Weekend Mirror 14-15 May 2022

Norton shies away from debate with Jagdeo after challenged to produce SOPs 14-15 May, 2022 / Vol. 12 ‒ No. 22 / Price: $100

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PAGE 9

Electoral Reform…

SEE INSIDE

Proposed changes to Registration Act to be made public soon

Pilot Census to be executed beginning May 15

Unit established to deal with issues raised at government outreaches – Jagdeo

Major PAGE 10 infrastructural works ongoing in Region 7

PAGE 2

‒ public consultations on ROPA reforms ongoing

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Over 54,000 transactions completed to date during Continuous Registration PAGE 2

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Local physicians to be PAGE 23 trained to detect, treat long COVID – Health Minister

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

Legal and logistical implications of Alexander’s ‘temporary’ proposal must be considered

E

ven as the Continuous Registration exercise, being conducted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), continues and with Local Government Elections on the horizon,

the APNU+AFC Coalition-nominated GECOM Commissioners are now touting the use of a biometric system.

However, this is being pushed only as a temporary

mechanism. “I think, as a temporary, mechanism that a biometric feature should be introduced at the place of poll which feature requires that everyone who goes to vote is identified by

his her fingerprint and only after that identification is complete that the person should be allowed to vote,” Commissioner Vincent Alexander said recently.

Currently, when per-

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sons are registered when persons are registered as a voter, there is a fingerprint cross-referencing process that is followed to ensure that no individual is registered more than once in the National Register of Registrants, which is used to extract the Voters’ List.

GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, in invited comments said, “The current system of registration and preparation of lists has been in existence for at least the last four elections, including, but not limited to, the 2015 elections, which results were accosted by the PNC. Secondly, that system undergoes robust scrutiny, including, but not limited to, fingerprint cross-matching, which is necessary for weeding our multiple registrants with the same biometric features. Thirdly the systems that are in place on elections day, which include folios being distributed to all participants in the electoral process at the polling stations, are there to ensure that multiple voting by the same person is prevented.”

When asked about the implications of Alexander’s proposal, he said, “In relation to the implementation of biometrics, at the place of poll, there are legal and logistical implications to be

Over 54,000 transactions completed to date during Continuous Registration

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considered, ones that will require legislative change.

As a commission, we are only entitled to carrying out the law as it is presently configured and not responsible for changing laws.

While we may be entitled to make recommendations we are bound by the law at all material times.”

Notably, while Alexander made these comments to the local media corps, no formal proposal has been put forward. Additionally, the Coalition, which Alexander represents, have refused to participate in the ongoing consultations on electoral reform.

Acting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane GeorgeWilshire, on August 14, 2019, ruled that it is unconstitutional for qualified persons to be removed from the list if they are not in the jurisdiction or not at their residence during the registration exercise. She further stated that only deceased persons and those otherwise disqualified under Article 159 (2), (3), or (4) are to be removed. Pointing out that the “right to vote and the right to be registered to vote are sacrosanct”, the High Court Judge said “residence requirements from citizens is no longer a qualification for registration”.

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total of 54,325 transactions have been completed since the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) commenced its continuous registration exercise as of May 11, 2022, an increase of 5,367 in the past week.

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

GECOM has indicated that, as of May 11, 2022, 2022: • 17,307 persons, who are 18 years and older and are therefore eligible to vote, have been registered; • 21,934 persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years have been registered and will be issued national identification cards; • 3.136 persons have applied for transfers to new addresses;

• 4,940 persons made changes and/or corrections to their particulars; • 5,654 persons sought to have replacements for their national identification cards; and • 1,354 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 14-15 MAY, 2022

Electoral Reform…

Proposed changes to Registration Act ‒ public consultations on ROPA to be made public soon reforms ongoing F

ollowing the announcement that the consultations on proposal electoral reform was extended, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, on Monday (May 9, 2022), engaged in the first public consultation.

Amendments to the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA), both the substantive act and the regulations, have been in public circulation since November 2021, after being released by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.

The first meeting saw engagement the local stakeholders who responded to the call for submissions on the proposed reforms, including the Private Sector Commission and the Electoral Reform Group.

Notably, the only political party who responded to the call for submissions on the proposed reforms was A New and United Guyana (ANUG), but the group was not present for this week’s meeting, despite being invited.

Further, the APNU+AFC Coalition persists in its non-response and non-participation in the process to advance electoral reform.

A statement from Nandlall’s office said, “Many

stakeholder organizations, as well as individuals made recommendations and expressed their opinions in writing on the same…at the meeting those submissions were thoroughly interrogated and discussed….the Attorney General used the opportunity to explain the nature and purport of the legislative proposals and also made it clear that it is outside the scope of this exercise to address issues which will require amendments to the Constitution. He advised that those recommendations be deferred and be presented when the constitutional reform process begins….the stakeholder organizations expressed their broad support for the proposed reforms.”

Additionally, Nandlall has since announced that proposed changes to the Registration Act are expected to be made public soon. “The second set of reforms, or proposed reforms relating to the Registration Act, shall be made public within a matter of days, as the work have been essentially completed in draft form. That will also be sent out, using a similar mechanism, inviting public consultations and recommendations and views,” he said on a programme broadcast of

social media.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali on October 2021 made clear that the long-awaited legislation to improve Guyana’s electoral system is a priority for the PPP/C administration.

He also assured that there be an efficient timeframe for the processing of the legislation.

Ali had committed, since his first day of assuming office that the five-month-long elections process that Guyanese painfully endured, will never again occur.

FOCUS OF REFORM PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, speaking at a prior news conference, had said, “The idea is to make more transparent and to define responsibilities in the Act that are unambiguous and… to put in place a set of penalties for people who may try to steal the elections… any right-thinking person will support that. That’s the objective...we will look at issues right from registration to declaration of the results, so everything that is not unambiguous, not transparent etcetera. We made it clear that we want SoPs [Statements of Poll] in the public domain before the tabulation starts, that sort of thing. “…this is an open pro-

cess…every person will have a chance to have an input.

So, we are soliciting these views…APNU will get a chance to give their input there and several civil society organisations. And then when that’s done, a draft bill would be had, taking into account the input made and it will be presented to the parliament, where the Parliamentary Opposition will once again have an input…. when the debate takes place it will Guyanese who finally decide.”

Also, in prior comments, Jagdeo had said that the elec-

toral reform process is necessary to ensure Local Government and other elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

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

the parties.”

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

EDITORIAL

PNCR cannot survive the truth Norton desperately to gain some relevance A nother week of baseless claims being repeated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led APNU+AFC Coalition, exposed the fact that the leaders of the Coalition are content in their alternate world.

This week, Leader of the PNCR and the Parliamentary Opposition, Aubrey Norton, in the presence of the diplomatic corps, government officials and representatives of civil society, insisted that the APNU+AFC Coalition won the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

This is despite the result of a national recount and reports from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team, the international election observer missions, the diplomatic corps and a majority of civil society reps. The CARICOM report, from the three-person team, made clear that: “… nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2, 2020 elections….the team categorically rejects the concerted public efforts to discredit the e0e0 polls up to the disastrous Region 4 tabulation…the numerous requests for information on several serial numbers were so bizarre that on one observed occasion, an APNU/AFC agent was prepared to query serial numbers on the OLE (Official List of Electors) in a work station where no one had noted.

These challenges were often made on the ground of death and migration…the team viewed much of the exercise as a fishing expedition designed to gather data for a possible election petition and which resulted in considerable time being wasted during the recount. Furthermore, the net was cast extremely wide in the hope of at least making a small catch and at times the anticipated harvest ended in slim pickings.”

Of importance is that the APNU+AFC Coalition never presented their Statements of Poll (SOPs) to the public. The only political party to do so was the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). The documents are still available online at: https://region4sopsinformation.com/ In addition to hiding their SOPs, the Coalition did their utmost to block the release of the SOPs in the possession of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to the High Court. This effort, thankfully, failed. As ordered by the High Court, sacked former Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, on January 27, 2021, handed over the original copies of the Statements of Poll (SOP) and Statements of Recount (SOR) from the March 2020 General and Regional Elections to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sueanna Lovell. Each SOP, as well as each Statement of Recount (SOR), was being lodged and recorded individually What was an interesting admission from Norton was the fact that the Coalition’s SOPs were in his possession.

Norton in an exchange with PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, said, “Why you want to see my statements of poll?”

At every opportunity that they have been called on to publicly substantiate their position, the Coalition has backed down. The question is why. The answer? The PNCR cannot survive the truth. The PNCR/APNU/AFC has engaged in barefaced misleading of their supporters and continue to do so for the sake of political power – without a care for what their actions would have done to Guyanese people, whose progress and prosperity can only be advanced in a democratic nation, not a dictatorship, and without care for what their actions would have done to Guyana, in that our country would have been pushed out of the global fold of democratic nations and sidelined as a pariah state.

Now, the PNCR/APNU/AFC have backed themselves into a corner. Will the embattled group accept that they have mislead Guyanese and face the consequences or not?

The fact is the reality that the truth represents is a harsh one, whereas believing their own misled notions provide them an outlet to avoid being accountable for their actions.

Dear Editor,

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he Opposition Leader is on a recognition campaign, in which he is desperately looking at ways in which he can get some relevance. It all started when he realised that the nitpicking efforts at discrediting the Government on governance have failed, so he is making that bold step forward to challenge the Vice President to a debate.

I know what he might be thinking: that is, let this discussion descend into a shouting match, and at the end he might score some cheap political points and prove to his supporters that he is a winner. Well, he is ever so wrong, because Vice President Jagdeo is a far shrewder discussant than that, and would allow Norton neither the time nor the space to exhibit that nonsense. The Vice Presi-

dent would not allow any discussion to descend into a street brawl.

To this end, Vice President Jagdeo has issued an ultimatum as it regards the rules of engagement; that is, let us begin on the matter of producing the statements of poll for Region 4. Those contentious pieces of document are the root cause for him initiating a public forum discussion, and the request again is: please produce the statements of poll for Region 4.

Why can’t we publicly see this public document? Why are they hiding the people’s document?

If Norton is serious about a debate (which I think he is not), he would reveal to the people of this country the results of their voting in the 2020 Elections. Otherwise, stop pontificating about the PPP/C being an installed

Government when you cannot prove that simple fact of revealing the results of the election for Region 4. It is ludicrous to even think of it. The Vice President is just reiterating the call for him to walk with the SOPs for Region 4 before he can get into any discussion.

Norton would not risk making himself look more foolish than he really is; if he cannot substantiate his claims with firm proof, then stop the blowing of hot air! And there is no better way to start than to tender the documents for public viewing, the results for Region 4.

I await the debate, if we are ever to have one.

Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams

GECOM must continue to work to restore public confidence in Commission Dear Editor,

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he current GECOM cycle of Continuous Registration exercise has gained momentum, allowing updates to a verifiable Register of Registrants (RoR). There has been an overwhelmingly positive response from the public, particularly the youths in this respect, and this is most heartening. The updated Register would be available for scrutiny during the Claims and Objections period legislatively prescribed to follow, and will ultimately lead to a Voters List that could facilitate the holding of Local Government Elections.

This subject, however, has not been without contention, due to seeming slothfulness regarding removal of the names of deceased people from the RoR. While this position is acknowledged by all parties, a recent Stabroek News’ Editorial attempted to cast shades of grey and splash blame on major political parties. Please, therefore, allow me to briefly expound reasons why this editorial, and the approach by the PNCR as the main critique, requires contextual review The demands for a clean RoR, and by extension Voters’ List, is indeed the pursuit of the PPPC, and should be of interest to all contesting electoral parties in Guyana. Our country’s political history, however, is replete with too many deliberate PNC demonstrations of democratic indecency, and actions are solely driven by that party’s convenient party paramountcy.

The emboldened undercurrent behaviour of the latter never relents, and cannot be swept under the table under the pretext of a bloated list.

The convenience of David Granger’s unilateral appointment of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman arguably created a fiasco that was never designed to clean the Voters’ List, but rather to realise greater imbalance, while extending the coalition’s tenure in Office.

There was no objective plural agreement

or support for the PNC-directed bullish approach, or rather objective proposals.

In 2019, approximately four years into its term, Patterson approved the commencement of the House-to-House registration approach to re-creating the RoR, knowing fully well that it would have taken more than two years to complete, while disenfranchising thousands of Guyanese citizens. This absolutely could not work, as all of the GECOM elections would have had to await the outcome and delays.

Guyana is not unique among numerous states practising democracy but having variances. What is not being mentioned by the aggressive critics is that all parties have representatives in the places of poll, and they function as a countercheck to prevent the exhumation of the allegedly dead people in the places of poll.

Notwithstanding, PPP General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s concrete proposal for the cleansing of the list and the removal of dead persons’ names from the list are most welcome. He contends that with the tremendous improvement and efficient functioning of the General Registrar Office (GRO), we will have a more efficient and legitimate removal mechanism regarding dead persons’ names from the List.

The PNC, particularly all those who are in politics for decades and are calling for a clean Voters’ List, must come up with concrete proposals and let the nation work together towards this end.

In observing the PNC’s duplicity, it is of note that during 2008-2009, GECOM conducted a thorough Houseto-House Registration exercise, resulting in the production of a new and updated Identification Card. That RoR was accepted by all, and elections were held in 2011, and again in 2015.

Further, immediately after the APNU/AFC Coalition took power, they went to the Parliament and strengthened the process by amending the legislation to ensure that the Continuous Registra-

tion exercise will use an extended period of six months to validate the Register of Registrants.

The APNU/AFC did this without the required level of consultation, or the involvement of the PPP/C. They went into full action mode without the PPP/C’s meaningful participation, and held the Local Government Elections in 2016.

In addition, the PNC-APNU/AFC went forward with the same paramount party power and unilaterally made changes and added more LOCAL AUTHORITY AREAS for the 2018 LGEs. Significantly, the PNC, as expected, dumped the AFC and contested the 2018 LGEs by itself. But this did not stop the PPP/C from humiliating them in the Local Government Elections.

In December 2018, the PPP/C moved the “No Confidence Motion.”

The infamous victory results of the MOTION certainly upset all the Coalition Government’s plans. The PNC was determined to stay in office, although it had reduced power. As usual, the PNC returned to its old habits of trying to ‘bully’ itself to stay in office as the Government. Further, the PNC utilised the Judiciary/Courts to its full advantage to buy more time in office. However, the corruption, racism, discrimination, white colour crime, and controlling influence over persons involved in the GECOM Secretariat enabled the Coalition Government to stay in power for a further period, particularly the (never-forgetting) five unforgettable months.

Guyanese will never forget the attempts to postpone the Elections by starting an illegal House-to-House Registration. The manipulation of the Guyana Elections Commission, and the GECOM Secretariat in particular, must never be allowed to operate in such a shameful manner. Let us face the polls in a free and fair manner for the upcoming LGEs. Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

PPP/C gov’t working to restore progressive outlook of inherited mismanaged, bankrupt GPL

There were major improvements in power W supply under the PPP/C and further developments are on the way

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

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hilst I imagine that the KN editorial of May 02, `Blackout – a leadership industry’ might have been written in a fit of great anger after a most aggravating loss of electricity supply (blackout), I must point out how wrong, inaccurate and unhelpful that editorial is. As the editorial speaks about successive PPP/C Governments and having been the Minister Responsible for Electricity over October 1992 to May 2015 I sense an obligation, and beg for an opportunity to say something reassuring to my fellow Guyanese people.

The editorial must have been written in such anger that memory, reason and facts were thrown to the winds. Our GEC/GPL grid electricity supply was tremendously improved over the 1992 to 2015 period: from about 75,000 families receiving electricity about 60% of the time, to 175,000 families receiving electricity about 95% of the time. The PPP/C Administration was certainly not “a crooked cover under which there is pretense of doing something better for Guyanese plagued by blackouts for decades”. The proportion of Guyanese households on-grid in the coastal grid area, was increased from about 50% to about 90%. That was truly a period of great improvements.

Yes, the PPP/C carefully spent lots of money, millions of dollars in bringing about the improvements above. It was money well spent in installing step by step new generation, transmission facilities and abandoning or upgrading much of what we found, and in regular payments to purchase fuel. I assure my fellow citizens that GPL was not “machinery, one of the many but one of the bigger ones through which the leaders of the country rob the people blind”. There was no robbery. During the period, Guyana was in a World Bank/IMF monitoring programme. Most of the projects were financed through the IDB which kept a continuous review on total management including all spending, from all sources.

We, PPP/C have not been taking the Guyanese public for a ride. A quality electricity supply takes a lot of money and trust.

When GEC/GPL was offered for privatization, one attractive consortium which had been prequalified, declined to submit a final proposal saying that it had been mulling on and was finally yielding to the observation, that there is often social and political troubles in a society with a GDP less than USD 3,000 in getting the citizens to pay the

prices required for the good quality electrification they want. In 1992 Guyana was just getting to a GDP of 300 and we were at about 1,000 at the time of the privatization, October 1st, 1999.

We PPP/C over 1992 to 2015 put a lot of thought and time and work in getting as good electricity as we could for our Guyanese people, in our Guyanese circumstances of the day. The editor’s assertion about “blackout” being improved during the five years of the Coalition in office is an assertion that should be demonstrated – my recall is different, and the Coalition inherited a very much improved wicket anyway.

Allow me to refer to two news articles subsequent. The article telling of Giftland having generation problems and falling short of its publicized, intended electricity deliveries to GPL, shows what a real challenge it is. The report by the CEO of GPL about an increase in the number of trips of the GPL grid caused by large infrastructure and other equipment coming into contact with GPL transmission and distribution and other equipment is a good indication that things are taking off (not orderly enough) in our country. I have no doubt that with experience, improved communications and awareness between GPL and all contractors and investments over the next two years to increase the stability of the grid, such trips will be reduced. And we look further out, towards the coming on line of the Wales gas generated electricity and Amaila hydro in the next four to seven years.

Editor, history and fate have thrown to us Guyanese the challenge of knitting ourselves together as a nation. It is a challenge that most of us are accepting and are taking up, and we are making much progress. My concern is that the editorial “Blackouts – a leadership industry” (and other editorials), playing fast and loose with facts and feelings, even if driven by understandable frustrations, would have unravelled billions of person-hours knitting ourselves together; undermining the confidence that we will make good of the recent fortunate strikes of oil off our shores. To use the words in that editorial – “That Editorial is the Greatest Robbery of Hope and Trust in our Guyana, in our People and Country”.

Yours faithfully, Samuel A A Hinds, Former Prime Minster, Former President, and Former Minister Responsible for GEC/GPL

e have already set the record straight with respect to our inherited burdens in August 2020 of a mismanaged and bankrupt Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) under the portfolio of former minister, David Patterson.

In his desperate quest for relevance following his stupendous ouster from the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament, Patterson continues to unabatingly promulgate smokescreens and downright falsehoods about the surreptitious operations he personally orchestrated at Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and Power Producers and distributors Inc (PPDI). This was done by the absence of a Board of Directors at GPL for almost two years, where Mr. Patterson was the sole decision maker at GPL and the results of these decision were disastrous.

Upon PPPC government entry into office, we found GPL had receivables of approximately G$13 billion outstanding, which was owed by government ministries and agencies causing a crippling effect on the company.

Again, we reiterate, under the leadership of Mr. Patterson we saw the lack of maintenance on the transmission lines coupled with the little to no investment in baseload generation capacity, which are the main reasons for the blackouts we are experiencing.

As has been the hallmark of successive PPP/C Administrations, the problems and burdens created for our citizens by the selfish, elitist machinations of the failed PNC of yesteryear and more recently, their cloak and dagger replacement, the APNU/AFC regime, are being permanently corrected by us for the medium and long-term.

Our government has been working tirelessly to restore the progressive outlook of GPL within a broader framework of cheaper and more sustainable energy production to improve the daily lives of our citizens.

Already, we have reinstated the uncompromising, robust maintenance regime at GPL, reverting to the above-board procurement practice for the use of original spares directly from source; and getting back to the well-established pre-2015 schedule of maintenance of transmission lines across the entire grid system.

In the medium term, significant increases in the generated power will be achieved in response to the demand, with the internal introduction of nine additional sets, and a request for proposals (RFP) that can potentially see the external addition of 50 megawatts to be added to the grid.

Meanwhile, the one hundred and sixty-five (165) megawatts to be generated through the ground-breaking Amaila Falls Hydro project foolishly scuttled by Patterson and others under the Granger Administration, is coming back on stream shortly, while the three hundred (300) megawatts of power from the Wales Gas to Energy project will be a game-changer for our country and our people.

While David Patterson continues his struggle for relevance with smokescreens and veiled attempts to reconstruct his disastrous legacy, our government is putting the pieces back together to rescue our citizens from every last one of the albatrosses placed around their necks by the APNU/AFC mismanagement.

Sincerely, Ministry of Public Works

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 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 ’ More amputees to benefit from Gov’t exploring new prostheses housing model to assist persons with construction A of low-income homes

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new housing programme is currently being explored, which will see persons, who are currently financially unable to construct their homes, but have available plots of land, being provided with assistance by the government.

This was disclosed during a community meeting at Dundee, Mahaicony by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. While highlighting the strides the PPP/C administration has made in the housing sector since assuming office in August 2020, Dr. Jagdeo said, “The state is willing, the government is willing to intervene and assist with that too, to help those who may not have the capital at the beginning but want to get their homes built.

He said, “We’re now exploring a model where we may be able to do this, not just in the housing schemes, but for individuals who already own their plots of land, to extend that into those communities and get the construction done on your own plots of land

and then they take a mortgage and the government recovers its money.”

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali at the beginning of this year announced that the the government would be constructing 1,000 houses utilising 100 per cent local wood, as part of its efforts to provide affordable homes to Guyanese.

The Administration has accelerated its national housing programme through the allocation of lands and the construction of low, moderate and young professional homes for citizens.

Under the construction of homes initiative, the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is constructing a total of 350 two- bedroom elevated homes in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown; 100 two-bedroom flat units in Prospect, East Bank Demerara; 100 two- bedroom flat units in Williamsburg, Region Six; and 40 two-bedroom elevated units in Ame-

lia’s Ward, Linden, Region Ten. Another 200 two- storey and flat units are being constructed at Providence, East Bank Demerara and 150 more in Prospect.

Additionally, under the Core Home Support Initiative, 25 homes were constructed in Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, Region Three, while another 25 are under construction in Sophia, Georgetown. These homes target low-income and vulnerable families who are only required to make a contribution of $100,000 towards the homes.

This year, $12.4 billion has been allocated for continued infrastructural development works in housing schemes, including the upgrading of 45.5 kilometres of roads in 31 existing housing areas across Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten. This is in keeping with Government’s commitment to deliver 50,000 house lots to Guyanese by 2025.

mputees are set to benefit from artificial limbs, as the Ministry of Health recently expended some $10 million to procure prosthesis materials, Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, said on Thursday.

Speaking at the amputee health fair held at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, Dr. Anthony said the ministry is looking at ways to reduce the cost of prosthetics, as it strives to restore mobile functionality in amputees.

He said, “Very shortly, we will have more materials coming in to the workshop, and therefore, they will be able to make more prosthesis.

Through these types of activities, hopefully, we will be able to reduce the prevalence of persons that would’ve lost a limb and not been able to

get maybe a prosthesis. So, we will change that because our intention is that everybody who needs a prosthesis should be able to get one, and should be able to get one in a timely manner. We are going to look at how we are going to bring down the cost and even if at some point maybe not right away, but I am hoping that at some point you don’t have to pay anything but we will work on it and that’s a commitment you have from us in the ministry,” the minister told the gathering.

Additionally, the health minister announced that persons who suffer from hearing loss would benefit from hearing aids under a similar programme offered by the workshop. To this end, the

ministry has purchased a quantity of hearing aids to clear existing backlogs to adequately supply the needs of the institution.

The event is hosted by the workshop annually with the intent to spread awareness on programmes available to persons who would have suffered limb loss.

Limb Awareness Month is being celebrated under the theme “Your ordinary is extraordinary”.

The amputee fair featured displays from the National Insurance Scheme, National Commission on Disability, lawyers, mental health officers, nutritionists, pharmacists, foot care doctors, social workers, and public assistance officers, among other groups.

20 persons qualified in drone surveillance through BIT

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wenty persons are now qualified in drone surveillance, offered for the first time by the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT). Among that batch are three women.

Ninety -nine others also graduated from BIT pro-

grammes. The ceremony was hosted on recently at the Windjammer Hotel, Georgetown.

Some 34 males and 65 females graduated having completed training in cosmetology, interior decoration, commercial food preparation

and joinery.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, said the courses are life changing and offer persons the opportunity to fulfil life goals regardless of their circumstances. “These programmes (Turn to page 21)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 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 ’

$46.3M seed paddy dryer, pre-cleaner for Black Bush Polder farmers

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$46.3 million 10-tonne seed paddy dryer and pre-cleaner will soon be accessible to a number of rice famers within the Black Bush Polder area in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The machine will assist paddy growers who are affected by high transportation cost to move their produce to the Number 56 seed processing facility.

The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has already awarded the contract to SuperBrix to supply, deliver and install the

heavy-duty apparatus.

The GRDB has also awarded a $26 million contract to VR Construction Inc., to construct an all-weather road at Burma Rice Research Station, Region Five.

With such a thoroughfare established, farmers will spend less time travelling to their farmlands. It means that they will also have more time on hand and can double up on the amount of produce they would normally bring out daily.

An insectary will also be constructed at the Burma Rice Research Station by

Gov’t honours road commitment to Region Two residents

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esidents of Onderneeming and surrounding communities along the Essequibo Coast, will soon traverse a $168,637,178 thoroughfare, a direct result of a commitment made by the Administration.

The Ministry of Public Works recently awarded the multi-million-dollar contract to Vijay Persaud & Son Contracting Services to rehabilitate the community’s main access road. The road will be done in asphaltic concrete.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill made the commitment to residents, following concerns over the deplorable state of the roads caused by heavy-laden trucks.

In addition, engineers and equipment were mobilised in the area for maintenance work, which were overseen by the Regional Administration.

The new road is expected to benefit approximately 2,000 people who occupy the area, as well as workers of several sandpits.

Apart from the major Onderneeming road project, the ministry awarded 10 other contracts for road rehabilitation in the region that will

cost over $ 270 M for urban and miscellaneous roads.

Contracts were awarded to Builders Hardware General Supplies & Construction for the rehabilitation/ construction of Lot 6, Hoppie Street, Dartmouth, Lot 8 Mandir Street, Affiance and Lot 4 School Street, Reliance.

The rehabilitation/ construction of Middle Walk, Columbia was awarded to ICON Investment. H&S Construction & Maintenance was awarded Lot 9 Cross Street, Zorg. H. Ramballi General Construction was awarded Lot 1 RDC Street, Anna Regina and Lot 10, Market Street, Suddie was awarded to B.S Narine & Sons Investment.

Additionally, Vijay Persaud & Son Contracting Services was awarded a contract to rehabilitate/ construct Lot 2, Mandir Street, Cotton Field, Lot 3 School Street, Land of Plenty and Mashaboo street Phase 2, Huis’ T Dieren.

The road works will be done in asphalt concrete and reinforced concrete based on the geographic location.

Works are expected to commence soon.

Monohar Services, to the tune of $23.1 million. The screen house is the primary requirement for the biological control programme for the paddy bug.

Meanwhile, Guydrones signed a $7.3 million contract with the ministry for the sup-

ply, delivery and demonstration of one agricultural drone for the research station.

The Agra T20 agriculture drone will enhance the management of pesticides like paddy bugs, optimise field management and disperse weed controls or fertiliser.

Additionally, a $17.1 million drying floor will be constructed at Somerset, Region Two, by Yudhisthir Seecharan Contracting and General Supplies.

In October 2021, the agriculture ministry, through the GRDB commissioned a

$10 million drying floor at Riverstown, along the Essequibo Coast.

There, Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, noted that once farmers make requests for these types of facilities, the government will work to facilitate them.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 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 ’ Pilot Census to be executed Over 300 Walton Hall residents to receive titles after decades beginning May 15 A P reparations are in full swing for the rolling out of Guyana’s 2022 Population and Housing Census, with a Pilot Census to be executed from May 15 to 21 in regions 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10, targeting approximately 730 households.

This is being done in an effort to ensure the efficient execution of the upcoming national exercise by the Bureau of Statistics.

Staff of the Bureau are undergoing one (1) week of intensive training to conduct the pilot census, during which they will be interviewing household mem-

bers. This pilot exercise allows the Bureau to ensure that the methods utilized during the upcoming Census are as effective as possible.

Personnel will be equipped with the requisite means of identification and all of the information provided to them will be treated with the strictest of confidence. These persons have taken a confidentiality oath in order for this to be binding.

In order to ensure the success of this exercise, it is imperative that the staff receive the full participation, cooperation and support of

the interviewees.

It is important to state clearly that if a person is visited during the pilot Census, they will be visited again during the actual Census, which will be executed in all administrative regions.

Meanwhile, among the other preparatory works for the execution of the Census countrywide is the recruitment of approximately 3000 temporary personnel countrywide to serve as Area Coordinators, Field Supervisors and Enumerators The Population & Housing Census is Guyana’s larg(Turn to page 21)

ttorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, on Saturday (May 7, 2022) led an outreach in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), to address decades-old land issues at Walton Hall and Jib villages, Essequibo Coast.

The Attorney General was accompanied by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, Regional Vice Chairman, Humace Odit and Prime Ministerial representative, Arnold Adams.

The first stop was at Walton Hall, where the Attorney General announced that over 300 families will

receive land titles/transport for lands they have been occupying for decades. This process will be facilitated by the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) and the Office of the Public Trustee, which falls under the Attorney General’s chambers.

Minister Nandlall explained that the lands were previously owned by a cooperative society whose members passed away and therefore, the intention is to move the transport from a singular transport vested in the name of the co-op into individual transports for persons who are occu-

pying land. “The first step in the process is to get the lands surveyed, do a plan, individual plan to demarcate exactly where you are living, and then to begin the process…what is of crucial importance is that you indicate to the persons who drawing the plan the name that you will like the transport to be issued in,” he told the residents.

Similar issues were addressed at Jib village, where residents are occupying lands owned by the late A.P Singh. A large portion of those lands are under the administration of the Public (Turn to page 21)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

POSITIONS FROM VICE PRESIDENT

BHARRAT JAGDEO

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

Norton shies away from debate with Jagdeo after challenged to produce SOPs T

his week event to commemoration of Europe Day on Monday (May 9, 2022) saw an exchange between People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Leader of the PNCR and Opposition, Aubrey Norton.

The highlight of the exchange was Norton’s issuance of a challenge to Jagdeo for a public debate. While the Vice President accepted the challenge and issued a challenge of his own, Norton quickly backpedaled.

“If you bring your SOPs (Statements of Poll) tomorrow, make them public, the next day I’ll debate you,” Jagdeo said.

Norton queried why the SOPs were of interest. “Why you want to see my statements of poll?” According to Norton, he will only debate Jagdeo if the “observation reports” – presumably those APNU+AFC Coalition agents during the national recount process – are accepted. “If you accept the observation reports, I will debate you, once you allow the observation reports,” Norton said.

Jagdeo reminded Norton of the reports from the international Election Observer Missions and said, “Which observation report? From the OAS (the Organization of American States), the Euro-

pean Union? From the Carter Center? From CARICOM?” CARICOM’s role in the national recount process was one that was initiated

by Norton own predecessor, former president David Granger, who had referred to the three-person CARICOM team as the “most honest interlocutor” in the recount process.

These praises, however, waned following the release of the CARICOM observer report.

The CARICOM report, from the three-person team, made clear that: “…nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2, 2020 elections….the team categorically rejects the concerted public efforts to discredit the polls up to the disastrous Region 4 tabulation…the numerous requests for information on several serial numbers were so bizarre that on one observed occasion, an APNU/AFC agent was prepared to query serial numbers on the OLE (Official List of Electors) in a work station where no one had noted. These challenges were often made on the ground of death and migration…the team viewed much of the exercise as a

fishing expedition designed to gather data for a possible election petition and which resulted in considerable time being wasted during the recount. Furthermore, the net was cast extremely wide in the hope of at least making a small catch and at times the anticipated harvest ended in slim pickings.”

The exchange took place at an event hosted by the European Commission (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz-Cantó, to mark Europe Day. Europe day marks the signing of the 'Schuman Declaration' on 9 May 1950. An ambitious plan to secure long-term peace in post-war Europe that is considered the beginning of what is now the European

Union.

Ponz-Cantó during his remarks at the May 9th event said, “We will keep working to uphold democracy like we have worked together. We will continue to uphold governance, rule of law to help Guyana wherever Guyana needs us- electoral reform, governance, forest partnerships, preservation of the environment, all the many challenges.”

Notably, the EU Ambassador, in the aftermath of the March 2, 20202 event, had said, “We said it very clearly – the tabulation process for Region Four was not credible, [it] was not reflecting the will of the people, it was following a process that was not the right process. I saw

it personally; I was there in the tabulation centre. [But] it doesn’t really matter that I saw it personally…all our observation missions saw it…I am tempted to say we all know what happened, but I don’t want to focus on pointing fingers and say who did what and why; it’s not really constructive at this point.”

Also, Ponz-Cantó warned that if democracy is derailed then Guyana could face crippling sanctions from the 27-member European Union.

In comments on a radio programme in 2020, he said, “The window of opportunity has not closed. It is not the time yet to put forward that proposal [for sanctions] because the situation can still

be remedied democratically.

But, if situations like these are not remedied democratically, then the EU has the duty and the determination to act according to the principles we share…one of those principles, and perhaps the most important one, is democracy. If anybody does not recognize the democratic provisions, there will be a suspension of the cooperation,” he said, adding that several African countries and Haiti have been subjected to this before.” The EU Ambassador to Guyana noted that the European Union has not shied away from imposing sanctions against offending countries in the past. He said, “We have done it, unfortunately, quite a few times in Africa – I was involved in several of those processes – we did it once in the Caribbean in Haiti several years ago, and if there is a breach of democracy, we will have to do it because we are bound by those provisions.”

In addition to suspending cooperation with Guyana, the EU Ambassador to Guyana explained that sanctions could include freezing assets held abroad and visa suspensions, among other actions.

Guyana and the EU established diplomatic relations in 1975 which is premised on the common principles of equality, mutual respect, the rule-of-law, and tolerance.

PNCR-led Coalition called out for attempting to block development in Region 10

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he Parliamentary Opposition, the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition, has been called out by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, for barefaced attempts at blocking development in Region 10.

Speaking during a media interview on Tuesday (May 10, 2022),Jagdeo said the APNU+AFC is spending more time on the ground now than it did during its five years in office, creating mischief and trying to stymie development in that region.

He pointed out that, “The regional chairman doesn’t

want part-time jobs, because we’re going to put in maybe 1,000 part-time jobs, where persons are going to get $40,000 per month and work 10 days. 1,000 families will get these jobs. They don’t want part-time jobs, but APNU took away jobs from the community.”

The Vice President said the opposition is also against infrastructure development in the region by encouraging persons to engage in the illegal act of squatting.

Noting the government’s intent to provide 400 families with house lots in Linden,

VP Jagdeo said, “they don’t want that, because if that happens, it shows the PPP is making progress.”

Describing the APNU+AFC’s actions as a ‘clown show’ the Vice President called on citizens to ignore these rantings, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to enhancing the lives of all Guyanese.

Referencing the state-sponsored scholarships being offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), Jagdeo said Guyanese from all walks of life can look forward to

this opportunity to receive tertiary and other technical qualifications, unlike what obtained under the previous government, where only a select group of persons were awarded scholarships. “This is for the whole country – that is what they can expect, APNU supporters, as well as our supporters, the whole country can expect, working to educate all the people.”

Further, Jagdeo highlighted the fact that opposition MP, Khemraj Ramjattan found virtue in APNU+AFC’s decision to close down the sugar industry

placing some 7,000 persons on the breadline. “Claiming they didn’t have money but they were busy spending money on themselves, billions of dollars on food in government, rentals for government, fancy things, travel for government, medical insurance for ministers and their families, we don’t have that, we stopped that under the new PPP government,” Jagdeo said.

He also noted Ramjattan’s praise of the APNU+AFC’s ‘lop-sided’ agreement with ExxonMobil. The Vice President said

the only expectations that can be garnered from the APNU+AFC are hypocritical assertions. “If you strip the lies out the propaganda and everything else, you will see that every single time we [PPP] have been in office, the country has moved upwards,” VP Jagdeo added.

During his outreach to Region 10 back in April, the Vice President told residents that the government is committed to having every citizen have access to Guyana’s oil wealth through improved health care and better education.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

Amerindian Development…

FOCUS ON GUYANA’ S FIRST PEOPLE Karrau residents urged ICT training continues in the to become Community hinterland Enhancement Workers T

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inister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, is encouraging residents of Karrau, Region Seven to become Community Enhancement Workers (CEWs) to help improve their community’s aesthetics.

The minister made this call during his recent visit to the region. He said enhancement workers play a significant role in the community’s transformation, which will aid government’s effort to develop every community countrywide. They also fulfill government’s manifesto promise to create job opportunities and boost village economies. “President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has Amerindian development at the top of his agenda, and so we would like to work with you

in whatever way possible.

We believe that the investments that we are making in our Amerindian villages are investments which we believe will reach down to benefit the people now and, in the future,” Dharamlall told residents.

As such, the minister urged residents to decide whether they would like to be part of the transformational initiative. “This programme is aimed to enhancing our citizens’ lives especially in villages that are far-off from the centre [Georgetown],” he said.

Minister Dharamlall also spoke about several health training programmes to improve primary healthcare services in the community. He said, “Community Health Workers (CHWs),

registered nurses, nursing assistants, Medex and even midwives are currently being trained across the country, and so I hope in this region that programme is being rolled out especially in Karrau.”

This year, the ministry allocated $5 billion to launch a more advanced Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) to not only improve community aesthetics, but sanitary and environmental conditions.

Last year, some $1.1 billion was utilised to preserve the aesthetics and infrastructure of communities across the country.

The CEWs programme falls under CIIP which began in 2014 and modified in 2015 to decentralise resources to the local democratic organs.

$100M being spent to upgrade 43 health centers/posts in Region One

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he government is making headway in its commitment to ensure citizens are provided with an improved level of healthcare across the country. For instance, in Region One, 43 health facilities have been selected for upgrade that will cost government $100 million.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said the fa-

cilities were selected following an assessment conducted on the 51 healthcare buildings in the Barima/Waini region. He said, “This year having consulted with the region we recognised that many of these facilities require some minor upgrading.

So, things like a place for people to wait safely, to have washrooms and so while they

wait, we have set aside $100 million to do these types of upgrades to the health centers. This project has started and we expect that it would be completed in the next three months’ time.”

Among the facilities for upgrade are Arukamai and Hosororo health posts and the Arakaka, Waramuri and Kwebanna health centers.

Major infrastructural works ongoing in Region 7 – Minister Dharamlall checks on progress

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inister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, has expressed satisfaction over the quality of infrastructural works undertaken in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven).

The minister, along with Regional Executive Officer (REO) Kerwin Ward, and team visited several project sites recently, including ongoing road works at Eighth street, Bamford Point and Mongrippa Hill.

Minister Dharamlall expressed the hope that contractors continue to provide quality work as they will be held accountable by government.

This, he said, will allow the region to provide similar services to other communities in keeping with government’s

promise to enhance the lives of citizens. “The region is spending about $66 million on roads within Bartica, and this is in conjunction with what the Ministry of Public Works is planning to do this year. “So, Bartica is one of those areas where we are doing significant work. This year we are spending about $3.7 to $3.8 billion in Region Seven and in addition to lower Mazaruni, we also doing quite a lot of infrastructure work in the Upper Mazaruni, building bridges to link different areas and villages,” Minister Dharamlall noted.

There are a few minor works to be done with regard drainage and road shoulders to conclude these works.

The minister also examined the progress of the river

defence project at Agatash.

“The intention is to do the entire waterfront, and so this year, we are doing about 120 feet. We have done a portion already last year… so every year we are going to continue to do portions of it as the budget constraints determined to do so. It is significant work which government has committed itself to do to boost community development countrywide,” he said.

Some $10million will be used for these works which the minister stated will be completed by month-end.

He added that this is just the beginning of what government intends to do to beautify and enhance the Agatash community to improve the lives of residents there.

hirty participants from Kwatamang, Wowetta, Rupertee, Annai Central and Aranaputa recently benefitted from the Office of the Prime Minister-Industry and Innovation Unit-‘ Train Trainers ICT Capacity Building Workshop.

For five days, participants were taught in the areas of; Introduction to computers and fundamentals of ICT, Word Processing (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Internet Computing, Cyber Security and Online Safety and Teaching Methodologies for ICT Education.

The participants include Village councillors and Community Support Officers who will in return conduct training in their respective communities and outline

areas, within the north Rupununi district. The population of the 5 communities combined is approximately

2,500 persons.

The training workshop was held at Bina Hill, North Rupununi.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

Guyana, Brazil pursuing greater collaboration on agriculture, food security, more G

uyana and neighbouring Brazil are aggressively working to fully operationalise their Agreement on Cooperation and Facilitation of Investment (CFI), to open more doors to economic ties.

The approach comes at a time when the two South America nations plan to pursue greater collaboration in the area of agriculture and food security.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, held intense discussion on the matter, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Friday, during President Bolsonaro’s one- day official visit on Friday, May 6, 2022.

The two Presidents, among other things, underscored the importance of expanding and diversifying agricultural trade, through information sharing and best practices.

“We had the opportunity to further deliberate and concretise action plan moving forward, [one being] food security, not only from a Guyana- Brazil perspective, but a Caricom perspective,” President Ali told reporters following the meeting.

The Heads of State want to ensure that their respective countries play an integral part in the region’s move to reduce the billion dollars food import bill by 25 per cent come 2025.

The signing of the CFI agreement between Guyana and Brazil late 2021, will provide a framework for cooperation and support to investors from both countries.

A number of mechanisms for risk mitigation and prevention of disputes, among other instruments will be agreed on by the countries.

The agreement will also create and maintain favourable conditions for investors, bringing a wide-range of mutual benefits.

President Ali believes that the establishment of a deep-water port in Guyana, could have a beneficial impact on the development of trade, even beyond Guyana and Brazil.

The possibility of a complementary rail link between the two countries was also highlighted.

Additionally, the Presidents acknowledged the important role that the border communities of Guyana and

Brazil play in the development of the two countries’ relations.

To this end, they agreed to ensure that the understanding aimed at addressing issues specific to those communities on trade and consular cooperation, would be fully and effectively implemented.

Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has been working assiduously to diversify the industry, ensuring it remains viable. Already, Guyana’s food sector has seen major investment despite minor challenges to date.

CIVIL AND CRIMINAL MATTERS Guyana and Brazil have mutually agreed to provide legal assistance in civil and criminal matters, through the signing of two bilateral agreements.

The signing of the treaties, which were done by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, M.P, and his Brazilian counterpart, Minister, Carlos Alberto Franco França, was witnessed by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro.

The first agreement signed on international legal cooperation in civil matters, will see the two states providing full legal cooperation in areas such as civil and administrative law, as well as criminal sentences that seek compensation for damages in the civil court.

Furthermore, the treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters will provide assistance with investigation or prosecution of criminal offences; including the restraint, seizure or confiscation, and also disposal and return of assets.

The Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, are the central authorities for executing the provision of the treaties, in Guyana and Brazil, respectively.

Before the signing ceremony, the two Presidents and their respective delegations held wide ranging discussions on a number of bilateral, regional and global issues.

GUYANA/BRAZIL CORRIDOR The two state leaders intend to intensify engagement and collaboration with immediate focus on establishing a bilateral working group responsible for assessing the potential gains of a Bao Vista to Georgetown corridor, advancing trade and investment flows.

They had also instructed their teams to enable the full implementation of the Guy-

ana-Brazil International Road Transportation Agreement, no later than the third quarter of this year.

Plans are also in the pipeline to advance the process of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November 2020, for the technical feasibility studies for the installation of a fiber optic link between the two neighbouring states.

In terms of infrastructure

development, the focus will be on the integrated project that involves the deep-water port, the road rail link, and fiber optic connectivity, President Ali reiterated.

Additionally, the countries’ leaders agreed to pursue greater collaboration in agriculture and food security, through the sharing of information and best practices.

The bigger aim, President Ali stressed, is to advance Caricom agri-food system,

ensuring food security in the region.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips; Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo; Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh along with other members of the Cabinet were also at the meeting. The Brazilian delegation included several government ministers and members of the private sector.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

$961.3M in contracts signed for marine development T

he Ministry of Public Works, recently, inked contracts valued $961,364,096 for marine transportation development in an effort to promote safety on the water ways.

The contract signing was facilitated by Minister, Juan Edghill, Minister Deodat Indar, and Permanent Secretary, Vladim Persaud at the ministry’s Kingston office, Georgetown.

From the monies allocated, $320,383,632 will be used to procure 24 regular pontoons and four large pontoons for ongoing works on the Demerara Harbour Bridge. For the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), a contract was signed to the tune of $457,900,561 for the acquisition of spares

and the docking of MV Sabanto and MV Kanawan, also known as the Chinese ferries that ply the Parika/ Supenaam routes.

In the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), contracts totalling $183,079,903 were signed to enhance safety on the water ways.

Minister Edghill said the ministry will continue to work towards attaining water safety as much as it does road safety. He said, “Maritime safety is becoming a big issue in Guyana, and just like how we have been emphasising road safety and better use of the roads, we have had too many incidents for this year on our water ways. We have to step up our game whether it is fishermen,

tug and barge operators, merchant ships, speed boat operators or what we call water taxis. We have to step up our game in terms of safety.We have to be able to improve on that and navigational aids, guides and it is not just in our Supenaam/ Parika route, but we got to deal with our Pomeroon River. We have to deal with the Berbice River all across, so we want to be able to improve on that.”

Meanwhile, the public works minister said during a recent trip to Regions Five and Six, scores of residents asked for the restoration of water taxis that ply the Berbice river. Operations were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the visit, the ministry through T&HD

with the support of the Maritime Department will repair and refurbish dmaged water taxis in an effort to provide relief to pensioners and school children in a few weeks’ time.

“Safety is important, that is why we are not going to put the water taxis with the leakage back in the river.

We have to make sure having been out of the waters for two years, we get them properly sealed or as the sailor man would say, corked properly, and get them properly painted and make sure we have all the safety gears and so on in place.

We ask that you be patient, we heard your cry and your concerns and those water taxis are going to be back in service shortly,” Minister Edghill stated.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLANT HEALTH “Protecting Plant Health for a Secure Future: A call for Global Action”, Commitments by the Government of Guyana

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

The International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) is a unique opportunity to raise global awareness on the importance of protecting plant health to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger, poverty reduction, protecting the environment, and bolstering economic development. It also highlights the critical role of national and regional plant health organizations in protecting plants from devastating pests and diseases.

According to FAO estimates, plant pests and diseases cause food crop losses of up to 40%. Therefore, protecting plants from pests and diseases is far more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences. Plant health has contributed significantly to Guyana’s agricultural development and to our continued ability to trade agricultural commodities both regionally and internationally.

Nationally, the presence of quarantine pests such as the red palm mite and carambola fruit fly have significantly affected the sector and the export potential of several non-traditional crops. However, Guyana continues to build plant health systems and infrastructure, especially with the strengthening of our local National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) to more effectively manage our plant health challenges and issues.

The Ministry of Agriculture has collaborated with other agencies to establish programmes aimed at raising awareness among stakeholders on the importance of keeping plants healthy to order to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). In this period of food scarcity, due to the present pandemic and the war, keeping plants healthy can contribute significantly to mitigating the impact that has arisen.

The ministry recognises the need to minimize the risk of spreading plant pests through trade and travel, by triggering compliance with international plant health standards. This is even more evident by the reduction of non-compliances received from trading partners and the high level of acceptance of our commodities traded on the international markets. The NPPO is actively working to strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to safeguard plant health by the execution of active surveillance programmes at the ports of entry, farmers’ fields, updating Guyana’s plant health legislation and regulation and by working to implement the Electronic Single Windows System to create an environment that will promote and facilitate trade in Guyana.

At the global level, there have been many recent detections of pests travelling across continents naturally, or with the movement of people, commodities, and conveyances. Paddy bugs, the Carambola Fruit Fly and Red Palm Mite are of serious plant health concerns to Guyana for which, again, there are programmes working towards their eradication and/or control. It is therefore important to ensure that the public is aware of and how their actions may contribute to these plant health risks, and to keep them away from our shores.

It is against this backdrop that the Government of Guyana vehemently supports the United Nations’ Resolution on the International Day of Plant Health 2022 and is prepared to join the rest of the world to advance efforts in the alleviation of the many plant health challenges faced globally. The Ministry of Agriculture looks forward to working with our colleagues across sectors to advance work in the safeguarding continuum of our plant resources, environment, and the economy for the betterment of all Guyanese.

Guyana signs Air Services Agreement with Saudi Arabia

− Country participates in Future Aviation Forum currently being held in Riyadh

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uyana has signed an Air Services Agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to promote and facilitate the expansion of international air services opportunities between the two countries.

The Agreement was signed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday (May 9, 2022) by Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works.

The Agreement addresses matters pertaining to Grant of Rights; Designation and Revocation; User Charges; Recognition of Certificates and Licences; Tariffs; Commercial Opportunities; and Fair Competition and Environmental Protection, among other matters. “Presently there is no direct flight between Guyana and Saudi Arabia, however, this Agreement puts in place the legal framework that opens market access for airlines to operate and enhance competitive air transport services, trade, and economic growth between the two countries,” Minister said Edghill in relation to the signing.

Minister Edghill further noted that through this Guyana-Saudi Arabia Air Services Agreement, the national airline of Saudi Arabia would likely explore air services not only to Guyana, but Latin America and the Caribbean, since the airline does not have a presence in this region of the world.

He said, “The signing of this Agreement is in keep-

ing with the Government’s commitment of connecting Guyana with the rest of the world. This Agreement also complements the more than 50 Air Services Agreements Guyana has established with other ICAO states for the development of the airlink among states,” Minister Edghill added.

Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia is the third largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, behind Emirates and Qatar Airways. The airline operates international flights to over 94 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Guyana was invited by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to sign the Agreement and to also participate in the Future Aviation Forum which is currently being held in Riyadh, during the period May 9-11, 2022.

The forum is seeking to shape the evolution of international air travel by uniting international leaders from the private and public sectors, international CEOs, and regulators, and have them openly discuss and put forward new solutions to grow and revolutionise the sector.

Among the key areas of discussion are: how to accelerate business recovery post-Covid through new thinking and increased collaboration, and showcasing new ways to boost and ensure sustainability across the aviation ecosystem.

Guyana and Saudi Arabia established formal diplomatic relations on February 22, 2012.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

CGX reports on success at Kawa-1 well T

he Canadian oil company, CGX Energy Incorporated, has reported an increase in its chances of finding more oil in the Corentyne Block, as the discovery of light crude at the Kawa-1 well has derisked other prospects in the Block.

According to CGX, who engaged independent third-party laboratories and experts in order to arrive at the findings, the Kawa-1 well was successfully explored and found to have both light oil and gas.

“These findings are consistent with discovery wells reported by other operators surrounding the northern portion of the Corentyne Block and derisks the forthcoming Wei-1 exploration well, expected to be spud in 3Q ’22,” CGX said.

In January 2022, CGX Energy Inc. announced that its drilling campaign has pro-

duced 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).

STABROEK BLOCK Recently, ExxonMobil announced more new discoveries.

The discoveries to date include 30 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

28. Barreleye-1 29. Patwa-1 30. Lukanani-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 bil-

lion 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).

The finds to date translate to an estimate over 11 million barrels of oil. Since 2015, a total of 34 discoveries have been made – majority of those having been made by ExxonMobil.

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Op-Ed: Inventions, falsifications about protecting rights of Indigenous people will be challenged at every turn

By Hon. Alister Charlie, Member of Parliament, Region Nine

T

he collective and individual rights of my Amerindian brothers and sisters are protected, respected, and upheld under the laws of Guyana by the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, now more than ever before.

Those rights were advanced greatly in 2020 under the current government and there is no threat to the development or growth of our Amerindians.

Those who wish to invent, falsify and tell a different version of the truth about the experiences of Indigenous and Amerindian peoples at home, regionally, or internationally will be challenged at every corner and turn.

It is rather unfortunate that Vincent Henry, an APNU+AFC Coalition Member of Parliament who should have known better would contribute to this false perception and negative propaganda of Guyana’s Amerindians at the opening ceremony of a seminar for parliamentarians of the 12th Parliament of Guyana held on May 10 and 11, 2022 at the Arthur Chung Confer-

ence Centre.

It is even sadder that this Amerindian MP is being used by the Opposition to deliver the trumped-up and ludicrous allegations about Amerindian rights and development. This MP should be championing the rights and progress made by this Administration. He should be glad and satisfied that Amerindians are treated like any other peoples in Guyana by the government where land rights and development is concerned.

For those naysayers, distractions, and opposition delusional minds, the PPP/C administration has a strong record of advancing and protecting the rights of Amerindians.

First off, much has been done to support the rights of Amerindians in Guyana: 1. Legislation to protect our Amerindian people, the Amerindian Act. 2. The creation of a constitutional commission – the Indigenous People’s Commission (IPC).

3. Land titling has moved from Amerindians having an absolute – meaning forever – ownership of 6 percent of Guyana to about 14 percent. And work is still ongoing in this area.

4. Guarantee of not only the right to land but sub-surface rights, meaning rights over the minerals in the ground.

5. Presidential Grants to all 215 Amerindian communities to support advancement as the communities see fit.

6. Agriculture Support via vehicles, vessels, and equipment to increase production.

7. Re-injection of over $700 million into the village economies of Amerindian communities with the Community Service Officer (CSO) program. And there is a planned expansion of this in 2022.

These are only some examples of the work that we see being done.

Amerindians across the country have opted for integration and for preserving their heritage – both aspirations being supported at a national level with Amerindian Heritage Month and the work of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

Every Indigenous or Amerindian person is entitled to get their share of the development that is gripping our country.

Inclusivity is a must that is guaranteed by the PPP/C Government as opposed to the incompetent governance of the country by the then

former APNU+AFC Coalition government.

Again, nothing of substance or value was done by the then David Granger-led Coalition government, when it was in office for 5-long years. Now, as the Parliamentary Opposition, it would seem that the progress being made is being seen by the Coalition as a threat.

The Coalition seems content on blocking development, if only to ensure that the PPP/C Administration is not credited for the development and progress of our people.

Despite this, the fact is that the PPP/C Government understands what needs to be done to further develop

and protect the rights of Amerindians.

We, the Amerindians are focused on the prize and resolute in our conviction.

We will not be distracted by voices in the wilderness that pander to false perceptions of Guyana’s first people and their way of life. Our people are enjoying an even more prosperous and better life under the PPP/C Government.

There is always the danger of invented, falsified notions being peddled, but there will always be, Indigenous people like me, who will always stand by the truth of telling the true story of One Guyana.

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Principal Magistrate joins Chief Magistrate in recusing themselves from Jordan’s trial E

mbattled former finance Minister, Winston Jordan, appeared in court on Thursday (May 12, 2022) before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Isaacs-Marcus recused herself from presiding over the trial. This comes after Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, on April 29, 2022, also recused herself from the case, indicating that she knew some of the lawyers involved in the case.

Consequently, the case was postponed until June 2, 2022.

Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) prosecutor, Tuanna Hardy, requested the accused be tried summarily in the Magistrates’ Court. However, Jordan’s lawyers objected and argued

for a trial by jury in the High Court – meaning a Preliminary Inquiry would take place at the Magistrates’ Court and once the magistrate finds that a case has been made, it would then be referred to the High Court for trial by a judge and jury.

Jordan’s lawyers have not made their submissions in the case, where he is facing charges of misconduct in public office.

The case to which the charge is related is the sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown.

The charge stated that the property, Mudlots 1 & 2, F of Mudlot 3, A, B & D, situated at North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, was valued at billions, but was sold

at an undervalued sum.

Jordan issued a vesting order, which passes Title to the purchaser, for prime waterfront properties in Kingston to BK Marine Inc. without full payment.

The company is owned by Brian Tiwari. The property is reportedly worth a whopping $8B. The purchase price, however, was set at $400M. In a strange turn of events, Tiwari only paid $20M – not the full price for the land. The Transport was subsequently issued for this property. Notably, the agreement of sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price. The vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities and

no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser.

This was among nine transfers of state lands were signed off by the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Jordan and exposed via the March 28, 2020 edition of the Official Gazette.

Jordan was arrested by ranks of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on December 2, 2021 for alleged misconduct in public office.

INVESTIGATION In October 2021, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, announced that an investigation into the dealings of the former APNU+AFC government is actively being pursued. During a press briefing at the Office of the President on October 14, 2021, Nandlall said, “There were a number of transactions that were done

under the previous government that will be subjected to investigations and charges may flow if those investigations yield those charges based on the advice, of course, of the Director of Public Prosecutions. That is an ongoing process…many people believe that we may not have been pursuing this with the desired speed. That is not so. There are so many other things that have happened since that have diverted the attention of the Police Force in other directors. But we remain committed to that promise to investigate these transactions.”

According to the Attorney General, Jordan has been implicated in a number of nefarious transactions.

“The former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has been implicated in a number of nefarious and questionable transactions, which we intend to send to the Police

Force and to other authorities for investigations.”

These include: • Hiding receipt of the US$18 million signing paid

by ExxonMobil for over a year; • The alleged sale of a number of prime pieces of land, many “far below market value” and “without the requisite public procurement process”, after the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion, as well as after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections; and • The alleged sale of several vehicles from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to close associates of the then administration with observing proper procedures.

Commenting on the investigations, Nandlall had said, “This is what we owe, (Turn to page 19)

WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

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Principal Magistrate joins Chief Magistrate... as a government, to the people of this country. After all, we have a duty, a fiduciary duty, to the people of Guyana to protect public property and public funds – public funds that are owned by the people, public property that are owned by the people. We have a duty to protect them and to call in the State’s investigative apparatus, where the circumstances require investigations to take place.

We have certainly identified certain areas.”

QUESTIONABLE DEALS Further, while in Opposition, the PPP/C had identified several questionable

deals and promised to have these investigated – including the alleged sale of vehicles to Jordan’s children for under $300,000.

Jordan’s arrest followed the move to send the file into his conduct in office to authorities for a criminal investigation.

A statement by the Guyana Police Force said, “Officers of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Guyana Police Force, made contact with Mr. Winston Jordan and invited him to attend the office of the unit at Camp Road, Georgetown for questioning in relation to a series of alleged fraudulent transactions in which

he is implicated, involving public funds and state properties, estimated to value billions of Guyana dollars.

Today (December 2, 2021), at or about 10:30 hrs, Mr. Jordan, in the company of two Attorneys-at-Law, attended the SOCU office at Camp Road and was interviewed….this is only one of several investigations that implicate former Minister Jordan.”

The embattled former Coalition minister was released on his own recognizance. When charged, he was not required to plead to the charge, was released on $3M bail. Jordan’s lawyers are APNU+AFC Coalition

Parliamentarian, Roysdale Forde and Khemraj Ram-

(From page 18)

jattan, as well as Attorneys-at-law, Dawn Cush,

Joseph Harmon, and Darren Wade.

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Funds being finalised to resurface Soesdyke-Linden Highway – Minister Edghill T he PPP/C government is finalising the funds to extensively resurface the 72-kilometre-long Soesdyke-Linden Highway, according to Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who made the announcement during the recent Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) consultation in Region Ten. The administration is awaiting the approval of over $24 billion (US $120 million) from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

During an outreach to Region Ten, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said the administration was hoping the money would be approved in June, to commence the rehabilitation project. “We are hoping that it would be approved at the board meeting in June of this year, so we can start reconstructing that highway before the end of the year. That is what we are hoping to do, to pave the highway from the junction all the way into Linden. The highway is in a horrible state, it is in a bad state coming up here,” he had said.

The upgrade to the high-

way is part of several key plans which the government has outlined for Region Ten. The public works ministry will also be upgrading a number of thoroughfares in several communities within the region, valued over $600 million. The interventions are as a result of representations made by residents during Dr. Jagdeo’s outreach.

The tendering process for the projects will commence shortly, after which works will commence.

Additionally, the ministry is finalising the programme for sub-district two – Kwakwani, Hururu and Landersville and sub-district one – Wismar and Mackenzie, as well as the road to Muritaro and Malali, among others.

Minister Edghill underscored that the minimum sum that has to be spent on the internal roads in Kwakwani is $200 million. The work will be done as part of the ministry’s 2022 hinterland work programme.

The sum of $76.7 billion was budgeted in the national budget to improve roads and bridges countrywide in 2022.

WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 MAY, 2022

20 persons qualified in drone...

(From page 6)

we do are life changing programmes. We don’t look for qualifications. None of BIT programmes ask for qualifications because we know that many people could not end where they want it to end because of circumstances of life, and that is what BIT is for, to ensure that people can once again dream, to ensure that people can know once again that they can do things that people said they cannot

do.”

As Government continues to make every effort to upskill the country’s human resources, persons are encouraged to take advantage of BIT’s free training courses as the agency aims to train over 4,000 citizens this year.

Additionally, participants of the programme can utilise the ministry’s job bank to gain employment countrywide.

Pilot Census to... (From page 8) est national data collection exercise, which is conducted every ten years. Guyana’s last Census was conducted in 2012.

This is an extremely important exercise that produces a large amount of socio-economic and demographic data that is used for planning and national development.

The Census plays a critical role in evaluating changes in the population and therefore should be viewed as more than just a headcount. These changes include size, composition, economic activities, quality of life, access to basic social services, Maternal Health, food security, Agriculture and Education.

Over 300 Walton Hall residents... (From page 8) Trustee, since Singh had no relative laying claims to the lands. A small portion falls under the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Minister Nandlall has assured the residents that the process of regularisation will commence, which will see persons being issued legal documents for their lands at a minimum cost.

“We (government) found a mechanism to allow the public trustee to come into the picture to help with the transaction, while at the same time achieving the objective, which is twofold, giving you your title principally and giving your title at the lowest possible cost,” he explained.

The Attorney General however, noted that the residents have a major role to play in ensuring the process proceeds smoothly.

He impressed upon them to ensure full cooperation with the GLSC and ensure they present themselves to sign the relevant documents nec-

essary to move the process forward.

Minister Croal also stated the government’s commitment to ensure land related issues across the Essequibo Coast are resolved in a timely manner. He said that the necessary policy mechanisms are being implemented in this regard.

In the Jib/Paradise area, he reassured the residents that the team at CHPA will work with them to ensure that the occupational surveys are completed in a timely manner, after which they will be issued with their titles/transport. “At the end of the day, we want you to have that document that signals ownership so that you can do other things with it like getting a loan for expansion, and that is why we are here today,” the minister noted.

Representatives of the GLSC, Office of the Public Trustee and CHPA were also on the ground providing guidance to residents on the process.

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COM M ENTARY

PNC/AFC leaders not only clueless, they are shameless

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

A

social media story has gone viral. While an operative of the APNU/ AFC opposition MP intended to create derision of the First Lady of Guyana, the public has solidly and in a united fashion rejected his attempt. The Opposition MP, Sherod Duncan, posted a video of the First Lady of Guyana, HE Arya Ali, dancing and having some fun. First Lady Arya had organized a fund-raising event for persons with disabilities.

During the event people were having fun and the First Lady joined in dancing. It was good to see the First Lady having fun and mingling with citizens. The public loved the fact that their First Lady was being one of them. But the Opposition MP tried to make this somehow a bad thing. MP Duncan’s attempt to heap his everyday dung on the First Lady was a shameless thing to do. He deserves every bit of the

dung that ended up being thrown fully back into his face The people of Guyana, across race, religion and politics stood together and rejected Sherod Duncan.

MP Duncan’s attempt to transform a good thing into something that add to polarization in our society was unitedly rejected. It showed that while Duncan shamelessly pursued his misogyny and polarized politics, the people of Guyana are inspired by the First Lady’s work and President Irfaan’s ONE GUYANA Agenda.

Some weeks ago, a few persons in Essequibo sent me a video of the Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, clearly intoxicated, dancing in a rum shop. I rebuked them, telling them to leave the man alone. He was having fun with his colleagues, there was nothing to indicate he was misbehaving and he has the right to relax after a day’s work among his party members. I agree with almost nothing coming out

of the mouth of Aubrey Norton, when he was a junior functionary of the PNC and now that he is the leader of the PNC and leader of the opposition. But I will defend his right to relax and having some fun. Whether he drinks too much or not is a matter for his party leadership and his members to determine.

But his dancing in a rum shop has no political importance to me.

Each and every single day, the Guyanese people and the world get to see and recognize that the leaders of the PNC and the AFC are not just clueless, they are shameless. The worse part of this is that they are clueless that they are shameless.

Shamelessness is very much a part of the DNA of the PNC, the AFC and the other parties that call themselves APNU. Their leaders just cannot help themselves. Recently, when they rejected the appointment of Dunstan Barrow to the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Board, they actually rejected one of their own, a man who distinguished himself as a PNC MP in Parliament, a man who was an executive member of the PNC for decades, a man who was a PNC Minister when the PNC was in government before 1992.

They had only one reason why they rejected him – he agreed to be a government nominee to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Appointments! The rejection by the PNC was shameless.

The PNC’s and the AFC’s shamelessness were on full display this past few days. First, on a TV program, Khemraj Ramjattan bragged that the two things he is most proud of that APNU/AFC did in government were the closure of four sugar estates and signing the EXXON deal.

Second, during an encounter with Bharat Jagdeo during

EU Day, this past Monday, Aubrey Norton, the Leader of the PNC and the Leader of the Opposition, insisted that he has the “winning” SOPs from the March 2, 2020 elections. It is more than two years since the elections and Norton and his PNC and AFC colleagues keep brazenly proclaiming they have their “winning” SOPs, but refusing to show the SOPs to the world. Norton, in effect, is like a man who claim to have the “winning” lottery ticket, claiming the price money, but refusing to show his “winning” ticket. It is not just a brazen fabrication; it is simply shameless.

Ramjattan continues to double-down on his hatred of sugar workers. This is a man who once bragged, together with his colleague, Moses Nagamootoo, that he is a champion of sugar workers. This man in 2011 campaigned among sugar workers promising them 20% annual wage increases and improvement of weekly and annual production bonuses. In the 2015 elections they not only repeated these promises, they also assured the sugar workers that they had no intention to close any sugar estate. Today, they deny they ever made such promises. Instead, Ramjattan, not only has no regret, he is proud and bragging of closing estates, of taking away the jobs and livelihood of more than 7,000 sugar workers. This is the very height of shamelessness.

But think of it – putting more than 7,000 families, almost 40,000 men, women and children into poverty is what he is most proud of during APNU/AFC’s term of office. That in itself is an indictment of Ramjattan and APNU/AFC. Shamelessness at its height is something these charlatans seem to make a virtue every single day.

The same Ramjattan, on the same TV show, also boasted that the second of the two things he is most proud of is the signing of the EXXON lopsided deal. This shameless man has not rebuked Aubrey Norton and the other PNC and AFC charlatans who today demand that the PPP renegotiate the deal the APNU/AFC government signed. The EXXON deal was signed in Houston by Raphael Trotman and Ramjattan is very proud of it. In the process, he and the rest try to persuade the people of Guyana that they brought OIL to Guyana. The fact is that OIL was discovered and announced before the 2015 elections. The PPP was in government at the time and during the 2015 election campaign, APNU/AFC deemed the announcement of OIL discovery in Guyana a scam and hoax.

But not only was oil confirmed in Guyana before the 2015 elections, it was made possible by an exploration agreement that was singed between Guyana and EXXON in 1999 under a PPP government led then by Janet Jagan. It was an exploration agreement that the PNC objected to. They claimed they brought OIL to Guyana when, had the PPP not succeed in bringing EXXON into the exploration for OIL, Guyana’s journey into an OIL economy would never have happened. But these same clueless people shamelessly signed a production agreement that gave Guyana the short-end of the stick.

Today, it is only because the PPP is able to extract extras from the deal that Guyana is benefiting from OIL and GAS. One would have thought that Ramjattan would hide from the travesty. Yet he is so shameless that he boasts about it – he claims it as one of his proudest achievements. This must

be Ramjattan imbibing on the bottle of shamelessness.

But if one thinks that shamelessness has any boundary, think again. Aubrey Norton, the leader of the opposition, showed this week again that when it comes to the leaders of the PNC and the AFC, shamelessness has no bounds. Norton met up with the Champion of the Earth, Bharat Jagdeo, a former President of distinction, a former finance minister generally regarded as one of the best ever finance minister in the world, a former opposition leader regarded as an opposition leader for others to emulate, now a Vice-President of Guyana and General Secretary of the PPP during EU Day last Monday. Clearly, Norton, in the presence of Bharat Jagdeo, showed he was a junior player in the big leagues. We can excuse him for exposing his junior status, after all he has spent all of his political life as a junior functionary in the PNC. His only claim to fame is that he was once regaled

by Desmond Hoyte as his “creature” to be treated as Hoyte pleased.

Junior functionary or not, Norton has not been able to escape the shamelessness hallmark of the PNC. He showed up at the event and shamelessly declared he had in his possession the “winning” SOPs from the March 2, 2020 elections. Did he not realize that it is more than two years since those SOPs were supposed to have been shown? They deliberately have hidden the SOPs because their own copies of SOPs show that they lost bigtime at the March 2, 2020 elections.

But Norton shamelessly keep pushing a narrative that not a single person outside of the PNC/AFC leadership believe. This is the very epitome of shamelessness.

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Local physicians to be trained to detect, treat long COVID – Health Minister C oronavirus continues to affect countries across the world, and while Guyana is on a path to recovery with fewer positive cases, hospitalisations and deaths, many persons are still suffering from the chronic phase of the disease, experiencing symptoms long after falling ill.

This condition is known as the long-term effects of COVID or long-COVID. Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said in order to better detect and treat patients, it is important that local physicians be trained to manage the condition. “The first week of June we’ll have a training for physicians, a lecture that would be done

by one of the top experts at Mount Sinai, and this will be done for Guyanese physicians. So, we’re hoping with the training that a lot more of the medical doctors would become familiar with long-COVID, and hopefully they’ll be able to detect it, and offer proper treatment for these patients,” Dr. Anthony said.

The minister added that long-COVID mostly affects persons with underlying illnesses and those who were hospitalised; however, it can also occur in persons with a milder form of the disease.

Dr. Anthony said the ministry has also put in place a multidisciplinary team at

the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where persons experiencing long-COVID symptoms could be tested and treated.

He said government isspending a lot more time focusing its attention on patients’ rehabilitation.

Long-COVID symptoms can be both physical and mental. Physical symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste and headaches, while mental symptoms include depression, anxiety and memory loss. The minister is urging persons who are experiencing symptoms of long-COVID to get treated as early as possible.

Anthony assures that no adverse effects of J&J vaccine found locally – FDA’s restriction is just a precaution

T

he United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended the restricted use of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine and more use of the MNRA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said the decision was taken after the US recorded at least nine deaths in the first quarter of this year, of persons who had a clotting disorder called thrombocytopenia, after taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “Thrombocytopenia after the vaccine is a very, very rare thing … you have about 3.25 per every million doses administered, so it’s very rare, nevertheless, the FDA in the United States has decided to take these precautions, because they have other vaccines

available namely the Pfizer MNRA vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. That’s why they have changed their recommendations,” Dr Anthony said.

However, he noted that Guyanese who took the Johnson and Johnson vaccine should not panic. “In Guyana, we have used Johnson and Johnson, we did not see persons having Thrombocytopenia and therefore we have still been using it, and we have had no adverse effect. Persons who have received Johnson and Johnson vaccines, they don’t have to panic, because if you have received the vaccine, and you had no complications then you wouldn’t have any complications now,” Dr. Anthony said.

He noted that thrombocytopenia develops within a

week or two weeks after taking the vaccine. “This is just a precautionary recommendation that is being made in the United States. The FDA in its recommendation, has also said that it has actually limited the use of the vaccine, it hasn’t stopped it, it has limited the use of the vaccine to adults and for persons who might need to use the vaccine because of special medical conditions,” the health minister noted.

Clotting caused by the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was first detected in April of 2021, which caused a 10-day pause on the use of the vaccine there, but after that use of the vaccine continued.

The minister said an independent panel established in December 2021 recommended that persons use more of the MNRA vaccines over the Johnson and Johnson jab.

Guyana better prepared for eventuality of future pandemics – Dr. Anthony

M

inister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, on Monday (May 9, 2022) outlined the systems government has put in place that will enable the country to be better prepared for future pandemics, if any arises.

The Minister said the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge, both in treating infected patients, and the storage of vaccines and medical supplies. However, most of those challenges were addressed through

Guyana’s partnering with international and local organisations.

Antony said, “Moving forward, what we have done, and what we’re working on is how to better strengthen our surveillance system so we can have pretty much like an early warning system where, if there’s anything happening, we’ll be able to detect it early, and having that information early, we’ll then be able to take the necessary measures in terms of

limiting the spread of the disease.”

Dr. Anthony added that developing laboratory capacity at a regional level is also a priority of the ministry, as PCR has played a significant role in testing for the disease.

Also, regional hospitals across the country will be equipped and upgraded to treat and manage infectious diseases. He said, “Building hospital infrastructure where we are capable of managing infectious disease patients is

important and that capacity doesn’t have to be only in Georgetown. We have to have this capacity at the regional level as well. And so, the infrastructural works that we are doing at our various regional hospitals we’ll have to cater for patients with infectious diseases,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, strengthening the cold chain system is another project that will be closely monitored by the government. The health min-

ister said this was improved during the pandemic as Guyana did not have the capacity to store the COVID-19 vaccines.

“Additionally, we’ll have to work on strengthening our human resource capacity… we’ll have to do much more training, have more people trained in the area of infectious disease and its management,” Minister Anthony stated.

He is assuring the public that even with the capacity

built during the pandemic, this will not be “static” since the government intends to continue developing all areas in the health sector for better care, treatment and management of diseases.

Further, since the pandemic is not over in Guyana or around the world, Dr. Anthony is reminding citizens to be responsible, to take necessary precautions in crowded areas and protect themselves against the deadly disease.

Unit established to deal with issues raised at government outreaches – Jagdeo T

he Office of the President has established a special unit to follow up on issues raised at the administration’s nationwide outreaches.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo made the announcement Tuesday (May 10, 2022). The Vice President said some 44 issues have already been resolved along the Essequibo Coast follow-

ing his visit there. “Since I came back from Essequibo the contract for the dredging of the Pomeroon River has been awarded, that’s a big impact. The cereal plant has been reopened,” he noted.

The dredging of the Pomeroon River mouth was among several commitments made to residents of Region Two, even as the adminis-

tration advanced efforts to mitigate flooding there.

Government, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in April, awarded the over $569.3 million contract to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc. to complete the project.

With the reopening of the Morning Glory Inc. popularly

known as the cereal plant in the region, a number of employment opportunities will become available.

During his recent outreach, Jagdeo pointed out that efforts will be made to return the factory to full operation. Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, made a follow up visit and inspected the facility ahead of its

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opening. Due to Covid-19, operations at the factory had scaled down.

Meanwhile, the Vice President said while the announcement of some 800 part-time jobs was made for persons within the region, the regional authorities have received almost 2, 000 applications. “We are now going to contract the people for the part-time jobs, because we have all the applications in. We have nearly 2, 000 in Essequibo because of the distance and the lack of jobs there. We are moving on those big initiatives that would affect large numbers of people,” Jagdeo added.

ESSENTIAL MECHANISM Jagdeo, at a prior news conference, made clear that the outreaches are an essential feedback mechanism.

“This is an essential part of our ethos as the PPP, which is keeping in touch with people on the ground…the best form of that engagement is to gather your information directly from the people, without that information being sterilized…the only way you can get a feedback on how your policies are affecting people is go to the ground and listen to them….it is essential for a country like ours to give people that sort of forum,” he had said.

Jagdeo added that a country’s democratic credentials are thought to be bolstered by more formal engagements, such as conferences, etc., but the biggest test of a participatory democracy is how much a government can give people a voice at every level in rural and urban areas.

“This is the ultimate test of a participatory democracy… the NGOs may not like that, some of that, because many of them will never do what we do….to allow free expression without censorship or fear…it is an important thing when people can stand up and fearless speak…that is good for a democracy….we see that all as positive, even the criticisms about government services….it gives us an

opportunity to fix the issues,” he said.

The Vice President noted that the PPP/C government’s approach to engaging Guyanese has been long-awaited, given that the former APNU+AFC Coalition government operated in a manner that railroaded ordinary Guyanese. He added that between 2011 and 2015, the former PPP/C government was engaged in a Parliamentary struggle to get is programmes advanced, given that national budgets were cut, etc. “You have had almost 10 years without engagement….we are talking about 10 or 11 years of accumulated issues at the personal level and people have waited patiently and I admire that… people waited 10 years to see their policy makers back on the ground,” he said.

While the last few years have been spent on identification, planning, feasibility studies and getting transformative projects to the stage of execution, the PPP/C government is fully cognisant of the other issues that must be addressed. “For a person who has to travel on a bad street every day, that is more important to them than a highway, despite that in the long term, the bigger projects are critical….the PPP has to balance these interests…. we have been conscious to balance the two interests, improvement in the daily lives of people and the transformative agenda,” Jagdeo said.

Consequently, he reiterated that the PPP/C government is committed to delivering for all Guyanese.

Government continues to conduct outreaches weekly throughout the administrative regions, in keeping with its commitment of engaging citizens at the grass roots.

To date outreaches, led by Jagdeo, have been held in Regions 2, 5, 6, and 10. This is in addition to outreaches done by President Dr. Irfaan Ali. Also, senior PPP/C government officials, including Ministers and technical staff, also remain engaged with communities.

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