Weekend Mirror 11-12 August 2018

11-12 August , 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 34 / Price: $100

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

PAGE 12

Documented case of corruption detailed in Public Procurement Commission report

– PPP/C will send report to SOCU – Patterson could face charges

TEACHERS TO STRIKE PAGE 12

SEE INSIDE

APNU+AFC gov’t now looking at new environmental taxes PAGE 22 Gov’t has made no move to PAGE 25 address the Petroleum Commission Bill in over 12 months

PPP/C local gov’t elections campaigning continues

Gov’t hires Ralph Ramkarran, others to help get sugar workers’ case thrown out of court PAGE 9

APNU+AFC gov’t ignores Amerindians’ rights, PAGE 18 includes titled villages in new township GLDA on High alert for foot and mouth disease PAGE 7

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Holding the APNU+AFC Coalition to account – a review of local happenings

APNU+AFC ‘good life’ rhetoric exposed by global indicators

BY IRFAAN ALI (Guest Contributor)

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arious international organisations, such as World Economic Forum, through a series of annual countries’ assessment, inadvertently espouses the axiom that “Guyana is in reverse mode”.

In 2017, the Global Human Capital index, a report that ranks countries according to their effectiveness and level of human capital development, demoted Guyana below its 2015 global position of 79, by nine positions, surpassing frail economies such as Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.

A closer look at the some

of the key indicators reveled that, within one year, 20152016, Guyana slipped by more than four positions in unemployment rate, for age group 25-54, and seven position, for 55-64.

Ironically, the Government boasts of job creation.

Furthermore, between 20152017, the country’s global ranking fell by another seven position, in relation to quality of primary education of children, age 0-15 years.

Overall, Guyana has slipped by eight positions in global ranking, in the quality of educational services provided to children, age 15-24.

Concomitantly, youth literacy rate also fell in global position by more than five.

According to the report, unemployment rate for youths, age 15-24, has contracted by more than nine positions, globally.

Similarly, to the Global Human Capital Index, Guy-

‘We recommit to continuing’ Burnham’s work – Granger P

resident David Granger on Monday (August 6, 2018) praised the policies of the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, on the occasion of his 33rd death anniversary.

And he charged that he and his government are committed to continuing the efforts of Burnham. “We recommit to continuing his efforts,” Granger said.

This is not the first time that Granger has talked up the policies of a controversial Burnham. In 2018, at the PNCR’s 19th Biennial Congress, the majority of the start of Granger’s speech was spent on addressing the ideology of PNCR founder, Burnham. According to Granger, the PNCR “rests securely on its institutions” and stressed that those institutions “hold up” the party. “We are an ideological party,” he said adding that Burnham’s ideas are still relevant today. “He used those ideas to transform society,” Granger said. According to the President the ideology of

Burnham must be given “institutional form” and made clear that the PNCR is proud of the ideology it is guided by. “We have to complete our historic mission….we must act resolutely,” Granger said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in the past has said that while Granger painted Burnham as a nationalist and an egalitarian, he cannot be separated from the discrimination that occurred during his era, not the facts that Guyana was a repressive state with a failed economy. Rigged elections and lack of democracy, the Opposition Leader charged, is another fact that cannot be ignored. On that note, Jagdeo referenced the report from the international Commission of Inquiry (CoI), which also detailed the type of society Guyana had become under Burnham’s rule.

The Commission’s 155-page report concluded Rodney’s assassination was a “State organised” act that was executed with the

knowledge of the then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, who had “large and detailed” knowledge of what was being done by the State and its agencies during his tenure.

The report details also detailed the link to the principle of party paramountcy and the use of the GPF and Guyana Defence Force (GDF), as well as the judiciary, to go after persons who were seen as opposition elements. The report concluded that Burnham, had such an “absolute” grip and control over the society that he “dehumanised and belittled many Guyanese.”

The result was that opposition elements were constantly harassed, threatened or assaulted and some murdered. “The period under review was one of extreme hardships and difficulties in the life of Guyanese people.

The rule of law was systematically subverted on a daily basis. It was replaced by the rule of man in the person of Burnham and the PNC,” the report said on page 59.

ana has also deteriorated globally by three positions, when ranked by the Human Development Index, for the year 2016. Countries such as Namibia and Morocco, have all surpassed Guyana in global ranking.

In the health sector, when compared to 2013, infant mortality rates, per 1,000 live births, have increased from 29 in 2013, to 32 in 2015.

Similarly, infants under five months, has seen an increase in mortality rate, per 1,000 live births, from 36 to 40, during similar period. Adults, on the other hand, have seen an increase in deaths due to tuberculosis: from 15 for every 100,000 people in 2013, to 21, in 2015.

The latest Global Competitive Index Report, on the other hand, for the period 2015-2016, saw Guyana fell in global ranking by more than nineteen positions to 121, when compared to 2014.

Institutions, one of the fundamental pillars that command global ranking, deteriorated by thirteen positions, to 102 in 2016 when compared to 2015: property rights; bribes; favoritism; wasteful spending; and organized crime, have all seen massive deterioration in ranking, on average by 6 positions.

Similarly, macroeconomic environment, another critical pillar of equal weight, deteriorated by three position: government budget balance

as a percentage of GDP fell by 19 position, which, presently is now worse than that of Haiti. Further confirming the abysmal and deteriorated trend, health and primary education system declined by another two position: Guyana is now lagging behind countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia. Finally, in doing business, the most problematic factors now orbit around inefficient government bureaucracy, corruption and poor access to financing.

The question that begs to be answered is, how could this government speak of development, wealth generation, and the “good life”, when we are clearly, from all indications, in reverse mode?

Efforts being made to accommodate increasing number of Venezuelans entering Guyana A

decision the establishment of humanitarian-controlled centres for Venezuelan nationals entering Guyana, is still to be made. However, what is being done is that persons coming across the border are being accommodated and provided with food and medical supplies.

The majority of the Venezuelans entering the Region One area are from the Warrau tribe.

Regions 7 and 9 have also seen an influx of Venezuelans crossing the border.

Civil society has also stepped up and businesses have made contributions

to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to support the response to the need of Venezuelans fleeing the crisis in their country.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also providing support.

More persons from Venezuela, from the Warrau Amerindian tribe arrived in Region 1 this week

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC silent about gerrymandering of boundaries in local gov’t areas – GECOM now moves to hold consultations

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n addition to the creation of one new town, Mahdia, and nine new NDCs, the existing Local Authorities Areas have been tampered with. And the Parliamentary Opposition has accused the APNU+AFC Coalition government of gerrymandering boundaries, in an attempt to come out better than it did at the 2016 Local Government Elections.

The 10 new areas are: 1. Mahdia, which has been identified as that town for Region Eight 2. Moruka/Phoenix Park NDC 3. Kitty/Providence NDC

4. Nile/Cozier NDC 5. Lamaha/Yarrowkabra NDC 6. Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC 7. Plegt Anker/Kortberaad NDC 8. Wyburg/Caracas NDC 9. Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro NDC 10. Annai NDC Additionally, a review of the existing Local Authorities that been tampered with, show that a total of 16 constituencies have been removed from 14 Local Authorities Areas.

The number of seats in the following Local Authority

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

The 14th area is the Municipality of Rose Hall, where the PPP/C won the proportional representation vote by one seat in 2016.

Here the number of constituencies has been increased from seven to eight.

All of this was done without consultation with the residents in those areas.

This week, according to a notice released by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), residents in Region 2 have been invited to consultations on the changes to the local authority areas, including Aberdeen/Zorge-en-vlygt, where the constituency seats were reduced.

Additionally, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government remains silent on the criticisms about gerrymandering the boundaries of local government areas.

APNU+AFC ignores PPP/C GAWU raps gov’t over move recommendations, facing to appoint GuySuCo CEO serious consequences now T

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he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) had called on the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to conduct the necessary socio-economic and other feasibility studies before closing down major sugar estates and leaving thousands unemployed.

These calls were ignored.

And now the proverbial ‘chickens have come home to roost’. The National Insurance Scheme is projected to lose $414M as a result of

the closure of the estates.

NIS is now likely to move to court to also recover some $250M owed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

The closure of Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales and East Demerara estates saw close to 5,000 workers being severed.

Additionally, based on the last actuarial report, it was disclosed that the life of the scheme should come to an end in 2021/22 unless

strategic plans for revenue earnings and expansion of the investment portfolio are effectively implemented.

NIS is currently undertaking a new actuarial report, which is expected to provide recommendations to ensure the scheme’s viability beyond 2022.

The Scheme’s current fund stands at $31.9B as of June 30, 2018.

The National Insurance Scheme has been recoding deficits since 2015.

Minister Ferguson allegedly verbally assault ranks of the East La Penitence Police Station

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anks of the North Ruimveldt Police Outpost have complained about an incident, which occurred on Sunday night (August 7, 2018), allegedly involving a junior Minister of the APNU+AFC Government.

According to the ranks, Officers were dispatched from the Police Outpost to respond to a brawl. In the process of responding, the ranks saw an Axel motorcycle, without number plate speeding along the road. The rider was stopped and detained.

However, the rider be-

gan assaulting one of the ranks, identified as Constable Jacobs. As a result, the rider was taken to the East La Penitence Police Station and his motorcycle was impounded.

Notably, a few moments later, reports are that the Junior Minister, Annette Ferguson, showed up at the Police Station and instructed Officers to release the rider and return his motorcycle.

According to ranks, the Minister verbally assaulted them after they raised objections and pointed out that she cannot is-

sue instructions to them.

Ferguson also allegedly threatened to have the officers fired if they did not follow her instructions.

Notably too, the ranks processed the rider and instructed him to return to the police station on Monday morning (August 6, 2018). Ferguson allegedly intervened again and told the ranks that he will not be returning to the station.

She and the rider left the East La Penitence Police Station together.

Government has been silent about this latest issue.

he President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, has criticised the government for the selection and appointment of Dr. Harold Davis Jnr as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

According to him, the decision should have been made by the still-to-benamed board.

“The government appointed the CEO but there is no board in place. Normally, you would have a board and those appointments would be done through the board. That is the normal practice but it is

different here,” he said.

Notably, government has still not made a move to appoint a new Board of Directors for GuySuCo. The life of the last Board came to an end since April 2018.

Davis was up until earlier this year GuySuCo’s Director of Agricultural Services.

Guard says he is being targeted after confrontation with Broomes, driver

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ne of the security guards involved in a confrontation with Junior Minister, Simona Broomes, and her driver, Robert Goodluck, has gone public to say that he believes that he is being targeted.

Goodluck has been suspended from the company he works with, KGM security services, and has had his supernumerary precept revoked. The precept allowed him to carry a firearm and is only issued after clearance from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The man has said, “I cannot work without my precept. I am here just trying my best to get my life together…I did nothing wrong.”

On July 8, 2018, Broomes that she and her driver were verbally abused and threatened by two security guards at a Providence, East Bank

Demerara business place.

She also claimed that one of the security guard pulled a gun on her. The altercation occurred at around 20:30hours on the day in question, after Broomes’ driver attempted to move a no parking sign in order to park the vehicle.

However, CCTV footage showed that Broomes may have been lying about the entire affair. Neither of the clips showed either of the two guards pointing a gun at the Minister or her driver.

The footage showed the minister’s vehicle turning into the parking lot and stopping just a few feet away from the entrance to the Massy Supermarket. A man, who appeared to be the driver of the vehicle, exited, and removed what appeared to be a no parking sign before venturing back into the vehicle. This

caught the attention of the two guards, who were seen standing a short distance away.

One of the guards, armed with a rifle, ventured over to the vehicle and proceeded to return the sign to the space it had been moved from. As a result, the driver of the vehicle exited and had an exchange with the guard.

The footage then showed that Broomes then exited the back of the vehicle and proceeded to push two of the no parking signs to the ground before engaging in a confrontation with the guard, who stood in front of the vehicle. While the Minister confronted the security guard, the driver proceeded to park the vehicle in the no-parking area.

The entire ordeal played out in front of at least half a dozen witnesses.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

EDITORIAL

The Lamentations of Workers in Guyana

BY GILLIAN BURTON-PERSAUD (Guest Contributor)

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ver the past three (3) years the labour relations climate in Guyana has deteriorated to a sad and unprogressive state. It would seem that the APNU+AFC regime has handpicked this particular sector to unleash its wrath.

Immediately after taking office, this was the first sector that came under attack by way of reducing the status of the then Ministry of Labour to a Department within the newly established Ministry of Social Protection.

Additionally, the responsibility of the Department of Labour was not gazetted as part of the portfolio of any government minister, hence reducing its responsibilities to a mere task to be performed.

Hot on the heels of this dilemma are the numerous atrocities that are being experienced the Trade Union Movement.

These include the: arbitrary imposition of wages and salaries increase to Public Servants; closure of the sugar industry; unpaid severance to sugar workers at the Wales estate; part payment of severance to the other closed sugar estates; the dismissal of almost 2,000 Community Service Officers (CSO) who worked in the hinterland regions; dismissal of hundreds of public servants because of their presumed affiliation with the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C): unresolved issues of the teachers; and, most recently, the voting down of the Motion which called for the re-establishment of the Ministry of Labour.

This stance by the current administration reeks of arrogance and disrespect.

This is a systematic approach to ‘beat down’ anything that has to do with the wellbeing of workers in Guyana, by a government which loves to describe itself as being caring.

Caring indeed, when our rapidly declining economy, coupled with heavy and numerous tax impositions, have caused many businesses, large and small, to close shop. This has resulted in thousands of workers being placed on the breadline.

Then there are the many policies that have been implemented, which, not only affect those who work with agencies, but also those who are self-employed, like the hundreds of vendors who ply their trade at the municipal markets or operate from private or rented premises. These policies include the many licenses and taxes these persons now have to comply with.

These new policies and regulations are preventing many workers from being able to enhance their lives.

Now with all of this, there is an important need for a Ministry of Labour.

However, what obtains is a deficient Department of labour, which has failed to correctly advise the government on important issues. Instead it is guilty of sand dancing around every issue directly relating to workers’ rights and empowerment.

Compounding the issue is the continuous violation of the very laws by the APNU+AFC Coalition government – laws it has been mandated to adhere and protect.

A wise government would take note and seek to amend things. However, in an of self-aggrandizers, what the Guyanese people see are Government ministers who have jumped on the gravy train – living a ‘Cadillac style in a donkey economy’.

In the meantime, Guyanese workers, in both the public and private sector, are told to await the profits that will come with the production of oil in 2020. It seems that the promise of the ‘good life’ for all Guyanese will continue to remain unfulfilled.

Actions of APNU+AFC gov’t in sugar sector reflects its lack of credibility Dear Editor,

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he GAWU saw that August 07, 2018 Kaieteur News reported that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that the Administration had received a proposal expressing “…interest for the entire industry…”

Though we noted that the Minister hadn’t expressed, according to the report, the Government’s position on the matter the fact that it has been publicly disclosed says a lot in our view.

The Kaieteur News article reported that the proposal which was submitted by parties from the Middle East, the United States, India and Guyana had proposed that new factories be built and focus will be “…on packaging and co-generation and other value-added activities”.

This is an often heard sales pitch where sky-high promises are made but the reality is usually very different.

In Jamaica, the GAWU recalls, similar promises were made when the

industry was sold a few years ago. An August 17, 2011 Jamaica Information Service report had said “COMPLANT International, the China-based company which has acquired the state-owned assets of Jamaica's sugar industry, is now set to roll out its investment of some US$156 million to renovate three factories and sugar cane lands over the next four years.” Now less than a decade later, unsurprisingly, but more disturbingly, is that the new private owners have pulled out and leaving many in limbo. We believe we ought to know that all that glitters isn’t gold.

But more importantly the announcement by the Government could be construed as an interesting about turn by the Administration.

We recall Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, just days ago, in a July 27, 2018 Department of Information (DPI) report said in relation to the recently secured $30B financing that Government was seeking to have “…

GuySuCo… back on its feet; not as expanded before but in a way where it can stand on its own feet”.

Similar sentiments were also expressed by other Government officials and spokespersons and the Administration had said the bond was a tangible demonstration of its commitment to seeing GuySuCo succeed.

Therefore, the sudden announcement that there was a possibility that the remaining state-owned estates could be sold off only serves to further undermine the Administration’s credibility in our view. We are hopeful that better sense would prevail and that the Government carefully considers, even at this belated stage, its approach to the sugar industry.

The GAWU urges that we learn from the pitfalls of others and not repeat them.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary, GAWU

Procurement process in Region 6 being corrupted Dear Editor,

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orruption in Region 6 is taking a quantum leap. A group of persons go around in every nook and cranny, promising a varied array of services for a fee, whilst getting their clients to sign AFC membership forms.

Recently, eight AFC members were lavishly awarded when they were given huge chunks of contracts, worth in excess of $15 million each, to slash and clean the shoulders of the Corentyne Highway. One of the ‘contractors’ is a member of the National Executive Committee and belongs to the Diaspora NY Chapter.

Another one is the Chairman of the AFC’s Regional Management Committee, while one is an AFC RDC Councillor, and another is the CIIP Supervisor. It’s jobs for the boys!

Another point to note is that none of these ‘contractors’ has any experience or competence to do the job, and one from Black Bush Polder actually sub-contracted the work out to an experienced contractor.

Also, there is a lot of substandard

work done, the bush and grass are not cut properly, and there are long stalks left standing; and in some cases, the garbage remains on the road sides. What system is in place for the Ministry of Infrastructure to certify these works? It is reported that there is a senior AFC member within the MoPI who was instrumental in the awarding of these contracts.

These men were simply handpicked by the AFC and given these contracts on a platter. There were no advertised tenders, and no procurement rules were followed. The AFC was most vociferous during the 2015 Elections Campaign, calling for transparency, accountability and an end to corruption; but, today, the AFC is in the forefront of practising wholesale corruption, cronyism and nepotism. All the procurement rules are thrown on the wayside. This is shameless; no wonder the AFC in Region 6 is losing ground rapidly.

Many of our qualified and experienced contractors made complaints to Mr Gobin Harbhajan, the PM’s Regional Representative, and when objections were made by Mr Gobin,

two of these persons made negative comments, and even made reports to the #51 Police Station that they are being slandered. He was made a target of a part of this nefarious gang, infamously known as the Three Musketeers. But I am sure that Mr Gobin will not be deterred, he is an adamant fighter against corrupt practices.

As a member of the PNC and an NDC Councillor, I am calling on the various ministries to ensure that contracts are awarded according to the procurement laws, and that such contracts are awarded through the Tender Boards.

It is time to stop handpicking contractors, so that the public trust and confidence in our procurement process can once again be maintained. The Honorable Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Ms Annette Ferguson, should look into these corrupt AFC ‘fly by night’ contractors as a matter of urgency.

They should be fired immediately.

It is time our President put his foot down on this type of corruption.

Yours sincerely, Raj Lakhram #52/74 NDC Councillor

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

City Hall must be investigated Dear Editor,

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hen will someone in authority realise that there is a critical need for a Commission of Inquiry to be held into the workings of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown?

Over the years, there have been so many scandals that most persons have lost count; but how much longer must the citizens of our cap-

ital be subjected to having to pay their property rates, market fees, licence fees etc, when the Council’s books are not audited and when there is no system at the Council that tracks and controls their income and expenses?

If one were to just look at the Abattoir, one would have to investigate the stun gun fisco, wherein lots of money was spent to purchase captive bolt pistols, most of which

were not in accordance with what was required, whilst animals were slaughtered in a brutish way. Then there is the lack of a scalding barrel or tank for boiling water and other basic equipment needed for the slaughtering operation. It is all a disgrace.

Just a stone’s throw up the road, as they would say, on Water Street, one encounters the City Constabulary Training School, established

not so long ago to impart training to the new entrants of the Constabulary, along with holding other courses, including refresher’ courses.

It now appears abandoned and derelict, with a leaky roof, windows and doors missing, and littered with a few old beds and other furniture. What a shame! There should be an investigation into how this building fell into such disrepair in such a short period of time.

The condition of the waterfront area of the Stabroek Market, where the roof keeps collapsing and the pier is in precarious state, should be the subject of another investigation. What does the Council do with the stall rents it collects from the Stabroek Market stallholders?

Spend it on overseas trips?

And why is it awaiting the Central Government to repair the Stabroek Market?

Are not the Stabroek Market and its precincts the

property of the Council?

And that takes us to the dilapidated City Hall building? Listening to officials of the City Council, one would conclude that the maintenance of that beautiful building was not the responsibility of the Council, and that they woke up one morning like Rip Van Winkle to find the building in that state. It is mind-boggling that they would be waiting for foreign missions, Central Government, foreign aid agencies and the local business sector to fund the repairs of their headquarters. If the City Council had been doing routine maintenance of the building each year for the last 25 years — as they should have –the building would have been in a pristine state, and the whopping US$4.3 million bill currently being touted would have been less than half. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

There are scandals surrounding the Bel Air Park playfield and the Farnum Playground; the new unauthorised building going up where the Kitty Abattoir once stood; the beauticians who were dumped on the Merriman Mall; the purported Presidential Park; the inordinate delay in construction of the Kitty Market; the robberies taking place in the municipal markets; the disappearance of firearms; the brutalisation of juveniles and other citizens by the City Constabulary; the debts to the GRA, the NIS, GPL, GTT and the credit unions, etc;, the feather bedding at the Council, and the lack of an audit of the Council’s financial systems for decades, and so much more.

Could we please have a CoI at City Hall?

Sincerely, M. Sankar

Erosion of democracy left unchecked will see Guyana returning to dark PNC days Dear Editor,

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ay 2015 ushered in a new coalition Government under an APNU/AFC manifesto. Over three years have passed, and two clear truths have emerged: the manifesto promises have fallen flat; and the pillars of our democracy are under threat.

In old parlance, the first estate (the Church or Clergy) remains independent and largely outside the realm. The APNU Government has assumed the position of the nobility (the second estate), and rules over its citizens like common subjects (the third estate). The fourth estate (the media) has been muzzled. Threats to the fifth estate are present.

Elections, democracy and capitalism go together. APNU was elected by the citizens of Guyana, and while questions are still pending in the court, one takes it as the properly and legitimately elected Government. The Opposition has taken up its seats in Parliament, and has accepted the results.

Democracy, however, has seen some erosion; which, left unchecked, can see Guyana returning to the dark days of the PNC. Capitalism has found itself at the crossroads, the Government has inserted itself on almost every aspect of the people’s lives, resulting in the simple and stark reality that the private sector lacks confidence. Other than oil and other investments from the PPP pipeline, no new investments have been evident since May 2015; and despite relatively low oil prices, capital flight pressure is evident.

Allow me to delve into the key institutions that make up a democracy: a properly functioning Parliament; an independent and fair judiciary; a professional and independent Police Force; and a free and impartial media.

Our Parliament is not what is was of yesterday under the PPP. It is incontrovertible that the Speaker is biased in favour of the ruling Government. The ability of the Opposition to ask questions and seek information has been muzzled. Parliamentary sittings are less frequent, and much shorter. APNU has clearly abused its majority, and, in so doing, has stifled the voice of the Opposition from

this important medium of democracy.

Juxtapose this against the UK House of Commons. We are part of the Commonwealth, but the vestiges of its good governance increasingly receive lip service under this Parliament in Guyana.

Do we have an independent and free judiciary? There is a gallant attempt to assert some semblance of this after considerable erosion. Recall our Attorney General threatening one of our High Court Judges; adverse decisions against the Government being opening criticised; judges and magistrates fearing that adverse decisions against the Government would result in recrimination; appointments to the Judiciary being increasingly stacked in favour of party supporters; and there being a sense of Government reach or influence of the judiciary being much greater than what had obtained under the PPP. As for an independent and professional Police Force, any person would tell you the Government calls the shots; the Commissioner of Police (ag) is toothless. There is clear political influence, as is evident with the abuse of SOCU, the most recent foray with Minister Broomes, and the loss of supernumerary status for one of the security guards in the recent fracas.

Meanwhile, crime continues to climb, and our citizens increasing fear for their physical safety and security. The recent rumour that the Minister of Legal Affairs is taking over the AML functions is an indecent and vulgar assault on the Guyanese citizens, and is another clear example of the abuse from the politicisation of duties that should, by any reasonable-minded person, be performed by independent professionals who are free and clear of any political bias.

As for a free and independent media, the comparison between the APNU and PPP is like night to day. Despite an overwhelming abundance of content, attacks on the Government are timid and scaled back. Compared to the PPP, there was no shortage of media overreach, sensationalising of information, and a clear anti-PPP bias. The opposite is now clearly the case of the day.

The state apparatus has become unabashedly an instrument for APNU propaganda.

As for the free media, the contents of their publications reflect a fear of retribution. A grenade was launched; is it a coincidence that we have a muzzled media?

And so, citizens, as you consider our democracy, consider what determines it. Like a frog in water slowly being heated, do not discover that when you want to express your voice it is too late.

A country of wealth is in the waiting, but

the pillars of democracy must be taken back and secured. Only with these prerequisites in place can we feel that confidence and safety to invest and spend, and in so doing, create prosperity and growth. Capitalism (economic prosperity) is an outcome of western democracy. Strangle the latter and the former will suffer. An APNU Guyana is a classic case in point.

Sincerely, A. Grant

Gov’t has added another potentially destructive weapon to its ‘witch-hunting’ arsenal Dear Editor,

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hen in Opposition, this Government knew all the right answers for every aspect of good governance. They knew that the AML/CFT Bill proposed by the PPP/C Government was deficient, and that was the reason they could not have supported it in the National Assembly.

Immediately upon holding the reins of power, our ‘erudite’ Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams, on 26th June 2015, successfully piloted the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority Bill, even though the former Attorney General, Mr Anil Nandlall, had pleaded that the ‘creation’ of such an Authority would undermine the independence of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and is contrary to what the AML/CFT Task Force had wanted.

Over three years later, AG Williams has finally admitted he had said at that time that Government did not understand what was really happening. He said, “We weren’t in the loop”, and now they are taking corrective action.

But is this the ‘correct action’? The An-

ti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/PF) National Coordination Committee — which is headed by Attorney General Basil Williams, who is also Chairman of the PNC — is far worse than the Authority which is now defunct. There are no pretensions whatever that this Committee would ever act independently and objectively.

It is following in the same settings as SOCU and SARU, and will not be devoid of political direction and control. This Committee will give an umbrella of total control over the FIU. We have seen in Trinidad and Tobago that the Director is the Head of the FIU, and is responsible for the supervision and implementation of policies with respect to the money-laundering and financing of terrorism in accordance with the FIU Act and any other laws.

The FIU is also the oversight and monitoring body of the AML/CFT. In Guyana, the FIU has now become a political weapon for the APNU/AFC Coalition Government, unlike the now defunct AML/CFT Authority and the AML/CFT/PF of Guyana, whose (Turn to page 7)

STRAIGHT TALK 6

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

(This speech was first made public on July 17, 1946. 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.)

In Defence of the Working Class

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

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s a result of my letter appearing in the Daily Chronicle on Sunday July 7, 1946, R.B.H. in the Guiana Graphic of Sunday July 14 countered with an article “A Vote is like a Wage”. To have arrived at those opinions considering the views expressed in my letter, one gets the impression that R.B.H. is either completely devoid of all sense of logical reasoning, in which case he should not be allowed to abuse the freedom of the press, or that he has embarked on an early campaign of smear and slander.

I am being painted as a visionary who will bring the sun and the moon to the people. He would credit me with a campaign slogan, “A car under every house”.

It may be useful information that the workers in the U.S.A. at the present time do not look upon the possession of a car as a luxury, but as a necessity. My point of argument was that the acquiring of material wants – cars, radios, houses, electricity, books, pencil, slates, etc. – varies in direct pro-

portion with buying power, which in turn is dependent upon two factors, wages and cost of consumer goods.

As long as there is maintained the present condition of high cost for consumer goods and low rates of wages for workers, the working class which includes the estate labourers will never have the buying power to purchase his normal wants of adequate food, clothing and shelter, no matter how lavishly these are displayed.

A careful analysis of the article reveals the sinister hand of reaction trying to divide the working class along racial lines. I am smeared as “a champion of a particular race in the colony.” To me the alignment is clear –exploiter versus exploited, capitalism and profits versus slavery and the misery of the working class. In this I can see no question of race. It is only to be hoped that the workers of British Guiana will recognize the fountainhead of this racial propaganda, and will realize their power in their votes and adopt as their slogan “workers of the world unite, you have noth-

ing to lose but your chains.”

Why mention the 3½ million dollars already paid this year as wages by the sugar industry, when no mention is made as to the number of workers and actual number of man hours involved? In other words, give us the figure for the miserable wage rate per hour or per day. Why tell us about aggregate wages, and not mention aggregate profits and the various paddings which in truth are profits but are accounted as cost of production. To state that 80% of the 8 million dollars deposited in the Post Office Savings Bank belongs to the East Indians is subtle propaganda showing that their earning power must be high. The fact is that saving is dependent not only on earning power, but also on other factors as thrift and self-sacrifice. Over what period and by how many and what class of depositors was this sum of saving accumulated? One again recognizes in this statement of savings the creative hand of racial antagonism and division, putting forth the case that “wealth is power”.

Fear of insecurity dominates the soul of the working class today. The sugar estate labourer is forever paralyzed with the fear that at any time his family and himself can be evicted from estate property and house.

R.B.H. would further prostitute and heighten this fear by rearing the ugly head of unemployment. Mechanization of the sugar industry, he would like to have propagated, would mean mass unemployment. He does not tell us that modern

methods of production will decrease the cost of production and therefore, increase the wages of labour, present profits remaining constant.

Mechanization need not result in unemployment. The labour force now used can still be employed at prevailing wages but working less hours. He does not want us to know that even if by mismanagement mechanization of the sugar industry result in unemployment, that the unemployment working class would demand and or-

ganize for full employment as one of its foremost rights and the Government of British Guiana dare not refuse to find ways and means for employment. It behoves the working class to become alive to this subtle form of propaganda - the fear of insecurity - employed by the capitalist.

Mr. R.B.H. would have psychoanalyzed men who sprang from the masses and who now advocate the cause of the working class.

These men do not resent their origin because they are not seeking admission into the fraternity of the “Leisure class”, the capitalistic “Robber Barons”. The fact is that they do not resent, therefore they do not forget.

One forgets and represses into the subconscious only the things of which one is ashamed. This is the time not for forgetting, but for remembering the miserable lot of the ordinary exploited worker.

The time is now for the vanguard of the working class to assume leadership and usher in Henry Wallace’s ‘Century of the Common Man’.

PPP/C future plans are plans for ‘all of Guyana'– Jagdeo G eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, 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 outline 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 as the Party continues its work on the ground, the PPP will not neglect it support base, but will continue to reach out to all its supporters. He reiterated 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. Accord-

ing 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.

Consistent public positions of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Jagdeo underscored the fact that the party advocates for all Guyanese, regardless of differentiating factors, according to him. And he charged that detractors will not dissuade the Party from ensuring that it advances the cause of Guyanese who feel dispossessed or who have had their rights trampled on. “We have defended the almost 2,000 young Amerindians who were fired in 2015. We have defended

the Afro-Guyanese farmers in Berbice who had their lands taken away…but the moment we try I talk about Indo-Guyanese, it becomes a race issue…this is not our approach. As Opposition Leader and as PPP General Secretary, I will advocate for all our people, regardless of ethnicity, gender or religion…we will defend all our people,” Jagdeo said.

The PPP General Secretary made clear that the PPP’s work continues across Guyana and all Guyanese are welcomed by the Party.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

FITUG nominee to chair critical Board rejected A

fter months without one, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has named a person to Chair the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB).

The absence of a chairperson had delayed the recognition and hosting of a number of polls. A number of objections to polls are reportedly pending.

There were two nominees for the position of Chairmanship of the Trade Union Recog-

nition and Certification Board (TUR&CB), including Grantley Culbard, a trade unionist who was recommended by FITUG. However, government moved to name retired justice Claudette La Bennett as the nominee.

Questions have been raised about La Bennett being another political appointee, but these concerns remain unaddressed by the Coalition Government.

APNU+AFC still pushing ahead with controversial wind farm project T

he Hope Wind Farm project may be nearing a final agreement, with the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Affairs being informed during a sitting last Friday (August 3, 2018) that the developer is eyeing a project launch date in 2019.

At the Committee meeting, agencies under the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and the Presidency were grilled on Government policies for renewable energy.

Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) economist Shevon Wood, a part of the panel of technocrats, was asked

by Member of Parliament, Nigel Dharamlall for an update on the project. “That project required a lot of technical approvals and information. Because of the existence of a grid code, there’re protocols that have to be followed to which the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is engaging the developer to have that done.

But it’s a process, stability studies and all that are part of the process. Once that is completed, then we can move (on). So that’s where it is right now,” Wood said.

However, Dharamlall further probed the team on what infrastructure has been laid down at the site.

Initially, Wood affirmed that this would be up to the developer itself.

But Energy Advisor to the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Kiran Mattai, who sat in at the meeting, revealed that there was indeed a timeframe. “The developer provided a roadmap, if I recall correctly. But I believe the commissioning date for that was by the end of next year. What I can add is that the Ministry is continually engaged with the developer undertaking this project. This is a generational project. On account of that, there were lots of things that were outstanding at the time. At this point in time, the discussion is actively ongoing. There are a couple of agreements that are being reviewed by development technical parties.

But this particular developer has been quite committee to ensuring there is compliance with the grid code.”

Alliance For Change (AFC) campaign financier, Lloyd Singh, is the developer of the evolving scandal that is the wind farm project.

Singh is a close personal friend of Ramjattan, as he himself admitted, at the opening of the Alliance For Change (AFC) office in Kitty. Ramjattan, at that forum said, “I want to single out a personal friend of mine and from a long, long time since PPP/C days, Lloyd Singh. We were looking for a building and of

course Lloyd indicated that, ‘Khemraj I know yal got to get a building, I know of something’. And of course, the advance payment on it….(Singh said) ‘hey buddy, you don’t bother with that, we gotto make this thing work’. He upped the front up monies and today we’ve gotten that building… thank you so much Lloyd.”

Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, in his Budget 2017 speech, had announced concessions for importers of components to advance renewable energy, including wind energy project. Heckles of, “This is for Lloyd Singh” were heard at his announcement.

He also announced $1B for renewable energy and energy efficient projects, as well as data studies on the development of wind energy.

In 2015, Jordan an nounced that the Government will be negotiating a power purchase agreement with a private developer, Singh, for a US$50M wind farm at Hope Beach.

While not as stable as hydropower, wind energy generated by turbines is a form of renewable energy.

But the Hope Beach Wind Farm project, at 25 MW, is still no match for the proposed 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydro Project initiated under the previous Administration.

GLDA on High alert for foot and mouth disease

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he Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) is on high alert for foot and mouth and other vesicular diseases following confirmed cases in Venezuela.

Head of GLDA’s Animal Health Unit, Dr. Colbert Bowen says following confirmation of the disease presence the by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has dispatched a team to Region One, Guyana’s closest border region with Venezuela, to prevent the importation of animals and animal products, which aid in the transmission of the disease.

“We have sent in a few officers there led by one of our veterinarians and they are presently on the ground in Region One, specifically in the Mabaruma because of the influx and movement of people from Venezuela.

Because of the situation in Venezuela, there is always the threat of somebody wanting to bring over a live animal or some sort of meat from those animals that are affected to Guyana.

So, it was necessary for us to mount a monitoring surveillance operation in those ar-

eas so that we could reduce the probability of somebody bringing those animals and products into Guyana,” Dr. Bowen said.

The veterinary doctor advises that should the symptoms of vesicular diseases be observed among cattle, swine, goat and sheep or other split hooved animals immediate contact should be made with GLDA on the telephone number 220-6557.

“A vesicle is basically what we call a boil. So, you might find a boil in the mouth of the animal, drooling and when you look at it you might find them off feed. Secondly in going with the name foot and mouth disease it affects the hoof of animals, so you’ll find just above the hoof of the animal the same raised boils and separation of the hoof on the animals. The animals might be off feed, might be drooling, you’re going to see them limping, lameness in the animals,” he explained.

According to Dr. Bowen, of the various animals affected, swine are more severely affected in terms of lameness. There’s a clear sign of separation of hoof in swine while cattle show separation of hoof, lameness and them being affected with

vesicles in the mouth. However, in sheep and goat, the signs and symptoms are not so clear.

Vesicular disease is a general term referring to diseases that cause blisters on various body parts of livestock and, in some cases, humans. Included in this category are Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD); Vesicular Stomatitis (VS); Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD); and Vesicular Exanthema of Swine (VES). Foot and mouth disease is considered the most devasting of them because of its rate of transmission and the capacity to wipe out large herds in a short period leaving economic despair in its aftermath.

Guyana has been deemed free from foot and mouth disease without vaccination. This makes it easier for the country to trade in animals and animal products internationally. In order to maintain this status, the GLDA in collaboration with other local and international agencies earlier this year held a simulation exercise to demonstrate its readiness to deal with any such outbreaks. The exercise received high marks for its state of readiness.

Gov’t has added another... heads are appointed by the National Assembly.

It must be noted that the Director of the FIU, the Deputy Director and other senior functionaries of the FIU are all appointed by the National Assembly. We know that the National Assembly is controlled by the APNU/AFC; they have the majority, therefore whoever they appoint will take effect.

Consequently, the appointment of AG Basil Williams as the Head of the AML/CFT/PF, as pointed out by Dr Jagdeo, we now “have a politician being conferred with an enormous authority….undermining the FIU, which was supposed to police the act’.

All these appointments will be strictly political; there is no room for objectivity and impartiality, fairness and justice. Moreover, apart from Financial Intelligence Units being independent and operating autonomously, they should possess expertise in finance and financial analysis, and they should be able to exchange information directly and independently.

It is evident that Mr Williams is no ‘expert’ in finance and financial analysis, and is definitely ‘not fit and proper’ to be the person in charge of the Committee; but, as the Chairman of the PNC, his ‘expertise’ in

(From page 5)

witch-hunting may be necessary!

On the other hand, the Director and the Deputy Directors of the T&T FIU are appointed by the Public Service Commission.

In addition, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in T&T appoints the other members of staff, after consultation with the Director. This applies to consultants and experts as well, who are employed on a contractual basis. This is how our system should be modelled. It is time that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), which is an organisation of states and territories of the Caribbean Basin, vehemently object to this type of political interference.

It must be noted that the CFATF have agreed to implement ‘COMMON MEASURES’ against money laundering and terrorism financing. I must submit that the Anti-Money Laundering measures in Guyana are by no means ‘common’.

It is evident that this Coalition Government now has another highly potentially destructive weapon added to its burgeoning arsenal to continue its ‘witch hunting’ attacks against the PPP/C and its supporters.

Yours sincerely, H. Yusuf

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Unchallengeable evidence exists to show that the Coalition Government openly practices authoritarianism I

n 2015, Minister Simona Broomes, then Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, wrote to the Public Service Commission (PSC) informing the Commission that President David Granger has instructed that promotions for all public servants attached to the Ministry of Social Protection be put on hold until the President further directs.

I filed proceedings challenging the legality of that letter from Minister Broomes on the ground that it violated Article 226 (1) of the Constitution, which provides: “…in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.”

Chief Justice Ian Chang had little difficulty in declaring that letter to be unconstitutional, in violation of Article 226 (1), unlawful, null, void and of no effect.

In 2017, Minister Joseph Harmon wrote an almost identical letter to the Police Service Commission, informing that Commission that President David Granger is directing that all promotions of Police Officers be put on hold. Again, I launched proceedings challenging this letter. Chief Justice Roxanne George, like her predecessor, quashed the letter on the ground that it violated Article 226 (1) of the Constitution.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is a constitutional creation, which enjoys the same degree of institutional independence and functional autonomy of the Service Commissions as is captured by the language of Article 187 (4), which provides: “In the exercise of the powers conferred upon him or her by this article the Director shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.”

One would expect that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, more than any Minister of any Government, would be familiar with these constitutional precepts and concepts and therefore, such an office holder, would not run afoul of them. Moreover, in the unlikely event that an Attorney General finds himself in conflict with the Constitution, he would, at a minimum, try his best to make amends and certainly will not make same part of his curriculum vitae and have it published in the national newspapers of a country.

In a very detailed interview with the Sunday Chronicle on August 5th 2018, Attorney General, Basil Williams, regales readers with a litany of his “accomplishments” in demonstrating why he should be returned as Chairman of the PNC at its Congress, later this month.

Among his “stellar representation”, the article enunciates thus: “Williams cited too, recently, the case where attempts were made by the PPP to have private charges laid against ministers Volda Lawerence, Dr. George Norton, David Patterson, Rupert Roopnarine and Winston Jordan. He said it was representation through his office that prevented the private charges from continuing against them.”

The above constitutes an unassailable admission by the Attorney General of political interference with an independent constitutional agency. It also corroborates my long-held view that the criminal charges instituted against former Ministers and officials of the PPP/C administration are politically directed.

In most democratic countries, this admission would be the basis of a resignation. But then again, I have produced irrefutable evidence above, confirmed by two rulings of two different Chief Justices of the country, that the President himself, is guilty of the same constitutional wrongs.

Once again, I have unearthed unchallengeable evidence that the Coalition Government openly practices authoritarianism and displays crass disrespect for the Constitution and independent organs of state.

Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP, Attorney-at-Law

The AFC is dead, time for AFC remains untrustworthy it to be buried Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

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he Alliance For Change (AFC) was never serious about tackling corruption and I have written exhaustively on this issue. In 2014, I was deemed by Mr Ramjattan to be a “rogue Councillor” because of my stance against corruption and today another AFC Councillor is being labelled as pro-PPP and a ‘rogue’ by the real rogues!

He called me a “rogue councillor” simply because I moved a motion at the RDC calling for the then Opposition to support the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism Bill. Today, Mr Gobin Harbhajan, another AFC RDC Councillor who is vociferous in exposing alleged corrupt activities on social media and at the RDC is being attacked by the corruptors within the AFC who are bent on shutting him down. The working of the nefarious Three Musketeers was highlighted on social media.

It must be recalled that Mr Harbhajan at an RDC statutory meeting had made a statement to the effect that, “I don’t care which political party this contractor supports, I want this matter to be raised at the highest level; and if found guilty, he should receive the full penalty of the law; because we have been talking about corruption, now we actually have the proof”. This was in relation to the fraudulent letter of credit obtained by a top-ranking AFC official in Region 6.

Again, in relation to the slashing of the Corentyne road shoulders contract valued at $120 million which was ‘awarded’ to seven AFC top-ranking members and officials, he had said that: “The road shoulder contract issue has been raised at our RDC Statutory Meeting, if this contract is not properly tendered for as was mentioned at the RDC, then I’m calling on the Ministry of Public In-

frastructure to recall all contracts regarding the slashing of the road shoulders, because other contractors and persons are complaining that only one set of persons receive the contracts.” This statement is now creating gigantic pandemonium in the AFC and yet again a councillor is to be the ‘sacrificial lamb’.

Moreover, it has now become the norm that at each RDC statutory meeting, some alleged corrupt act of the AFC is in the spotlight. Up until now, the alleged corruption of the CORE workers in Region Six is still not investigated and resolved. It was alleged that the Supervisor of the CORE is using the CORE workers for his personal benefit while the RDC is still not informed about the CORE workers’ job description, their number, and who they report to. In addition, alleged corruption with regard to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s vehicles, machinery, and materials being used to develop a park which is being built by an AFC RDC Councillor has also been the subject of much discussion. Photographs were taken with the vehicles parked at the site of the park under construction.

There is also a corruption racket whereby it is alleged that a certain AFC Executive Member and a Vice Chairman of an NDC are working in cahoots with a manager of GuySuCo to ‘sell’ jobs for various sums.

It seems that at every area where a corrupt dollar can be extracted, the AFC is allegedly actively involved.

However, this furore becomes understandable when I analyse the reason behind the award of the $120 million contract.

It is time for the AFC to be buried deep!

Yours sincerely, H. Yusuf

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he Alliance For Change has said that it will be contesting the Local Government polls alone.

I wish to make four simple points.

One, the Alliance For Change insists that it remains committed to the APNU+AFC Coalition, but it is unable to secure a position that demonstrates a commitment by both the APNU and AFC to coalition politics. Is the Alliance for Change just out to fool Guyanese again?

From where I sit, the Alliance For Change seems to be falling apart and unable to secure its position in the Coalition. So how can Guyanese trust the Alliance For Change at the Local Government polls?

Second, with my first point being the likely state of affairs, the Alliance For Change, isn’t the position it has taken a

deceitful one? Guyanese have not forgotten that the PNC is the major partner in the APNU+AFC Coalition and Guyanese have surely not forgotten what happened to the TUF after it and the PNC joined up for the sole purpose of taking government.

Third, if other Guyanese like me conclude that this is so, what we are seeing is just another manifestation of an unscrupulous Alliance For Change. A party, which in the last three years, seems more interested in defending the perks and privileges that its ministers get, as opposed to defending the interest of the Guyanese people.

Until and unless the Alliance For Change finds a way to demonstrate otherwise, it will remain a political party that for most Guyanese is untrustworthy.

Yours faithfully, Attiya Baksh

GECOM issues warning about ‘fake callers’ asking voters for personal information

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he Guyana Elections Commission has urged citizens to exercise caution when answering telephone calls requesting personal information under the pretense of GECOM. According to the Commission, several persons have contacted the Commission to query the nature of the exercise after receiving anonymous telephone calls requesting personal

information. “Please be advised that the Commission is not engaged in any such exercise,” GECOM has said.

GECOM, as such, has called on citizens to be extremely cautious and not to provide any information to the callers who are pretending to be from the Commission as their motive is “unknown and can be potentially harmful.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Basil Williams’ admission about Gov’t hires Ralph Ramkarran, interfering with work of judiciary others to help get sugar workers’ leads to calls for his resignation case thrown out of court

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stunning admission made by Attorney General, Basil Williams, that his office played a role in saving several Ministers from private criminal charges has led to calls for his resignation.

In an article published by Sunday’s (August 5, 2018) edition of the Guyana Chronicle, it was stated that Williams bragged to the newspaper during an interview that ‘representation through his office prevented the private charges from continuing against them (Ministers)’.

The parliamentary Opposition had filed criminal charges against Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence; Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton;

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Public Sector Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Finance Minister Winston Jordan, for various alleged infractions.

The charges never made their way to the courts.

Williams, at the time of his stunning disclosure, was laying out his achievements to make a case for re-election as People’s National Congress (PNC) Chairman.

Meanwhile, former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, has since called attention to the fact that the DPP is a constitutional office protected from interference by the laws of Guyana. Considering the role of the Attorney General as the legal represen-

tative of the State, this, the former AG noted, constitutes grounds for resignation.

He said, “The above constitutes an unassailable admission by the Attorney General of political interference with an independent constitutional agency. It also corroborates my longheld view that the criminal charges instituted against former Ministers and officials of the [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] PPP/C Administration are politically directed. In most democratic countries, this admission would be the basis of a resignation.”

Williams remains silent in face of the widespread criticisms.

Granger still to make a move to have substantive Chancellor, CJ appointed T

he newly-appointed Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President Adrian Saunders, earlier this week, has said that the continued failure to make substantive appointments is not right.

“For the country not to have a Chancellor – and it has implications for the Chief Justice as well because it just cascades down – for that length of time is just not right…all I would say is that something should be put in place in order to resolve the situation because it has implications for the proper running of the Guyana courts,” Saunders said.

GRANGER RAPPED In May this year, a comment by President David Granger about the substantive appointments of a Chancellor and a Chief Justice in Guyana has opened him up to scathing criticisms by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Granger, last week, said, “The ball is in his (Jagdeo’s) court.” He was asked about the next move on the appointments by local reporters.

At a news conference on May 9, 2018, Jagdeo noted that Granger’s comments are strange, given that his February 7, 2018 letter makes clear his position on the matter.

Referring to the contents of the letter, the Opposition Leader, underscored the fact that he is “unable to offer his agreement” to Granger’s nominees – Justice Kenneth Benjamin as Chancellor and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chief Justice – but remains “committed continuous engagement” on the matter.

Jagdeo quipped that Granger seems to have just “woken up” and forgotten the February 7, 2018 letter, as well as all the developments between then and last week, which seems the reason for him saying that the “ball is in” his court.

The Opposition Leader noted that following Granger’s receipt of the letter, the President stated that he will be seeking legal advice, but is still to update Guyana on what that legal advice is.

Granger was also expected to write Jagdeo for another round of consultations before the appointment of a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice. “I have given my position. He is president, he needs to get back to me on mode on engagement,” Jagdeo said.

At a prior news conference, the Opposition Leader made it clear that he is pre-

pared to meet with the President to “settle on a process” that will allow nominees to be named, in the interest of securing agreement on both sides.

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

POSSIBLE REVIEW Saunders also proposed a possible review of the existing formula used to appoint the Chancellor and Chief Justice.

Article 127 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states that: “The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.”

Notably, the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), has called for the substantive appointments of acting Chancellor Justice Cummings-Edwards and acting Chief Justice, Justice Roxane George.

However, the Head of State has dismissed these calls.

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government is being sued over its refusal to pay full severance to the sugar workers it fired.

Some 4,280 workers attached to the Skeldon, Rose Hall and the East Demerara Sugar Estates are calling for their full severance payments.

The case had a hearing on Tuesday (August 7, 2018).

A t t o r ney-at-Law Anil Nandlall, representing the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), has charged that Government is playing with the lives and welfare of those persons.

Nandlall told media operatives on Tuesday (August 7, 2018) outside the courts following a court hearing that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has now retained the services of the law firm Cameron and Shepherd, with Attorneys Ralph Ramkarran, Nikhil Ramkarran and Kamal Ramkarran.

While Government has promised to pay the sugar workers, Nandlall said, through NICIL and Guy-

SuCo, they are trying to get the sugar workers’ case thrown out using all kinds of technical legal arguments. He said, “It would appear that, at this late stage, the sugar workers’ struggle continues. Though they have been dismissed without cause; they have

and play games and frustrate the workers. And I believe what is playing out here is the true intent of the Government.”

The matter will be heard again on September 4, when the defence is expected to file an answer to certain contentions the other parties in the matter have filed.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had said during a post Cabinet press briefing in early July that Government would be making the second tranche of severance payments to 4,283 retrenched sugar workers at the end of 2018, when it said it would.

GAWU, which is the legitimate trade union for the sugar workers, is seeking “all severance or redundancy payments or allowances due, owing and payable under the provisions of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, Chapter 96:01”, paid to the thousands of employees attached to the Skeldon, Rose Hall and East Demerara Sugar Estates, who were made redundant in 2017.

“The lawyers now have obviously been instructed by the Government, NICIL and GuySuCo to come here and play games and frustrate the workers. And I believe what is playing out here is the true intent of the Government.” – Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall been rendered redundant; their families have been put on the breadline without a word of consultation with them; and the fact that they have no alternative employment provided to them; and now, even to get their severance pay, it’s a struggle.”

Nandlall explained that during Tuesday’s hearing Ralph Ramkarran raised a series of objections and has filed an application to strike out the workers’ claim.

“The lawyers now have obviously been instructed by the Government, NICIL and GuySuCo to come here

Appeal Court upholds decision on dismissal of police corporal involved in bribe taking

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ppeal Court Justices Dawn Gregory, Rishi Persaud and acting Justice Dr Arif Bulkan, earlier this week, upheld the 2013 decision of High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds who ruled that the June, 15, 2002 dismissal of police corporal Patrick Austin was fair.

He was dismissed via a letter signed by the then Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald after Austin was found guilty by disciplinary action of receiving a bribe.

Austin was the subordinate

officer in charge of the licencing and certifying office in Anna Regina, Essequibo back then.

According to the case file, the police force received an anonymous letter in January 2001 from a concerned citizen with claims that Austin solicited a bribe to obtain a driver’s licence in the year 2000.

Investigations later revealed that he obtained $50,000 from Abdul Khan to secure two driver’s licences, The ex-corporal impli-

cated in the illegal act was informed of the investigation in November 2001.

He took his case to the High Court but after Justice Reynolds ruled against him, he appealed.

However, according to the Appellate Justices, while there may been procedural lapses in the conduct of the investigation, the purpose of the Police Discipline Act was exercised in Austin’s matter.

The Appeal Court affirmed Justice Reynolds’s May 2013 decision.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 9, 2018), ranging from the infringement of the rights of Amerindians in Guyana to the misleading notions being peddled about the economy and the oil and gas sector by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

APNU+AFC gov't As many as 8 continues to infringe on AFC activists implicated rights of Amerindians in procurement

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here must be a continued struggle on the rights-agenda, relative to the welfare of Amerindians in Guyana, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

And at his news conference on Thursday (August 9, 2018), on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, he underscored the fact that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to infringe on the rights on Amerindians in Guyana.

He referred to the inclusion of two titled Amerindian villages - Campbelltown and Micobie – into the boundaries of the new township, Mahdia, in Region 8.

Jagdeo blasted Communities Minister, Ronald

Bulkan, for his comments on the issue.

Bulkan earlier this week, said: “We are at an advanced stage of resolving that matter and the last remaining issue was that while we have arrived at the external boundaries of what will become the municipality of Mahdia, it encompasses two Amerindian villages; Campbelltown and Micobie.” Bulkan also stated that government could not proceed and create the township and exclude the Amerindian villages as the law makes provision for the inclusion of all.

According to Jagdeo, the Amerindian Act of 2006, which protects lands held

by Amerindians, ought to have prevailed in the face

of any new legislation being moved. He explained that the Amerindian Act of 2006 gave Amerindian communities autonomy to control their own governance structures, as well as addresses a number of rights issues.

“This is a callous infringement on the rights of our Amerindian people,” the Opposition Leader declared.

Notably, the residents of Campbelltown and Micobie have said clearly that they do not wish their communities to be part of the newly created Mahdia township.

Jagdeo said, “We are disappointed to this government’s approach to issues affecting indigenous people….this serves to give a picture of the necessity to continue the struggle.”

Gov’t Green Paper on oil takes Guyana back to square one G overnment’s Green Paper – ‘Managing Future Petroleum Revenues and Establishment of Fiscal Rule and a Sovereign Wealth Fund – takes Guyana back to square one, relative to ensure a robust management framework for the oil and gas sector.

This was according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the issue on Thursday (August 9, 2018) during his weekly news conference.

Referring to the Paper, he noted that it deals with things like ‘Why is a Sovereign Wealth Fund needed’.

“I thought we had passed this…we are back to square one…this is a discussion paper…this is where we are to a major issue…now we are still no clearer on when we will see Sovereign Wealth Fund Legislation, we have no timeline.”

Notably, the Green Paper states that: “It is intended to capture key issues for CONSIDERATION, including

the mechanisms to ensure sustainable use of petroleum revenues to achieve a diversified and green economy, with a specific predisposition to avoid mismanagement of the national patrimony (i.e. “natural resource curse”).”

Jagdeo promised a more in-depth review of the green paper at a later date.

Notably, the Parliamentary Opposition has stressed the need for a strong management framework for the oil and gas sector.

A CLEAR FRAMEWORK At a prior news conference, Jagdeo had charged that a clear management framework, 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.

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

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irregularities in Region 6

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lliance For Change Executive, Khemraj Ramjattan, has been pictured with one of as many as 8 Party activists who have been implicated in procurement irregularities in Region 6. Ramjattan recently appeared on a television programme with the man, identified as Derrick Basdeo.

Reports a r e t h a t c o ntracts totaling approximately $120M were awarded to the AFC-affiliated contractors, without first passing through the tendering process, who recently got involved in the construction sector.

Basdeo is the National Executive for the AFC Diaspora, and runs DeMoxReality Estate Construction.

That company was awarded one of the eight weeding contracts.

Quad Construction, which is run by Joseph Baichu, was given another contract. Baichu is also an executive of the AFC in Berbice. Another executive of the AFC is Gladwin Abdulla, whose company has also been awarded one of the contracts. Khousal

Goberton, who is an AFC Regional Councillor, has also been awarded one of the contracts. Another one has gone to Subas Orilall, who is the AFC Chairman

ask the relevant agency, which is the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, for the information on how these people were selected, nobody wants to come for-

in Region Six. There are also reports that both ministers in the Public Infrastructure Ministry, David Patterson and Annette Ferguson, are aware of the situation. A ministerial advisor’s son is also one of the contractors.

Meanwhile, Region Chairman David Armogan on the matter. He said, “People were selected on the basis of their political affiliation, and this is cause for great worry for us in this region…when we

ward with any information with regard to this particular contract…they were selected based on their affiliation to that part...this is what is worrying, because there was no public tendering process done. These people, as far as we know, were selected, and they have never been contractors before.”

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 9, 2018) condemned the breaches that took place.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 9, 2018), ranging from the infringement of the rights of Amerindians in Guyana to the misleading notions being peddled about the economy and the oil and gas sector by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

AFC is in ‘sad shape’

Gov’t policy positions contradict talk on the ground, misleads Guyanese A T he Green Paper – Managing Future Petroleum Revenues and Establishment of Fiscal Rule and a Sovereign Wealth Fund’ – addressed the need for three things, which the Parliamentary Opposition agrees with: a stability fund to guard against period of low oil prices; savings; and catalytic investments.

However, while this policy has been made clear, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, contends that it is at odds with what government-affiliated persons are saying on the ground. At a news conference on Thursday (August 9, 2018), he referred to comments made

by Professor Clive Thomas, in Buxton, where he touted the idea that as much as US$5,000 can be given to households from the oil

revenues that will come to Guyana. Jagdeo trashed this comment as misleading.

He noted that the monies that will come to Guyana will be inadequate to do the things outlined in the Green Paper, as well as fund cash handouts. “What they are saying is not supported by fact,” Jagdeo said.

Moreover, the Opposition Leader charged that while there must be support given to poorer people in Guyana, it can be done in the form of conditional transfers. As an example, he noted that even without oil monies, the former PPP/C government funded conditional transfers in the form of the Women of Worth (WOW) programme, where in partnership with a local bank, millions were made available to women who

were single-parents without any interest fees attached.

“What is wrong is the wishy-washy approach by this government to mislead people into thinking that they will get large sums of monies…governments can support conditional transfers to Guyanese people, but not create the misleading impression that because oil is coming they will get a sum of money every year… they are setting up a lot of people for failure because if anyone genuinely starts to believe this and it doesn’t materialise, what happens then…I have a huge problem with this government misleading our people,” Jagdeo said.

Government has remained silent on the contradictions that have been highlighted.

Major concerns exist over proposed ministerial control of Natural Resource Fund

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he Green Paper from the government on how revenues from oil and other natural resources will be managed, places the Ministry of Finance in overall control. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has made it clear that misgivings that were held before when government first talked about a Natural Resource Fund, have been “elevated” to full blown concerns.

“This is the same Minister who lied to the country about the US$18M signing bonus, saying that Guyana never received it and nev-

er asked for it…he lied to Guyanese for over a year… and it is the same minister who will now have full control,” Jagdeo said on Thursday (August 9, 2018) during his weekly news conference.

The Green Paper says that the Ministry of Finance will be the overall manager of the Natural Resource Fund and its minister will have a key role in composing the macroeconomic committee that would be responsible for determining how those funds are apportioned.

“The Macroeco-

nomic Committee would determine the Economically Sustainable Amount and would consist of the following five members appointed by the Minister of Finance,” the document states.

Additionally, the Green Paper states that the Bank of Guyana will be the operational manager of the fund. Jagdeo has already expressed concern about this proposal.

None of the concerns raised by the Opposition on the plans for a Natural Resource Fund have been addressed by the Government.

ExxonMobil asked to provide Opposition with formal briefings

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meeting was held between Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo and ExxonMobil's Country Manager, Rod Henson, recently.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 9, 2018) disclosed that ExxonMobil has been asked to provide the Parlia-

mentary Opposition with formal briefings, from September 2018.

Jagdeo noted that the (Turn to page 12)

political party that publicly acknowledges that it is working to ‘prove it is not dead’ – as the Alliance For Change (AFC) leaders have said – is in “sad” shape, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

At his news conference on Thursday (August 9, 2018), he proffered the view that the Parliamentary Opposition, as well as – it would seem – the AFC’s Coalition partner, APNU, is clearly of the view that the AFC is ‘dead on the ground’.

He noted that after disappointing Guyanese and being “in bed” with APNU, as well as agreeing to the hardship measures imposed on the Guyanese, the AFC is trying to re-create its image. “Suddenly they want to re-create its image,” he said.

However, despite the AFC’ efforts, Jagdeo expressed confidence that the AFC has been exposed and Guyanese will not fall for their ploy.

The Opposition Leader noted that the feedback from the grassroots level is that the AFC is already blaming APNU for the corruption that has taken place and is attempting to mislead Guyanese by saying that they opposed the closure of sugar estates, among other negative actions taken. “None of what they are saying is substantiated by facts; it was

Nagamootoo who took the message of closure to Rose Hall Estate,” he said.

According to him, promises, similar to those made before the May 2015 Elections, including a promise of support for rice farmers, are also reportedly being made.

He said, “We think it is a ploy and in the negotiations they want to improve their bargaining power…. we suspect that they will go into PPP stronghold areas to argue that they are different from the APNU and PNC.” Jagdeo also reiterated sentiments expressed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), following the news that the AFC will contest the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) on its own.

BELOW IS THE PPP STATEMENT ON AFC LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS PLOY: The deceitful, unscrupulous politics of the Alliance for Change (AFC) has reared its ugly head once again.

This political party, since collating with the APNU in 2015, has adopted inconsistent, flip-flopping and deceptive political postures as it struggles to survive as a relevant political force. We have seen how it flip-flopped on many issues in the past, including; the parking meter contract, VAT on education, the sugar industry and even

before they entered into the Coalition, Khemraj Ramjattan is on public record saying that the AFC will never enter into a Coalition with the APNU/PNC because if it does so, it will be "dead meat".

In short, the AFC has consistently taken public positions on issues, attempting to fool the populace in so doing, only to strengthen its negotiation leverage with APNU. The announcement that it will contest the upcoming Local Government Elections separate from APNU is part of this ploy. Again, the intent can be gleaned from its public statement in which it indicated that it will not contest in all of the Local Authority areas. The trickery is that they will come into certain PPP strongholds in which APNU will not contest, as a Trojan horse, pretending to be independent of the APNU in order to garner some sympathy votes in these areas.

That they think they can pull off such clumsy stunts is illustrative of the lack of respect which they have for the intelligence of the Guyanese electorate.

We call upon every single Guyanese not to allow themselves to be used by this moribund cabal of untrustworthy politicians, grasping at the last straw for their survival.

Gov’t Green Paper on...

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

(From page 10)

kept for future generations.

The Opposition Leader reiterated the need for an apolitical approach to the sector’s development and stated that the Parliamentary Opposition would be willing to engage the Government on this matter. “If they want to approach in a bipartisan manner, we will be willing to meet with them to talk about it,” he had said.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 9, 2018), ranging from the infringement of the rights of Amerindians in Guyana to the misleading notions being peddled about the economy and the oil and gas sector by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Documented case of corruption detailed in Public Procurement – PPP/C will send report to SOCU Commission report – Patterson could face charges T

he Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has completed its investigation into the procurement of services for the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge.

The call for an investigation was made by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, who, on behalf of the Parliamentary Opposition, wrote to the Commission.

The PPC handed its report over on Tuesday (August 7, 2018) to Teixeira.

The damning findings, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, have informed the decision of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to write the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU).

On Thursday (August 9, 2018), during his weekly news conference, Jagdeo thanked the PPC for its work.

Addressing the decision to send the report to SOCU, the Opposition Leader noted that Advisor to SOCU, during a seminar with Parliamentarians, Sam Sittlington, encouraged them to send issues to SOCU for investigation. His comment came after the PPP/C Parliamentarians questioned the non-investigation of egregious acts of corruption under the APNU+AFC Coa-

lition Government.

FINDINGS Relative to the findings of the report, Jagdeo proffered the view that it could result in charges being filed against Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, being charged for corruption.

The report noted that several companies bid for the project – to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge – and 12 companies were shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals. As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered. The project was not re-tendered.

Instead a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged

by Patterson’s Ministry.

The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged.

The report, on page 7, stated that monies to be

spent on the project were taken from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (Asphalt Plant Accounts).

General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, according to the PPC report, disclosed that the Board of the Corporation was not involved in the decision to spend its monies. The report said, “He (Mr. Adams) stated that he had not signed the contract on behalf of the DHBC, but only because he was requested to do so by the Minister of Public Infrastructure.

All considered, the Opposition Leader added that the Cabinet is also implicated.

FLAGRANT BREACH Jagdeo said, “This is a flagrant breach of our financial rules…we don’t know how LivenseCSO ended up at Patterson’s Ministry… then Patterson took an unsolicited proposal directly to Cabinet, again bypassing our law…Patterson also used monies from a public corporation without the approval of its Board. “…this is a documented case of corruption of unbelievable proportions directly involving a Cabinet Minister…either Patterson has to bear responsibility for it, or

ExxonMobil asked to... move was made in light of the fact that Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, has peddled the false notion that the PPP/C is receiving regular briefings

from ExxonMobil.

The Opposition Leader noted that the meetings are expected to allow for a team from the Parliamentary Opposition to be briefed and to

(From page 11)

ask questions of ExxonMobil, relative to pressing issues. Environmental issues, among others, are expected to be discussed, according to him.

the Cabinet has to.”

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not addressed the report of the Public Procurement Commission.

TIMELINE: 1. January 4, 2016: According to the Guyanese and foreign media, twenty-two (22) companies responded to a public advertisement and submitted Expressions of Interest for a Consultancy for the Feasibility Study and Designs of a new Demerara River Crossing.

2. January 4, 2016: The Public Infrastructure Ministry Chief Works Officer, Geoffrey Vaughn, disclosed

that the Ministry had already evaluated the tenders and handed over the list to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for processing.

3. April 26, 2016: As of this date, 12 companies were shortlisted, but only two submitted proposals.

4. November 24th and 26th, 2016: Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, announced that LievenseCSO, a Dutch company, had been selected by the National Tender and Procurement Administration Board to do the Feasibility Study for the new Demerara River Crossing. LievenseCSO was not

among the 12 companies that were shortlisted or the first list of 22 companies that bid. It never bid for the project.

5. January 2017: Geoffrey Vaughn had said LievenseCSO been awarded the GYD$146.3 million (US$706,091) contract to conduct the six-month feasibility study 6. March 15th, 2017: The media reported that LievenseCSO had completed the first stage of the feasibility study which it had commenced on January 15, 2017 and this was presented to the Minister.

7. Mid-August 2017: Feasibility study is completed.

TEACHERS TO STRIKE

Union says APNU+AFC gov’t officials were ‘unfair’, ‘disrespectful’

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three-hour meeting between government representatives and the executive of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Thursday (August 9, 2018) saw the breakdown of talks.

The GTU is now moving to strike. The Department of Labour is expected to be informed that teachers will be proceeding on strike action beginning in the pre-term period and continuing into at least the first week of the new school year.

The Union said government officials were being “unfair” and “disrespectful” during the talks.

Reports are that the government rejected the majority of the requests made by the Union.

Government reportedly offered only 5 per cent increase. Government also rejected the Union’s call for a $5,000 monthly stress/risk allowance. These are only a few

of the positions taken during the meeting.

In total, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has refused 22 of the 27 requests made by the union.

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

President David Granger only met with Union officials after strike action was threatened.

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

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t inaction this week

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…a snapshot of headlines making the news

Gaskin tries to sell ‘pipe dreams’ about oil and gas in Kwakwani as part of LGE campaign Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, last Friday (August 3, 2018) met with residents of Kwakwani ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE) and failed to address their concerns. Residents at the meeting shared their concerns on the state of the Kwakwani road. However, Gaskin informed them that this was not his area of work.

What Gaskin did do was attempt to sell Kwakwani residents ‘pipe dreams’ relative to the oil and gas sector. The Minister and son-in-law of President David Granger told the residents to expect benefits from the oil and gas sector. Notably, first oil is not expected until 2020.

Clive Thomas tells Buxton residents that Guyana will get more than ‘50 per cent’ of the take from Exxon oil operations In what has been termed a blatant distortion of facts, Government supporter, Clive Thomas, has told residents in Buxton that Guyanese will get more than “50 per cent” of the take from the operations of ExxonMobil.

“What we have to recognize is that, based on the contract that we do have, every single professional estimate that I have seen and the ones that are existing, estimate that Guyana will get more than half of the net cash flow from the sales of the oil, more than half the profits.”

He also defended the APNU+AFC Government’s poor renegotiation of the 1999 ExxonMobil agreement in 2016 by saying that Guyana could not get more from ExxonMobil because the company is protecting Guyana from “losing out” to Venezuela.

Thomas has been widely criticised for his comments, which were made in Buxton on Sunday (August 5, 2018).

Harmon admits that Department of Energy head is a political appointee While questions about the lack of experience possessed by the newly named head of the Department of Energy, Mark Bynoe, in the area of oil and gas, the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has made a startling admission, on Monday (August 6, 2018) According to Harmon, Bynoe was handpicked by President David Granger. This raises concerns about Bynoe being a political appointee and also raises questions about Granger’s decision making process, since it is unknown what process he engaged to choose a DoE Head.

Notably, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has noted that the structure and mandate of the Department of Energy agency is still unknown.

“We know little about this,” he had said. He added that Guyanese are still unclear as to whether the Department of Energy will complement the Petroleum Commission, another agency for which legislation is still before the National Assembly. “We know very little about the structure of the Department…. its mandate and how it will conflict with or compliment the Petroleum Commission…What will be the responsibility of this department…What will be the responsibility of the Petroleum Commission because that is supposed to be a part of the technical body…How much political involvement?” he questioned.

Government has not responded to these concerns.

Is Guyana looking at another loan?

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, on Tuesday (August 7, 2018), met with a representative from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss partnership between Guyana and the seven-country federation.

And it seems as if Guyana is looking at yet another loan, since Norton talked about rehabilitation to City Hall with the UAE officials.

Last week alone, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took $7B from the World Bank and another $900M from the Caribbean Development Bank.

Guyana’s debt figures in the last three years, since the APNU+AFC Coalition took office, has been a major issue of criticism.

APNU+AFC gov’t continues to ‘farm out intellectual work’ to foreigners Two persons from Estonia have returned to Guyana on a second visit, and as part of the first phase in a project to develop the Action Plan for the creation of a Digital Governance Roadmap.

The two persons met with Minister Cathy Hughes on Monday (August 6, 2018), just after they arrived in Guyana.

It is unclear who is funding this project.

Holder tells GSA graduates to develop agri-sector, silent on lack of support to entrepreneurs The imposition of taxes on agricultural inputs is only one of the many hardship measures implemented by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, since it took office, causing much grief for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.

Despite this, Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, last Friday (August 3, 2018) parroted more rhetoric to graduates of the Guyana School of Agriculture. Not addressing the negative policies implemented by his government, Holder said, “You have the power to make a difference. In today’s world, you have access to the most advanced technology. Make sure you use that power and use it for grand purposes.”

Holder was silent on what support the young graduates could access.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

PPP/C local gov’t elections campaigning continues General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, led a team to the Essequibo Coast, this week, as the Party’s campaign ahead of the 2018 Local Government Elections continues.

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Gov’t still pushing for regional flags, changes to the names of regions

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government is still pushing for the renaming of the regions and for regional flags to be mounted across the 10 regions of Guyana – despite the widespread objections.

The decision on regional flags and renaming the regions was made in 2016.

There have been concerns about the flags ‘proposed’ by APNU+AFC to the various regions, since some proposed bear the distinct colours of the Coalition – green and yellow – including the pro-

posed flag for Region One. Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, admitted that the PPP/C won most of the 10 regions at the 2015 General and Regional Elections and so the changes have not yet been successful because of opposition to the moves.

However, Bulkan insists that government will pursue these actions.

In 2015, Bulkan, in the National Assembly, admitted that there was no consultation before this move was made; rather recommendations were made to the dif-

ferent regions and a decision will be made on mounting these shortly.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP), Priya Manickchand, in questioning the rationale behind the move for regions to have regional flags, made clear the party is opposed to such an initiative. “We are opposed to the regional flag…this is one Guyana and there should be one flag,” Manickchand had said.

Another PPP/C MP, Nigel Dharamlall, has also

highlighted the fact that having regional flags at a time when focus is being placed on greater social cohesion is counterproductive. He also pointed out that with increasing tensions between Guyana and Venezuela, a regional flag initiative may not be the best idea.

Notably, Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has also rejected the move.

“Please do not allow them to introduce a flag for Essequibo or Region Two… That is where they will start undermining the unity of a symbol

we all respect… one flag, one anthem,” Jagdeo stressed.

Government’s proposals to assign separate flags to each administrative region and rename the regions has been strongly objected to by the parliamentary Opposition, which believes more time, energy and resources ought to be spent on better governance. The PPP/C has said that most residents would prefer jobs, enhanced public security, money in their pockets, better roads, improved potable water supply, and efficient garbage

collection rather than other flags. “Rather than seeking to change things that obtained under the PPP/C, and to make things look different under the APNU+AFC, the Granger coalition Administration should change their racial and political, discriminatory and witch hunting practices, as well as their wasteful spending, and focus on improving the economic and social well-being of all Guyanese,” the PPP/C had said in a statement issued when the matter first came to light.

Foreign Direct investment numbers Region 6 Vice Chair increase because of oil and gas sector, condemns gerrymandering still lower than 2014 levels of local authority boundaries

F

oreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Guyana increased from US$58M in 2016 to US$212M in 2017 in part as a result of the oil and gas sector preparing for First Oil. However, the 2017 numbers are still lower than the 2014 numbers (US$255M), which were higher and did not include investments in the oil and gas sector.

Questions have been asked about government’s ability to attract foreign direct investments, outside of the lucrative oil and gas sector that many foreign parties want to be involved with - none of which have been answered to date.

In three years, among several other trips made, there were three massive excursions between 2015 and 2017 – excursions that Guyanese were told focused on securing investments.

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

In October 2015, a high-

level ministerial delegation to Canada included, First Vice President and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Minister of Business and Investment Dominic Gaskin.

The intention was to address investment possibilities. Despite multiple queries, to date there has been no update on what materialised from this trip.

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

In May 2017, a 12-member Guyanese team, including Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, were on a Trade and Investment Explanatory Mission in Brazil, and were slated to participate in sever-

al rounds of discussions with investors in Boa Vista. As with the first no, no outcome statement detailed progress of the undertaking.

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

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

Initially, Government had projected that Guyana’s economy would have grown by a 3.8 per cent growth rate for 2017. This projection was reduced to 3.1 per cent. It was then revised downwards again to 2.9 per cent. The actual performance, 2.1 per cent, was recently disclosed.

D

eputy Chief Scrutineer for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in Region Six, Denis Deroop, has railed against the adjusting of constituencies for the upcoming local government elections.

On Monday (August 6, 2018), at a press conference, he stated that GECOM has so far carried out only two consultations; one on the East Bank of Berbice and another in the West Canje area – both of which happened after the fact.

He said, “GECOM is not giving enough information to the residents of Region Six…it wasn’t even a consultation, it was just to bring information to the residents that they already decided on these NDCs (Neighbourhood Democra tic Councils) to form these areas. In fact, the (Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan) sign it off already, they have already decided on the boundaries of the various constituencies and that what is very import-

ant for the residents. “…they divide the areas in such a way that the APNU+AFC side will stand to benefit by winning most of these constituencies…the proper procedures were not even used. “…it is clear that there was no consultation with the residents to ask them if they are willing to go into local authorities with these areas. There was no consultation with the residents to educate them about local government. This is a fairly new thing to them, these areas were never under local authority. “…once local authority is implemented the residents will have to pay rates and taxes. It’s a new thing to them and anytime fees and charges are involved, it’s a good thing to consult the residents first.”

According to him, the Kortberaad – Plegt Anker Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Kortberaad Village, East Bank Berbice had been

made into two constituencies, while Highbury Village, East Bank Berbice was merged with Light Town Village, East Bank Berbice. Plegt Anker Village and a neighbouring village are now one constituency. He added in the West Canje Area, Sandvoort Village and Caracas Village had been separated, while Vryheid Village and Lochaber Village are now merged. Bush Lot North and South were merged, Adventure Village and Limlair Village, Corentyne should have been separated. These are only some of the changes.

He pointed out that Region Six will now have 18 NDCs and three municipalities, a total of 21 local authority bodies. “What they are trying to do is minimize the seats we would have won the last time. They are trying to minimize or reduce our seats, they think they can make it a little closer this time around,” Deroop said.

Deroop is also the Vice Chairman of Region Six.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

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

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

TOURISM SUPPORT

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

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

HEALTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLAR PANEL AND ENERGY ACCESS

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

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

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

GOVERNANCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LAND OWNERSHIP

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

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

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT

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

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

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

AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Focus on Guyana’s First People

years later: List of promises made to Amerindians and broken by gov’t – issues affecting AmerindianThree people and communities sincreasing

APNU+AFC ignores Amerindians’ rights, includes titled villages in new township

M

inister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan said the government is at an advanced stage in its quest to have Mahdia in Region Eight, Potaro-Siparuni become Guyana’s tenth town.

And the APNU+AFC Coalition Government in violation of the Amerindian Act has included two Amerindian villages – Campbelltown and Micobie – in the boundaries of the township.

Bulkan has admitted to the breach of the law. “We have arrived at the external

boundaries of what will become the municipality of Mahdia, it encompasses two Amerindian villages; Campbelltown and Micobie,” he said.

Offering a feeble excuse for the actions of his Government, Bulkan has said that government could not proceed and create the township and exclude the Amerindian villages as the law makes provision for the inclusion of all. However, it is unclear what law he is referring to.

The two villages were

given up to the end of last month, to decide whether they would like to be part of the township. Both communities rejected the government’s moves.

Mahdia was among a list of communities identified

by President David Granger in 2015 to be commissioned to towns. The other three are Bartica, Lethem, and Mabaruma. The establishment of the latter three also saw criticisms about a lack of consultation with those affected.

Gov’t not budging: Amerindian representation on Indigenous People’s Commission to be reduced D espite criticisms, the Coalition Government is maintaining its push reduce the Amerindian representation on the Indigenous People’s Commission (IPC).

Minister George Norton chairs the Committee of Appointments, which made the controversial move, via its report which is current before the National Assembly.

Approval of the report – and the reduction of Amerindian representation of the IPC – requires a twothirds vote of support in the National Assembly. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has already said that the PPP/C will not support this position.

According to the report, the Coalition Government plans to reduce Amerindian representation on the 15-member Commission

to 30 per cent. Of the 15 members, three representatives are from the National Toshaos Council and two are from local Amerindian organisations.

The other 10 members will come from the: Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs; Ministry of Public Health; Ministry of Social Protection; Private Sector Commission; Environmental Protection Agency; Bar Association of Guyana; Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association; Forest Products Association; National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); and the Inter-Religious Organisation.

The latter, the Inter-Religious Organisation, was a proposal that came from PNCR General Secretary, Amna Ally, who defended her recommendation by

saying that “the majority of indigenous people” may not be Christians.

Meanwhile, the Coalition Government has come in for blows over the past years for cutting the budgets of the Indigenous Peoples Commission, despite arguments by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarians – Alister Charlie, Yvonne Pearson, Gail Teixeira and Nigel Dharamlall – for them not to do so. The PPP/C Parliamentarians had argued that the Indigenous Peoples Commission has a mandate to investigate and treat with the rights of Amerindians.

The seventh report of the Committee of Appointments, in relation to the appointment of members of the Indigenous People’s Commission, was tabled in the House in March 2018.

On August 18, 2015, President David Granger outlined a 10-point “strategic and holistic plan” for Hinterland development. He claimed that the plan would have seen Amerindian communities becoming thriving economic units, extreme poverty being eradicated, youth unemployment being addressed and increased prosperity realised.

Three years later: List of promises made to Amerindians and broken by gov’t increasing Three years later, that plan stands as evidence of more failures of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and increases the list of promises made by the Coalition and broken.

However, despite the failures to address the promises made in his 10-point plan, Granger and his Government ministers have gone silent on the issue.

O

n August 18, 2015, President David Granger outlined a 10-point “strategic and holistic plan” for Hinterland development. He claimed that the plan would have seen Amerindian communities becoming thriving economic units, extreme poverty being eradicated, youth unemployment being addressed and increased prosperity realised.

MAKE THE STAND OUT A failures BIT WHEN YOU CoaliDO Three years later, TABLE that plan stands as evidence of more of the APNU+AFC tion Government and increases the list of promises made by the Coalition and broken.

THE LAYOUT PLEASE However, despite the failures to address the promises made in his 10-point plan, Granger and his Government ministers have gone silent on the issue.

PROMISE MADE 1. Hinterland Education Support Programme

REALITY

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

The 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department, on page 11 states that: “They (Amerindians) have limited access to education and health care.”

2. Hinterland Employment and Youth Service Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs,

Sydney Allicock, has gone on record to say that 40,000 persons are unemployed to date in the Hinterland communities.

3. The Hinterland Poverty Reduction Programme

No mention of any substantial work to improve the lives of Amerindians in Guyana was made in the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department.

Page 11 of the 2017 report states that: “The standard of living in indigenous communities was lower than that of most citizens.”

4. Hinterland Infrastructure Extension

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

No major Initiative has been embarked on to date. The 6,000 solar panel systems earmarked for distribution to Amerindian communities by the former PPP/C government were taken away from the communities by the APNU+AFC Coalition government.

6. Hinterland Happy Household Programme

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

7. Hinterland and Indigenous People Lands

No new villages have received titles to lands in the last three years.

Programme 5. Hinterland Energy Development Programme

Commission

The Commission of Inquiry into Lands, which combined Amerindian and African land rights issues raised concerns that Amerindians would be dispossessed of their lands.

8. Hinterland Public Service Provision

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

9. Hinterland Language Cultural and Sport

The Language Preservation Project started under the former PPP/C administration in 2013 is the only major effort being currently made in this are.

Scheme Service

The Project aimed to preserve the Arawak and other Amerindian languages.

10. Hinterland Tourism service

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

Hinterland communities High levels of mercury in wants electrification Kaituma River T programme to continue A

total of 7,000 solar power systems were distributed to hinterland homes across the country under the former PPP/C government. When the APNU+AFC Coalition took office in May 2015, this initiative was scrapped.

Several hinterland communities have since called for the programme to be continued to reach all households. Calls have also been made for support to be given to the Amerindian communities to secure new batteries for the solar systems that were distributed under the PPP/C government.

The APNU+AFC Coalition remains unresponsive.

Notably, the former PPP/C administration as part of its socio-economic development and poverty alleviation objective has embarked on a programme to extend electricity to unserved areas under the Strategy for Hinterland Electrification.

In several hinterland communities, solar electricity is used for electricity, water pumping, 2-way radio transmission and telecommunication. A 2005 Hinterland Study indicated that solar energy is probably the energy source for a majority of the hinterland communities, given their remoteness and low, dispersed demand for electricity. The study found that using solar as an electric energy source, Solar Home Systems (SHS) would facilitate the installation of individual, isolated systems avoiding the use of grids that would be costly due to long distribution lines to serve the characteristic dispersed housing arrangement in these communities.

In addition to the 7,000 solar systems that were distributed, another 6,000 were purchased for distribution.

However, these 6,000 were never delivered to hinterland communities as they were kept in the Capital by the APNU+AFC Coalition

government.

The disclosure that the solar panels will not go the Amerindian communities was made when the PPP/C, in the National Assembly, questioned the spending of $48.6M on furniture and equipment for the Ministry of the Presidency and State House in 2015. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in response, disclosed that part of the $48.6M was spent of 6,000 solar panel systems for the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

The Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, has charged that the panels should be handed over to the communities. “Hand over the 6,000 solar panel and install them where they should be,” Teixeira said.

Meanwhile, President David Granger has said that his Government wants to see hinterland development advanced on par with that of coastland communities, he did not expound on how this will be done.

Ministerial advisor goes after former NTC Chairman for pointing out gov’t failures T he Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs’ Ministerial Advisor, Mervyn Williams, has gone after the former Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Joel Fredricks, for highlighting the many failures of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, regarding promises made to the Amerindian people.

Williams, however, failed to respond adequately to the details listed by Fredricks when he pointed out the Government’s failures.

Fredricks had pointed to the issues with the lands

commission, the revision of the Amerindian Act, Constitutional Reform, land on which the NTC Secretariat would be built, and the renaming of St. Cuthbert’s Mission to Pakuri, the Indigenous name.

Notably, referring to comments by Fredricks, about broken promises, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had said, “It is to his credit that he enumerated specifics areas where promises were broken…

Granger’s response to these concerns shows how disassociated he is from reality.

We heard the President say: ‘I don’t know any promise has been broken. They asked for a plot of land, I went there, turned the sod myself and it’s being processed. I didn’t break any promises’.”

Overall, the Opposition Leader charged that Guyanese have clearly seen the deficiencies of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, in treating with issues affecting Amerindians in Guyana. “Their continued failures when it comes to addressing the needs of our Amerindian people,” he said.

he water take from the Kaituma River in Region 1 has been shut off by the Guyana Water Inc. after confirmed reports of high mercury levels in the water.

The mercury pollution is believed to be cause from mining operations.

Guyana Geology and

Mines Commission (GGMC) is said to be working with GWI on this matter. However, it is unclear what measures are being taken. It is unknown too how soon GWI will test other water sources in the Region.

Also, the spread of the pollution is also unclear.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mercury is toxic to human health, posing a particular threat to the development of the child in the uterus and early in life. Human beings are expected to have a normal level of 10mg of the substance in their bodies.

Region 9 communities calling for restoration of cash grant A fter taking office in May 2015, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government scrapped the former PPP/C administration’s ‘cash grant’ initiative, which saw every public school student receiving financial support to ensure that they attend school regularly.

Now residents in Region 9 communities are calling for the cash grant to be restored,

so that parents have access to much needed financial support. However, the APNU+AFC Coalition remains unresponsive.

The cash grant was a $1.7B initiative.

Under the PPP/C government, injections of resources in the education sector included: investments into new schools and rehabilitation of schools, the provision of

text books, the hot meals programme, the uniform assistance programme and other measures that aim to support Guyanese children – all of which went towards improving the standard of living and quality of life for all Guyanese.

Prior to 1992 the investment in the social sector was a measly eight per cent of a small national budget.

State of Lethem road continues to create challenges for hinterland residents

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 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

T

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

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

(local and foreign) at a huge cost to the taxpayers.

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

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

7. Durban Park Development Project for the Jubilee

celebrations - The government has refused to provide information on the “private company,” which was in charge of the preparations of the Durban Park prior to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s “take over” of the project on the orders of the President. It is estimated that the costs, when finally exposed, will be close to $1Billion - for a one-day event.

8. The President pardoned over 100 convicted felons in 2015 and stated that this would be done annually. He promised that these would be felons with non-violent crimes and juvenile offenders. In fact, this was not true.

A number of these persons had been sentenced for violent crimes and a number of them are back in prison.

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

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

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

12. Other write-off of debts by the GRA for other companies who financed the APNU+AFC Coalition electoral campaign, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Minister Trotman said these companies have to be compensated for their financial investment.

13. Following the March 18, 2016 Local Government Elections, Minister Bulkan in violation of the statutes governing the local government system, appointed the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and the 5 Chairpersons and vice chairperson of the 5 NDCs in the 6 tied LAAs. All of these persons were APNU, although there was a plurality of votes in 3 of the 6 tied LAAs for the PPP and 3 for the APNU+AFC. 14. 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 embarrassing for the

government.

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

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

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

ing to the issuance of fuel licenses for the importation of fuel to companies that are made up of persons related to top officials or who are top officials themselves in the government, who have no fuel bonds, no storage facilities and no offices.

The withdrawal of the fuel importation license to the Chinese company, which has invested millions of US dollars for storage facilities, appears to have been calculated to make room for these alternative importers.

In August the second set of fuel licenses came to light regarding licenses issued to Dr. Van West Charles, CEO and other officials in GWI under a private company. It should be noted that an applicant for a fuel license has to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and 4 additional licences - provision of a bond under detailed specifications, transportation, storage, importation, and restrictions on where fuel storage can be located. It normally takes a long time for an applicant to obtain all these licenses---impossible to do so in 9 months. The licenses were issued in the month that Van West Charles became CEO GWI and, therefore, he had ample time to remove himself from the company.

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

19. Consistent and frequent violation of the Procurement Act by line ministries - e.g, the Minister of Agriculture admitted that the MOA nor the NDIA had gone out to tender for works totalling $234M due to emergency works for El Nino and flooding in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In fact, these monies should have been provided for in the Supple(Turn to page 21)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over... mentary Financial Paper # 2 of 2016 for the Consolidated Fund.

20. Requests for information during questions to Ministers and questions during the debate on the two Supplementary Financial Papers on August 8th revealed that the government ministers’ will not release contracts unless they have the permission of the other person/company/ party to the contract. This is unheard of and a violation of the role of the legislature under the constitution to hold the government accountable.

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

22. Auditor General’s special audit of GECOM expenditure in 2015 prior to the general and regional elections—this is on-going, with the use of sole sourcing by the GECOM estimated to amount to $700M in the months prior to the May 2015 elections. However, unlike other investigations where the heads were sent on administrative leave such as the Head of NICIL, Head of the NDIA, PS of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, head of the Public Hospital Georgetown, to name a few, this CEO has not been sent off on administrative leave.

23. $240M spent on refurbishing the Kitty Market.

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

24. The awarding of the contract for boxed juices for the school feeding programme to a Surinamese beverage company owned by RUDISA that was not the lowest or even the second lowest bid. The impact on the local farmers and manufacturers will be felt. DDL has come out publicly to criticise this, so too, has another company Guyana Beverages.

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

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

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

28. Not satisfied with the huge increases in salary and benefits, some Ministers are greedy and the reports of paying off Ministers for licenses, contracts etc., is astounding. The government has got into the habit of putting out tenders in the press and then cancelling them repeatedly until their chosen contractor wins the tender.

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

30. The Removal of 6,000 solar panels purchased for the Hinterland Household Electrification Programme

and re-allocating them for use at the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

38. The on-going saga of the Durban Jubilee Park. It is estimated that expenditure has reached $1.5 B. Auditor General Deodat Sharma aims to wrap up his special audit into the controversial Durban Park Project before

(From page 20)

the end of the year even if he does not receive certain financial records which appear to be missing. Mired in controversy, millions more are being spent in preparation for the flag raising ceremony to mark Independence.

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

40. Purchase of the Prime Minister’s SUV- bullet proof, latest model, extraordinary extravagance for a poor developing country.

Noticeable is the acquisition of a fleet of new vehicles for every Minister yet many have not been budgeted for in the annual budgets.

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

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

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

44. The Georgetown Prison Camp Street Jailbreak and fire on July 9, 2017 and the Lusignan escapees coming after the March 2016 riots and fire that lead to 17 inmates being burnt to death.

The COI of the March 2016 prison disturbances and fire has been kept secret but more evidence coming to light indicate that the government did not act on those 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 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

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

GWI targeting certain select Over 100 hire car drivers ejected from areas, looking to collect millions Stabroek Market square A

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rotest action by hire car drivers on Friday (August 3, 2018) followed the decision from City Hall to eject them from the Stabroek Square area.

Some 112 hire car drivers who operate from the Stabroek Market car and bus park area were displaced, when a decision was taken by City Hall to use an area they have used for about three decades as a vending area.

The drivers are claiming that no consideration was given as to where they would be placed. They charged too that they were not even engaged by City Hall before the decision was made. Instead what obtained was that they turned up to work and found the parking area they used barricaded.

The drivers have since said that their ability to earn a living is now in jeopardy.

The drivers sought an audience with the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green, and were told that they should put forward a proposal, which will be reviewed. However, the drivers have said that they are not optimistic that any proposal will be favourably considered.

The hire car drivers have also called on Central Government to give their plight some attention.

Car dealers, cambios and more to be targeted under new laws T he Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), having been given more powers after a government-majority saw the passage of new laws last month, will be targeting car dealers, cambios and other entities.

The new Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) laws re-

quire not only commercial banks, but also auto dealers and money transfer agencies to report to the FIU. The Bill also adds other professionals such as real estate agents, real estate developers, Commissioner of Oaths and Auditors, to the list of those compelled to report to the FIU.

“For the purpose of monitoring compliance with the provisions of this Act, reporting entities shall register with the Financial Intelligence Unit in the manner and form as the Director may determine,” the Bill states.

The cost of the new reporting requirement is unclear.

n increase in $200M in revenues was recorded as at June 2018 by the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), compared to June 2017. In total, revenues as at June 2018 were listed as a whopping $2B. Managing Director of GWI, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, has disclosed that GWI will also be taking water users to court for not paying their water rates.

“If they do not respond to us in a positive manner we file action against them… we started the process in Berbice,” he said.

According to him, GWI has a list of 1,000 persons in targeted areas, which include: Berbice, East Coast Demerara, Anna Regina and West Coast Demerara.

According to him, millions are expected to be collected in these areas.

The GWI Head has not said why these were the only areas being targeted.

Van-West Charles has also not said if the water company will facilitate a payment plan for water us-

ers who are facing financial difficulties. .

These latest moves come even as the water company moves to roll out increased water charges.

The new charges for metered residential consumers will comprise of a monthly fixed charge of $250 and monthly consumption charges of (1) $86 per cubic metre for consumers in the $60.90 category, while (2) all other consumers will pay $112 per cubic metre. As of 1st October, 2019, the monthly fixed charge will be $500 and the monthly consumption charge $112 per cubic metre.

The new monthly fixed charge for unmetered residential consumers, as of 1st, October, 2018, will be $250, along with a monthly consumption charge of $1,100. As of 1st, October, 2018, these charges will be increased to $500 and $1,450, respectively.

There will no fixed monthly charges for metered pensioners, but the monthly consumption charge will

be $74 per cubic metre for the first ten (10) cubic metres, and $86 for each cubic metre thereafter, from 1st October, 2018, with an increase to $112 for each cubic metre thereafter, from 1st October, 2019. Unmetered pensioner consumers will incur no monthly fixed charges while their monthly consumption charge will be a flat fee of $740 per month.

There are new charges for metered non-residential and unmetered non-residential consumers, the latter group of which includes small, medium and large commercial and industrial consumers, along with new sewerage tariffs.

In addition to these, there are also 29 ancillary charges with new prices starting as of 1st October, 2 0 1 8 , a r e n o n - r e s i d e ntial connection fee ¾” or less ($16,000), residential connection fee ¾” or less ($10,000), residential reconnection non-voluntary ($7,500), and residential disconnection voluntary ($4,000).

APNU+AFC gov’t now looking at No response to minibus union new environmental taxes

concerns – gov’t criticised for ‘garbage bin’ focus T M ajor concerns have been communicated by the United Minibus Union (UMU) to Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin. But to date, these remain unaddressed.

The APNU+AFC Coalition government has now come in for criticisms over the issue that has claimed his focus – the donation of 900

garbage bins to the Minibus Union. On Monday (August 6, 2018), the Ministry of Communities made the donation.

Since June 2018, the Union had delivered a proposal to the Ministry of Business 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.

It is unclear when the substantial concerns of the Union will be addressed.

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

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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 sys-

tem of property valuation.

“We are aware that without reliable, continuous and locally-generated sources of revenue, it is nearly impossible for local organs to per(Turn to page 23)

he much touted Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) has as a component a suggestion to impose environmental taxes on Guyanese to ensure that more monies are raised.

This is a stark contrast from the PPP/C administration’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, which focused on innovative means to earn revenues, as opposed to placing that burden on Guyanese people.

Notably, while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to tout its Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), not much is clear about the strategy itself.

The facts that are known to date are that: • There is a Framework of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy and Financing Mechanism, which was developed with help from foreign consultants and completed in 2017.

• There is a Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group • The GSDS is still to be developed and US$1.5M of REDD+ monies funding the completion of GSDS.

GSDS A FAILURE Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has pointed to the fact that the ‘Green Strategy’ is not an economic strategy and fails to define the creation of economic circumstances that would result in prosperity for the Guyanese people, using non-polluting methods. “It will not deliver for our people,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added that there is no specific initiative that is defined – other than undertakings like ‘Plant a tree and support the green economy’. And on that note, he drew a comparison between the Coalition government’s ‘Green Strategy’ and the former government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was geared to earn money for Guyana while supporting development across a range of platforms.

According to him too, there is still to be clearly defined policies that the ‘Green Strategy’ aims to build on. “By the time they get around to drafting policies…or what they might end up doing is going back to the LCDS initiatives and renaming them…we would have missed opportunities,” he said.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC ‘kick-back schemes’ – gov’t silent in the face of criticisms

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orruption has been made an “institutional endeavour” under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, with a “mad scramble” by government ministers to accumulate “as much as they can” before the 2020 General and Re-

3. Ministers are involved in a rental scam, where properties are rented at inflated prices and part of which goes back to the minister in question.

4. The establishment of front companies, with government officials using names

gional Elections. This was the view proffered by Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

Despite the criticisms government has remained silent.

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.

of friends or family members to set up companies, which then benefit from massive government contracts – all in breach of Guyana’s procurement laws.

5. Prime gold mining lands being given to parties linked to government ministers, who guarantee APNU+AFC officials a return on the operations.

6. Dozens of cases settled out of court, for a price, with no disclosure on why there was a decision to settle.

7. Misuse of taxpayers’ monies, with massive properties being constructed for Government ministers.

8. The loss of billions in revenue because of Government supported fuel smuggling rackets. In April 2018, several individuals were implicated in massive fuel smuggling, but managed to get off with a fine of $36M, which was paid to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). The boat was released and no charged were filed, whereas usual pro-

THE ‘KICKBACK SCHEMES’ INCLUDE: 1. Work permits being sold for as much as US$1,000; and Guyanese documents being sold for as much as US$6,000.

2. Gun licences being sold at exorbitant costs, $1.2M for shotgun licences and $600,000 for 6MM pistols.

Licenses for security companies are going for millions more.

Gov’t ‘committed’ to expanding... (From page 22) form 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 Neighbourhood 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 Mirror Newspaper was reliably informed that a Canadian company has already been engaged to do the valuations.

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.

cedure would have seen a different course of action being taken. Following reports that authorities, on April 19, 2018,

took control of a vessel – the Jubilee – because it was suspected to have been involved in fuel smuggling, documents linking the vessel’s operations to prominent local figures were released. Com-

pany documents for entity, SBF International Inc., names Attorney-at-Law, Roysdale Forde, Anand Sanasie and Dorwain Bess as Directors.

Another document, a leaked agreement, names SBF In-

ternational as the company that engaged the services of Sia Regulus, which owns the Jubilee. That agreement was signed by Forde in May 24, 2016 and one, Captain Alexander Kilmanskiy.

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Gov’t majority vote sees passage of bill that allows provisional licences to small businesses C

oncerns were raised by the Parliamentary Opposition about the Tax (Amendment) Bill 2018, which was debated in the National Assembly, on Wednesday (August 8, 2018).

The Bill amends section 71 of the Tax Act to include a provision for the issuance of a provisional license for business premises.

The provisional licence will cost 50 per cent of what the actual license costs. To access the provisional licence businesspersons must be able to show that the application for the license is in the process and all efforts are

being made to satisfy the requirements.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, who kicked off the debate on the Bill charged that while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government supports small businesses, they must be captured in the tax net.

Opposition Parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali, urged Jordan to address several issues with the Bill itself, include timeframes, relative to the new changes.

He also called on the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to also place focus on

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Parliament happenings under review more macro-issues, if it intends to support mirco-enterprises and small businesses in particular. He referred to several international statistics, including reports that say the ease of doing business in Guyana has not improved.

Ali also questioned the status of programmes like the Women of Worth (WOW) initiative, which support female entrepreneur.

“We have no hesitation in supporting any amendment to any law or to support

any policy that will improve the business environment, that will ease hardships of people,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Opposition Parliamentarian, Juan Edghill, speaking on the issue, stressed that small businesses are important and while Jordan acknowledged that mirco-enterprises and small businesses are facing challenges, he must also focus on solutions to those challenges.

The Tax (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed a government majority in the House.

Volda Lawrence hides from questioning by the PPP/C A total of four questions directed to Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, were listed on the agenda for Wednesday (August 8, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly.

But before the questions, put before the House by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), could be addressed, Lawrence called for all the questions in her name to be deferred to an unspecified date.

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, rose to object to this move and pointed out that Lawrence has had these questions for over three weeks now. “We are not supporting this,” she said.

However, Lawrence maintained her position and in attempting to explain her position, she stated that her staff has been busy with Budget 2019 preparations.

Again, Teixeira called her out for the flimsy excuse.

The issue was put to a vote. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government, using its majority, voted to support Lawrence’s hiding from questioning by the PPP/C. After the vote, Teixeira pressed Lawrence on when she will answer the questions.

Lawrence did not answer.

The Opposition Chief Whip pointed out that Wednesday sitting was the last sitting before the National Assembly goes into recess for two months. “This is now looking very convenient,” she said, when House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, offered no support.

DRUG PROCUREMENT The first question related to the award of a contract to HMD Labs for the purchase of pharmaceuticals for the Ministry.

The questions listed to be asked were: 1. How many companies were invited to tender for this contract to supply pharmaceuticals for the Ministry?

2. What were the criteria used for the selection of this company for a restricted bidding process?

3. On what basis were suppliers of pharmaceuticals to the Ministry such as, Ansa McCal, International Pharmaceuticals Agency and International Healthcare disqualified?

4. Why was a company that usually supplies laboratory equipment listed in the restrictive tender to supply pharmaceuticals?

5. What were the items procured under the contract with HDM Labs Inc., the quantity for each item and the unit cost for each item?

6. Has HDM Labs Inc. provided all the procured items?

If so, when?

7. Does HDM Labs Inc. have the Manufacturer’s Authorization in the territory of Guyana for the items listed in the contract? Have these authorizations been produced for verification?

8. Does HDM Labs Inc., have their Goods certified by WHO, or the US Food and Drug Administration, and the Guyana Food and Drug Administration?

9. Can the Minister of Public Health inform the National

Assembly on the experience and technical capacity of the HDM Labs Inc.?

10. Is the Minister satisfied that the Ministry of Public Health has received value for money expended on this contract?

CHILD MORTALITY The second issue that the PPP/C expected to question Lawrence on related to the status of the Ministry of Public health’s child morbidity and mortality committee The questions include: 1. What is the date the Members of the said Committee were appointed?

2. The terms of reference of the Committee?

3. How many times has this Committee met in the last 2 years?

4. Are the Regional Health Officers and the Director of Medical Services at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation required to report child morbidity and mortality data on a quarterly basis to the Committee? If not, how is this information shared with/provided to the Committee?

5. How does the Committee track child morbidity and mortality cases?

6. Does it make scheduled visits to the health facilities in the regions to inspect and investigate any changes in the child morbidity and mortality patterns?

7. Does the Ministry provide adequate resources to the Committee for it to carry out its terms of reference?

8. Does the Committee pre-

pare and submit quarterly or half yearly reports to the Chief Medical Officer on the status of Child morbidity and mortality in the country?

9. Has the Committee made any recommendations and, if so, has any been implemented?

10. What would you say are the most urgent recommendations the Committee has made to the Ministry?

INFECTION LEVELS AT GPHC The third issue that Lawrence avoided scrutiny on related to the infection levels in the neo-natal intensive care unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The questions include: 1. How often is scheduled testing for sterility in the NNICU done?

2. Were there sufficient culture bottles to identify infectious organisms?

3. Were any multi-drug resistant organisms identified in the cases of sepsis and, if yes, which organisms were identified?

4. Was medication to combat the identified multi-drug resistant organisms and other organisms readily available?

How many occasions were the medication not readily available?

5. Was any cause of death due to iatrogenic infection?

6. What organism was identified where the cause of death was due to iatrogenic infection and what methods were used to address the sterility of the unit in instances where multi-drug resistant

organisms were identified?

7. In instances where contamination of the NNICU was detected, were the neonates moved to another sterilized area to allow for a complete disinfection and sterilization of the unit including all equipment?

8. In instances where the cause of death was due to iatrogenic infection and where contamination of the NNICU was detected, was any special investigation and or procedure were followed to ensure sterility of the facility and equipment before re-use?

9. What was the ratio of trained nurses to babies in the unit during the period June 2017 to June 2018?

10. How many specially-trained neonatal nurses are working in the Ministry of Public Health and how many of these specially-trained nurses are working in the NNICU to deal with critically ill babies?

COUNTRYWIDE NEONATAL CARE The status of the neonatal intensive care units across the country was the fourth issue Lawrence was expected to be questioned on.

The questions included: 1. A list of government-run Neonatal Intensive Care Units countrywide?

2. The number of admissions from each government-run Neonatal Intensive Care for each month during the period June 2017 to June 2018?

3. The number of deaths and the causes of death at each government-run Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit for each month during the period June 2017 to June 2018?

4. The number of neonates referred to the NNICU at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation during the period June 2017 to 2018?

5. Did the number of neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NNICU at Georgetown Public Hospital exceed the capacity of 18 during this period?

6. With respect to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation could the Minister state/provide: 7. How many incubators and ventilators were available and working between January 2018 to June 2018?

8. How many incubators and ventilators have been added since May 11, 2015?

9. How many incubators and ventilators are operational as of July 1, 2018?

10. How many qualified technicians are available to repair these incubators and ventilators?

11. The average length of downtime of incubators and ventilators for each month for the period June 2017 to June 2018?

12. How many incubators and ventilators are not functioning as of June 2018 in all the government-run NNICUs? 13. What measures has the Minister put in place to ensure that all government-run NNICUs are properly equipped and functioning?

When and if Lawrence will answer these questions remain unclear.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

Parliament happenings under review Speaker disallows questions on US$10.7M left by the PPP/C for Amerindian Land titling

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questions from People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Pauline Sukhai, regarding a whopping US$10.7M left by the former PPP/C government to fund the Amerindian Land Titling project was not allowed by House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland.

The question, which was expected to be raised on Wednesday (August 8, 2018) during the House sitting, was posed to Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock.

The question posed was: “Could the Honourable Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs inform this National Assembly as to how was the $10.7 MUSD allocated to the Amerindian land Titling Project under the PPP/C Low Carbon De-

velopment expended ? How much of this was spent on demarcations and how much was spent on staff?”

In May 2018, Allicock, admitted that he failed to make progress with the ALT programme, which gave the indigenous people legal rights to their communities.

“I have not been able to title any village,” he said.

In 2010, MoAA together with UNDP and the Office of the President has initiated a Land titling Project that sought to process applications for titling and demarcation.

Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarca-

tion project.

The ALT project seeks to achieve three major goals: completion of land titles issues and demarcation process for all Amerindian villages that submitted requests, increased use of existing and alternative mechanisms to resolve land titling disputes and thirdly a communication strategy including a handbook describing the process of titling, demarcation and social economic impact of secured land tenure.

While Indigenous people in many Countries have right of use of the Land only, in Guyana where the Indigenous People account for approximately 9.7% of the population, Amerindians own land including the forests resources within their Titled Lands.

Gov’t has made no move to address the Petroleum Commission Bill in over 12 months

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o meeting of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on the Petroleum Commission Bill 2017 has been called since July 7, 2017.

And an attempt by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, to raise the issue via a question in the National Assembly on Wednesday (August 8, 2018) was blocked by House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland.

The question was: “Could the Honourable Minister, who also chairs the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on the Petroleum Commission Bill 2017, Bill No. 4 /2017,inform this National Assembly for the reasons why there has been no meeting called of the said Committee since July 7, 2017?”

Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, was expected to field the question.

The Petroleum Commission Bill 2017 was tabled in May 2017. It was debated

in June 2017 and sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarians had criticized the bill presented and questioned the powers granted to the Minister of Natural Resources.

Among the powers are: The Minister will be allowed to give directions to the Commission; and the Minister will be allowed to perform the function of the Board where a Board is not appointed or not functioning, etc.

Several questions on the provisions in the Petroleum Commission Bill 2017 that was brought by the APNU+AFC Coalition government were raised by the PPP/C Parliamentarians, including: 1. What kind of independence can you expect from an agency when the head is politically appointed and serving at the pleasure of the Minister?

2. How objective, fair, and

reasonable can you expect the Commission to be when it is headed by someone who is serving at the pleasure of the Minister and governed by a Board that is subject to the control and direction of the Minister?

3. What kind of control can a Board exercise over a person who is serving at the pleasure of the Minister?

4. Given the powers conferred to the Minister by this Bill and the powerlessness of the Commission to work without the direction and control of the Minister this Bill should be called the ‘Minister Petroleum Bill of Guyana’.

The position of the PPP/C is that the Bill will not create an independent agency that would be able to carry out its mandate in a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory manner as similar agencies in oil producing countries. Instead, the Bill will create an agency that is a sidekick or subservient creature of the Minister.

What has Nagamootoo done with over $100M?

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n allocation of $109.2M was allocated to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, to be spent on whatever he wants – discretional spending.

And People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Odinga Lumumba, was not allowed

to pose questions on what the monies were spent on by House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, during Wednesday’s (August 8, 2018) sitting.

The question was: “Could the Honourable First Vice President and Prime Minister inform this

National Assembly with regards to how much of the $109.2M under 6284 Other in Agency Code 02 Prime Minister’s Secretariat Programme 021 allocated in the 2018 Budget has been spent and what has it been spent on as of June 30, 2018?”

Questions on use of taxpayers’ monies on chartered flights to interior disallowed

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ravel to the interior regions by Government Ministers was an issue that was expected to be raised at Wednesday (August 8, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly.

Questions on the matter were expected to be posed

by Opposition Parliamentarian, Pauline Sukhai. The questions were directed to Minister of Finance, Win-

ston Jordan.

However, it was not allowed by House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland.

The question was: “Could the Honourable Minister provide this National Assembly with the costs of expenditure by the Government Ministers and their staff travelling to interior locations in the last twelve months? The

locations and purpose of each of these visits and the costs incurred? Please also identify how many chartered flights were used to these locations and costs incurred?”

Notably, with Local Government Elections set for November 12, 2018, there are concerns that state assets are being used for electioneering purposes.

State of proposed constitutional reform still unknown

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he lack of meetings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform was expected to be raised during Wednesday’s (August 8, 201) sitting of the National Assembly by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira.

However, House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, did not allow the issue to be raised The issue was expected

to be addressed via questions directed to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo.

The question was: “Could the Honourable First Vice President and Prime Minister inform this National Assembly as to the status of the Constitutional Consultative Commission Bill 2017, Bill No.9 /2017, which was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional

Reform on July 27, 2017?

And what are the reasons for meetings not being called to address this matter?”

While the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has touted constitutional reform as part of its plans, no substantial move has been made in this regard – making this issue another broken promise that was made to the Guyanese people by the Coalition.

How many gov’t officials have beneficial interest, ownership in mining and forestry licenses?

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government was being called on to demonstrate its commitment to accountability and transparency by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). But during Wednesday’s (August 8, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly, House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, blocked the move.

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, had planned on questioning Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, on the issuance of forestry and mining licences.

The question was: “Could the Honourable Minister inform this National Assembly whether any Minister has any beneficial ownership or interest, direct or indirect, in any

mining or forestry license?

And if so, please provide the name of each Minister and the nature of their beneficial ownership or interest, direct or indirect, in these mining and or forestry licenses?”

The question comes at a time when the APNU+AFC Coalition government is facing widespread criticisms about corruption.

26

Teixeira to APNU+AFC gov’t: ‘Come out of your bubble’and address the crime A

motion calling for the agenda of the House to be suspended to allow for a debate on the crime situation in Guyana was tabled by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, during Wednesday’s (August 8, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly. And the Parliamentary Opposition was successful in getting having the matter debated.

VALUE FOR MONEY In her opening remarks during the debate, Teixeira said, questioned value for money with increase spending in the security sector with no results to show. “Something is wrong…it is not ok….you have to come out of the bubble you live in.”

According to her, this is a social issue that has far reaching consequences. “It’s people’s lives we are talking about….this is not about statistics, it is about people… we are saying that we can all look at statistics and try to feel better but the problem is that every part of Guyana is affected.”

She added, “…you said you had the answers. You said you knew what to do… you have the report from a

UK advisor and you have had it for several months, what is this plan…three years later and you have not made a dent in the crime situation.”

The Opposition Chief Whip lamented the treatment of joint service officers also.

“They have not received a salary increase in three year…you have a police force that is demoralized… you cannot run a security sector like this.”

Teixeira blasted Government for allowing months to pass by without appointment of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

According to her, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government is taking actions that do not inspire confidence in their ability to act. “After three years, you should know what you’re doing, but clearly the

Parliament happenings under review any other time in our history, you have the resources. You are not floundering….if you can’t put $30.7B to work, something wrong with you. “…I want to appeal to the government to not be

And Whereas the daily reports in the media describe a level of crime that has continued unabated over the last two years, affecting rural, urban and interior communities, farmers, businessmen and women, and miners alike; And Whereas the Guyana Police Force in June 2018 reported that although there was a 7 per cent decrease in serious crimes at the end of May, 2018 relative to the same period last year, there was an 8% increase in Robberies where no instruments were used; a 7% increase in Robbery Under Arms where a firearm were used; a 4% increase in Rape; a 3% increase in Burglary; And Whereas the level of domestic and sexual violence leading to murder of women in brutal circumstances has increased; on a weekly basis, the media exposes gruesome cases of women being permanently maimed

“This is not an attack on (Minister Khemraj) Ramjattan…the whole government is becoming more and more incompetent….the issue of the crime situation must be addressed…this adjournment motion calls on the government to take urgent measures to effectively manage the public security sector.” – Opposition Chief Whip – Gail Teixeira

UNRAVELING HIERARCHY She noted that government officials are giving instructions to police officers and it is unclear who certain agencies, such as SOCU, report to. “You are unraveling the public security sector of this country to the detriment of the citizens, the economy,” Teixeira said.

public has no confidence in what you were doing,” she said.

The Opposition Chief Whip said, “This is not an attack on Ramjattan…the whole government is becoming more and more incompetent….the issue of the crime situation must be addressed… this adjournment motion calls on the government to take urgent measures to effectively manage the public security sector…you have more money in the security sector than

Gov’t treating crime in isolation from general societal problems - Rohee T here has been much talk about the crime situation in Guyana, according to Opposition Parliamentarian, Clement Rohee, who charged that the worst thing that can happen for a country is for a new government to ignore the work of a previous administration in a sector, as if nothing existed before.

His comments were made on Wednesday (August 8, 2018) during the debate on the PPP/C motion, which calls on the government to take urgent measures to effectively manage the public security sector and to uphold its responsibility to protect the safety of

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

all citizens and reduce the levels of crime which are “eroding public trust and lowering the quality of life.”

Rohee said, “The propaganda they (APNU+AFC Coalition) waged while they were in Opposition, they believed their own propaganda…now they are confronted with a reality that the propaganda was not true and then they face the problem of trying to save face….what we end up seeing at the end of it all is a government that gets defensive anytime an issue, such as this comes up.”

According to him, any discussion on the crime situation has to be situated in a context. “The problem that

this government is having is that crime is being dealt with in isolation from the general problems in society,” he said, referring to the fact that several international agencies have advised against this. He called for attention to be given to the social cost of crime, particularly for working class Guyanese.

Rohee added, “What should have been done is you should have built on what was good…you threw out the baby with the bathwater….all we getting is talk and more talk….the problem is a systemic one and the government, so far, has failed to address this issue within the context.”

defensive on these issues…. this is about citizens and the responsibility of whoever is in government to safeguard and protect our people.”

THE PPP/C MOTION ON CRIME IS AS FOLLOWS: Whereas the levels of crime leading to death, injuries of its victims, and loss of property drives fear into the hearts of citizens while threatening public safety and security across the country;

or murdered; the incidence of rape, sexual and physical abuse of children is also on the increase; And Whereas the budgetary allocation for the public security sector has increased significantly, citizens are not seeing any reversals of the level of crime and the popular perception is that the criminals are becoming bolder and more brazen; And Whereas the 2018 Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) on Guyana’s Crime & Safety Report, released by the U.S State Department, assessed Guyana’s crime threat to be at a “critical level” with criminal activity continuing to be a major issue, with serious crimes, such as murder and armed robbery, being common; BE IT RESOLVED that this National Assembly calls on the government to take urgent measures to effectively manage the public security sector and to uphold its responsibility to protect the safety of all citizens and reduce the levels of crime which are “eroding public trust and lowering the quality of life”.

Coalition gov’t fails to positively respond to calls for more to be done to tackle crime

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PPP/C motion for the National Assembly to call on the government to take urgent measures to effectively manage the public security sector and to uphold its responsibility to protect the safety of all citizens and reduce the levels of crime, which are eroding public trust and lowering the quality of life was not supported by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government on Wednesday (August 8, 2018).

This was despite the admission from Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, that the crime situation is still bad. “Indeed it is still bad…honestly, indeed, it is high,” he said.

Notably, Ramjattan, despite his admission, failed to respond to the points raised by the Opposition Parliamentarians.

He charged that there has

been a decrease in crimes in Guyana. In the same breath, however, he tried to explain why there is crime in Guyana – blaming the fact that Guyana is located on a continent where there is a major narcotics trading and weapons trading Ramjattan also tried to blame the local press for the type of coverage on crime reports, hinting that this is fueling the perception that crime rates are on the rise. “It does have an effect,” he said.

AN ATTEMPT TO DIMINISH A SERIOUS ISSUE In closing the debate, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, said, “I find it abusive that this motion was treated in such a trite manner…this is about human, about people, the issue is not about the triteness you are

trying to reduce it to. “….in 2016 we brought a similar motion, read the details…what has changed from then…the issue is a non-partisan issue of national importance. Minister Ramjattan missed the boat on several of these issues – one, public perception; two, the public’s lack of confidence; three, the dismantling on structures, for example, the Police Complaints Authority is set up by statutory means.”

She also chided him for attempting to criticise the press for its type of coverage of crime in Guyana. “You as a government should show what you are doing with crime, try to assure the Guyanese people,” Teixeira said.

The Opposition Chief Whip rapped Ramjattan too for failing to address the linkages, the new variables (Turn to back page)

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t spending Attempted jailbreak at Lusignan $16M on another study, still no Prison substantial action to tackle crime he Guyana Prison Ser-

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ore spending by the APNU+AFC Coalition government osn yet another crime plan is being advanced, even as the Administration comes under criticism for not acting in a substantial way to address crime.

The Government of Guyana has awarded a contract to the tune of US$78,750 (some $16M) to GeoTechVision founder Valarie Grant, who will be tasked with the responsibility of conducting consultations as Guyana moves to highlight the criminal hubs in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

At the end of the consultancy, the Government, through the Public Secu-

rity Ministry, is expected to move full steam ahead with its crime-mapping initiative. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has said, “Guyanese will be able to see a digital map that depicts where crimes are occurring based on crime data.”

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

Meanwhile, on January 18, 2018, President David Granger accepted the Report of the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP), which was presented to him by United Kingdom’s Security Reform Programme Senior Advisor, Colonel Russell

Combe.

The President said then that the report was the start of security reform in Guyana. He had said, “We are now trying to correct the errors of over two decades of mismanagement of the security sector. There is a lot of work to do.” Combe had an office housed at the Ministry of the Presidency during the one year he took to finish the report.

Up to the end of March 2018, more than a month later, the report had still not been discussed by Cabinet.

To date there has been no news about the report or if/ when its recommendations will be acted upon by the Granger-led government.

Bandits set fire to Wismar post office during attempted robbery

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olice in Wismar, Linden, and the Guyana Fire Service are still probing the circumstances behind a mysterious fire last week at the Wismar Post Office, where it is suspected that an attempt was made by bandits to torch a safe during a break-in.

The fire was quickly put out after a swift response by the Linden Fire Station,

which saved the building from suffering major damage.

Commander of ‘E’ Division Superintendent of Police, Anthony Vanderhyden, has said that nothing was stolen. However, an internal audit was done to verify that all valuables and documents are accounted for.

GGMC investigating assault of local miners by foreigners A n investigation is ongoing after a video, as well as photographs, which show a local miner being assaulted by two foreigners, went viral earlier this week.

The video shows one of

the foreigners, armed with a firearm, behaving in an aggressive manner towards the local miner.

Two Russian security officers accused of beating local miners at a mining location in the interior recent-

The injured miner (Photo from the CGID)

ly have since been arrested.

The investigation is being done by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), in collaboration with the Director of the Corps of Wardens and the Guyana Police Force.

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vice Director of Prisons , Gladwin Samuels, confirmed that there was an attempted jailbreak at the Lusignan Prison between August 2, 2018, and 8:30hours on August 3, 2018.

According to him, officers of duty were able to disrupt an escape plot by two prisoners, who are committed to stand trial in the High Court. Both prisoners are

charged for murder.

The escape attempt was foiled during routine security checks. Samuels stated that one steep bar was already cut, while attempts were being made to cut another to allow the men to escape the holding cell.

The prisoners’ securi-

ty classification has since increased and additional layers of security are in place, according to the Prison Service.

The identities of the would-be escapees have not been made public.

A full investigation is currently ongoing.

Decomposed body fished out of EBD canal T he badly decomposed body of an unidentified male of East Indian ancestry was on Monday (August 6, 2018) fished out of a canal at Craig Sideline Dam, East Bank Demerara, after it had been spotted at about 13:00h by a male, who contacted the Grove Police Station.

Police say the body, clad in a black short sleeve jersey and a part of blue denim jeans,

was barefooted at the time of the discovery.

A search on the body unearthed a black Samsung Galaxy mobile phone and $5800 in cash.

The body was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home to await identification and post mortem examination.

The Police have questioned several persons in the area, but did not gather any useful information. Investigations are ongoing.

Re-migrant killed at Charity home

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re-migrant from Charity, Essequibo Coast, Deonarine, 73, is the latest death in the area – sending shockwaves throughout the community. The injured man was rushed to the Oscar Joseph Hospital with a gunshot wound where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor.

His female companion was witness to an alleged robbery. The woman told police that around 18:00hours on the day in question, the two were cooking when they heard a knock at the back. She said Deonarine was confronted by a man who was armed with a gun. The woman said she

held onto the suspect’s gun and a knife which he pulled out from his pocket, but the man pushed her out of the way and pursued Deonarine. She said the suspect escaped.

The woman was taken into custody for questioning.

Police are continuing their investigations.

Gov’t appointed Region Five REO destroys farmers’ cash crops

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ormer Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, acting on behalf of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), on Tuesday (August 7, 2018) visited cash crops farmers of Region 5, whose crops were bulldozed and destroyed, by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region 5, Ovid Morrison.

He said, “These farmers

have been on that piece of land for the past 20 years, with the permission of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Last year, when the REO served notices on the farmers to vacate the land, the RDC Chairman indicated in writing that no decision was taken by the RDC to remove the farmers from the land. There are farmers from Hopetown, occupying the same plot of land whose farms have not been interfered with by the REO.” According to him, legal action is being taken against the REO. Nandlall has since called

upon the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, to launch an investigation into the matter and to further send Morrison on Administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.

He also called upon the Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, to investigate the accusation of racial discrimination against the farmers.

The affected farmers have been advised to file a complaint with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) and call for an independent investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the farmers have been left counting their losses.

GWI boss sets his sights on oil monies

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he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is looking to secure funds from the expected oil revenues post 2020. This is according to the company’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard VanWest Charles.

Notably, only recently, it was revealed that GWI collected $200M more by June 2018, than it did by June 2017. In total, revenues as at June 2018 stood at a whopping $2B. Van-West Charles, closely linked to the People’s National Congress Reform

(PNCR), is an increasingly controversial character.

In June 2018, he opened a gas station in Bartica. He was granted a license to import and store fuel in 2015.

The licence has been issued in the name of Atlantic Fuel Inc. This was despite the fact that the company was only registered a few months before it got its license. Many saw this development as one of nepotism.

Questions about the sweetheart deal have gone unanswered by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Coalition gov’t... (From page 26) that influence crime, such as the massive job losses. “If you do not recognise that there is some correlation, something is wrong…you can’t talk through two sides of your mouth – the President has said he is willing to sit down and talk about crime and here you are saying everything is fine….we have the President making statements and on the other hand you have ministers, with utter disdain, treating an issue in a trite manner, when it should not be treated as a political issue; but rather a national issue. “….the issue is that if you are unappreciative of the fact that people are hurting, that there are social costs – you will end up in a worse situation….you came in hot and sweaty and then in three year you find yourself floundering. You took things that were working and threw it out.”

The Opposition Chief Whip stressed that the Guyanese people will judge moving forward.

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