Weekend Mirror 1-2 September 2018

GECOM complicit in gerrymandering of boundaries – Jagdeo 1-2 September, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 37 / Price: $100

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

PAGE 9

SEE INSIDE

Strike Continues

Questions about PAGE 24 SARA’s operations still not answered Vehicles traversing interior roads to be subjected to new PAGE 18 regulations

Problem of corrupt deals raised with Granger

More questions than answers about PAGE 27 Granger’s plan to ‘end all crime’

PAGE 8

2

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Sugar workers still waiting Granger continues to fail for severance payments to address appointments of Chancellor, Chief Justice A T ugust 2018 has come and gone and marks another month that has passed without final severance payments being made to the thousands of sugar workers who were sacked, in the worst mass firings in Guyana’s contemporary history.

The terminated sugar workers were dismissed on December 29, 2017, without

severance being paid “on termination” as required by the law.

The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act stipulates that workers who are made redundant must be made severance upon termination. “On termination of his employment, an employee whose severance or redundancy

has completed one year or more years of continuous employment with allowance, an employer shall be entitled to be paid by such employee a severance or redundancy allowance equivalent to,” the law states.

With all but three sugar estates closed, an estimated 7,000+ sugar workers have been fired.

Deadline to audit ExxonMobil’s pre-contract costs claims less than two months away

G

etting the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to consider proposals from the Parliamentary Opposition and acting on those is like “pulling teeth,” according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who was asked again, about the need for an audit of the pre-contract costs claimed

by ExxonMobil.

As per clauses included in Annex C of the agreement, pre-contract costs from 1999, when the original contract was inked, to December 31, 2015 were set at US$460M. Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman has agreed that Guyana will pay.

Meanwhile, a second set of pre-contract costs from January 1, 2016 to October 7, 2016, the date when the Petroleum Prospecting Licence was granted, is expected to be millions more.

Notably, the deadline to ensure that an audit is done is October 7, 2018 – less than two months away.

In June 2018, Jagdeo, when pressed on the issue, said, “What surprises me is that ExxonMobil says that we are open to the audit… but it is still not done.” He had stated too

that when returned to office the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will ensure that an audit of the US$460M costs is done. “It has to be done and we will do it,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added, “…imagine the people said they will do the audit. So, the government should have said is ‘Okay, we will get a firm to do it and at your cost, too. Whatever the figure is we will put that figure in the agreement.’ Very easily that could have been done because they had no push back from the company. But the people said US$460 million and Trotman said ‘Put it in there, put it in’.

“They already made a huge fundamental mistake by putting it in the contract a figure that was not audited. The company said they are not unwilling to have this done all you have to do is ask our own government…I wish they would do it.”

The Opposition was also pressed on his view on whether the US$460 seems accurate. He had made it clear that he could not make such a determina-

tion. “If I say that to you, I will be just like Trotman.

You have to submit the invoices. You have to say here is a contract for the rig. The government of Guyana then says ‘Yes, we can verify that it cost US$30M.’ Then the next questions should be ‘Was this competitively sourced?

Could we have gotten it for US$20M, because the going rate at that time was US$20M?’ Then, was it a company related to the oil company? Because if it was related, the cost could be inflated…these are questions for everything that comes out of every expenditure of the company. At the end of the day, you aggregate and come up with a figure and you say, this is real because we have asked the questions and have gotten the answers,” he added.

Local civil society groups and commentators have argued that the pre-contract costs are overstated. Meanwhile, contradicting Minister Trotman, GGMC Head, Newell Dennison, has admitted that there was no audit or verification of the pre-contracts costs claimed by the oil company.

here has been no communication from President David Granger to the office of the Leader of the Opposition on the substantive appointments of a Chancellor and a Chief Justice in Guyana. This was disclosed by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, recently, when pressed on the issue.

“There has been no contact…he has not written to me,” Jagdeo said.

At a prior news conference, the Opposition Leader made is clear that he is prepared to meet with the President to “settle on a process” that will allow nominees to be named, in the interest of securing agreement on both sides.

“I made it clear that after the due diligence I did, I could not offer my agreement as required in the Constitution,” he said of Granger’s move to nominate Antigua and Barbuda’s Justice Kenneth Benjamin as Chancellor and Justice Yonnette Cummings-Ed-

wards as Chief Justice.

Asked about the reasons behind his decision, Jagdeo stressed that unlike Granger’s approach to dealing with the nominees for the post of GECOM Chairman, he would not publicly address these. “I am not in the business of judging people in the public domain. These are two distinguished individuals who have had long careers in the judiciary. I will not do like the Presi-

dent did and drag people’s names through the mud…. if I am required to give reasons for my rejection, I will do so in the future,” he said.

Relative to the issue of having members of the judiciary acting in positions, Jagdeo noted that the PNC “likes this” since for 12 years they refused to agree to substantive appointments of members of the judiciary, under the former PPP/C governments.

APNU+AFC gov’t failure to improve foreign direct investment levels persists

G

uyana’s Ambassador to China, Bayney Karran, has said there must be balance in the execution of Guyana’s diplomatic relations, as foreign investment is important to development – the latest person to comment on the issue of Foreign Direct Investments.

However, the levels of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Guyana have been low in the past three years.

According to a report from the Department of Public Information, FDI increased from US$58M in 2016 to US$212M in 2017.

The increase was credited to activities in the oil and gas sector. Notably, even with activities in the oil and gas sector, the 2017 numbers are still lower than the 2014 numbers (US$255M).

Concerns have been expressed about government’s ability to attract foreign direct investments by the Parliamentary Opposition.

In three years, among several other trips made, there were three massive excursions between 2015 and 2017 – excursions that

Guyanese were told focused on securing investments.

To date there has been no details on the outcomes of those trips.

In October 2015, a highlevel ministerial delegation to Canada included, First Vice President and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Minister of Business and Investment Dominic Gaskin. The intention was to address investment possibilities. Despite multiple queries, to date there has been no update on what materialised from this trip.

In June 2016, there was a New York investment conference, which saw the participation of a 16-member delegation, including four ministers and ‘honorific’ advisors. Here too, there has been no work of what investments proposals materialised from the two trips – if any.

In May 2017, a 12-member Guyanese team, including Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, were on a Trade and Investment Explanatory

Mission in Brazil, and were slated to participate in several rounds of discussions with investors in Boa Vista. As with the first no, no outcome statement detailed progress of the undertaking.

In the meantime, Guyana’s economy continues to perform poorly.

The performance of major sectors according to final 2017 figures, which were revised in February 2018, show that: the agriculture sector only grew by 0.4% (projected to grow by 5.2%); the sugar sector contracted by 25.2% (projected to grow by 13.7%); other crops sector only grew by 2.4% (projected to grow by 4.4%); and that the mining and quarrying sector contracted by 8.8% (projected to grow by 0.7%).

Initially, Government had projected that Guyana’s economy would have grown by a 3.8 per cent growth rate for 2017. This projection was reduced to 3.1 per cent.

It was then revised downwards again to 2.9 per cent.

The actual performance, 2.1 per cent, was recently disclosed.

3

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t has ‘ample financial resources’ available to reduce hardships on Guyanese

– Ali calls for Coalition to reprioritize its spending, pay heed to IMF warnings

I

n referring to a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report, which highlighted the need for Government to cut back on its wasteful spending, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali, said the recommendations should be taken seriously.

The recently concluded 2018 staff report by the IMF on Guyana’s economy saw the international financial institution making two main policy recommendations, and where it underscored the importance of macroeconomic and financial stability.

According to the report, the IMF is extremely concerned how short-term fiscal deficit is being financed: primarily, by usurping domestic credit.

Allocation of scarce resources to best meet the needs of the people through wealth generation and improved wellbeing is crucial.

Ali pointed out that, from 2014 to 2018, the trajectory has been one that represents reckless spending.

Government increased

its dependence and reliance on domestic credit to fund short-term fiscal deficit. Statistics indicate that from 2014 to 2017, domestic borrowing increased by more than twofold, from $11.3 billion to $23 billion.

In 2018, it is further estimated to increase by another $11 billion to $34 billion.

Ali explained that this huge increase would crowd out private investment. He added that the crowding out effect is the increase in interest rates because of higher levels of Government borrowing. He further explained that this, however, means the increase in Government borrowing leads to greater demand for loanable funds, increasing interest rates.

When this happens, it’s more expensive for private companies to borrow and invest.

Meanwhile, according to the latest Bank of Guyana (BoG) Statistical Abstract, for the month of June, loans and advances from commercial banks to individual customers contracted by

more than 6.5 per cent or $2.4 billion, during the first six months of 2018. Central Government, on the other hand, recorded a huge increase in borrowing by more than 1600 per cent or $61.3 billion.

Ali stated too that it is

2014, is projected to increase by $46 billion by the end 2018, in comparison to an increase of $8 billion by its counterpart, capital expenditure.”

He said another important point to note is the increase in recurrent expenditure, which,

of living for the people, but expenditure on capital items (goods that make products, provide services) has grown by a mere 15 percent “If one is to adjust for inflation and VAT (Value Added Tax), this amount would become significantly less. In other

“For every dollar spent by this Administration, less than $0.10 is spent on wealth generation activities for the people.” Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP interesting to note, that projected fiscal expenditure in 2018, when compared to 2015, is expected to increase by more than $75 billion or 39 percent, in tandem with an increase in fiscal deficit by more than $33.7 billion or 375 percent. “From 20172018, fiscal expenditure is anticipated to increase by $18 billion or 7.2 per cent, attracting a budget deficit of $9 billion. Of the two major components to fiscal expenditure, capital and recurrent, the latter, when compared to

among others, represents expenditure on goods and services; wages, salaries, and other charges such as travelling, dietary etc. According to him, this makes up 84 per cent of total increase in fiscal expenditure, an indication that clearly speaks to what was described as the “gross misappropriation of funds.”

Ali proffered the view that not only is significant amount of resources being squandered on goods and services that yields no wealth generation or improve standard

words, for every dollar spent by this Administration, less than $0.10 is spent on wealth generation activities for the people,” he pointed out.

Ali stressed that there are ample resources available to accommodate all projects initiated by the previous PPP/C Administration, which sought to address core economic issues at the grass-root level.

For example, Ali said by slashing all excess allocation from “dietary” and “national and other events” ($2 billion), to 2014 level, enough

funds could be garnered to rehire and offer a 66 per cent increase in stipend to all 1,972 dismissed CSO Amerindian Workers. He said it could lend to an increase in the National Toshaos Council (NTC) subvention by 221 per cent to $50 million, and provide each Amerindian village, across the country, with a $3.5 million cash grant to fund developmental projects.

Moreover, he said by removing all excess allocation from “security services” and “transport and travel” ($3 billion), the “Because We Care” cash grant programme not only could be fully re-instated, but each parent could now receive a 50 per cent increase in allocation to $15,000 for each child, attending primarily and nursery school.

Ali noted that there will still be an untouched $17 billion in employment cost, and $24 billion in other charges; adequate funds to address payment of severance for sugar workers and increased salary for teachers.

Basil Williams buckles: Nandlall cites wastage of millions of taxpayers’ dollars on ‘futile exercise’ A

fter former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, was forced to file contempt of court proceedings against Attorney General, Basil Williams, Williams has finally issued an order to operationalise the Judicial Review Act (JRA) in compliance with a Court Order made by the Chief Justice Roxanne George, months ago.

On August 17, 2018, Nandlall, filed an application against his predecessor Basil Williams for contempt of court proceedings to begin.

In his Application, Nandlall sought “an order committing the Respondent to Georgetown Prisons, Camp Street, Georgetown for such period and on such terms and conditions as are just for failing to bring the Judicial Review Act Chapter 8:06, into force on or before the 31st day of July, 2018, as ordered by the Honourable Madam Chief Justice Roxane George on the 28th day of May, 2018.”

The commencement or-

der, signed by Williams on August 27, 2018, and published in the Official Gazette on the same date it was signed, appoints the 31st day of July 2018, as the day on which the Act shall be deemed to have come into operation.

However, in an invited comment, Nandlall, a

operation in compliance with the ruling of Chief Justice Roxanne George.

“There was absolutely no justification for the Attorney General to take so long to do the right thing. I was forced to write a letter; file legal proceedings, which the Attorney General defended rather than concede; when

bringing the Act into operation as of the 1st of January 2019, with the clear intention of subverting and defeating the Chief Justice’s Order; as a result, contempt of court proceedings had to be filed.

“I have detailed above the exhausting and exhaustive journey, which I had to travel, to get the Attorney Gen-

“I have detailed above the exhausting and exhaustive journey, which I had to travel, to get the Attorney General to do the right thing. All of this could have been easily avoided. Instead, an immeasurable amount of energy, invaluable judicial resources and time and millions of scarce taxpayers’ dollars had to be expended in getting him to do the right thing. So, the Government as a collective, allowed the Attorney General to waste so much time, energy, precious judicial resources and millions of taxpayers’ dollars on a wholly futile exercise, which should have never been allowed to take place.” – Anil Nandlall, PPP/C MP People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, said: “Attorney General, Basil Williams, has finally buckled and capitulated.

Now, the correct Order has been issued to bring the Judicial Review Act (JRA) into

the Chief Justice ruled, rather than comply with the ruling, he appealed to the Court of Appeal; then filed an Application to stay the execution of the Chief Justice’s ruling and when that was thrown out he then issued an Order

eral to do the right thing. All of this could have been easily avoided. Instead, an immeasurable amount of energy, invaluable judicial resources and time and millions of scarce taxpayers’ dollars had to be expended in getting him

to do the right thing. So, the Government as a collective, allowed the Attorney General to waste so much time, energy, precious judicial resources and millions of taxpayers’ dollars on a wholly futile exercise, which should have never been allowed to take place. But, at the same time, expects the teachers to accept that they do not have money to meet their demands.”

As a result, Nandlall has called on the Attorney General to withdraw his appeal.

“The appeal filed by the Attorney General remains pending. So does the contempt of court proceedings. So the waste of public funds, time and energy are not yet over. I call upon the Attorney General to withdraw the appeal filed forthwith, so as to avoid further wastage. In any event, it is now merely of academic interest only,” he stated.

Nandlall added, “…in terms of the contempt of court, the contempt has already been committed. The Chief Justice ordered the Act to be brought into force on or

before the 31st of July 2018.

It was brought into force on the 27th of August 2018.

Although it was backdated, the citizenry was deprived of the benefits of the Act for nearly a month. Therefore, the offence of contempt of court was already committed, it is up now to the High Court to determine how it will treat with this contempt. The fact that the Act is now brought into force, is but only a mitigating factor.”

The Judicial Review Act was passed by the National Assembly and assented to by then President Bharrat Jagdeo on November 2, 2010.

With the Civil Procedures rules having taken effect in November 2017, the way was cleared for the law to be activated but Williams has repeatedly said that legislation first needed amendments to close certain gaps. The Judicial Review Act allows ordinary Guyanese to seek legal remedies such as injunctions and compensation against any public officer or any statutory agency.

4

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t cannot be simply turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the daily struggles our workers face Dear Editor,

A

s public sector teachers across the country stand up and take decisive actions in advancing their call for a just pay rise and other improvements in conditions of work, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) extends its full and unstinted support and solidarity. The FITUG has been closely following the unfolding developments regarding the Government’s attitude towards the demands of the teachers and their union – the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU). For us it is indeed dismaying to see our teachers, who play no small role in moulding the nation, being treated with such disdain and, seeming, unconcern of their plight. The take-it-or-leave-it attitude adopted by the Administration in spite of the GTU’s justifications, in our view, has no place in our contemporary industrial setting.

The FITUG recognizes that the teachers have been more than co-operative and sought to work together with the Administration to meaningfully reach an agreement. We have noted that they fully participated in the work of the joint taskforce convened by His Excellency President David Granger. As we saw from reports in the media, undoubtedly in the spirit of good-faith discussions, the Union would have rationally considered the Administration’s positions and explanations and accordingly re-looked at their proposals. For us it is disappointing that in spite of taskforce’s work, which benefitted from

Will Volda Lawrence now apologise to the nation?

Dear Editor,

V

olda Lawrence is now the new Chair of the People’s National Congress Reform. Now, with Ms. Lawrence being seen as a potential future presidential candidate, in addition to being a current cabinet member and now the second most powerful person in the PNCR, she needs to send clear messages to the Guyanese nation that she has no problem with apologizing for wrong things said or done.

If Ms. Lawrence is ready to be a leader of empathy and caring concern, she should: 1. Apologize to the nation in general and females in particular, for referring to rape as ‘deflowering’. After all, rape, especially of children, is a heinous crime that now

carries the death sentence in some nations and that often leaves lifetime trauma in its wake.

2. Apologize to the nation, and especially children for saying that a sexual molestation case of a child was a ‘family matter’. The fact is the rape of our children should be everyone’s concern and should be treated with utmost seriousness every which way, including legally.

Ms. Lawrence needs apologize for seeming to condone and/or watering down the most horrible of crimes against the nation’s most vulnerable citizens – our children. Is she humble enough to say ‘sorry’?

Yours faithfully, A. Boodram

the presence of several high-ranking Government officials, the Administration it appears has simply chosen to ignore several of the recommendations that were embraced. This for us is not a positive development and serves, in our view, to undermine the Government’s credibility.

President David Granger vehicle passes by teachers as their Union engages the Ministry of Education. The President as Opposition Leader has promised teachers they would be the best paid public workers. Today. the President has said the Government cannot afford to fulfill that promise while the Cabinet gave itself a 50 per cent pay hike among other increases and over a billion dollars is being spent on Governmental overseas travel The explanation that Government cannot afford to meet the proposals advanced can have little acceptance when an account is taken of the grandiose wastage and incomprehensible extravagance of the Administration. We need not remind of the billion dollar travel budgets; the ‘greening’ of several Government buildings; the sole sourcing of drugs at prices far above what normally obtains; the rental of a drug bond to store hardly anything; among other things. While the teachers are denied their due lot, we cannot forget the 50 per cent salary hike the Cabinet gave itself and in addition to the significant increase in the benefits the Ministerial class now enjoys. And then more recently the damages that were reportedly sustained to several state vehicles during a reception held at the Georgetown Club apart from the sumptuous, extravagant foods that were reportedly served.

We were also upset to learn that attempts are afoot to intimidate and scare teachers away from heeding the legitimate call by their Union. This for us is a very disturbing development. We were equally dismayed to see Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott’s letter to the GTU which charged that the Union’s strike call was illegal. We wish to remind the Minister that workers have an inalienable constitutional right

to strike and his seeming efforts to deny the workers that right cannot be tolerated nor condoned. We were also disappointed to see the Ministers of Social Protection and also the Chief Labour Officer comprising the Government’s delegation in engaging the Union. The impartiality expected of the Ministry of Social Protection which is now conciliating the dispute has been sorely undermined by the presence of these high-ranking officials at the table on the Government’s behalf.

This disrespect meted out to the teachers, unfortunately, is characteristic of the Administration’s concern for the country’s working-people. We have seen during the stint of the Coalition Government the downgrading of the Ministry of Labour to a mere Department. We cannot also fail to note the imposition of pay rises in the public sector notwithstanding its manifesto commitment to engage in Collective Bargaining. Then, neither can we forget the withholding of half severance pay to sugar workers who were dismissed following the closure of estates, such an act which is illegal in the eyes of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. And if those were not enough, salt was rubbed into the wound when VAT was imposed on electricity and water; the reduction in the number of VAT exempted and zero-rated items which affected medical supplies and services and treatments, among others; the introduction of an environmental tax; increased the costs of passports; introduced fees for TIN certificates as well as massively increased the costs for a number of licenses, fees and penalties.

As the teachers press their demand we cannot fail to forget that President David Granger, as Opposition Leader, had promised that teachers would be the highest paid. Today, the commitment, like many others, has simply been forgotten, and the teachers, like all workers, are reminded that it is only through united and dedicated struggles that we can win our just demands.

The FITUG has also recognized that persons from some quarters have pointed to what they deem as the exorbitance of the demands put forward by teachers but those persons, from their ivory towers, are alien to the struggles the working-people of Guyana must face on a day-to-day basis.

The Government cannot be simply turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the daily struggles our workers face in putting meals on their tables; or to pay their bills, and to make ends meet with ever rising cost-of-living.

We urge the Administration, if it is serious about giving all Guyanese a ‘Good Life’ to favourably consider the demands of the teachers and to engage the workers movement as a whole to see what relief it can bring to the Guyanese working-people as they are being slowly choked by the burdens of life.

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana

Are we looking at indifference over abuse of Ministerial power?

Dear Editor,

A

letter entitled ‘Total fabrication’ in the Stabroek news of 10th August 2018 piqued my interest, it was a release

by Guyana Police Force’s Public Relations and Press Officer Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan refuting a report by online news, Citizen’s Report, with regards to claims of verbal abuse of a constable by Minister Annett Ferguson.

The PR/PO claimed to be in possession of a signed statement by the rank stating he (the rank) was never verbally abused or assaulted by the Minister in question, given the recent behavior by another APNU Minister, this is indeed

welcome news, but then the Superintendent goes on to say “It therefore makes the publication by the online media entity a total fabrication, which may have legal consequences.”

Editor, one misstated or dubiously refuted fact hardly makes a story a “total fabrication”, for example an incident must have occurred involving the aforementioned rank. This prompted me to visit the citizensreport.com website to read the entire story. I now have questions I deem pertinent to the public interest for Superintendent Ramlakhan; was a motorbike without number plates impounded and its rider detained?; Did Minister Ferguson visit the Police Sta-

tion and request (in any manner) that the rider and motorbike be released?; Did Minister Ferguson’s presence or advocacy in any way influence the release of anyone from police custody on the night in question?; Do the logs at the East La Penitence police reflect any reason for the Minister’s presence at the station on the night in question?.

Editor, I will await answers to these questions for a suitable period, before further comment or action on this matter, but I will not let it die due to indifference over abuse of Ministerial power.

Respectfully, R. Singh

5

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Current leaders are not grounded with the people

Mortimer Mingo should resign from LGC Dear Editor,

T

he chairman of any constitutional service commission should possess the following qualities: 1. Be able to uphold the integrity and independence of that commission 2. Be able to perform the duties of the office fairly, impartially and diligently 3. Be able to refrain from political activity.

To be more specific, and in step with the spirit of the Constitution, a Chairman of any of the constitutional service commissions should not: • act as a leader or hold any office in a political organisation; • make speeches for a political organisation or candidate, or publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office; or • solicit funds for, pay an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organisation or candidate; or attend or purchase a ticket for a dinner or other event sponsored by a political organisation or candidate.

If such a situation arises, then such a chairman must resign and vacate their office forthwith in order to protect the integrity of that constitutional service commission.

As Head of the Local Government Commission, whose main function is to deal with all matters relating to the local government system, Mr Mortimer Mingo is expected to be free of party affiliation, and is certainly expected not to hold a leadership position in a political party if the perception is to be preserved that he is independent, without bias, and is fit to carry out his functions professionally and objectively.s In this regard, I am calling upon Mr Mingo to immediately resign and immediately vacate the office of the Chairman of the Local Government Commission. Why? He was elected to the executive of the People’s National Congress Reform at its August 2018 Congress. His engagement in such public political activity prevents him from being a fair actor on the Local Government Commission. You cannot be the regulator and the regulated at the same time.

This situation will be the test of Mr Mingo’s integrity, and by extension his appointer, His Excellency President David Granger.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh

WPA comments on teachers’ concerns reduce the issue to ‘petty politicking’ Dear Editor,

I

was happy to see the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) coming out in support of the country’s teachers as they seek higher pay and other improvements.

The Party, which is a member of the Coalition, I felt would or should have had an opportunity to express its views on the matter at the level of the Executive. It could very well be that its views were not taken on board and thus the party’s recourse to a public statement. Whatever the case maybe, I felt, the statement made several germane points that are significant until I reached the last paragraph.

In the final paragraph of the statement, the WPA says “It is bad politics to alienate your supporters on a matter that could be easily solved”. The party then goes on saying the Government agreeing to the teachers’ demands would ensure “that a key electoral bloc is not alienated.”

It is disturbing, editor, to see the WPA reducing the real concerns of the teachers to mere petty politicking. But worse is that notion that because the teachers are seen as largely APNU/AFC supporters they have a right to get what they ask for. By extension workers or groups or even communities not seen as supportive of the Administration should not benefit from the State’s consideration in spite of their circumstances, justifications and plight.

I found the WPA expressions most distasteful and a serious blow to the party which has a proud history in defence of all workers.

I contend that Guyanese irrespective of their religious, ethnic, political and whatever other persuasion are citizens of this dear land of Guyana and the Government has an obligation to treat them fairly and equitably.

Sincerely, P. Persaud

Dear Editor,

M

y wife and I decided to travel through the Linden-Lethem road while on my annual leave. A decision I took based on reports of the improvement of the said road.

However, if there was improvement of the road’s condition I’m left to question its previous state.

The road is in a deplorable state, the worst I have ever seen, drivers require great skill and expertise to cross in some areas what seems to be trenches and deteriorating bridges. This road poses great dangers and it would seem that very little if any attempts were made to maintain it over the past two years. Many accidents seem to go unreported and many losses and even injuries are experienced by persons using this road.

Apart from experiencing the struggles users of this road face, I have not regretted my choice since those of us in leadership positions must blaze the trail with the people.

If leaders fly and are not grounded with the people, then our woes will increasingly grow.

My experience on this trail will linger for a long time; Guyanese while silent with frustrations come together at times of struggles

and help one another. One example is a tired truck porter giving his hammock to a young mother with her two small children. Another was the leadership demonstrated by Honourable Minister Sydney Allicock who patiently waited for over 15 hours at the Kurupukari crossing with many others while a toppled truck with tons of lumber had to disembark the vessel that transports passengers and vehicles across the river. Minister Allicock could have left and sought accommodation at a neighbouring facility but in this case he remained with the people. During the long wait we also shared our views on many matters and I did commend him as I’m doing now for what he did.

Most politely I’m recommending that our Minister of Public Infrastructure use this road, if he never did, so that he can experience the struggles of the people; women, children, loggers, truck and bus operators etc.

Further, I humbly seek our Government’s intervention in enhancing the conditions of the Linden- Lethem Road; all in the best interest of national development.

Yours faithfully, Devanand Ramdatt

Nagamootoo’s public relations ‘spins’ amount to folly that Guyana cannot afford to engage in Dear Editor,

O

ur Honourable Prime Minister, writing in his weekly column in the state-owned newspaper on Sunday, 26th August, made the Government’s case for the establishment of a homestead for Venezuelan refugees on humanitarian grounds.

Editor, the PM makes and defeats many straw men in his column, which leaves those of us who really care about our country to ask the obvious questions: Can we help people seeking to escape a failed welfare state by creating a welfare homestead for them? Can we afford to provide welfare for foreigners, seeing how little we make available to our own citizens in need? Who owns the land in Region 1 identified for ‘purchase’? How much money has been allocated to this ad hoc humanitarian project? What are the national security implications of a Venezuelan homestead in Essequibo?

Editor, the PM tells many tales to illustrate that Guyanese have at times claimed, and been granted, refugee status in foreign countries during the time of PNC rule. This is true, but at no time were Guyanese ever granted a homestead in any country; Guyanese emigrated and worked in every imaginable field of endeavour. Should the Government of Guyana wish to ease requirements for work permits for Venezuelans, they would have my support, but not welfare while teachers, nurses and law enforcement remain grossly underpaid.

The biggest surprise of this ‘Homestead Initiative’ is the naivety of a Government led by a former Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force to think that a Venezuelan Homestead in Essequibo (territory claimed by Venezuela) does not pose a grave threat to our territorial integrity.

What happens when (not if) a Venezuelan citizen claims mistreatment? When they refuse repatriation and seek legal representation? What happens when the hope of welfare leads to an overwhelming flood of immigrants crossing the border? What happens when one million people pour into the country?

Will our meagre law enforcement resources be enough to handle them? Will our GDF ranks load themselves into their 30 new Chinese buses and race to reinforce the border crossing?

The PM and the APNU + AFC Administration would be better off with serious discussion and consideration of the very real scenarios as posited above, instead of the inane public relations missives such as the PM’s My Turn.

We cannot hold out false hope for people; Guyana cannot afford this folly, it can only end badly for us. We must accept that our capabilities do not match all the good intentions we have towards our neighbours, and as Peter Tosh sang, “Sorry fi Maga Dog, Him turn around, bite you”.

Respectfully Robin Singh

6

Ramjattan must explain how a foreign rep can say that a security plan is being rolled out when it has not even been approved by Cabinet Dear Editor,

T

here are two articles involving the UK High Commissioner, His Excellency Gregory Quinn that I wish to comment on.

The first was published in the newspaper that no one reads on Sunday, August 26, captioned, “Progress seen in security reform”, and the second was published the day before in the Kaieteur News with the caption, “UK getting “value for money” in SOCU’s operation – British envoy”.

On the first, let me make it pellucid that I support the High Commissioner’s concerns that “…there is an understanding that the police infrastructure is not always as good as it should be, and some of the conditions that ranks are living in are really not what they should be and you know you have to treat the ranks and officers properly; and I think that can be done very quickly and very easily.”

He is right on this one. For although the PPP/C government had secured two large loans (Citizen Security 1 and 2) to alleviate this problem, the implementation has been slow by the Granger Administration.

I also agree that overall standards of

the Guyana Police Force (GPF) need to be raised, and that “police officers and ranks are adequately accommodated, trained and equipped.” These are undisputed urgent needs of our men and women in uniform, as urgent as providing them with a decent livable income to reduce the temptation of taking bribes or getting involved with more lucrative but illegal activities. I urge the Granger Administration to honor its campaign pledge to the police, and give them the 20% increase they were promised.

In that article, High Commission Quinn expressed concern that a security plan prepared by the United Kingdom’s Security Reform Programme Senior Adviser, Colonel Russell Combe has been gathering cobweb on President Granger’s desk since last January. But despite this, it seems that this program is being “rolled out at a slow pace”.

This is alluded to by the High Commissioner who said he is aware that “progress is being made in the areas of training, finance, aviation, and maritime.”

As a member of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee of the Security Sector, I have repeatedly asked the Minister of Public Security about the Combe’s re-

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018 port, and all he can say is that it is with the President and will be released soon. Mister Ramjattan must now explain to the nation, how is it that a Foreign Representative have knowledge that the Combe Security Plan is being “rolled out at a slow pace” when it has not yet been given the approval of Cabinet, and the document has not been seen nor approved by Parliament for its implementation.

In the Kaieteur News article of August 25, the British High Commissioner is reported to have made a statement which I find to be very curious and frankly, disturbing. He said the United Kingdom is getting value for money as it relates to the operation of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), under the guidance of his countryman and Financial Investigations Advisor to SOCU, Dr. Sam Sittlington. Responding to questions from the press at his residence on Friday, August 24th, Greg Quinn is quoted as saying, “It is not for SOCU to decide when and if a prosecution should move forward and I KNOW (emphasis mine) that SOCU has done a lot of investigation on a whole range of subject… all SOCU can do is put forward good cases and I think if you ask Sam he would say they have been doing that. SOCU is doing its job.”

Editor, in a previous letter, I had expressed concern over the level of interference in our domestic affairs by the UK High Commissioner and Dr. Sittlington, whose role is still undefined as he has been seen active in operational investigations.

The UK Envoy spoke as though he knows about the quality of the work being done by SOCU. Apart from the fact that he is Sittlington’s friend, any reasonable person would assume that Quinn could only make that assessment if he has access to confidential documents informing him on the extent and contents of investigations taking place at SOCU. Considering most, if not all of

the cases being investigated by that Agency targets former PPP/C Ministers and officials, this raises the question as to whether any Foreign Representative would make this their business, and the extent to which High Commissioner Quinn is involved. The UK High Commissioner speaking so candidly on operational security matters can only be considered political interference and intrusion in the affairs of a sovereign nation, which is being ignored by the APNU+AFC government, for it aids their objective of the political witch-hunt of former PPP/C officials.

Is Gregory Quinn doing this on his own? Or is it his way of appeasing London to justify the cost of Sittlington’s advisory role here and going after political opponents to gain favour with the APNU+AFC government.

The freeing of Dr. Jennifer Westford of trumped-up charges brought against her on the advice of SOCU, did nothing to improve government’s image with their hard-core PNC base. They have more disappointments to come!

As he seems interested in our security affairs, does the UK High Commissioner know that the APNU+AFC government has hired several lawyers friendly to the APNU+AFC Administration as Special Prosecutors who now benefit from the $100 million the government set aside to pay special prosecutors, while at the same time, cuts the DPP budget, compromising her ability to go after the real hard core criminals: Murderers; armed bandits and rapists that are terrorizing the entire nation on a daily basis?

I wonder what are the views of the UK High Commissioner on these issues since he is not shy to comment on other security matters.

Sincerely, Harry Gill, PPP/C MP

Progression to dictatorship rule exposed by gov’t gerrymandering of boundaries of local authority areas Dear Editor,

G

errymandering is a rigging process which was used extensively by the PNC in the past and it is once again being used to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to increase its constituency wins in certain areas whilst at the same time reducing the constituencies in the PPP favored areas.

According to a press statement by the Executive Secretary of the PPP, Mr Zulfikar Mustapha, “The Minister of Communities, with responsibility for Local Government and Regional Development, Minister Bulkan, issued the Municipal and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (Participating Local Authorities) Order # 19 of 2018, dated June 8, 2018. In this Order he named “the name of each local authority, the total number of seats, the number of Councilors in respect of the “proportional representation” component, and

the number of Constituencies and Councilors in respect of the “first past the post” component. By way of this Order, he announced the creation of one new township and eight new Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, an increase of nine LAAS, bringing the total LAAs to eight.”

He further stated that what was “most interesting in the list of the 80 LAAs identified in Order #19, the PPP discovered that the Minister reduced the number of Constituencies by 16 Constituencies in 14 existing LAAs, thereby making them the subject of re-designation with proposed re-demarcation

by GECOM.” This is evidence of gerrymandering: increasing the NDCs by 8, one new township in the PNC favored areas and reducing the constituencies by 16 in the PPP favored areas.

What is even more blatant is the fact that there was no bi-partisan or non-partisan consultation. Furthermore, there was certainly no

consultation with the citizens although Article 13 of our Constitution provides for this participation by citizens and their organizations in the decision making process especially in this area which will directly affect their well-being. This is pure unadulterated dictatorship!

Unfortunately, the citizenry seldom appreciates the trickery involved in the gerrymandering process since they feel that the changing of constituents’ boundaries will not affect them directly. This is far from the truth! Citizens are most likely to evidence the rigging process when the balloting process is being manipulated and not by the gerrymandering process. They only appreciate its deviousness when the votes have been cast and the results are out.

Through the gerrymandering process the constituency lines are intentionally rigged and the lines or boundaries are drawn as in this case to place a majority of PPP supporters in fewer constituencies and the PNC supporters

are placed in many constituencies. This will give the PNC more constituency wins and less to the PPP even though the PPP would have gotten more votes at the Local Government Elections!

In 2012, in the USA, the Republican won a majority of seats in the US House of Representative, 234 as against the Democrats 201 and this would seem to suggest that the Republicans got more votes than the Democrats. But sadly this was not so, the Democrat Constituencies got more than 500,000 votes more than the Republicans. This is what gerrymandering can do!

The Coalition Government should be condemned for this blatant disregard for the Constitutional rights of the citizens of our country. This Government must stop its progression to dictatorship rule!

Regards, Haseef Yusuf

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 30, 2018), ranging his meeting with President David Granger and the several concerns raised during that meeting to the developing situation with thousands of public school teachers in Guyana.

Budget cuts that do not New Police Commissioner affect development can should be given a ‘fair chance’ fund teachers’ demands T A s much as $30B can be cut from expenditures included in Budget 2018 to be able to cover the cost of what the thousands of public school teachers deserve, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (August 30, 2018), he listed seven areas where expenditure can be cut from and pointed to the massive increases when compared to 2014 spending levels.

In these seven areas, he charged that Guyana is spending billions more than was spent in 2014. By making cuts in these areas, he noted that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government can not only afford to pay the increases, including housing allowances and address the issue of debunching, but also pay disciplines services ranks the one month tax free bonus. According to him, cutting from these areas will not negatively impact Guyana’s development agenda.

The Opposition Leader added that by scrapping the controversial drug bond deal, which sees an annual payment of over $170M, the government can afford to raise the teachers’ uniform assistance from $8,000 to $21,000. Notably, the Task Force recommended an increase from $8,000 to $16,000.

He noted that during his most recent meeting with President David Granger, he called on him to “get involved” to ensure that the issue is resolved. “I said to him, you have been stressing the importance of education…it has been quite some time that teachers have been waiting…it is in the interest of Guyana to ensure that a multi-year agreement is signed,” he said, adding that under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government there were two multi-year agreements that were signed – the last one ending in 2015.

Jagdeo added that whole a lot has been said about teachers and whether they are justified in the struggle for higher wages, the wider Guyanese public must understand the length of time that teachers have been waiting. “Somehow people think they made a demand yesterday,” he said.

In December 2015, the Guyana Teachers Union submitted its multi-year proposal to the Ministry of Education. After almost two years of in-action by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, the Union threatened strike action on October 26, 2017. President David Granger only met with Union officials after strike action was threatened.

Meanwhile, on October 29, 2017, a high-level task force was established to investigate and present a report with recommendations on the education sector. On April 6, 2018, the report from that Task Force was handed to the Ministry of Education. No action was taken based on the report. One of the recommendations of the Task Force was a 40 per cent increase on 2015 salaries and a five percent increase for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 – a recommendation that the GTU supports.

With no action taken on the Task Force’s report, there were more talks between the Union and the Ministry of Education. However, when these broke down, the Union informed the Ministry of Labour that it was proceeding on strike action.

he new Commissioner of Police was named on Thursday (August 30, 2018) in the person of Leslie James.

He will be supported by four deputy commissioners: Mr. Lyndon Alves, Ms. Maxine Graham, Mr. Nigel Hoppie and Mr. Paul Williams.

The move comes after consultations between President David Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday (August 30, 2018).

At a news conference, after the meeting, Jagdeo said, “I did not have adverse position to any of the nominees since we had not a chance to go through the process that he (Granger) had gone through.” He further explained that Granger’s pick for the post of Police Commissioner was only made known to him on the morning of the meeting.

The Opposition Leader stated that this was raised with Granger, who promised that there will no such reoccurrence. “This (the lateness) impeded on my constitutional authority to consider the matter carefully and consult with others…I had no adverse position because I had no chance to go through process of review,” he said.

When asked about his position on James, Jagdeo said, “So far I have not heard anything adverse about” him.

He added that James deserves to be given a fair chance, unless and until he acts in a manner that denudes the confidence reposed in him.

Jagdeo disclosed too that Granger was asked for spe-

The new Police Commissioner, Leslie James, being sworn in

cifics during the meeting, relative to the process used to shortlist persons for the post. He noted that Granger explained that there was an interview done by a panel including himself, Attorney General, Basil Williams, and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan. According to him, Granger revealed too that those applying for the post were asked to take a “Grade 6” general knowledge assessment that the Ministry of Education was asked to design.

The Opposition Leader stated that this process was different from the one used by him as president. Last week, Jagdeo has explained that He explained that during his tenure as President the process used to select a police commissioner was done in an impartial and independent manner. Jagdeo noted that the four top candidates for the post were sent to the United Kingdom for an assessment course and at the end of this assessment,

a report, which ranked the candidates individually, was submitted to him. It was on this basis that the name of the top ranked candidate was submitted to the then Opposition Leader; and a Police Commissioner was appointed.

According to him, the role of the recently appointed Head of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Paul Slowe, in the selection process was also questioned and Granger assured him that Slowe recused himself from the meetings of the PSC, where the candidates for the post of Police Commissioner were considered.

Questions about the decision to not consider the former Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine, were also raised. “The President said there were specific reasons why he was not selected. He did not share the reasons,” Jagdeo said.

Meanwhile, the new appointments took effect as of August 30, 2018.

Teams lead by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and President David Granger at the consultation

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 30, 2018), ranging his meeting with President David Granger and the several concerns raised during that meeting to the developing situation with thousands of public school teachers in Guyana.

Still no timeframe set for future Opposition, gov’t talks P

resident David Granger has committed to talks with the Parliamentary Opposition and is expected to formally write the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, on the issue and well as detail the three areas – environment, oil and gas and crime – that will be on the

agenda.

This is according to Jagdeo, who made the disclosure during his Thursday (August 30, 2018) news conference. He explained that once Granger formally writes him, a response will be sent.

“Once I receive that letter I will respond to the letter

because I have had preliminary talks with the Executive Committee (of the People’s Progressive Party) and there are issues we may wish to put on the agenda for talks,” he said.

It is unclear when Granger will move to write Jagdeo on future engagements.

Corrupt deals raised with President

W

ith one scandal after another, exposing a breach of Guyana’s financial and procurement laws, as well as wasteful spending, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has made it clear that the issue of corrupt contracts is one that President David Granger is aware of.

“I said to him, you have a corrupt contract where the government is paying one individual $14M, VAT inclusive, for a house…that is $170M a year,” Jagdeo said, after a meeting with Granger on Thursday (August 30, 2018).

The deal Jagdeo is referring to is the controversial Sussex Street ‘drug bond’.

The controversial ‘drug bond’ property is located at 29 Sussex Street, Albouystown, Georgetown,

and the contract is for three years. The proprietor is a prominent member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Lawrence Singh. The PNCR is the majority partner in the current Coalition Government.

Investigations turned up a private residence, unfit for the storage for pharmaceuticals and medication. On those grounds, the political Opposition called for the contract to be scrapped. This has not been done.

When the contract was finally released, after pressure from the political Opposition, it showed that Government was renting a professional office, not a storage bond for pharmaceuticals. It also showed that the $12.5M monthly cost was not the true cost; rather Government

will have to pay upwards of $14.5M. The scandal surround the ‘drug storage bond’ came up after some $87.5M for the bond came up for debate and approval in the National Assembly on August 8 - $25M having already been spent as a security deposit and $12.5M earmarked for rent from August to December 2016.

Health Minister, Dr George Norton, has since been sent to a Parliamentary Privileges Committee for misinforming and misleading the National Assembly on the controversial ‘drug bond’ debacle after moves for the same were advanced by the political Opposition.

To date, despite several calls, it is unclear when the contract will be scrapped.

Severance owed to sugar workers must be paid as soon as possible T

he remainder of the severance payments owed to the 7,000 sugar workers who have been fired must be paid as soon as possible, declared Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (August 30, 2018), he noted that the money is due to the sugar workers. “They worked for it. This is not a handout.

They payment is mandated

by law,” he said.

He disclosed that President David Granger was asked when his government plans to pay out the severance, but he could not say when.

“We want the severance paid as soon as possible,” Jagdeo said.

The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act stipulates that workers

who are made redundant must be made severance upon termination. “On termination of his employment, an employee whose severance or redundancy has completed one year or more years of continuous employment with allowance, an employer shall be entitled to be paid by such employee a severance or redundancy allowance equivalent to,” the law states.

Granger non-committal on plans for remaining oil blocks

W

ill the David Granger-led Coalition Government go through with the auction of the remaining oil blocks in Guyana? The question was posed by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 30, 2018) during a meeting with Granger. However, Jagdeo noted that Granger was non-committal on the issue.

Last month, Jagdeo noted that Granger was quoted by the New York Times, in its July 20, 2018 article, headlined ‘The $20B question for Guyana’, on the subject of the remaining oil blocks.

The article said: “He (Granger) has promised to end closed-door bidding for drilling rights, and to open auctions for future development.”

The Opposition Leader noted that Granger failed to give and answer to the Guyanese people when this question was asked, over a year ago, but responded to a

foreign reporter. “We have been calling for this for over a year now…they refused to make a commitment to us in Guyana, but they can made a commitment to a reporter from the New York Times…. not the Guyanese people…. let’s see if they actually mean it,” he said.

In the past, Jagdeo had called attention to the confusion regarding Government’s positions on the remaining oil blocks.

Notably, Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, had touted the idea of allowing Guyanese citizens to have a stake in the blocks, while also stating that there is a moratorium on ‘giving out’ blocks. Trotman also talked about issuing new licences, upon acquiring the services of some international law firms to negotiate future oil contracts, to some foreign companies.

Jagdeo said, “It is very confusing, because on one

hand we have a moratorium, no commitment to the auction. Now he is saying that Guyanese will be able to bid against foreigners and he is saying that Guyanese can own shares in a company. They are very different things.”

He added, “Is he (Trotman) saying that there is a moratorium until they get these firms to come and negotiate the contracts, or is he saying there is a moratorium period? And when the international advisers come, will they be tendering or auctioning the blocks. He did not give an answer to that. So the negotiation of contracts is one thing with the international law firms but they are still silent on the big question on whether they will auction future blocks or not.”

The Coalition Government has come in for much criticism from civil society over its handling of the developing oil and gas sector.

Contradictions from gov’t, GPL provide no clarity on an end to Region 2 power woes O pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, lamented the contradictory comments coming from government and state agency officials regarding the power woes in Region 2.

And at his news conference on Thursday (August 30, 2018) he decried the fact that the maintenance contract with Wartsilla was scrapped by the APNU+AFC Coalition government. He noted that the government dispensed with the contract and has introduced no new capacity to the power grid.

According to him, many of the generation sets are old.

“I have been warning about this for some time now… we are running tight. Any problem we have could result in major problems for other areas,” he said.

He charged that if the

Amaila Falls Hydropower project had not been canned, Guyana would have been in a better place.

At a prior news conference, Jagdeo had pointed out that there is no credible information on what plans are being considered to address Guyana’s need for “badly needed” capacity in the energy sector. “There is nothing credible on how they will build badly needed new capacity. We are at a loss,” he said.

In 2015, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, having dubbed any move forward with the Amaila Falls project as “a downright criminal” act.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on October 2, 2017, said the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project was canned and charged that the

financing the project was a problem.

In May this year, Minister Raphael Trotman, confirmed that the Coalition Government has “never taken it” off the table. Last Friday, he told the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources that a two-year hydrologist study is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Jagdeo questioned who was conducting the study.

He noted too that Trotman should come clear on how the person/company was contracted to do the study and at what cost.

As for Harmon’s comments, he noted that it clear that Harmon’s “extraneous” comments regarding the project made it clear that he did (Turn to page 9)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 30, 2018), ranging his meeting with President David Granger and the several concerns raised during that meeting to the developing situation with thousands of public school teachers in Guyana.

GECOM complicit Guyana still in the dark in gerrymandering about crime reform plans A of boundaries

A

ttempts were made by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioners to questions worrisome actions being advanced by the Commission, but these were “shut down” and the Commissioners were not given a hearing.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, made the disclosure on Thursday (August 30, 2018), during a news conference where he pointed out that changing the number of Local Authority Areas is the prerogative of the Communities Minister. He added that it is the role of GECOM to constitute new LAAs where they are created and reconstitute existing ones where they have been changed – and undertaking that must be done fairly and in consultation with political stakeholders.

This, however, is not the case, according to him.

What obtains amounts to complicity by GECOM in the gerrymandering of boundar-

ies to favour the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Citing examples of this partisan act, Jagdeo noted that: In Region 2 – in the Evergreen/ Paradise LAA, Constituencies 8 and 9 were merged and have a total of 692 voters; but Constituencies 5 and 6, with 503 voters, were not merged. The PPP/C won in Constituencies 8 and 9 and the APNU+AFC won in Constituencies 5 and 6.

In Region 3 – in the Malgre Tout/ Meer Zorgen LAA, Constituencies 5 and 6 were merged and have a total of 1,0714 voters; but Constituencies 1 and 2, with 829 voters, were not merged. The PPP/C won in Constituencies 4 and 6 and the APNU+AFC won in Constituencies 1 and 2.

In Region 6 – in the Woodland/ Farm LAA, Constituencies 1 and 2 were merged and have a total of 990 voters; but Constituencies 8 and 8, with 851 voters,

were not merged. The PPP/C won in Constituencies 1 and 2 and the APNU+AFC won in Constituencies 8 and 9.

Jagdeo explained that by merging the Constituencies where the PPP/C won, GECOM is reducing the number of seats won by the PPP/C in that particular LAA. He added by not merging the Constituencies where the APNU+AFC won – where there are less voters – GECOM is providing for an increase in the number of possible seats APNU and AFC could win, based on the results at the 2016 Local Government Elections.

“This is the fairness we are getting from GECOM,” he lamented.

The Opposition Leader noted that the PPP/C is looking at parallel lines of action – one, contesting the 2018 Local Government Elections set for November 12, 2018; and two, advancing a court challenge to GECOM actions.

Contradictions from... not understand the financing model of the project. “It was a private sector led project… there would have been no debt for Guyana,” Jagdeo stressed.

As the confusion, in the Coalition Government’s camp, continues about the project continues, the Opposition Leader noted that one is clear – the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project was killed for political reasons.

The Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project was initially expected to deliver a steady source of clean, affordable, reliable renewable energy to meet approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s domestic energy needs and remove the country’s dependency on fossil fuels.

As at 2014, approximately US$70M of this had been deposited by Norway in the

Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) which is channeling investment into seven LCDS projects. The Norwegian Government also announced that it plans to transfer US$80M to the Inter-American Development Bank, to be used as Guyana's equity contribution to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

The independent, factsbased assessment of the Amaila Falls Hydropower project in Guyana, which was done by an independent Norway-based engineering and design consultancy firm, Norconsult AS, found that the project is the only realistic path for Guyana to achieve greater levels of renewable energy.

“The fastest way forward is to maintain AFHP as the first major step for substituting its current oil fired gener-

(From page 8)

ation. AFHP was prioritized as the first hydropower plant because it was the only project with a full feasibility study completed, it has a higher plant load factor than the alternatives, a smaller reservoir and a levelised unit cost in the same range as the most attractive alternatives,” the summary of the 49-page report said.

The report also highlighted that Hydro power is the only way in which we can achieve the 2025 renewable energy target; that the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project is the fastest way to get to renewable energy by 2025; that the BOOT model is the most appropriate way of structuring the project and should be maintained; and that the project should be re-tendered since the last tender was in 2008.

fter his recent meeting with President David Granger, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, disclosed that when pressed, Granger committed to providing the Parliamentary Opposition with a copy of the Combe’s Report.

Seven months ago, on January 18, 2018, Granger accepted the Report of the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP), which was presented to him by United Kingdom’s Security Reform Programme Senior Advisor, Colonel Russell Combe. But there has been no official move to operationalise the plan – even as the APNU+AFC Coalition Government comes in for blows over the current crime situation.

This is despite the fact that Granger himself admitted to need to roll out measures to address the crime situation. Earlier this year, he had said. “We are deeply concerned about the security situation and the sooner we implement those reforms, I think, the better,”

he had said.

Meanwhile, recently, in offering an excuse as to why there has been no move with the report, Granger stated that the plan is still being studied by his Cabinet. “We are going through it,” he said last week.

Jagdeo, during his weekly news conference on Thursday (August 30, 2018), stated that the Parliamentary Opposition, as well as the rest of Guyana is in the dark about what master plan is guiding the talk about reforms in the security sector. “What is the overarching vision driving these reforms?” he asked.

In the meantime crime remains an issue.

July 2018 ended with a recorded increased in armed robberies, where firearms were used. Statistics released by the Guyana Police Force show that there were 350 reported cases of armed robberies – an increase of seven per cent compared to July 2017. For the same period there was also: a 25

per cent increase in other types of robberies, with 35 reported cases; a seven per cent increase in robberies with violence, with 92 reported cases; a total of 141 reported cases of robberies where other instruments were used; some 36 reported cases of robbery with aggravation; a total of 71 reports of larceny from persons; a whopping 574 reported cases of break and enter and larceny for the same period; and a total of 134 reported cases of burglary. There were also 58 reported murders as at July 2018 – 25 disorderly murders, 16 domestic murders, 11 murders associated with robberies and six with unknown causes. Additionally, 76 illegal firearms have been taken off the streets so far this year – which is less that was taken off the streets when one does a comparison with the previous period. Among the illegal weapons seized were: 14 pistols, 18 revolvers, 8 shotguns, 1 sub-machine gun and 5 rifles.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people

A

fter three years since taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, published a list of 231 so called ‘achievements’ in May 2018.

However, a close look at the list, revealed Government’s desperation in trying to find ‘successes’. For example, the Government claimed “lower electricity rates” as an achievement, but listed this one point at least two times in the list of 231. A second example shows that the

1. FICTION: Four Budgets in three years FACT: All four budgets introduced policies that negatively impacted working class Guyanese and the productive sectors. Over 200 new taxes and fees were introduced. Others were increased astronomically.

4. FICTION: Youth skills training provided through BIT, HEYS FACT: The BIT is a PPP/C initiative. HEYS was introduced by the APNU+AFC Government, then the decision was made to scrap it.

Notably, HEYS had replaced the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), which was an initiative under the former PPP/C government. When the Coalition Government took power, the 1972 Amerindian community service officers who were part of the YEAP programme were fired.

7. FICTION: Created over 5000 jobs FACT: Since May 2015, over 25,000 Guyanese have lost their jobs. Government’s claim of creating over 5,000 jobs has been challenged. To date, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not responded and has not said where these 5,000 jobs were created.

10. FICTION: State Assets Recovery Unit set up FACT: SARA did not legally exist until May 2018.

The State Assets Recovery Act was only assented to by President David Granger on May 4, 2018 – over one year after it was passed in the National Assembly by a government majority, despite objections voiced by the Parliamentary Opposition.

As such, queries have been raised about SARA’s operations prior to Granger’s move to assent to the SARA Act – specifically as it relates to how monies were allocated to the State Assets Recovery Agency for the year 2018 Budget to acquire an office at Lot 56 Main and New Market Streets, SARA letterhead, staff, etc., prior to that date (May 4, 2018), when the agency did not legally exist?”

APNU+AFC Coalition claimed the work of private companies as their own success, when it listed “4G internet” in its list of 231. The work to bring better internet services to the Guyanese people was done by the private telecommunications companies.

This week, the Mirror, by simply looking at 30 of the Government’s claims, will expose the FICTIONS peddled by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and will detail the actual facts.

2. FICTION: $50,000 Christmas Bonus in 2015 and $25,000 Christmas Bonus in 2016 FACT: No attention has been given to increasing the salaries of public servants – teachers, policemen, nurses, etc. since the APNU+AFC Government took office. The two bonuses were one-off payments for only two years.

5. FICTION: Sugar industry right-sized fo5r self sufficiency through diversification FACT: There have been no efforts in the direction of diversification. While government said it has “right-sized” the sugar industry, all it did was close down major sugar estates – leaving thousands of sugar workers on the breadline – in the worst mass firing in Guyana’s history.

3. FICTION: Training opportunities for GuySuCo workers FACT: No substantive support has been given to the 7000+ sugar workers who were fired by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Government’s unwillingness to support the sacked sugar workers has been evidence in the fact that the government broke the law and did not pay the workers their full severance. It was seen again when Government refused to say if was informing the sacked sugar workers that millions were available under the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme, which is supposed to provide financial support for entrepreneurial ventures and create income-generating opportunities, etc.

6. FICTION: Reduce the sugar industry dependence on the national coffers

FACT: There has been no move in this direction, not even the start of a feasibility study to assess such a plan.

FACT: The sugar industry’s dependence on the national coffers has not been reduced. In fact the national treasury is exposed with the borrowing of $30B, via bonds issued at 4.75 per cent, since the borrowing has been backed by a government-guarantee.

11. FICTION: Special organized Crime Unit operational

9. FICTION: Lower Electricity rates

FACT: Three years of being operations under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, not a single case against money launderers has been advanced. SOCU has only been involved in cases filed against former government officials, one of which has already been thrown out of the courts. Also, in the case SOCU brought against GBTI, the expert witness fielded by the Unit was also rejected by courts, which ruled that the ‘expert’ was in fact ‘no expert’.

SOCU has been involved in a number of controversial operations. These include the high-profile car chase of the wife of a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP), which resulted in the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle and his wife Stacy, along with another civilian in a smash-up on Carifesta Avenue in December 2015 – an incident that remains the subject of many unanswered questions.

The Unit’s establishment was part of Guyana's international obligations to strengthen its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and was intended to support the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The mandate of the SOCU, as acknowledged in the protocols, is to address investigations, detection and preparation of criminal investigative reports and case files for prosecutions of financial crimes, including money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Little to nothing has been done by SOCU, under the current APNU+AFC Government, which fits the reason for SOCU’s establishment.

FACT: Electricity rates were subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2017, meaning that electricity costs were increased, not lowered.

8. FICTION: Plans to bridge Essequibo River

12. FICTION: Outstanding court settlement paid FACT: Court settlements have been subject to intense questioning, as it relates to the how these settlements were reached. The last big court settlement related to the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) matter. The sum owed by DDL, according to the GRA assessment, was $5.392B from 2001 to 2006. The settlement saw DDL paying only $1.5B and also writes off all possible liabilities in respect of Excise Tax up to March 9, 2016. Since then, Banks DIH has filed a case against the Coalition government, saying that DDL was given special treatment. In the meantime, several questions asked about the DDL settlement remain unanswered. The questions asked include: Was an assessment of DDL’s liabilities in respect of Excise Tax for the period 2006 to 2016 done and what was the sum of that liability?; Who negotiated the settlement?; Is it legal? Was the settlement approved by Cabinet or the Board of the GRA?; On what principles was the sum of $1.5B arrive at? And How many other deals have been concluded or are being negotiated?

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 13. FICTION: New Guyana Election Chairman appointed FACT: The 84-year-old GECOM Chairman was unilaterally and un-constitutionally appointed, in breach of 25 years of practice and common understanding of the constitutional procedures that have to be followed for such an appointment to be made.

14. FICTION: The establishment of three new towns FACT: The towns were established without consultation and in some cases encroached on titled Amerindian Lands in breach of laws --and showing that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has no qualms about breaking the laws of Guyana.

15. FICTION: Improved education attainment FACT: The 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana – released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department – underscores a major failure of the APNU+AFC Coalition government. Page 11 of the 207 report states that: “The standard of living in indigenous communities was lower than that of most citizens, and they had limited access to education and health care.”

In contrast, the 2015 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana, on page 14, said: “All indigenous communities had primary schools, and as of 2012, there were 13 secondary schools in remote regions. All indigenous communities had school dormitories that housed students at government’s expense. Government programmes trained health workers, who staffed health facilities in most communities.”

16. FICTION: Free transportation for school children FACT: A total of $1.7B was taken away from public schools when the $10,000 cash grant was scrapped. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government says it has provided buses, but these do not serve all public school children. The cash grant was given to every public school child.

17. FICTION: Provision of medical equipment FACT: Shortages continue to be reported. And with the dust barely settled over the $632M drugs and medical supplies procurement scandal, sole-sourcing of $366.9M of drugs and medical supplies in 2017 has once again brought into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health – and the likely of increasing corruption at that Ministry. As was the case with the spending of $605M, the Ministry – headed by Volda Lawrence – claims that the spending of the $366.9M was to cover emergency expenditures. Documents revealed that a company, HDM Labs Inc. – owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – was handpicked over three others that went through tendering process.

18. FICTION: De-politicized the National Toshaos Council FACT: The NTC is not a political body. It is the elected body that represents Amerindians in Guyana. As such, claims of de-politicizing the NTC have been viewed as APNU+AFC rhetoric.

19. FICTION: Extended the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) programme FACT: Not a single Amerindian village has received a land title under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock, admitted that he failed to do any work with the ALT programme, which gave the indigenous people legal rights to their communities. “I have not been able to title any village,” Allicock had said in May 2018.

Notably, after taking office, the Coalition Government, sent home the entire unit dealing with the Amerindian Land Titling programme. The Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to support the implementation of the project.

A total of US$10.7M was earned by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government and left for the purpose of completing the ALT programme.

20. FICTION: Piracy smashed FACT: Less than two months ago, a piracy attack led to several deaths of local fishermen.

The bodies of some of the fishermen have still not been found.

21. FICTION: Major criminal gangs smashed, members prosecuted FACT: There has been no such report. Also, no cases in Guyana’s court have substantiated this claim.

22. FICTION: Crime rate down FACT: As of June 2018, a whopping 304 cases of robbery under arms, where firearms were used, were recorded at the end of June 2018, marking an increase compared to last year. Another 116 cases of robbery under arms, where other instruments were used, were also recorded for that month. There were also 28 other cases of robberies, as well as 73 cases of robbery with violence. Robbery with aggravation cases numbered 30. Larceny from persons numbered 62, while burglary cases totaled 112 and break an entry with larceny totaled 498. In total these cases numbered 1,223. There were 44 murders. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to come in for criticisms over its inaction to address the current crime rate.

23. FICTION: Establishment of the Department of Environment FACT: There is no Department of Environment as of July 2018.

24. FICTION: Freedom of the Press restored FACT: The Guyana Press Association has blasted Coalition gov’t over ‘unmistakable’ signals of Executive control since it took office.

The Association cited other acts that include: The continued role of the Director of Public Information as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, publishers of the Guyana Chronicle; Direction from a senior government Minister on coverage of his office to the Editor- in-Chief; Direction being given to the Chronicle for stories sent for his approval once it has to do with his office or the PNC, the main party in the governing Coalition; and weekly meetings of the Prime Minister with senior executives of the state media.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 25. FICTION: Constitutional Reform process initiated

27. FICTION: Code of conduct for public official completed

FACT: There has been no progress on the issue of Constitutional Reform.

FACT: There is no Code of Conduct in place.

A draft was proposed and was met with widespread criticisms. Even the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. said government’s proposed code of conduct is still deficient in many respects. The body expressed the view that the “lack of specificity appears as low commitment to integrity in public office” and it can ultimately impede the effectiveness of the Code and erode public confidence.

26. FICTION: Improved transparency FACT: The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been criticised as failing to honour of the promise of transparency. Among the untruths told by the government to the Guyanese people is the fact that Guyana did not receive the US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil. This lie was told for over a year to the Guyanese people, despite the fact that questions about the signing bonus were asked. Finally, documents leaked to the media, exposed the Government lie

28. FICTION: Family Court opened FACT: The Family Division of the High Court began hearing cases since May 6, 2016. The Family Court was a PPP/C initiative. Before the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office, the Family Court building was completed and handed over to Government.

29. FICTION: Successful gun amnesty programme FACT: During the amnesty for unlicensed firearms in 2015, scores of Amerindians handed in weapons used to protect their cattle and crops and support their livelihoods, with the promise of receiving licences. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government delayed the return to April 2018 and has now delayed it again, until the end of July 2018.

This failure to deliver in a timely manner on a promise made has prevented the amnesty programme from being deemed a success.

30. FICTION: A new drugs procurement system introduced FACT: Health Minister, Volda, Lawrence had stated revised drug procurement system which will bring resolution to the ongoing drug shortage throughout the country is expected to be implemented by the month of June 2016. It is now July 2018.

After taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government scrapped the old method used to procure and deliver drugs and medical supplies across Guyana, despite the fact that it worked.

GECOM Chairman challenge hearing set for October 4

T

he Court of Appeal July 27, 2018 granted an application to expedite the proceedings filed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, who is appealing the High Court ruling that upheld President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of Retired Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

In the Appeal Court, at the first hearing on Wednesday (July 25, 2018), Mustapha’s legal team, led by Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall, had applied for the matter to be expedited given the importance of the case. As such, at Friday’s hearing, the Appeal Court panel, led by acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards, agreed with Nandlall that the matter was

one of “national importance” and should be expedited.

However, this was not before the court heard arguments from both parties.

Attorney General Basil Williams argued that the hearing of the appeal should be postponed to after the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), which were already set, and monies spent for preparations.

However, Nandlall, a former Attorney General himself, dismissed those arguments, saying that the Local Government polls could always be rescheduled and pointing out that the Party’s paramount concern was to have the appeal determined way ahead of the 2020 General and Regional Elections so that there was sufficient time for further appeal at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) if necessary.

After hearing the arguments of the two sides, Justice Cummings-Edwards set October 4, 2018 as the soonest possible date. During this time, the parties will have to file their submissions with regard to the appeal case and the acting Chancellor urged them “to observe the timelines”.

The acting Chancellor in her ruling on the ‘expedite request’ said, “A hearing of the appeal should be conducted in a relatively short space of time …this is not to say we are not mindful of other matters that are before us, but such matters of national importance have been dealt with before.”

Shortly after the hearing, Nandlall told reporters that he was pleased with the court’s decision, since the matter could have been fixed at a much later date.

Nandlall went on to say that he did not see any issue with the LGE being rescheduled if the court ruled in a particular way since December was initially earmarked for the Elections.

BAD FAITH In October 2017, a meeting on the selection of a GECOM Chairperson, between Jagdeo, and President David Granger only lasted five minutes. At that meeting the third list of nominees submitted by Jagdeo was rejected by Granger.

At a previous meeting on June 12, 2017 – the meeting before Granger made a unilateral appointment – there was an agreement on what would be the way forward, if the third list was rejected. The June 12, 2017 joint statement said: “It was also agreed that a high-level team

would be assembled representing the President and the Leader of the Opposition which will begin to work immediately on exploring modalities to bring a resolution to this matter in the event that the list is rejected.”

Given that there was a joint agreement, the Parliamentary Opposition argued that Granger acted in bad faith when he unilaterally appointed a GECOM Chairman.

Following the appointment and swearing-in of the then 84-year-old Patterson, Mustapha filed an application, contending among other things that the president had no power to make a unilateral appointment once a list of six names had been submitted to him.

He made this argument while noting that the head of state had failed to give

reasons for rejecting all of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s 18 nominees as unacceptable. Article 161(2) provides for the appointment of a Chairman based on a consensual process in which a list of six persons, “not unacceptable to the President,” is submitted by the Opposition Leader. The proviso allows for the appointment to be made unilaterally, where the Opposition Leader fails to submit a list “as provided for.” Jagdeo submitted three lists, which were all rejected by President David Granger.

George-Wiltshire, in June 2018, ruled that President David Granger acted correctly when he unilaterally appointed Justice (rtd) James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. This led to an appeal being filed.

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t inaction this week

13

…a snapshot of headlines making the news

Trotman silent on his role as ‘interlocutor’ for meeting between US Congressmen, gov’t A visit by United States of America Congressmen to Guyana, last week, remains mired in secrecy, particularly as it relates to the role of Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman.

Notably, it was Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who admitted that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was informed of plans for the visit by the USA officials by Trotman – not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as is the norm for visiting foreign delegations.

Trotman’s role as the interlocutor has since been questioned, but the Minister and Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) remains silent on the issue. Additionally, the visiting team of US Congressmen met first with Trotman before meeting with President David Granger and Harmon. No other government official was engaged.

Nagamootoo returns from another trip to US, Canada Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, over the weekend, returned to Guyana after his trip on personal business to the United States of America and Canada. He was accompanied on his trip by his wife, Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo.

Notably, questions have been raised about spending by the Office of the Prime Minister, more particularly, the $109.2M allocated to his office to be spent at Nagamootoo’s discretion.

At the last sitting of the Natioanl Assembly (August 8), People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Odinga Lumumba, was not allowed to pose questions on what the monies were spent on by House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, during Wednesday’s (August 8, 2018) sitting.

The question was: “Could the Honourable First Vice President and Prime Minister inform this National Assembly with regards to how much of the $109.2M under 6284 Other in Agency Code 02 Prime Minister’s Secretariat Programme 021 allocated in the 2018 Budget has been spent and what has it been spent on as of June 30, 2018?”

Land deal brings tax settlement questions back into focus Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has benefited from a land deal that will see it building a solar farm, a new headquarters for its company and more. And the deal brings back into focus questions about the 2017 multi-billion dollar tax settlement that the company benefited from – questions that, to date, remain unanswered.

The sum owed by DDL, according to the GRA assessment, was $5.392B from 2001 to 2006.

The settlement saw DDL paying only $1.5B and also writes off all possible liabilities in respect of Excise Tax up to March 9, 2016.

The matter was engaging the attention of Guyana’s courts. However, government moved to settle.

The questions asked about the DDL settlement include: Was an assessment of DDL’s liabilities in respect of Excise Tax for the period 2006 to 2016 done and what was the sum of that liability?; Who negotiated the settlement?; Is it legal? Was the settlement approved by Cabinet or the Board of the GRA?; On what principles was the sum of $1.5B arrive at? And How many other deals have been concluded or are being negotiated?

APNU+AFC gov’t remains silent on infringing on Amerindians’ rights As the Indigenous peoples of Guyana, along with all Guyanese, get ready to celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month, September 2018, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock has urged that they stay true to their culture. “As we continue to celebrate as Indigenous people, let us not forget who we are and where we come from,” he said.

However, Allicock has remained silent on the many infractions committed by his APNU+AFC Coalition Government, which has been put on blast for infringing on the rights of Amerindians in Guyana – including land rights.

Notably, the first group of persons to be affected by mass firings after the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took officer were Amerindians – 1,972 Amerindian Community Service Officers (CSOs).

Bulkan fails to respond to PPP/C concerns about ‘gerrymandering’ of boundaries ahead of LGE 2018 The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has charged that the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, with the creation of 10 new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and changes to 14 existing LAAs point to “gerrymandering” of boundaries ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections – all in an effort to increase its balance of votes.

The 10 new areas are: 1. Mahdia, which has been identified as that town for Region Eight 2. Moruka/Phoenix Park NDC 3. Kitty/Providence NDC 4. Nile/Cozier NDC 5. Lamaha/Yarrowkabra NDC 6. Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC 7. Plegt Anker/Kortberaad NDC 8. Wyburg/Caracas NDC 9. Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro NDC 10. Annai NDC Additionally, a review of the existing Local Authorities that have been tampered with, show that in total 16 constituencies have been removed from 14 Local Authorities Areas.

The number of seats has been reduced in: 1. Evergreen/ Paradise 2. Aberdeen/Zorge-en-vlygt 3. Malgre Tout/Meerzoergen 4. La Grange/Nismes 5. Toevlugt/Patentia 6. Caledonia/Good Success 7. Woodlands/Farm 8. Mahaicony/Abary 9. Zeelust/Rosignol 10. Blairmont/Gelberland 11. Ordnance Fortlands/No. 38 12. Adventure/Bushlot 13. No. 52-74 Village.

The 14th area that has been tampered with is the Municipality of Rose Hall, where the PPP/C won the proportional representation vote by one seat in 2016. Here the number of constituencies has been increased from seven to eight.

All of this was done without consultation.

Despite his attempt to respond to the concerns expressed by the PPP, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan failed to address the 13 points raised.

STRAIGHT TALK 14

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

(This speech was delivered as an address to the National Press Club, Washington, D.C, USA in October 1961. Its re-printing is among several activities being undertaken during 2018 to mark the 100th birth anniversary – March 22, 2018 – of the founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.)

Towards Understanding

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

I

am told that I am a controversial figure. I think therefore that my first duty today is to put my personal position before you as briefly and clearly as I can.

I am, I believe, generally dismissed in this country as a Communist. That word has a variety of meanings according to the personal views of the man who makes the charge.

Some people, for example, said that General Eisenhower was a Communist. To others a Communist means simply a person who is in favour of a certain pattern of economic organization in which the State plays a direct and active part. Still others mean when they call you a Communist that you are a dedicated agent of what they call an "international conspiracy". During your own struggle to get rid of colonialism your leaders were called all sorts of names.

For example, if the term had been known in his day General Lafayette would almost certainly have been called a Communist. Tom Paine whose writings fired the blood of your revolutionaries and inspired me during my student days here, was charged for seditious libel for publishing the " Rights of Man". An ex-colonial American Chief Justice John Reeves set up an organization in England called the Society for the Preservation of Liberty and Property against Republicans and Levellers. And the leaders of your revolution were charged with conspiring with a foreign power - Jacobin France. I draw attention to these aspects of your history because I think it will help you to understand why I have so often been called names and had my views misrepresented and distorted. Let me now tell you where I stand.

First of all I am a passionate anti-colonialist. I, like your forefathers, believe that colonialism is wicked. I believe so strongly that colonialism is utterly wrong that I would gladly accept any help from whatever quarter to help me in my fight against it.

MY COUNTRY My country is about the size of Great Britain or the State of Minnesota. It is a poor country but it has considerable

unused resources and great possibilities for development.

At the moment, however, most of its half a million people barely eke out a living on a narrow low-lying coastal strip of land which accounts for only four per cent of our land area. Although the country is mainly agricultural we still have to import many agricultural products. This is not the only paradox in our situation.

In a country so largely unoccupied, there is also grave land hunger, for it takes great sums of money to reclaim and then protect cultivable land from floods, the sea and the jungle, and we have never been able to afford enough of these works.

There is almost no industry. My country depends on three or four main products - sugar, bauxite, rice and timber - the exploitation of two of which is in the hands of foreign companies. Indeed these two industries, sugar and bauxite, between them account for seventy-five per cent of the exports of the country.

British Guiana today in fact presents the typical pattern of a colonial economy.

It is little more than a raw material base and a market for industrial products with the drain of wealth abroad which perforce results in stagnation and poverty.

SOCIALIST POLICY I am dedicated to the task of changing this pattern. I wish to see my country prosperous and developing, its people happy, well-fed, wellhoused, and with jobs to do.

Too many of them at the present time lack these elementary essentials. Second only to my passion for the independence of my people is this dedication to their economic advancement, so that their lives may be more abundant. Now, in this I am a socialist. By this I mean that I am in favour of the workers reaping the full fruits of their labour through public ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. I believe that it is only by planning on this basis and with a scientific assessment of our situation that I can rapidly modernize our economy and provide my people with the higher standards of living they want and have a right to expect.

I believe ideally in the

nationalization of all the important means of production, distribution and exchange.

This will ensure a fairer distribution of a country's wealth than any other system. But I also have to recognize things as they are. While I reserve our right, as any sovereign nation does, to nationalize whatever industry we think should be nationalized in the public interest we have explicitly stated that we have no intention of nationalizing the existing sugar and bauxite companies. These companies today dominate our economy, but British Guiana is still largely under-developed. We are resolved to diversify our economy and to industrialize it rapidly so that as we launch new enterprises the proportion of our national income produced by expatriate enterprise becomes smaller and their present command of our economic life weakened. If on the other hand it ever became necessary to nationalize any industries, fair and adequate compensation would be paid.

In carrying out our program of industrialization the state will play an active and direct part. In this, our policy is, I believe, similar in aims to those followed by many other countries of the world, such as India, Ghana, Yugoslavia and Israel, all of which have received generous aid from America.

I place myself in company with other nationalist leaders of Asia and Africa. I believe like these nationalist leaders that the economic theories of scientific socialism hold out the promise of a dynamic and social discipline which can transform an underdeveloped country into a developed one in a far shorter time than any other system.

MAINTENANCE OF DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE We may differ from you on the way we organize our economic life. You have as your dominant philosophy private enterprise but let us not forget that your development took place in a different historical epoch when conditions - economic and technological were not as they are today. It is however generally agreed now that in an under-developed country and in the face of the rising expectations of

the people the State must play a more pervasive role. But we certainly do not differ from you in our political objectives, which are the establishment and maintenance of a democratic way of life.

I have won my place in the political life of my country in three successive general elections. I have not come to power by revolution or coup d'etat. I believe in parliamentary democracy, by which I recognize the rights of opposition parties, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, regular and honest elections, an impartial judiciary and an independent civil service. I have been accused of plotting the destruction of freedom in my country. The truth is that those who accuse me of this have themselves been responsible for the denial of freedom to the broad masses of our people. I have struggled for these freedoms and it was I who first proposed that a Bill of Rights guaranteeing every citizen his fundamental rights, including the right to hold property, buttressed by an appeal to the courts, be entrenched in the new constitution of British Guiana. It was I who saw to it that these provisions which are unique in the region and which are not part of the British parliamentary tradition but which are based on your own constitution were inserted in our new British Guiana constitution. I intend that the same rights shall be similarly entrenched in the constitution of an independent Guiana.

To carry out the program of social and economic reform I have in mind for my country, I need both trade and aid. I have already pointed out the need for large scale industrialization if there is to be an improvement in the living standards of the Guianese people. Because of the small population and limited home market a programme for industrialization must be tied to export markets previously explored and secured. It is obligatory on us therefore to make trade agreements either on a government level or with privately-owned agencies wherever we can find markets.

PLACE IN THE WORLD Finally, may I touch briefly on the place we hope to take in the world when our

independence is achieved shortly. I mean to pursue a policy of active neutralism.

Because of the immensity of our problems I am forced like India and some other under-developed countries to seek aid from all possible sources. I have however made no secret of the fact that I will not accept any aid upon conditions which limit the sovereignty of my people. We do not intend to be a bridgehead or a base for anyone. I am not the agent for what some call an international conspiracy. I take no orders from anyone. I am concerned only with the urgent problems of the social and economic development of my country. I am not interested in the cold war in which in any case my small country can play no effective role.

Sensational headline writers sometimes lose their sense of proportion when they forget this.

That is not to say that I will not interest myself in the many problems of our twentieth century world, some of which are bound to affect us.

We look forward indeed in due course to taking our place in the United Nations which represents, particularly for small nations, their guarantee of independence and their hope for the future. We will look at all the world issues, each in turn, and will make up our minds on the evidence presented to us without committing ourselves in advance to any side. I have sometimes been asked where I stand on issues. To this my reply is that a foreign policy in not developed in a vacuum. We are not yet independent. We have no foreign policy at the moment or the diplomatic resources on which sound judgements can be based. At this stage I cannot answer such hypothetical questions. I can only give you the principles which will guide me. I do feel that my country can in our contemporary world of blocs and groups play a part in bringing about a better understanding among nations. In a sense we should not be unqualified to do so.

We are a small people mainly of Afro-Asian descent. We are situated in Latin America but we speak the English language and have strong ties with North America and the British Commonwealth.

In a recent speech Profes-

sor Rostow described American policy thus: “We are dedicated to the proposition that this revolutionary process of modernization shall be permitted to go forward in independence with increasing degrees of human freedom.

We seek two results: first that truly independent nations shall emerge on the world scene; and second that each nation shall be permitted to fashion, out of its own culture and its own ambitions the kind of modern society it wants.”

That is also my ambition for my country.

TEST OF BASIC PRINCIPLES In a sense our visit to this country, our request to you for aid, is a test of basic principles. The Government of the United States has stated clearly that their concern is to foster and preserve democracy, that the internal affairs of democratic countries are their own concern. What then happens when a people by an admittedly genuine popular vote opt for a socialist economic system? Will the United States respect this decision?

Will she give aid and succour to preserve that democracy?

Or will she withhold her aid at the very real risk of that democracy, being overthrown by a dictatorial uprising based on the people's poverty? Will the United States Government give in to pressure groups that exist within it as within all governments and so act as to preserve capitalism by sacrificing the democracy it has so long championed?

There are not lacking, even within this country itself, writers, thinkers, scholars, who hold that when the Government of the United States uses the word “democracy" they really mean capitalism.

If these men are right, then we can expect no help, for while we are an admittedly genuine democracy we are also admittedly socialist.

Sooner or later this issue had to be squarely faced and clarified by your administration. History has chosen my own small country to be the focus of this problem. The decision must now be made and demonstrably made.

Indeed, gentlemen, it is not our concept of democracy which is now on trial, but yours.

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Real Time Economic Insights A look at the performance of Major Statutory Agencies

There is no doubt, four of major statutory agencies, including the Guyana Gold Board, will soon become dependent on government subventions to offset annual expenditures – a situation that was unprecedented prior 2014; The huge loss in revenue, in excess of $56.8 billion, by Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and Guyana Gold Board during the period 2014-2017 is sufficient to cover our projected fiscal deficit of $43 billion in 2018, and still leaves us with a surplus of $13.8 billion.

Contrary to what the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has said, the draconian tax measures levied on the mining sector in 2016 did affect revenue flows. (Analyses done by Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP)

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission: 2014-2017 15,000

$5.2B Deficit

$4.2B Surplus

13,000

12.9B

11,000

11000

11.6B

9,000

7000

G$ Million

7,000 9B

3,000

5000

9.6B

4.8B

7.7 B

7.1B

3000

1,000

1000

-1,000

-1000

-3,000 2014

2015

Total Revenue

• From 2016-2017 (after the 2% final tax, 100% increase in Tributor’s Tax, and VAT on heavy duty equipment was levied), revenue plummeted by more than $4.2 billion or 22%;

9000

9.5B

5,000

• From 2014-2018, GGMC lost in excess of $2.4 billion in revenue;

13000

2016

Expenditure

-1251

-1764

Hemorrhaging of GGMC by Central Gov: • In 2016, central government transferred 111% 0r $8 billion of total revenue to the consolidated fund, and in 2017, another 116% or $9 billion.

-3000

2017

Total Loss in Revenue

Key Observation: Whether the cause is mismanagement or incompetence, GGMC, from 2014-2017, lost in excess of $2.4 billion in revenue. And, contrary to the Hon. Minister claim, tax levied in 2016 against the mining sector, did affect operation (less revenue).

Guyana Gold Board: 2014-2017 80,000

80,000

60,000 50.6B

40,000 G$ Million

60,000

63.8B

58.6B 38.6B

60.4B

20,000

40,000 53.2B

44B

29.5B

20,000

0

0 -7,152

-20,000

-16,362

-30,923

-40,000

2014

2015

Total Revenue

-20,000 -40,000

2016

Expenditure

2017 Total Loss in Revenue

Key Observation:

• From 2014-2017, the Guyana Gold Board(GGB) lost in excess of $54.4 billion in revenue. In 2017, following the introduction of the tax measures against the sector in 2016, revenue fell immediately by more than $9.2 billion.

Interesting Stats: • GGB moved from producing a surplus of $9.8 billion in 2014, to a deficit of $19.7 billion in 2017.

• During the first year of the new government, in 2015, total revenue of the GGB fell immediately by 52% or $31 billion.

Mismanagement and incompetence, from 2015-2017 at the GGB, had cost the nation $54.4 billion in revenue. Heavily reliance on central government for subventions is likely to occur in the near future.

Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority: 2014-2017

Guyana Civil Aviation Authority: 2014-2018 1500 1,399

1300

1300

G$ Million

1100

1100 1,062

900 700 500

653 857

759

1,475

700 1,041

923

500

300

300

100 -100

900

100 2014

2015

Total Revenue

2016

Total Expenditure

2017

Surplus

-21

-100

From 2014-2017: • Total expenditure increase by more than 62% or $409 million, while revenue, by less than 21% or $184 million; • Employment cost increased by more than 94% or $345 million; Surplus to Deficit: • The GCAA moved from producing a surplus of $204 million in 2014, to a deficit of $21 million in 2017; 2018 Outlook: • In 2018, $400 million will be transferred to the consolidated fund, increasing the GCAA deficit by more than 1,995%.

900

900

773

800

800

700

700

600 G$ Million

1500

500 400

489

863

847

812

759

300 100 0

170

90

2014

500 400

358

200

600

300 200

201

100 0

2015

Total Revenue

2016 Total Expenditure

2017 Surplus

Note: For consistency, expenditure for 20152017 excludes all government transfer.

Huge Increase in Total Expenditure: • Employment cost from 2014-2017, increased by more than 174% or $101 million, while total revenue fell by $16 million; Decline in Revenue: • Overall, from 2014-2017, the agency lost in excess of $171 million in revenue.

• Surplus fell from $773 million in 2014, to $489 million or 37%, in 2017.

Key Observation:

Key Observation:

Given the sharp increase in expenditure relatively to revenue, within the immediate future, GCAA is likely to rely heavily on central government for subventions to offset expenditure.

Like the other statutory agencies, the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority, is also experiencing a decline in revenue, and increase in expenditure due to gross mismanagement and incompetence.

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

STRIKE CONTINUES….

Teachers’ Union ‘in it for the long haul’ – Nicolette Henry cancels Linden meeting after being roasted by parents over failures

A

fter what can only be described as an unfavourable response from teachers and parents during a meeting held at Queens’ College, on Tuesday (August 28, 2018), the Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, cancelled another scheduled meeting for Linden.

According to a press release, issued by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday (August 29, 2018), “The scheduled meeting today at Lichas Hall in Linden has been cancelled."

Henry did not offer an explanation for the cancellation of the Linden meeting.

Notably, during this week there have been protest actions staged by teachers across the country, from Linden to Region 1 – where teachers called for the better salaries.

THREE YEARS OF WAITING In December 2015, the Guyana Teachers Union submitted its multi-year proposal to the Ministry of Education. After almost two years of in-action by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, the Union threatened strike action on October 26, 2017. President David Granger only met with Union officials after strike action was threatened.

Meanwhile, on October 29, 2017, a high-level task force was established to investigate and present a report with recommendations on the education sector. On April 6, 2018, the report from that Task Force was handed to the Ministry of Education. No action was taken based on the report. One of

the recommendations of the Task Force was a 40 per cent increase on 2015 salaries and a five percent increase for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 – a recommendation that the GTU supports.

With no action taken on the Task Force’s report, there were more talks between the Union and the Ministry of Education. However, when these broke down, the Union informed the Ministry of Labour that it was proceeding on strike action.

STRIKE BREAKING In what appeared to be an move to break the strike, earlier this week, the Ministry, in a press release stated that, "The Minister of Education, Hon. Nicolette Henry and Chief Education Officer, Mr. Marcel Hutson along with other Senior Officers within the Education Ministry will be visiting the following schools to meet with Teachers, Parents and members of Parent Teachers Associations within the specific Education Districts.”

The schedule was given as follows: Region Four Tuesday, August, 28th, 2018 Hope Secondary School, East Coast Demerara 10:00Hrs Georgetown Tuesday, August, 28th, 2018

Queens College 13:00Hrs Region Three Tuesday, August 28th, 2018 West Demerara Secondary School 15:00Hrs Region Ten Wednesday, August 29th, 2018 Lichas Hall, Linden 10:00Hrs." During the first of the meetings, the Education Minister disclosed that some 300 students from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and retirees would be called on to act as temporary staff – given that schools reopen next week and public school teachers have made clear that they will continue to strike.

However, it is unclear what this undertaking will cost. Additionally, there are concerns about how effective the CPCE students would be in schools, since, among other things, there are legalities that prevent them from performing duties like taking registers.

LONG HAUL Meanwhile, on Tuesday (August 28, 2018) at a news conference, GTU President, Mark Lyte, has said that the Union and its membership is willing to go the long haul.

He added that strike relief will also be

provided to the teachers. “All teachers who proceed on strike action will be compensated by the union…we can go months into this, covering as many teachers that proceed on the strike. Right now, we don’t know the numbers but we can go months into this. We are in it for the long haul,” Lyte said.

The GTU President added that commercial banks and hire-purchase creditors, to whom teachers may be indebted, will also be approached by the union for leniency.

Additionally, there was a meeting on Wednesday (August 29, 2018) between Union officials and the Department of Labour, within the Ministry of Social Protection. The GTU is pressing for arbitration, while the Labour Department is contending that conciliation between the union and the government must be exhausted first. Wednesday’s talks were adjourned with no resumption date fixed making it more likely that teachers will continue their strike action come Monday (September 3, 2018), the first day of the new school year.

With the Union holding to its position, it is unclear what moves will be made by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Notably, the Coalition promised “significant increases” for public servants, including teachers and nurses, before taking office.

However, to date, public servants have received nothing.

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

PPP/C Councilor questions value for money at City Hall A

fter close to three years, nothing much had been accomplished by the APNU-dominated City Council for the citizens of Georgetown, according to People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Councilor at City Hall, Bishram Kuppen.

He said, “You continue to hear the recurring refrain that the Council has no money and that you need pay more money. Citizens complain that they are not receiving services from the Council on a consistent basis or efficient manner so they see no justification for increased rates and fees. It should be pointed out that the City Council is currently in debt for approximately $3 billion to many creditors.

“The Town Clerk as head of the Council’s administration have continued to deduct money from employees’ salaries for GRA, NIS and the credit union but have not paid all those monies to those agencies in violation of the law. Employees have been unable to access loans from the credit union since their contributions have not been remitted by the Town Clerk.

This situation has been publicized but the relevant author-

ities have turned a blind eye to this situation. Why isn’t the Guyana Revenue Authority, National Insurance Scheme, The Guyana Police Force, SARA or SOCU investigating this matter?

“In addition, the City Council has not fully accounted for the billions of dollars which they have collected over the years even after successive routine audits by the Auditor General have highlighted numerous deficiencies and irregularities.

“The City Council continues to maintain a massive staff with a payroll of approximately $112 million monthly while many of the services are outsourced to selected contractors. Case in point is the massive project to clean and maintain the La Repentir Cemetery where the City Council continues to spend hundreds of millions of dollars without tendering those works. At the last Statutory Meeting of the Council, I questioned the Town Clerk as to whether the project was publicly tendered and he replied that it was not tendered because it was an emergency. You see, there is a loophole in the Municipal and District Council’s Act

which allows the Council to bypass the requirement for public tendering if you have an emergency. So they have an excuse to sole-source out these works to their favorite contractors. But the cemetery works is not an emergency since it is a known fact that routine drainage mainte-

he former mayor Hamilton Green continues to benefit from millions being paid for security services at his personal residence.

Concerns have been repeated this week, during Monday’s (August 27, 2018) statutory meeting at City Hall, about the issue.

Buckling under pressure, the Town Clerk, Royston King, has said only that the matter will be discussed within the next two weeks.

People’s Progressive

Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Councilor at City Hall, Bishram Kuppen, made clear that it is only “right and fair” for the guards at the former mayor’s residence to be returned to the City Council, since Green has already received all of his benefits.

Notably, City Council, amid its current financial crisis, is continuing to pay for security services at Green’s home.

In August 2016, a majority of councilors, primarily those representing the A Partnership for National

giving it to this company at an unknown price. The Town Clerk and the Finance Committee were bent on assigning the contract to this company and did not see anything wrong in renewing the contract.”

He added, “…you see, the Ministry of Finance had

“The ruinous state of Council’s finances and operations, the crumbling buildings, roads and infrastructure, lawlessness in the city and continued failure to perform its core responsibilities has undoubtedly earned it the title of a failed City under the current APNU- dominated Council administration.”

– PPP/C Councilor at City Hall, Bishram Kuppen. nance and weeding must go on to keep the area clean.

So instead of doing routine maintenance work utilizing the massive council staff, they wait until the area is overgrown and the drains are clogged so they get the opportunity to then invoke the emergency clause and give out contracts to their favorite people. The Town Clerk and members of the Finance Committee are the main actors in this scheme.”

Kuppen added that another case in point where con-

Cash strapped City Hall still paying millions for private security services for Hamilton Green

T

tracts are handed out without prudent business considerations or the need to attract the best deals for City is a contract for signs in the City.

He said, “The Council had an agreement with a company for the past nine (9) years to erect signs in the City and I had requested at a previous

Unity (APNU), voted in favour of a motion to have the services of the City Constabulary extended to Green. The motion was moved by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and seconded

by Councilor Heston Bostwick at a statutory meeting. When this motion was passed, Green was already benefiting from the services as he had never stopped doing so after demitting office as mayor months before.

Green also enjoys the services of a chauffeur and gardening staff.

meeting for the Town Clerk to provide to Councilors a report on how much money was earned from the contract with this same company for the past nine years. He had promised to present a report at the next Statutory meeting but he failed to do so. I had argued that an investment prospectus should be published in the newspapers to attract other investors to make proposals so that the Council could get the maximum benefits from the use of its reserves instead of simply

concluded that the Council, namely the Finance Committee, Town Clerk and those who signed the infamous parking meter contact, lacked business acumen so this sign-contract may be further proof of that.

“Citizens are aware of the mismanagement and lack of accountability and transparency at City Hall for decades now. City Hall has been mismanaged by one group of people, namely the PNC and its iterations, since our country’s independence and

they do not have anything of substance to show for all that time. The ruinous state of Council’s finances and operations, the crumbling buildings, roads and infrastructure, lawlessness in the city and continued failure to perform its core responsibilities has undoubtedly earned it the title of a failed City under the current APNUdominated Council administration.”

Kuppen stressed that there is a need to look beyond the politics and political slogans to correct the ills of our Georgetown and select serious, knowledgeable and experienced professionals to overhaul City Hall. “People will get that opportunity in November 2018 during local government elections.

A new horizon is fast approaching and citizens must take the opportunity to rise to the occasion to bring our Capital City to the position it truly deserves with qualified personnel, efficient systems, streamlined operations and sensible revenue streams while delivering core services to our citizens. The time is right for a complete overhaul of City Hall,” he said.

Georgetown Mayor touts idea of ‘special contracts’ amid concerns about lack of accountability, transparency at City Hall

C

ity mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, has touted the idea of “special contracts” to be awarded for the Le Repentir Cemetery to be cleared and restored.

Hundreds of millions have already been spent on clean up works and there are concerns about how previous contracts were awarded. This state of affairs has led to new concerns about the Mayor’s move to tout “special contracts” at City Hall’s last statutory meeting.

Reports are draft contracts have already been submitted to the Finance Committee. However, the committee has since requested more details.

Relative to funding for

these special contracts, the Mayor has indicated that the cemetery will again be placed on the council’s budget for 2019.

In February this year, the Mayor and City Council had said it wants to spend $100M each year to keep Le Repentir in good order and has included a ‘maintenance clause’ in its contract with Chung’s Global Enterprise.

In 2017, a whopping $240M was spent to clear the Le Repentir Cemetery and additional funds were spent on maintenance – although it is unclear how much was spent.

In addition to clearing and restoring the Le Repentir Cemetery, City Hall is also looking at the idea of

placing guards and armed rangers in the area. However, questions on value for money and the feasibility of such an idea remain unanswered.

There is also a proposal for the Le Repentir Cemetery to be expanded. ChaseGreen had said that the estimated cost for this extension is around $45-$47M. The extension is proposed to begin from the area closer to Mandela Avenue and the total dimensions of the extension will be 3,000 feet to 600 feet, which will be divided into six plots.

The Mayor remains unresponsive to calls for more clarity on questions surrounding plans for the Le Repentir Cemetery.

18

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Focus on Guyana’s First People – issues affecting Amerindian people and communities

‘No one is telling us anything’

Region 1 residents peeved at another attempt to infringe on Amerindian land rights – Region 9 Chairman on state of roads W U ncertainty surrounds the delay in the commencement of contracted works along sections of the Lethem to Annai road, according to Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock.

Road works have commenced between Lethem to the Pirara Bridge, but the stretch of road from there to Annai remains untouched..

Allicock said, “I am not sure when the real works will begin because no one is telling us anything. The works that were done were

just emergency works to fill potholes and so, it was not done as part of the works that contracts were signed for. “…the government says they have all this money to pump into fixing these roads but we aren’t seeing anything being done apart from the emergency works. Rain today and it’s as though we have gone all the way back to square one again with the roads.”

In addition to the roads, drivers are also calling on

the authorities to look into the rehabilitation of several interior bridges along the trail, specifically those that fall between Kurupukari and an area known as Frenchman’s Junction.

A total of six contracts valued over $650 million, were awarded to contractors since May 2018 for maintenance of the Rockstone-Mabura, Kurupukari-Annai-Lethem and the Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani roads. Works were expected to start since June 2018.

Amerindians looking at another broken promise

D

uring the amnesty for unlicensed firearms in 2015, scores of Amerindians handed in weapons used to protect their cattle and crops and support their livelihoods, with the promise of receiving licences. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government delayed the return to April 2018 and delayed it again, until the end of July 2018. However, July and August 2018 have passed and no move has been made to fulfill the promise by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. As such, Amerindians are quite likely looking at another broken promise.

The July month-end date, however, only applies to residents of Indigenous communities in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazuruni) according to Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock. It is unclear when other Amerindian communities will be served.

Notably, in April, a gov-

ernment team was scheduled to meet with residents of 11 indigenous communities at Chinoweng, Phillipai and Kamarang. In addition to the firearms, they were also taking along 121 permits to distribute to the residents.

However, the visit was cancelled.

Additionally, Government, using its majority in the National Assembly, approved the Firearms (Amendment) Bill he noted that one of the criteria for being granted a licence to hold a firearm is to protect large sums of money. As such, he contends that the increased are not major increases.

Licences for shotgun will increase by $3,000 to $5,000; handguns from $5,000 to $25,000; rifles from $5,000 to $40,000; and dealers from $7,500 to $150,000.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP),

Dharamkumar Seeraj, had argued that there are categories of firearm holders who need firearms, not to protect large sums of money, but ones that need it to support their livelihoods, specifically, farmers and Amerindians.

“The timing of the increase is also something that we have to address,” he said, noting that state of the rice industry and the circumstances of local rice farmers and stressed that “every dollar counts” in the current situation. Consequently, he called for Government to reduce the increase in the licence fees and not apply the entire amount to renewals.

Guyana as just over 8,000 persons who are licenced firearm holders, according to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan. He disclosed that currently there are about 3,000 licenced shot guns, 4,500 licenced pistols and revolvers and 347 licenced rifles.

Vehicles traversing interior roads to be subjected to new regulations

T

he APNU+AFC Coalition Government has moved to impose new regulations for vehicles using interior roads, via the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Vehicles traversing the interior roads, among other things, will now have to adhere to specified weight limits.

The move will be rolled out within three months.

hile Government has already been accused of infringing on the land rights of Amerindians, particularly as it relates to titled Amerindian lands, another issue has surfaced where one of the coalition’s Members of Parliament (MP) has been accused of forming a Community Development Council (CDC) within a tilted Amerindian community.

Deputy Chairwoman of Four Miles, Roxanne Rajab – a community located in Region One (Barima-Waini) – claimed that the coalition Government is pushing to form a CDC in the Amerindian titled village, when there are no provisions within the law to allow this.

Rajab disclosed that a meeting was organised on Monday (August 27, 2018) by a few members of the community with the support of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) MP, Richard Allen, and the assistant Regional Executive Officer of the Region One Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Yvonne Shelto, where the idea was pitched to just a handful of residents.

In a letter that was dispatched to the Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister – signed by Rajab and three other persons, who currently sit on the Village Council – it explained in detail what took place at that meeting. According to the missive, persons were already selected to hold various positions, with the alleged support of Allen.

The Deputy Toshao explained that there are a handful of APNU+AFC supporters who are pushing this issue. She explained that the matter has caused some tension in the village and major disunity among villagers. Najab nevertheless reminded that a CDC cannot be formed within a village council, something that Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valarie Garrido-Lowe has also confirmed.

Another resident explained also that because

the village is managed by a Council where a Toshoa and Deputy Toshoa are elected, it is impossible for them to form an CDC. It is the sole responsibility of the Village Council to make representation for and on behalf of the people in that village. But no one from that Council were ever contacted or consulted before the meeting was held to pitch the idea of forming a CDC. When contacted, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Region One representative, Collin Croal said this issue highlights the “bul-

she allegedly utilised the Education Department bus to transport the APNU/AFC operatives, including Allen.

“Questions must be asked about the use of those resources for activities that are not geared towards Government or regional activities, but it was purely political in nature.”

NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS Region One Chairman Brentnol Ashley also confirmed receiving numerous complaints over this same issue. He stated that on Tues-

“What you have coming up there is an establishment of a parallel village council, because already they don’t even recognise and seek the blessings of the current Village Council which has its legitimacy through the Amerindian Act.” – Colin Croal, PPP/C MP lyism tactic” that continues to be practiced by APNU+AFC operatives. He said this must be stopped from continuing.

At the same time, the MP called on the Indigenous Affairs Ministry to play a more hands-on role in addressing these issues. “What you have coming up there is an establishment of a parallel village council, because already they don’t even recognise and seek the blessings of the current Village Council which has its legitimacy through the Amerindian Act. The residents in general must not tolerate same. Likewise, they must ensure that at all fronts that they fight this. That is why we are asking the Government who is a stakeholder in all of this, because they are the ones who issues titles to Amerindian communities through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission… they should ensure that that recognition and rights are adhered to,” he added.

Croal also accused the DREO of playing divisive politics. He said questions must be asked about the use of State resources because

day that he has received calls from many concerned villagers and members of the Four Miles Village Council.

The Chairman recalled that Four Miles received their title sometime in 2015 as an Amerindian reservation.

“This is the habit of this particular Member of Parliament and also activists of APNU/ AFC of going into this particular community… and they try to intimidate, bully people… they are trying to create an illegal CDC. The RDC does not recognise any such CDC,” he stated.

Ashley has raised concerns before over the active participation and involvement Allen in the affairs and functions of several State agencies and elected bodies in the region.

In February, he had pointed to Allen’s active involvement with the General Register’s Office (GRO) visiting team issuing birth certificates in the region. Ashley went on to disclose that he had even received reports of Allen personally distributing birth certificates in bulk to people in various communities.

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

‘Significant progress made under successive PPP/C administrations to improve welfare of Amerindians’ LEGISLATION

The Amerindian Act 2006 is an embodiment of policies that cover the protection of the general welfare and rights of Indigenous Peoples. It affirms the declaration of rights of indigenous peoples in specific stipulations that include governance, land rights and preservation, and Amerindian heritage.

Passed a year before the UN-DRIP declaration, Guyana’s 2006 Amerindian Act includes key provisions relating to Amerindian people that are not dissimilar, in most instances, from those outlined in the declaration, and has thus been the legal stronghold for Amerindian development.

TOURISM SUPPORT

In 2012, the Ministry financed eco-tourism projects for 19 Villages, each receiving utmost $1.5M. In 2013, twenty villages will be receiving grants at $1.5M each to the eco-tourism industry in their respective regions.

The initial implementation of the first 27 Community Development Plans (CDPs) funded through the GRIF, 11 % account for projects that are related to ecotourism.

HEALTH

The Amerindian Hostel data on inpatients reflect access to medical services at Georgetown Public Hospital thereby reducing further aggravation of health situations of Hinterland patients and providing better access to quality health services; safe and adequate accommodation for patients and welfare cases help ensure the psychological health and general well-being of those that are affected by sickness and other social issues.

The fact that all villages have a health hut/health centre makes access to primary health care easier in villages and thus improving health conditions of villagers.

Amerindian Residence accommodated a total of 7017 patients with their accompanying relatives up to 2014.

The Residence provides a shelter for those patients who have been referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for medical attention.

Over the years, the purpose of this facility had evolved such that the most significant proportion of persons being accommodated is patients and those accompanying them.

The Residence has also expanded its services to encompass persons in difficult situations including Domestic Violence, Trafficking in Persons, labour issues, discharged prisoners or any other similar situation.

The Maternity waiting room at the Amerindian Hostel was constructed at a cost of $1.2M. The aim of the new facility is in keeping with Government’s commitment to ensure the safety of mothers and their babies and to ensure that every mother and child have access to adequate health care and provided with the best care and treatment.

SOLAR PANEL AND ENERGY ACCESS

A total of 11, 000 solar panels were installed across all the regions. A mini-hydro power plant is about to be constructed in Cheung Mouth River to supply renewable energy to Region 8 villages.

An additional 6000 solar panels are being procured for distribution to additional communities including some riverine communities CORE HOMES/HOME SUBSIDIES

A sum of $107.2M was spent on home improvement and 127 Core home were completed in the hinterlands

GOVERNANCE

Every year since the passing of the Amerindian Act, MoAA hosted the Annual National Toshaos Council Meeting (with an average budget of $50 M) to build capacity on: • Best practices in governance that includes transparency and accountability (audits); • Improved leadership for Toshaos and Village Councils in accordance to the Amerindian Act 2006; • Improved Community Management geared towards a holistic approach in Community Development; • Promoting dialog with government officials for the advancement of Amerindian welfare and total development of Amerindian villages; • Providing an opportunity for All Amerindian elected leaders to be able to have dialogue and exchanges on development priorities which challenges them; and • To provide a platform for the Amerindian Leaders have direct access to Government Ministers to dialogue on development challenges in various sectors and finding solutions ADF-GRIF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS

A total of 187 Amerindian Villages and Communities were considered for economic projects under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) - Guyana REDD+Investment Fund (GRIF).

Some US$6.3M from GRIF is allotted for said projects under the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF).

Twenty- Seven (27) projects from across all regions have been chosen for the initial implementation of the project which has commenced early part of 2013 with a budget of US$1.8M. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of all the projects are in agriculture with the aim of securing Amerindian livelihoods.

ADF Project Management Unit were up and running to facilitate full implementation of 160 CDPs. CULTURE

The preservation and promotion of Amerindian heritage is germane to Amerindian’s identity. The cultural activities have been the media for Amerindian culture to be accepted and understood by other groups in Guyana, at the same time, an avenue for all Amerindians to celebrate their heritage and embrace their indigenous roots and identity.

By continuing to protect Amerindian culture, Amerindians are able to understand the significance of their dances, languages, practices, local knowledge, cuisine, crafts, songs, and literature to the total development of their villages. The government is cognizant of the fact that culture is one of the pillars of sustainable development, and without it, and then development is not fully achieved.

Some $25M was spent on average annually in for Amerindian Heritage Celebrations to promote traditions, values, literature , dances of Amerindians. Another $6M was spent annually for other cultural activities The Initiatives include: Arawak Revival Language Project launched in Capoey; Support to Cultural Expo (North Pakaraimas) - $5M; and Support to cultural groups of Aisalton ($1.4M) and Santa Rosa ($7M) OTHER INVESTMENTS

• Mining including gold, diamond, various metals, bauxite • Forestry • Agriculture • Information Communication and Technology- 99 hubs were completed by 2014 to accommodate the computers 20 in number to commence the computer literacy training of youths, women and residents including children.

LAND OWNERSHIP

Prior to 1992, 74 communities were titled. Since, then 24 more villages were granted titles, thereby bringing the total of titled villages to 98, seventy-seven of which had been demarcated.

Six (6) titles were to be approved prior to May 2015 and seven (7) extension were investigated and in preparation for approval While Indigenous people in many Countries have right of use of the Land only, in Guyana where the Indigenous People account for approximately 9.7% of the population, Amerindians own land, including the forests resources within their Titled Lands.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT

The MoAA has launched the Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) aimed to train young Amerindians while employing them at the same time and become powerful partners in development.

Some $200M was spent on YEAP in 2013. Focus was placed on developing 2,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) participate productively in Education, Health, and Social Welfare, Community Development, Culture, ICT, Infrastructure and small business.

The CSOs received training in various areas, including: • Management of Photovoltaic System • Management of Basic ICT hardware • Governance & Amerindian Act • Youth Voices for Climate Change (Sponsored by the US Embassy/Caribbean Development Bank educate youths on the importance of Climate Change and its impact in the Caribbean) • Business & Sustainable Development • Various aspect of the Community Development Project training The Youth Apprenticeship Programme was aimed at training young Amerindians while employing them at the same time is a medium to empower the young as partners in national development. These youths will be our partners in the implementation of CDPs and other socio-economic activities that are taking place in the villages now. The inclusion of the young in gearing their villages towards progress by letting them participate productively in technical, mechanical, computer, and agricultural activities will definitely enhance the capacity of the villages’ human resources.

AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

Tractors, farm implements, fertilizers, acoushi ant bait, irrigation systems, and other infrastructures provided for villages every year An average of $50M per year was given in agricultural support for various villages through the years COMMUNICATION

Computer Accessibility through 100 computer hubs commenced in 2013. Some $287.7M was allotted for solar systems for ICT hubs; and 57,000 person-beneficiaries.

As at 2014: 72 of these hubs are completed;9 hubs near completion and the HUBs were constructed into Regions of 1, 7, 8 and 9.

All villages now have radio sets for fast communication, each one costs $500,000 Telecommunication facilities built in Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Red Hill, Morucca, Aishalton, Annai, Lethem, Ominaik, and Mahdia, thus improving communication in the hinterlands!

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office

C

orruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office The Parliamentary Opposition has been monitoring the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s use of public funds and the levels of transparency and accountability. From June 10, 2015 to date, over 55 scandals have been uncovered – an average of one scandal for each month – some of which are listed below:

1. The cost of the inauguration ceremonies at the Parliament Buildings and, more particularly, the one at the National Stadium has never been revealed.

2. The removal of 8 containers containing steel by BK International from the Ministry of Public Health’s compound worth millions of dollars - in the first week after government changed - in violation of a court order.

The government did nothing to retrieve the containers and has been silent.

3. The dismissal of 1,972 Amerindian community service officers at “one stroke of the pen” with no cause by the third (3rd) Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Despite a promise by VP Allicock in the National Assembly, during the 2015 Budget debate that the government would create a new programme to hire Amerindian youths, they instead replaced this programme with the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youth Skills Programme (HEYs).

HEYS is a sixmonth training programme with no entrepreneurial or employment component, which is under severe duress as there are complaints that the facilitators and students have not received their stipends despite the budgetary provision of $1Billion.

4. The appointment of 33 foreign honourary advisors to assist the government and the appointment of a top heavy bureaucracy of Presidential and Ministerial advisors, which have only been partially disclosed in the National Assembly in response to questions to Ministers in 2016. The total numbers are approximated to be nearing 100 advisors (local and foreign) at a huge cost to the taxpayers.

5. India/GoG funded Speciality Hospital – the government gave

a contract to Fedders Lloyd (VP Ramjattan was its lawyer) without going to tender at a price yet unknown and in violation of the procurement laws. Despite public outcry, the government refused to terminate the contract for the Speciality Hospital. The company was delisted by the IDB and the Indian government and Eximbank withdrew the money for the loan. There has been no disclosure as to how much Fedders Lloyd was paid and what work had been done when the company was delisted and the project halted.

6. The first act of the government was to give themselves enormous salary increases between 50 -100 % of what the former government ministers received. This was quietly done in September 2015 and the parliamentary opposition had to wage a struggle in Parliament to bring a motion to reverse this. When the motion was finally heard in December, it was defeated by the government’s one-seat majority. It should be remembered that the media, having leaked the fact that the government was embarking on increasing the salaries of the President, VPs and Ministers, Minister Trotman, on behalf of the government, denied that the government was contemplating any salary increases for the Ministers. This was also denied during the debate on the 2015 Budget in August 2015. Having gone into recess mid-September, the government stealthily published Order No. 6 of 2015 in the Official Gazette, dated September 25th, 2015, increasing their salaries and making it retroactive to July 1, 2015. Contrast this act with the government’s refusal to increase the salaries of the public servants in accordance with their campaign promises.

7. Durban Park Development Project for the Jubilee celebrations - The government has refused to provide information on the “private company,” which was in charge of the preparations of the Durban Park prior to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s “take over” of the project on the orders of the President.

It is estimated that the costs, when finally exposed, will be close to $1Billion - for a one-day event.

8. The President pardoned over 100 convicted felons in 2015 and stated that this would be done annually. He promised that these would be felons with non-violent crimes and juvenile offenders. In fact, this was not true. A number of these persons had been sentenced for violent crimes and a number of them are back in prison.

9. The Rudisa case at the CCJ and the pay out to Rudisa - The APNU and AFC, while in Opposition, twice caused the defeat in the 10th Parliament of attempts by the PPPC government to amend the Customs Act in order to pre-empt the case going to the CCJ and save the country millions of US dollars. The APNU+AFC Coalition government settled to repay the entire amount of the Rudisa USD$16M claim without any negotiations for a debt repayment schedule and despite the fact that the company owed and appears to still owe millions of dollars in taxes to Guyana. The first payment was made late last year and the second budgeted for in the 2016 Budget.

10. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the Government and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council on the “Clean Up Campaign” in the city with no public tendering and handpicked companies. In some cases, new companies were created with no experience to facilitate this corruption. There has been no accountability of the amount of monies spent and the Mayor and Town Clerk have rebuffed efforts to allow the Auditor General’s office to do a forensic audit.

11. The write off of debts owed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the nation by DDL worth billions of dollars (April 2016). If DDL had not issued a press release announcing the write off, this would not have been known.

12. Other write-off of debts by the GRA for other companies who financed the APNU+AFC Coalition electoral campaign, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Minister Trotman said these companies have to be compensated for their financial investment.

13. Following the March 18, 2016 Local Government Elections, Minister Bulkan in violation of the statutes governing the local government system, appointed the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and the 5 Chairpersons and vice chairperson of the 5 NDCs in the 6 tied LAAs. All of these persons were APNU, although there was a plurality of votes in 3 of the 6 tied LAAs for the PPP and 3 for the APNU+AFC. 14. W r i t e - o f f s b y t h e APNU+AFC dominated Georgetown Municipal Council to many companies for millions of dollars owed in rates and taxes for undisclosed amounts. This is a City Council that is now cashstrapped and cannot pay contractors for garbage collection nor timely payment of salaries of its employees. The cost to the Treasury of these write offs by the GRA, the Georgetown City Council and other Local Authority Areas alone earmarked in this list of scandals is estimated to be between 23% to 36 % of the total 2016 Budget.

15. Parking meters contract with no public tendering, no involvement of the Georgetown City Council, no consultation with the citizens – the scandal deepens, even as the APNU+AFC Georgetown Mayor is being advised to do some damage control by attempting to amend the 49-year contract and make it less embarrassing for the government.

16. The three-year Pharmacy Bond contract between the Ministry of Public Health and the Linden Holding Company was not tendered for by Minister Dr Norton’s own admission on the floor of the National Assembly.

The PPP/C will be submitting its motion of privilege, calling for the Speaker to send the Minister of Public Health to the Privilege Committee for wilfully misleading the National Assembly and the nation.

17. The GoG/BK International settlement of $1.17 B for Haags Bosche - The Ministry of Communities’ settlement of $1.17B to BK International for the Haags Bosche project came to light as a result of a Supplementary Financial Paper on August 8th where the country learnt that this settlement was made and

21

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office would be paid in three tranches, even though the court did not award costs to BK Int’l.

The government paid BK Int’l the first third of the payment in January 2016, which begs the question - where did this money come from? It was not provided for in the 2015 budget, nor was there any SFP in the interim nor in the 2016 Budget or since to cover this first payment of G$500M. The August Supplementary Financial Paper covers the payment of the second tranche of $501M to BK int’l from the Consolidated Fund.

The third payment the Minister stated would be reflected in the 2017 budget. This is a scandal like the RUDISA and the DDL write offs. Interesting and of note is that BK International is being paid the entire $10M USD for the contract though BK Int’l only worked for 3 of the 5 years of the contract at substandard work. The PPP/C government had terminated the contract due to substandard work and delays.

Ministers Bulkan and Patterson late 2015 both publicly stated that BK Int’l had done substandard work on the project!

18. Two fuel scandals relating to the issuance of fuel licenses for the importation of fuel to companies that are made up of persons related to top officials or who are top officials themselves in the government, who have no fuel bonds, no storage facilities and no offices. The withdrawal of the fuel importation license to the Chinese company, which has invested millions of US dollars for storage facilities, appears to have been calculated to make room for these alternative importers. In August the second set of fuel licenses came to light regarding licenses issued to Dr. Van West Charles, CEO and other officials in GWI under a private company. It should be noted that an applicant for a fuel license has to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and 4 additional licences - provision of a bond under detailed specifications, transportation, storage, importation, and restrictions on where fuel storage can be located. It normally takes a long time for an applicant to obtain all these licenses---impossible to do so in 9 months. The licenses were issued in the month that Van West Charles became CEO GWI and,

therefore, he had ample time to remove himself from the company. At a parliamentary opposition weekly press briefing several months ago, this gentlemen’s role in soliciting donations for pipes for the wells in Region 9 was exposed. It was reported that the Brazilian contractors hired by GWI to dig 8 wells in the Rupununi region were unable to pay their workers as they allege that GWI is not paying them (the contractors).

19. Consistent and frequent violation of the Procurement Act by line ministries - e.g, the Minister of Agriculture admitted that the MOA nor the NDIA had gone out to tender for works totalling $234M due to emergency works for El Nino and flooding in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In fact, these monies should have been provided for in the Supplementary Financial Paper # 2 of 2016 for the Consolidated Fund.

20. Requests for information during questions to Ministers and questions during the debate on the two Supplementary Financial Papers on August 8th revealed that the government ministers’ will not release contracts unless they have the permission of the other person/ company/ party to the contract.

This is unheard of and a violation of the role of the legislature under the constitution to hold the government accountable.

21. Undermining the judicial process- the establishment of a Presidential Tribunal to inquire, investigate and recommend whether Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, should be removed from office for inability to discharge his duties. Since the charges against Mr Duncan are still pending before a Magistrate of the Georgetown Magistrate’s court, the establishment of this tribunal is premature, pre-emptive and repugnant to the very “due process” to which the President says that his Administration is committed.

22. Auditor General’s special audit of GECOM expenditure in 2015 prior to the general and regional elections—this is on-going, with the use of sole sourcing by the GECOM estimated to amount to $700M in the months prior to the May 2015 elections. However,

unlike other investigations where the heads were sent on administrative leave such as the Head of NICIL, Head of the NDIA, PS of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, head of the Public Hospital Georgetown, to name a few, this CEO has not been sent off on administrative leave.

23. $240M spent on refurbishing the Kitty Market. Photographic evidence exposes the corruption

by City Hall. There are no scope of works, estimates, etc that is available and the project was not put to tender as the city has hired the workers and is implementing the works itself. This project is still not completed.

24. The awarding of the contract for boxed juices for the school feeding programme to a Surinamese beverage company owned by RUDISA that was not the lowest or even the second lowest bid.

The impact on the local farmers and manufacturers will be felt.

DDL has come out publicly to criticise this, so too, has another company Guyana Beverages.

25. Award of the contract for quarry stone to a Surinamese company for the CJIA will have tremendous impact on the local quarries. Toolsie Persaud, one of the stone producers, has protested. There is more to come to light on this issue and this we have earmarked an emerging scandal where government needs to provide answers.

26. The discriminatory dismissals of hundreds of employers in the public service and in the state entities on the basis of their ethnic and assumed political affiliation which started in June 2015 is continuing unabated.

27. Some $1.64B was spent regionally on health, plus an additional added $2.5B that was spent on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) without tender – a massive total $4.17B that was spent by the Coalition Government in breach of the procurement rules.

28. Not satisfied with the huge increases in salary and benefits, some Ministers are greedy and the reports of paying off Ministers for licenses, contracts etc., is astounding. The government has got into the habit of putting

out tenders in the press and then cancelling them repeatedly until their chosen contractor wins the tender.

29. Chicken importation licenses to non-existent/ non-registered companies as well as another company in the name of the CEO, GWI, Van West Charles.

30. The Removal of 6,000 solar panels purchased for the Hinterland Household Electrification Programme and re-allocating them for use at the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

31. The Wind Farm project being done by Lloyd Singh, an AFC financier. Minister Trotman has said that it is “payback time for one of their election financiers”.

32. Antinfek in drinking water purchased by GWI without tender and without warnings of the health hazard by a CEO who was employed for years by the PAHO. Only after questioning by the Opposition in the National Assembly has the government provided minimum disclosure.

33. Contract for GPL Prepaid meters, awarded after 3 re-tenders to a contractor whose bid was the highest of all bids; in fact, $ 1 B more than engineers’ estimate.

34. Contract for the Water treatment plants- tenders cancelled twice before finally being awarded to their preferred contractor, who was higher than the other tenders.

35. Tendering for the GOG/ IDB Sheriff St road project was repeatedly done and no awards made until we lost that part of the IDB loan of $20M USD while at the same time paying penalty fees.

36. Procurement of drugs and medical supplies, in breach of procurement laws.

37. Consistent and on-going violations of the Procurement Act, financial rules and the Fiscal Management and Enactment Act are pervasive. The most recent examples were exposed during the August 3, 2017 debate with regard to funds for the State Assets Recovery Agency and constitutional bodies including the Public Procurement Commission and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office 38. The on-going saga of the Durban Jubilee Park. It is estimated that expenditure has reached $1.5 B. Auditor General Deodat Sharma aims to wrap up his special audit into the controversial Durban Park Project before the end of the year even if he does not receive certain financial records which appear to be missing. Mired in controversy, millions more are being spent in preparation for the flag raising ceremony to mark Independence.

39. Contract for CCTV cameras for the Ministry of the Presidency- not delivered and paid for since 2015. The company has been declared bankrupt. So where is the taxpayers’ money?

40. Purchase of the Prime Minister’s SUV- bullet proof, latest model, extraordinary extravagance for a poor developing country. Noticeable is the acquisition of a fleet of new vehicles for every Minister yet many have not been budgeted for in the annual budgets.

41. Secret COI targeting constitutional rights commissions, in particular the Public Service Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission. This is a form of intimidation. No report available.

42. President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt police promotions in contravention of the constitution.

43. The COI into the Police with regard to the way it investigated the intention or plot to assassinate the President. The real plot behind this move appears to be the decapitation of the Guyana Police Force leadership. The President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt these promotions appears to give credence to this theory.

44. The Georgetown Prison Camp Street Jailbreak and fire on July 9, 2017 and the Lusignan escapees coming after the March 2016 riots and fire that lead to 17 inmates being burnt to death. The COI of the March 2016 prison disturbances and fire has been kept secret but more evidence coming to light indicate that the government did not act on those recom-

mendations, including the establishment of a multi-agency multi-sectoral body being appointed by the President to implement the recommendations. Budgetary allocations for the Prisons, especially capital works to increase the inmate accommodation at the Mazaruni Prison in the 2016 budget was unspent and rolled over to 2017 and as of July 2017 these works are still not complete. The new request for $753M appropriated in Parliament on August 3 2017 cannot account for $ 153 M requested.

45. The Amendments to the Broadcasting Act passed in the National Assembly by the one seat majority government are an infringement on the f r e e dom of expression and freedom of the press. Despite public appeals to the President by reputable international organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute as well as denunciations by the Guyana Press Association, private sector, broadcasters, civil society, and the Parliamentary Opposition, the President as of August 17, 2017 denied requests to defer his assent and hold consultations.

46. The Commission of Inquiry into Lands – communal, joint and individual lands and any other lands – with specific focus on Amerindian land titling and land of Freed Africans.

There was no prior consultation with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) or any Amerindian communities on the establishment of this COI. The NTC, five Amerindian non-governmental organizations and the Parliamentary opposition protested the appointment of this COI as it threatened Amerindian land rights which are enshrined in the constitution and in the Amerindian Act. The Parliamentary Opposition brought a motion in parliament calling on the President to revoke the COI or at least the component which is treating with Amerindian land titling which was defeated by the government’s one seat majority. The government 4 months after it established the COI held its first consultation with the NTC. This COI is a recipe to drive rifts and strife between different ethnic groups

in the country.

47. Repossession of lease and transported lands and property - the revocation of 30 MMA farmers leases by the President, the Central Housing and Planning Authority ( CHPA) repossession of transported houses and land and its CEO’s recent renewed threats to take away land from private developers are all unconstitutional.

The judiciary in early August 2017 ruled that the President’s revocation of the leases of the farmers in the MMA was unconstitutional. In another instance the court issued a conservatory order to prevent the government from seizing and taking possession of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre until case is properly heard.

48. Rental of residences for Ministers- $500,000 each to 2 junior Ministers and one Minister $ 1.5 M. This has been exposed in detail in the media and by members of civil society and the Parliamentary Opposition.

49. The appointment of the Chairman of the GECOM in violation of the constitution and the ruling of the Chief Justice.

50. The US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil placed outside of the Consolidated Fund.

51. Painting state properties in APNU colours.

52. Reduction of constitutional bodies budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 in violation of the 2015 amendment to FMA Act. These scandals, not limited to this list, have been uncovered and expose a level of corruption and discrimination that has not been seen since the Burnham era.

53. GPL and their contract with state created and owned Power Producers Distribution Inc. (PPDI) has inspired questions and raised concerns since GPL’s payments to PPDI are higher than those made to Wartsilla – yet there are unresolved electricity problems, including as it relates to the reliable supply of power.

54. Sole-sourcing of $366.9M in emergency drugs in June 2017 has once again brought

into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health, as documents reveal that a company, HDM Labs was handpicked over three others that went through tendering and were declared to have failed the evaluation process. The company is owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

55. Government has borrowed $30B G from a joint banking and commercial consortium led

by Republic Bank, for GUYSUCO’s remaining estates at 4.75 % interest rates. The members of the consortium are unknown and the terms and conditions of the loan are also unknown.

56. The contract for a foreign company to rebuild Camp St prison was announced by Minister Khemraj Ramjattan during the 2018 Budget debate and media stated that no one tendered, this also remains secret and no funds are allocated in 2018.

57. The PPC completed its investigation and handed its report over on August 7, 2018, to Teixeira, who has written to the PPC on the matter in 2017.

The report noted that several companies bid for the project – to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge – and 12 companies were shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals.

As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered. The project was not re-tendered. Instead a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged by Patterson’s Ministry. The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged.

What is clear, to date, is that the APNU+AFC Coalition government has no regard for the promised transparency and accountability, and is prepared to undermine and even violate the procurement and financial laws of this country, as well as other constitutional provisions and statutory provisions.

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Region 2 power woes spark protests S

everal residents on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), over the weekend, protested in front of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Anna Regina sub-station, as an expression of their frustration with the frequent power outages in the region.

Representatives from the regional administration – led

by Vice Chairman of Region Two, Nandranie Coonjah; Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC); Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (RCD); Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI); and residents – joined in protest action to demand answers from GPL. According to residents, GPL has left them in the dark and has been reluctant to give answers about the power woes in the region.

Coonjah said GPL is very disrespectful to the residents of the region. She said the company is yet to reach out to residents to give a proper explanation for the prolonged power outages over the past two weeks.

Also voicing his disgust was Councilor, Arnold Adams, who added that he has to buy ice from as far as Parika, Region Three (Essequibo

from completion and residents are losing confidence in the Government for not providing answers. If this power failure is not given immediate attention, the entire economy of the region will collapse,” Islands-West Demerara), just to keep his cool storage going.

While the protesters were making their way to the main office in Anna Regina, security guards were placed at the gates securing the compound.

No GPL official engaged the protestors to respond to their concerns. The protest action continued this week.

Notably, the ECCI called on the Government to immediately intervene and bring some relief to the residents of Region Two. According to Chamber President, Suean Seewnarayan, the region is suffering tremendously due to the failing power company.

She added that the region’s commerce is collapsing due to the poor service offered by GPL. Seewnarayan noted too that residents, especially the business sector, are in great danger of losing millions of dollars in cool storage items. Businesses are already dumping products, according to her, and those who have standby generators are pumping thousands of dollars into fuel and maintenance costs.

The Chamber said it has noted Government’s silence on this very important issue.

“No one is saying anything about the new power plant at Anna Regina which is far

Former minister, assistant cleared of $600M larceny charge

F

ormer People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford and her administrative assistant Margaret Cummings were on Friday (August 24, 2018) cleared of a $600 million larceny charge.

Westford and Cummings had denied the 24 simple larceny charges, which alleged that between August 2011 and April 2015, while being employed in the Public Service of Guyana, they misappropriated $639,420,000.

The lawyers for Westford and Cummings had charged that the prosecution has failed miserably to prove that a criminal offence was committed by the women. The arguments stated that: the charges filed against Dr. Westford are “not legitimately and lawfully” made out; the prosecution has ignored the lawful meaning of Public Officer when they proceeded to try a then Minister under an offence which cannot be established in law; the prosecution’s case is based on circumstantial evidence;

and that the prosecution failed to prove that the over $600M in transactions were not legitimate and that the legitimate procedures were not followed.

The team of attorneys that had represented the duo comprised Dexter Todd, Keisha Chase, Rexford McKay, Neil Boston, Eusi Anderson, Bibi Shaddick and Brandon Glasford.

In court on Friday, Magistrate Latchman upheld the no-case submission made by Attorney Dexter Todd; and in handing down her decision, noted that the charges were bad in law, as Westford, according to the Guyana Constitution, was a Government minister and not a public officer.

With respect to Cummings, who was a public officer, the magistrate said there was insufficient evidence for a conviction. She added that there was no evidence to show that the money was taken and not used for its intended purposes.

A total of 48 witnesses had been called during this trial.

the Chamber President said.

The power company on August 18 had admitted that the region has been experiencing frequent service interruptions since August 13 as a result of two of its

units, affected by major mechanical and electrical issues respectively.

Also, as the Cinderella County continues to experience frequent load shedding and blackouts, Chief Exec-

utive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), Albert Gordon, has admitted that a permanent solution to the issue may take until December 2018.

24

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

Incorrect filings, conflict of interest Questions about SARA’s operations still not answered result in moves against Hope Estate farmers being thrown out T R he State Assets Recovery Act was only assented to

by President David Granger on May 4, 2018 – over one year after it was passed in the National Assembly by a government majority, despite objections voiced by the Parliamentary Opposition.

And, in a June 15, 2018 letter to SARA Director, Clive Thomas, signed by Opposition Chief Whip, queries have been raised about SARA’s operations prior to Granger’s move to assent to the SARA Act. The letter said, “Could you say how monies were allocated to the State Assets Recovery Agency for the

year 2018 Budget to acquire an office at Lot 56 Main and New Market Streets, SARA letterhead, staff, etc., prior to that date (May 4, 2018), when the agency did not legally exist?”

Notably, months later these questions remain unanswered.

After the State Assets Recovery Act was passed in the National Assembly in April 2017, the Government returned to the House in July 2017 for additional funding for the Agency.

The request for the monies for SARA was made under the budget for the Ministry of Legal Affairs

– under the heading ‘subsidies and contributions to local organisations’. The sums requested include: $89.89M for managerial, technical, supervisory and clerical staffers, as well as for services; $13M for two vehicles; and $13.42M to furnish and equip a newly rented building to house SARA, inclusive of furniture, television, refrigerator, photocopier, computer server and water dispenser – a whopping $116.31M. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) made it clear that it was and remains opposed to SARA, as currently configured.

PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioners to make written submission to ERC within two weeks

F

ollowing a complaint to the Ethnic Relations Commission (GECOM) by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated GECOM Commissioners, about the Commission’s hiring practices, a meeting was held on between the parties on Wednesday (August 29, 2018).

Commissioner Bibi Shaddick told the Mirror Newspaper that the PPP’s position on the issue was detailed to the ERC and a commitment was given to ensure that there is a follow up, via a written submission, inclusive to substantiating documents, which will be sent to the ERC within two weeks.

According to her, after listening to the PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioners, the ERC officials noted that an oddly different account was given to them by the PNC-nominated Commissioners, including Vincent Alexander.

Nonetheless, Shaddick noted that she was confident that the written submission would aid the ERC in their investigation and clarify any misinformation that was communicated to that Commission.

The three PPP-nominated Commissioners, in a joint complaint letter, called for a full investigation on the hiring practices at GECOM. The Commissioners charge that the state of affairs is “clearly indicative of a larger issue at the Guyana Elections Commission, which has an adverse effect on

ethnic relations and harmony in Guyana.” The three Commissioners called for the inquiry to be done, at the earliest opportunity, and for the ERC’s report be made public.

The PPP/C nominated Commissioners noted that the ERC has the mandate to conduct the inquiry as requested, pursuant to Article 212D (a) (d) and (p), of the Constitution.

The call for an investigation came after the topranked candidate applying for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) was passed over for the post.

In June 2018, the three Commissioners - Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shaddick – walked out of a meeting after GECOM Chairman, Justice (rtd) James Patterson, exercised his casting vote to support the PNCR-nominated Commissioners’ rejection of the top ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud. As a result of his casting vote, the way has been paved for the second-ranked candidate, Roxanne Meyers, to be offered the post of DCEO. Myers has no election management experience.

She has been linked to PNRC-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, since at one point she was a student of his. She has also exposed herself as an avid supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition government, given her social media posts. As such, critics have said that Myers’ ability to function

in an impartial manner is in question.

Notably, Persaud was not only the top-ranked candidate for the post of DCEO, but he served as DCEO for several years too. He was appointed as DCEO at GECOM on August 12, 2014. In 2014, when Persaud was appointed, PNCR-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, made no objection, when there was a vote on whether or not he should be appointed to the post. Persaud was forced to re-apply for the job he held because his contract ended and could not be renewed, given that there was no functioning Commission.

The Commission had dissolved after the resignation of former GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally.

Before being appointed as DCEO in 2014, Persaud was at GECOM since 2001.

Meanwhile, there has already been a move has been made by the Ethnic Relations Commission to hire three persons to assist with the investigations into the unfair hiring practices at GECOM. Information indicates that the three persons include an attorney, a human resource specialist and a special investigator. The ERC has not confirmed their identities to date. However, ERC Chairman, Dr John Smith, has confirmed that the team will start its work shortly, and could wrap up investigations in a month or two, to assist early resolution of this matter.

ice farmers at Hope Estate were served notices and taken to Court last Friday (August 24, 2018) or failing to pay a unilaterally imposed increase in land rental fees.

The notices called on them to quit occupation of the land and deliver possession of their land, land rented

by Hope Estate Coconut Industries Ltd – a state owned entity.

Attorney-at-Law, Bibi Shaddick, appeared in court on behalf of the 13 farmers who were served notices.

She told the Mirror Newspaper that the notices were incorrectly filed. “The notices could not have been amended, so new ones have to be sent,” Shaddick said.

The Attorney-at-Law added that the lawyer who signed the notice, Omdatt Chandan, is also the part of the Board of Hope Estate Coconut Industries Ltd, thereby creating a clear conflict of interest. According to her, Chandan indicated, only when pressed on the issue, that we would recuse himself from the case.

Shaddick said, “They have to come again. I reminded them that changes in rent can only be applied after a procedure under our laws is followed. They have

to apply to a review of the rental order. At this stage, they have to put themselves in order. They have to start this process over if they want to pursue it.”

of the lands. I am prepared to institute legal action if there is any interference with our clients’ right to quiet and peaceful enjoyment of these lands,” Nandlall related.

NOTICE IGNORED Meanwhile, earlier this year, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Anil Nandlall visited a few of the rice farmers of Hope Estate and instructed the farmers to ignore the notice, since the law gives them a regime of security of tenure.

He informed the Ministry that its letter was not only premature and precipitous, but it flew in the face of the Act. “In short, rents chargeable for rice lands cannot be increased and a tenant of rice lands cannot be removed from possession except by the procedures outlined by the Act. We are not aware that any such procedures have been initiated or undertaken,” Nandlall stated.

He further explained that these farmers have been in possession of the land for several years. These lands, he noted, provide the only source of livelihood for them and their families. “We have advised the tenant rice farmers to ignore the demand and to remain in possession

CRUEL ACTION Additionally, in an invited comment, PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP), Dharamkumar Seeraj, said, “Tennant rice farmers of Hope Estate have been summoned to the Region 4 Rice assessment court by the landlord Hope Coconut Industries Ltd, a govt own company.

“The Government is demanding a rent of $15,000 per acre from these farmers which is a 300% increase of the previous rent of $5,000.

This increase is coming at a time when services are actually deteriorating as currently farmers are doing selfhelp to fix the access dams to transport their paddy.”

He further stated that “This is another cruel action by the APNU/AFC Government against the Agriculture Sector as they seek to rake in revenue to cover exorbitant administrative Government expenses.”

The Parliamentary Opposition has assured that efforts will continue to represent the interests of the farmers.

The document belong to one farmer that, under the law, provides a regime of security of tenure

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

25

26

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

The Bottom Line – A look at issues affecting cost of living in Guyana

Minibus fare increase another burden – FITUG

T

he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has labelled the $20 across-theboard increase in minibus fares, expected to be active

by September 1, a burden on the beleaguered working people.

The union on Monday expressed its dissatisfaction over the fare hike, expressing that “it was disheartening for us that the Government, it seemed, did not take cognisance of what impacts the increases would have on the pockets of the working people.”

According to FITUG, although it accepts that the

operators have found themselves in a difficult position, taking into consideration the ban on used tyres and increases in the costs of licences and fitness in addition to other increases, the new increases, depending on the route, could work out to as much as a 25 per cent hike in fares.

The Union pointed out that it believes the new fare structure would now require workers and their families, depending on the number of buses they would have to take, to fork out as much as several thousands more per month on transportation, though promised a ‘Good

Life’ by the ruling Coalition Government.

“Naturally, we expected the Administration would have sought to see what assistance the State could have lent to easing the woes of the bus operators, without placing additional burdens on our people. This is the approach any responsible Government would take as it seeks to protect its people’s well-being,” FITUG stated.

Moreover, the Union asserted that it had high expectations of the Government to do ‘what is right and decent’.

“Certainly, the Coalition had several possible fiscal measures at its disposal, but rath-

er ‘uncreatively’ passed on the increased costs to hapless, overburdened Guyanese”, the agitated Union noted.

In addition to the hike on minibus fares, FITUG also complained of the impending hike in water rates, which it said are being saddled on to the backs of our overburdened working people.

The union added that while the administration boasts of high economic growth, “we find many of our people cannot cope with the pressures of life. This is not a healthy situation, and one we urge the Administration to pay careful attention to.”

About one week ago, the

Business Ministry announced that minibuses in the various routes would be benefiting from an additional $20 from each passenger, beginning on September 01.

According to the Business Ministry, a new fare structure would be made available to minibus drivers, who would then be responsible for displaying same in their buses.

President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, has said he is satisfied with the Ministry’s decision to implement a $20 increase. He said, “It might not be a lot, but we are satisfied.”

The President of the Minibus Union had in June submitted a proposal for not only a fare increase, but for several other requests to ease the pressure on minibus operators.

Although the call for a fare increase came at a time when fuel prices were constantly escalating, Andrews had noted that the call for the additional money was not only due to the fuel prices, but to several other issues.

Because of this, the Union’s President said, even if the fuel prices were to be lowered, he would not be willing to drop the transportation costs.

More jobs lost: Guyana Goldfields Crime forces Bourda Market vendors to hire private security firm to lay off almost 100 workers

G

uyana Goldfields Inc will from September 1st 2018 lay off about 80 exploration employees from its Greenfields, Region 7 prospect, as the company has scaled down work at that location.

Meanwhile, the company has revised its 2018 production target to about 175,000 to 185,000 ounces of gold down from 200,000, he said.

Its production for 2017 was 117,002 ounces.

Up to February this year, Guyana Goldfields said that it had over 700 Guyanese in its employ and this comprised 96% of its total employees.

Notably, the national job plan promised by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government is another of its many failed promises.

The aim of your new government is to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible. This was the promise of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition during the 2015 General and Regional elections campaign.

President David Granger, in recent months, has talked up the focus on persons creating jobs for themselves.

“All good paying jobs, as far as I am concerned, can come from self-generation and that is why we have to focus a lot on small and medium businesses, creating entrepreneurs rather than traders out of people,” he said during one broadcast of his television programme, ‘The Public Interest’.

Granger has admitted that under his Government, the economy has not been able to produce “sufficient” new jobs. “On one hand I believe that the young people themselves have to stay in schools so they are better qualified.

On the other hand, I think investors must allow what you call microenterprise to flourish, particularly in agro-processing,” he said, adding that it is his intention to engage the private sector to create funds for microenterprise, which can serve as a lending facility to young people.

Notably, the plan for microenterprise funding was not included in the APNU+AFC manifesto, which stressed that the “aim of your new government is to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible.” In a message from Granger, the manifesto stated that the

APNU+AFC Coalition will provide: “Employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mining, agro-processing and the arts to provide jobs and promote economic growth.”

The manifesto also promised that public expenditure measures would be determined by related factors, which include: Stimulating productivity, investment, savings and growth of the economy; and the provision of jobs, among other moves.

“The APNU+AFC objective is an integrated employment strategy,” the manifesto added.

Notably, however, Granger, in another broadcast of ‘The Public Interest’ noted that the Government does not have jobs to give out.

“We need to change from the mindset that government owes people employment and create in the minds of young people the desire to go out there and work and do well… people even while they are in school will be encouraged to go into business rather than to look forward to jobs in the private sector,” he said.

In the meantime, job creation concerns continue to grow.

T

he recent fatal shooting of a Bourda Market vendor, during a robbery, has resulted in vendors hiring their own private security for their protection.

Vendors who sell along Robb Street, between Alexander and Bourda streets, decided to employ armed guards and have also formed themselves into a group to carry out patrols in an effort to ensure their safety.

Some 25 persons are a part of the group. It is unclear what support the City

Constabulary is providing to the affected vendors.

Two weeks ago, food vendor Troy Ramalho, of King Edward Street, Albouystown, was shot dead by a gunman who attempted to relieve him of his jewelry. The shooting occurred around 11 pm in front of his stall on Bourda Street.

The police, in a press statement, said Ramalho had just closed his food business for the night and was waiting on a taxi to take him home when the suspects, one of

whom was armed with a gun, pounced on him. The gunman, according to a witness, discharged a round at Ramalho, who fell instantly, while the other men relieved him of his jewelry and quickly fled the scene.

Ramalho was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital, where he died.

City Hall is still to outline a plan to address the incidents of crime at not only Bourda market, but other markets under municipal control.

City Hall removes more bus parks T he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has removed more minibus parks to accommodate vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf, which collapsed a few weeks ago.

The Route 41 (Stabroek to South) and 46 (Durban, Lodge) minibuses were greeted to a barricaded park when they turned up to work.

The drivers argued that they were never served a notice nor were they consulted.

Odel Thom, a conductor, who operates in the South Park has said that the move

by City Hall will cause financial difficulties for operators. “Right now we losing.

Bus transportation, it really inconveniencing. First thing, it ain’t even got park to park

up hay suh. Watch de parking spot, watch. All this hay suh is different bus. It got 41 bus, Forty-six. It’s really inconveniencing and how they so disrespectful they ain’t even inform us as drivers you understand. Remember people got to go to work, people got to go home from children got to go to school (in the next few days), things got to buy you understand meh and them just come jus suh. At least we wudda glad if they wudda tell we something. Call we before or make a place proper for we park, cause watch hay is bare corruption,” an irate Thom said. He also complained that the traffic is congested in the area, since drivers are now operating

just beside the barricades placed by M&CC. Another operator, Jamal Simon, said, “All they got to do is inform people in how they does do things. You do things jus so drastic like fuss. If they inform people ‘today you gun be inconvenienced for certain thing’ everybody would be more better. They need to be more responsible… remember now everybody ain’t got the luxury to get car and them thing. They gah be more respectable to people them on de road.”

Solomon (only name given), a driver who plies his trade via the Guyhoc-Stabroek route said the park was blocked off since last (Turn to page 28)

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 1-2 SEPTEMBER, 2018

robbed by armed More questions than answers about Technician gunmen outside home Granger’s plan to ‘end all crime’ A B ritish High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn, in a report by the state-owned Guyana Chronicle on August 26, 2018 – under the headline ‘Progress seen in security reform’ – has claimed that the security reform project touted by the David Granger-led Coalition Government is being rolled out at a slow pace. “I think we are moving things forward, maybe a bit slowly than some people would want, but in a way that is deliberate, because we need to make sure that what’s being done, is being done properly,” Quinn said.

However, in mid-August 2018, Granger himself has admitted that the plan is still being studied by his Cabinet. Questions have since been raised about the two different positions coming from Granger and the foreign diplomat.

Seven months ago, on January 18, 2018, Granger accepted the Report of the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP), which was presented to him by United Kingdom’s Security Reform Programme Senior Advisor, Colonel Russell Combe. But there has been no official move to operationalise the plan – even as the APNU+AFC Coalition Government comes in

for blows over the current crime situation.

This is despite the fact that Granger himself admitted to need to roll out measures to address the crime situation. Earlier this year, he had said. “We are deeply concerned about the security situation and the sooner we implement those reforms, I think, the better,” he had said.

Meanwhile, last week, in offering an excuse as to why there has been no move with the report, Granger stated that the plan is still being studied by his Cabinet. “We are going through it,” he said last week.

When he received the report, the President had said that the report was the start of security reform in Guyana. He had said, “We are now trying to correct the errors of over two decades of mismanagement of the security sector. There is a lot of work to do.”

Meanwhile, the report still remains a secret document.

Additionally, Combe had an office housed at the Ministry of the Presidency during the one year he took to finish the report. Combe returned to Guyana in April this year, to continue advising the government on security sector reform. He is

on a contract which will end in March next year.

Also, while the report remains to be acted on, spending by the APNU+AFC Coalition government on yet another crime plan is being advanced, even as the Administration comes under criticism for not acting in a substantial way to address crime. The Government of Guyana has awarded a contract to the tune of US$78,750 (some $16M) to GeoTechVision founder Valarie Grant, who will be tasked with the responsibility of conducting consultations as Guyana moves to highlight the criminal hubs in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). At the end of the consultancy, the Government, through the Public Security Ministry, is expected to move full steam ahead with its crime-mapping initiative.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has said, “Guyanese will be able to see a digital map that depicts where crimes are occurring based on crime data.”

It is unclear if the required procedures to award this contract were followed and details about the $16M project are scant.

July 2018 ended with a recorded increased in armed robberies, where firearms

were used. Statistics released by the Guyana Police Force show that there were 350 reported cases of armed robberies – an increase of seven per cent compared to July 2017. For the same period there was also: a 25 per cent increase in other types of robberies, with 35 reported cases; a seven per cent increase in robberies with violence, with 92 reported cases; a total of 141 reported cases of robberies where other instruments were used; some 36 reported cases of robbery with aggravation; a total of 71 reports of larceny from persons; a whopping 574 reported cases of break and enter and larceny for the same period; and a total of 134 reported cases of burglary. There were also 58 reported murders as at July 2018 – 25 disorderly murders, 16 domestic murders, 11 murders associated with robberies and six with unknown causes. Additionally, 76 illegal firearms have been taken off the streets so far this year – which is less that was taken off the streets when one does a comparison with the previous period. Among the illegal weapons seized were: 14 pistols, 18 revolvers, 8 shotguns, 1 sub-machine gun and 5 rifles.

52-year-old maintenance technician was on Monday night (August 27, 2018) robbed of his motorcycle, among other valuables, when he was attacked by two gunmen while making his way home.

Kurt Garner of Meadowbrook Drive, Georgetown was attacked just before midnight by the two men who were reportedly armed with handguns. Garner was pushing his motorcycle into his yard when the men approached him from behind.

They reportedly held him at gunpoint and demanded that he hand over the keys to his cycle and also ordered that he

hand over his valuables.

The victim, however, did not comply which resulted in the bandits assaulting him before pushing him into his yard to lay on the ground, where they then reportedly hit him across his face.

A round was also discharged into the air by one of the perpetrators, who then took away the motorcycle keys, two cellphones and $10,000 in cash. The bandits then made good their escape East along the Meadowbrook Drive.

A report was made at the East La Penitence Police Station. Investigations are ongoing.

Businesswoman robbed at gunpoint A

West Ruimveldt, Georgetown businesswoman who operates a Superbet branch in front of her home, was, on Sunday evening (August 26, 2018) attacked and robbed of her day’s earnings by a lone gunman.

The victim, Tamilah Lowe, 25, was about to close her business when she was attacked by the lone gunman who held her at gunpoint.

According to reports received, at about 19:35 hours on the day in question, the

woman had just placed her earnings into a box and was about to enter her house when the perpetrator held a gun to her head and demanded that she hands over same.

The frightened woman complied with the request and handed over the box containing an undisclosed sum of money. The man then made good his escape on foot.

A report was promptly made at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost. No arrests were made.

An impending return ExxonMobil makes 9th oil discovery of parking meters?

T

he Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, has admitted that he will be convening a meeting with the sub-committee formed recently to look into the controversial parking meter project.

This move comes as City Hall’s Royston King has expressed confidence in the return of the controversial parking meter project.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has stressed that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) remains opposed to the project. “Any manifestation of its return will be opposed,” he declared. He added that City Hall can make more money, considering that only a minimum of the profits under the

parking meter deal will flow to City Hall, with other initiatives, including ones that require lower implementation and administrative costs.

Back in 2016, the Mayor and City Council had entered into a contract with parking meter contractors, Smart City Solutions to have parking meters established around the city.

However, when the project was first rolled out in January 2017, hundreds of Guyanese came out to protest the initiative, deeming it too burdensome. The legality of the contract was also questioned by both citizens, members of the Private Sector and the Parliamentary Opposition.

As such, suspension of the contract was ordered.

During that suspension period, a High Court ruling quashed the by-laws of the controversial project, after civic minded citizens took the case to court.

Following this, the contract was renegotiated and its by-laws were revised. Its new rates are now $150 per hour of parking and $800 for eight hours. Earlier this year, the revised by-laws were approved by a majority vote by the Mayor and City Councilors.

Additionally, City Hall’s move to re-introduce the parking meter project continues to face opposition from civil society.

PPP continues community outreaches General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, along with several others, including PPP/C Parliamentarian, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, interacted with residents of Sophia on local government issues. This meeting, held earlier this week, is part of the ongoing community outreach by the Party.

E

xxonMobil has made its ninth discovery offshore Guyana at the Hammerhead-1 well, marking its fifth discovery on the Stabroek Block in the past year, according to a press statement from the company.

“The Hammerhead-1 discovery reinforces the potential of the Guyana basin, where ExxonMobil is already maximizing value for all stakeholders through rapid phased developments and accelerated exploration plans... development options for Hammerhead will take into account ongoing evaluation of reservoir data, including a

well test”, said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company, according to the release.

Hammerhead-1 is situated approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) southwest of the Liza-1 well.

The other eight discoveries to date include: 1. Liza 2. Liza deep 3. Payara 4. Snoek 5. Turbot 6. Ranger 7. Pacora 8. Longtail – 1 The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square

kilometres) and located approximately 120 miles (193 kilometres) offshore Guyana.

Local operator ExxonMobil’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is operator of the Stabroek Block, holding a 45 percent interest, Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.

Oil production is planned to begin in early 2020 with revenues for the country to begin being used for development projects soon after.

City Hall removes more... week. He added that the M&CC should have found a suitable place to relocate the bus drivers, since the area is already crowded.

City Hall first removed the route 42 (Diamond-Grove) minibuses earlier in August.

They were later placed at Bugle Street, Georgetown

where drivers complained about their safety.

The Timehri buses, also of the 42-zone, were later removed and placed on High Street, where they also complained about their safety.

President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews has since said he views City Hall’s move as

(From page 26)

“visionless” and ridiculous.

“I think it was ridiculous. I think it is visionless…it is either corruption, mismanagement, thoughtlessness and probably not feelings for anybody but themselves,” he stated.

City Hall, in the meantime, remains unresponsive to the concerns raised.

Details of forthcoming international series released

T

he International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the details on upcoming international series.

The details are as follows: • Asia Cup (in UAE, September 2018) • Zimbabwe in South Africa (September-October 2018) • England in Sri Lanka (October-November 2018) • West Indies in India (October-November 2018) • Zimbabwe in Bangladesh (October-November 2018) • South Africa in Australia (October-November 2018) • ICC Women's World Twenty20 (in West Indies, 9-24 November 2018) - warm-up schedule • West Indies in Bangladesh (November-December 2018) • India in Australia (November 2018-January 2019) • Sri Lanka in New Zealand (December 2018-January 2019) • Pakistan in South Africa (December 2018-February 2019) • India in New Zealand (January-February 2019) • Sri Lanka in Australia (January-February 2019) • Bangladesh in New Zealand (February-March 2019) • Sri Lanka in South Africa (February-March 2019) • Pakistan in England (May 2019) • ICC Cricket World Cup (May-July 2019) • Ireland in England (July 2019) • The Ashes: Australia in England (August-September 2019) The Australia and West Indies women in England (summer 2019) fixtures have not been announced.

PUBLISHED BY NEW GUYANA Co. Ltd., 8 Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: 226-2473, 226-5875 Fax: 226-2472