Weekend Mirror 16-17 April 2022

Ali rubbishes Norton's claims of removal of electricity subsidy 16-17 April, 2022 / Vol. 12 ‒ No. 18 / Price: $100

Email: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com

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GECOM appoints controversial Voter Registration Manager Forensic audit ordered into financial breaches in Region 5 under Coalition gov’t PAGE 2

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June 15th set as date for report on Coalition MPs facing Privileges Committee PAGE 15

SEE INSIDE

$150B in oil revenues earned since production commenced PAGE 8

‒ 31 discoveries between 2015 and present

Engagement with CSOs aimed at enhancing collaboration PAGE 9

Regional consultations on LCDS 2030 ongoing PAGE 6

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

GECOM appoints controversial Voter Registration Manager

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he Guyana Elections Commission at its statutory meeting on Tuesday (April 12, 2022) has confirmed the appointment of Melanie Marshall as the Voter Registration Manager.

A statement from GECOM on Wednesday (April 13, 2022) said, “Marshall’s confirmation was premised on the fact that she was the only applicant that met all of the required cri-

teria for the position. She has been acting in the said capacity for approximately 6 years. Ms. Marshall has been employed with the Guyana Elections Commission for sixteen (16) years. She holds

a Commonwealth Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Public Management from the University of Guyana.”

INITIAL APPOINTMENT

We Fry it, You Try it!

IN QUESTION Sacked former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, had bypassed the Commission in September 2021 to appoint Marshall as acting Voting Registration Manager – a move that was questioned by Commissioners since this position is one that has to be addressed by the Commission, not the Chief Elections Officer.

Marshall was reportedly evaluated by Lowenfield who recommended her contract be renewed and that she be confirmed in the position of Voter Registration Manager.

Marshall, who was contracted as Registration Officer at GECOM, had functioned as the Region 4 Returning Officer during the 2015 Elections. Her office was locked and her whereabouts unknown at the time that PPP/C was attempting to request a recount of votes in Region 4.

One of the more prominent incidents involving Marshall, involved her locking the office when Attorney-at-Law, Charles Ramson Jr. attempted to deliver a request for a recount shortly before the declaration of the official results of the 2015 Elections. At the GECOM Command Center, Ramson was seated outside the media centre with documents in hand. He later revealed in a Facebook post that he attempted to get a letter to the Returning Officer for Region

4 before noon in a final bid to get a recount. However, he said her office was locked and her staff was not there.

As such he could not deliver the request for a recount before noon, as is required by law.

At that time Lowenfield had said, “The Regional Officers have not responded to the PPP/C, to say if they will or will not entertain the request…when the letters were received by Returning Officers, they engaged me and we deliberated… action or inaction is to be decided and is within the hands of the Returning Officers.”

SEVERAL APPLICATIONS Notably, Marshall had applied for several of the vacant posts at GECOM, including Deputy Chief Elections Officer and Assistant Chief Elections Officer.

Last week, GECOM took a decision to re-advertise the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) and Assistant CEO (ACEO) positions, as it pushes to fill important posts left vacant since last year.

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.

GECOM is expected to meet again in the new week.

Over 38,000 transactions in Continuous Registration process to date

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total of 38,878 transactions have been completed since the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) commenced its continuous registration exercise as of April 13, 2022.

These transactions range from new registrations, replacement identification cards, changes and corrections and transfers.

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GECOM has indicated that, as of April 13, 2022: • 13.197 persons, who are 18 years and older and are therefore eligible to vote, have been registered; • 15,845 persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years have been registered and will be issued national identification cards; • 1,959 persons have applied for transfers to new addresses;

• 3,485persons made changes and/or corrections to their particulars; • 3.536 persons sought to have replacements for their national identification cards; and • 856 persons sought to have their photographs retaken.

GECOM has 29 offices across the country. Each registration office operates from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. On the weekend, persons can visit the offices between 10:00 am to 2: 00 pm.

Some $4.1 billion has been approved for GECOM this year, to carry out its work programme. From this amount, over $700 million has been earmarked to host this year’s LGE. The continuous registration exercise is expected to conclude on May 29, 2022.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Norton joins Coalition cabal in ‘convenient’ talk about changes to oil contract N

ewly minted Leader of the Opposition and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, has joined his colleagues in what has been called “convenient” posturing on renegotiating the agreement with oil major, ExxonMobil.

In a statement on April 8, 2022, Norton said, “What I did say was that the law provides for action to be taken to ensure that the people of Guyana benefit from our resources and that the contract provides for changes to be made in keeping with Article 31.2 of the Agreement and that the PNCR will do everything within the confines of the law to ensure our people get increased benefits from the oil and gas sector.”

The statement was made in objection to an article published by a local media house, which stated that Norton was backing the call for renegotiating. While Norton objected to the headline of the article, he argued that he addressed “changes” to the contract not renegotiation – a clarification that

observers have noted is in the realm of semantics.

CONVENIENT POSITIONS Notably, this is not the first time that a leader from PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition has talked up renegotiation.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, during a news conference in February 2022, had cause to put the Coalition’s David Patterson on blast for his call for a renegotiation of the ExxonMobil agreement.

According to him, the conflict of interest and other concerns, initially publicized in 2020 with the publication of a Global Witness Report titled ‘Signed Away’, seem to have been forgotten by the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Parliamentarians.

Patterson, on February 3, 2022 during his contribution to the Budget 2022 debates, said, “The opportunities to utilise our gas resources are enormous, as we have stated before. The Opposition will lend our support to the Government in renegotiations

with the Stabroek Block operators in getting a better oil contract. Lower prices for our gas and better conditions for the Guyanese public,” Jagdeo in response said, “I saw Patterson saying now, conveniently to renegotiate.

When he was General Secretary of the Party (AFC), he did not want to renegotiate.

His boss signed the agreement and they address on the agreement, the local address, is the law office of Mr. Nigel Hughes.”

NIGEL HUGHES CONNECTION Meanwhile, while the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Raphael Trotman was legally responsible for the oil and gas sector in 2016, during which period the ExxonMobil agreement was renegotiated, concerns about the role of his then partner in the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, were been spotlighted in a damning report.

The report released by the non-governmental organization, Global Witness, titled ‘Signed Away’, on

page 14 said, “Trotman was legally responsible for assessing and approving or rejecting Guyana’s oil licenses. However, during the 2016 Stabroek negotiations Trotman had a possible conflict of interest. Trotman’s main political partner – Nigel Hughes – had served as one of Exxon’s lawyers on other matters, and Hughes’ firm periodically represents Exxon as a client.”

Notably, when the renegotiated ExxonMobil contract was finally released, on page 4, the address of Hughes’ law office is listed as the registered office – 62 Hadfield and Cross Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown – of the oil company.

Global Witness has called for the relationship between Trotman, Hughes, and Exxon to be investigated to determine the existence or extent of any conflict of

interest.

ADMISSION Meanwhile, in July 2019, the Trotman, finally admitted that there were problems with the renegotiated contract between ExxonMobil and Guyana, which was signed off on by the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

However, he absolved himself of any responsibility, blaming the technical staffers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Trotman had said, “My only comment is that as a non-technical person, I was not the one to negotiate the contract, and that, at all material times, I acted on the advice and direction of the GGMC…how could I see something as an indictment on myself if I didn’t draft it? I relied on the officers at GGMC at all times and was advised when the agreement was ready for signature.”

Notably, his comment came after reports on the visit by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, during which the Coalition Government, for the first time, expressed concern that the lack of ring-fencing could negatively affect revenue earned from the agreement it signed with Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) for the 6.6 million acres Stabroek Block.

The Stabroek Block is a massive 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.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

EDITORIAL

Understanding the nuances of the Guyana situation

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he past several months have seen calls for a scaling down of oil production in Guyana from sections of civil society – call that curiously mimic the same from sections of the international community. However, these calls are made, seemingly, without recognition or comprehension of the nuances of the Guyana situation in a world that is moving to a net zero position.

Firstly, Guyanese have a legitimate right to expect the full benefit of development, resulting from the exploitation of our nation’s resources. We have a right to better infrastructure, hospitals, schools, access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Secondly, the global move to net zero – meaning the move to reduce emissions and shift to renewable energy in response to climate change – is one that can only be achieved by countries who can finance such a transition. A country cannot transition to a low carbon economy without the funding to do so.

It is in this light that the pace of oil production must be viewed. Guyana is producing oil to gain as much from the resource to fund national development and the transition to net zero before the cut-off point.

Thirdly, Guyana is a net carbon sink, meaning the work we are doing to preserve our forests offsets the emissions created locally.

PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, had said: “We have been called to leave our oil in the ground…we believe it’s totally unfair…many have been saying that to get to a de-carbonized future to get to a net zero by 2050 there should be no further investment in oil and gas assets….we believe that is totally unfair…the people who are calling for us to not develop the industry in a small country like Guyana have to understand that we cannot remain locked into a cycle of low emission and low income…our people have a legitimate expectation of prosperity. We have a legitimate expectation to grow the per capita income….if we freeze all new investments…there is still a four trillion oil and gas industry that is producing for global demand. What those activists are doing is advocating that this investment be locked in for the incumbent. Why should we not want to displace some of the highest cost producers? We want a share in that market too…. if there is no investment in countries like Guyana where the prospects are cleaner because it is light sweet crude and production costs are less then you are lobbying for a monopoly for the existing producers. So we believe that we can develop the industry in our country…we can do so by continuing to invest in a de-carbonized future consistent with the LCDS.” The Guyana situation is clear – we are a country that is a net carbon sink; we are producing oil so that we have resources to develop our country and finance the shift to a low carbon economy; we cannot be expected to stop oil production, while existing producers are allowed to continue production in countries that are already developed nations.

Further, the PPP/C government has been running on a parallel track preparing our people for a low carbon future – earning revenues to fast-track national development from the oil and gas sector, while planning for a low carbon economy via the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, a development strategy that is currently under consultation.

These facts must be understood in considering the totality of the big picture.

The Dr. Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C government has assured that Guyana will develop its oil industry with regulations for safe, low-carbon operations. Our people have a right to the development that our oil and gas resources will bring, more so when the plan for a low carbon future is already in place and being rolled out.

Team PPP/C has been at work in a strong and determined way Dear Editor,

W

hen the PPP/C Government was elected to office, it was a solemn oath between them and the people of this country to govern and govern well.

It was not a manifesto like the common ones politicians make when they are out of office waiting to get in, that is, we would do this and we will do that, lavishing those high-winded promises just to satisfy the emotions of those their listeners.

That was not the case for the PPP/C, they wanted a change from that deceitful game politicians to play, a moving away from the rhetoric of being politically correct. It means removing oneself from the shallowness and insidious propaganda of politics.

In that regard, the PPP/C formulated a visionary, workable plan for this na-

tion, to fix the present problems as well as to move us forward into the future.

It is arduous task that requires great thinking and planning and turning those plans into concrete goals. This takes much effort and when I say much effort, I am talking about working on your plan amidst obnoxious opposition from the main PNC party.

We must not forget that they are always lurking in the shadows to seize that opportunity to malign, tear down, and repudiate every plan there is. For this reason, it makes governance ever so difficult. But, the party in Government has weathered the storm quite admirably, and we are ever so grateful for the effort.

The fundamental principle of governance is that it must not only be in Government, that is, only in the office, closeted and far removed from the

people. Government and governance is best demonstrated when it can go down into the highways and byways and be with and among the people, to hear their problems and work out ways in resolving them; this is Government at work.

And I am not speaking of making your presence felt in select communities, I am speaking of a Government for all of Guyana. True governance must be seen and felt in every community in which our people live and dwell.

Team PPP/C has been at work with this form of Government in a strong and determined way, and there is only one result that can be gleaned from this effort. We are proud of our Government and wish them all the best in the coming years.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

In filling vacancies GECOM must ensure that there is no place for riggers Dear Editor,

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recent Stabroek News article, captioned “GECOM to re-advertise for DCEO, ACEO posts”, posits that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is expected to re-advertise for applications to fill the vacant posts of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) and Assistant Chief Elections Officer (ACEO). While the official source of this position was not released by GECOM’s Public Relations Department, the article quotes its basis as APNU/AFC Commissioner Vincent Alexander, who said that that position was taken at the statutory meeting of the Commission.

There has been no official correction from GECOM, implying some accuracy of the statement. One would rationalise from this backdrop that the Commission may not have been satisfied with the preliminary shortlisted options considered from the pool of applicants to fill these vacancies. However, it is conflicting and confusing that those who were included in the preliminary shortlist were further shortlisted for the post.

Notably, the process commenced in October 2021, and the filling of these critical positions must be addressed with an objective, decisive candour for the smooth holding of free and fair elections.

Notably, there are other categories of positions to be re-advertised, including the post of Chief Accountant, for which other applicants, including Jaiwattie Singh, Abeossa Simon, Orlando Small, Victor Arjune, and Ronald

Charles, were previously shortlisted.

It does not auger well, for the indication presented is that controversies are surrounding the hiring process.

To this, the Chair and Commissioners MUST be assertive. Based on GECOM’s previous publication of shortlisted applicants, one anticipates in the least that it was partially intended to serve the public transparency notification criterion, and invite public feedback regarding the applicants.

There were many facts-based negative concerns in the instances of Melanie Marshall and Duarte Hetsberger to confirm that no consideration must be given to the likes of these questionable characters. The contextual mixed signals presented, therefore, suggest that these persons are being presented with a backdoor key for re-entry into the organisation.

The DCEO and ACEO must be persons of unquestionable integrity if GECOM is to fully regain the confidence of our nation. Every citizen has a right to condemn all those GECOM employees who played a part in holding our democracy to ransom for five long months following the March 2020 polls. While the decision to re-advertise for DCEO, ACEO, and Chief Accountant is most welcome, the suggestion of reservations touted by Alexander in favour of a tarnished few is tantamount to planting weeds in a garden that is being cleaned.

Contextually, the allegations against Keith Lowenfield and other former GECOM Secretariat staff members must be treated seriously. It is therefore necessary and appropriate to ensure the

degutting of the many ‘phantom’ workers from association with the system, and the ridiculous contracts in ensuring that the obnoxious purchases that were made at GECOM are things of the past.

GECOM Chair, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, must be allowed the latitude to credibly do her work.

Some of the former employees were dismissed due to demonstrated incompetence, bad behaviour, rum drinking on the job, and fighting. Some of them are before the courts for wrongdoing, because they were promised that the PNC would not give up even if they lost the elections, in influencing those persons to do the dirty jobs. While key evidence against many of these staffers may have been deliberately destroyed, the grey areas must be addressed with caution and adequate counter-checks.

As such, Justice Claudette Singh must make sure there are mechanisms to affirm, at minimum, background checks to identify acceptable levels of integrity in the men and women that are employed at GECOM. As we follow this Continuous Registration process, the results to date confirm significant measures of success in achieving the intended purpose and results. Notwithstanding, we need to get all possible eligible persons to register now, as there will not be another period of Continuous Registration during this calendar year.

Hence, for our citizens who are now qualified based on the 14 years’ age criterion, it is necessary to make sure that they make use of the process to secure their Identification Cards. For (Turn to page 20)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Guyanese are proud of development currently taking place Dear Editor,

I

believe that most Guyanese who are residing either in or out of Guyana are very proud of the development currently taking place in our country.

That patriotism, even though not always evident, is present, and often on display when there is a gathering of Guyanese or people of like-mind at home or abroad.

People who were born before the beginning of the twenty-first century are familiar with the word ‘potential’; this word is repeatedly used by our policy-makers when describing Guyana from an economic perspective.

Well, at long last, the word ‘potential’ has real meaning.

This potential has become an increasing reality, especially in the context of infrastructural and human development, with complementary

efforts to brand and market the country as a credible tourism destination. All Guyanese would have been proud of, and arguably benefited from, the Linden Highway, the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the University of Guyana, the various housing development initiatives, the construction of additional modern hospitals (Linden, for example) among other things.

A few years ago, I was visiting Linden with some overseas-based Guyanese who were travelling on this road for the first time. There were comments like, “Wow! I never knew that there was such a highway in Guyana.”

At no time during the discussions did anyone ask which party was in Government when it was constructed. They saw these initiatives as development for all Guyanese.

Suffice it to say that the love for country goes beyond limited political persuasions and ideologies, and extends to – in the case

of overseas-based Guyana – a desire to return and invest in the continued development of this beloved country.

Arguably, in the recent past, there has been an increasing number of Guyanese resettling in their homeland. This, in and off itself, suggests an immense desire to make and call Guyana home, and an interest in its continued development.

It must be said, though, that sometimes our growing development in several sectors is lost or overshadowed by political noise. I understand that during the elections’ campaign period, political parties have manifestos that outline their plans for developing the country, and once in Government, they will constantly remind the public of the success stories. I fully understand that it is the nature of politics.

However, at some stage, the focus must be less on taking credit and more on getting all our people to feel that they directly or indirectly contributed to our country’s development.

This latter view is sometimes debatable as politics, as we can all agree that it can be polarising and impacts attitudes and behaviours, especially relative to love of country. Hence, it’s my view that our country is viewed by many Guyanese through the prism of politics, rather than “love of country”.

I remember a time in the not-too-distant past, when Guyanese of both African and Indian descent essentially disowned their country of birth and associated with foreign countries due to perceived political backlash.

For example, I’ve witnessed the sad revelation of Guyanese of African descent saying Ghana is their homeland, and Guyanese of Indian descent claiming a Trinidad and Tobago

birthright before emigrating to Canada or the USA (I have heard these comments with my own two ears). This, coupled with limited or biased mass media coverage of the country and event-related activities, contributes to the overall low morale of Guyanese, at home and especially abroad, to be proud of the progress made by country.

Take the coverage of the expansion of the CJIA in the last four years as an example, and you will notice the widespread negative reflection of unplanned delays and other challenges without much rational explanation for same.

Arguably, this impacts perceptions about accountability, transparency, and other values about Guyana. This is where initiatives such as deliberate country-specific public relations and marketing make a huge difference to not only present information in a user-friendly and palatable way, but address myths and misconceptions in order to foster credibility. I honestly believe when people, especially the youth, see Guyana for what it’s worth, and could relate to similar features in the developed countries, they will be proud of their country. This would enhance patriotism, and there will be less desire to emigrate. Thus, we must be intentional that neither politics nor race must define our love for country.

The point I am making, Editor, is that patriotism and love for one’s country is directly linked to people seeing not only the beauty of nature, but the development projects that not only improve the standard of living of the population, but showcase the country.

Sincerely, K. Burrowes

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 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 ’

Regional consultations on LCDS 2030 ongoing T

he level of interest being expressed by Guyanese on the consultations on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 is being recognised as encouraging, as regional consultations are being rolled out.

LCDS 2030 is based on four objectives: to create new incentives for a low-carbon economy, protect against climate change and biodiversity loss, stimulate future growth: clean energy and low-carbon development, and align with global climate

and biodiversity goals.

Since the development of Guyana’s first LCDS in 2009, the country has maintained more than 99.5 per cent of its 18 million hectares of forest. Guyana also boasts one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world, having the capacity to store about 19.5 billion tonnes of carbon-monoxide.

Launched by President Ali in October 2021, the draft Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 can be accessed at the following

website: https://lcds.gov.gy/ The draft LCDS 2030 is expected to create a newlow-carbon economy in Guyana by establishing incentives which value the world’s ecosystem services, and promoting these as an essential component of a new model of global development with sustainability at its core. In Guyana’s case, harnessing the value of the country’s ecosystem services can build a long-term, low- carbon diversification opportunity.

New Anna Regina housing office now fully operational

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he ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CHPA) new office in Anna Regina, Region Two, is now operational, according to Minister of Housing and Water, Colin Croal.

The minister made this announcement on April 8, 2022, and explained that the building was rehabilitated and furnished and will be outfitted with a full complement of staff to address longstanding housing matters on the Essequibo Coast. A new regional housing officer was appointed and the ministry is in the process of recruiting an assistant housing officer, Minister Croal noted.

“We are also increasing the staff complement because we have a number of matters to address …we have had history in terms of poor performance from previous hosing officers, and so we expect to deliver a better lev-

el of service to residents of Region Two,” he explained.

Among the main issues are enforcement and verification of a number of matters.

There are a number of cases of bogus receipts and therefore, the housing officers will have to verify those receipts in order to process the ownership document for allottees.

This comes as the government is expanding its housing programme on the Essequibo Coast. CH&PA has developed two new housing areas at Charity-St Joseph and Buxton, as well as Onderneeming Phase Four.

Minister Croal said money has been allocated to advance infrastructure works in those areas which will allow allotees to commence the construction of their homes by the end of the year.

Since coming into office

in August 2020, government has been working to decentralise critical services across the country. As such, three housing officers were appointed in Essequibo, Berbice and Lethem.

Minister Croal noted that the overall aim is to strengthen the ministry’s regional capacity so as to reduce the number of persons visiting its central office in Georgetown. Simultaneously, the ministry will be phasing out a number offices being rented by GWI across the regions, since both agencies will utilise one building.

The housing ministry continues to establish regional housing offices in areas where none existed, with the most recent being the Lethem office which was constructed at a cost of $23 million. The office houses the CH&PA and Guyana Water Incorporated.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 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 ’

Guyana, Canada sign MOU for cooperation on procurement of goods

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he Government of Guyana and the Canadian Commercial Cooperation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday (April 12, 2022), to facilitate cooperation, participation in discussions and exchange of information related to the procurement of Canadian goods and services.

The MOU was signed between Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh and Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Pro-

motion and International Trade, Mary Ng. President Dr. Irfaan Ali observed the signing at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.

In his remarks, Minister Singh said that the initiative establishes a framework for which the two countries can strengthen their economic and commercial relations that will see more Canadians doing business in Guyana and Guyanese businesses investing in Canada. “We are very happy that we have been able to conclude this MOU,

and we anticipate that will lead to a greater presence of Canadian companies in Guyana, and doing business with Guyana. Similarly, we look forward to greater economic and commercial relations in every other regard including Guyanese companies doing business with Canada,” he said. Minister Singh noted that Canadian investors and business and commercial institutions have been present in the Guyanese economy for decades, and have contributed significantly to (Turn to page 19)

Contract signed for over $569 million to dredge Pomeroon River mouth – Agriculture Ministry signs over $1.3 billion in contracts as part of 2022 work programme

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armers from Region Two will soon benefit from improved drainage facilities after several contracts were signed that will see the mouth of the Pomeroon River being dredged and farmlands along the Pomeroon River and Supenaam Creek being empoldered.

During a contract signing exercise on Tuesday (April 12, 2022) in the Ministry of Agriculture’s boardroom, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) signed a $569,300,000 contract with Gaico Construction and General Services Inc for

the dredging of the mouth of the Pomeroon River and several other contracts with A&S General Store, Adamantium Holdings, Arabzee Trading, and S&J Services and Supplies to empolder farmlands in the lower and upper Pomeroon and Supenaam Creek areas totaling close to $186 million.

For years farmers from villages along the Pomeroon River have been affected by inadequate drainage due to extreme siltation at the mouth of the river. Once completed, it is expected that farmers will be able to benefit from

better drainage on their farms and vessels will have better access to the river during both the low and high tides.

While offering remarks at the signing, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that the contracts were being signed to make way for critical works and infrastructure that the government is putting in place to improve the lives of farmers across the country. “All of the contracts being signed today are for works that are necessary to enhance our agriculture sector. The dredging of the (Turn to page 18)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 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 ’

$150B in oil revenues earned since production commenced ‒ 31 discoveries between 2015 and present S

ince exploration started in Guyana, operators turned up 45 dry holes. However, since 2015, a total of 31 discoveries have been made – majority of those having been made by ExxonMobil.

The other finds include two at the Orinduik block; one at the Kanuku block; and one at the Corentyne block.

STABROEK BLOCK The discoveries to date include 27 at the Stabroek Block by Exxon Mobil, including: 1. Liza 2. Payara 3. Snoek 4. Liza deep

5. Turbot-1 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. Turbot-2 25. Cataback-1

26. Fangtooth-1 27. Lau Lau-1 The Stabroek Block is estimated to contain resources of approximately 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45% interest.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.

The Stabroek block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers).

ORINDUIK BLOCK In 2019, Eco Atlantic and its Orinduik JV partners

had announced two massive oil finds from its Jethro-1 and Joe-1 wells.

Together, the wells are estimated to hold at least four billion barrels of oil.

“Following the completion of well operations, oil samples were sent for laboratory analysis and results indicate that the oils recovered from both Jethro-1 and Joe-1 are heavy crudes, with high sulphur content. Tullow and the Joint Venture Partners are assessing the commercial viability of these discoveries considering the quality of the oil, alongside the high-quality reservoir sands and strong overpressure”, Tullow said

in a statement.

By the end of 2019, both Jethro-1 and Joe-1 wells were deemed non-commercial, as they contain heavy oil.

Eco currently has a 15 percent stake in the Orinduik block, while the other consortium partners are— Operator—Tullow Oil, and TOQAP, a partnership established by Total Energies (France) and Qatar Petroleum.

The Orinduk block is 444,789 acres (1,800 square kilometers).

KANUKU BLOCK In 2020, the Spanish oil

and gas company, Repsol, has encountered oil at the Carapa-1 exploration well drilled on the Kanuku license offshore Guyana.

Repsol is the operator of the Kanuku block with a 37.5% stake. Tullow also holds a 37.5% stake with Total holding the remaining 25%.

The Kanuku block is about 1.5 million acres (about 6,258 square kilometers).

CORENTYNE BLOCK In January 2022, CGX Energy Inc. announced that its drilling campaign has (Turn to page 21)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Amerindian Development…

FOCUS ON GUYANA’ S FIRST PEOPLE

Works moving apace on more ICT Hubs

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orks on the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) ICT Hub building at Karawab and Kabakaburi, Region 2 are moving apace and are expected to benefit scores of youths.

The creation of ICT hubs in the hinterland was reintroduced by the PPP/C government, after taking office in August 2020. The ICT Hubs will be established in communities which would not have had facilities before and the hubs will be equipped with a minimum of 25 computers.

Currently, many of the

very remote villages still use the traditional form of communicating via radio sets. These sets are old and have not been repaired or replaced over the years.

Before 2015, the PPP/C Government had started a programme aimed at modernising Guyana through ICT. This programme saw ICT labs being constructed and equipped in several communities and schools in the hinterland. Moreover, the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme was created in aid of ensuring that every Guyanese, throughout the country, has

access to information technology.

The PPP/C Government has committed to prioritizing Information and Communications Technology as a strategic catalyst for accelerating economic and social development across Guyana; particularly in the hinterland. Reducing many disparities between the hinterland and coastal areas necessitates the use of technology, a critical tool which the new government is looking to afford persons in indigenous communities, through the establishment of the ICT hubs.

First nursing programme launched in Region Nine ‒ Health Minister lauds youth for taking up the challenge

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s Guyana embarks on the massive expansion of its healthcare services, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, M.P, on Tuesday (April 12, 2022) launched the Nursing Assistant Programme at the Lethem Training Annex in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine).

This programme is the first of its kind in the region.

Director of Health Sciences, Dr. Seraiah Validum explained that 28 students from Region Nine, along with five from Region Eight are being trained to be qualified Nursing Assistants.

Delivering the feature address at the well-attended ceremony, Dr. Anthony said Guyana’s massive economic development will require a significant upgrade

I

t has been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs that misinformation is being peddled surrounding the resolution of issues that exist in some Amerindian Villages.

It is wholly injurious to Amerindians when so-called ‘well-wishers’ spread misinformation on matters relating to indigenous people, with the aim of undermining their progress, sowing seeds of division and reducing their power to determine their own issues.

The Ministry remains guided by the rule of law in addressing all issues relating to Amerindian development.

In the case of Hururu Village, it must be noted that the Council failed to comply with the law which required it to present a bud-

get approved by the general meeting in order to expend funds. As a result, only payments related to wages for Village employees were recommended for release.

This step was necessary in keeping with the principles of accountability and transparency and in the best interest of the community.

The unfounded claims of unfair and unjust treatment to employees of the Ministry are another attempt by the author to resuscitate his tardy image. The Ministry will not comment on the matter regarding the Permanent Secretary which is before the courts.

The procurement of goods and services by the ministry remains in compliance with public procurement process and practices.

The Ministry makes every effort to avoid the pitfall of the APNU-AFC regime which has been flagged for the most flagrant violations of our procurement laws and failure to account for hundreds of millions just a short few years ago. The author of these mischievous claims knows of the ills of the APNU-AFC as he was one of the architects of the rampant corruption that took place under that regime.

Amerindian and the hinterland communities can rest assure that the Ministry continues to work in their best interest to deliver on the PPP/C’s manifesto promises in keeping with their desires and aspirations, including secured livelihoods and enhanced living conditions.

things, the infrastructure and the equipment, and we are not improving the human resources, then we would still not be able to deliver the kinds of care that we want,” he explained.

The minister congratulated the batch of students for being “a pioneering group”, and encouraged them to blaze the trail so that others would easily be able to follow. Anthony said, “You are a historic group, you are a pioneering group, and therefore we want to see and we are invested in your successes…use this as an appetizer so that you can go research and learn more.”

The Ministry of Health is embarking on 16 different programmes to train and upskill people in healthcare services.

Engagement with CSOs aimed at enhancing collaboration

E

Misinformation being peddled on the resolution of Amerindian issues in Villages

in the health sector, citing the enormous resources allocated in the 2022 National Budget for this purpose.

“These investments were not made by accident. We have to invest in developing our health centres, our health posts, district [and] regional hospitals…and at the same time ensure we have…the things needed so that we can improve the quality of care,” he noted.

Minister Anthony highlighted the government’s plans to fully transform Guyana’s healthcare sector, saying that the development of the country’s human resource is most important to the sector’s transformation. “[Human resources are] the most important component.

So, if we are doing the other

ngagement with Guyanese continues by the PPP/C government and, more recently, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, met with Community Services Officers (CSOs) of Chenapau, Region 8.

The engagement saw exchanges on what contribution CSOs can make towards village development.

Further, concerns and recommendations from the perspective of the youths,

relative to development of their communities, were also addressed.

Notably, a whopping $3.1 billion is allocated for core Amerindian development programmes in Budget 2022. This includes provision of $561.6 million to achieve a target of 20 Certificates of Title for Amerindian Villages. The sum of $3.4 billion is budgeted for the hinterland roads programme, with the aim

of improving connectivity.

In 2022, a total of $411.2 million is budged to allow 71 additional communities to benefit from tractors, implements and economic projects aimed at enhancing the development of agriculture, tourism, women and youth.

These sums are additional to monies budgeted by various ministries for interventions to support Amerindian communities.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Ali rubbishes Norton's claims of removal of electricity subsidy R

esidents of Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice), were assured by President Dr. Irfaan Ali that all the benefits they enjoy will continue, and will be extended by his government.

His assurance follows a recent statement made by PNC/R leader Aubrey Norton, telling Lindeners that the government plans to remove the electricity subsidy from which they benefit. “There is no differentiation of the people Linden to the people of any other region…We just came from Linden, an extensive and elaborate consultation where not only did we assure that the benefits they have will continue, but we extended those benefits,” President Ali said.

He said when his government took office almost two years ago, it came with one agenda, and that was to ensure prosperity for all Guyanese, regardless of their location or background. He said, “I don’t spend much of my time in negativity. I spend

“Mr. Norton can continue this path of propaganda, continue this path of mischief making, it will bring you nothing. I advise you to embrace the concept of one Guyana and get a full understanding of reality. This is not Guyana of the past.”

– President Dr. Irfaan Ali my time building Guyana in a positive way. The people of Linden can understand and appreciate one thing, this is a government that embrace them like every Guyanese,” the head-of-state emphasised.

President Ali has therefore urged the people of Linden to beware of instigators and those who seek to create division. “Mr. Norton can continue this path of propaganda, continue this path of mischief making, it will bring you nothing. I advise you to embrace the concept of one Guyana and get a full understanding of reality. This is not Guyana of the past,” he affirmed.

The allegations by Norton were also rejected by

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips. The Vice President in a statement described the allegations as false and baseless.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister explained that an Interim Management Committee was established to manage the Linden Utility Co-operative Society Limited (LUCSL) following a determination by the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) that it was being mismanaged.

As such, a committee comprising seven Lindeners, was appointed by the CCDO to manage the society, in accordance with the Cooperative Society Act.

Macro-vision being created to transform President Ali says national stadium, urban centre and Region Six ‒training centre on the horizon

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egion Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is slated for a massive transformation across all sectors, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, whose remarks came during a Cabinet outreach to the Region on Monday (April 11, 2022).

During his first stop at the Drop-in Centre in Smythfield, New Amsterdam, the Head of State made a few major announcements. “We are creating a macro-vision that will transform this region beyondrecognition, that will bring new opportunities, that will bring new jobs, that will bring sustainable jobs, and that will empower people to participate in a greater way in the economy of this region. That is what we are about,” Ali said.

The President said that his Government has been working on a pathway of prosperity for every single citizen in the region and for every citizen in the country.

He said, “As we speak now, we are evaluating many interests, from the thought of a deep water harbour to actually working on an agreement to having a deep water harbour right here in Region Six that will create thousands of jobs, upstream and downstream.”

It was also announced that more than six proposals for small refineries in the Region have been received.

To supplement the possibility of refineries and other related projects, the Guyana National Training Centre will also be established in the region.

He said that more than $160m will be spent in “phase one alone” of the training centre, which will be used to train young people in oil and gas and the hospitality sector. Ali said, “These are the real investments.”

The President added that Berbice will also see the construction of its own na-

tional stadium, which will be supported by the development of an urban centre.

He said, “To support that national stadium, we are going to build a new urban centre. We already have proposals for state-of-theart modern hotels, malls, private hospitals and a whole lot more other commercial activity that will come here and commence before the end of this year.”

He also said that plans are in the pipeline to upgrade the Canje/Rose Hall aerodrome to make it into a municipal airport, similar to the Ogle Airport on the East Coast of Demerara.

It was announced that the region will get two call centres. He said that resources for their construction have already been budgeted and that work will commence soon. This initiative, the President noted, will bring hundreds of jobs to East (Turn to page 17)

Gov’t will rehabilitate, upgrade and expand Parika Market T he PPP/C Government will be expanding and enhancing the Parika Market to create a more conducive environment for vendors to ply their trade, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. The upgrade to the market, he added, also aims to end illegal vending along the roadways as Government will ask all vendors to move into the new and upgraded facility.

The President made this statement after an interactive session with vendors and patrons at the Parika Market on Sunday (April 10, 2022).

President Ali said that he was able to identify a few issues from his walkabout at the market, including needed infrastructural development.

This, he said, has resulted in the Government thinking about ways of enhancing the infrastructure to make it appealing for patrons to shop and for vendors to ply their trade. He said, “We will expand the tarmac; we will look at putting in the canopy—the walkway canopy, and then we will also look at enhancing the facility….”

The President reassured the vendors that the Government will make the necessary investments for the upgrades and expansion. According to him, consultations on the project will commence this week and will be assisted by the Minister of Tourism,

Industry and Commerce, the Honourable Oneidge Walrond and the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, the Honourable Deodat Indar.

The President also noted that the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, the Honourable Dr Ashni Singh, will see what additional resources will be needed “and then we have to move forward, but definitely, something has to be done.”

VENDORS WILLING The Head of State also noted that following his visit and interactions with the vendors, especially those along the roadside, he is left with the impression that “there is a mood and a willingness” to move into the market. He said, “Sometimes people have to embrace decisions that may seem hard initially—but decisions that will ultimately benefit them— benefit everyone.”

The President explained that the consultations should be completed within two weeks. He is hoping that within six months, there will be physical and tangible progress because “it is a major issue. We cannot allow it to continue, and I’m not prepared to allow it to continue. All of us will have to embrace the decision.”

MARKET REVENUE Another issue that was unearthed, the President said, surrounds revenue. He explained that the Market’s Management Committee, on a monthly basis, collects $1.2m on average but expends $1,127,000 on expenses (for staff payment, utilities and other services).

He said, “Additionally, there is $10m of outstanding rent for the market. So I want people to understand this. So whilst the market management can do better and should do better, they are faced with this reality too.”

He said it is clear that the Market’s management does not have the capacity or capability to invest in infrastructural upgrades.

President Ali added that the market is a public service since people, in and out of Region Three, ply their trade there.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, and other cabinet ministers and government and regional officials, also took part in the walkabout.

The market visit is the second over the weekend, by the Head of State. On Saturday (April 9, 2022), he visited the Leonara Market, where he proposed building a huge tarmac for vending.

Gov’t proposes building large market tarmac for Leonora vendors

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he PPP/C government’s plan to construct a new tarmac and upgrade the road at the Leonora Market, Region Three was announced

by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Saturday (April 9, 2022) The President was at the time conducting a walkabout at the Leonora Market, where he interacted with vendors, many of whom travel from various parts of the country to the Leonora Market to ply their trade. Chief among the issues raised by the vendors was the need to upgrade the market, and the road, in order to create a more enabling environment for businesses.

“We want to propose one huge tarmac, one huge tarmac and bring everyone on the tarmac and then develop the infrastructure around the tarmac, that is the proposition

we have made,” Ali told the media following the walkabout.

The head-of-state said the vendors and residents were inclined to the proposed tarmac and as such, a team of ministers and regional officials will be returning to the region next week to engage stakeholders on the issue.

The exercise also presented an opportunity for the president to review commodities and other food items in the market. The vendors reported that while the prices for dry goods continue to fluctuate, fruits and vegetables have been reduced significantly.

Ali said, “Many people in this market, despite the public posturing of some, who by the way consider themselves to be part of the

intellectual class, under the reality that we are facing globally…they are not naive and they understand what the government is doing and they too, had recommendations.

Many people spoke about interventions that will enhance disposable income so this is what we are building on in the government.”

The President also reported that the government is working on an initiative that will see the country investing in a gold market hub in Barbados. The initiative, which is being headed by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, will benefit goldsmiths within the region.

President Ali stated that his government, as promised in its Manifesto, will be com(Turn to page 17)

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

PARLIAMENT HAPPENINGS UNDER REVIEW THE PPP/C’ S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, MORE

Forensic audit ordered into financial breaches in Region 5 under Coalition gov’t T

he Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the Audit Office of Guyana to conduct a forensic audit into various procurement and other financial breaches in Region Five.

The matter of Region 5 has been pending, given that the former Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ovid Morrison could not be ‘found’. The PAC had also

engaged the Police to try to find Morrison.

The embattled Morrison finally appeared before the PAC on Monday (April 11, 2022) to face questions about the findings of the Auditor General in his 2017 and 2018 reports.

However, when questions were put to him, Morrison failed to provide satisfactory responses.

Among the queries was the finding by the Auditor General that the Regional Tender Board used the words “selective tendering” to award 18 contracts totalling $59.1 million to this one contractor. The reason given was that 10 of these works were emergencies, and of that number, eight totalling $21.5 million were awarded to the contractor at one sitting of

the Regional Tender Board on September 7, 2017 and recorded on Regional Tender Board minutes 16/2017.

These contracts, according to the Auditor General, had no commencement and completion dates. In response, the head of the budget agency had indicated that all the cases were emergencies and it was an oversight that the minutes did not indicate such

for all the awards. Corrective action had been promised to ensure commencement and completion dates were included.

PAC member and Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira, noted that the forensic audit was needed since the matter concerns almost $200M of taxpayer funds. “In light of paragraphs 945 (2018) and

820 (2017), I am calling for a full investigation by the Auditor General office. This PAC cannot do it on our own, but we want a full investigation in regards to the violations that took place of the Procurement Act under these two paragraphs alone,” Teixeira said.

Also present was the current REO, Genevieve Blackman.

Seven bills tabled for first reading Gov’t motion to improve scrutiny

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he sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday (April 13, 2022) saw the tabling of seven new pieces of legislation for first reading by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration, as part of the move forward with a packed legislative agenda.

The bills included: 1. The Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2022, which amends the Evidence Act; 2. The Condominium Bill 2022, which makes provision for horizontal and vertical subdivision of land and buildings into units for individual ownership and to make provision for the use and management of condominiums, as well as related matters; 3. The Juvenile Justice (Amendment) Bill 2022,

which amends the Juvenile Justice Act; 4. the Numbers and Midwives Bill 2022, which makes provision for the registration and regulation and nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and special nurses, as well as related matters; 5. The Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill 2022, which makes provision for mental health care and treatment for persons with mental illnesses, protects, promotes and fulfils the human rights of those persons during the delivery of health care. The proposed Bill also provides for the establishment of a Mental Health Board and repeals the Mental Health Ordinance, as well as related issue; 6. The Radiation Safety and

Security Bill 2022, which provides for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of ionizing radiation, as well as the protection of persons and environment against the harmful effect of radioactive waste, and the establishment of the Radiation Safety and Security Board; and 7. The Tax (Amendment) Bill, which amends the tax act to bring into force the removal of stamp duties, as announced in Budget 2022.

The Bills were presented to the House by the various subject Ministers.

Government Chief Whop and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, had said that the 12th Parliament has an enormous amount of work, given the PPP/C plans for development and a “heavy” legislative agenda.

House greenlights nominees for Commissions, NRF Board

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he National Assembly has approved nominees considered by the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for major commissions.

On Wednesday (April 13, 2022), the House approved the five persons to serve on the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

The persons named by Public Accounts Committee as “suitable candidates” to sit on the PPC are: Attorney-at-Law Pauline Chase; Economist, Joel Bhagwandin; Rajnarain Singh; Berkeley Wickham; and Diana Rajcumar.

The last Public Procurement Commission came to an end in October 2019.

Also approved were the nominees for the Police Service Commission (PSC), as named by the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments. Those named by the Committee included: Attorney-at-Law Charles Conway; businessman Ernesto Chooa-Fat; businessman Akeem Mohammed; and Pastor Patrick Findlay.

The last Police Service Commission expired in August 2021.

The Parliament’s nominee for the Natural Resource Fund, Dunston Barrow, also receive a nod from the House, paving the way for his appointment to the Board of Directors for the Fund. Also, Mr. Clement Sealey to the

Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

In addition to Barrow, President Dr. Irfaan Ali is expected to name three persons and the Private Sector is expected to name one. The five persons will make up the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Board.

The National Assembly on January 24, 2022 approved a Motion by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh for the Appointment Committee to recommend a Parliamentary nominee to serve on the new 2021 Natural Resource Fund’s (NRF) Board of Directors, as stipulated in (Turn to page 16)

mechanism at PAC approved

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he National Assembly, on Tuesday (April 13, 2022) night, approved a motion to amend the quorum for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which was tabled in the House

by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.

The motion, which amended Standing Order 82, makes it mandatory for both sides to be present to form a quorum before decisions can be made. The Standing Order was amended by inserting immediately after paragraph (3), the following paragraph – “(4) A quorum shall be five (5) members, two (2) representing the government, two (2) representing the opposition and the chairperson.” Prior to the amendment, only three members were required to form a quorum from either side of the house.

Teixeira in her arguments for the motion noted that the change ensures that no decision is made unless there is full agreement. She said, “It is about trust and confidence about making sure that there’s representation in the PAC… we can’t have it two ways, you want to rush through because you want to get to 2020 because you want to prove a point, but you don’t want to deal with serious transgressions, serious breaches that are going on regrettably under your tenure, your stewardship…the issue of the quorum being amended is not harmful, it will in fact make sure both sides always have two on each side, you do not have to have everybody but you have to have two on each side to ensure the work goes forward… this will enhance the way in which we operate in the Parliament.

It is not harmful to anyone…. this is not an issue of this government being afraid of being scrutinised, you cannot say

that because we are not at this government’s expenditure from October 2020 forward. But what it attempts to do is ensure in the Public Accounts Committee there is recognition on both sides, that the government side has an interest to make sure that when expenditure comes up and examined that it is there to see it and participate in it just as it is the right of the opposition to be there, and to do what they have to do.”

A no-holds barred Teixeira charged that the push back on the motion by APNU+AFC Coalition is strange, since it was the same opposition that gave itself a majority in the PAC following the 2011 elections and reversed it when that party became government in 2015.

Subsequent arguments from APNU+AFC Coalition Parliamentarian and PAC Chairman, Jermaine Figueira, were rubbished by Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who pointed out that the PAC is a bipartisan body that seeks to strengthen accountability and transparency and make strong recommendations to protect the public’s purse. This, he said, is something that is missing from the current PAC. He pointed out that government had to resort to the National Assembly to remove a chairman from the PAC, who abused privileges, and suppressed views of members of the government side.

He further noted that government had to enforce a rule to remind the current chairperson that decisions are not made by the chairman, but by the committee.

Edghill said, “Is there any right taken away? The answer is no. Would this motion prevent scrutiny? The answer is no. As a matter of fact, it will enhance scrutiny. If members of a previous government sit

alone, examining their own record that many of them participated in, in the current context where members are making excuses for accounting officers and government is not present, well then you know that will not enhance scrutiny, that will prevent scrutiny.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, pointed out that the purpose of having a quorum is to ensure that there is the minimum possible and widest participation at a meeting. “Applying that principle, why is it in a parliament that you have two large parties you do not want equilibrium in the representation at the most minimal level? What is the rationale for that?” the Attorney General questioned.

Nandlall added, “We have the vote; we have decided this is the way it has to go. We want a Public Accounts Committee that has greater bipartisanship and we are moving in that direction. I do not see all the sinister motives and the ulterior intent that is being ascribed to this motion. I see a simple motion to change the configuration of the Public Accounts Committee so that it can achieve greater accountability, it can do its work with greater circumspection and care that the work deserves and it will bring greater inclusivity in our democracy.”

By the end of the debates, 34 members, including opposition member of the Liberty and Justice Party, Lenox Shuman, voted for the amendment, while 29 members of the APNU+AFC Coalition opposition voted against it. Two Parliamentarians were absent during the vote.

The PAC is made up of nine members; five from government and four from the opposition.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

$160M for first phase of oil and gas, hospitality training centre in Region 6 – President Ali T

he Port Mourant Training Centre in Region Six, will be transformed into a national training centre to prepare Guyanese youth for the oil and gas and hospitality sectors, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Monday (April 11, 2022).

The president said $160 million will be spent on phase one of the project, which is expected to commence by the end of the year.

The president led a community engagement at the Rose Hall Estate Welfare Ground in Canje, along with Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues.

He said, “The Guyana National Training Centre will be here in Region Six. This is the centre that will train our young people in different

areas of oil and gas and the hospitality institute will be part of that centre. These are the investments that will transform this region.”

He said that government understands the importance of education and the need to ensure youths are equipped with the necessary skills that would make them employable and contribute to the country’s development.

As such, the sum of $50 million will also be invested to equip the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), to train young people in skills needed in the region and the country at large.

Ali said, “We are creating a macro-vision that will transform this region beyond recognition, that will bring new opportunities that will bring new jobs, that will bring sustainable jobs, and that will empower people to participate in a greater way in the economy of this

region. That is what we are about.”

The president also spoke of some of the other initiatives implemented to improve access to education within the region. The sum of $108 million was spent on the provision of textbooks for primary aged children.

Resources will also be provided for books for the secondary school students.

More than $613 million was also disbursed to parents of school aged children in the region through the Because We Care cash grant, while $122 million was distributed in uniform allowance.

The head-of -state also mentioned some of the other initiatives implemented to bring relief to the citizens including the COVID

cash grant which saw some 39,000 households benefiting from $926 million in disposable income.

Further, more than $3.6 billion in pension has been distributed to pensioners. In keeping with its manifesto promise, President Ali said that amount will triple in the coming years.

Additionally, close to $50 million was spent to

empower women within the region. “We understand that the issues are multidimensional… not only are we embarking on education and training programme, but we are investing in a shelter for women. We have invested in child advocacy centres for our children,” he noted.

These initiatives are all part of the administration’s overall plan to uplift the lives of citizens, and create an enabling environment for citizens to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.

400 small business grants, co-investment ventures on the cards for Region Six – Vice President V ice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, over the weekend, announced that the PPP/C administration will be providing 400 small business grants ranging from $200,000 to $250,000 to Region Six, as another measure to generate jobs and revitalise economic activities there.

He was addressing residents at a meeting hosted at the Line Path Community Centre Ground, Skeldon.

Region Six was the hardest hit from the APNU+AFC’s closure of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates, which saw over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

Dr. Jagdeo related to the massive crowd, government’s intent to partner with private cane farmers to

utilise some 12, 000 acres of land for production of various crops, which is currently being explored.

This follows a meeting earlier in the day with the farmers at the Classic Hotel Banquet Hall, Skeldon.

The Vice President related, “Now frankly speaking I did not realise it’s so many people in the co-ops and they told me it’s close to 700 persons but they have 12,000 acres of land that they can put back into production very soon, if they get support.”

Within two weeks a proposal would be prepared, which government will examine to determine the feasibility of such an initiative. This forms part of government’s co-investment initiative which will see part-

nerships with the private sector to create employment opportunities. Similar initiatives were announced in Regions Two and Ten during the VP’s recent outreaches to those regions.

Residents were then updated on another plan to open up approximately 6,000 acres of land for cultivation, as the administration continues to aggressively look at ways of generating jobs in the region, which has one of the largest populations in the country.

The Vice President added that, “So we are going to return to some sugar production in the area, but on a smaller scale. We plan to also utilise some of the land for high end aquaculture in Berbice, we see a major potential to grow shrimp for

export.”

As it relates to the very lucrative hemp industry which government has announced its intention to tap into, the VP noted that, “And then in a couple or maybe a month or two, we’ll pass new legislation to grow hemp in the country, industrial hemp… So they use the hemp to make fibre, the rope, they use it to make clothing, oils, soap, a whole range of stuff when they’re processing them. And it’s very, very expensive and we have the right soil in these areas. He said, “So we are looking here, [Regions] Six and 10 to grow the hemp and to get a major investor to buy it from the farmers.”

Residents were also given the opportunity to raise a

number of concerns, which the VP committed to ad-

dressing through the various ministries and agencies.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

3,000 part-time jobs for Region Six as gov’t advances initiative to ease cost of living

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esidents of Region Six will soon benefit from 3,000 part-time government jobs. Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo made the announcement Sunday (April 10, 2022), during a meeting with fisherfolk in the region.

The Vice President said the government would begin rolling out the initiative in the next three weeks in the region.

Jagdeo believes the move will provide added financial aid to residents.

He had explained that only one person from a household could benefit from the initiative. The Vice President said persons could earn up to $40,000 monthly and work three times per week.

This is part of a strategic approach to provide longterm support to citizens amid rising cost of living, due to the COVID-19 pandemic

and other external factors.

Persons along the Essequibo coast and Region 10 will be benefitting from 800 of these jobs, respectively.

This was announced by the Vice President, during his recent outreaches to those regions.

In a previous interview, Vice President Jagdeo pointed out that the venture was not easy for government, since the previous government left no workable plans or finances to offset the nation’s development agenda.

Further, more than 30,000 jobs were lost during the previous APNU+AFC Administration’s tenure.

Region Six was the hardest hit, following the closure of several Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates and termination of over 7,000 workers by the APNU+AFC.

It is also one of the largest regions in terms of population size and the VP said the provision of the parttime jobs is another step by the PPP/C government to supplement the income of the citizens.

He spoke briefly of the administration’s plan to venture into hemp cultivation in Region Six and Ten. Hemp is a multi-billion-dollar industry and government believes tapping into it would accrue enormous benefits for the country and create employment.

The administration is aggressively pushing to provide 50,000 jobs over a fiveyear period, as was promised in its manifesto. It has invested a significant number of resources to strategically enhance the lives of citizens, since taking office in August 2020.

Gov’t doing all within its power to ensure licensing of Guyanese fishermen in Suriname waters – VP

T

he PPP/C Administration is committed to ensuring Guyanese fisher folk plying their trade in Suriname’s waters, receive their official licences soonest to bar the “harassment” they are currently facing.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Sunday (April 10, 2022) met with a number of fisher folk at the Classic Hotel Banquet Hall, Skeldon, to discuss the issue at length and ascertain ways in which government could support in the interim.

The Vice President was joined by Minister within the Office of the President with

responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; and Minister of Foreign Affair and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd.

Dr. Jagdeo said the matter remains a priority of the administration, which is doing all within its power to have the problem addressed.

He stressed that the only move the administration can commit to presently, is advancing the pressure on the neighbouring country, at the highest level.

Minister Mustapha said

the topic was discussed during the former PPP/C government’s reign. He noted that the Suriname authority has committed to fixing the matter but to no avail.

“They keep making commitment but are not delivering on those commitments,” the agriculture minister told fisher folk. Minister Mustapha has been in regular contact with Suriname’s agriculture minister. He said government is fully aware of the fatigue Guyanese fisher folk are forced to endure.

The PPP/C government has committed to maintaining dialogue with Suriname.

Stadium, road upgrades among massive infrastructural development for Region Six – Vice President

Jagdeo leads engagement with GOAL scholarship awardees

V

ice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, over the weekend, met with GOAL scholarship awardees of Region Six, during a two-day outreach to the Region, during which he is expected to meet with residents and other

stakeholders.

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand were also present.

T

he village of Palmrya could soon become one of the premier business hubs in the ancient county, as the PPP/C Administration takes a robust approach to make Region Six more economically viable.

During a meeting with members of the business community on Sunday (April 10, 2022) at the Classic Hotel Banquet Hall, Skeldon, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo announced

that the administration is considering converting a portion of the canefield at Palmyra into a stadium.

This is just one of several transformational projects that were outlined to significantly develop the region, ranging from health, infrastructure, sport and education, among others.

“All the lands of GuySuCo around the Palmyra area where the monument is you are going to have a stadium

similar to the one in Providence in Georgetown,” the VP told those gathered.

The Vice President believes that the massive sporting facility can serve hundreds of residents in both Regions Five and Six, as the one at Providence is serving Region Three and Four. He explained that the area can become a growth pole with a lay out of businesses; shopping malls, ho(Turn to page 17)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

PPP/C Ministers take outreach to Region 6 Continuing community engagement, senior PPP/C government officials, over the weekend, engaged residents from across Region 6, during a Cabinet Outreach exercise.

The outreaches to communities across Guyana is in line with a commitment from the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C administration to remian engaged with Guyanese to respond to their concerns.

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June 15th set as date for report on Coalition MPs facing Privileges Committee T

he National Assembly on Wednesday (April 13, 2022) approved a motion for an extension of the deadline for the work of the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to be completed.

The Committee is now set to submit its report on the APNU+AFC Coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) that were sent to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee on June 15, 2022.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, on January 24, 2022, had moved the motion in the House, which also called for the Privileges Committee to act with “alacrity” on the matter and report to the House within one month.

Teixeira said, “This day (December 29, 2021) will go down in annals of the history of the Guyana Parliament… the evidence is overwhelming. This is recorded evidence that cannot be erased or forgotten. In fact it was seen in Guyana, nationally, and globally…the space between the Government side and Opposition side is, in any Parliament, considered the safe zone, the safe space, and any entrance without per-

mission is interpreted as an act of aggression and a threat to the safety of the Members of Parliament…these events that transpired in this house – the stealing and the damage to the mace of Parliament; the deliberate damage to the equipment of the Arthur Chung Conference Center and the control room; the assault on a member of staff; the repeated disregard for the Speaker and the authority of the Assembly require stern measures.”

After reading the motion, House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, ruled that the matter be sent to the Privileges Committee. “The matter is now referred to the Privileges Committee,” he said.

The Coalition Parliamentarians facing sanctions are: Christopher Jones, the Opposition Chief Whip; Ganesh Mahipaul; Sherod Duncan; Natasha Singh- Lewis; Annette Ferguson; Vinceroy Jordan; Tabitha Saraboo-Halley; and Maureen Philadelphia.

DECEMBER 29, 2021 INCIDENT In an effort derail the debating and passing of the

Walton-Desir makes ‘wild’ claims, says evidence will be provided when PNCR is ‘ready’

I

n August 2021, the National Assembly, by majority, passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2021, aimed at simplifying the process of acquiring a birth certificate if a person has no original documents, particularly for those persons in the hinterland regions, and addressing time limits on registrations of births, etc.

This week, the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR), Amanza Walton-Desir, claimed that the Voters Lists is being padded, as a result of the legislation. Notably, the Guyana Elections Commis-

sion (GECOM) is currently conducting a cycle of Continuous Registration, which ends on May 29, 2022.

When pressed, for details to substantiate the claim, Walton-Desir waffled.

At a news conference on Tuesday (April 12, 2022), the APNU+AFC Coalition Parliamentarian was asked, “You said that the legislation was a mandate with the aim of padding the voters list. Have your party on the ground encountered any such or any instance of someone who is not eligible for Guyanese citizenship. The migrants, (Turn to page 16)

Natural Resources Fund Bill, the Parliamentary Opposition hijacked the sitting – blowing whistles and chanting – while its MPs, Ferguson and Jordan, attempted to seize this ceremonial symbol. Other Opposition MPs attempted to do the same too, in the presence of the entire National Assembly.

Also, Opposition MPs ambushed the control room of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) and wildly unplugged the connections in the electrical systems room, which led to an internet disconnection and audio failures. Members of

Parliament who had joined processions virtually were even disconnected from the feed as a consequence of this.

The Coalition’s Saraboo-Halley was named as responsible for this.

Further, a parliament staffer, Ean McPherson, was assaulted. He has since moved to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) with a complaint. McPherson, in prior interview, 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. “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,” McPherson added. In addition to Philadelphia, the Coalition’s Singh-Lewis was also named as being responsible.

Teixeira’s in her motion had made clear that the actions represented “gross disorderly conduct” and “contempt and breaches of privilege” by Opposition Parliamentarians, and such abhorrent actions cannot be condoned.

The APNU+AFC Coalition has consistently been cited for disruptions and behaviour that is not constructive.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Walton-Desir makes ‘wild’ claims, says... particularly that you would have referred to any such concerns of them obtaining birth certificates Under this new legislation, yes, how many such instances and where?”

Not providing details, she said, “Well, I will want to confirm with you that we are indeed in receipt of complaints, particularly in the fire from the far flung hinterland regions of persons, having acquired Guyanese birth certificates. And we want to say this that we are not surprised that generally, people on the coast are

having a very difficult time obtaining birth certificates, some are waiting for five, six months, when a child is born to have that birth registered, we suspect that there is an emphasis being placed on registering births in the far flung hinterland regions. And that is why there appears to be a paucity of birth certificates available to Guyanese out here on the coast. So yes, we are in receipt of several complaints, I cannot give you a definite number, because this is a situation that is changing daily, daily,

we get caught up in some Bartica. It's from Region One, Region Eight, Region Nine, that you know, there are people who obviously are migrants, who have suddenly gotten a Guyanese birth certificate.”

Walton-Desir was asked a second time, “You said several instances, but to date, how can you give me a ballpark figure of how many such complaint, how much? The amount of the complaints that you would have received from when this process has started to now, a ballpark figure?”

(From page 15)

Again, the Coalition Parliamentarian was unable to answer.

For a third time, Walton-Desir was asked, “You didn't give me the ballpark figure. If you have that.”

Walton-Desir said, “I have said to you that it is a situation that is evolving daily. And I'm sure that once we are ready, we will indicate once we will have compiled that information.

We will certainly be happy to share with you.”

This is not the first time that APNU+AFC Coalition reps have made comments and claims, without being able to substantiate them.

House greenlights nominees... (From page 11) Part III of the Act, as well as for another Parliamentary Nominee to serve on the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee (PAOC) in pursuant of Section VI of the new Act. According to Part III of the new Act, Governance and Management of the Fund ‘shall be selected from among persons who have wide experience and ability in legal, financial business or administrative matters, one of whom shall be nominated

by the National Assembly and one of whom shall be a representative of the private sector’.

The inclusion in the new Act (Board of Directors) was made by government as part of groundbreaking amendments to the old 2019 NRF Act as it removed the excessive powers of the Minister which were contained in the old Act. It also allows for management of the Fund by the Board of Directors, a Board which will be re-

sponsible for reviewing and approving the policies of the Fund and monitoring its performance, thereby completely separating the management of the Fund from the Minister responsible for Finance.

While the votes on the Public Procurement Commission and the Police Service Commission required a twothirds majority, the Natural Resource Fund and the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee only required a majority vote.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Macro-vision being created...

Berbice-Corentyne.

He explained that in the region alone, billions of dollars have been spent within the last two years to uplift the lives of its people.

The President also listed the current developmen-

tal programmes, from road construction to housing, to benefits for the health sector. He said that all of these things are happening while his Government continues to navigate global issues, including Covid-19, the War

(From page 10)

in Ukraine and the Supply Chain crisis. “Our job is to work with every single stakeholder to ensure that we build a region and a country that create sustainable opportunities for all,” Ali assured.

Gov’t proposes building large... (From page 10) mencing a massive nationwide outreach proogramme, with the aim of engaging citizens on issues that will guide the administration’s programmes and policies. He said, “We don’t want people to come to the government.

We want to come to the people, and we are not afraid of doing this because we know our policies are orient-

ed around the advancement of every Guyanese.”

The president was accompanied by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, Minister Walrond, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd,

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, along with regional officials. The ministers also had the opportunity to engage residents and vendors on issues relating to housing and water, education, security, public infrastructure and other social services.

Stadium, road upgrades among... (From page 13) tels, restaurants and a host of other activities. Works to execute the project should begin by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, due to the neglect of the previous administration, Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that it will take billions of dollars to rebuild and put together the infrastructure of the Skeldon Estate. In the interim, he said the PPP/C Government is looking to operate the sugar industry on a smaller scale. He pointed to the cultivation of hemp, which he noted, is a very lucrative industry. “We are passing the legislation next month.

We’ve identified this area as one and Region 10 to grow industrial hemp. Now hemp is a very lucrative industry. It has to be tightly managed. It can bring thousands of jobs to the area.

These are just some of the plans that we’re working on to ensure that the sugar workers who are laid off get re-employed. We have to try to get people re-employed, so that is why in this year’s budget, we made a decision that we will give people temporary employment so that they can have a family income,” the Vice President added.

A sum of US $100 million will be invested to widen and pave the main access road from New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek, Corentyne. The project will see the thoroughfare being widened by four feet on each side. Tender for the project will be out shortly.

Another $4 billion is set aside for community roads.

There will also be upgrades to several bridges across the region.

Further, the Vice President noted that a campus will be established at Port Mourant to provide training in oil and gas.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Contract signed for over $569 million to dredge... (From page 7) Pomeroon River mouth is a major project. You know the Pomeroon is very prone to flooding. When those works are done, coupled with the continued block-drainage programme that continues this year, flooding in this

area will be mitigated,” the minister noted.

Last December and again in February this year, farmers from several farming communities along the Pomeroon River were severely affected by flooding as a result of ex-

tensive rainfall, compounded by the overtopping of the Pomeroon River. This resulted in farmers who were just beginning to return to the land following last year’s floods that wiped out close to 90% of the country’s agricul-

ture sector, suffering tremendous losses once more.

Minister Mustapa further noted that the ministry was also looking to have similar works done on the three main rivers in Region Five, namely the Mahaicony, Mahaica, and Abary Rivers. These works, he added, should commence sometime this year.

The minister explained that with MMA being the largest rice-growing area in the country, it was critical for the scheme to have an efficient drainage and irrigation system in place.

The Mahaica Mahaicony Abary–Agriculture Development Authority (MMA– ADA) also signed contracts

for the rehabilitation of its seed processing facility as well as the supply and delivery of two super long reach hydraulic excavators and one tractor amounting to $115,063,642.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) also signed contracts amounting to $196,638,923 for the supply and delivery of a number of critical equipment, including two complete sets of land leveling equipment for the Albion Estate. These equipment are expected to contribute to the estate’s modification in which 50% of lands are earmarked to be converted over a four-year period. The equipment will

comprise a scraper box that is attached to the tractor along with a laser leveling device to grade/level the cane fields.

The primary objectives of these machines are to create layouts that will favor mechanical harvesting and to improve the current harvesting capacity of the Estate.

The New Guyana Marketing Corporation (New GMC), the Fisheries Department, and the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) also signed contracts for the supply and delivery of critical equipment and the execution of several key infrastructural and rehabilitation works across the country.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

Guyana, Canada sign MOU for cooperation... the economic evolution of Guyana. Singh added that the administration has worked hard over the years to create an investment climate that is hospitable, and attractive to Canadian companies. The government is therefore, pleased with the interest shown by the Canadian Com-

mercial Cooperation in Guyana. “Given where Guyana is economically, and given the sharp and incredibly exciting economic transformation that we are currently embarking on in Guyana, we see this as a special opportunity for economic relationship for all our friendly partners. We

see this as an opportunity for those relationships to evolve at the same speed to which the Guyanese economy is changing right now,” he reiterated.

Meanwhile, Mary Ng, said the signing is another chapter of the relationship Guyana and Canada started

58 years ago. She expressed optimism that the countries can work on ensuring that the commercial activities and businesses are able to benefit from this long-standing friendship and relationship.

“This symbolises the confidence of us working together towards the sustainable and

(From page 7)

inclusive economic recovery from COVID 19, and I’m looking forward for a greater collaboration between Canada and Guyana,” she noted.

Prior to the signing of the MOU, President Ali and a high-level cabinet team including Dr. Singh, Minister of Public Works, Bishop

Juan Edghill, M.P, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, M.P, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, M.P and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, M.P, met with Minister Ng and her delegation.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

In filling vacancies GECOM must ensure... others, who now or will qualify as first-time voters based on their birth dates, it is critical and essential to make sure they get on the Voters’ List, and be able to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming Local Government Elections.

Editor, please permit me the space to applaud the positive “Day of Fasting and Prayers” initiative

advanced and led by His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. The overwhelming attendance and success of the programme highlight the recognition and need for sincere divine intervention and guidance in utilising every vehicle in the moulding of the thematic ‘one Guyana for all citizens’ platform.’ We must continue to work

together, and we shall achieve together! It was therefore enterprising to witness members of the Parliamentary Opposition present and supporting the endeavour.

It will be remiss of me not to observe the PNCR’s ‘hop-scotch’ process. We are seeing the return to Parliament of Aubrey Norton and Volda Lawrence, the self-pro-

(From page 4)

claimed ‘Racist’ who publicly said she is only employing PNC people. While Mr. Granger’s hands may have been tied, for many, it is indeed sad to see the return to Parliament of the two rejects. The situation lends justified conclusions about the thin spread of capacity in the party. The civilised world must give way to the younger generation,

and racist and self-opinionated persons must step aside and allow people with better judgment to prevail.

In the same vein, permit me to remind all stakeholders that there is no room for RIGGERS at GECOM! Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

$150B in oil revenues earned since... (From page 8) produced results with a find at the Kawa-1 well.

The Kawa-1 well was drilled to a depth of 21,578 feet (6,578 metres) and targeted the easternmost Campanian and Santonian channel/lobe complex on the northern section of the Corentyne block.

The operations of CGX Energy Inc. in the Corentyne

Block is done in partnership with Frontera Energy Corporation.

The Corentyne block contains 1,125,000 acres (4,552 square kilometers).

NATURAL RESOURCE FUND To date, revenues from the oil and gas sector have been deposited in the Natu-

ral Resources Fund.

As at March 31, 2022, the balance in the Fund, which has already received inflows for at least 10 oil lifts since ExxonMobil started production in the Liza 1 Development, as well as interest, totaled GYD$150B. This is according to a report from the Bank of Guy-

ana, which also disclosed that Guyana is expected to earn millions from 12 crude lifts planned for this year.

These lifts, each of which amounts to one million barrels of crude, likely from the Liza 1 and 2 developments.

In the Stabroek block, the Liza Phase 1 Development began production in late 2019 and reached its

peak capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December 2020.

Production from Liza Phase 2 began in February 2022 and is expected to reach its capacity of 220,000 bpd later this year.

In addition to Liza 1 and Liza 2 development, approved for development are Payara and Yellowtail,

which are expected to commence production in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

According to the Bank of Guyana, it is projected that by 2027, six to seven projects will be in operation and that by the end of the decade, Guyana’s oil production will increase to more than 1 million barrels per day.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

COM M ENTARY

Critics of major infrastructure works cannot say projects are not necessary

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

T

his week, President Dr. Irfaan Ali joined the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and other Cabinet members and members of the diplomatic community, the business community and ordinary citizens to commission and declare open the new Eccles to Mandela Road. It is a necessary project and addresses a problem and a critical need. The traffic into Georgetown from the East Bank is simply horrendous. This new road connection is not going to completely solve the problem, additional answers will have to be developed and implemented. But this new road will help to bring some ease in the traffic.

While bringing ease in the traffic jams on the East Bank carriageway into Georgetown, the physical look is a signal that Guyana is beginning to match its appearance with our economic GDP standing. It is the kind of infrastructural development that also add to the visible story that Guyana is on its way to a more advanced state.

It is one of the many projects that the Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government embarked on since its return to government less than two years ago. Not one person has been able to say this project does not make sense. There is no problem how the project was developed, how it was contracted out and no problem with the cost. So, when we

hear that some people in Guyana believe that projects like these are reckless waste of the resources of this country, it more than boggles the mind.

It is enough to make our blood boil over with anger. We need these roadways; we need the many infrastructure projects being rolled out by President Irfaan Ali and the Cabinet.

It is in this regard that my attention was glued to a blazing headline in one of the daily newspapers that screamed infrastructure projects spending by the Irfaan Ali-led PPP government is reckless.

The headline itself is reckless and baseless. It is utter nonsense. My challenge to the so-called “experts” that are questioning spending on infrastructural development

is to tell us which one of the projects is not necessary.

This latest tirade against the massive infrastructural development taking place in our country reminds me of the one previously in which a senior APNU/AFC leader urged the government to slow down, “mash the brakes”, because the PPP government is working too fast, that the infrastructural development is too frenzy and causing their heads to “spin”.

It is amazing that politicians and self-styled civic society “experts” who self-arrogate responsibility for speaking on behalf of the society find development too rapid, that building roads and drainage structures, bridges, hospitals, schools are happening too quickly.

Mark well their objection – it is happening too quickly, not that it is not necessary.

When a newspaper or one of their “experts” tell us that government infrastructure spending is reckless, they have an obligation to tell us which of these projects is not necessary, which ones make expenditure on infrastructure reckless. Listen to why they claim Amaila is reckless and while some of us might well be amused and laugh ‘till we belly buss”, some of us will be angry that a newspaper can be so gullible and ignorant.

One of the “reckless” projects is the old whipping horse – the Amaila Hydroelectricity Plant. They admitted that the government of Guyana will not be putting up any money to build the plant, but will pay 7.7 cents per kw hour for the energy generated. They claim that government will still have to take over the plant in twenty years and that will be too burdensome. They ridiculously claim that it would be cheaper for Guyana to simply transform the energy sector with solar energy, that two days of sunshine in Guyana will provide enough energy to provide Guyana with all the energy it requires for an entire year. Why then did we not do this before? Why then has no country in the world use solar energy to meet all of its needs?

How can anyone take these people seriously?

All international financial institutions have studied the Amaila plan and concluded that it is an important and necessary project. Guyana needs to bring reliable and affordable electricity to our people. Residential and business expenditure for electricity will be reduced by more than 50% after Amaila begins to function. Businesses will be

more competitive, and will be able to expand and generate more jobs. While the ‘experts” question the price tag, none of them have shown how they can do the project with a lower cost. It is easy for anyone to simply declare the cost is too high, but there is a responsibility to explain to the Guyanese people how we independently come up with the cost. People who have no genuine experience with building a hydroelectricity plant are making blanket statements that the cost is too high.

One of the many projects presently underway is the construction of the road from Linden to Mabura. This is the first stage of the road to Lethem. Is this a reckless project. While the usual suspects scream that there are too many infrastructural projects on the table at the same time, none of them have ever argued that the Linden to Mabura Road is not necessary.

I challenged the usual suspects sometime ago to raise their hands if they think this is a “reckless” project. I am lucky I did not hold my breath waiting for them to raise their hands.

I am still waiting for them to do so. None of them dare say the Linden to Mabura Road is “reckless”. This road will further open up Guyana, will expand business opportunities, will allow the hinterland communities to spread their wings, will make Linden a prosperous town.

The Demerara River Bridge has been on the books for some time. Plans to begin construction soon after 2014 was derailed by APNU/AFC. Now that project is moving forward. Who will raise their hands to say that the Demerara River Bridge is reckless? This bridge project is of critical importance not just because the present bridge has long outlived its life, but because it cannot meet the needs of the people. There is desperate need for a four-lane bridge and an even more desperate need for a high-span bridge to prevent closure for traffic. It is irresponsible for any one to say this is a reckless project.

The question has always been when. The time is now.

The Ogle by-pass road to Diamond is soon to begin construction. Is this the “reckless” project? The East Bank Essequibo Road that will link Parika to Bartica should be completed by 2025. Is this the “reckless” project? The hundreds of streets and roads around the country presently under construction, are these the “reckless” projects? The hundreds of bridges through-

out the hinterland, are these the “reckless” projects? The markets that are being rehabilitated or reconstructed, maybe these are the “reckless projects?

Maybe these experts that a particular newspaper keep parading can tell us which of the nine new hospitals are “reckless” projects. Maybe they can tell us which of the new schools are reckless projects? Maybe, they can tell us how the “Hope-like” canals for Regions 3, 5 and 6 are reckless. With climate change no longer a debatable issue, these drainage canals into the Atlantic are imperatives for the government. Without these canals, agriculture in Regions 3, 5 and 6 would be considerably curtailed. Is building a stadium in Region 6 reckless?

Maybe these experts would want to go to Region 6 and tell the people that the stadium project is reckless. Is building a municipal airport at Rose Hall, Canje, reckless? This has been promised to the people of Region 6 for decades. Let the “experts” tell Region 6 they do not deserve or need a municipal airport.

Guyana is now a middle-income country and has moved up to a high middle— income country.

The PPP has guided Guyana from the early 1990s when Guyana was a HIPC – highly indebted poor country – and a low-income country to now a high middle-income country. But, in spite of massive development of Guyana’s infrastructure in the last two decades, Guyana’s infrastructure is vastly under-developed. Guyana cannot develop the services and businesses we need unless the present infrastructure is totally transformed. Guyana cannot afford to defer these critical infrastructure projects one more day.

Clearly, the persons being called “fringe elements”, “usual suspects” and “experts” are dazed by the frenetic pace of development in Guyana. Clearly, their heads are “spinning”. They are confused and cannot offer anything constructive to the development debate. President Irfaan Ali and his PPP Government are moving on the development trajectory like few governments in the history of the Caribbean Region has ever done. Clearly, the inspirational presence of Bharat Jagdeo is stressing out the “usual suspects”.

Luckily, for Guyana, the people have embraced President Ali and the PPP government.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 APRIL, 2022

COVID-19: Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants, not more severe or transmissible, so far (UN NEWS) Last week saw the lowest number of COVID-19 deaths since the early days of the pandemic, but some countries are still witnessing ‘serious spikes’ which are putting pressure on hospitals.

“Our ability to monitor trends is compromised as testing has significantly reduced”, the UN World Health Organization’s (WHO) director told journalists in Geneva.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that higher testing and sequencing rates are vital for scientists to track existing variants and to identify new ones as they emerge. “At present there are a number of Omicron sub-lineages we’re following closely, including BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 and another recombinant detected, made up of BA.1 and BA.2”, he said.

Notably, the recombinant made up of BA.1 and BA.2 is being referred to as XE and is the latest COVID-19 variant that is being tracked.

The latest sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 have been reported in a number of countries, including South Africa and some European nations, WHO lead epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove informed. “There are less than 200 sequences available so far and we expect this to change…We are tracking (the virus) very closely to see if there is any

uptick in case detection, but (so far) we haven’t seen any change in epidemiology or severity”, she highlighted.

What we know about the XE variant

can't really judge that until you've got a fair number of people infected, that's a much more difficult determination to make," he added.

The World Health Organization is keeping tabs on XE but has not yet deemed it a variant of concern or interest.

(Euro News) Global health authorities are tracking four COVID-19 variants - BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 and a recombinant made up of BA.1 and BA.2 is being referred to as XE. XE is thought to be even more infectious than the one currently driving cases up around the world.

Health officials are tracking the strain, called XE, which was first detected in the UK but is now being reported in cases elsewhere.

It’s just the latest in a long line of variants that scientists are now keeping an eye on, as the world continues to battle coronavirus outbreaks.

XE: A HYBRID VARIANT OF OMICRON According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), XE is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2.

BA.1 is the original Omicron variant, which sparked new waves of COVID-19 infections around the world and led to reinforced public health restrictions in many countries.

BA.2 was first detected in November, and it has now emerged as the dominant coronavirus strain in more than 60 countries.

It is more infectious than BA.1, but doesn’t seem to

cause more serious disease.

“XE is a BA.1/BA.2 recombinant, with the majority of the genome including the S gene belonging to BA.2,” the UKHSA reported in a technical briefing from April 8.

A recombinant occurs when people get infected with two or more variants of the virus.

According to the UKHSA it's not unusual and several recombinant variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic.

SHOULD WE WORRY ABOUT THE XE VARIANT? Dr. Simon Clarke, an

Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, told the AP news agency on April 8 that it was too soon to make judgements about XE. "There's a lot to be learnt about this recombinant virus,” he said, “This is where two viruses have got together and combined their genetic material and you end up with a mosaic.

It seems at the moment that it is not as fit and as successful as BA.2, although I think it's still fairly early days”.

“In terms of its ability to cause disease, you

WE CAN’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE VIRUS WHO’s director of emergencies, Michael Ryan, warned that as the virus continues to evolve, the world “cannot simply afford to lose sight of it”. “It would be very short-sighted at this point to assume that lower numbers of cases mean absolute lower risks. We are pleased to see deaths dropping but this virus has surprised us before, it has caught us off guard before.

We need to do our jobs and track this virus the best we can, while people go back to live their lives as normally as possible”, Dr. Ryan explained.

Meanwhile, WHO’s lead scientist Dr. Soumiya Swaminathan, warned that sub-lineages and recombinants will continue to appear, and the world must continue investing in improved tools such as new vaccines. “We have to be prepared for the possibility that this virus can change so much that it might be able to evade existing immunity”, she said.

STILL AN EMERGENCY Tedros emphasised that currently, the virus remains deadly, especially for the unprotected and unvac-

WHERE HAS THE XE VARIANT BEEN DETECTED? XE was first detected via sequencing in England on January 19, 2022.

As of 5 April, the UKHSA said there had been 1,125 cases in England, and the variant is believed to be spreading by community transmission, with the majority of the cases currently

cinated that don’t have access to health care and antivirals. “The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated and boosted when recommended.

Continue wearing masks – especially in crowded indoor spaces. And for the indoors, keep the air fresh by opening windows and doors, and invest in good ventilation”, he urged.

This week, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee – which evaluates the global state of the situation with COVID-19– unanimously agreed that the pandemic remains a public health emergency of international concern.

“Far from being the time to drop our guard, this is the moment to work even harder to save lives”, Tedros said, citing the Committee’s decision.

The WHO chief said that this means making sure that COVID-19 tools are equitably distributed and simultaneously strengthening health systems. “Bridging the vaccine equity gap is the best way to boost population immunity and insulate against future waves”, he highlighted.

He also emphasised the need for a new pandemic treaty. “A new pandemic accord is our best collective defence against known virus’s and of course the next disease X”. in the east of England, London, and the South East.

The agency said the most recent data up to March 30 this year shows XE has a growth rate 12.6 per cent above that of BA.2.

A case has been confirmed in Japan too, with the Japanese health ministry reporting on Monday the country's first case of XE in a woman who arrived at a Narita airport from the United States on March 26.

A case of XE was also reported in India, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

According to NDTV, however, official sources from the health ministry have not confirmed the case to be XE.

Constitutional Reform Committee set to meet on April 19th – Nandlall I

n line with the assurance of the PPP/C government, via the 2020-2025 manifesto, work is proceeding on moving forward the start of constitutional reform.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, in comments on Tuesday (April 12, 2022), said, “The standing committee on Constitutional Reform has been appointed and the work has begun…Currently on the agenda is the discussion of the work programme.

The discussion will start on April 19th (2022).”

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, in commenting on moving the process of constitutional reform forward,

in February 2022, had said, “We want the process triggered.” He explained that the APNU+AFC Coalition’s approach to promised constitutional reform was “farcical” and the PPP/C remains committed to its manifesto promise. Jagdeo added that the PPP/C’s position is that the team leading the reform process be comprised of five persons from government, five from the Parliamentary Opposition and 10 from civil society.

Constitutional reform is one of the main issues outlined in the PPP/C elections manifesto. The Party has promised that it would ad-

vance constitutional reform with the input of the citizens themselves. In its manifesto, it was noted that it was important that the people participate in something as critical as revising the supreme law.

The PPP/C 2020-2025 manifesto clearly states that the Party is “aware that issues concerning constitutional reform, particularly in relation to a national, inclusive governance model” have been raised and discussed in the public domain and is “committed” to a national participatory process to addressing a new governance model.

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