PPP/C government will continue its plan of developing such areas, as they continue to pursue their mantra of ‘One Guyana.’

he journey for many children in the Upper Mazaruni area will become easier now that boat engines have been given to seven villages there. The engines, which were handed over by Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, are for Kamarang, Waramadong, Jawalla, Kambaru, Omanaik, Chinoweing and Kako. Minister Sukhai made the presentation in Kamarang recently, before they were sent to the various villages. Toshao of Kamarang, Lemmel Thomas noted that the 40-horsepower engine is much welcomed, as the recent unprecedented flooding exposed the vulnerabilities of villages in the Upper Mazaruni area. He said, “We are a riverine community, and so transportation is needed for movement of farmers, school children, miners and so on. So, we would have requested for such an equipment because of the

population growth and the rise of farming, schooling and so forth. We really thank (the) minister for this intervention at this time. During the floods, we were short of outboard engines, were had to visit every corner of the community and that time we were really in need of transportation.” Additionally, Minister Sukhai also brought with her other equipment to aid the villages’ economy and aesthetics. “The villages that will be receiving two sewing machines are Quebanang, Ammokokopai, Arrau, Phillipai, and Chinoweing. We have delivered two chainsaws today to Kaikan, Arrau and Waramadong will be receiving two later in the day. Kako has received two brush cutters,” she said. A radio set has already been given to Wayaleng, while Quebanang also received a solar set to harvest electricity. This is just part of the ini-

tiatives of the Government, to fast-track the development in Amerindian villages. Already, the Community Support Officers, CSOs, that were fired in 2015 were reinstated by this government. Hundreds of Amerindian youths have been trained in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The government, through the Amerindian affairs ministry has also trained and certified many Amerindians as tractor drivers. Additionally, government has acquired 112 tractors and trailers and has begun the mass distribution to Amerindian communities. Amerindians also benefitted from the $25, 000 COVID-19 cash grant and were the only group of people to receive community grants to pursue economic ventures, to cushion the effects of the pandemic. They were also included in the $19,000 school uniform cash and agriculture grants.

$434M more for Amerindian Development ahead of new Budget T he PPP/C Government is further executing its manifesto promise of bringing significant development to Amerindian communities, by allocating hundreds of millions of dollars in supplementary funds to advance their economic projects. The National Assembly had approved the sum of $434,000,000, which will allow numerous Amerindian communities to commence a project to better the lives of residents. The money formed part of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill No.2. Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, said almost $200 million will be directed to projects in hinterland and coastal Amerindian communities. “It ranges from wood mizers to develop the use of wood products within communities, poultry farming, organic agriculture, cassava processing, extension of cattle rearing in some communities, expansion of village ranch, more than one of those, the establishment of

guesthouses, we have more than one of those in different regions, St. Cuthbert’s Mission, the completion of the Eco Lodge Cabin to name a few.” Of the amount approved, a huge portion is going towards the completion of the tractor initiative, that will ensure the economies of Amerindian villages expand. Minister Sukhai underscored that the mantra of the government is to accelerate the development of Amerindian communities, eliminating the gap between the hinterland and the coast. “Our government procured 112 tractors to support agricultural development in the hinterland and also to provide a means of transportation for road building, forestry, etc. And so, the supplemental is intended to procure an additional 71 tractors, 71 trailers 71 chippers, and for the purpose of the house, Mr. Speaker, $205,900,000 will go towards a 50% payment for the cost of tractors and trailers and a sum of

$35,429,000 will go towards 50% payments for 71 implements, which includes chippers and ploughs.” As government pursues the development of Amerindians, the minister has already expended its budgeted $1.5 billion for Amerindian development. So far, since entering office, government has reinstated the 2,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) that were fired by the previous administration, immediately injecting millions, into villages by creating employment. Some eight villages will also be receiving their land titles and extension of their land boundaries before the year ends. Additionally, hundreds of Amerindians have already been trained to use computers, while others have been certified as tractor operators and solar panels installation and repairs technicians. These are just some of the numerous measures Government implemented to support Amerindians.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

In Focus : Adv ances in t he Agr icult ur e Sect or GOV’T COMMITTED TO INVESTMENTS IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

O v e r $ 8 B s p e n t t o e x e c u t e c r it ic a l D & I w o r k s in 2 0 2 1 ‒ approximately $1.5B spent on emergency flood-relief efforts

t the end of 2021, an estimated $28.7 billion was expended by the various agencies under the umbrella of the Agriculture Ministry, further setting the path for continued development for a number of transformative projects within the sector. Apart from the budgeted $22.6 billion, approximately $6.1 billion worth of supplementary funds were sought and approved to cover additional expenses, which include the execution of emergency works in flooded areas following the extended May-June rainy period. The government was able to make a considerable amount of headway with restoring Guyana’s agriculture sector after a five-year hiatus of much-needed investment in the development and maintenance of new and existing drainage and irrigation structures which, in turn, crippled this very critical sector. A mere two months after the passage of the national budget, torrential rains across the country forced the drainage authority to implement a series of emergency interventions seeking to bring relief to some 115 communities that suffered from what was considered the worst flood in Guyana in recent history. Approximately $1.5 billion was spent to carry out emergency drainage works which included clearing and desilting clogged waterways, the operation of both mobile and fixed drainage pumps to drain flooded farming and residential areas, as well as rehabilitating and reinforcing embankment structures in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Ten. Despite the challenges faced by the floods, NDIA was able to stay on course with its 2021 work programme. In addition to the near $8.4 billion that was expended to execute drainage and irrigation work across the country, just over $4 billion was also spent to cover capital expenditure which included the procurement of heavy-duty

machinery as well as the construction of drainage and irrigation structures. A total of 2487 contracts were also signed in 2021 which included a $497,464,600 contract that was signed for the supply of a Cutter Head Dredge. Farmers in the Pomeroon were also able to benefit from a block drainage programme which will continue in 2022. So far, approximately 200 farmers benefited from the programme in 2021. In keeping with the government’s goal to double agriculture production, thus reducing its food import bill, NDIA’s work programme also focused on carrying out drainage works in communities that had a clear interest in farming. Some of these communities are historically known for their agricultural outputs but saw a decline in production due to the lack of proper drainage and irrigation systems under the APNU/AFC government. Because of this, the drainage authority was able to successfully carry out critical D&I works to drainage structures in Nabacalis, Friendship, Victoria, Cove and John, Hogg Island, Wakenaam, Leguan, Zeelugt, Meten-Meer-Zorg, Buxton, Canal Polders, Black Bush Polders, among others after years of neglect. Through collaborations with new and existing Community Development Councils (CDCs) Water Users’ Associations, NDIA also imple me nte d r outin e drainage maintenance programmes whereby community stakeholders and beneficiaries were contracted to maintain the waterways in their communities.

H u n d r e d s o f m illio n s s p e n t o n f a r m -t o -m a r k e t r o a d s

n 2021, the government also commenced work on the development of several farm-to-market roads in an effort to make more lands available to farmers. The ongoing construction of two major roads at Numbers 52 and 58 villages Corentyne, Berbice, as well as a $327 million asphaltic concrete road at Onverwagt in Region Five will give farmers access to approximately thousands of acres of prime farmlands for the cultivation of rice and cash crops as well as the cultivation of livestock. Subject Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said the roads were among several projects streamlined for implementation at strategic farming villages across Guyana. “These are very significant and transformative projects. You will see thousands of acres of new lands being made available with

the construction of these all-weather roads which will satisfy the needs of thousands of farmers there,” the minister noted. The farm-to-market roadway at Number 52 Village will span approximately two kilometers long and will be completed at a cost of $240 million while the Number 58 Village road will cost just about $640 million to construct. The Ministry is also advancing its plan to expand the sector over the next four years, which would see the construction of several farm-to-market roads across the regions. This includes a projected $175 million road on the right bank of the Mahaicony Creek in Region Five, an estimated $150 million road on the left bank of the Mahaica Creek in Region Four, and an estimated $100 million road at Salem, Region Three.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

P P P /C D E L I V E R I N G O N ‘ P L A N F O R P R O S P E R I T Y ’

Port Mourant Training Centre to be turned into National Oil and Gas Institute – Ali says national plan is to build sustainable communities across the country

he Port Mourant Training Centre would be transformed into the country’s National Oil and Gas Institute, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. The Head of State made the announcement while delivering remarks after a recent site visit to the Berbice Deep Water Port, which is being constructed by Canadian company CGX Energy Inc, through its subsidiary Grand Canal Industrial Estates Inc (GCIE). He reminisced on the quality of the craftsmen that the centre has produced throughout the years, many of whom excelled outside of Guyana. With its drive for excellence, he indicated that it would be the perfect location to have the transformation area of study. The government’s plan to invest heavily in the edu-

cation sector was repeated by the President, who said that the platform and infrastructure will be created to ensure that teachers and nurses can pursue their post-graduate studies remotely in the region via distance and online education. He said, “Young teachers, you can become a trained teacher from right here in Berbice. That is the investment platform we are building.” SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES President Ali said that high on the agenda of his Government is to transparently design Guyana’s future so that it will deliver prosperity for the next generation while ensuring that the framework is created so that the current generation can enjoy the benefits of Guyana’s economic potential and

continuous growth. He said, “The objective of the plan for this region and a national strategy is to build sustainable communities.” He pointed out that sustainable communities are built on many different attributes, including sustainable jobs, social services that are second to none, education, health, infrastructure, water, electricity, economic empowerment and opportunities. Adding to that, there is also a need to reduce the disparity between the rich and the ‘not so rich’ and between genders. These fundamental elements of sustainable development will be added to the national and regional plans to ensure an across-the-board implementation. He said, “If we have a deep-water harbour in Region Six that

is linked to Suriname and linked to other opportunities, the infrastructure must be in place to take care of this. You must have wider roads; you must have better highways, and most people do not understand that Region Six has the important catalytic push to bring what we call trans-border development.” He said that very soon, the project to expand the highway closer to international standards will be launched and will represent an investment of more than US$100m. Ali said, “Whilst we’re doing all of this, we’re expanding community roads, infrastructure. We’re investing heavily in drainage and irrigation services, and importantly, we are finalising arrangements for a new state-of-the-art hospital for first-world service here in Region Six because the focus

is on healthcare.” The President also said that in January, there would be a summit between Guyana, Brazil, Suriname and France—who has requested to join—to discuss the creation of an energy hub. He said, “We’re discussing a joint gas strategy between Guyana and Suriname, and the gas is not only linked to the production of power or energy. For those of you who don’t know, in Region Six lies one of the largest A-grade bauxite deposits for Guyana. With cheaper power, cheaper energy and the combination of the bauxite on our side and the other side of the river, it makes the economic viability of a smelter possible—and not only possible— financially viable. A smelter that leads to an aluminium plant leads to constant work and a jus-

tification for a deep-water port that will be of the size and magnitude we can’t even imagine.” President Ali also reminded of Government’s investment in the ICT, housing and agriculture sectors in the region. He said, “So aquaculture, swamp shrimp, agro-processing—we’re not only talking the talk. In Black Bush, we have supported the building of an agro-processing facility by Umami. They are now going to take the excess production from Black Bush and package it…for the CARICOM market, for the European market, for the Canadian market, for the US and for the first time, that company now has a shop front on Amazon, and that’s shopfront carries 100% Guyanese products.” President Ali said that those initiatives are just the “appetiser on the menu of opportunities that will come your way.”

Critical interventions Construction of 63 aquaculture ponds completed to date ‒ as gov’t moves ahead with expanding brackish water shrimp production being undertaken G to support housing drive – Min Croal

he PPP/C government is working on a number of critical programmes to support the massive housing drive in Guyana, according to subject Minister, Colin Croal. Among those interventions are strengthening access to water, expanding the road network, improving housing conditions and promoting employment through community-based projects countrywide. The Minister said of the 100 low-income houses being constructed in Prospect, East Bank Demerara, 50 of these are already in progress. Meanwhile, in Little Diamond and Great Diamond, 522 similar houses are in various stages of preparation. “Mobilisation of 140 houses for young professionals has begun in Prospect, 200 in Providence, of which 100 are in progress; and 500 in Little

and Great Diamonds are expected to begin the in the first quarter of 2022,” he said. He added, “Tenders are out for similar infrastructural works in Plantation Golden Grove, Little and Great Diamond areas which will form part of the 2022 budgetary programme. In this regard, close to $28 billion is expected to be spent by government to develop the housing areas on the East Bank of Demerara inclusive of the new fourlane concrete highway from Eccles to Great Diamond.” The minister stated that these projects are just a few in which the government has undertaken to enhance the lives of Guyanese all across the country. The government’s commitment to fulfilling its manifesto promises and providing a better life for all Guyanese was reiterated by the government official.

uyana’s aquaculture industry will, in the coming years, see a major boost as the government works towards transforming this very critical part of the agriculture sector. These transformative efforts have already begun as the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, recently embarked on a project aimed at doubling the production of brackish water shrimp from 250,000 kilograms to 500,000 kilograms by 2025. The Fisheries Department, with assistance from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has commenced the construction of 74 ponds for the rearing of brackish water shrimp.

While giving an update on the project, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that approximately 85% of the ponds identified for phase one of the project have been completed. “To date, we’ve been able to complete construction of 63 ponds as part of phase one. The other 11 ponds are about 85% complete. For phase one we are constructing 74. Persons have since engaged us and we are looking at assisting them with ponds to increase their production as part of the second phase of the project. We are doing the earthworks and installation of tubes to assist with providing sufficient water supply to the ponds. Currently, there are three ma-

chines working at different locations to complete these works as soon as possible,” the minister said. Earlier in the year, while discussing Guyana’s aquaculture potential, Minister Mustapha highlighted that Guyana has all the resources necessary to develop a thriving aquaculture sector. “Aquaculture in Guyana shows strong potential since the country has relatively large acres of flat lands with suitable soil types and access to large quantities and good quality freshwater (water conservancies)… more so, there are existing drainage and irrigation infrastructure in some areas, sub-tropical temperatures for shrimp and fish production and good

availability of agricultural, more specifically fisheries by-products for the formulation and manufacturing of aquafeed,” Minister Mustapha said. The government, through its updated inland and aquaculture strategy, 2021-2026, has outlined its plans to address the challenges plaguing the aquaculture industry while creating an enabling and sustainable environment for investments. Plans to develop a project for aquaculture zoning both on land and in water also form part of the government’s vision for the sector. The zoning of lands for aquaculture would allow investors to easily identify and access land.

Construction of Core Homes at West Bank Demerara moving apace

he construction of some twenty-five (25) Core Homes under the Adequate Housing & Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP) is advancing on the West Bank of Demerara, Region Three. The homes are currently being built in the communities of Lust-en-Rust, Onderneeming, La Parfaite Harmonie, Recht-Door-Zee and Westminister.

Works commenced on all twenty five (25) of the homes, with twenty one (21) houses between 50-100 per cent completed. The core homes are no less than 400 square feet single-family homes with concrete blocks for the outer walls and floors, basic doors, windows, electrical wiring, water connections etc. Further, the homes are designed to meet basic

standards that a family can move into and affordably expand over time. All beneficiaries are persons who possess ownership of the land and are required to pay an equity share contribution of $100,000. By February 2022 all works are expected to be completed. The construction of these homes follow the inking of $65,138,832 in contracts last

August between the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) and two contractors. The project, which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), aims to assist vulnerable Guyanese, living in poor structures considered to be uninhabitable. Some $98,920,225 in contracts were also awarded under (Turn to page 11)

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

P P P /C D E L I V E R I N G O N ‘ P L A N F O R P R O S P E R I T Y ’

Over 750 informal settlers regularised, 59 relocated in 2021 T

he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) regularised over 750 informal settlers residing in Regions Four and Five last year while 59 persons squatting on government reserves were relocated. This was revealed by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who further said, “This is an ongoing exercise. There are a number of variables that we have to look at. First of all, we have to decide on what is going to be the usage of the area and after that we make the determination on whether to relocate or regularize.” The Minister emphasised that the PPP/C government has embarked on a national housing plan that caters for

the housing needs of all Guyanese and therefore, there is absolutely no need for persons to engage in illegal land occupation. “There is no benefit from that because you will not be able to benefit from basic utilities in a formal way and no infrastructure works will be done and there is also the issue of hygiene,” the minister noted. Last year, the housing ministry launched the Guyana Strategy for Informal Settlements Upgrading and Prevention, a programme which seeks to address and ultimately, eliminate squatting across the country. The programme is being executed in partnership with the UN-Habitat, the European Union (EU) and the Afri-

can, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). Minister Croal explained that the programme will result in squatting being dealt with in a more structured way, taking into consideration the increased number of squatter settlements across the country given the influx of migrants into the country. According to statistics compiled by the CH&PA last year, 15 per cent of the Guyanese population, the equivalent of just over 110,000 people, are living in informal settlement communities, while another 27,500 households are known to be residing on state lands in 231 informal settlement communities.

Creation of Local Content Registers to start soon – Minister Bharrat

he People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has already signalled its intention to commence the creation of the Local Content Registers. This follows the passage of the game-changing Local Content Bill 2021 in the National Assembly. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, explained that these two registers, as detailed in the Bill, will deal specifically with the procurement of goods, and secondly, the provision of skills and employment. He noted, however, that the commencement of this register is dependent on whether President Mohamed Irfaan Ali assents to the document. He said, “The [Act] will require Guyanese to register with the Local Content Secretariat at the Ministry of Natural Resources,” Minister Bharrat noted. “Even with the passage of the Bill, this does not mean the end. We promised that we will have continuous consultation.”

Construction of Core Homes at West Bank... the second component of AHUAP – Home Improvement Subsidies. A Home Improvement Subsidy is a $500,000 grant in the form of building materials for repairs to walls, floors, elec-

trical works and sanitation improvements, among others. The agency has since reopened applications for both AHUAP components until February 7, 2022. The initiative encompasses

Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust en Rust, and Parfaite Harmonie Phase II on the West Bank of Demerara in Region Three. Meanwhile, in Region Four the boundary spans from

Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank of Demerara; from Georgetown to La Bonne Intention (LBI) on the East Coast of Demerara and 19 other select communities from LBI to Hope. Applica-

Such continuous consultation will pave the way for the government to expand the list of services that are outlined in the first schedule of the Local Content Act. For instance, the oil and gas companies operating in Guyana, as well their contractors and sub-contractors must procure from Guyanese companies by the end of 2022, 90% of office space rental and accommodation services; 90% janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95% pest control services; 100% local insurance services; 75% local supply of food; and 90% local accounting services. These are just some of the 40 different services outlined in the first schedule. “It is not limited to those 40 services. We realised that these are the 40 areas in which we have the capacity to offset the demands,” Minister Bharrat said. In another year or so, the Natural Resources Minister stated that the government may develop the list to 10 or

even 50 new services. This number will be informed by the human resource capacity, he noted. He went on to point out that this increased figure is directly linked to the importance of continuous consultation. Bharrat said, “A true assessment of our capabilities will have to be done overtime, and the implementation of this Act will aid in this… We need a strong Local Content Bill in place to ensure that benefits trickle down to every single Guyanese, regardless of if you are a farmer, regardless if you are a welder, mechanic, the catering business or the waste disposal business – everyone should benefit from the oil and gas sector and the opportunities that arise from this sector.” Notably, the passed Bill contains 10 amendments that were proposed by the main Opposition, the APNU+AFC. [SEE RELATED REPORTING ON PAGE 14]

(From page 10) tion forms can be accessed free of cost at CH&PA offices, and all local authorities within the project boundary or online at chpa.gov.gy. In addition to the Core Homes on the West Bank of Demerara, $867 million in infrastructure upgrades are also advancing, to improve the lives of residents, especially those who fall within the low-income bracket. These works include the upgrading of 9.14 kilometers of roads,

construction of 49 reinforced concrete culverts, cleaning of 34.5 kilometers of earthen drains, construction of 2 meters of reinforced concrete drains and 0.5 meters in concrete sidewalks. This is also an IDB funded project. Six plantations under the La Parfaite Harmonie cluster are slated to benefit, namely: Schoonord, La Parfaite Harmonie, Westminister, Onderneeming, Rect-DoorZee and Lust-en-Rust.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Trial date for electoral fraud ac

he case against the seven person charged for electoral fraud will be called again in March 25, 2022, at which time a trial date will be set. The seven facing court are: 1. Sacked Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; 2. Chairperson for the People’s National Congress, Volda Lawrence; 3. APNU+AFC activist, Carol Smith-Jo-

seph; 4. GECOM Registration Clerk, Shefern February; 5. GECOM Registration Clerk, Michelle Miller; 6. GECOM Registration Clerk, Denise Babb– Cummings; and 7. GECOM Information Technology Officer, Enrique Livan. Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels, and Konyo Sandiford are

representing Mingo, Joseph, and Lawrence; while Senior Counsel John Jeremie, and Attorneys-at-Law Eusi Anderson and Latoya Roberts are appearing for the other four defendants. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan is presiding over the matter. Mingo, Lawrence and Joseph are facing several electoral fraud charges. The signatures of Lawrence and Joseph were on manipulated declarations for Re-

gion 4– issued on March 5, 2020 and March 13, 2020 – that were prepared by Mingo. In both cases, the manipulated declarations increased votes for the APNU+AFC and decreased the votes for the PPP/C. By the end of the recount for Region 4, the declarations were exposed as having been manipulated. Mingo and Lawrence are facing a joint charge, which alleges that on March 5, 2020, in Georgetown, with intent to

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

ccused to be set on March 25th defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four for the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, knowing said report to be forged. Mingo and Joseph are facing a charge alleges that on March 13, 2020, they uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, while

knowing that the report was forged. Joseph faces two individual charges, which state that on March 13, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with Mingo and others to declare a fraudulent count of votes for District Four for both the general and regional elections. Lawrence, Mingo, and Joseph have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trio is represented by Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes. Having appeared in court the trio

was granted bail. Mingo was placed on $60,000 bail for the two charges he faced. Lawrence was placed on $30,000 bail for the joint charge. Joseph was placed on a total of $90,000 bail for the three charges she faces. In April 2021, the Chief Magistrate that Lawrence, Mingo and Joseph will be tried summarily in the Magistrate’s Court for the election fraud charges currently pending against them.

Already several boxes containing certified copies of Statements of Polls (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) from the March 2020 elections have been handed over to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The documents will be used as evidence against those before the court. The SOPs and SORS were accompanied by statements and video evidence, which included copies of video-recorded interviews the accused had with the Police.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

PPP/C committed to ensuring quality healthcare delivery, despite challenges T

he rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and infection of healthcare workers will not affect the delivery of healthcare services, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday (January 5, 2022). President Ali said Guyana is not alone in this fight as the new variant Omicron which is suspected to be here, is affecting countries worldwide. Between Tuesday (January 4, 2022 - 485), Wednesday (January 5, 2022 – 779 cases) and Thursday (January 6, 2022 – 967 cases), Guyana recorded a whopping 2,231 new cases of the virus, representing the largest number of infections the country has ever recorded. Nevertheless, President Ali is calling on Guyanese not to panic, noting that Government has taken a proactive approach to deal with the matter. “I want the population to understand, that what we are faced with is what the entire global community is faced with… all the focus is on managing the healthcare system, ensuring that our facilities are there, ensuring our health personnel are protected to the extent that the health

care system remains functional,” the President said. With about 200 healthcare workers affected with the virus, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has since accounted for 70 per cent of the doctors and 50 per cent of the nurses. The Obstetrics and the Paediatrics Departments are both affected but President Ali is assuring Guyanese that this will not hinder the delivery of service. The president said most countries are moving in the direction of service delivery from the public healthcare system. They are going to a situation like what prevailed from the inception of COVID where there were cancellation of surgeries and the focus was only on emergencies, however, “We are not heading into that direction because we believe that the system can manage and operate even with the challenge that we have now,” President Ali said. The Head of State said Guyana has received much praise from the international community on the way it has dealt with the virus from the inception. This is despite sharing borders with

countries that are severely affected with COVID-19. He highlighted that many organisations are touting Guyana to be a model on how to manage COVID-19. “Do the research on what is happening in those jurisdictions and where we are located, and then do the analysis on how we have managed. I think all of us as Guyanese should be very proud of the work our frontline workers, the healthcare system, the government and private sector and civil society working together with the national taskforce and the work we have done as a country to manage this to the point where we are today,” the President said. The President further added, “That is why we are having this press conference so there is no panic in the system and people understand clearly what we are addressing and the proactive way in which we are addressing that.” Ali reminded the nation that the only way to beat COVID-19 is by way of vaccinations and following the protocols which includes sanitisation, wearing a mask correctly and social distancing.

Local Content Bill ensures Guyanese win – President Ali

resident Dr. Irfaan Ali, has assented to the historic Local Content Bill which was passed in the National Assembly on December 29, 2021. This makes the Bill officially law. The signing of the Bill was witnessed by several Ministers of Government, other government officials, members of civil society and the private sector. President Ali said the historic Bill is one that will ensure Guyanese reap the benefits of the oil and gas sector. “This local content Bill gives us the opportunity to win. It sets the framework for Guyanese to win and that is what we are interested in. We are interested in Guyanese winning and we know …when the people of Guyana win, the world wins, this region wins,” Dr. Ali stated. The Local Content Bill prioritises Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies

in the procurement of goods and services. It lays out 40 services that oil companies and their sub-contractors must procure from Guyanese companies and Guyanese nationals by the end of 2022. President Ali said the Bill is not set in stone but it is the start of a dynamic journey for Guyana. He said the is in its infancy stage in the oil and gas sector, noting that the development of the sector will bring changes to the country’s economy. He said, “The Bill itself is a Bill that would be alive, a Bill (that) would be reviewed ever so often in the context of our own development in the oil and gas sector,” he said. Dr. Ali expressed his gratitude to all who played a part in crafting the Bill, especially the young people. The President is of the view that such cohesiveness

is what is needed to take the country forward. “It is unfortunate that we do not get to celebrate these accomplishments of such important magnitude that the people of this country are involved in, but as president of Guyana, I want to make it very clear that wherever bold decision is needed, I will lead from the front. We as a government, as the President I am not going to hide behind any curtain. We have to take this country forward, all of us as one people. We have to ensure that we dismantle barriers and build a cohesive vehicle that moves forward for the benefit of this country,” Ali underscored. The President also disclosed that government will soon be announcing a series of initiatives that will be put to the private sector to mobilise local financing and local involvement.

More emphasis on youth development in 2022

resident Irfaan Ali, on the eve of the new year outlined a plan to develop the young people of Guyana. The President’s aspiration for youths which has two components was disclosed as he delivered the New Year’s Address to the Nation. President Ali said he wants to create new educational and work opportunities for young professionals in the country. The intention, he said, is for young people to gain experience and to become educated and trained to be owners and managers of all sectors of the Guyanese society, especially the emerging oil and gas sector. “The ground must be ready now for young Guyanese to assume those positions regardless of their race, colour or creed. The Ministers of Government have already been advised to implement policies throughout their ministries and departments and in the award of scholarships and the building of training institutions to this effect,” he said. In the second component of the plan, President Ali said he will be holding meetings and engaging with individually organised groups of young people including youth arms of all political parties. The meetings, President Ali said will start as soon as they can be arranged. “I want to hear their views. I want to learn how they think. We should

shape the future of our ‘One Guyana’. I want to dialogue with them about the kind of country they wish to inherit and how they will advance it. The next generation must be better than this one. If not, our country will regress, not progress. When I look at my little son in all his innocence, I want the best for him. One that is free of racism, discrimination and violence. One that is firmly set on the path of harmonious relations and equity for all Guyanese. I know, that every parent wants the same thing for their children,” the Head of State further added. A BRIGHTER FUTURE TOGETHER President Ali also used to opportunity to call out the APNU/AFC for their attempt to stop the passage of the Natural Resource Fund Act in the National Assembly on Wednesday. The President described the actions of the opposition as not only a violent assault on democracy, but a blatant disrespect for the highest law-making institution of the country. Nevertheless, President Ali said he will not be distracted from the goal of building a “One Guyana” in which all Guyanese enjoy equality of opportunity and a pathway to prosperity. “I have said it before, and I say it again now – I do not want a rich Guyana of poor people. Yes, Guyana

must be rich so that never again should we be among the poorest in the world; never again should our poor have to be nomads, seeking survival in other parts of the world; never again must we be subjected to insults and contempt. I also say this, whenever old, outdated and outmoded expressions of racism and division raise their ugly heads, what renews my hope and strengthens my resolve is our young people who, like me, have different more productive attitudes, beliefs and openness about our way forward,” he said. Dr. Ali also called on all Guyanese who are not yet vaccinated to overcome their fears. He said evidence, both locally and overseas indicate that the vaccines save lives and give protection against new variants such as Omicron. Additionally, the President said COVID-19 has disrupted the supply chain causing an increase in cost of goods imported. With that, he said his government has started to implement measures to ease the burden. Nevertheless, the Head of State pledged that his government will lose no time in seeking ways to ease the strain on the people of Guyana. He said, in collaboration with the private sector, government will roll-out strategies early in the New Year to alleviate the problem.

Natural Resource Fund Bill ensures accountability

resident Dr. Irfaan Ali said that the Natural Resource Fund Bill (2021), passed in the National Assembly on December 29, 2021, is structured to hold the sitting Government accountable. The Head of State, in a special broadcast, broke down the bill from its necessary formation, to reveal its transparent nature and its ability to be scrutinised at all levels. “We are not running away, we are enhancing transparency by holding ourselves accountable, by holding the Minister of Finance accountable,” he said. He noted that the bill, which will fit in the national development framework and the macro-economic frame-

work of the country, will aid in the holistic transformation of Guyana and the lives of all Guyanese. Ali said, “I want to assure you that the Natural Resource Fund will be managed in the interest of every Guyanese and in the interest of all Guyana….We have outlined very clearly the type of expenditure: people-centred, people-oriented, to add disposable income to people’s pocket, to give them the best possible social services, to enhance their livelihood, to improve their lives, to change the image of Guyana and to transform our country.” NECESSARY AMENDMENTS The President said that

it was necessary to amend the 2019 version of the bill because it was unconstitutionally passed despite a successful no-confidence motion in December of 2018. Adding to its flaws were the lack of input and involvement of the opposition and the power it vested into a single individual. He said, “There was no governing body as required by the Santiago Principles (the cornerstone of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds)…not only did they not have a board, they vested all the power that would have been in a board, to one individual—the Minister of Finance.” President Ali said that the (Turn to page 21)

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

PARLIAMENT HAPPENINGS UNDER REVIEW

THE PPP/C’ S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, MORE Rules of the House regarding ‘terrorist-like’ Attempted theft of actions will be enforced – Speaker Speaker’s Mace was a ‘treacherous act’ – Teixeira S F ollowing sheer disorder at the hands of the APNU+AFC Opposition in the National Assembly on December 29, 2021, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira, has vehemently condemned the Opposition’s attempts to steal the Speaker’s Mace – labelling the attempt as a “treacherous act”. In an effort derail the debating and passing of the Natural Resources Fund Bill, the Opposition hijacked the sitting, while one of its MP, Annette Ferguson, attempted to seize this ceremonial symbol. Other Opposition MPs attempted to do the same too, in the presence of the entire National Assembly. Teixeira said, “We mustn’t take lightly what happened to the Mace. Many people think that it is ceremonial, and it is, but the Mace is the authority of the

legislature. Any attempt to remove it, is therefore an attempt to undermine, to overthrow the authority of the National Assembly…we are taking a quantum step forward (with new legislation), and at the same time we are recovering from, or responding to what has been, I think, one of the most tragic events in the parliament.” The long-standing Member of Parliament went on to label the actions of the Opposition on the night in question as “terrorist tactics”, and linked this to the destabilising of all connection in the assembly. Notably, House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, has previously noted that the Opposition MPs ambushed the control room of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) and wildly unplugged the connections in the electrical systems room. This led to an internet dis-

connection and audio failures. Members of Parliament who had joined processions virtually were even disconnected from the feed as a consequence of this. Commenting on this, Minister Teixeira indicated that the events that unfolded in the dome were “preplanned, organised, [and] orchestrated” prior to the sitting. She said, “We are ashamed that the parliamentary opposition would defile the sanctity of an institution and the highest lawmaking forum in Guyana. This level of restraint shows the level of leadership in the PPP/C, and the fact that we were not able to be provoked into what we knew was one of their objectives.” According to her, the ‘mace grabbers’ must be to be “seriously dealt with”. This can mean charges laid against them in or out of Parliament, she explained.

Parliamentary staffers surround the Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir M.P. following Opposition MP Anette Ferguson’s attempt to steal the Speaker’s Mace

peaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, condemned the disruptive actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) intended to chaotically derail the passage of the amendments to the Natural Resources Fund Act of 2019. The Speaker related that the “terrorist” like moves by the Opposition infamously resulted in one of their MPs removing the mace from the National Assembly during the debate. He said, “In every Parliament, an attack on the mace is an attack on the authority of Parliament and that attack on the mace cannot, cannot go unpunished… Those who attacked that mace will

face the consequences,” the Speaker passionately stated alongside Clerk of the National Assembly. I condemn the behaviour of the Members of Parliament yesterdaythe Opposition Members of Parliament. [It was] total disrespect for the institution and its people.” Speaker Nadir explained that only the Sergeant-atArms is authorised to handle the mace, as in countries with the Westminster parliamentary system and other congresses. While thanking one of the parliamentary staff for heroically lying on the floor outside the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre with the mace to avoid it from being stolen, the

Speaker reminded the nation that the actions of the Opposition MPs will not define the 12th Parliament. He said, “Our Parliament is a young one, but it has seen its trials, its tribulations throughout its short history. Emotions and tempers will flare, but we have, again, we have young, bright, next generationers who are watching all of this and I want to appeal to them, this incident in Parliament ought to strengthen your resolve that going forward, this country should not behave in such an uncivilised manner.” The Speaker further noted that while he has been lenient with statements from MPs in and out of the House, the rules will be enforced.

Coalition’s Maureen Philadelphia called out for ‘racial slurs’, verbal abuse

arliamentary staffer, Ean McPherson stated that it is about time that the world moves away from racial slurs and name calling, which were recorded This was said during an interview with McPherson after he issued a complaint to the Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC) about the treatment meted out to him on December 29, 2021 by the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Maureen Philadelphia and other Opposition members. “I know for a fact that there is no Commission in place and they will do some investigations, but that is why I did a hardcopy to ensure that it is there. What I want is for the world to know that it is time we move away from racial slurs and calling people names,” he said. All of this was derived because McPherson made significant efforts in securing

and protecting the Speaker’s mace after Opposition APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson attempted to steal it. McPherson explained that in his attempts to protect the mace, not only was he verbally abused by members of the Opposition, but he was also physically assaulted. “I held on to the mace and it was fling to the floor… and I overheard people screaming. “Kick he! Lash He! Drag He! Let’s Throw he over the rail. All I said, was throw me over the rails because I know when I’m going over the rail, I am going with the mace,” he said. Despite all of this, he noted that he secured the symbollic instrument between his legs and it was after this that he was physically assaulted. “They throw me on the ground, they kicked me, they dragged me outside

and then Ms. Philidelphia, Member of Parliament start to abuse me with a series of words like ‘House Salve’, but the one that caught me and I don’t know how I become a ‘House Negro’. So, I prepared a letter and I dropped it upstairs and I showed my concern about how I was treated,” he explained. In responding to the attention given to him by members of the public for his efforts, McPherson stated that he prefers not to be called a “Hero” as he was only doing his duty. “I don’t want to be called a hero; I am a patriotic Guyanese. I was basically doing my job as the Assistant to the Speaker,” he confirmed. The mace is the most significant symbol in the National Assembly and represents the authority of Parliament.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Finance Minis t r y s uppor t ed Guy ana’ s economic t r ans f or mat ion in 2021 T

he People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government steered the nation onto a path of economic transformation in 2021, with the help of a financial agenda championed by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. Here are some of the major initiatives and projects championed by Minister Singh and his ministry during 2021:

Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Ashni Singh M.P. present Budget 2021 in the National Assembly

The Ministry of Finance advanced adjustments to the ceilings for domestic and external debt to regularise several issues unearthed after the government assumed office in 2020, and to facilitate financing for Budget 2021. The domestic debt ceiling was increased to $500 billion, almost three decades after the last upward revision to $150 billion, in 1994. Additionally, the external borrowing ceiling was increased to $650 billion, three decades after its last increase to $400 billion. The Ministry of Finance advanced the $383.1 billion budget for the government’s 2021 development agenda in early 2021, and shepherded it through for consideration by the National Assembly. Through the year, he also secured approximately $50 billion in supplementary financing for critical interventions, including COVID-19 and flood relief initiatives for the vulnerable and worst affected Guyanese groups, thereby injecting fiscal stimuli into the economy. The Ministry facilitated increased mortgage financing for homeowners through signing of agreements with Bank of Baroda and the New Building Society (NBS).

In March, Bank of Baroda was designated a mortgage finance company, which allowed it to offer home loans to prospective borrowers, as well as provide another choice to those considering applying for a loan to construct homes. In the same month, Dr. Singh approved an increase in the NBS mortgage ceiling from $12 million to $15 million. The Ministry of Finance advanced a countrywide outreach initiative with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), resulting in the resolution of hundreds of backlogged cases. He also advocated for improvements in the efficiency of the Scheme’s processes. During its 52nd anniversary ceremony in September, the Minister said, “That quality of service [displayed during the outreach] must be provided at all times, starting now, and my instructions to the board and to the management are that they are to have a zero-tolerance attitude to discourtesy, disrespect, inefficiency.” The Ministry of Finance inked an agreement with Midas BPO for the creation of 250 business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs in Linden. This agreement is one success story, out of multiple meetings Dr. Singh has had with several BPO companies to help facilitate their expansion and create more jobs, including Qualfon, Emerge BPO, Express International and Teleperformance. The Ministry of Finance advanced announced an across-the-board increase of 7% in the wages and salaries of public servants, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services, Constitutional office holders, and government pensioners in November. This resulted in a payout of $10.5 billion in wages and salaries in December. In December, the Ministry of Finance advanced announced a two-week taxfree bonus for all health sector employees, in recognition of their hard work and patriotism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This provided $612 million in the hands of 9,200 health sector employees. The Ministry also announced the restoration of the joint services’ full month tax free bonus, as promised by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali when the PPP/C reassumed power. This returned $1.2 billion in the hands of the joint services, which was taken away from them by the APNU+AFC government. The Fiscal Management and Accountability Act was amended twice last year, with Bills tabled by Dr. Singh, in February and in December. The amendments articulated a transparent process for the submission, consideration and approval of budgets of constitutional agencies, while preserving their independence. In both cases, the amendments were necessary to address provisions placed into the principal Act by the APNU+AFC government during the previous term, which had unnecessarily complicated the consideration process. Dr. Singh tabled the Natural Resource Fund Bill 2021 in December. It was necessary to replace the Natural Resource Fund Act 2019, which was passed by the APNU+AFC government after it was defeated in the National Assembly by a motion of No Confidence. The new Act creates a robust, practical and transparent framework for the management of the wealth resulting from the development of Guyana’s petroleum resources. It establishes a governance framework in the form of a Board of Directors, and emphasises parliamentary oversight over the management and expenditures of Guyana’s oil revenues.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Educat ion s ect or s t ood s t r ong amids t pandemic in 2021 ‒ Ministry of Education – Sector Highlights 2021

espite being in office for just over one year, the PPP/C government has made significant efforts in ensuring that opportunities for development are available to all Guyanese. The Ministry of Education in particular, has taken a number of steps to ensure that the population remains educated even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), during its campaigning, prior to the 2020 Elections, promised to award 20,000 scholarships during its first-term in office. Now in government, and within the first nine months, that promise has been honoured, with the commencement of the first tranche of 4,500 scholarships, through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). Every year, thousands of persons will benefit until that promise of 20,000 scholarships is fully achieved. The year 2021 alone saw thousands of Guyanese pursuing studies at international universities. In addition, thousands of university courses were also made available to Guyanese through the Coursera programme. Over 55,000 citizens, including more than 8,000 teachers, benefited from a myriad of certifiable courses, from internationally recognised institutions. Despite assuming office during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education hit the ground running, ensuring that every child was meaningfully engaged, while being away from school. Worksheets for each grade were developed and distributed across the 10 administrative regions. To date, 58,890 worksheets for the Nursery level, 239,004 at the Primary level and 235, 864 at the Secondary level, were distributed. Teachers were also required to utilise online platforms to virtually engage students, while the government worked on making electronic devices accessible to those who needed it the most. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, M.P., in a press conference just months after taking office in 2020 highlighted some of the efforts made to keep the students actively engaged. “We have done several things, engagements online, dedicated the learning channel to timetabled learning instructions, we have been using the radio, we have done worksheets. All of those have been effective to some extent, none will be able to trump the value of a trained teacher in front of the classroom. We could not send our children and teachers back without hearing from them and making sure what they told us is what we did,” she said. The Ministry of Education implemented all steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Care packages, which includes masks, hand sanitisers, vitamins and face shields were distributed to students, teachers and support staff. With government’s aim to modernise and create a digital-friendly learning environment, a number of smart-classrooms were commissioned in various secondary schools. The ministry was also able to provide 1,053 technological inputs to students and teachers, first starting with the underprivileged. As a complement to the smart classrooms, the Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led government, allocated $200M for the expansion of the Guyana Learning Channel. This allocation benefitted students from Year One Kindergarten to Grade Eleven, in keeping with the government’s vision to utilise technology to boost education delivery. The Guyana Learning Channel also launched a Whiz Kid platform, a game show, which is geared at preparing students for the National Grade Six Assessment. This programme was expanded to reach over 100 Amerindian communities last year. Over $65M in ICT equipment was also given to TVET institutions for online learning. A key promise of the government was the restoration of the “Because We Care” cash grant to students. This initiative was reintroduced and improved. While the previous grant in 2014 was $10,000, the government increased it to $15,000 per Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand MP cuts the seal on the box to distribute the cash grants

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand MP engages prospective GOAL applicants

child. The uniform allowance was also increased from $2,000 to $4,000 per child. This means that every child registered in the public school system received $19,000 last year. The $3.2B invested by government, benefitted a whopping 175,000 students, nationwide. Not to be left out the government expended $320M more to provide at least 17,000 children attending private schools with the $19,000 cash grant. The government also invested huge sums to rehabilitate and construct new schools across the country, with the view of ensuring that students were comfortably accommodated when schools reopened. The completion of the Westminster Secondary School is just one of several schools constructed last year to house over 1000 students. This school, which has already opened its doors, will also eliminate all primary tops existing in Region Three. Minister Manickchand at the opening of the school said, “A primary top is where the student goes to a primary school and there’s no space in any secondary school in the region for them, so they continue on in primary and call themselves secondary students. That is not, as I’m sure you would agree, the proper or optimum way to be educating children. There are three primary tops closed here... that have been closed completely and those children are now coming to this school. A proper, discrete Secondary school with all the facilities and I guarantee you, you’re going to see them doing better,” she said. As government continues to make access to education easier for Guyanese, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) programme will now be done at Anna Regina Secondary School in Region Two and the West Demerara Secondary School, Region Three. The ministry made great efforts to have pre-service education provided online and mandated that all uncertified or underqualified teachers be upskilled, to the point of eligibility for certification. Adapting to the changes brought on by the pandemic, the Cyril Potter College of Education has gone fully online. This year, over 2500 students were accepted – a tremendous increase from the over 500 seen normally. The Ministry of Education and by extension, the Government of Guyana has accomplished much over the last year as they demonstrated their commitment, to ensuring Guyanese have access to educational opportunities at all levels. Shot of the newly built state of the art Westminster Secondary School

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

De s pi t e c hal l e nge s , nat ur al r e s o ur c e s s aw po s i t i v e gr o w t h i n 20 21 – More transformative projects in store for 2022

he shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded with the unprecedented nationwide flooding of May-July, proved to be major challenges for Guyana’s natural resources sector. But despite the tribulations and effects of these natural phenomena, the country’s natural resources sector – namely forestry, mining and oil and gas – still saw and obtained positive growth for 2021. FORESTRY When the PPP/C administration assumed government in 2020, it was discovered that the forestry sector was grossly mismanaged and on the verge of collapse. As a result, the government was forced to plug $350 million into the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to cover operational costs and wages for the remainder of 2020. At the time, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, M.P., had engaged with the commission and other stakeholders within the sector to examine strategies, which could enhance the financial performance and management capabilities of the entity. As a fruit of such labour, in 2021, the forestry sector was able to make a positive turnover and manage on its own. For starters, this sector was able to: • Get stakeholders, particularly small-scale loggers back into the business; • As a result of this and the construction boom, logging production was increased, with over 400,000 cubic feet declared; • GFC’s monthly revenue collection was increased from $70 million in 2019 to over $90 million; • Over 100 new concessions were issued to small loggers; • Monitoring capabilities were advanced with the procurement of more off-terrain vehicles to venture into the hinterland for exercises; • Over $3 billion was spent to rehabilitate and construct hinterland roads in Regions One, Two, Eight, Nine and Ten. In an interview with the Department of Public Information in late December, Minister Bharrat shared that there is space for increased log production, particularly amongst large concessionaires. Against this, he said that his ministry intends to hold more consultations with the larger companies in order for them to reach their targets. “Their production was very low when compared to the small loggers. This is an area we will address in 2022. We can’t have people holding up state land. There is so much room for increased production. That is not a question that stakeholders should be worried about,” the Minister said. MINING Like forestry, the mining sector was hit by the pandemic, but there were tax reliefs placed in the 2020 emergency budget such as the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on machinery, equipment, and hinterland travel. This provided much-needed stimulation as the government worked on the phased reopening of the economy and stayed true to the government’s manifesto promise to remove obstacles to the sector’s development. Due to these interventions, the minister shared that gold production increased and that the sector continues to remain very lucrative. He added too, that this positivity is a result of high gold prices. Some notable achievements of the mining sector in 2021 include: • Significant increase in small and medium-scale mining; • Over 600,000 ounces of gold produced; • The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) held a mining lottery which awarded over 200 mining blocks to small-scale miners; • As a result of the construction boom, sand and loam are in high demand, leading to a momentous increase in production; • Over 900,000 tonnes of aggregates were produced; • Diamond production increased from 19,000 karats to over 40,000 karats; • The government has increased the capabilities of GGMC to conduct certification of diamonds in line with international protocols; • GGMC commenced work on upgrading and adopting where applicable, ICT programmes in key divisions, such as the Land Management and Mines Divisions, to promote transparency and increase efficiency within its system; • The government also ensured active monitoring to ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols in mining areas in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. One road critical to the ease of travel in the hinterland region for both the forestry and mining sectors is the rehabilitation of the Kartabo-Puruni Road and the

construction of a bridge at the Puruni river crossing. The Puruni River is a tributary of the Mazaruni River. The Natural Resources Minister indicated that in 2022, the government will be focusing heavily on the completion of the Puruni Road and bridge. OIL AND GAS For Guyana’s oil and gas sector, 2021 proved to be a successful year. The staunch leadership of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has resulted in Guyana benefitting from billions of dollars in revenue, investment and massive, transformative opportunities for Guyanese businesses. Attaining such positive welfare for the country and its citizens was not an easy feat – especially when one recalls that when the (PPP/C) assumed the government, the oil and gas sector was bereft of mechanisms to ensure maximum benefits and prospects for Guyanese. This mismanagement was a consequence of the former APNU+AFC administration, despite the fact that that administration had five years to prepare for first oil. In stark contrast, the PPP/C government has committed to prudently, transparently and accountably managing Guyana’s oil and gas sector. It is making good on this promise. Massive legislative and technical reforms were implemented last year. Some specific achievements made under the Ali-led government in Guyana’s oil and gas sector in 2021 include: • T h e p a s s i n g of local content legislation. With this legal mechanism, businesses can secure $400M-$500M annually from local content revenues; • An amended Environmental Permit for ExxonMobil’s offshore operations; • The implementation of a flaring fee of US$30 per tonne CO2 emitted. The fee was later increased to US$45 per tonne; • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected GY$900 million in fees from Exxon for its natural gas flaring; • Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to enable enhanced oil and gas relations between Guyana and Ghana; • Amendments to the Petroleum Act to provide a framework for laying of the onshore pipeline for gas-to-shore, and or fibre optic cable; • The initiation of the procurement process for the creation of a beneficial ownership register. This will serve to prevent corruption in the industry; • The government has invited interested parties to invest in its US$900 million gas-to-energy project in the Wales Development Zone (WDZ); • Technical training scholarships are being offered through the government to equip Guyanese with oil and gas training. The year has barely begun, and already two new oil discoveries (Fangtooth-1 and Lau Lau-1) have been hit in the lucrative Stabroek Block. These bring total commercial finds to 26. “Government of Guyana remains confident that these two additional discoveries... will further strengthen Guyana’s position as a country with world-class discoveries of high-quality hydrocarbon. The Government will continue engaging all stakeholders towards the exponential development of these resources for all Guyanese while maintaining a social, economic, and environmental balance. In addition, the Government of Guyana is continually examining possibilities to strengthen oversight and management of the exploration programmes of all operators to further expand the sector through commercial discoveries,” Minister Bharrat outlined. In 2022, we will see the implementation of critical mechanisms like the local content legislation. In addition to this, Guyana and its citizens will see the start-up of production in the Liza Phase Two development offshore. This will raise Guyana’s daily production of oil to well over 300,000 barrels per day. The Liza Unity FPSO is on track to commence production in early 2022, while the Prosperity FPSO vessel for the Payara field is undergoing construction in Singapore for a planned production start-up date in 2024. In the third quarter of this year, the government will auction off oil blocks offshore Guyana. This is in keeping with the PPP/C government’s commitment to securing maximum benefits from the oil and gas sector for Guyana and its people.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Tour is m s ect or r ebounded in 2021 T

he Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, has been at the forefront of development in Guyana, as the third largest exporter earner in Guyana after oil and natural resources. For the year 2021, the ministry was allocated $2.74 billion in the national budget. Tourism Minister, Oneidge Walrond M.P. had said that sum would mostly aid the advancement of tourism in a Covid-19 environment and help businesses in the sector. SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT The Small Businesses Bureau (SBB) in 2021 conducted a series of outreaches, assisting small business owners with training, and importantly, small business grants of up to $500,000 and loans. Region Two was one of the areas that benefitted from the outreaches. While there, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the SBB, Vanessa Thompson spoke of the intention of the agency to make loans and services more easily accessible to citizens.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond M.P. poses with recipients of small business grants at Anna Regina, Region 2

and businesses in the region. Rupununi in Region Nine has the largest tourist circuit in the country and tourism is one of the main drivers of the economy there. President Ali said resources will also be provided to facilitate marketing and product development in the region, and aid in the development of more eco-lodges there. HOSPITALITY TRAINING In late October, President Irfaan Ali announced that through a bilateral agreement, Barbados agreed to train 6,000 Guyanese in hospitality. Minister Walrond in her remarks to mark the commencement of activities for Tourism Awareness month in November, noted that those trained will cater for the demand that will come from the hotels. Meanwhile, Minister Walrond told members of the media that the construction of the Hospitality Institute in Guyana, was being rescoped and will be bigger than initially intended to train more people. SUPPORT FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES DURING THE PANDEMIC It has been particularly tough for tourism businesses especially at the start of the pandemic. The eventual lockdown and travel restrictions that ensued caused the sector to be hard hit. The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been working with the National Covid-19 task force to give conditional approval for tour operators follow certain guidelines. To date, 15 tour operators, 7 tourism accommodation establishments (hotels, interior lodges/resorts) and 8 tourist guides were licenced by the GTA. Additionally, 56 tourism businesses were granted conditional approval for reopening.

Some Amerindian communities including Akiwini and Wakapoa also benefitted from the outreach as it gave them the opportunity to get registered with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) without the stress of travelling to the towns to do so. GUYANA NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS RECORDS SUCCESSFUL 2021 The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) opened new sub-offices in Regions Six, Seven and Eight, in an effort to decentralise services, and among other things, conduct verification of all measuring devices relative to trade, screen the 17 categories of products monitored by the GNBS and calibrate all high accuracy balances used in the gold industry. The GNBS in 2021 established its Oil and Gas Department. Newly employed inspectors were trained to take up roles to be fully involved in monitoring the verification of custody transfer meters on the first FPSO, offshore. FIRST-CLASS HOTELS Guyana has, over recent years, been attracting numerous visitors to its shores for various reasons and this has placed a strain on the local accommodation sector, hence President Irfaan Ali committed to providing at least 2000 first class hotel rooms within five years. The year 2021 saw the sod being officially turned for at least three hotels; Best Western, Hilton and Marriott Brands in various parts of the country. President Ali while speaking at the event noted Guyana’s development must be government supported, private sector driven, people centered and results oriented, and reiterated the government’s commitment to creating a conducive and enabling environment for investors. SUPPORT FOR TOURISM, BUSINESSES IN THE RUPUNUNI President Ali while meeting with Toshaos in Lethem, outlined plans to establish a tourism and business facilitation center in Region Nine, to help promote tourism

Indigenous dancers treat visitors to a traditional night after being given conditional approval to host guests

A total of 1,507 persons were trained for 2021 in the areas of Delivering Quality Service, First Aid & CPR, Culinary Arts, Green Events/Event Planning, Successful Taxi Driver and more importantly Hygiene & Sanitation protocols. CREATING MORE TOURIST EXPERIENCES The GTA has been working assiduously to ensure that businesses are supported and adapt to the changing environment in which they operate. As such, during Tourism Awareness Month, seven new experiential tourism products were launched: Warapoka, Santa Aratak, St. Cuthbert’s Mission, Bimichi Tours, Taste of Freedom, Fort Nassau Tours, and the Canje Sunset Tours. SEEK ING INVESTMENTS IN ECO-RESORTS The government in late 2021 also published a request for proposals for eco-lodges in various parts of Guyana. Minister Walrond said these will be sustainable ventures that will fill the gap in luxury rooms. INCREASE IN VISITOR ARRIVALS The reopening of the international borders resulted in a stark improvement in the visitor arrival statistics when compared to 2020. As of September 2021, the total visitor arrival figure stood at 106,428, reflecting a 23% overall increase when compared to 2020. This contributed a total expenditure of approximately GY$24B to the local economy (up to September 2021) based on the average expenditure per visitor per type at US$1,060.

H.E. President Irfaan Ali joins in turning the sod for a branded hotel in Georgetown

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION Destination Guyana received a number of international features, some of which include the following: – 9 Sustainable Experiences in Latin America for 2021 – Wanderlust Mag – Top 20 destinations to visit in 2021 – Condé Nast Traveler – Community-led and owned Tourism: How Guyana’s own brand of sustainable destination management is helping indigenous communities thrive – WTM Hub – FORBES’ Top 50 Best Places to Visit Post Pandemic – Forbes, among other notable features.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

32 bridges to be rehabilitated Two more oil finds in Stabroek Block from Kurupukari to Lethem ExxonMobil on Wednes- drocarbon-bearing sandstone Senior Vice President of day (January 5, 2022) reservoirs. The well was exploration and new vensaid it made two oil discov- drilled in 4,793 feet (1,461 tures at ExxonMobil, Mike

he Ministry of Public Works has begun inviting bids for the rehabilitation of 32 bridges from Kurupukari, Region 10 to Lethem, Region 9. The intention is to have the bridges built to international standard with an upgrade from wooden to concrete bridges. The Ministry’s Hinterland Engineer, Mr. Jeffrey Walcott said the upgrade forms part of a bigger picture that will link with the

upcoming construction of the Linden to Mabura road. The construction of the 121 kilometres asphaltic $38 billion road network is being supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Walcott further said that the rehabilitation of the bridges is to cater for large trucks that will be using the route when the road is completed. The project has six lots and will be conducted

through the National Competitive Bidding Procedure specified in the Procurement Act 2003. The areas where bridges will be rehabilitated include Iwokrama, Surama, Camudi, Massara Junction, Annai, Yakarinta, Gunip Landing, Point Ranch, Hunt Oil and Pirara. The Bids are expected to be opened in the presence of the bidders on February 1, 2022.

eries at Fangtooth-1 and Lau Lau-1 in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana. The Fangtooth-1 well encountered approximately 164 feet (50 meters) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. The well was drilled in 6,030 feet (1,838 meters) of water and is located approximately 11 miles (18 kilometers) northwest of the Liza field. The Lau Lau-1 well encountered approximately 315 feet (96 meters) of high-quality hy-

meters) of water and is located approximately 42 miles (68 kilometers) southeast of the Liza field. In a statement, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, said, “The Government of Guyana remains confident that these two additional discoveries, which add to the twenty-six commercially feasible finds, will further strengthen Guyana’s position as a country with world-class discoveries of high-quality hydrocarbon. Therefore, the Government will continue engaging all stakeholders towards the exponential development of these resources for all Guyanese while maintaining a social, economic, and environmental balance. In addition, the Government of Guyana is continually examining possibilities to strengthen oversight and management of the exploration programmes of all operators to further expand the sector through commercial discoveries. “The Government also welcome the announcement that the Liza Unity FPSO is on track to commence production in early 2022, while the Prosperity FPSO vessel for the Payara field is undergoing construction in Singapore for a planned production start-up date in 2024. The Liza Unity FPSO has a capacity of approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day, which will complement the Liza Density FPSO currently producing approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day, branding Guyana as an oil- producing economy to approximately 340,000 barrels of oil per day in 2022. “The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Government of Guyana welcome these two new discoveries offshore Guyana and remain even more committed to the sustainable exploration and development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources. In this regard, I would like to reassure all Guyanese and stakeholders that this will be undertaken in keeping with international best practices for compliance and transparency within the petroleum sector and to ensure benefits are derived for all Guyanese.” These discoveries will add to the previously announced recoverable resource estimate for the block, of 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

Cousins, in commenting on the find, said: “Initial results from the Fangtooth and Lau Lau wells are a positive sign for Guyana and continue to demonstrate the potential for the country’s growing oil and gas sector, ExxonMobil and our co-venturers in the Stabroek block. The Fangtooth discovery is a successful result of our strategy to test deeper prospectivity, and the Lau Lau discovery adds to the large inventory of development opportunities in the southeast part of the Stabroek block. Both discoveries increase our understanding of the resource, our continued confidence in the block’s exploration potential, and our view that the many discoveries to date could result in up to 10 development projects.” Fangtooth was drilled by the Stena DrillMAX, and Lau Lau was drilled by the Noble Don Taylor, which are two of six drillships supporting exploration and development drilling across three blocks operated by ExxonMobil offshore Guyana. The finds at Fangtooth-1 and Lau Lau-1 are ExxonMobil’s 25th and 26th discoveries in the Stabroek Block. The oil company’s 24 other discoveries include: 1. Liza 2. Payara 3. Snoek 4. Liza deep 5. Turbot 6. Ranger 7. Pacora 8. Longtail 9. Hammerhead 10. Pluma 11. Tilapia 12. Haimara 13. Yellowtail-1 14. The Tripletail 15. Mako-1 16. Urau 17. Yellowtail-2 18. Redtail-1 19. Urau-2 20. Longtail-3 21. Whiptail-1 22.Whiptail-2 23. Pinktail-1 24. Cataback-1 The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Natural Resource... (From page 14) 2019 version was riddled with undemocratic principles. It “was the sole authoritative authority of the Minister of Finance doing all of this. Determining the fiscal sustainable amount, determining the economic sustainable amount that was in his opinion, the best possible framework or scenario for Guyana”. The President said that his Government countered this by drastically reducing the Minister’s powers, functions, and responsibilities by turning it over to a board of directors, which will be a multifaceted group of Guyanese, with varying skill sets and knowledge. Ali said, “I am saying to every single Guyanese that you will be proud of the board. The board has to be appointed, but we cannot be critical of a board that does not even exist as yet.” The new law also simplifies and strengthens the transparency of the formula for making withdrawals from the fund. “Every single Guyanese will be able to understand what the formula is —they’ll be able to do their own calculation,” he said. The amended bill will also explicitly require the Minister of Finance to gazette information on all revenue that comes into the fund within a three-month timeframe and to then table that information in the National Assembly. If the Minister fails to follow the process, there will be severe consequences— including imprisonment varying from three to 10 years. President Ali said, “So, not only are we setting out the principles, enhancing transparency, but we are willing to put the harshest of penalties because we do not intend to keep any information in relation to the management of a natural resource fund away from the public.” Projects that will be financed by the funds will also be subject to parliamentary oversight. He said that the parliament would also have the opportunity to debate the projects before approval is granted. Additionally, according to the law, all the projects that will be financed will be subject to audits by the Auditor General before they are scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee. The President said, “So you have post-approval debate, you have approval; you have an audit, and then you have the PAC examining the Auditor General’s report. So that covers again, added layer of accountability and transparency.” AREAS OF SPENDING The President said that

the funds will be used for overall development, including to accelerate “our infrastructural transformation”. These projects include building better roads, better drains, better facilities, better recreational facilities, enhancing lights and greater security support at not just the national level, but at the regional and community levels. Additionally, the funds will also be used to bolster the non-oil economy. Among the areas for investment are agriculture, tourism and the service sector. Emphasis will also be placed on building worldclass health and education sectors and growing our human capital to ensure that more Guyanese benefit from the opportunities. President Ali said that the focus is also to support the innovative and new areas of structural economic transformation, including the reduction of the cost of energy, which will lead to an expansion in manufacturing, an expansion of industrial development, agro-processing, transportation logistics, among other benefits. Realising the 50,000 house lots promised, along with the transformation of the health and education sectors and investment in human capital, were also highlighted. The President noted that these promises were made in the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) manifesto and that his Government would work around the clock to ensure that they are achieved. Ali said, “As President and as a government, we have a moral responsibility to ensure that manifestos are implemented, because we entered into a binding contract with the people when we presented that manifesto and asked them to support us. And they did. That is why we’re in government. They have given us the mandate to implement the manifesto. There is no guessing, it is clear as light.” He said that these plans will lead to the sustainable development of the country, which will not only benefit the current generation, but multiple generations to come. “These are the types of investments we are making, investments that will change our country, change the prospects for our people. We have laid out this in a very comprehensive way —investments will have to be made to ensure that the country develops,” the President assured.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

COM M ENTARY

Guyana’s oil and gas benefits will change the fortunes of our people By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

hile most Guyanese citizens and most of Guyanese businesses are euphoric in how Oil and Gas has begun to change our country’s fortunes, there are the critics who, by and large, advocate leaving Oil and Gas in the ground until Guyana gets a better deal, as defined by them. But there is a huge flaw in how these critics view the use of our oil resource. No matter what the natural resource, a country benefits, both directly or indirectly, from investments made to extract that natural resource. The country benefits from jobs and profits that accrue, from infrastructure development linked to the particular natural resource extraction. But the country benefits from foreign direct investment that flows into it for development of housing, hotels, service industries etc. Importantly, with a strong local content policy, local businesses blossom and create more jobs, more taxes etc. While critics have focused only on the direct income Guyana gains from Oil and Gas, none of them has so far considered the tremendous collateral benefits Guyana derives outside of its direct

income from Oil and Gas. For example, the many investments in hotel construction amounting to several hundred million of US dollars would not have happened had there not been an Oil and Gas industry. In 2021, Guyana had the largest number of airline passengers that came through both Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Ogle Municipality Airport ever in our history. The ports now cater for more ships than anyone could have dreamed of just a few years ago. Our stock of hotel rooms has suddenly become woefully inadequate when just a few years ago these same critics predicted that the Marriot would have failed. These things would not have happened had there not been an Oil and Gas industry in Guyana. Maybe, Guyana could have negotiated a better deal with the Oil companies. I am certain we could have had a better deal. But not withstanding this, Guyana has come out ahead. My personal position is that the benefits we are now deriving from Oil and Gas are better that the 100% of it all had we just own it in the ground. A hundred % of zero is the same as zero of zero. Let me be clear, pellucid-

ly clear, the OIL and GAS Industry of Guyana, even in the present infancy stage, is already profoundly transforming Guyana. Guyana is being transformed physically in terms of infrastructure, socially and economically. There are those who claim that Guyana is only getting crumbs from the OIL and GAS Industry. They scream and shout that Guyana has been suckered and that Guyana has had its pockets picked by the Oil giants, such as EXXON. There are those who even suggest that Guyana is today worse-off because of OIL and GAS, that, in fact, we are poorer than ever before. I completely reject these positions. I denounce those who are of the position that if Guyana cannot renegotiate the Oil deals, then we should abort and leave the Oil in the ground. My position, not as a politician, but as a Guyanese citizen whose parents labored in the sugar estates and in the seas that Guyana has already and will continue to be better off because of OIL and GAS. Nothing in the above statements should be interpreted that the APNU/ AFC Government led by the then-President, David Granger, signed a good deal.

Guyana could have done better. The 2% royalty and 50% share of OIL profits is skewed towards the Oil companies. Certainly, had the PPP been the government, they would have had a better deal. The $US18M bonus payment is an insult and, had the PPP been the one in Government, Guyana would have had much more than $US18M. Having acknowledge these realities, the truth is the deal was negotiated by a legitimate government. But many of those who now want the Oil to stay in the ground were either only timidly resistant to the deal or silent. The handful of people on TV and radio and standing by themselves with placards demanding we leave the Oil in the ground if we cannot renegotiate, not once, came out in any protest. Guyana has already accumulated $US608M, even though it is still early days. In 2022, this is likely to surpass $US700M. This is definitely not crumbs. Of course, if Guyana had negotiated a better deal, we would have had much more than this. But in no way, shape or form, is $US608M small change, no way is this “crumbs”. None of this, we would have had, were Oil to remain in the ground. As the industry matures, the

income will increase, significantly. New roads and highways, bridges, hotels, homes, schools, hospitals and better, more effective safety nets for those who still need them are the outcomes from this new stream of income. But there is something else that Guyana benefits from that is directly related to the new Oil and Gas industry that has nothing to do with royalty and profits from Oil. The days when a private foreign direct investment of $US5M was historic and a milestone event is now over. Everyone of the critics, those who want to abort the Oil deals and even those who celebrate the deals have ignored this by-product of the Oil and Gas industry. In 1970, FDI was $US10M. Between 1971 and 1991, before the giveaway of the telephone company, the Demerara Woods Factory etc., FDI was either zero or just above zero. Between 1993 and 2015, FDI varied between $US60M and $US280M annually. In 2012, the $US280 FDI was Guyana’s highest ever, until Oil and Gas began to change the dispensation in 2014. The fact is that private foreign direct investment is now more than a billion US dollars annually. This is a far cry from the days in the 1980s when private foreign direct investment was zero, when in the 90s, under a PPP government, foreign direct investment started to climb and reached more than $200M annually by 2015. But because of Oil and Gas, foreign direct investment is now routinely more than a billion US dollars per year. In 2018, FDI was $US1.2B. In 2019, it was $US1.7B and in 2020 it exceeded $US1.9B. According to UNCTAD (the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investment), this was the highest FDI in CARICOM and the second highest in the hemisphere. Imagine, Guyana which stood dead last in 1990 is now the highest in CARICOM and second in the whole hemisphere. While a significant part of this FDI flow directly from and into Oil and Gas, a significant part of that is being invested in non-oil enterprise. Already, many local businesses are benefiting from

growth. This is why Guyanese entrepreneurs have been so engaged in the crafting of the Local Content Bill that passed through Parliament in the last week of December 2020. These businesses see that outside of the direct benefits that Guyana gains from its royalty and profits, Oil and Gas is allowing local enterprises to grow. While local entrepreneurs will benefit, the country also benefit from an increase in its income. For example, warehouses, office buildings, hundreds of homes and apartments, taxi and transport companies owned by Guyanese are benefiting. Guyana’s private schools and private health sector are benefiting from an increase in business that flows to them. These are real benefits that the critics have not included in their myopic interpretation of what Guyana gets from Oil and Gas. While I will forever insist that the APNU/AFC Government dropped the ball and disappointed our country with a deal that provides EXXON and other oil companies with very generous compensation for their investment, I am very conscious that without those investment, the FDI that Guyana presently benefits from and the increasing opportunities Guyanese citizens have for better employment, the modernization of our infrastructure etc. would not have been possible without Oil and Gas. So even though it is still early days, even with what we have seen so far, who wants to turn back the clock to 2015? It is what it is, a bad deal. But we have already shown that as much as we could have negotiated a better deal, Oil and Gas has been good for Guyana, bad deal or not. Now let us get on with the transformation of Guyana. It is time, Guyana takes its place in CARICOM as this region’s #1 economy. Before 2015, none of us would have envisaged that, in our lifetime, Guyana could so rapidly move forward to take our place as the natural leader in CARICOM. Now the majority of us believe that in a very short time from now, Guyana will stand at the top of CARICOM.

WEEKEND MIRROR 8-9 JANUARY, 2022

Ali encourages vaccines, boosters and mask-wearing to tackle rise in COVID-19 cases uyanese were urged by sion rate of the variant, more the international community. G President Dr. Irfaan Ali to health care workers are being We have had many organisanot panic, but to double down infected, and the Government tions talking about us being

Health Minister addresses parents’ concern for children’s safety in schools W

ith the reopening of schools across Guyana, amidst the on-going pandemic, parents have expressed their concerns about keeping their children safe from the deadly coronavirus. These concerns were addressed by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who re-emphasised the importance of children getting the Covid-19 vaccine. “The first thing that you can do to keep your child safe is to make sure that they get both doses of the vaccine and now more recently, the CDC has recommended that booster doses be offered to those persons 16 years and older, so that’s another thing that parents should consider,” he said. The minister added that children must be educated about the mandated Covid-19 measures that are necessary to prevent the spread of the

virus. “The second thing is to make sure that the children understand that they need to keep social distancing… they must wear their masks all the time in school, and wear it properly.” The minister noted that wearing a mask does not affect children in any way, it will however protect them from Covid-19 and other flu-like illnesses. “If you go back to before Covid, surgeons were wearing these masks for many, many hours and there’s nothing wrong with wearing the mask. What a mask would do is to protect your child from any infection, and not only Covid but you have things like flu, that we often see as seasonal and it would protect your child from those things.” Dr. Anthony is advising parents to get their children tested if they are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms. He

said if a child is confirmed positive then he/she must be isolated for at least 10 days, however, if the test is negative, the child can return to school. “The household would have to take the necessary precautions because children have been out of school for more than a year and there is now a big deficit in learning. Although we tried to provide online education, many kids prefer to have schooling in person,” the Minister explained. He also said other precautions must to be taken if there are vulnerable persons in the household to ensure everyone is properly protected. To date, over 30,000 or 41.8 percent of the 12 to 17 age cohort have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over 21,000 or 29.9 percent are fully immunised.

on preventative measures to counter the rising number of COVID-19 infections in the country. In a press briefing to discuss his Government’s approach on Wednesday (January 5, 2022) to the increase in cases, which is believed to be due to the omicron variant, the President called for persons to protect themselves and their loved ones. He said, “We know that this variant, based on the scientific evidence, and the experience we’re seeing throughout the world, is a super spreader and that it is easily transmittable. No doubt, given those circumstances, we expect that there will be a greater degree of transmission, however, what we have also learned so far from the science and the experiences, is that vaccination with booster minimises the impact of this new variant.” Adding to this, he said that to date, the infections are not as severe as the Delta variant, which is an encouraging sign. “Although we have a high positivity ratio (more people testing positive), when you look at the translated effect in terms of hospitalisation, we do not have that steep increase in hospitalisation.” The President, however, warned that a number of extenuating factors, including more unvaccinated infections, can increase hospitalisation. He again called for unvaccinated persons to get vaccinated and for those already with their first and second doses to get booster shots. Additionally, he stressed that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated should ensure that they are always masked up when outside of their private domain and pointed to the importance of not only stopping the transmission of the disease but minimising its virial load in case of infection. Ali said, “All the studies, scientifically everything that is available to us, show that there is only one thing we can do, whether you’re vaccinated or not and that is the wearing of masks when you’re outside and in public areas…. “We don’t have control over the variants and how they will operate, but we have control over our own actions.” The President said that having self-testing kits to counter the long lines for PCR testing is being considered. He said that at the international level, some nations are encouraging home tests and that it is “something we have to look at also”. MANAGING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Due to the high transmis-

of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, is hoping to keep this under control. “Doctors, nurses, medical personnel, lab technicians, they are testing positive, and as a result of that, many of them would have to go into quarantine, so it is having an impact on the delivery of healthcare.” The President said that similar challenges are also seen at the international level. He said, “I want the population to understand that what we are faced with is what the entire global community is faced with. This morning I spoke to a number of prime ministers in the region, and the reports are the same; there are greater positive results among the population.” Ali said that Guyana, like the rest of the region, will continue to work on “managing the healthcare system, ensuring that our facilities are there, ensuring that our health personnel are protected to the extent that the healthcare system remains functional and we don’t have difficulties”.

LEADING THE CHARGE The Head of State said that although a single death from COVID-19 is too much, Guyanese should be proud of the way officials have managed the pandemic. He lauded the efforts of the frontline workers, the healthcare system, his Government, the private sector and civil society, along with the support of the National Task Force. He said, “When you talk about our management of COVID, we are very concerned about every single death, but we have had tremendous response from

a model on how we manage COVID-19 and how we strike the balance. Just imagine for a moment, we are one hour away from Trinidad, we share a border that you can cross in a minute with Brazil, and we share a border with Venezuela—do the research on what is happening in those jurisdictions and where we are located and then do the analysis as to how we have managed, and I think all of us as Guyanese should be very proud….”

CAPACITY Meanwhile, Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr Frank Anthony, who was also at State House, said that the health care system is capable of dealing with the surge in infections. Anthony said, “At the Ocean View Hospital, we have capabilities of hosting 195 patients. Right now we have 36 patients in the hospital with five of those patients in the ICU. So we still have a lot of capabilities there and in all of our regional hospitals. We have built capacity to be able to manage COVID-19 patients. So we have the capacity and our staff, they’re working and they’re prepared. They have worked over the last year and several months managing COVID patients so they have the experience and know-how to do this. And we feel very capable that we will be able to manage this particular spike that we are seeing.” Several seasoned health care professionals were also at the press briefing. They also called for Guyanese to follow the necessary protocols in place and to get vaccinated or to get booster shots.

Outlook for year ahead ‘exciting’, but not without challenges – President Ali G

uyana continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, a worsening global supply chain crisis and other challenges, but the outlook for 2022 is “exciting”, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. He said, “We must be

aware of the countless initiatives that have contributed to a positive outlook for our country. Despite the ravages of the pandemic and its consequences on the global economy, we in Guyana can still be proud of a robust economy, positive growth,

enhanced social services and greater benefits, in cash and kind, being passed down to the population. “…the outlook for 2022 is exciting but will not be without challenges as we continue to face a worsening global supply chain. The

consequences of which will be continued rising prices for imported goods, supplies and transportation services. This, coupled with climate change and the pandemic, would require robust and strategic policymaking to mitigate against the full consequences

of the challenges, both social and economic, as I outlined before.” GREATER PROGRESS AHEAD Ali noted too that greater progress is ahead for the people of Guyana. He explained that his Administration is working to ensure that Guyanese are prepared to take advantage of the coming opportunities, including working to ensure that Guyanese are able to create wealth for themselves. The President addressed, also, the PPP/C Government’s investments in other social sectors, including healthcare, and in other sectors, such as infrastructure. He restated his government’s commitment to continue delivering on the PPP/ C’s ‘Plan for Prosperity’. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Moving forward, in the pandemic, the Head of State called on Guyanese to remain cognisant of their personal responsibility. He said, “As your President, I will endeavour to do everything I can in supporting and implementing a balanced and strategic approach in the continued fight against this pandemic. I, however, ask each of us to do our part by getting vaccinated, taking the booster shots and wearing a mask when in public. “…on behalf of the people of Guyana, I thank our bilateral and international partners, all of our frontline workers and members of the government, the National Covid-19 task force and the joint services, for their selfless work in keeping our country safe.” ONE GUYANA Efforts, Ali assured, will continue to build a ‘One Guyana’ where all Guyanese can benefit from prosperity. “As ‘One Guyana’, we will continue to move forward from strength to strength in building a prosperous Guyana, and in whose prosperity all will

be a part of,” he posited. In February 2021, President Ali announced the establishment of a ‘One Guyana Commission’, which will be spearheaded by Prime Minister, (rtd) Brigadier, Mark Phillips. Ali had said, “An essential part of my Government is inclusion. Stop being defined by race; stop being defined by politics. Start being defined by our one nationality and by our common love for our one country, let us lift it up together and by doing so, let us lift each other and ourselves, one people, one nation, one destiny…I propose to give meaning to my call for one Guyana by requesting the leader of Government business in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Brigadier, Hon. Mark Phillips to introduce the adoption of an Act of Parliament establishing a One Guyana Commission which he will head….we must move our nation building from abstraction to action and lose not one more moment in doing it. Let us stand up for our one nation, our one Guyana, let us stand up for what we know in our hearts and in our minds to be right. Let us stand up for one identity, the Guyanese identity.” President Ali had said the work of the Commission will be undertaken countrywide to encapsulate the free expressions of all voices, respecting the diversity “from which our oneness springs.” The Commission will also address education concerning Guyana’s history, religion, ensuring equal opportunity, employment and entrepreneurship and institutional strengthening of the Ethnic Relations Commission. The President appealed to Guyanese to continue supporting the effort to advance the transformation that has begun – recognizing that “we are stronger together” as a people. “Each of us must resolve to be stronger, better, and more committed to individual, family, community, and country development,” Ali declared.

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