Weekend Mirror 16-17 June 2018

16-17 June, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 26 / Price: $100

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

APNU+AFC will face the consequences if there is any PAGE 3

move to rig 2020 Elections – Jagdeo PPP/C will unveil plan for all of Guyana before 2020 PAGE 11

Hinterland communities face being cut off from supplies

PAGE 18

SEE INSIDE

Gov’t pushing to have children in every school join Granger’s cadet PAGE 19 programme Attempts to make ‘people smuggling’ issue a matter of race rejected PAGE 10

GECOM PAGE 3 Chairman admits that stats on employment breakdown given to him by ‘source’

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Number-one ranked applicant for DCEO position rejected T

he increasingly controversial Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (retired) James Patterson, continues to act in a manner that does not inspire confidence, particularly given that his decisions are not informed, rational or fair, according to the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) nominated Commissioners.

At a news conference held on Tuesday (June 12, 2018) it was disclosed that the three Commissioners - Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shaddick – walked out of a meeting after Patterson exercised his casting vote to support the PNCR-nominated Commissioners’ rejection of the number-one ranked candidate for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Mr. Vishnu Persaud. As a result of his cast-

ing vote, the way has been paved for the second-ranked candidate, Roxanne Meyers, to be offered the post of DCEO. Commissioner Benn said, “We cannot get informed, rational and fair decisions from the Chairman.”

According to him, the issue at hand is one that relates to not only diversity, but to equity and fairness in the hiring process. “In the evaluation process he was the best ranked candidate…the reasons given to not go with the number one candidate were spurious, they had no basis in fact…it could only be motivated by judgments that can be described as unfair,” he said.

Benn blasted the PNCR nominated Commissioners in particular for what took place given that the principle of meritocracy is one that has been “vaunted” by

them. “This is not about race and ethnicity. It is about fairness…it could not be fair or rational that a decision of this sort should have emerged,” he stressed.

The PPP Commissioner added too that Persaud has qualifications related to elections management and has served in the position of DCEO for several years, noting that Myers has no experience in the area. The evaluation scores, out of 100, saw Meyers getting 72 and Persaud getting 76.

Mr. Persaud was forced to re-apply for the post of DCEO since his contract was not renewed because there was no functioning Commission, following the resignation of former GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally. The contracts of the Assistant Chief Elections Officer (ACEO), the Logistics Manager and others

were also not renewed for this reason.

SURVIVING EVALUATION Persaud was said to have had “survived” the evaluation process, which the three PPP nominated Commissioners charged is an objectionable one.

Commissioner Shaddick disclosed to the media today that the GECOM Chairman expressed a preference for a candidate who interviewed for the post of Legal Officer and Secretary to the Commission. She added that he went as far as to sit in during the panel’s interview of that candidate – the only time he has done so. According to her, the PNCR nominated Commissioners, two of whom sit on the four-person panel, ensured that high scores were given to the preferred candidate – one

giving a score of 100/100 and the second giving a score of 98/100.

Shaddick noted too that a second example of prejudice was seen in the cases where some other applicants for top posts in GECOM’s Secretariat were given scores of zero and, as such, did not manage to survive the evaluation process. She made it clear that Indo-Guyanese applicants were mostly affected by this.

“The way we see it is that the deck is being stacked to come to a particular result… this is not something we can sit and take,” she said.

The PPP/C nominated Commissioner stressed that there are principles that must guide the hiring policy of GECOM and failing to adhere to this worsens the problem of a lack of diversity in the staffers of the Commission. “It is no secret that there isn’t much diversity,

this is something we have to work on,” she said.

NEXT STEP Addressing the issue of the next step to have this matter addressed, Shaddick disclosed that matter will be addressed with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which has a constitutional mandate to address such concerns, and with the international community.

A letter will be going to the ERC tomorrow (Wednesday, June 13, 2018)…letters will also go to the international community, along with other forms of communication…this issue will be fully ventilated,” Shaddick said.

The problem of an unfair hiring process has been an issue for some time now.

Recently, about 10 top positions at the Secretariat were advertised by GECOM.

More ‘frivolous’ Persaud breaks silence on charges filed against GECOM application former PPP/C officials T F he top-ranked candidate who was passed over by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO), Vishnu Persaud, has broken his silence following concerns expressed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

GECOM Chairman, Justice (retired) James Patterson, exercised his casting vote on Tuesday (June 12, 2018) to support the PNCR-nominated Commissioners’ rejection of the number-one ranked candidate for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), 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. Persaud, who is currently unemployed, said that he was now contemplating his next step following the GECOM decision to not appoint him to serve a second stint as its DCEO even though he was asked to reapply to be considered for the post as a new applicant.

Persaud held the post of GECOM’s acting DCEO for over three years, but his contract, like several other senior functionaries’, was not

renewed and was allowed to expire since GECOM was without a Chairman following the resignation of Dr Steve Surujbally back in 2016. Surujbally resigned on the heels of discontentment with his leadership and stewardship of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, which were marred by allegations of electoral fraud and discrepancies. The former DCEO demitted office in August last year.

“I have still not come to any position as to what to do or not to do. I know that I have to move on, because I have a family to provide for,” Persaud remarked as he explained that he would rather not share his personal thoughts or emotions on the outcome of the process, which is being heavily criticised by several key stakeholders and sections of civil society.

Persaud was adamant that GECOM was constitutionally mandated and authorised to hire the appropriate staff with the right skill set to complete various tasks and fill established vacancies. He said, “Whether the Commission is right or wrong, it has made a decision.”

Asked whether he felt that the decision taken by

the Commission was fair or justified, Persaud said that he “will not go there”, because he does not believe that adopting a confrontational approach would change the course of what has been decided.

Questioned further as to whether he believes that some of the arguments put forward for his non-selection or reappointment have any merit, the former DCEO defended his track record.

“I have always done my work professionally. I have never had racial or political bias in my work. I have never showed any … and I would not want to make a comment that would cast a shadow on my past record,” he insisted.

He also appealed for those who were busy making comments which are false and not factual about his previous stint at GECOM to desist from doing so, as he stoutly defended his performance at every level of assignment.

“I would ask those people who are seeking to cast aspersions on my reputation to refrain from doing so and judge me on the basis of what you know of me and not on what is perceived,” he proffered.

He denied being in-

volved with any political party or skulduggery during his tenure and argued strongly that he was a career professional and someone dedicated to very high standards.

“As far as I am aware, I have never ever been cautioned about a failure to conduct myself in a professional, efficient and disciplined manner…,” he remarked.

In addition, Persaud, who also served as GECOM’s substantive Public Relations Officer for well over two years, said that he would not willingly go to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to file a complaint about GECOM’s alleged discriminatory employment practices.

“No. I am not going there,” he said when quizzed on the matter. He maintained that he was focused on finding employment that would put him in a better position to meet the needs of his family following this saga.

On Tuesday, for a second time in two weeks, the PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioners walked out of a meeting with the other Commissioners because of the actions of the GECOM Chairman.

ormer Finance Minister under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration, Dr. Ashni Singh, and former National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Winston Brassington were on Friday (June 8, 2018) charged on more counts of misconduct in public office, this time around for the sale of Sanata Textile Complex to Queens Atlantic.

However, since the men were not in court for Acting Chief Magistrates Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus to read the charge to them, the matter has been adjourned until June 29.

One of the men’s attorneys, Stanley Moore, who was present in court explained that SOCU did not give notices to his clients to attend court on Friday to answer to the new charge. Moore further said that by luck he was in the courtroom at the said time for another case when the matter was being called.

The charge states that Singh, being and performing the duties of Minister of Finance and Chairman of the NICIL, a company

owned by the Government of Guyana, and Brassington, being and performing duties of Chief Executive Officer at NICIL between October 20, 2010 and December 20, 2010 at Barrack Street, Kingston by way of agreement of sale and purchase acted recklessly when they sold to Queens Atlantic Investment Inc the Sanata Textiles Complex.

The charge further read that the building and erecting thereon, Parcel 4702 part of the Plantation Ruimveldt situate on the East Bank Demerara being 18.871 acres being sold for $697,864,800.00 plus VAT, knowing that the said property was valued $1,042,403,500.00 and was therefore being sold at a price that was grossly undervalued, thereby breaching their duties.

However, the valuation being used in advancing the charges is being questioned, since it is higher than an earlier valuation.

On May 21, Justice Franklin Holder had granted a stay of application in favor of Dr. Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington for the three other charges that were filed against the duo.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

APNU+AFC will face the consequences if there is any move to rig 2020 Elections – Jagdeo

T

he APNU+AFC Coalition Government was put on notice by Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (June 14, 2018). “There will be consequences if they think that they can rig the elections and have the kind of peace that we have now, they’re wrong; very, very wrong. I hope they are not thinking that in their calculation,” Jagdeo said at a news conference, held at his Church Street office.

His comments follow acts at GECOM, which the PPP-nominated Commissioners contend, do not “inspire” confidence.

Jagdeo said, “There will be an attempt given the nature of the PNC, an attempt to try to tamper with the elections but they are

not going to find us sitting down so if Harmon and the others think that we are going to be walk-over, etc, he better disabuse his mind

“

be struggling against an illegal, illegitimate government that is not in power through the ballot and it will be a different form of strug-

There will be an attempt given the nature of the PNC, an attempt to try to tamper with the elections but they are not going to find us sitting down so if Harmon and the others think that we are going to be walk-over, etc, he better disabuse his mind from that notion.” - Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo

from that notion. “…I am making it clear about that and it’s not coded language because then the nature of the struggle will be different. We will

then the other side should not be bound by any rules because it’s a freedom struggle. It changes from a struggle within an established democracy to one of fighting for freedom.”

The PPP General Secretary believes that the stage is being set to rig the 2020 elections, but made clear that such a task cannot stand in an “open” society. He added that the actions to date “will not break our spirit” and made it clear that the PPP will continue “fighting aggressively” for free and fair elections.

gle, totally different. “…if they don’t live by the rules, they come to power without observing by the rules,

PPP greets Muslims on Eid-ul-Fitr….

GECOM Chairman admits that stats on employment breakdown given to him by ‘source’ C

ommissioners nominated by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP) to the Guyana Elections Commission exposed the confusion surrounding the release of statistics on employment at GECOM and contends that the source of the information, the accuracy of it and the timeline regarding its dissemination are in question.

The three Commissioners - Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shaddick – walked out of today’s statutory meeting, a second time in two weeks, over a contentious decision regarding hiring.

At a news conference, held on Tuesday (June 12, 2018) at the Church Street office of the Opposition Leader, Shaddick disclosed that prior to the walk out there was a discussion on the statistics released by GECOM Commissioners, Justice (retired) James Patterson, regarding the breakdown of GECOM staffers based on ethnicity.

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, last Tuesday (June 5, 2018), stated that GECOM does not keep data on staffers based on ethnicity.

Later the same day, Patterson released a breakdown to Kaieteur and Stabroek News, which shows: 1. Portuguese – 2 staffers (0.52%); 2. Amerindians – 45 staffers (11.74%); 3. Indo-Guyanese – 80 staffers (20.88%); 4. Afro-Guyanese – 178 staffers (46.47%); 5. Mixed – 77 staffers (20.10%); and

6. Chinese – 1 staffer (0.26%).

Shaddick told the media today that the source of this information was queried at today’s meeting. According to her, Patterson responded by saying that he was given the breakdown by “a source” outside of GECOM. .“The chairman said he got that information from a source outside of GECOM…someone called and gave the information to him… I asked ‘are you saying that particulars of GECOM employees reside outside of GECOM’,” she said.

At this, she explained that concerns about accuracy of the information were expressed.

Shaddick added that the timeline of the release of the breakdown was also questioned, since after Patterson disclosed that he received the information was provided by a “source” outside of GECOM, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, provided an input.

Lowenfield, according to her, stated that the breakdown was provided to Patterson by the Human Resources (HR) manager, who looked at the photographs, determined the ethnicity of staffers and compiled the breakdown.

Shaddick charged that the timeline of the release of the information is questionable. The information used by the HR Manager was requested by the PPP/C nominated Commissioners.

All three also reiterated their concerns about does the lack of diversity in the hiring done by GECOM.

Guyanese have seen another example of Muslims’ contribution to society

T

he month of fasting by Muslims is over and the People’s Progressive Party has commended all those who made sacrifices during that period “to draw from the rich virtues of this occasion and to reiterate that sacrifices bring success and that hope is alive and must never be lost.”

The Party in a statement said, “The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to extend to the Muslim community, both at home and overseas, Eid Mubarak on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

This auspicious occasion marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan during which tremendous sacrifices were made for spiritual advancement by Muslims.

“All of our religious observances have universal lessons for all mankind. As customary on these occasions, our Party urges reflection on the pertinent messages this occasion brings and which have positive influences for humanity.

“The dedication and self-discipline demonstrated especially during the month of Ramadan are exemplary teaching humility, contentment, restraint and love for mankind. The Zakat or charity associated with Eid-ul-Fitr is another example of Muslims here in Guyana and across the world contributing to the upliftment of all and for the removal of societal barriers.

“The PPP would like to take this opportunity to commend all those who would have made the sacrifices as prescribed during the month of Ramadan and to draw from the rich virtues of this occasion and to reiterate that sacrifices bring success and that hope is alive and must never be lost.

“Once again, the Party extends greetings to all, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters on this occasion.

Eid Mubarak”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

EDITORIAL

Struggles against oppression T

he anniversaries of two very important historical events are usually observed in the month of June: Enmore Martyrs Day and the death of Dr. Walter Rodney. While these events took place years apart and under different circumstances, yet they relate to each other in many ways.

Both events reveal the response of the State, first under colonial domination, and secondly, under the Burnham dictatorship in an independent Guyana, to the fight struggles of the working masses for better working and living conditions, and respect for their civil and political rights.

Both were repressive.

The Enmore Martyrs were brutally gunned downed by colonial police as they were protesting unilateral changes in working conditions that would have severely lowered their already measly wages. They were forced to take to the streets since they had no effective trade union representation from the established union which was bought over by the sugar owners. That struggle to democratize the labour landscape, especially workers electing union of their choice at the work place, was of critical importance.

At no point in time did the colonial government and the wealthy absentee owners of the sugar industry sought to engage the workers. Their main and only focus was to protest their interests – more profits.

The struggles of the Enmore Martyrs had an enduring, transformational effect on the political, economic and social landscape of the country. Many of the achievements taken for granted these days are as a direct result of the victories of the workers’ struggles.

Many of those who were active in those epic struggles were forced to the conclusion that a little struggle here and a little victory there were not enough. There was need for country-wide mass mobilization to change the status-quo. This line of thinking saw the emergence the first country-wide, popular working class party, the People’s Progressive Party, led by Cheddi Jagan. The struggle then took a qualitative dimension that eventually led to independence, adult sufferage, workers’ choice of unions, and many more.

In many ways, too, the Martyrs and their contributions to their fight against oppression influenced the strong commitment to the interest of the working class by the Guyana’s outstanding scholar and political activist, Dr. Walter Rodney.

And it was precisely that commitment to fight against oppression, as the Martyrs had done, that saw his life snuffed out by the Burnham dictatorship while still a young man.

Rodney experienced a situation where the PNC under Burnham, instead of taking Guyana forward after gaining independence, instead began the systematic erosion of workers’ rights, trampled on hard won democratic gains by rigging national elections, bankrupting the economy and oppressive political opponents.

Dr. Rodney joined the struggles of the masses, then mobilized mainly by Dr. Jagan and the PPP, and because of the gains he was making in mobilizing especially the agro-Guyanese working class, the dictatorship moved against him. He was killed by an assassin’s bomb in the heat of the struggles for a return to democracy.

Rodney’s fight against the Burnham dictatorship certainly helped in the return to democracy in 1992. He will always be remembered for his commitment to the interests of the working class.

Today, Guyana is again faced with some of the same features that were present under the PNC administration in post-independence Guyana under the guise of the APNU/ AFC coalition. How Rodney would have reacted to the present situation is open to guesses but from experience, it is doubtful is he would joined the coalition as his party, the WPA, has done.

The historical records would show that in late 1970s, when opposition forces were discussing a “National Front Government”, Rodney had rejected the idea of including the PNC in such an arrangement.

Is the Guyana Chronicle so desperate to justify GECOM Chairman’s action that its lies blatantly?

Dear Editor,

I

read with alarm the report published by the Guyana Chronicle on June 13, 2018, headlined ‘PPP frets after candidate loses out on GECOM post’.

The report says: “Back in 2016, Persaud was accused of being corrupt. It was alleged that despite having a public relations officer (PRO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) at the time, Persaud carried out some of that officer’s duties during the last elections.

Sources within the commission had told the Guyana Chronicle that Persaud took charge of all Civic and Voter Education responsibilities despite their falling within the ambit of the PRO…in 2014, Persaud while appointed as DCEO, wrote and signed documents as the

entity’s public relations officer. In documents seen by this publication, Persaud had signed as PRO and DCEO.” Editor, the fact is that Mr. Persaud was GECOM’s Public Relations Officer. He was appointed the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) on August 12, 2014. A report in the very Guyana Chronicle, dated August 13, 2014, headlined ‘Vishnu Persaud GECOM’s new DCEO/ DCNR’, makes this fact clear.

At the time of his appointment, the vacancy of Public Relations Officer had not been filled. He acted in the post until someone was appointed.

So obviously, in 2014, there would have been documents released by Mr. Persaud where he either signed as PRO (ag) and DCEO.

Is the Guyana Chronicle so desperate to defend the unilaterally appointed GECOM Chairman, Justice (retired) James Patterson, that it tells blatant lies?

Lies will not distort the facts.

The fact is that Mr. Persaud was the number-one ranked candidate for the post of DCEO, after an evaluation by a four-person panel (two PNCR and two PPP/C nominated Commissioners).

The fact is that the unilaterally appointed GECOM Chairman in using his casting vote to reject the number-one ranked candidate also rejected the principles of meritocracy and fairness, which should guide the hiring process of any institution, more so GECOM.

point to say that the majority of the staff employed are GECOM are Afro-Guyanese, some 46 per cent of those employed. But he ignores the controversial nature of this statistic itself.

The Department of Public Information, last week, quoted GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, saying that GECOM does not record the ethnicities of the staff it employs. So where did the 46 per cent come from? Was Mr. Alexander being dishonest? The fact is that the GECOM Chairman, Justice (retired) James Patterson, talked about this 46 per cent twice already, in the Kaieteur News and in the Stabroek News over the weekend. Is the repetition of the 46 per cent line proof that Mr. Alexander was not being honest? But this is an aside.

Back to the issue of Mr. Lewis’ call for evidence, I submit that he is setting standards for other people; standards he has failed to meet. Where is the evidence to support his claim that Afro-Guyanese were worse off under the last government? Where is his evidence to show comparative numbers

for land/ and home ownership, business ownership or comparative number for any other areas where Afro-Guyanese, like all other Guyanese, benefited and improved their standard of living?

We also cannot forget that Mr. Lewis joined the bandwagon of those making wild charges about Afro-Guyanese having died, as a result of extra-judicial killingsunder the last government. But he did not say anything when the very list of 400 Afro-Guyanese was reviewed and when the very list exposed the lies being told.That list had the names of police officers, army officers, civilians, businesspeople and even criminals – people of all race. Where is the list of 400 innocent Afro-Guyanese men who were killed? Why has Mr. Lewis failed to substantiate something he subscribes too?

In calling for constructive and structured means of addressing issues, Mr. Lewis exposes the fact that he has failed in this very regard.

Regards, Attiya Baksh

Uphold to the standards you want to set for others Dear Editor,

T

here must be a fair playing field in the debates that have an impact on all of Guyana. I say this because there seems to be a trend where there are standards that some people are demanded to meet, while others are given a pass.

Mr. Lincoln Lewis’ letter in the Kaieteur News today, 11 June, 2018, is one issue that backs up this point. Mr. Lewis argues that Mr. Robeson Benn must produce evidence to back up his claim that the hiring done at GECOM is not done based on merit. Does he have evidence to disprove this? Is he deliberately ignoring that GECOM itself has not produced evidence to disprove this?

This is not an issue of race. This is about merit. Why do some people have to be tested twice, if they pass the first test, when others do not? These are facts that are not hard to verify. Is this why some people are trying to make it a race issue? Because they want to change the conversation to something that is historically contentious?

Editor, Mr. Lewis also makes it a

Sincerely, David Williams

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

This Government’s vision seems limited Dear Editor,

T

here are many issues affecting this country, our beloved Guyana, and these issues seem unimportant because the nation seems to be brainwashed with the rewards of oil. The rulers’ way of governing is forcing businesses to close or directly shutting down places and causing the unemployment rate to increase drastically, and expenses climb in every house. With their dictatorial attitudes, they are increasing prices without any consultation and telling us that is the right thing to do.

For quite a while now, the fuel price has been an issue because of the increase, causing the minibus operators to strike because they know that an increase in fare would be an additional burden to the commuters, and instead of reaching an agreement, the government just ignores this issue as if it’s not important.

One would have expected a reduction in spare parts, tyres etc., just to level out the expense for a minibus owner…but no! This nation will benefit from the oil, so this burden is not important. Now without a doubt, the fares will increase and there’s nothing the commuters can do but to pay the fares – in some cases having to use three different buses or cars, or both, to reach either work or home every day. Some good life!

In one of the dallies, we’re seeing the Government signing tougher sanctions against the fishing industry, which I am somewhat in agreement with, and wonder why they had to wait until we got sanctioned and one industry is closing, before acting.

And what plans do they have for the pollution that occurs every time the kokers are open. To date, much garbage is being dumped into the trenches throughout Guyana and there is a tremendous threat to marine life. Are there any plans to combat that?

Editor, I must say congratulations to Clinton Urling for opening a branch of the famous German restaurant in America,

and which was a feature on one of the TV channels there. With the Guyanese support in promoting that restaurant, I’m sure that could be the next big food chain in America because without a doubt, the soup is indeed excellent – especially if he continues using the traditional Guyanese ingredients.

Guyana is indeed blessed nation with a tremendous amount of resources that, once utilized, we could earn a decent reward. But with a government whose eyes seem bigger than their vision, I am sure we cannot capitalize, because only the oil seems important to them.

From the time we were sanctioned or even before, we had dried shrimp and fish that is on demand all over locally, especially in the interior, and used in many types of food that could have been marketed overseas. There’s many things that we have that the world doesn’t know about – except when hearing about them from fellow Guyanese or tourists – that could make a tremendous impact, and we could earn a lot if marketed, but this Government’s vision seems limited and help from it seems fruitless.

I guess you have to be established to get their attention. The dried fish and shrimp business should be considered, because many countries could use products like that, especially those that are prone to disaster.

Canning of fish and shrimp locally is another area that should be considered.

We have a lot of vegetables that could be canned also, but we are not hearing any plans about that, instead we are importing canned vegetables even though the exact vegetables are grown here.

While all those businesses were closing, this government should have approached the management and explored the possibilities available. But oh, they don’t care. Their way of governing is causing businesses to close.

Such is the good life.

Regards, S. Bates

The PPP is a political party of character Dear Editor,

I

begin my letter today with another oddity and here’s my opening paragraph; I am a teacher of teen aged students, and I am also proud to announce that in my near thirty years of teaching that I have never failed a student.

Never failed a student! What manner of teacher am I, and what can my stewardship as a teacher tell of me? But before you get too judgmental with that “never failed a student” statement or to dare question my integrity as a teacher I would like you to save your comments for the final paragraphs of our discourse.

Now, let us get back to my caption, The PPP is and has always been a party of character; one that has always stood out at the forefront of its dealings with its political friends and foes alike. My party has the record of always holding the high moral, political and above blemished road of a political entity in this country. The PPP is par excellence when the word integrity is sounded. Take for example the last ruling by the Chief Justice in Guyana, The Honourable Madame Justice has erred in her interpretation of the law when delivering that flawed ruling, however, The PPP in their response have taken the high moral road in exploring all the legal leads we can muster to bring sanity to this unilateral appointment. The PPP has not called out thugs in the streets – no channa bombs or Molotov Cocktails, no shooting no looting, we are just relying on the dispensing of clean, clear, transparent and unadulterated justice.

I would quote another instance of the distinctive qualities of my party in taking the high moral road. You would recall a former chief justice sending an illegal order to stop the installation of the constitutionally elected president in Guyana? Yes, this took place right here in good old Guyana, the highhanded approach of a chief justice. Now, when that same chief justice applied for a post at The Caribbean Court of Justice a prerequisite was to also arm herself with the background approval of the very same president she wanted to illegally throw out of office. I am sure she waited with bated breath for a brash disapproval from her president, but that was not to be, Mrs Jagan in her approval letter made that magnanimous declaration “I found no fault in her.” I do not think I would have been so forgiving but it all

goes to show the high moral fibre The PPP are made of.

The story gets even more interesting when you view the actions of that same Madam Justice, in her assistance to this present de facto government. She is actively using her CCJ connections in that case involving the third term matter. This is a very “smart way” in rewarding The Party that granted your approval to high office, it lends credence to the proverb “biting the hand that fed you.” But such are the machinations of The PNC and its lackeys, they are shamelessly incorrigible.

So, let me revert us back to my teaching statement in my opening paragraph, I have never failed a student and I maintain that position, what I am proud of is to rehabilitate and reform when a student goes the wrong way.

After all teachers are guides to lead the way in re-formative help to improve, rehabilitate or bring back into normal relations. On this platform lies my success. So, in all fairness I have never failed a child.

So, in our quest to bring success to this country, we have a daunting task ahead of us in reforming a broken, corrupt and decrepit PNC leading them into the fold of normal people/party relations. They should never say that my party is vindictive and spiteful then, because spite was never our modus operandi, those qualities were introduced into the agenda by them. Our objective has always been truth, reconciliation and a forward moving progression, they are the ones who have landed on the name and shame discovery, not us.

So, in the new dispensation of things we would be relying on those same tools of refinement to reform The PNC, we would be calling on the “expert” services of SOCU and SARA. After all, they must not forget that they are the ones who “knack we fuss” it is the “first lick” that started this whole problem and as time progresses it would be a greater problem for them down the road. The PNC are the ones gloating in the “witch hunting” campaign in The Special Organized Crime Unit SOCU and her twin sister SARA to sanitize The Opposition. Well, please note that sanitation will soon come your way friends, and how would you handle that? We are about to make Guyana clean and green again… their words not ours.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

How can we have any confidence in GECOM and President Granger?

Dear Editor,

G

HK Lall in a recent letter in the media conveys that 46 per cent of Afro-Guyanese versus 21 per cent of Indo-Guyanese does not represent an ethnic imbalance within the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This is a gross misinterpretation.

Of course, lopsided figures such as these show how Afro-Guyanese are wildly overrepresented. And importantly, they fail to reflect Guyana’s demographic breakdown.

Such misinterpretation needs to be corrected because it hides a serious problem which will persist if it goes unaddressed.

Also, in a show of respect for the Guyanese people, the Chairman of GECOM needs to provide the actual statistical evidence to verify these figures. We cannot trust any

information coming out from GECOM when considering the level of corruption that goes on there.

Which Guyanese can forget how President Granger hurriedly installed the GECOM Chairman close to midnight? Why was such an important appointment transacted at such a strange time of the night? This is because President Granger was into an unethical and unfair act. Naturally, such a shady appointment triggers widespread fears that President Granger is determined to stifle our voices, like his party had done for 28 years. So how can we have any confidence in GECOM and President Granger? Where is the respect by President Granger for his people?

It is hard to believe that both President Granger and the GECOM Chairman do not understand that Afro-Guyanese are grossly

overrepresented at GECOM but such a racial dynamic works to their advantage and so they will shamelessly resort to immoral tactics to defend such an unfair situation that will enable them to hold onto to power by cruelly stifling our voice. We are concerned that our voice will not be heard at the polls. These people can’t be trusted. And none of this is good for social cohesion and the prosperity of our country. Amid such gross dishonesty by the A Partnership for National Unity/People’s National Congress (PNC) human beings suffer and our country remains poor.

It is also clear that Lall and largely the PNC are ignorant of the fact that Indians are highly intelligent and highly capable people.

The reality is that Indians are successful people all over the world. Of course, we possess the requisite qualifications to effectively

function at GECOM but we are discriminated against so that the racial dynamics remain in favour of the PNC. Absolutely, like my fellow Indo-Guyanese, I am insulted by how the PNC tramples our rights and then demean us to cover up its immoral behaviours. This is divisive and cruel.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic represents a segment of the population who has been disrespected and mistreated by the PNC in all of our history. And which Guyanese will doubt that the appointment of the GECOM Chairman together with the racial imbalance at GECOM, plus the 28 years of election rigging under the PNC are not examples of abuse by the PNC. Sincerely, Annie Baliram

STRAIGHT TALK 6

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

(This speech was first made public on June 1, 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.)

Equality – The Basis of Policy

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

T

he Evening Post in the issue of Thursday, June 1 1961 carried an article by one Juan Gonsalves, head line “Cuban Negroes Find Castro’s Communism Costly. We are all aware of the stream of propaganda now being directed against the Revolutionary Cuban Government, This Propaganda was so intense that it fooled its own authors and disseminators into believing that the Cuban people were going to turn against their Government and join the invaders. When is this lying propaganda going to stop?

It is great pity that the Evening Post joins in spreading such wicked propaganda particularly on this question of treatment of Negroes, Negro-White unity has been basic to the Cuban

Revolutionary efforts. And the Castro Government is dedicated to and has accomplished much in wiping out all discrimination.

It has set itself as one of its most urgent duties the utter examination of all segregation and racism. Negroes hold important ports at all levels. Joseph North in his book, Cuba, Hope of a Hemisphere, says that

“the bead of the air force was a Negro; the Head of the Army is Negro, the Chief of the Orienteontingents of the armed forces, a Negro.”

The editor should publish what some more important people saw and had to say. Professor Paul Baran, economics professor at Stanford University in his pamphlet Reflections on the Cuban Revolution says that he is thrilled by “the leaps that the Cubans are making in education, health culture standard of living and dignity.

Professor C. Wright Mills, of Colombia University, author of important books such as Power Elite, in his book on Cuba, Listen Yankee, announces himself as for the Cuban Revolution and as recognizing that anti-communism is counter

AFC Executive member forges businessman’s signature to cash in on multi-million dollar gov’t contract

A

n Alliance For Change executive member and contractor of Quad Constructions in Berbice, Joseph Baithu, has come under scrutiny for allegedly forging a businessman’s signature on a $10M pre-qualification letter that was submitted to several ministries.

The issue was brought up at the Region Six Regional Democratic Council’s monthly statutory meeting earlier this week, under the works committee report. Acting Chairman Dennis Deroop was sitting at the Head of the Committee.

According to reports, the contractor drafted a pre-qualification letter and

affixed a signature as if the businessman, from Karran and Sons General Store of Bush Lot, signed the piece of document himself. The letter allowed the individual to pre-qualify as a contractor. The businessman in question has since denied signing the document.

The letter says: “I wish to verify that I have known Mr. Joseph Baithu now civil contractor of Quad Construction of Lot 168 Number 45 Village Corentyne, Berbice. I am willing to assist him with a credit facility of the sum of $10M in building material for a period of not more than thirty days”.

Reports are that the letter was not sent to the Region; rather it was sent

to the Ministry of Communities to be used for all the Ministries of Public Infrastructure, Communities and Public Security.”

Prequalification is used to identify contractors who would be allowed to tender for certain contracts. Once a company is pre-qualified for a particular contract, it is then eligible to tender for that contract. A firm applying for prequalification has no expectation to be awarded any contract on the basis of the application for prequalification. Its only expectation is that once it has been approved for prequalification, then it is free to bid for the contract.

Only prequalified firms are eligible to bid on a contract.

revolution. This is important as Mills himself is not a communist. He explains in great detail in direct interviews with Cubans about what’s happening there, and leaves no one in doubt that it was monopoly capitalism which kept Cuba enslaved.

There is Professor Douglas R. Dowd of Cornell University. Rejecting the monstrous picture of a “communist Cuba” that is peddled all over the world, he says: “Why should there not be Communists participating in Cuban public affairs, as there are in most countries of the world, including most countries of the NATO alliance? The Cold War extends throughout the world, but not all countries have been seen fit to follow the American example summed up in the term McCarthyism, annoying though such sentimentality must be to J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Dodd.”

Every Cuban, as every nationalist leader ev-

erywhere, recognizes the imperative need for the broadest possible unity. Che Guevara writes: “For the old, the very old imperial maxim of “divide and conquer” remains today the basis of imperialist strategy.”

Bias Roca, General Secretary of the Popular Socialist Party in Cuba, says “The motto of the imperialists, of the sell-out governing class, of the reactionaries and exploiters of every kind is: Divide and Rule. In logical contradiction, the maxim f revolutionaries, of the representatives of the workers, peasants, and the people generally, the maxim of the Marxist Leninist is: Unite to triumph over the enemies of the nation, the people and the toiling masses. The maxim guided al our activity against the tyranny and has guided and guides today all our activity in the course of the revolution, its triumph and its development.”

Cuba is not fat from here. The editor of the Evening Post should send an

observer to make an onthe-spot assessment. It’s important for us.

Mr. Hubert Matthews of the New York Times says that in all his 30 years of reporting he has never seen a situation more misunderstood and misinterpreted than the Cuban Revolution.

Let’s not just dish out the daily doses of propaganda sod venom put out against the Cuban Government and people.

One last quotation. It’s another one from Professor Dowd of Cornell University. He says: “I do not believe that Castro and his supporters are angels, nor that their revolution is flawless or without serious problems, not do I believe that Americans actions and attitudes have been those of devils.

But I do believe that American values, and American needs, taken in conjunction with the past and present Cuban situation, point to a position sharply opposed to the one we presently hold.”

Gov’t ‘committed’ to expanding its revenue base – Bulkan

E

ven as many Guyanese continue to feel the squeeze of the current economic downturn, worrying comments made by Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, are increasing concerns for the future.

Bulkan, at a recent event, stated that the APNU+AFC Government is committed to strengthening its revenue base and financial sustainability by updating the system of property valuation. “We are aware that without reliable, continuous and locally-generated sources of revenue, it is nearly impossible for local organs to perform

the task of community development,” he said of the move.

In January 2018, Bulkan announced the move to have a mass valuation of properties countrywide this year. He said the purpose is to essentially assist the municipalities to garner more finances so as to allow a ‘weaning’ of them off the government support.

“This will `wean’ them off of central government’s subventions,” he had said in January.

Once the valuations are done, Bulkan said the authorities in the various municipalities and Neighbour-

hood Democratic Councils’ (NDCs) will determine how they are used. “It is for the use and determination of individual councils as to what rates they would want to effect. That will be a determination that will be made individually and independently by the respective councils,” Bulkan said.

The move has been rejected by the Parliamentary Opposition, which has said that it will increase cost of living costs of the Guyanese population at a time when costs are already being increased because of the tax policies of the Coalition Government.

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

PPP appeals ruling on GECOM Chairman P

PP Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha this week filed an appeal challenging the recent decision upholding the appointment of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Justice (retd) James Patterson, arguing that Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George SC misdirected herself in law on several points, including whether the president has the power to request multiple lists of nominees.

Attorney Anil Nandlall filed the Notice of Appeal, which lists Mustapha as the appellant and the Attorney General as the respondent.

The notice advances several grounds to support the appeal. It is argued that the Judge erred and misdirected herself in law in construing Article 161 (2) of the Constitution; by failing to give effect to the intentions of the framers of the Article and failed to apply or failed to properly apply the purposive canon of interpretation in construing Article 161 (2) of the Constitution.

It also argues that the Judge erred and misdirected herself in law when she “misconstrued and misinterpreted” the role of the Leader of the Opposition in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution; by omitting to review or properly review the exercise of the power and discretion which Article 161 (2) reside with the President in rejecting

three (3) sets of names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to the said Article in order to determine whether the President exercised that power and discretion lawfully and reasonably and not irrationally, capriciously, whimsically and influenced by irrelevant and extraneous considerations and not guided by relevant considerations; and by ruling that the President has the power to reject a list of six (6) names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution.

According to the court documents, the Judge also made an error and misdirected herself when she failed to pronounce on whether the President has the power to request more than one list of six names from the Leader of the Opposition and to take into account the first and the second list of names submitted by the Leader of the Opposition upon the request of the President.

Further, it is being argued that the Judge erred and misdirected herself in law by finding that the President is empowered to reject the list as unacceptable although one or more persons on that list is or are acceptable to the President; by ruling that the President lawfully and properly invoked the proviso to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution; by failing to correctly and

properly construe and interpret the circumstances when the proviso to Article 161 (2) of the Constitution can be activated; and by failing to impugn the appointment of Mr. Justice James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM after she ruled that reasons are required to be provided by the president for the rejection of the list submitted by the Leader of the Opposition and after having ruled that the President provided no such reasons.

It was argued that the decision of the Judge is “wrong, misconceived and erroneous in law” as it has destroyed a delicate but fundamental balance in the composition of GECOM, which the framers of the Constitution intended to repose in a Chairman appointed by a formula captured in Article 161 (2) of the Constitution to ensure that such a Chairman enjoys the confidence and acceptance of both the Leader of the Opposition and the President.

Following the appointment and swearing-in of the then 84-year-old Patterson on October 19th last, 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.

Among the issues which the court had to determine was whether the appointment of Justice Patterson was unconstitutional as the applicant contended that he had no power to make a unilateral appointment once a list of six names was submitted to him.

The court ruled that the President has the power, under Article 161(2) of the Constitution, to reject the list submitted by the Opposition Leader if it is unacceptable to him and to resort to the proviso of that article and choose a person as Chairman of GECOM who is, was, or is qualified o be appointed as a judge in Guyana or the Commonwealth.

After the ruling the PPP issued the following statement: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to express its profound disap-

pointment in the decision of Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George, in the matter filed

by PPP Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, challenging the constitutionality of the appointment of Justice (rtd) James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This decision strikes at the heart of our Constitutional and electoral democracy.

It has destroyed that delicate balance, which a Chairman is intended to bring to the Guyana Elections Commission. The framers of the Constitution intended this Chairman to be appointed through a mechanism, which involves an input from both the President and the Leader of the Opposition, to ultimately produce a person who enjoys the confidence of both. This is the reason why this Chairman is endowed with the power of a casting vote to break deadlocks at a bi-partisan Commission.

Unfortunately, this ruling, in violation of the letter and spirit of the Constitution, seeks to legitimize a unilateral appointment of a GECOM Chairman and has crushed that crucial balance in the makeup of the Commission. A unilateral appointment is contemplated by the Constitution only in the rare and exceptional circumstance, where the Leader of the Opposition fails to

provide a list of nominees to the President.

We note, with deep regret, the great focus which the ruling placed on inconsequential issues and the glossing over of the more fundamental questions. Although the Chief Justice recognized in her ruling the mandatory obligation of the President to give reasons for the rejection of a list and found that a failure to give such reasons can cause a decision of the President arising there from to be set aside by a court, We will be filing an appeal to challenge this decision in our ultimate quest to secure constitutional compliance. We are prepared to go all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), if the situation so demands, to reverse what we consider an erosion of our Constitutional and electoral democracy. We will expend every effort to ensure that our appeals are expeditiously heard, more particularly, at the Guyana Court of Appeal, since the decision of the Chief Justice (ag) is already available.

It would be remiss if we do not recognise that this ruling may, or has, paved the way for more Executive unilateral appointments in situations where the Constitution require agreement between the President and Leader of the Opposition.

Consumers must benefit from $1.8B savings due to drop in oil prices

G

iven recent concerns about the increasing prices for fuel, US-based Guyanese Financial Analyst Sasenarine Singh is recommending that the coalition Government give thoughtful consideration to reforming the taxation strategy with respect to petroleum products.

Singh said Government should focus on cushioning the adverse effects being felt locally because of the high fuel price at the pumps, but at the same time, the 2018 budget revenue projections from excise taxes on petroleum products should be preserved.

During December 2017, crude prices averaged about US$57 per barrel. This commodity is currently being traded on the open market at an average price of US$71 per barrel.

The fact remains that the Government has no control over the acquisition cost for fuel. However, Government can do something seismic with its taxation policy without affecting the 2018 Budget Revenue projections.

“The Government must intervene using taxation policy to rationalise the price

at the pump. The difference However, because the price collecting an expansion of between the acquisition cost moved from US$56 to US$71 $2.2 billion, the Government and the price at the pump since the beginning of the is now set to collect an adis the excise taxes applied year, the Government is now ditional $4 billion in excise by the Government. When projected to collect on top of taxes on petroleum products a shipment of fuel lands in that G$2.2 billion an addition- over 2018. I’m arguing that Guyana, the Government al G$1.8 billion. the $1.8 billion, which is applies an exthe difference cise tax on it. If All I am advocating…is that we pass between the the acquisition billion and on… this unbudgeted G$1.8 billion in- $4 cost is higher, the $2.2 bilcrease to the consumers. I have no prob- lion, should then the Government’s revlem with the Government holding to its be passed on enues in real original budgetary projections and proceeding to the consumdollars will be he assertto collect the additional $2.2 billion. What I do ers,” higher. It is ed. simple arith- have a problem with is, instead of collecting Singh said metic, it is a an expansion of $2.2 billion, the Government there is a way p e r c e n t a g e , is now set to collect an additional $4 billion in in which Govif the base is excise taxes on petroleum products over 2018. ernment can higher, the do this, and absolute dol- I’m arguing that the $1.8 billion, which is the the best reclars in revenue difference between the $4 billion and the $2.2 ommendation will be high- billion, should be passed on to the consumers.” would be to reer,” Singh ex- – Financial Analyst duce the excise plained. tax on petroThe finanleum products cial analyst stated that the “All I am advocating…is by one third (between 30 budget reported a projected that we pass on… this unbud- and 35 percent) immediately. oil price of US$56 per barrel geted G$1.8 billion increase According to him, since this for 2018. This is expected to to the consumers. I have no issue is happening in the generate and expand the col- problem with the Government middle of the calendar year, lection of total dollars from holding to its original budget- Government would be able excise taxes for petroleum ary projections and proceed- to still come out a winner products over 2018 by G$2.2 ing to collect the additional with this strategy, because it billion from the prior year, $2.2 billion. What I do have would have already banked taking it to G$25.3 billion. a problem with is, instead of the gains from January 2018

“

to May 2018.

Singh recalled that this move was made by the previous Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Administration.

In 2009, then Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh had reduced the tax on gasoline from 50 percent to 30 percent, and also went and reduced the tax on diesel from 40 to 30 percent.

Again, in 2015, the PPP Administration had reduced fuel prices from $995 per gallon to $695, representing a 30 percent reduction. Diesel price was also reduced by 30 percent, from $985 to $694; and kerosene saw a reduction of 42 percent, from $850 to $496, similar to what had taken place in 2009.

Recently, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson affirmed that his Ministry and other Government agencies have been engaging the minibus operators on the issue. Minister Patterson had also noted that subventions are being considered as a means of cushioning the effects of the increase.

But Singh questioned the rationale behind the idea, claiming that if Government

takes that step, it would turn out to be an “administrative nightmare”.

“Basically, what it means is that they will collect the money and you will have to go and apply for a refund, and that is going to feed another bureaucracy with more red tape. Why would you want to do something like that? You may have to hire new people, and this will increase the cost of administering that. It is silly!” Singh said.

“Reduce the rate and let it pass on to everyone! It will filter through the economy, and all will benefit. As the tide rises, all boats will rise if this tax strategy is advanced. It will also remove the justification from the minibus operators to increase their prices. Also, all other sectors will feel the direct benefit – the miners, the rice farmers, the manufacturing sector and everybody else will feel the benefit of the lower excise tax. It will percolate across the economy and it will, in the end, drive economic growth,” Singh argued.

Gas station prices for fuel have increased rapidly from $215 per litre to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre.

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Enmore Martyrs remembered June 16, 2018, will mark seventy years since five sugar workers - Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi and Harry - were killed at Enmore by police while protesting with hundreds of others for better working conditions. Several members of the PPP joined relatives in an annual wreath laying ceremony.

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

SOCU produces obscured report in face of court ruling H

igh Court Judge, Navindra Singh on Monday (June 11, 2018) further stayed fraud-related charges against former Deputy General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Madanlall Ramraj.

Defence Lawyer, Anil Nandlall emerged from an in-chamber hearing with the judge to whom he showed the heavily obscured contents of the report titled “Guyana Rice Development Board Forensic Audit Report for the period November 1, 2011 to May 31, 2015”.

Nandlall told reporters that “the judge has correctly

ruled that his order has not been complied with and that all the charges are stayed against Ramraj”.

Almost all of the pages of the report were blotted out, leaving only very few parts of a small number of pages available to be read.

After the Special Prosecutor for the Guyana Police Force repeatedly failed to hand over evidence to the Ramraj’s lawyers to prepare a defence, he moved to the High Court citing Article 144 of Guyana’s Constitution of Guyana as giving him the right to be afforded facilities for preparing his defence and other protec-

tions of the law.

Singh on Tuesday (June

4, 2018) ordered the prosecution to produce within five

days a forensic audit report into the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) otherwise there would be a permanent stay of prosecution against Ramraj Justice Singh in his order said that the failure of the prosecution to disclose a copy of the forensic audit report which was instrumental in investigations launched by the Special Organised Crime Unit and the eventual charge against Ramraj “constitutes a violation of Article 144 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, more particularly, the right of the Applicant to be afforded facilities for the

preparation of his defence and other protections of the law secured under and guaranteed by the said Article 144.

Ramraj was represented by attorneys Nandlall, Manoj Narayan and Rajendra Jaigobin while the Attorney General was represented

by Oneka Archer-Caulder.

On the 19th day of May, 2017, Ramraj was charged with 5 (five) counts of the offence of Fraudulent Omission. He was charged jointly with Badrie Persaud, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Nigel Dharamlall Jagnarine Singh and Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine.

Lowest first crop sugar Harmon tells production recorded in Region 6 residents three years to ‘demand’ their

W

hat remains of the sugar industry is struggling to meet set targets. The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has produced a dismal 34,450 tonnes of sugar for the first crop in 2018, out of a low production target of 36,105 which was set.

The figure will likely be the lowest ever first crop for the industry which has seen four of its estates taken out of production in the last two years.

GuySuCo has not made

production figures available for the first crop. According to figures provided by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the three functioning estates – Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt – fell short of their target by 1,655 tonnes of sugar. While the Albion and Blairmont estates did not achieve their targets, the Uitvlugt Estate surpassed its goal.

The three estates started grinding together on March 18 and the Albion and Blair-

mont estates closed off on May 12, while the Uitvlugt estate ended on April 21, 2018.

Last year, GuySuCo fell short of the projected figure for its first crop by some 24,566 tonnes.

The Coalition Government closes several estates after taking office and the state of the sugar sector is in seeming chaos, with a GuySuCo Board still to be appointed and a lack of clarity regarding plans for the sector’s future.

rights, no guarantee that gov’t will listen

R

esidents of Kildonan, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and its surrounding communities were on Tuesday urged by Minister of State Joseph Harmon to demand that their interests are addressed.

However, with recorded failures in responding to public outcry, residents charged that there is no guarantee that the AP-

NU+AFC Coalition government will listen.

The most recent problems relates to government inaction on the increasing fuel prices and the move to impose new tax measures, as well as fees that affect the agricultural sector – a key economic activity in the Region.

Harmon was speaking at the Kildonan Community Centre Ground.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 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 (June 14, 2018), ranging from controversial developments at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to government’s continued failures in the oil and gas sector.

Alexander seems to have no objections Facts distorted to a full investigation of ‘corrupt’ justify ‘partisan, political’ to hiring practices at GECOM decision at GECOM T T here has been a total distortion of the issue surrounding the controversial move to pass over the number-one ranked candidate for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), including distortions of the candidate’s qualifications and past performance while employed at GECOM to justify a “partisan and political” decision at GECOM, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

“They not only gave a distorted view of the issues at GECOM, but they did a hatchet job on the candidate. If this goes unanswered, the candidate may never find a job anywhere else,” he said.

PNCR-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, claimed that the number-one ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud, was passed over because he lacked qualifications and misrepresentation his qualifications to the Commission.

Jagdeo, in response, pointed out that Alexander has been at the Commission since 2007 and Persaud was appointed to the post of DCEO in August 2014, with no objection from Al-

exander. He said, “Persaud was appointed substantive DCEO of GECOM in 2014, without (the need for) a casting vote (of the GECOM Chairman)…it meant both sides would have had to support his appointment. At that time, Alexander was on the Commission, there was no issue about his (Persaud’s) performance, qualifications at that time.”

Persaud was at GECOM since 2001 and was appointed as DECEO on August 12, 2014.

Jagdeo added, “If you argue that the performance was bad, then we should look at the performance appraisal. Was there as adverse performance appraisal in his tenure? Was that used as the basis to disqualify him? Had that been the case, he had a bad track record, he would not have been appointed in 2014.”

The Opposition Leader noted too that Persaud was not fired from the job of DCEO; rather he was forced to re-apply for the job he held because his contract ended and could not be renewed because there was no functioning Commission.

The Commission had dis-

solved after the resignation of former GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally.

Jagdeo said, “Clearly something is very wrong here.” According to him, there must be alook at the motive behind the move to block the number-one ranked candidate from securing the job of DCEO. The Opposition Leader noted too that the number-two ranked candidate, Roxanne Myers, does not have any experience with elections.

He added that Myers connections to Alexander, her outspoken advocacy for the APNU+AFC Coalition government, prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, must be taken into account, given that GECOM must be a non-partisan body.

According to him, it is expected that the complaints made to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) will be investigated in an expeditious manner. “This is not about race, it is about fairness,” he stressed, referring to the detailed terms of reference that guide the work of the ERC – all of which are enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana.

Where are the NPTAB records?

T

he law stipulates that the National Procurement, Tender and Administration Board (NPTAB) must make documents from the Board public and this includes posting the documents on their website.

However, a host of documents still remain out of the public reach. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, charged that a review of many of these documents

would expose the corrupt dealings of the current APNU+AFC Coalition Government. “All you have to do is check and you will see, for example, the perversion of the evaluations that were done,” he said.

The last time some of the detailed documents posted on the NPTAB website was December 2017.

In April 2018, the PPP/C dubbed the Coalition Gov-

ernment the “most corrupt” in the Western Hemisphere.

“After being in office for only three years, this APNU+AFC Government can easily be classified as the most corrupt Government in the post-independent English-speaking Caribbean.

Indeed, its corruption is only surpassed by its incompetence,” a statement from the Opposition Leader’s office had said.

he People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) nominated Commissioner at the Guyana Elections Commission, Vincent Alexander, was quoted by the state-owned, Guyana Chronicle, as saying that there “was evidence” of a “corrupted the system” used in the hiring process at GECOM. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, surmised that his disclosure amounts to a no-objection to a full investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission of the hiring practices at GECOM. He pointed out that while Alexander made the claim to suggest that certain candidates were scored higher to guarantee that they were hired. Jagdeo said, “I will accept that the system was corrupted… if it was corrupted, who best to investigate than the ERC.” To bolster his call for a full investigation, the Opposition Leader pointed out that the PNCR-nominated

Commissioners gave certain candidates a zero score, while some preferred candidate were give scores of 100. “They should at least get one point for showing up…several of the people who applied were given zero scores…I think we can put this to rest by a full fledged investigation by ERC…Alexander raised concerns himself, so there is enough justification on their part, even if you want to forget what the PPP has been saying,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added that contrary to the claims made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, the PPP has documented their concerns about GECOM’s hiring process over several years. “There are real reasons behind out objections… some of these reasons are in our elections petition, which we still can’t get heard in the courts,” he said. He pointed to the fact that GECOM staffers closed one of the Georgetown office and the

PPP/C was unable to make its application for a recount of the votes in Region 4 during the May 2015 General and Regional Elections.

He also noted that the PPP/C lost a seat in Parliament because it lost Region 8 by one vote and calls for a recount were dismissed. He also stated that for the 2015 General and Regional Election, the PPP/C was not given a list of the presiding officers appointed by GECOM so that these officers could be vetted, the first time this occurred since 1992. “When you consider all of this you see clearly that what Harmon has said is totally inaccurate,” Jagdeo said.

However, he made it clear that the PPP/C will continue to struggle to ensure that there are free and fair elections come 2020.

“They are not going to deter us from fighting aggressively for free and fair elections.

They will not break our spirits with these appointments,” Jagdeo said.

Attempts to make ‘people smuggling’ issue a matter of race rejected

T

he Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs to summoned Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge to discuss possible human trafficking on Wednesday (June 13, 2018).

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, noted the line of questioning pursued

by Government Minister, Nicolette Henry, and put her on blast for trying to make the issue about race.

After the issue first came up, Minister Felix, on May 23, wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly and provided statistics of several main groups of foreign nationals, with the largest arrival and departure figures, for the past five years and the first quarter of this year.

A breakdown of the information showed alarming information for two groups – Cubans and Haitians.

According to the numbers, from 2015 to April 30, 2018, a total of 93,374 Cubans arrived in Guyana, but only 76,663 were recorded to have left. This means that there are 16,711 Cubans still in Guyana.

For Haitians, the numbers show that, from 2015 to April 30, 2018, a total of 6,245 arrived in Guyana, but only 963 were recorded to have left. This means that there are 5,2882 Cubans still in Guyana.

Henry then questioned why emphasis was being placed on the number of Haitians not departing Guyana since if an analysis of the figures from a percent-

age perspective was conducted then it would show a 30% non- departure rate for persons from Bangladesh.

“Why not the Bangladeshis?” she questioned.

Jagdeo, in trashing her comments at the Committee, said today that the Minister of Education showed no comprehension skills whatsoever. “This is about trafficking. We don’t have problem with people coming here, working here, so long as they follow the laws…it is about the reports that people are paying thousands of US dollars to some in this government and are trafficked through Guyana….she made it about race.”

The Opposition Leader committed the PPP/C to pursuing this matter further.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Irregular sittings of National PPP/C will Assembly defeats point of unveil plan for robust legislature all of Guyana S before 2020 ittings of the National Assembly are set by the Government of the day and under the APNU+AFC Coalition government, sittings have been few and far apart. The next sitting of the House is scheduled for June 25, 2018 – more than two months after the last sitting.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, when asked

about raising more issues in the House, relative to getting Government to answer on key issues, explained that already major issues have been deferred for months. “We can’t get our issues addressed…this is what Parliament has become….so few sitting defeat the purpose of a robust legislature,” he said.

Issues like a call for the

removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on education are still listed on the National Assembly’s agenda, months after being brought up.

In March 2016, the House met for one-hour – the shortest session in years – to discuss only three matters.

Government’s has been blasted for its thin legislative agenda.

Gov’t trend of failure seen in every move made in oil and gas sector F

T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) continues to be active at the grassroots level, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. “We are leading the struggle to retake Government,” he declared.

He added, “…we have a plan for all of Guyana. We are putting down basics on this plan and we will unveil it, very early; we are not waiting until 2020 to unveil out plan for that future… every Guyanese will fit into that plan, young people, older folks, people of every race, every religion…all our people must feel secure… the plan we have will cater for the development of all our people.”

He has stressed that the Coalition has proved that it is “incapable” of running a country. According to him, the current administration is not only bereft of ideas on how to manage and grow

the local economy, but has demonstrated it proclivity for greed, mediocrity and arrogance, in addition to being “hopelessly” incompetent. “This Government has made deception an art form,” he said.

Jagdeo added that by 2020 – or sooner – the PPP hopes to implement the plan that it has for the country, plans aimed at enhancing progress and development that benefits all of Guyana.

“We will be bigger, better and stronger (by 2020),” Jagdeo declared.

He assured that the PPP will not neglect it support base, but will continue to reach out to all its supporters and stated that the PPP is a Party for all of Guyana and will take its message across the country.

Moving forward, Jagdeo made clear that the Party must be guided by what is good for all Guyanese and Guyana and by the founding

principles of the PPP. The PPP, he said, also has to decentralize and build up local leaders so that the PPP is in “tip top” shape to respond to the challenges of the day.

Jagdeo underscored the fact that the PPP has always been inclusive and will continue to engage anyone, regardless of ethnicity, religion or any other factor.

According to him, the PPP is a unifying force. “We will work hard for the next few years to take back this country…those who voted for us and those who didn’t want to know what the Party stands for,” he said.

Specifically, he spoke to: the need to strengthen the PPP family; the need for the PPP to remain open to new members and be accommodating to supporters who had left, but are returning; and the need to defend existing freedoms by understanding what is happening.

ailure and the APNU+AFC Coalition Government are terms that are becoming increasingly synonymous, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

His comment came when asked about the two-year delay in readying a national oil spill plan, ahead of oil production, which is expected to start in 2020.

“All the things that our government was supposed to do to protect us, protect Guyanese as a people, they have failed on….they are failing again on this issue…. it is trend…what we see are acts done in a haphazard way that do not put the interest of Guyanese as the primary focus,” Jagdeo said.

Addressing generic issues, according to him, should see: A proposal for a Petroleum Commission that vests significant control in the hands technical personnel; defined or established principles for the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund; clarity on a process to deal with the remaining oil blocks; clarity on engagements with future investors; what sectors will primarily benefit from oil resources; and a defined local content

policy. Jagdeo said, “All the issues like we saw today (local media reports) about the brokerage service given to a Trinidad company; those issues would have been resolved in the context of strong Local Content Legislation and also what package of incentives that anyone who invests in the oil sector will get and what they will not get. We need clarity on this,” Jagdeo stated.

Relative to a Local Content Policy, Jagdeo maintains the view that a strong local content policy will allow Guyana to safeguard opportunities for locals and not allow locals to be crowded out in the sector.

The Petroleum Commission, he has argued, ought to be a purely technical commission, but in currently configured in a way that gives excessive powers to one Minister of Government – the Minister determines: the size of the establishment; the employment of staff and the terms and conditions of employment; the provision of equipment and use of funds; reorganization or such works of development as to involve a substantial outlay on capital account; training, education and re-

search; the disposal of capital assets; and the application of the proceeds of such disposals.

On the Sovereign Wealth Fund, he noted that a statement of principles, such as the Santiago Principles, on which the establishment of the Fund would be based would have sufficed. As he has done on previous occasions, he stressed the need for there to be: an apolitical approach to setting up the Fund; a clear definition of the purpose of the Fund; clearly defined rules on spending from the Fund; clarity on what share of oil proceeds will go to the Fund; and the conditions under which the government can access the Fund. Notably, government has since hinted that the Santiago Principles are being considered.

The remaining oil blocks, he added, should be subject to a competitive auction or kept for future generations.

“They are just busy just waiting on the oil money….I am saying that if we don’t address the critical issues, the rest of economy, Guyana will be worse off in next decade than we are now,” he declared.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

APNU+AFC gov't must publicly engage on plans for sugar sector O pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, addressed the state of affairs in the sugar sector in a detailed manner, earlier this week, holding to a commitment he made on the issue.

BELOW IS THE PRESS STATEMENT RELASED ON THE ISSUE: This Press Release follows on my June 7th Press Conference where I addressed certain issues relating to sugar and undertook to issue a Press Statement documenting some of my concerns: 1. $30 BILLION BOND BORROWED BY NICIL WITH SOVEREIGN GUARANTEE On May 31st, I made mention of $16 billion financing being borrowed for GuySuCo. Three days later, NICIL hurriedly issued a Press Release confirming that $30 billion private bond financing assigned with over $16 billion already disbursed to NICIL. The NICIL Press Release indicated that the remaining funds will be borrowed regionally to complete the $30 billion bond.

The nation needs to know that this money has been borrowed with a sovereign guarantee, making the Treasury responsible for ensuring its’ repayment over 5 years starting next year. You may recall that the APNU-AFC controlled Parliament recently raised the debt ceiling to guarantee debt to the amount of G$50 billion. Apart from a mere reference to a 30 billion GuySuCo bond, not a single detail was provided.

To date, despite over G$16 billion disbursed, APNU has failed to provide the Parliament or the public, any details on how the NICIL $30 B borrowing will be used? Why is NICIL borrowing the money and not the Government? Where will the money to repay the bonds come from?

In the past, funding for projects like the Berbice Bridge or the Marriott Hotel, were accompanied with considerable documentation and studies. Where are the documents and details for this hugeUS$150 million bond? Why is it a secret when a public guarantee is being issued? The Berbice Bridge and Marriott did not have sovereign guarantees.

Government has a duty to explain why it did not borrow the money itself if a sovereign guarantee was being issued. Government typically borrows at interest rates below 2% and repayment terms over 30-40 years.

Why is the NICIL-GuySuCo SPU borrowing at 4.75% and repaying this over 5years, with a full Government guar-

antee?

We do not know what assets secure the bonds. We are extremely concerned about the risk of the Treasury having to pay back the investors and have serious concerns on whether investors are simply relying on this guarantee when there are glaring transparency and accountability issues.

2. NO GUYSUCO BOARD AND INFIGHTING BETWEEN GUYSUCO AND SPU In recent weeks, we have read reports of GuySuCo management complaining to Minster Holder about the NICIL GuySuCo SPU. Despite this, the Government has remained silent. I have said publicly that the lack of a Board of Directors for GuySuCo since February is a huge problem. We now have the largest employer and state-owned entity operating without a Board of Directors.

This seems to be a recurring theme as another large state company, GPL, is also reported to be without a board since January.

It is critical that the role of the Board of GuySuCo, last Chaired by Clive Thomas be clarified for the following matters, given that the Board, management, and various officials of Government, can be taken to task and held responsible: i. Decisions and approvals of the assets (the various estates) vested from GuySuCo to NICIL with a vesting date of December 30, 2017 including the transfer of 100% of the GuySuCo shares from Government to NICIL. ii. All matters relating to the G$30B bond and the intended use of the monies iii. The impact of the above on the settlement of the G$115 billion of liabilities left on the books of GuySuCo. First, the December 30, 2017, Vesting Order was likely approved by the Board of GuySuCo, followed by the Government as Shareholder (Cabinet), given that the Board of GuySuCo had not expired on Dec 30th, 2017.

Chairman Clive Thomas would likely have played a key role as the head decision maker from the Board and arranging the shareholder approval for such a substantial removal of assets from GuySuCo. Minister Holder and Jordan would also have been involved. One assumes that the NICIL SPU and NICIL Board were also in the loop on the transfer. One assumes there are written agreements between NICIL and GuySuCo in respect of the management of the assets vested from GuySuCo to NICIL given that NICIL does not have the staff to se-

cure these assets. For example, is NICIL now managing the electricity generation (both the Wartsila 10 MW and the bagasse)? But these facts are far from clear and extremely opaque. It is understood that the Guysuco Board expired in 2018.

Secondly, this murkiness continues in 2018, when the bond is finalized. To what extent did the Board of GuySuCo and Cabinet, approve the details of the NICIL bond. At what point, does the Board of GuySuCo fail to be part of the decision-making process.

Thirdly, flowing from the asset transfer and issuance of the bond, what arrangements were made by the Board and Management of GuySuCo in respect of the G$115 B of long and shortterm liabilities left on the books of GuySuCo? Is there an updated set of financial statements after the vesting?

Creditors who have not been paid, are likely to first sue the board of directors and management involved in the assets stripping (Vesting Order transfer), for transferring assets and not making provision for settlement of liabilities.

3. HUGE UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY REVEALED IN 2016 AUDITED ACCOUNTS Since my press conference, we saw a resurgence of concerns about the GuySuCo pension scheme. We now see GuySuCo 2016 audited financial statements disclosing a huge unfunded pension liability of over G$30B. But no-one in Government is speaking publicly about this or engaging the Unions and the workers. The largest pension plan in the country, the largest employer, a major unfunded pension liability, and no one in Government seems willing to talk about it. Yet they are proceeding at a rapid pace to strip GuySuCo of its assets. Tens of thousands of people could be hurt by this—but APNU seems oblivious to telling the people affected what they plan to do.

GuySuCo audited accounts for 2016 was completed almost one year ago.

However, it has not yet been tabled in Parliament. The PPP calls on the APNU-AFC Government to table the audited accounts and come clean to the Parliament on the many important issues.

4. VESTING ORDER STRIPS ASSETS FROM GUYSUCO AND FAILS TO ADDRESS OVER $115 BILLION OF ITS’ LIABILITIES. At the end of last year, Minister Jordan signed a vesting order transferring to NICIL, the assets of four estates--Skeldon, Rosehall, Wales and Enmore, free and clear of all liabilities and taxes. The vesting order also transferred the shareholding of GuySuCo, 100% owned

by Government, into NICIL. There was no press conference or explanation of the strategy. Without telling the Unions or the workers how the pension liabilities and other employee liabilities will be addressed, or the significant other GuySuCo liabilities, this APNU Government is stripping GuySuCo of its major assets. Why vest assets into NICIL when you are also transferring the shares? It makes no sense.

The December 30, 2017, vesting order signed by Minister Jordan, strips GuySuCo of a substantial portion of its assets. A perusal of the 2016 audited balance sheet of GuySuCo shows total short term and long-term liabilities exceeding G$115 billion.

But no one has explained to the creditors who are owed by GuySuCo billions of dollars, how and when they will be paid. After the vesting, the remaining assets are significantly insufficient to discharge its liabilities.

Farmers, suppliers, employees, banks, are just some of the parties owed. The asset stripping of GuySuCo, which may be illegal, further obligates the State to stand behind the liabilities of the Corporation.

5. DECISIONS ON POLICY ISSUES RELATING TO SUGAR PRIVATISATION NECESSARY BEFORE DIVESTMENT GUYSUCO HAS LAID OFF OVER THOUSANDS

OF SUGAR WORKERS AND CLOSED ESTATES, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ANNOUNCING A POLICY OF PRIVATISATION SUGAR. Yet on privatisation, this APNU Government has not publicly addressed the following: i. What is the privatisation framework and policy? Will it use the PPP privatisation policy or a new policy?

What is the role of the existing Privatisation Board?

What are the roles of the NICIL Board, the Guysuco Board, the NICIL Guysuco SPU, in respect of managing, restructuring and privatizing sugar. ii. When will the employee issues be settled and negotiations concluded with the Unions. Just look at the pension issue as one of many issues to be resolved.

What is the severance pay package? When will all the outstanding NIS, PAYE, and other employee benefits going to be paid? iii. What will the legal framework for allocating international and local sugar markets?

Guyana enjoys preference prices and quotas with the EU, the US, Caribbean, and other countries. How will these markets be allocated?

Managing competition between estates and between state estates and private estates require considerable preparation and careful decision-making? How will local sugar sales be allocated among different estates and distributors? iv. How will private cane farmers be paid given the existing formula enshrined in legislation? The legislation has worked with only one national sugar corporation.

Cane farmers don’t know how this will change with private ownership of the estates. In fact, the closure of estates, such as Skeldon is likely creating considerable dislocation in the private cane farmers industry. v. How will the land be treated? Will it be sold or leased?

Per the audited accounts, GuySuCo has over 50,000 hectares of land under lease or ownership. Land leases (or land ownership) need to be carefully addressed.

Issues relating to drainage and irrigation have not been discussed? What will the standard lease terms be? vi. What will the tax regime for the sugar sector consist of? It must be decided for all private (and public) sugar estates and sub-contractors to ensure a level playing field. Legislation may also be required to give effect to this new regime. Given all the new taxes and fees imposed on the economy, any investor will want to have

certainty on the tax regime and the risk of changes. vii. When will the valuation for the estates be completed?

It is public information that PWC (Jamaica) is doing a valuation. But what are they valuing? Estates that have been closed! Government should release the PWC Terms of Reference. And how can PWC value the estates, without knowing the answers to the many policy issues. Will the valuation cover the entire GuySuCo? Unless one was selling at liquidation values, it will take time before the preparatory work is in place to properly privatize GuySuCo. Advertising for buyers of the various estates before the rules of game are defined, is a recipe for failure, unless this is yet another scheme to enrich the friends of APNU. Little wonder there is so much confusion. We already know that the firing of thousands of workers and the closure of estates will prejudice getting the best deal for the estates.

6. URGENT NEED FOR APNU-AFC TO PUBLICLY ENGAGE ON SUGAR PLANS It is clear this Government operates in stealth when it comes to GuySuCo. In fact, this is their standard operating procedure for many important matters.

The lack of consultations and public information is clearly now backfiring. GuySuCo and NICIL GuySuCo-SPU infighting has now boiled over to the public.

The process of privatisation is yet to be defined along with decisions on all major policy issues.

We predict that the lack of transparency and accountability will further undermine saving the sugar industry and the huge number persons affected.

The PPP calls on APNU to publicly address all relevant issues on sugar and engage the Unions and employees on all matters impacting their welfare. Failure to do so, could result in much greater financial and economic risks for the country.

It is extremely important to clear up the murkiness and opaqueness surrounding the issues raised in this release.

It is likely that numerous legal actions may be filed by creditors and persons whose contracts were adversely impacted by the GuySuCo restructuring and asset stripping. Identification of all persons involved in the decisions will be critical as these persons may be exposed to wrong doing for misconduct stemming from acting negligently and recklessly on matters involving tens of billions of dollars.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Real Time Economic Insights I

n Guyana, it is the government’s responsibility to protect our local industries, manufacturers and consumers from oil

price volatility and shocks. During the PPP/C tenure, there was a well-functioning mechanism for adjusting excised taxes

In November 2008, during the 2008 financial crisis, the then government was able to reduce gas price by 20% to GYD$194. At that time the price per barrel of oil was US$65, same as today’s price. Despite the global financial crisis, the former PPP/C government was able to reduce the price of gas by 15.5% when compared to today’s price. The price of oil on the world market was the same as of January 2015 and September 2017 at US$52.25 per barrel, each.

However, using the same mechanism, the former PPP/C government was able to provide fuel to the Guyanese populace at GYD$173, GYD$31 less, when compared to what the APNU/AFC government offered the people in September, 2017.

charged on fuel products. Under the mechanism, the ad valorem tax rate adjusted inversely in relation to movements of oil

World Market Price of Oil

(US$)

price on the world market. In other words, the excise tax rates

• Presently, global oil price is same compared to November 2008.

However, price of local gas in Nov. 2008 is less than present by 15.5% at GYD $194.

Change in Government

were adjusted downward when prices increase on the world 2008 FINNCIAL CRISIS

market, and increase when prices falls. For example, during the period from December 2008 to March 2012 the world market price for crude oil increased by 184 percent, but the price for a gallon of gasoline in Guyana only increased by 77 percent. This was achieved by the Government lowering the

Gas price increase by $14 to $204

Slash price by 30%: Gas retail at $173

Slash price by 20%: Gas retail at $194

• Global oil price in January 2015 (under previous administration) and September 2017 was same. However, 2015 price is less by 15.1% at GYD$173.

Gas price increase to $230

tax rate on gasoline from 50 percent to 15 percent. As price started to fall, the tax rates were adjusted upward.

This week’s ‘Real Time Economic Insights’ also fo-

Key Observations:

cuses on the gross mismanagement and incompetence of the APNU+AFC government in dealing with state-owned

At same level of global oil price, the price of fuel under the PPP/C government was significantly less when compared to that of the APNU/AFC government.

enterprises.

World Market Price of Oil and GUYOIL Profit $3.000

$3.000

$2.600

Billion of GUY$

$2.500

(US$) $100.00

$2.300

$80.00

$2.000 $1.500

54.2

$52.35 $43.55

$1.000

$60.00 $40.00 $20.00

$0.500 $-

$0.00 2008

2009

2010

2011

Profit

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

• GUYOIL benefitted handsomely, post 2015, from low market price of oil.

• If the projected GYD$3 billion aftertax profit was achieved by end 2017, total profit generated by GUYOIL during the last 3 years would exceed 2008-2014 total level, by more that 10%.

2017

Overall Performance of Private Enterprises 820%

757%

620% 420%

• Public Enterprise deficit increased by more then GYD$10.7 billion.

220% 20% -180%

When compared to 2014:

2014

2015

2016

2017

-380%

2018 -28%

-580% -780% -980%

Public Enterprises Deposits in Commercial Banks Deficit of Public Enterprises

• Deposits by public enterprises in commercial banks shrunk by more that GYD10.7 billion.

• Expenditure-to-Receipt Ratio is projected to increase by 10% in 2018.

World Market Price of Oil (Avg)

Key Observations:

Key Observations: By not reducing local fuel price in relation to global oil price since 2015, GUYOIL was able to increase its profit margin significantly.

Given GUYOIL’s high profit margin, the company could afford, presently, to reduce fuel price and ease growing economic burden.

Post 2015, GUYOIL had seen a huge increase in profit. This is as result of the APNU+AFC government’s reluctance to ease excise tax on fuel importation when global oil price is low. By discarding the mechanism that the PPP/C was using to control high oil price, the APNU government is now able to cash-in big when oil price tumbles. The low profit margin prior 2015 points to the sacrifice the PPP/C government made to cushion high price level of oil.

Private enterprises are shrinking with falling receipts and growing expenditures; Gross incompetence and poor policies, on part of the government, is what led to the abysmal performance of public enterprises, thus far.

Compared to 2014, the deficit of public enterprises increased by 757%, while deposits in commercial banks, reduced by more than 28%. This confirms the gross mismanagement and incompetence of the APNU/AFC government. And the government’s reluctance to reduce local fuel price may be fuelled by the fact that GUYOIL is the only state-run enterprise that is performing well. So when you think about it, essentially, what the government is telling the people is, look, we need the money. Your economic burden is not our concern.

Linkages between global fuel prices and benefits of Amaila clear, gov’t continues to demonstrate its incompetence – Ali

T

he Guyanese people continue to pay for the gross incompetence of the APNU+AFC Coalition government, according to Opposition Parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali. And he contends that there are several consequences of government’s continued failure to adjust fuel prices – all of which would not have occurred if the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project had been pursued.

He said, “If the price of fuel does not reduce, the spillover effect of a rise in inflation, and unemployment is imminent. None of this would have occurred, had the Amaila Hydro been in place.”

Ali explained that the

Amaila project would have allowed the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) to reduce its generation cost by approximately 50 per cent and allow Guyana to avoid importing approximately US$200M in fuel per annum.

He charged that there are at least four “highly probable” outcomes that would have resulted if the Amaila Falls Hydropower project had been pursued. These include: 1. Price Stability of Local Fuel: The current global oil price volatility would have had less impact or effect on domestic fuel price; 2. Increased Production: Cheaper electricity would translate into lower produc-

tion cost. Hence, less cost would mean increased competitiveness of local manufacturers which would increase export in the long run; 3. Reduce Cost of Import: Increased foreign exchange due to savings would mean appreciation of domestic currency, thus, reduced cost of import; and 4. Increased Purchasing Power.

Ali said, “What we are seeing are the results of grossly incompetent management under the APNU+AFC Government.”

He added, “…public enterprises, with the exception of GUYOIL, have registered huge budget deficits since

2015 and seen massive reduction in deposits at commercial banks. The much needed reduction in the price of fuel could be accommodated by GUYOIL. However, a unilateral reduction without the ease of excise tax by the government, to benefit private service stations, will be counterproductive, since there will be an un-level playing field.

Thus, the government first needs to ease excise tax on fuel importation, followed by a reduction in fuel price

by GUYOIL. Given the market share of GUYOIL, other private service stations will follow.”

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. Last month, however, Minister Raphael Trotman, confirmed that the Coalition Government has “never taken it” off the table and disclosed that a two-year hydrologist study is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

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 (Turn to page 17)

14

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t in

…a snapshot of headl

Gov’t continues to fail, developments in oil sector not being approached apolitically Minister Raphael Trotman announced that as Guyana approaches its destiny for potential greatness, each stakeholder involved must remain focused on creating a better life for all Guyanese.

However, there is still no apolitical approach to the developments in the oil and gas sector, as has been called for by civil society.

Conflict of interest exposed as Van West Charles opens Bartica gas station A recently established company that is co-owned by the Managing Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has launched a gas station in Bartica.

Dr. Richard Van West Charles, the son in law of the late President and Leader of the PNC Forbes Burnham, was granted a license to import and store fuel in 2015. This license is valid until 2025.

Many saw this development as one of nepotism since the GWI is a prominent supporter of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration. The licence has been issued in the name of Atlantic Fuel Inc.

Allicock says $130m contract will allow gov’t to offer ‘bush MBA’ in Region 9 The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the JR Ranch Construction Incorporated yesterday signed a $130M contract, last week, for the construction of the Hinterland Green Enterprise Development Centre. The Center will be built in the North Rupununi, Region Nine. At the signing ceremony, at the Bina Hill Institute, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, said, “We will be offering ‘the bush-MBA’two-year hands-on course in enterprise design and start-up, management, sustainability, and leadership, coupled with access to business support services.”

East Ruimveldt Market remains largely empty The spending of $24M on the East Ruimveldt Market by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is in question given the deplorable conditions of the market, as a result of which many entrepreneurs are refusing to use the facility.

Hospital night staff still waiting for concerns to be addressed For the past eight months, doctors and other staff on the night shift, at the New Amsterdam Hospital, have expressed concerns about their safety. Action is still to be taken to respond to this matter.

GRDB owes millers over $2B The Guyana Rice Development Board’s (GRDB) is not meeting its obligations to pay rice millers and this has far-reaching effects across the rice industry. Farmers say that the non-payment for their produce is affecting their ability to continue producing. Following the expressed dissatisfaction of farmers with respect to their non-payment from millers, it has been confirmed that GRDB owes them in excess of $2 billion dating back to 2017.

Cummings Lodge/ Atlantic Ville residents still waiting for gov’t to deal with clogged canal Town Clerk, Royston King, has been unable to say when residents of the Cummings Lodge/ Atlantic Ville area will get some relief from a clogged canal.

The Town Council has responsibility for maintaining the canal. The matter has been an issue for the past two years.

One elevator for pedestrian overpass costs $13M Spending of taxpayers’ monies is an issue that remains in the spotlight, more recently given the cost of installing elevators on the pedestrian overpasses along the East Bank Demerara highway.

One of the elevators costs $13M. There are four overpasses along the highway.

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

n action this week

lines making the news Shortages of drugs and medical supplies continue, gov’t touts 24-hour pharmacy service Junior Health Minister, Karen Cummings, has moved to talking up a 24hour pharmacy service, even as the problem of shortages with drugs and medical supplies persist. New Amsterdam Regional Hospital in East Berbice-Corentyne is likely to have 24-hour service provided by the pharmacy, according to her. Meanwhile, there has been no action on the promised change in the procurement system to ensure that there are no shortages, particularly in hinterland areas, where some Health Centres only have ‘paracetamol’ to treat some cases. Subject 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. This was almost a year ago.

Gov’t paying consultants for guidance on how to feed, breed animals

Overseas consultants are expected in Guyana to help the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) with feeding and breeding practices at its Ebini Station. This group will be expected to examine the grazing grounds/pastures, feeding programme and feeding systems at the Ebini Station.

Another gov’t minister Parents sue GPHC, claims set to travel that contaminated overseas for neonatal unit medical caused infant’s death treatment The parents of a newborn baby who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that the institution was aware that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was contaminated at the time. The parents of the now deceased Maleek Sandy, who died from sepsis, are alleging that the hospital was aware that the NICU was contaminated by a ‘bug,’ which subsequently led to the child’s death on March 11th, 2018.

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, was treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation after complaining of feeling unwell. However, she traveled overseas on Wednesday (June 13, 2018) to seek further medical checks. The Government has said that the overseas trip is a “precautionary” measure.

PNCR rep in Region 4 tells residents: 'Pay rates, get services' Chairperson of Regional Democratic (RDC) and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) rep, Region Four Genevieve Allen, has said clearly to residents in the region that they must pay rates to secure services from the RDC. Her comment comes even as there are criticism that little in done by the RDC in some areas, despite the fact that rates and taxes are paid by residents. Meanwhile, during his presentation of Budget 2018, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, said there would be property valuation exercises countrywide – a move that is expected to see rates and taxes being increased.

Gov’t to Amerindian Village Councils: You must account for every cent you get Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock said government is committed to supporting Amerindian villages, but issued a warning to the newly elected village councils to focus more on “Village councils must give account for every cent,” he said. However, Allicock did not point to specific cases where there was no accountability. The Minister was conducting an outreach in the Central and North Rupununi accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Alfred King and Legal Advisor, David James and Community Development Officer (CDO), Vincent Henry.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

School children being transported under dangerous conditions Images of overloaded ‘David G’ buses, which were provided by government, have stirred concerns about school children being transported to and from school under dangerous conditions. Government has not made a move to address the issue as the trend of overloading continues.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Bulkan silent after Minibus Union proposes increase non-consultation fare T with Region 9 on new NDCs exposed – seven more local authority areas to be set up

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ithout any announcement of plans to make the move it did, Government established new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) in Region 9 – he Aranaputa/Upper Burro-Burro and the Annai Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

When exposed, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, admitted that this was done, but offered no response to the scathing criticisms on the issue, particularly since there were no consultation with

residents in the areas.

Bulkan added that another seven new LAAs will be created before November 2018, including one town. He made the announcement at the launch of a Government Public Awareness and Stakeholders Education Project, in the compound of the Public Buildings last Friday (June 8, 2018).

However, he has not said where the new LAAs will be created.

he United Minibus Union (UMU) delivered a proposal to the Ministry of Business, this week, calling for a 25 per cent fare increase for short drops and a $40 increase for longer routes.

The proposal to increase fare was accompanied by a call for several other things, including: the removal of the ban on used tyres, excise tax reductions and proper management of the importation of minibuses.

The move follows the inaction of the Coalition Government to take steps to reduce fuel prices, which

have hit all-time highs. Gas station prices for fuel have increased rapidly, from $215 per litre to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre.

President of the UMU, Eon Andrews, has said that the Union’s calls are not only based on the increase fuel prices, but the increased cost of doing business. He said, “There have been astronomical increases in spare parts and other operational costs.”

Andrews added, “… there were a lot of 100 per cent increases in the last budget, you know, interest tax, licence, everything;

(so we want to know) how they’re going to be able to help us. If they could reduce certain things, it would ease (the strain on persons), because we are more concerned that the consumer doesn’t have to carry this load. “…I think the government, if they’re a responsible government ought to at least fast track this, so that we can get to meet and see how quickly we can resolve this,” he said.

There has not been a response from government on this issue to date.

Region 3 youths call out gov’t for its failures Gov’t lowers the projections M

for economic growth

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eeks away from the end of the first half of 2018 and Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has already revised downwards the projections for economic growth from 3.8 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

Speaking last week at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Jordan said that real growth is projected to be 3.4 per cent.

Jordan had given the 3.8 per cent projection during his Budget 2018 presentation in December 2017.

For 2017, 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 disclosed earlier this year. 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%).

‘Gov’t not meeting with us’ – investor MovieTowne proprietor, Derek Chin, said Government has ceased meeting with them as several issues are affecting the smooth completion of their US$45M project, costing them additional millions in interest charges. The investment was secured prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, under the former PPP/C government.

The Guyana-born businessman said the multimillion-dollar investment is being plagued by several challenges resulting in additional charges to him and his investors. He made this disclosure on Tuesday (June 12, 2018) morning when several Private Sector bodies had a tour of the facility.

Chin said at the initial stage of their investment, they had regular meetings with Government but as time progressed, those meetings became scarce.

He noted that those meetings are important since they can be used to iron out issues in relation to concessions among other things.

“We have met with Government and I don’t seem to meet with them

anymore… to say that Mr Chin how is your investment going, what can we do to help. So that communication link with the Government is very important… the Private Sector is the driver. The Government cannot outrun the Private Sector because it is the Private Sector. It has its own money, but the Private Sector needs to be given that encouragement,” Chin said.

Additionally, the businessman said Government should be more involved in discussion with the Private Sector and work hand in hand since they are the ones who are the drivers of the economy.

“In Georgetown we need an overseer Minister to follow the progress and say what is going and be able to loosen some of the barriers and allow things to happen faster because people want delivery faster and we have to pay millions of in interest and it is a real burden,” he added.

PSC POSITION Meanwhile, the position of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) is that there are investments that are ready and waiting for Guyana, but the Government needs to understand that they have to work with the Private Sector to realise those developments.

inister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, in addressing youths in Region 3, last weekend, made comments that were dubbed as condescending. “Now is the time that I hear you speak,” he said.

The Minister was addressing a Youth event held at the Barnwell Event Hall and Hotel in Region 3.

One youth, Shelly Ramnarine, from the West Coast of Demerara, who was at the event noted that for the past three years, little has been done in support of youths, not just in Region 3, but across Guyana.

“We had nothing done; nothing with jobs or anything else…now the Minister comes and says he will hear us, so what we have is a situation where this Government decides when we matter, when they will listen to us. We know that Local Government Elections are around the corner, so it is only at elections time that the youth matter,” she said.

Organiser for Youth Explosion, Ms. Renee Rodrigues said that it is important that the young people have the opportunity to speak for themselves.

“A lot of the time we find that even when we’re trying to represent youth, we have the older folks representing them. So, what we want to do is have the young people represent their own interests…it’s important for us to hear from the youth themselves,” she said.

The event was hosted to allow participants to have their say about the future and development of their region and country and to air issues, grievances, and receive advice on the way forward. Over 250 young people from Parika, Leguan, Patentia and other villages across Region Three were in attendance.

Speaking on the President Granger’s mission to provide a ‘good life’ for living

in Guyana, Minister Harmon said, “We want to give you a good life. We want to provide [more] opportunities to young people to be the best they can become. We want to be rich, not merely in material possessions, but… in human values… A ‘good life’ is… a gateway [for] providing young people with opportunities for self-actualisation and self-esteem. Young people must be educated and empowered to be able to grasp these opportunities.”

In the lead up to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, the APNU+AFC Coalition promised the creation of new jobs for young people. 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 Coalition has been criticised for not delivering. None of this has been done.

In February 2017, even the Guyana Youth and Student Movement, the Youth arm of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), during its Extended General Council, made clear its dissatisfaction with the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. One of the major motions discussed at the meeting was the need for a separate Ministry to deal with Youth. The motion was approved unanimously by the group. The meeting saw complaints from youths dissatisfied with the PNCR.

Linkages between global fuel prices and benefits... (From page 13) 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 generation.

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.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

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

No statutory provision allows gov’t to make titled Amerindian villages NDCs - PPP T

he move by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to designate two Amerindian areas, including Titled Amerindian Villages as Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), has drawn strong condemnation from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

The Mirror, last week, was the first to make public the fact that Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, signed an Order, published on the Official Gazette website on June 7, 2018. The two areas are: Aranaputa/ Upper Burro-Burro; and Annai. Both communities are in Region 9. There were no consultations on this.

The PPP has said, “There is no statutory provision for Amerindian Titled Communities being incorporated into Local Democratic Organs such as Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Each holds a place in the tier of governance, separate and distinct.”

The Party contends that this latest act by the reinforces the view that the Government has a deliberate policy of destroying the governance structures under the Amerindian Act in order to control a population, which, in many areas, supported the PPP/C in the 2015 General and Regional elections.

BELOW IS THE FULL PRESS STATEMENT: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) notes that the Official Gazette of Guyana, dated June 1, 2018, included Order No. 16 of 2018 [The Local Democratic Organs (Neighbourhood Democratic Council) (Amended) Order 2018] and Order No. 17 of 2018 [The Local Democratic Organs (Area) (Amendment) Order 2018], which establishes two new Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro NDC and Annai NDC, in Administrative Region No. 9.

Most worrisome is that this Order was posted on the Official Gazette website a week after it was signed and up to that point neither

the Minister Ronald Bulkan, who signed the Order, nor the Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Sydney Allicock, had made any public announcement on this matter. In fact, the first report in the media was on June 10, 2018, after the Mirror Newspaper first broke the story on June 8, 2018.

In 2016, the Minister of Communities issued an Order declaring Aranaputa an NDC in Region 9. This is in an area where there is no titled land. However, this was a controversial move as there was little to no consultation with the community and the surrounding titled communities. Minister Bulkan admitted during the 2018 Budget debate that he had set up a council in Aranaputa without GECOM’s involvement, and admitted that the Chairperson and Deputy Chair were being paid from the Toshaos’ budgetary allocation for Administrative Region No. 9.

Having recognized, after acting haste, that an NDC has to be comprised of more than one People’s Cooperative Unit (PCU), this new Order terminates the previous Order and increases the territory in the Aranaputa NDC to include two other People’s Cooperative Units with a six-member council.

The most egregious aspect of these Orders is the establishment of the new Annai NDC, which now includes a very large territory with several titled Amerindian Communities: Annai, Rupertee, Kwatamang, Wowetta, and Surama.

The new NDC will have 12 council members. However, most of these titled villages just completed their elections for Toshaos and Amerindian Village Councils.

None of these communities were consulted in keeping with the international policy of ‘Free Prior and Informed Consent’ included in the Amerindian Act. As of June 8, 2018 the Regional Democratic Council and the communities in these areas were totally unaware of this development.

This Order is yet another

clear indication of the government’s deliberate and targeted policy, from the inception of its term in office, to undermine Amerindians’ land rights and their own governance system, as enshrined in the Amerindian Act. Declarations by Presidential Advisor, Eric Phillips, as early as February 2016, have not been forgotten. It is Mr. Phillips who stated that Amerindians, who had done nothing to build our nation, own 13.8 per cent of the land in Guyana; while in contrast those who were brought as slaves from Africa and their descendants “have less than five per cent of the economy”. This statement never retracted by Mr. Phillips or the Ministry of the Presidency.

Additionally, the President’s establishment of the Commission of Inquiry “to examine and make recommendations to resolve all issues and uncertainties surrounding claims of Amerindian land titling, individual, joint and communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans, and, any other matters relating to land titling” on March 11, 2017 was a clear indication that the government intended to review and withhold further movement on Amerindian communal land titling and link it to the resolution of freed African ancestral lands.

This act alone validated the positions taken by Eric Phillips the year before.

During the debate of the PPP/C motion calling on the President to revoke this COI as a recipe for division in a multi-ethnic nation and a threat to Amerindian land titling and their land rights, the Minister of Labour, Keith Scott stated Amerindians “have manifested an attitude of avarice which should not be condoned.” He continued to assert that if Amerindians were to be granted sub-surface rights, then only the coast-landers will be entitled to benefit from the oil and gas industry. Worse yet, the Minister implied that those communities living near the

borders with Venezuela and Brazil could be disloyal.

These statements have not been corrected by the government, and, therefore, one assumes that these reflect the government’s official policy towards Amerindians and Amerindian land rights.

More recently, the Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs under questioning before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources in May 2018, admitted that in the three years of his government no Amerindian communal titles or applications for extension of Amerindian Communal titles had been issued by the government. Yet, US$2M under the GRIFF/REDD+ programme under the Low Carbon Development Strategy had been spent.

Other actions by the government leave no doubt as to the government’s policy with regard to Amerindian rights and communal titles.

Guyanese have been witness to: the termination of 1,972 Amerindian Community Service Officers in July 2015; the closure and termination of all staff in the Amerindian Titling Unit of the Ministry of the President in late 2015 and the hiring of new staff for the ALT Unit over a year later; the consistent violation of ‘Free Prior and Informed Consent’ on issues affecting Amerindian communities; the worsening socio-economic conditions; and shortage of drugs and medical supplies in these interior areas, to name a few.

The disparaging and consistent posture of the government towards the elected

National Toshaos Council is yet another case in point. The government seems to ignore the governance structures laid out in the Amerindian Act, which make this body the legitimate elected body representing Amerindian communities. The NTC has been underfunded and ignored by the government.

Thus, the Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs statement during the 2018 Budget debate that the government expects that the newly elected NTC executive in July 2018 will fully cooperate and support all initiatives of the APNUAFC Coalition government is sinister.

This latest development with the creation of the Annai Neighbourhood Democratic Council, which will be superimposed over several titled Amerindian communities was in the making for a while. One just has to recall the rushed decision in October 2015 to establish new townships and Neighbourhood Development Councils in Regions 1, 7, and 9 prior to the March 2016 local government elections.

Communities were caught off guard and were not even informed that the boundaries of these new local authority bodies may/would impinge on their own communities’ boundaries. In some cases, a number of communities / settlements have been included within the boundaries of the new townships. Examples of these include the communities of Red Hill, Koberimo, Barabina, and Smith Creek among others in the Mabaruma township and the Port Kaituma NDC, and,

Dougg Point and Agatash in the Bartica township. The areas of extension applied for by Moco-Moco, Nappi and Parishara, for example, now fall within the extended boundaries of the new Lethem municipality. The recent announcement that Mahdia will be declared a township should be monitored as it is expected that it will include the Campbelltown community, another Amerindian community.

The PPP in 2017 noted in a public statement to the NTC Conference that “there is a growing concern by a number of communities which are already in possession of communal titled land that these could come under threat with regard to the government’s announcement to establish new NDCs adjacent to, encircling and or within titled communities in interior regions”. With these Orders issued by Minister Bulkan, the PPP’s statement has been proven correct.

There is no statutory provision for Amerindian Titled Communities being incorporated into Local Democratic Organs such as Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Each hold a place in the tier of governance, separate and distinct.

Furthermore, this particular and latest act by the government reinforces the view that the government has a deliberate policy of destroying the governance structures under the Amerindian Act in order to control a population which in many areas supported the PPP/C in the 2015 general and regional elections.

Hinterland communities face being cut off from supplies C ommunities in the Deep South, Region 9, face being cut off from key supplies, given the state of the Linden-Lethem road.

The current state of affairs has consequences for hundreds and could also see the cost of basic goods and supplies increase because of the difficulty in getting goods into these areas.

Several communities, including the

Deep South, as well as in Lethem, Regions 7 and 8 depend on the trail for goods and supplies.

Government has said that the state of the roads will be addressed once the rains have let up. However, those affected have complained that even maintenance work that could be done on key bridges are not being done.

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Coalition gov’t still has no national job plan T

HE 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.

And almost three years later the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, is yet to unveil a national plan to create jobs.

Instead, like President David Granger, he is now talking 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,” Jordan has said.

President 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, President Granger, in a May 2016 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. Guyana’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth continues to decline.

Gov’t pushing to have children in every school join Granger’s cadet programme

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ome 432 youths from six secondary schools stretched across five regions in the country have been roped into the Guyana National Cadet Corps (GNCC).

These include: Hope Secondary and North Ruimveldt Secondary (Region Four); the Stewartville Secondary School in (Region Three); Berbice High School (Region Six) St. Ignatius Secondary School (Region Nine) and the Mackenzie High School ( Region 10`) Each was selected based on the presence of the Reserve Component of the Guyana People’s Militia (GPM) which has been tasked with training the students.

For two hours after school, twice per week, the Cadets are exposed foot drills and first aid, among other things.

After every six months, the students undergo the Cadet Leadership and Proficiency Examination which determines whether they are promoted from one rank to the next.

The uniforms are provided through budgetary allocation by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

GPM Training Officer, Major Eon Murray, has said, “The GNCC will allow youths in every region to be able to understand and appreciate what it means to be responsible, respectful

and have an appreciation for time and their civic duties.”

Murray said the longterm vision is to see the programme become a permanent feature in each school, along with legislations enacted to safeguard its continuity.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, defended the move by saying that whether it is “the National Cadet Corps or whether it is the National Youth Service” it is supposed to be good for youths The National Cadet Corps is a brainchild of President David Granger and was officially re-launched in January 2018. The Corps targets children from as young as 12-years-old.

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sought information from Minister Felix in February 2018, about the number of Haitians entering and departing Guyana. The Minister in his response to the 20 Committee on May 23, 2018, provided information on the arrival and departures of Haitians and seven other nationalities entering annually for the years 20132018 (April).

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

State sponsored human trafficking in Guyana?

Of interest the Minister did not provide figures for CARICOM nationals, nor other countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, USA, Canada, UK, etc., whose citizens also enter Guyana for work or study.

Dear Editor,

G

uyana, and, in particular successive PPP/C administrations, has always had a friendly, open and liberal immigration policy. With a small population and limited skills base, PPPC was open to new skills and investments coming to Guyana. There has never been any quota system, or differentiation, whether based on nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, or gender, of visitors or persons wishing to study, work, vacation, shop or invest in our country. Guyana has prided itself, as a signatory to the CARICOM Treaty of Chaguaramas, of treating CARICOM nationals entering Guyana better than the treatment Guyanese have encountered in some CARICOM countries.

However, the Minister of Citizenship, on July 27 th and August 3, 2016, was questioned by the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations with regards to the reasons for the denial of entry to 168 CARICOM Nationals to Guyana in the preceding 12 months. In the light of the Freedom of Movement of People and Skills in the CARICOM, this was of some concern to the Committee. The Minister, in responding, advised that those persons, who were denied entry, did not have “sufficient funds” to support themselves whilst in Guyana. His response and recommendations of the Committee were included in its Fourth Periodic Report adopted in the National Assembly on February 9, 2017. None of those recommendations has thus far been implemented.

Over the last eight months, the PPP has repeatedly referred at various press conferences about information it has been receiving with regard to the large numbers of Haitian nationals who are being met airside when they land at Cheddi Jagan International Airport and escorted through the immigration process to waiting vehicles. There are suspicions that Haitians are being trafficked through Guyana, but, there appears to be an additional twist to the story. More information is surfacing that in return for their “safe passage” through Guyana, they are required and are facilitated in obtaining Guyanese identity documents such as birth certificates, national identity cards, with Guyanese names, which are then left in Guyana, after they depart. For what purpose one may wonder and who is behind this?

As a result, the PPP/C Members of the same Parliamentary Committee, raised concerns with regards to the Haitian arrivals and trafficking. The Committee then sought information from Minister Felix in February 2018, about the number of Haitians entering and departing Guyana. The Minister in his response to the Committee on May 23, 2018, provided information on the arrival and departures of Haitians and seven other nationalities entering annually for the years 2013- 2018 (April).

When one analyzes these figures the following comparative breakdown makes the trends more visible:Table 1 For the years 2013-2015:Nationality

Arrival 2013 Chinese 2869 Haitian 188 Brazilian 1668 Indian 1175 Cuban 813 Venezuelan 799 Dominican 394 Republic Bangladeshi 94 Table 2

Departures 2013 2082 99 2329 1054 457 744 261

Arrival 2014 2630 227 7235 1277 1292 6905 595

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Departure 2014 2838 113 7422 1199 772 6888 377 29

Arrival 2015 2834 770 10545 1475 4943 5939 1075 75

Departure 2015 2676 136 10250 1251 3569 5650 562 52

For the years 2016-2018 April:-

Nationality

Arrival 2016 Chinese 3472 Haitian 722 Brazilian 13253 Indian 1457 Cuban 21165 Venezuelan 892 Dominican 801 Republic Bangladeshi 97

Departure 2016 2937 451 12733 1501 19225 863 699 56

Arrival 2017 3868 3515 5613 1541 44747 689 525

Departure 2017 2139 291 5248 1660 37492 616 478

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Arrival 2018 1435 1238 3893 452 22520 315 265

Departure 2018 1402 85 3340 467 16350 301 192

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In total as of April 2018, according to the figures supplied, Table 3 shows the numbers who appear to have not left Guyana:Nationality Chinese Haitian Brazilian Indian Cuban Venezuelan Dominican Republic Bangladeshi

Arrivals 17, 108 6,660 42,207 7,372 95,480 15,539 3655

Departures 14,074 1,175 41,322 7,132 77,865 15,062 2569

In Guyana ?

3,034 5,485 885 240 17,615 477 1086

398

224

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Of interest the Minister did not provide the APNUAFC in government, that Brazilfigures for CARICOM nationals, nor other ians, Chinese, Indians and more recently, These figures reveal that the years 2016 and 2017 show the highest upsurge in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, USA, Venezuelans were flooding in and taking numbers ofetc., arrivals of several Sincethe thetruth Minister diddifferent not provide Canada, UK, whose citizens nationalities. also enter over, is far whenany one information on those who were denied entry, one assumes that these arrival Guyana for work or study. examines these figures for 2013-2015 and figures fact, persons who entered In contrast to the years 2015Whenare, one in analyzes these figures the fol- Guyana.

2015-2018. lowing breakdown makes the True to form, Minister during the 2016, comparative where 168 CARICOM nationals were refused entry due to lackHenry, of “sufficient trends more visible:-These figures reveal that discussion in the committee with regards to funds”, one has to ask if all of these people listed by Minister Felix arrived with the years 2016 and 2017 show the highest these figures and links to human trafficking, “sufficient funds”? upsurge in numbers of arrivals of several na- pointed rather ridiculously to the high arrivtionalities. Since the Minister did not provide als of Bangladeshi compared to the Haitians. any information on those who were denied However, we cannot find any evidence of entry, one assumes that these arrival figures the presence of such a large number of 5, 485 are, in fact, persons who entered Guyana. In Haitians, nor of 17,615 Cubans, in Guyana. contrast to the years 2015-2016, where 168 Twenty-three thousand people who speak CARICOM nationals were refused entry due different languages in a small population to lack of “sufficient funds”, one has to ask such as ours would be easily discernible. if all of these people listed by Minister Felix Therefore something is going on. The arrived with “sufficient funds”? most logical explanation is that Guyana is Unlike what has been popularly con- being used as a transshipment point for a veyed for years by the PNC, and then the large and well organized human trafficking APNU and AFC in opposition, and, now in ring, on a scale only possible with the col-

laboration of key officials within the government. Based on these figures, these victims of human trafficking , may not only include Haitians, but also other nationalities.

However, the additional information that one of the nationalities, in this case Haitians, is being used to create new identities with Guyanese birth certificates is also of great significance as our nation prepares for the 2018 Local Government and 2020 general and regional elections. If new identities are being created then why are these documents not being used by the Haitians for their onward movement? Why are these documents being kept with their handlers based in Guyana? For what purpose? Is this to be used to register new voters? And whose identities are they using? Persons who have died or who have emigrated whose names are already on the national registration data base and the voters lists?

The champion of TIPs in Guyana, Minister Broomes, who received a US Presidential Award for her work in exposing cases of TIPs, appears to be rather quiet now. The Ministerial Task Force on TIPs 2017 records figures of cases of human trafficking being prosecuted but all of the victims are Guyanese.

However, the disinterest of the government in addressing the concerns publicly expressed months ago by the Leader of the Opposition of human trafficking of Haitians may in itself be a telling indictment.

Where there is smoke there is fire and the information regarding the Haitians as possible victims of human trafficking linked to another agenda by government officials cannot be ignored. This issue demands a full investigation.

It is time for the international, including the relevant UN bodies and the IOM, as well as the diplomatic community to pay closer attention to this development. The annual US TIPs report placed Guyana on the watch list for two years in a row because there were too few cases of human trafficking in 20062013, I hope that the US officials will pay more interest to this unusual movement of unaccounted people through and in Guyana.

I believe that any information concerning victims of human trafficking, whether Guyanese or any other nationality, must be treated seriously. And thus, the specific information regarding the movement of Haitians and their obligations to acquire Guyanese identity documents in order to have “safe passage”, must be investigated. Whilst the queries started with the Haitians, one cannot now not consider that other nationalities may also be victims of a human trafficking ring which could only function on this large scale with the collusion and collaboration of the state.

Regards, Gail Teixeira, M.P.,

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Candidate picked for DCEO post by PNCR Commissioners, GECOM Chairman a vibrant APNU+AFC supporter C

hairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), James Patterson exhibited partiality once again when he used his casting vote to appoint an ardent and vibrant supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition to serve as the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO).

The Chairman and the Government aligned Commissioners bypassed the top ranked person, who was Vishnu Persaud, and picked Roxanne Myer to be the new DCEO – even though Persaud is the most qualified.

Myer is an active supporter of the Government and questions about her ability to execute her functions in a free and fair manner – as is required of persons working at an institution in charge of monitoring and ensuring national elections are free and fair – have been raised.

No valid reasons were given by the GECOM Chairman to reject the rehiring of Persaud for the post.

Persaud has held the post of DCEO for the past three years and he has been working at the Commission since 2001

– having vast knowledge of the electoral system. Persaud was forced to reapply for the post after his contract ended at a time when the Commission had no life following the resignation of Dr. Steve Surujbally and therefore could not have been renewed. After reapplying and surviving the interview process, he emerged as the top ranked candidate based on the evaluation process conducted.

There are now major concerns about the ability of GECOM to conduct free and fair elections.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

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

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 50 scandals in less than three year

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he Parliamentary Opposition has been monitoring the APNU+AFC government’s use of public funds and the levels of transparency and accountability.

From June 10, 2015 to date, over 50 scandals have been uncovered – an average of one scandal for each month.

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 six-month 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 oneseat 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. Write-offs by the 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 cash-strapped 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 embarrass-

ing 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 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 im-

portation 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 (Turn to page 23)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over... # 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 pur-

chased 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.

38. The on-going saga of the Durban Jubilee Park. It is estimated that expenditure has reached $1.5 B. Auditor General

(From page 22)

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 SUVbullet 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 recommendations, 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 freedom 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. The APNU+AFC government lacks 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.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

CBS consultation continues in Guyana today

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total of 50 delegates from across the Caribbean will converged at the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Georgetown, on Thursday (June 14, 2018) for a workshop to continue the development of a CARICOM Biodiversity Strategy (CBS).

The two-day event is expected to serve as the framework for support to CARICOM Member States, Cuba and the Dominican Republic to implement the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Strategic Plan 2011-2020. The regional framework will complement national, regional, and international initiatives to protect and sustainably use the Caribbean’s natural resources.

The CBS is an output under the Caribbean Hub sub-component of Phase II of the Programme for Capacity-Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The programme is supported by the European Union (EU) and UN Environment. The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is facil-

itating the development of the CBS for the CARICOM Secretariat.

The Guyana workshop hosts representatives from CARICOM Member States, regional and national Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), academia, international organisations and the private sector. Delegates are expected to review and add to previously articulated stakeholder priorities from national and regional consultations and online surveys. A key focus of the consultation process thus far, is the emphasis on CSO perspectives, to ensure that their voices are heard, and their needs are met in the final strategy.

Some priorities for the CBS articulated by CSOs and others include climate resilience, invasive species management, ecosystem restoration, among others.

Assistant Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Douglas Slater, expects that at the end of the Guyana workshop, participants will have refined regional priorities and drilled into the key issues to inform the content of the strategy.

Local companies wishing to access oil sector opportunities have to be accredited

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ocal companies are now expected to get accredited for safe practices in order to grasp opportunities in the oil and gas sector.

The disclosure was made by head of the state agency, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.

GNBS Director, Candelle Walcott-Bostwick told stakeholders at the World Accreditation Day 2018 Forum on Tuesday: “We have a lot of work to do in Guyana. I am sure you have seen some of the minimum requirements. “…we need to embrace the implementation of standards to ensure that we oper-

ate using standards, processes and best practices which are internationally recognized. Once the standards are implemented it will add value to operations.”

She explained that companies adhering to safety practices and other standards will also allow them to become recognised. “Internationally, investors will take precedence by selecting companies who are implementing safety systems.”

This development comes at a time when the Coalition Government is facing criticisms about its failure to ensure a proper Local Content Policy.

WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

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Lima Sands residents decry deplorable access road R

esidents of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast have expressed frustration with the condition of the main access road and are calling on Government to quickly do something to bring some relief to the community.

According to residents, the deplorable state of the road has caused significant damage to vehicles, which are often stuck due to the many potholes and slushy surface.

Regional authorities, using its budget, has started some maintenance work, including grading the surface of the road.

Notably, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), had made it clear that the Council was never informed of the Lima Sands Road Project, which was done directly through the Public Infrastructure Ministry. There have already been concerns expressed by regional authorities about the design of the project being done by Central government.

Zeelugt housing scheme main road in deplorable state

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esidents of Zeelugt, New Housing Scheme on the East Bank Essequibo, Region 3, are complaining about the deplorable state of the scheme’s main road, which worsens each time it rains.

The residents have also complained that several other roads in the community have been neglected but residents at least are hoping something can go done to the main road.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

AFC Councillor jailed for 18 months E

mbattled Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor, Abel Seetaram, who was last month found guilty of feloniously wounding his cousin following a drinking spree, was on this week jailed for 18 months.

The 36-year-old of Lot 121 B Woodley Park Village, West Coast Berbice had initially denied the allegation when he appeared before Magistrate Rhondel Weaver at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court in January last.

He was found guilty of wounding Netram Rabindranauth, 54, of Lot 64 Woodley Park Village on January 21, 2018.

The AFC Councillor was said to have used a piece of wood to injure Rabindranauth during an altercation after a drinking spree.

Back in January, the victim of the attack had told Guyana Times that he had intervened in an argument and

scuffle between Seetaram’s son and his son in order to make peace and part them.

Rabindranauth recalled that it was at this point that Seetaram arrived on the scene and dealt him several blows with the piece of

Another supermarket robbery draws police attention

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hree bandits who were in the process of robbing a supermarket at Grove, East Bank of Demerara (EBD) on Wednesday (June 13, 2018) were nabbed following swift actions by Police.

Reports are the three men – one of whom was armed with a handgun – stealthily entered the “Number One Supermarket” at about 04:30h on Wednesday morning.

The men pounced on the lone security guard and bounded his hands with his shoe lace. The bandits then proceeded to the third floor of the building, removed the iron bars from a window and entered the building.

As the bandits were all inside of the supermarket, the 53-year-old security guard, managed to free himself and immediately alerted neighbours who summoned the

Police.

Prompt response from the lawmen resulted in the bandits being caught in the act. Andy Lin, whose family owns the business, and who resides in the top flat of the building, said he was asleep and unaware of what was happening. He said that at about 06:00h, he learnt of what had transpired when a Police Officer went into the upper flat and alerted him.

The CCTV footage was also reviewed, which showed the men entering the premises.

When the men were nabbed they had $70,000 in prepaid phone cards and an undisclosed sum of cash in their possession. Meanwhile a .38 revolver with six live matching rounds was also found.

The supermarket was only opened about five weeks ago.

wood. Both men took their sons to the Police station and made reports after which the young men were held for questioning and subsequently released.

Rabindranauth also reported that he had to be

taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital after he sustained a broken jaw, fractured nose, and suffered internal bleeding which also saw him being transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

At the scene of the confrontation, Seetaram, who was reportedly intoxicated, was heard shouting and telling persons who had gathered that no one could do him anything, since he knows “Khemraj” and is a “big boy in the Government”.

Following the guilty decision in May, Attorney for Seetaram had begged for leniency and had requested a probation report. Seetaram was allowed to return to his home instead of being remanded until his sentencing as is with the case of other persons who are found guilty of criminal offences. On Wednesday (June 13, 2018), the report was presented by Probation and Welfare Officer attached to the Social

Police classify over 1,000 incidents of robberies the end of May

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obberies, listed in various categories by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) based on their seriousness, have seen an increase, according to statistics, as at the end of May 2018.

At the end of the fifth month on 2018, there have been: 26 robberies; 266 robbery under arms where firearms were used; 99 robbery under arms where other instruments were used; 57 cases of robbery with violence; 22 cases of robbery with aggravation; 50 larceny from person cases; 98 cases of burglary; and a whopping 430 cases of break and enter and larceny. This total 1,048 incidents of robbery at the end of May, which were classified in the groups listed above.

There have been 36 murders for the year to date. In giving a breakdown of the murders, the Police Force confirmed that: 17 were related to disorderly behaviour; nine related to domestic incidents; seven committed during robberies; and three were classified as being related to unknown incidents.

Fifty-five (55) illegal firearms have been taken off the streets so far this year, compared to sixty-four (64) for the corresponding period last year.

Also 55 illegal weapons were sized at the end of May 2018, including 33 pistols, 12 revolvers, seven shotguns, one sub-machine gun and two rifles. Majority of the illegal weapons were seized in ‘A’ Division.

Protection Ministry, Patricia Pompey. In her report, the Probation Officer stated that this is Seetaram’s third matter before the court. She said residents when asked about Seetaram said he was a quiet person but when under the influence of alcohol, becomes aggressive and outrageous. In her report to the court, the Probation Officer noted resident’s fear of Seetaram when he is drunk, saying that he needs anger management and should act in a more responsible manner. She said they (the residents) were not surprised that he was in court, noting that on one occasion he exposed his private parts to the public.

Meanwhile, Attorney Horatio Edmonson in a plea of mitigation asked the court to exercise mercy and leniency, noting that Seetaram is a father of six with the youngest being 10-months-old and is the sole breadwinner for the family.

Edmonson argued that the probation report referred to Seetaram as being a hardworking and industrious person, which are attributes needed in the society and as such asked for a non-custodial sentence. He noted that the Virtual Complainant (VC) and Seetaram are cousins.

However, in handing down the sentence, Magistrate Weaver said Seetaram should have exercised restraint. She noted that Rabindranauth had gone as a peacemaker between his son and Seetaram’s son; however, Seetaram came as an aggressor.

Magistrate Weaver said Seetaram did not consider the consequences of his actions.

She noted that he was previously charged and convicted, and the nature of the offences has been escalating.

Considering the facts, she said a custodial sentence is warranted and imposed the 18-month jail term.

Over 120 cases of rape reported at the end of May

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here has been an increase in the reported cases of rape, as at the end of May 2018. The Guyana Police Force has confirmed this.

There have been 122 reported cases of rape. Notably, the actual incidence of rape in Guyana is not clear, since not all cases of rape are reported to the Guyana Police Force. At the end of May 2017 there were 117 cases of rape.

No other information, as per protocols, was disclosed by the police.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 16-17 JUNE, 2018

Impressive Russia win World Cup opener T

he 2018 World Cup opened in spectacular fashion as Russia defied their recent poor form to smash five past Saudi Arabia and record the biggest win by the host nation in the opening game of a World Cup since 1934.

Stanislav Cherchesov's team had not won in their past seven matches and had been criticised from all sides, including a series of barbed comments from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

But in front of a largely partisan crowd of 78,011 at the Luzhniki Stadium they never looked in danger against a naïve Green Falcons' side that seemed only too willing to gift possession to their opponents.

A completely unmarked Yuri Gazinsky headed his first goal for Russia before substitute Denis Cheryshev evaded several weak challenges and smashed home at the near post close to halftime.

The tempo slowed and the atmosphere flattened after the restart, giving the whole thing the feel of a friendly match.

But substitute Artem Dzyuba illuminated a match of often dubious quality with a precise header to extend his team's lead just minutes after replacing Fedor Smolov.

And as the match moved into injury time the impressive Cheryshev smashed home with a crisp strike into the top corner before the superb Aleksandr Golovin curled a free-kick around the wall.

It put the seal on a sensational and unexpected start to the World Cup for the hosts - and gives them a real chance of qualifying from the

group stage.

Singer Robbie Williams performed during a colourful opening ceremony before the match, marking the start of a feast of football that will see 64 games played at 12 venues over the next month.

Williams went through several of his biggest hits in front of a largely appreciative crowd that featured football fans from all over the world as well as a large Russian contingent.

A lengthy address from Putin was followed by a short speech from Fifa president Gianni Infantino - but eventually the words ended and the football finally began.

PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT Russia went into the match ranked 70th in the world, three places below

their opponents, and with a side ravaged by injury problems.

Key forward Alexander Kokorin plus defenders Georgi Dzhikiya and Viktor Vasin have all succumbed to knee injuries this year - with the lack of options seeing Cherchesov dragging 38-year-old centre back Sergei Ignashevich out of retirement and into the side.

It had led the Moscow Times to proclaim the team was "doomed to fail" while another sports writer said only "a miracle" could save Russia.

But they were the vastly superior team here on a mild Moscow evening, repeatedly overrunning opponents who were simply unable to handle their physical threat and determination.

The impressive Golovin

Sports fraternity mourns loss of Rocky Mann P

opular sports commentator and former People’s Progressive Party/Civic City Councilor Ronald Paul Mann – known as Rocky Mann – passed away on Wednesday (June 13, 2018) following a lengthy period of illness.

Mann has been remembered for leaving memories of genuine development in Cricket in Guyana, as marketing manager of the Guyana Cricket Board he leaves. As a champion among the insurance fraternity, he was known to

be a ‘man of words’. As a sports commentator, Mann was said to have been compelling.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has extended its condolences to his immediate family particularly his dear wife and daughter.

provided the crosses for the headed goals and Roman Zobnin went close with a low strike that Abdullah AlMayoof saved low down.

Cheryshev was excellent too, running down the left flank with a real sense of purpose, as Russia put in a performance that gives them a renewed sense of purpose as they try to get out of a group that will provide much sterner tests against Egypt and Uruguay.

There was nobody of the calibre of Mohamed Salah

and Luis Suarez on the pitch on Thursday, and the ageing Ignashevich can expect a much rougher ride in the next two games.

And there was one sour note for the home side when Alan Dzagoev limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury midway through the first half.

But on a night when they were under serious pressure to deliver, Russia got their campaign up and running in emphatic fashion.

ALL UPHILL FROM HERE Thursday's match was crucial for each side's aspirations of qualifying from the group and the result leaves Juan Antonio Pizzi's team with a huge task in front of them.

They made an aging and out-of-form Russia look like world beaters and seemed to be arguing among themselves from the early stages as they were repeatedly caught out of position.

There was no finer example of this than Russia's opener, as two completely unmarked players stood side by side as they awaited Golovin's cross.

Pizzi is the team's third coach since they qualified for the World Cup and, despite numerous training camps and plenty of positives in narrow recent defeats against Italy and Germany, they seemed woefully undercooked.

Mohammed Al Sahlawi headed narrowly wide with a rare first-half attack and a decent cross shortly after the restart eluded both Al Sahlawi and Taiseer Al Jassam at the far post but they were isolated moments of intent.

In their first World Cup campaign since 2006, and searching for their first win at a World Cup since 1994, they will need to show a vast improvement if they are to take anything home from this competition.

Ministers summoned to answer about unaccounted Haitians, Cubans

T

he “alarming” statistics on the number of Cubans and Haitians who cannot be accounted for, since entering Guyana, caused the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs to summon Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, on Wednesday

(June 13, 2018) to discuss possible human trafficking.

“When you have a large number of people that cannot be found then something is definitely wrong…we have to find out what is really going on...it’s not a question of who is trickling in.

The issue is not who is coming and going; it’s the issue

of the numbers remaining and where you can’t find them, you can’t see them… this is trafficking, this is trafficking,” Teixeira said She informed that at a sitting of the committee in February of this year questions were raised on the number of Haitians coming into the country but not

leaving and a request for statistics on the entry numbers was made of Felix.

After the issue first came up, Minister Felix, on May 23, wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly and provided statistics of several main groups of foreign nationals, with the largest arrival and departure figures,

for the past five years and the first quarter of this year.

A breakdown of the information showed alarming information for two groups – Cubans and Haitians.

According to the numbers, from 2015 to April 30, 2018, a total of 93,374 Cubans arrived in Guyana, but only 76,663 were recorded to have left. This means that there are 16,711 Cubans still in Guyana.

For Haitians, the numbers show that, from 2015 to April 30, 2018, a total of 6,245 arrived in Guyana, but only 963 were recorded to have left. This means that there are 5,2882 Cubans still in Guyana.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Committee Member, Zulfikar Mustapha pointed out that there is no data or information on where in Guyana the Haitians were living or if any of the numbers remaining here have been naturalized and are registered by the Guyana Elections Commission, thus giving them power to vote at elections.

The committee has until July 4, 2018, the date of the next meeting, when members will return with possible questions for the two ministers to provide clarity.

CRIMINAL GOV’T ENTERPRISE Last week, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, put government on blast for its silence on the matter. “We have a criminal enterprise in Guyana that is the government,” he had said.

Giving details of eight massive ‘kick-back schemes, which he referred to a “bribe collecting syndicates” made up of government officials, Jagdeo charged that one in particular has several consequences for not only Guyana, but for other countries.

According to him, false documents, including birth certificates and passports, are being sold for US$6,000 per person and the illegality

is being facilitated by the Ministry of Citizenship.

“We have said that we are aware that Haitians are trafficked through Guyana; that it is supported by this government…the evidence of this is that often groups are met airside by government officials,” he said.

The Opposition Leader noted that Guyanese would be aware of Haitians setting up residence in Guyana. “Guyanese, all of us, live here and we know that 5,000 Haitians are not living here…it is clear that most of these people left, but they have done so illegally. We believe that they are being moved through Suriname and French Guiana….there is a big people smuggling racket going on, aided by this government,” he said.

He added that Suriname and French Guiana will have to be put on alert for this also.

According to the Opposition Leader, the matter will be brought to the attention to the international community, including agencies like the UNDP. “We will bring it to their attention because we believe that this is people smuggling,” he said.

Jagdeo noted that in addition to the fact that the act is illegal and corrupt, there is also a worry that the issuance of false documentation will be used to pad the voters’ list. He explained that the Party is checking in a detailed manner all the new registrations that are being made. However, he proffered the view that this racket is essentially a “massive corrupt practice” involving the Coalition Government.

Notably, the 2017 and 2018 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), produced by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department, are markedly different, in that “government corruption” is cited as a major source of money laundering in Volume 2 of the latest report.

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