Weekend Mirror 25-26 August 2018

25-26 August , 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 36 / Price: $100

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

‘Weak standing’ of PNCR leadership exposed by results of Congress Elections

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he newly elected Chair of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Volda Lawrence, barely secured about 35 per cent of the support from the delegates that attended the Party’s recently ended Congress.

This was according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his Thursday (August 23, 2018) news conference.

He pointed out that of the 1000+ delegates (persons who

could have voted), only 829 actually voted and only 346 voted for Lawrence.

“If you calculate what Volda got on the basis of the attendance of the delegates, her votes, then it’s under 35 per cent of the delegates who attended the Congress voted for Volda Lawrence so that’s an extremely weak position to be in as a leader or the Chairman of your party,” Jagdeo said. “…what I do know is that not

a single one of the three persons who contested commanded a majority of the delegates and that’s an extremely weak position to be in and to move forward in,” he said, adding that Joseph Harmon secured about 35 percent (287 votes) and Basil Williams secured about 22 per cent (183 votes).

The Opposition Leader concluded that such a result exposes the ‘weak’ position of the new PNCR leadership.

Plans for $15B of bond monies already collected in question PAGE 10

SEE INSIDE

Basil Williams remains in contempt of court, continues ‘blatant disobedience’ of Court Order – Nandlall PAGE 8

Property owners in the City looking at increase in taxes PAGE 22

Mabaruma solar farm to be operational by month end, concerns remain unaddressed

AFC supporter linked to corrupt deal in more hot water for PAGE 9 not paying employees

APNU+AFC gov’t involved in blatant acts of gerrymandering in attempt to increase balance of votes at 2018 LGE – PPP

Teachers' strike to go ahead

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

Unrepentant actions of the Government drive Guyanese deeper into Poverty

By Nigel Dharamlall (GUEST CONTRIBUTOR)

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ince its assumption to office in May 2015, the APNU+AFC Coalition Regime has embarked on a systematic destruction of the socio-economic well-being and welfare of the Guyanese people.

During its campaign, much was promised. For example, VAT reduction, public sector wage increases, reducing the income inequality gap, increased pension and subsidy, reduced electricity rates, better prices for agricultural produce, tax and other fiscal concessions for miners and forestry operators; overall public safety and security; the end of corruption in Guyana.

Rewind three years, greater prosperity was a low-hanging fruit. Tens of thousands of my fellow citizens became enchanted and hopeful.

Within weeks of its assumption, the entire country was shocked by the stealthy salary increases that cabinet bestowed onto themselves.

The burgeoning cabinet with

a plethora of Vice Presidents, Senior Ministers and Junior Ministers suddenly became monthly multimillionaires.

Thereafter, a deliberate and well-crafted plan to suffocate private enterprises and strangle the working class took effect.

Thousands of vulnerable and financially challenged employees were either unceremoniously terminated or emphatically forced out of their jobs. The first set was our Amerindians brothers and sisters – 1,972 community support officers earning approximately $750 million dollars per year were witch-hunted. This sucked the life-blood out of the village economies in the

APNU+AFC gov’t continues to rack up debts T

he Government of Guyana has received two loans from the International Development Association (IDA) – the latest in a series of loans already taken in 2018.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon admitted that the loans include a financing credit arrangement to the tune of US$24M. He admitted to that the Government also received an advance agreement for US$1.6M that will provide financial support for capacity building in the oil and gas

sector.

It is unclear under what terms the monies were secured from the International Development Association (IDA). It is unclear what the interest charges are and how long the repayment-term will stretch.

The APNU+AFC Coalition government has not responded to the concerns about the increasing public debt numbers, despite the fact that members of civil society and the Parliamentary Opposition have addressed the issue.

hinterland.

Then the hardship taxes took effect. More than 200 measures were pursued by the regime with the most telling effect on the working poor, especially those in the labour-intensive sectors such as fisheries, forestry, mining and agriculture.

With the new tax measures, businesses began to shrink, sales contracted, profits dissipated, jobs downsized and lost.

That was not the end of it. More happened. Despite its promise that sugar was “too big to fail”, the regime began to close sugar estates rendering more than 7000 employees jobless within a matter of two years. The impact became far-reaching because community-derived businesses and livelihoods were all destroyed. More jobs lost, more production shriveled.

The infamous VAT reforms which began in 2016 continue to have debilitating effects on business capital and individual disposal income. Whilst VAT has been reduced from 16%to 14%, the ill-advised removal of the zero-rated list and placement of its items on the exempt list has effectively driven up prices for education supplies, medical needs

and basic food items to the ceiling because processers, manufacturers and importers cannot now reclaim VAT. Naturally, the increase costs are now passed onto hapless consumers, the overwhelming majority being the poor and working class.

The subsidies previously given to pensioners for utilities such as water and electricity have been removed.

Moreover, these necessities now attract the dreaded VAT thereby making these services more expensive.

As a result, the meager increases given to pensioners over the last three years are now counterproductive and ineffective.

Coupled with its dreaded tax measures is the infamous drive to proclaim unto itself the characterization of incorruptibility. As a matter of fact, the coalition regime leaders were so bare-faced that they actually justify their vicious taxes and inconceivable policies as part of their corruption paradox.

Their claims, most often than not, is that the state needs to collect more taxes in order to meet the infrastructural, education and health needs of the people of the country.

This is ideal but from my interactions with thousands

of people across this country and from my knowledge of the public infrastructure and state-provided amenities in almost all of Guyana, these are mere pretty words espoused by the regime.

There is overwhelming evidence that this APNUAFC regime is corrupt or is involved in corrupt behaviour. There is a litany of projects and expenditures pursued by the regime which make its talk of being incorruptible duplicitous.

The transgressions of procurement fraud endeavored over these three long years of its rule are shameful and unpatriotic.

The impact of its ideology which is to spend-taxborrow is causing grave consequences for the citizens and country.

A once hopeful, prosperous economy with a thriving middle class, expanding private sector and comfortable working class is now deeper in debt and drowning in mismanagement, corruption and crime.

My worry is that we have to suffer as a people for another 20 months until elections when we have the chance to vote for another government.

There is absolutely no way that the cost of living

will be reduced or become manageable in Guyana for as long as the APNU+AFC Coalition remain in office.

Their modus operandi is not pro-poor or working class. As a matter of fact, there is no methodology to their madness because there is no economic vision laid out for Guyana; there is no policy on labour, there is no financial prudence; there is no belief in good governance, public accountability and national transparency.

So the morass that our country is in will continue until the PPP/C returns to government.

Foreign exchange earnings have reduced, the Guyana currency devalued, inflation rate increased, national economic growth decreased, crime and youth unemployment are massively high, profit making is now historical and importantly, cost of living has sky rocketed.

The fact that families now live on a day-to-day basis, savings shrunken, price for basic food, utilities and services increased are a clear indication that we are worseoff than three years ago.

This is all due to the lack of vision, incompetence, corruption and unrepentant actions of the APNUAFC coalition regime.

CDC confirms no reports of damages, injuries after tremor

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here are been no reports of damages or injuries associated with the tremor experienced on Tuesday afternoon (August 21, 2018), as a result of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter offshore neighbouring Venezuela.

This was confirmed by Director General (ag) of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Lt. Col. Kester Craig. According to Craig, contact was made with the administration in all ten regions.

Craig assured that should any reports surface the 24hour Disaster Response Emergency Centre will be contacted and all appropriate disaster response mechanisms will be activated.

The Barima-Waini region (Region One) which is closest to Venezuela and the epicenter is being monitored.

At 17:30hrs on the day in question, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Venezuela’s northeastern coast in the state of

Sucre. The quake, which had a depth of 123.2 kilometres, was felt in countries which lay in close proximity. Countries including Guyana, Grenada, Columbia Trinidad and Tobago, reportedly felt the aftershocks of the tremor which lasted minutes and caused persons to evacuate buildings.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday (August 22, 2018) Guyana was again jolted by another tremor. Residents in Georgetown and West Bank Demerara Wednesday morn-

ing at about 9:27 reported feeling a slight tremor that lasted for less than one minute. Region One Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, said Wednesday’s tremor was also felt in that North-Western area of Guyana which is closer to Venezuela. “We had another tremor just now.

It wasn’t as severe as yesterday. It lasted for 30 to 45 seconds,” he said.

There have been no reported casualties so far from any of the countries hit by the quake.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t attacks Miners’ Association instead of responding to concerns L

ast week, on the heels of the killing of a miner at Puruni, allegedly by a policeman, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miner’s Association (GGDMA) condemned the incident and also put the APNU+AFC Coalition Government on blast for its failures. The Association, among other things, severely criticised President David Granger for his continued refusal meet with the largest private sector employer in the country.

In response, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, via the Ministry of Natural Resources, headed by Raphael Trotman, slammed the Miners’ Association.

The Ministry, in a state-

ment, failed to respond to the concerns raised by the Miners’ Association. It said: “On the issue of the purported failure of government to address the concerns of the industry, this is farthest from the truth… the GGDMA speaks of respect and yet has publicly challenged the President on issues such as mercury eradication following his attendance at the First Conference of Parties for the Minamata Convention, and given ultimatum for a meeting to be held.”

The Ministry added, “It is time the GGDMA decided whether it is a political pressure group and a body representing the interests of an elite group, or a partner in national development.”

BELOW IS THE FULL GGDMA STATEMENT: Corruption, confusion and now extra judicial killings in the mining sector by the Government of Guyana The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miner’s Association (GGDMA) condemns in the strongest possible way the extra-judicial killing, by the Guyana Police Force, of a miner in the Puruni Area.

This is the latest in a series of contemptuous actions being meted out by the Government of Guyana against the mining industry, starting even at the highest level.

The GGDMA calls for an immediate investigation into the execution of a miner who was working legally on a legal claim. The GGDMA

calls on President Granger to establish a commission of inquiry into the ongoing neglect, corruption, shakedown and extortion and now murder of miners at the hands of the security forces and appointed government officers.

The GGDMA notes the current level of impunity in which brutality and neglect is allowed to be meted out to members of the mining industry. The ongoing neglect of the backbone of the Guyanese economy has not gone unnoticed. When the Minister of Finance takes to the media to bemoan and lament the dismal performance of the Guyanese economy, he must address the outstanding issues under his portfolio that are negatively impacting the industry and then look

squarely in the face of his colleagues who, for the last four years, have mismanaged and neglected the industry which carried Guyana on its back. No one in the Government is doing anything to help miners, they are just applying pressure. We are demanding our respect.

There seems to be no one in charge of the mining sector and the government is yet to articulate its policy on continued mining in Guyana.

There is an increasing level of bullyism taking place and public officers are clearly operating outside the law without consequence. The most recent murder of a miner and the recent detention of a dredge sailing in the Demerara River (not dredging) by an unauthorised regional

authority officer demonstrates clearly to all miners that Government does not care about Miners or their families. Death, corruption and frustration are now the pillars on which the current government seems to be moulding the industry.

For more than three years now no major mining roads have been constructed and many of existing ones have been allowed to disintegrate to a state of impenetrability. Mining is surely on the down turn and the blame for this lies squarely at the feet of the current government.

More than three years later, the President of Guyana is still refusing to meet with the largest private sector employer in Guyana. We will not take it anymore.

Food supply running low as more Venezuelan Region Six AFC member resigns over immigrants arrive - Region One Chairman fleeing the only recently arrived and in to cater to the Venezuelans of course we work with budParty corruption Venezuelans crisis in their country Khan’s Hill the number now coming to Guyana, Ashley getary allocations and also

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ess than a week after an Executive of the Alliance For Change, David Patterson, is facing investigations by the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU) over corruption, leaders at the local level are leaving the party over more AFC corruption.

Gladwin Abdulla, a

and was shocked when the official requested a 7% kickback on a contract that he [the official] would get for him.

According to Abdullah, when the contractor refused, the official claimed he came on instructions from a senior government official, but the contractor

“I believed in what they said, what they said about accountability and transparency. Is something opposite they doing; they preach that they want a change and they would do good for all the people but they mislead the people and they mislead me and I was hurt.” – Former AFC Member, Gladwin Abdulla well-known member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) in Region Six, recently resigned from the party, while citing corruption by party members in the region as one of the main reasons for his sudden decision.

Abdulla, whose resignation was effective from August 15, 2018, has not only resigned but has called for an investigation of the “kickback schemes” that see several AFC supporters drawing down on millions.

Abdullah explained that he accompanied the official to the contractor’s house

still refused. “ I was highly embarrassed by this open display of corruption,” he said.

Abdullah said, “I believed in what they said, what they said about accountability and transparency. Is something opposite they doing; they preach that they want a change and they would do good for all the people but they mislead the people and they mislead me and I was hurt,” he said.

The former AFC member has since said that he plans to campaign for the PPP/C at the upcoming local government elections.

are being accommodated in Region One, but with more immigrants coming across the border, a sustainable food supply is becoming a problem, according to Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley.

He explained that the villages of Whitewater, Kamwatta and Khan’s Hill have in some cases recorded as many as 30 new immigrants entering the village seeking refuge. He said, “Thirty new immigrants have been recorded in Whitewater, bringing the total to 291 persons, while Kamwatta now has 68, eight of which

stands at 101. “…I would have learnt over the last few days that there is no food supply for these persons at these places and the RDC is contemplating right now what would be the next move because we do not have the resources to feed the total number of persons we have here…the food supply that we would have had here are now depleted.”

The Chairman noted that the Regional Democratic Council is also doing health screening.

Commenting on Government’s decision to establish a homestead in Region One

said, “I know the Ministry of Citizenship and the government would have been talking about the land that would have been identified but right now our main challenge is food supply and clothing for these persons, especially in the three communities…the Toshaos would have sent information to my office over the last five to eight days that they are in dire need of food supplies and clothing. Some people are trying to assist by giving a little from what they have but that cannot continue to happen. The RDC, too, would have tried to assist but

we have to give justifications for why we are spending in this, area so we are trying our best to assist as best as practicable.”

The Chairman added, “… all we were told when Minister Felix visited here and he would have had a discussion with us is that government is considering building facilities to accommodate them but there [was] no in-depth discussion on what is going to be built for the people on the plot of land.”

An increase in number of Venezuelans crossing the border was recorded in July this year.

PPP General Secretary expresses condolences following passing of former Indian PM

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eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Tuesday (August 21, 2018) signed a book of condolences opened at the Indian High Commission in Guyana, following the passing of the former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

As Prime Minister of India in the late 1990s, Vajpayee was a member of parliament for five decades. He was sworn in three times to the country’s top elected executive office. From 1999 to 2004, he headed the first non-Congress government to serve a full five year term.

He died on August 19, 2018, at age 93.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

Guest

EDITORIAL

Corrupt acts of gov’t-appointed Regional Administrators have far reaching consequences

By Pauline Sukhai

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he unending undemocratic, intimidation and corrupt practices of regional officials responsible for implementation of developmental projects under their watch in assigned regions is a growing nuisance and is impactful on the livelihoods of employees, contractors, service providers and villagers across regions. And what it clear is that the actions of government appointed regional administrations, which are tainted by corruption, have far reaching consequences.

A case is point is seen in Mahdia, the regional centre of Regional Administration in Region 8. There have been multiple changes of government appointed Regional Executive Officers (REOs), whose performances have been linked to: 1) multiple breaches of Guyana’s procurement laws and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA); 2) political intimidation; and 3) reported acts of political profiling, discrimination. Only a few months ago, a new REO was appointed.

Region 8 in the last two to three years, more so over the past few months, has also seen the non-renewal of contracts, transfers and resignation of senior regional officers – whose merit and qualifications are unquestionable, yet others who have little or no professional qualifications are allowed to remain on the job. The workplace environment at the regional administrative centre in Mahdia, as a result, is a tense one.

Technical officials, regardless if they are political appointees, have an obligation to ensure a level of professionalism in the execution of their tasks, relative to regional administration. However, what shadows the Regional Administration and the REO in Region 8 is a lack of professionalism, breaches of procurement laws, tampering with the regional tendering process and serious conflict of interest concerns.

These alleged acts have reached alarming proportions among the business and commercial population and residents at a recently held gathering were not at all tongue tied to point fingers to the REO. Among the glaring breaches reported are: • 2018 regional projects have been awarded to contractors from outside the region, without the fair system of the regional tender board process being adhered to; • The payment of $1M for two flag poles; • The non-payment to contractors and service providers for goods and services, supplies since 2017, with millions being owed.

These instances of malpractices have impacted on the local regional economy, more so the village economy. The expressed view of residents in both sub regions of Region 8, is that ‘business is flat’ and there is a contraction of economic activity in the main commercial location, which is Mahdia.

In the meantime, the entire road network leading from Georgetown to Mahdia, as well as the trails in the North Pakarimas, have added to the struggles and challenges of residents in Region 8. There must be focus on delivering for people by the government appointed Regional Administrators. Central Government, in the meantime, cannot escape its responsibility for the current state of affairs.

Region 8, a region always classified as being remote, today is not removed from the dangers of malpractice and its consequences.

More evidence to show that corruption by AFC officials is spiraling out of control Dear Editor,

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he Alliance For Change (AFC) is now faced with a hasty exodus of the remaining few of its honest, committed and hardworking members as the Local Government Election (LGE) approaches.

Two days ago, Gladwin Abdulla followed in his brother’s footsteps and resigned from the AFC and joined the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to campaign for the upcoming LGE. This move took me by surprise since Gladwin was totally determined that the coalition was the best solution to have ever happened to Guyana since ‘change’ will pervade the land and the ‘good life’ will enter the homes of the impoverished and corruption will be a distant memory. So I called him and sought an explanation for this drastic metamorphosis.

What I heard was the most pitiful tale from a neophyte politician caught in a corrupt web of deceit woven by his seasoned counterpart who thought they saw a gullible fly. I immediately recalled the poem, ‘The Spider and the Fly’ written by Mary Howitt (17991888). The Spider had said, “Will you walk into my parlour?” said the spider to the fly; “Tis the prettiest little parlour

that ever you did spy”. Fortunately, Gladwin did not suffer the same fate as did the fly, the flattery did not last long and he soon saw through the façade of pretensions and hypocrisy peddled by the AFC Ministers and party officials.

He told me that various Ministers who visited Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) would often compliment him for the great work he was doing; both for the party and the residents in Region Six. His zest and zeal for community development was recognised by everyone and he claimed that he would even utilise his personal funds to do community works.

However, he explained that the corruption by the AFC officials was spiraling out of control and the AFC Ministers who regularly visited Region Six did not even bat an eyelid even though the media is replete with allegations of AFC corruption.

He further explained that the proverbial straw which finally broke the camel’s back was the $120 million road slashing contract which was awarded to mostly AFC members and officials.

Gladwin also said the AFC members who were given the $120 million road slashing contract do not even have the financial resources to do the work and he had to act as a guarantor

for a line of credit for them with two businessmen. But it got worse when only a few days ago he discovered that the workers from Number 19 Village were not even paid a dollar for the work they did on behalf of an AFC Executive member turn contractor. These workers went to his home in an aggressive mood and he had to explain to them that the contractor was holidaying in the US. After much harsh statements and the use of various expletives they left.

Abdulla claimed that he was never so much embarrassed in his life since this is not the first time that he had to defend this particular AFC NEC member who is also a ‘corruption broker’.

Abdulla’s brother, who was an AFC NEC member, resigned soon after the coalition won the 2015 General Elections since he was also shocked by the high level of corruption which began in earnest as soon as the APNU/AFC Government took office. Both of these gentlemen are now campaigning on behalf of the PPP/C in the upcoming LGE. Abdulla’s can be contacted to verify what I have written. He has given me permission to write what he told me.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Are GSDS consultations being used as cover to do PNC election work ahead of LGE 2018?

Dear Editor,

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have noticed a recent release from the government announcing ‘Hinterland Consultations on the Green State Development Strategy starts this week’. The release stated that Team experts from the GoG's Department of Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the assistance of the World Wildlife Fund Guianas ( WWF) will be holding meetings in Regions 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10 between August 16 -September 12, 2018. The schedule of meetings was listed.

It is interesting when one examines the schedule of meetings that firstly, three townships and one NDC which are not in the interior were included while certain interior locations were omitted; secondly, the planners of these meetings seem to be unfamiliar with the geography of Guyana as meetings are not being coordinated to ensure efficient use of time and money incurred in holding these consultations.

However, most interesting is that 8

of the 15 identified communities will be going to the polls on November 12, 2018. One wonders if the UNEP and the WWF are aware that these meetings will be part of the government’s election campaign strategy for the Local Government Elections.

From the media, I am aware that the UNEP has been assisting the government since July 2017 on the Framework of the Green State Development Strategy(GSDS) and Financing Mechanism; l am aware that there is a Green State Development Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group although the members of this body have not been made public; l am aware that the GSDS, much touted by the Government for the last three years, is still to be developed and that US 1.5 M USD of REDD+ monies are funding the completion of the GSDS. I am also aware that not one Government Minister in the National Assembly or in the media has been able to articulate the government’s vision of what the GSDS will contain for Guyana and its people. In fact, ask any Minister what is the GSDS and one gets a lot of

“hot air” and generalities, worse yet, ask the how the GSDS will mesh with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their eyes gloss over.

Having abandoned the Low Carbon Development Strategy of the PPPC government which had gone through rigorous consultations and dialogue in every interior community and coastal area over a 2 year period and brought to the National Assembly and debated, the government has failed to hold any consultations over the last three years at the community level on their Green State Development Strategy.

So the readers must forgive me for being cynical that the timing of these consultations on the GSDS is conveniently coinciding with the upcoming LGE on November 12th to allow the government to use these consultations to do the PNC election work.

Do the UNEP and the WWF wish to part of this subterfuge? I certainly hope not.

Regards Gail Teixeira, PPP/C MP

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

Pattern of deliberate neglect of Amerindian people by APNU+AFC gov’t ‘clear as day’ Dear Editor,

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ince after May 11, 2015 elections, the lives of our Amerindian people have drastically changed from the good life they had once enjoyed under the People’s Progressive Party, to a life of unbearable, as a direct result of deliberate acts of neglect and seemingly open hatred of our first people by both the APNU+AFC coalition government and its supporters.

While in opposition, the coalition parties used to preach their big theory of national unity and granting an elevated life for the Amerindians. I use the word theory because, since the coalition parties became the government it has acted in ways towards the Amerindians that have severely retarded their social, infrastructural and economic growth.

Moreover, the gains in lives and lifestyles the Amerindians lived under the People’s Progressive Party administration are quickly being eroded – seemingly by deliberate acts that are being perpetrated against the Amerindians – individually and severally.

The first order of business of the APNU+AFC coalition government when they took office, fired 1972 Amerindian youth under a pretext of lies and nebulous excuses - to the effect that the project was not

helping the Amerindians. Who best knows what is good for the Amerindians, but the Amerindian themselves; and the People’s Progressive Party administration had always given the Amerindians the latitude to make decisions concerning their own welfare. This government did not consult with the Amerindians before taking this unilateral decision of depriving the Amerindians of much-needed jobs that provided income to take care of their families. The Amerindians have seen the same callous behavior repeated in the sugar industry and elsewhere in the country.

Thereafter, the Amerindians saw the APNU+AFC coalition government setting up a land commission of inquiry to determine the rightful owners of traditional indigenous lands, lands to which the Amerindians have been living on and protecting in sustainable ways for thousands of years and lands to which our Amerindian people can trace both their historical and genetics history to.

Today, under advisement from an advisor to the APNU+AFC coalition government, whose opportunistic theory propagates the fallacy that Africans were here 400 years prior to the Amerindians, ignoring both historical and scientific facts, the APNU+AFC coalition government had acted unilaterally to establish a land COI that threatens the

APNU+AFC incompetence, uncaring nature exposed in dealings with teachers Dear Editor,

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espite teachers being labeled supporters of the coalition Government, President David Granger and cabinet are reluctant to adhere to the demands of the Guyana Teachers Union.

A joint manifesto of the APNU/AFC coalition Government before the 2015 elections, “Our Vision for Unity, Stability and Development”, was a promise for a good life for all Guyanese.

Notably in the manifesto, under the Education section, the coalition Government highlighted that education is key to social transformation, and they have several strategies aimed at boosting this vital sector.

Two critical strategies the manifesto mentioned are: that the Government would develop appropriate non-monetary benefits for teachers, and increase emoluments (salaries) with improved working conditions for teachers.

After election to Government in May 2015, the GTU submitted its multi-year proposal for wages’ increases to the Ministry of Education, subject Minister Nicollete Henry failed to represent the teachers’ issues, and after two years, on the 29th October 2017, President David Granger intervened to avert a strike with a delayed tactic of setting up

a High Level Task Force to investigate and make the necessary recommendations to the MoE. This High Level Task Force, which included senior Government Ministers, failed to negotiate a reasonable package for teachers’ wage increases.

This failed negotiation can demonstrate and expose the level of incompetence in terms of negotiations that exists in the APNU/AFC coalition Government.

Teachers are the heart of the education system in any country of the world; the influence of teachers extends beyond the classroom and well into the future.

Teachers are the persons who shape a nation’s future, so it is imperative that the APNU/AFC coalition Government STOP stalling the negotiations and increase their salaries and other allowances immediately.

Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change.

We must compliment GTU President Mr Mark Lyte and the union for standing up against this selfish Government, and urge that the teachers support the GTU in this struggle, especially those teachers in Region Six, to ensure that their goal is achieved.

Sincerely, Zamal Hussain

security of Amerindians’ very existence in their traditional ways of life. Displaying deep racial hatred for our Amerindian people and covetousness of their patrimony inherited from their ancestors. The APNU+AFC coalition government has totally ignored the Amerindian peoples’ concerns over this threat and has appointed a COI in which Amerindians have no representation, after no consultation with the Amerindian representative bodies.

Since the APNU+AFC coalition government took office, the Amerindian communities have been deprived of basic infrastructural development. The Hinterland road network was always properly maintained under the People’s Progressive Party administration.

Some roadways have now been lost to bad weather conditions, with no timely remedy, to the point of their becoming history under the APNU+AFC coalition government.

The deliberate neglect of our transportation systems has compounded the hardship our Amerindian people face daily; even though monies have been allocated in the national budgets. The Amerindians have also seen a great decline in government’s assistance to their communities since May 2015, in direct correlation of President Granger’s famous remarks to the Amerindian people at last year’s AMERINDIAN heritage celebrations, when the people of St Cuthbert’s Mission asked for government assistance, the President responded to the effect, "We cannot provide any assistance to Amerindian people, you people are rich.” With this disrespectful statement by the President, is he truly a President for all Guyanese?

Medical services are another issue of hardship our Amerindian people are facing with the continuous shortage of critical drugs and medical supplies.

Additionally, there is great neglect in our educational facilities and services in the Amerindian communities. The Amerindians have seen a great decline in spending on education for their children. Having taken away their children’s $10,000 cash grant, Amerindian communities are also finding difficulties in the shortage of teachers at the nursery and primary schools, educational materials and in some cases experiencing shortage of school

furniture.

Under the APNU+AFC coalition government the Amerindians have witnessed withholding of vital government aid to their communities. The Amerindians have seen cases where aid that was meant for the Amerindian people have been converted to personal use by the PNC and AFC party supporters. A typical example of this is the thousands of solar panels that were meant for the Amerindian people that have found their way to being installed on both state and private properties. The APNU+AFC coalition government should be reminded that withholding aid and stealing aid is a crime locally and a crime against humanity internationally, especially crimes perpetrated against indigenous people.

Every budgetary allocation for Amerindian communities under the APNU+AFC coalition government is meager and that is an indication of the APNU+AFC coalition government’s lack of commitment and caring for Guyana’s first peoples. No adequate spending is being spent on the Amerindian people. Even in the entire country the Amerindians are not seeing any boost in Guyana’s economy. What the Amerindians have witnessed is a great decline in economic growth. The Amerindians can only conclude that the APNU+AFC coalition government is misappropriating taxpayers’ dollars - overtly and covertly.

This is the APNU+AFC coalition government’s way of punishing the Amerindian people because the majority has always been strong supporters of the People’s Progressive Party.

However, the APNU+AFC coalition government needs to be reminded that this bloodless genocide of our Amerindian people is a crime against humanity, punishable by long jail terms in the world court - a court to which Guyana is a signature partner.

With the concerns I have highlighted, which is just the tip of an iceberg, it is evident to any impartial observer that the APNU+AFC coalition government is displaying great animosity to Amerindians in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Sincerely, Alister Charlie, PPP/C MP

Cathy Hughes unashamed in telling APNU+AFC Coalition took office, there is a blatant lies plethora of alcoholic beverages being served Dear Editor,

T

he comments made by Minister Cathy Hughes necessitate a response, given that she makes three completely erroneous claims, in attempting to respond to criticisms about spending under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – criticisms that were voiced by the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in response to questions from the local media corps at his last news conference.

Firstly, she distorts an issue that dealt with the spending under the budget head ‘dietary’ at the Parliament Office by attempting to make the issue about meals provided to Parliamentarians, Parliament staff and others present during sittings of the House. The problematic issue is not about spending on meals; rather it is about the spending on alcohol during the sittings.

Secondly, she is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying that: “I don’t know which lounge Mr. Jagdeo goes into, but the lounge I go into…that lounge does not have alcohol. There’s a range of teas, coffee, milo and there’s two sets of juices and there’s water.” The Minister is shameless in peddling this untruth. The reality, as known by all Parliamentarians, as well as Parliament staff – but unconfirmed by the members of the media who are not allowed in the Parliament lounge – is that at sittings of the National Assembly, since the

in the lounge. Minister Hughes only has to go back to a recent ‘drinking spree’ at Parliament office, where staffers of the Parliament Officer were made to remain on duty to accommodate a ‘session’ that went into the wee hours of the morning. Minister Hughes only has to turn one of her own colleague Ministers, also part of the Alliance For Change, who often times returns to sittings after the evening break, around 20:00hours, in an inebriated state.

Thirdly, Minister Hughes claims that Parliament usually concludes at 22:00hours, but during budget debates, the sessions can run until 03:00hours. I challenge the Minister to point to the last time this happened. Under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, sittings that ran into the morning hours, to ensure the completion of substantial work to benefit Guyanese people, have become a thing of the past.

I find it strange that the Minister would talk about the “height of fake news” while she peddles untruths.

The fact is, and remains, that the primary objection about spending by the Parliament Office relates to the use of taxpayers’ monies to fund ‘drinking bills’ and this was a position made clear by the Leader of the Opposition in response to queries from the media local corps on the use of taxpayers’ dollars.

Sincerely, Adrian Anamayah, PPP/C MP

6

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

The court must not be silent: Basil Williams must be punished for his contempt Dear Editor,

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his is sheer eye-pass. The Judicial Review Act was enacted in 2010. The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), a pre-condition for the enforcement of the Judicial Reviews Act was issued by the Judiciary in February 2016. All that is needed now is an order issued by the Attorney General (AG). Basil Williams is refusing to issue this order, even though the courts have ordered him to do so. Williams and APNU+AFC are making a mockery of Parliament and the rule of law in Guyana.

The courts must act or prove impotent if they allow the AG to escape scotch-free with his contempt for the court.

While Basil Williams, a strongman in the People's National Congress, is dissing the people, parliament and the courts, we note the silence of President Granger and, particularly, the AFC strongmen - Raphael Trotman, Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan and David Patterson. The AFC is not just silent,

they are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are utterly impotent.

Why is APNU+AFC stubbornly refusing to implement this law? Maybe it is because the Judicial Reviews Act allows citizens to approach the courts when they believe that government officials conduct themselves in violation of the laws and rules. This law is a powerful tool for citizens to both scrutinize and hold all government officials accountable, not only ruling on their conduct, but providing compensation to citizens. The Government's stubborn and brazen refusal to enforce the law shows they are clearly afraid of citizens being able to scrutinize them through the courts.

Parliament unanimously passed the Judicial Reviews Act in 2010 with support from all political parties. At the time, all the political parties praised the legislation and the main speakers on the then opposition side (PNC and AFC) were persons who today are in senior positions in the government. Basil Williams, Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael

Trotman enthusiastically praised the new law and had urged that the law come into effect as soon as possible in 2010. The then President, Bharat Jagdeo quickly signed the bill into law in 2010.

With unanimous support and a consensus that the law is a critical tool for good governance, why, who and what are responsible for delaying the enforcement of the law? Two things have to happen before the law could become active. First, the Judiciary, through the Office of the Chancellor of the Judiciary, have to complete and bring into force the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR). Second, the Attorney General have to issue an order to bring the law into force.

The first condition was met in February 2016 when the Chancellor brought the CPR into force. It took the judiciary five years before they were able to complete the CPR and put it into force. This first condition had nothing to do with any political party, it was solely dependent on the Judiciary, through the Chancellor's office. The then PPP government had their hands tied since they had to await the completion of the CPR by the Judiciary.

Once the CPR came into force in February 2016, there was nothing to prevent the enforcement of the law. The only condition after February 2016 was for the AG to issue the order for the law to become effective. But Basil Williams refused to issue the order.

Williams could not have refused to issue the order unless he had approval to delay the enforcement of the law from the President and the APNU+AFC Cabinet. If he did this on his own, then he must be fired.

A year after the CPR was issued by the Chancellor, the AG failed to issue the order to bring the law into effect, despite vigorous calls from the PPP and from the Bar Association. The former AG, totally frustrated by the refusal of Williams to issue the commencement order for the law, approached the

court to force the AG to issue the order. The Chief Justice's judgment given in December 2017 was that the AG must enforce the law

by July 2018. Instead of complying with the ruling of the Chief Justice, the AG appealed the ruling of the Chief Justice in an effort to further delay the enforcement of the law beyond July 2018. The Appeals Court through Appeals Judge Rafiq Khan ruled the AG was out of order and must enforce the Judicial Reviews Act by the July 2018 date set by the Chief Justice.

Basil Williams is in contempt of the court and the ruling of the Chief Justice. Faced with contempt proceedings, he is now playing stupid games. First, he said he was engaged in wide consultation before he issued the order for the commencement of the law. Desperate for a delay, he then threatened to challenge both the Chief Justice and the Appeals Court rulings by appealing further to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Being advised of the futility of this move, Williams has issued an order for the commencement of the law in January 2019.

No matter what our politics might be and no matter which politician we may like or dislike, we must always stand up for the rule of law. When Basil Williams decided he will deliberately disobey the instructions of the court, issued by the Chief Justice and then reiterated by Appeals Court Justice Khan, he consciously declared that the court has no authority over him and APNU+AFC. We must reject outright this notion and explore all the avenues available to both expose and hold the AG, the President and the cabinet accountable. The court must not be silent - Basil Williams must be treated like all other citizens and be jailed for his contempt of the court until such time as he brings the law into force.

Sincerely, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

No government can succeed GPL must provide when their main objective is spite answers to questions about poor service T T Dear Editor,

he closure of the sugar estates was based purely on spite; that is the sure prognosis of all right-thinking Guyanese, but The PNC see things differently.

They are of the opinion that, by closing the sugar estates, they would be hitting The PPP the hardest. They were of the mistaken belief that, by shutting down the estates, they would sound the death knell of the PPP/C’s stronghold. Kill sugar, they opined, and we would have their supporters with their begging bowls crying for help at the PNC’s doorstep.

However, with that vindictiveness and spite, the PNC/AFC made the following major blunders: 1. They were exposing their lying and deceitful selves before an audience they had faithfully promised that they would never do such a thing. In fact, they lied to the people, telling them that they need to be aware of the PPP, they are the party who would close the sugar estates, and the party who should be the object of their fear.

Well, as it turned out, the people are now well aware of which party betrayed their trust and which constitutes the enemy.

2. By deceiving the people in such a horrible way, they played right into the hands of the PPP. The PPP gets those disaffected voters from the Coalition; in essence, they were strengthening PPP support in the Sugar Belt. The hurt, the blatant deception, did hit the people hardest, which caused many of them to vow never to vote for the Coalition

again. To verify my story, I urge you to go into the sugar areas, and the same sad story greets you as each worker tells you over and over again, “We were deceived… them fool a-we. Never again! Never would we vote for this PNC-dominated Coalition again.”

3. With the rise in the worldwide use of the brown crystals as a natural sweetener, sugar is a sure foreign exchange earner. The industry in Guyana was at the quarter million mark and rising when this Government took control of our economy.

This was a sure sign that better days were ahead. However, with the sudden closures, there was a drastic decline in production, where the industry is barely able to sustain 100,000 tons. The associated results are a shortfall in foreign earnings and a drop in the economy.

4. Sugar is the life blood of Guyana; on it every other foreign earner revolves.

Sugar is a pivot on which Guyana’s foreign earnings revolve. The sugar industry is the largest entity in the productive sector, and to kill sugar means that the entire economy would collapse also. This is the sorry mistake this Government has made.

The stark reality is: you cannot run a government on sheer spite, it was bound to yield horrendous results. In three short years, this Coalition has supervised the demise of sugar as well as every other economic sector of this country.

This is the backward platform that this administration is built on.

Respectfully, N. Adams

he poor service of GPL continues as the residents of Region Two have been affected for over two weeks by frequent power outages.

It is only fair that the Government of Guyana provide honest answers to my people of Region Two on the following: 1. The present state of affairs with GPL, Anna Regina.

2. When will Region Two have reliable power supply since the much talked about installation of new generators is a project that is way behind schedule.

3. Why are thousands of gallons of sludge, a fire and environmental hazard, stored in its Anna Regina Power Plant compound and not properly disposed of? A disaster waiting to erupt.

The inaccurate advisory notices provided by GPL are rapidly reducing public confidence since residents are complaining that these notices do not reflect the actual situation and there are longer hours of blackout when compared to the GPL Advisories.

One of my major concerns is that while the Region Two economy is struggling, several customers of GPL; both commercial and residential have reported damage to electrical appliances and food items. Gas stations and supermarkets are already hit.

We are also deeply affected by the other utility services; namely GTT and GWI along with internet services, they are all heavily dependent on power.

Further, our region is having numerous visitors

at this time, the RDC is pushing for tourism development. It is quite unfortunate that GPL has not been proactive and supportive to this sector, a sector with tremendous potential while other sectors of my region are crumbling.

On the positive side; the dedicated efforts of Mr. Michael Haley, the Diesel Generation Engineer at the GPL Power Plant, Anna Regina must be openly recognised.

H o w e v e r , a s w e a pproach our 53rd Independence Anniversary; we the people of Region Two deserve urgent and honest answers from the Government; a Government that has gone into silence while we are left in the dark.

Yours faithfully, Devanand Ramdatt, Regional Chairman

STRAIGHT TALK 7

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

(This speech was first made public during 1980. 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.)

Nationalism: Progressive and Reactionary

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

I

n most "third world" countries, petty-bourgeois nationalist parties are in power.

This is due to the fact that the working class is generally underdeveloped, and consequently communist and workers' parties are relatively - weak or non-existent.

As a result of the duel character (labour and capital) of the petty-bourgeois class, nationalist regimes generally vacillate. Sometimes they take labour/progressive positions; at other times, conservative/reactionary positions.

This vacillation is characteristic of the PNC, a petty-bourgeois nationalist party.

PRO-IMPERIALIST In the first period (196470), after coming to power with the help of Anglo-American imperialism, its nationalism manifested itself in a reactionary role. Its domestic and foreign policies were geared to foster imperialist interests.

This was made clear by Dr Wilfred David, Economic Adviser to the government; and Dr Ted Braithwaite, Guyana's first Ambassador to the United Nations. Dr David in 1971 stated: "... we have had growth without development, characterized by a high level of dependency."

Dr Ted Braithwaite, the author of "To Sir With Love," exploded a bombshell on his resignation as Ambassador.

He said that every time he wanted to take positions at

the UN which he thought were in the best interests of Guyana, he would get messages from the government telling him what the Americans felt about those issues, and to take positions in accordance with those views.

In the 1971-73 period, the PNC nationalist regime vacillated, with the balance in favour of imperialism. It was forced to nationalize the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA) after its Canadian owners, Alcan, refused to accept "meaningful participation in bauxite," paid overgenerous compensation, and appointed the US company Philipp Bros., as the marketing agent. At the same time, the regime attacked the Soviet Union by espousing the "2 superpowers - 2 imperialisms" line.

ANTI-IMPERIALIST In the 1974-76 period, the dominant tendency of the petty-bourgeois duality in the PNC leadership played a progressive role. It carried out limited national tasks of recuperating the national economy from imperialist ownership and control.

However, through racial and political discrimination, lack of democracy at the political, social and economic/ industrial levels, manipulation and corrupt practices, the PNC established a bureaucratic/military, and not a revolutionary-democratic, form of rule.

Nationalization under the PNC regime is serving not the masses of the working

ing to make any fundamental changes at the superstructure level (political, ideological, institutional and cultural).

During the 1977-82 period, the PNC vacillated, as in the 1971-73 period, with the balance in favour of imperialism.

people but the bureaucratic-bourgeoisie, the neo-comprador parasitic bourgeoisie (contractors, commission agents and others servicing the state corporations) and the emerging rural monopoly bourgeoisie on the other.

CONSERVATIVE The same petty-bourgeois nationalist leadership which played a progressive role in the 1974-74 period has become a force of conservatism, on an obstacle to change in the liberation process. The balance of forces in the PNC leadership has shifted in favour of the conservative/pro-capitalist tendency in the petty-bourgeois duality. Bureaucratic-state, cooperative and parasitic capitalism fetters the pro-

ductive forces, thus wrecking the economy and opening the way to imperialist political blackmail and dictation through "aid with strings."

By refusing to make changes at the super-structural level, by making the party and state indistinguishable, and by declaring the doctrine of paramouncy of the party (in effect, the dominant role of the PNC petty-bourgeois nationalists serving the middle strata, the petty-bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie and not the working class and peasantry), the state has become an instrument of accumulation and gain for the PNC as a party and its leaders.

The petty-bourgeois nationalist PNC has built up a corrupt bureaucratic/military elitist structure and is unwill-

DICHOTOMY From 1983, the regime moved against imperialism in foreign policy, although not as firmly as in 197476. At the same time, in domestic policy, it takes an anti-working class position.

The dichotomy cannot be maintained for long.

If there is no change in internal policies in favour of the working class, the economy would be further undermined and the progressive anti-imperialist position would be lost.

The two aspects of nationalism were demonstrated in Egypt: under President Nasser - progressive/revolutionary nationalism; under President Sadat who succeeded Nasser - reactionary nationalism.

In India during World War II, one saw within the Congress Party the different faces of nationalism. One faction saw Britain, which was denying independence to India, as enemy number one.

It was prepared to fight with German fascism and Japanese militarism to get India free. A second faction saw as enemies both British colonialism and Hitler fascism; it decided to remain neutral. A third faction, the communist

saw Hitler fascism and Japanese militarism as the main enemy; it joined the war on the side of the anti-Hitlerite coalition, which included Britain.

As a petty-bourgeois nationalist party, the ruling PNC has 2 tendencies - a majority conservative/reactionary tendency and a minority labour/progressive tendency.

The latter can talk about socialism, but the former cannot put it into practice.

COOPERATION Cooperation between communists and revolutionary-democrats in possible and necessary for liberation and social progress (revolutionary-democratic are the left-wingers of the petty-bourgeois class). Guyana offers a unique opportunity to move forward along this path.

It has abundant resources; the PNC has complete control of the bureaucracy, military and mass media; and the majority PPP is struggling to go forward to a socialist-oriented course. Salvador Allende's Popular Unity government did not have such favourable conditions: it did not control the state apparatus and the media, and his opposition was rightist, pro-imperialist and linked with the CIA. The class struggle must be intensified to push the PNC to a revolutionary nationalist, to a patriotic and internationalist left position in internal and external policies.

This struggle must be waged inside and outside of the ruling Party.

‘We will be bigger, better and stronger by 2020’ – 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. According

to him, the PPP is a unifying force. “We will work hard for the next few years to take back this country…we will work for those who voted for us and for 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 hap-

pening.

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.

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t involved in blatant acts of gerrymandering in attempt to increase balance of votes at LGE - PPP

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he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at a news conference on Monday (August 20, 2018) charged that the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, with the creation of 10 new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and changes to 14 existing LAAs point to “gerrymandering” of boundaries ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections – all in an effort to increase its balance of votes.

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

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

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

All of this was done without consultation.

Present at the news conference where this issue was addressed were party officials: Ricky Ramraj, Zulfikar Mustpha, Gail Teixeira and Needkumar.

BELOW IS THE FULL PPP STATEMENT: The Minister of Communities, with responsibility for Local Government and Regional Development, Minister Bulkan, issued the Municipal and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (Participating Local Authorities) Order # 19 of 2018, dated June 8, 2018. In this Order he named “the name of each local authority, the total number of seats, the number of Councilors in respect of the “proportional representation” component, and the number of Constituencies and Councilors in respect of the “first past the post” component. By way of this Order, he announced the creation of 1 new township and 8 new Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, an increase of 9 LAAS, bringing the total LAAs to 80.

However, this created some confusion as Orders # 16 and 17 of 2018 created the Aranaputa/Upper Buro-Buro Neighbourhood and the

Democratic Councils, are so small that it will cause tremendous difficulties with providing each Constituent Candidates with sufficient Backers (sponsors) as well as Candidates and Backers for the Proportional Representation list in accordance with the statutes.

Party officials from left, Ricky Ramraj, Zulfikar Mustpha, Gail Teixeira and Needkumar

Annai Neighbourhood but Order # 19 only included the Aranaputa/Upper Buro-Buro NDC. Furthermore, most interesting in the list of the 80 LAAs identified in Order #19, the PPP discovered that the Minister reduced the number of Constituencies by 16 Constituencies in 14 existing LAAs, thereby making them the subject of re-designation with proposed re-demarcation by GECOM. Subsequently, as a result of the changes uncovered in this Order, a meeting between a delegation from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield was held on July 30, 2018. Mr. Lowenfield was amendable during the meeting to the PPP proposing alternatives to the Constituencies identified in each of the 14 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) contained in the specific Order.

The PPP, having considered the proposal from the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Lowenfield, wishes to make the following observations: 1. Minister Bulkan has failed to observe the Constitutional Provisions enshrined in Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution which mandates “providing increasing opportunities for the participation of the citizens, and their organizations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas that directly affect their well-being”.

2. It is noted that no consultations were held regarding the Minister’s intentions of reducing the number of 16 Constituencies with the elected representatives of the residents of those 14 LAAs nor with the residents of those Constituencies. The Party considers this a major travesty.

3. Having closely examined the specific Constituencies which have been reduced and which will now have to absorbed or merged into other Constituencies in these LAAs, the Party is of the firm opinion that the proposed changes, as reflected in the Ministerial Order, would give an electoral advantage to the governing APNU Party as opposed to the other contestants in those LAAs. 4. It must be noted that as of today, August 20th, 2018, more than two months since the Order was gazetted by Minister Bulkan, the Minister has failed to inform the public as to what were the reasons for the selection of those specific 16 Constituencies in the 14 existing LAAs.

5. Furthermore, GECOM has not informed the PPP as to what are the specific re-demarcations in the Constituencies in the identified 14 LAAs. As such, the PPP is at a great disadvantage. This is causing serious delays in commencing and finalizing the identification of Candidates and Backers for the 2018 LGE as the geographic identity of the proposed Constituents remains unknown.

6. The Bi-partisan Task Force on Local Government Reform (2002-2008) in developing a hybrid local government electoral system with 50% seats for proportional representation and 50% for first past the post seats, understood the importance of the principle of parity in the number of voters in each Constituency and between each constituency for the first past the post seats. In fact, the objective of parity in the number of voters in each Constituency was inculcated into the construction of the Constituencies in each LAA after the enactment of the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Act of 2009.

7. The PPP has understood and accepted that principle of parity in the number of voters that informed the decision about demarcation of boundaries in LAAs that were observed in the 2016 Local Government Elections. This recent Order of Minister Bulkan seems to disregard entirely the principle of parity and, in some cases, the size of the number of voters in one Constituency may vary as much as 6 to 10 times larger or smaller in comparison with other Constituencies in the same LAA. Thusly, the intentions of the Minister are very suspect.

8. Further, the PPP has noted that some of the proposed Constituencies in an identified LAA for change as ordered are not adjacent according to the previous demarcation used in 2016. This has caused the PPP to assume that some particular principle, other than numbers, appears to be at work and operating.

9. In one of the 14 LAAs proposed to be altered, as many as three Constituencies have been identified for fusion.

10. In some areas identified for the creation of new LAAs, demarcations of the boundaries of many of the new LAAs and the Constituencies within those new LAAs have not been formally provided to the PPP. 11. It appears that the size of the population in a significant number of these newly created LAAs, in particular new Neighbourhood

12. The PPP has repeatedly pointed out since June 2018 that the proposed creation of the Annai Neighbourhood Council, which would include several titled Amerindian communities as set by Order of June 1 and June 8, 2018, was unlawful and in violation of the 2006 amendment to the Local Democratic Organs Act which excluded “any council established under the Amerindian Act 2006” 13. The PPP notes that the Minister was forced to accept the exclusion of Micobie and Campbelltown titled Amerindian communities from the new township of Mahdia. In the former case, the two communities refused to be part of the new township. It is understood that the Minister has received similar such correspondence from the villages in the proposed Annai Council. However, the Minister has not to date retracted the Order establishing the Annai Council.

As a result, the PPP had taken a decision to write Mr. Lowenfield based on these observations and serious concerns as to how and when these will be remedied.

Furthermore, the PPP, having noted the proposal by Lowenfield and having considered the consequences and implications, has decided to not submit any alternative to what was outlined in the Ministerial Order # 19 of 2018.

The Order as promulgated by the Minister, and being made operative by the Guyana Elections Commission, is not supported by the PPP as the demarcations have still not formally been communicated to the Party.

In addition, the PPP takes this opportunity to point out that it suggested to Mr. Lowenfield the need for security markers to be placed on all requisite forms to be used as part of the process for the upcoming November 12 Local Government Election (GECOM). This, the Party strongly believes, would help to safeguard the integrity of the process. However, it was astonished to learn that the GECOM Commissioners, appointed by the People’s National Congress (PNC), vehemently opposed this suggestion. This has obviously raised concerns causing the PPP to question whether forms without any security mark are being used by the APNU operatives from the 2016 elections.

The PPP remains convinced that these developments point to gerrymandering of the boundaries of the Constituencies in 14 LAAs and the attempt to increase the APNU’s balance of votes through the creation of 10 new LAAs. Unfortunately, after the LGE, many of these new LAAs will be severely challenged to be sustainable due to the small size of the population and limited resources available within these areas. The government is clearly unconcerned about the post-election consequences to these communities and are focused on their overriding objective to ensure they aren’t slaughtered in the 2018 LGE as they were in the 2016 LGE; thus this expediency trumps all other concerns of the people.

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

Basil Williams remains in contempt of court, continues ‘blatant disobedience’ of Court Order – Nandlall O n Friday (August 17, 2018), former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, filed an application against his predecessor Basil Williams for contempt of court proceedings to begin.

In his Application, Nandlall sought “an order committing the Respondent to Georgetown Prisons, Camp Street, Georgetown for such period and on such terms and conditions as are just for failing to bring the Judicial Review Act Chapter 8:06, into force on or before the 31st day of July, 2018, as ordered by the Honourable Madam Chief Justice Roxane George on the 28th day of May, 2018;” Notably, Nandlall resorted to these actions since, according to a press statement, “All attempts to serve a copy

of Chief Justice George’s Order upon Attorney General Basil Williams, compelling him to bring the Judicial Review Act into force by the 31st of July, 2018, have thus far proven futile. Only this afternoon (15th August 2018), a Marshall of the High Court attempted to serve him a copy of the Order at his Office at the Attorney General Chambers at 95 Carmichael Street, Georgetown but was informed by his Personal Assistant that the Attorney General cannot be served personally, by a Marshall with an Order of Court. Yesterday (14th August 2018), a copy of the said Order was served by a Marshall on the Personal Assitant of the Attorney General at the AG Chambers. On Monday (13th August 2018), a copy of the said Order was also served on

a clerk at the Attorney General’s Chambers, as well.”

In response to the Application filed, Williams only then published in an extraor-

“The clear intention of Chief Justice George’s Order is for the AG to have operationalized the Judicial Review Act

by July 31, 2018, latest; not January 1, 2019. Clearly, the AG continues his blatant disobedience of this Order and is deliberately subverting, frustrating and making a mockery of it.” – Opposition Parliamentarian, Anil Nandlall dinary edition of the Official Gazette, a Commencement Order for the Judicial Review Act, bringing it into force on January 1st, 2019.

According to Nandlall, “Only the AG himself can

$13.5M unaccounted for in contract for feasibility study on new Demerara River Bridge – Nandlall

T

here is a $13.5M difference in the amount that Cabinet approved and the contracted amount for the feasibility study for the construction of a new bridge across the Demerara River, according to former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.

He explained that the contract awarded was for $148M, but $161.5M was taken without authorization from Demerara Habour Bridge Corporation (DHBC). “No one has, thus far, accounted for the $13.5M difference,” he said.

He explained that worse yet, any procurement of such sums, not done in accordance with the Procurement Act, is absolutely

unlawful. “The expenditure of those funds, therefore, are not only in violation of the Procurement Act, but are also in violation of a series of criminal statutory and common law provisions and principles. The entire Cabinet is intimately and inextricably complicit. This transaction must constitute the most vulgar abuse of the laws of this land by a Government,” Nandlall said.

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

The PPC report on page 2 states that: “The referenced tender for the consultancy services to conduct a feasibility study and

design for a new bridge across the Demerara River had a contract value of US$706,091.00, approximately G$148M.” However, the PPC report on pages 7 and 8 state that: “The PPC also noted that Cabinet considered the Memorandum submitted by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and, on November 25, 2016, approved a total of G$161.5M to be used from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (Asphalt Plant Accounts) to cover costs of the feasibility study for a new bridge across the Demerara River.”

The difference between the sum approved by Cabinet - $161.5M – and the sum in the contract - $148M – is the $13.5M referred to

by Nandlall.

August 29 is the deadline to submit LGE symbols T

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has reminded all political parties, groups and individuals contesting Local Government Elections (LGEs) 2018 that applications for symbols, which must include both printed and electronic ver-

sions of the respective symbols, must be submitted to GECOM no later than August 29, 2018.

“All political parties, voluntary groups and individuals who are desirous of contesting local government elections to be held on 12th November, 2018,

explain why he is engaging in this self-induced torment.

I remain absolutely flummoxed at what he intends to gain by these unwarranted

are required to submit a symbol for approval by the Guyana Elections Commission before Nomination Day,” a public advertisement said.

Nomination Day for the 2018 Local Government Elections is set for September 21, 2018.

and untutored shenanigans.

Maybe it is ego, or, just a morbid fear of what this Act will do to his Government.

Needless to say, this must be one of the most striking examples of a Government’s

avoidance of public scrutiny and accountability in recent history, anywhere.

“In my considered view, the clear intention of Chief Justice George’s Order is for the AG to have operationalized the Judicial Review Act by July 31, 2018, latest; not January 1, 2019. Clearly, the AG continues his blatant disobedience of this Order and is deliberately subverting, frustrating and making a mockery of it,” Nandlall posited.

Nandlall contends that he has done his part as a Member of Parliament (MP) and as a citizen of Guyana. He said, “By filing the Contempt of Court proceedings, I have placed the matter entirely in the hands of the Judiciary.

Therefore, it is now a matter for the Judiciary to institutionally determine whether

it will condone such flagrant violation and utter disrespect of its own Order and process.

Nothing saps public confidence in a judicial system faster than its demonstrable inability to enforce its own Orders.”

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

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

AFC supporter linked to corrupt deal in more hot water for not paying employees S

everal workers who were hired to clear the Corentyne Road shoulders from Bush Lot to Number 51 Village have said they are yet to be paid by the contractor, Derek Basdeo.

Over the weekend, the disgruntled workers went to the home of the contractor, who is also an executive member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), to seek payment but to no avail. This prompted the workers to seek the intervention of the Police at the Alboin Police Station.

Reports are that the workers were supposed to be paid at a rate of $6,000.

The contractor is reportedly linked to a corrupt deal.

Information available indicates that contracts 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.

Meanwhile, Alliance 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 controversial contractor, Basdeo. 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 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, addressing the matter, has 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 ask the relevant agency, which is the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, for the information on how these people were selected, nobody wants to come forward 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.”

The Parliamentary Opposition has condemned the breaches that took place.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 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 23, 2018), ranging the government excesses and the peddling of blatant lies by government officials, to the latest development with laws broken by Minister David Patterson and the developments at the recently concluded People’s National Congress Reform (PNC) Congress.

Excesses of APNU+AFC Cathy Hughes told a ‘blatant, barefaced lie’ gov’t being monitored

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he Department of Public Information (DPI) recently quoted Minister Cathy Hughes as saying that: “I don’t know which lounge Mr. Jagdeo goes into, but the lounge I go into…that lounge does not have alcohol.

There’s a range of teas, coffee, milo and there’s two sets of juices and there’s water.”

Her comments came in response to criticisms by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, about alcohol being served during sittings of the National Assembly in the Parliamentarians’ longue.

In response to her comment, Jagdeo, on Thursday

(August 23, 2018) made it clear that Hughes’ comment is a “blatant, unbelievable, barefaced” lie that was told to the Guyanese people.

Last week, the issue of spending by the Parliament office on each sitting of the National Assembly featured in the local press and Jagdeo, reiterated his concerns about the increasing sums of money being spent by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government on dietary (food) expenses – expenses paid for by taxpayers’ dollars.

One of the reports in the local media noted that some $700,000 is spent on dietary

expenses for each sitting.

Jagdeo at his news conference on Thursday (August 16, 2018) charged that his problem with the spending at the Parliament office revolves around the massive sums being spent on imported alcohol. According to him, taxpayers should not be paying for the ‘drinking bills’ of government officials.

He added that under the former PPP/C Administration there were never the levels of spending on alcohol – rums, whiskeys, wines and imported beers – as is being seen under the current Government.

Plans for $15B of bond monies already collected questioned T he Special Purposes Unit, overseeing the divestment of the assets of the sugar sector, has said that $17B of a $30B bond it was borrowing has been received and $2B has been released to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for operational expenses.

This disclosure has led to concerns about the secrecy with which the entire arrangement is being treated.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 23, 2018), questioned what is happening with the remaining $15B. He noted that the $15B is sitting in an account and taxpayers’ monies will be used to pay interest on that money, which is not being put to use.

“What is happening to the remaining $15B that has been sitting in the account of a long while now since it has been raised…What is it being used for because we have not seen any statement from NICIL regarding the future uses, bearing in mind that we are paying interest on this large sum of money that was borrowed and is just sitting in an account,”

he said.

On a prior occasion, Jagdeo said, “We don’t know what the projects are as yet, but you would recall that this bond is only for five years. So, they’re borrowing on a short to medium term, for long-term projects. You tend to match your borrowing with the life of the project. Normally, we would borrow on concessional terms for long term-projects. “….in five years, at a 4.75 per cent interest, which is 355 basis points above our treasury bill. The Government of Guyana will have to pay back from the proceeds of NICIL, nearly US$40 million in about five years just to service $30 billion.”

In the latter part of June 2018, a leaked document - ‘The Private Placement Memorandum’ – details the arrangements of the $30B fixed rate bond.

The document shows that NICIL plans to sell off assets of GuySuCo, including land, to help pay off the $30B, plus interest, that it has borrowed.

The document shows that NICIL expects to start sell-

ing of GuySuCo lands in 2018 and expects to collect $14B in 2018 and another $22B in 2019. “The cash generated from operations appears sufficient to service the coupon and repayment of the principal for the bond facility,” the document said on page 14.

Notably, before now it was unclear if the $30B was a bond or a loan. The document makes clear that it is a bond.

The document also explains that the move to issue the Bonds, at a 4.75 per cent interest rate, is a five-year agreement. Interest is payable semi-annually, starting October 2018. The Bonds will mature in April 2023.

Also, the bonds have been issued “free and clear” of all corporate taxes. It has also been issued 355 basis points above one-year Bank of Guyana Treasury Bills.

Additionally, the bonds have been secured by a government guarantee.

The 17-page document said the $30B bond facility is being arranged by Republic Bank, raising questions as to the amount of fees that are being paid to the bank.

I

nterior travel and more are among the excesses, relative to spending, of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government that are being monitored, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo during his news conference on Thursday (August 23, 2018).

“We have also been honing in on some other excesses too. For example, in several Ministries we’ve seen an inflation of interior travel and hotel bills and we believe that what is happening is the Government will charter an air craft or book more seats that they require and then they don’t use all of them and then they have more seats and rather than the treasury being reimbursed for the non-use of the seats or hotel rooms, they defer their use and at some point in time they either,

individuals or party activists use those flights into the hinterlands and the hotel rooms that are booked,” he said.

He added that the foreign health insurance for government ministers and their families is another issue being looked at, since – while Government claimed that this insurance was a personal expense for those who benefited – taxpayers’ monies are being used.

“We have heard and we are verifying this now, that the explanation given by Minister Harmon when there was a big outcry about private insurance being contracted for Cabinet members and their families for medical treatment abroad and we were told as a country, the Government and the taxpayers will pay part of the premium and the Ministers were supposed to reimburse

the other part of the premium that they had to pay. We gathered no reimbursement took place last year and in fact for this year, the full premium has been paid for these Ministers and their families for medical treatment abroad, using tax payers’ funds again,” he said.

According to Jagdeo, these can easily being verified if an audit is done.

“There will be bills available. Hopefully there will be bills available unless they’re using other heads for example they will [use] money from National events to dietary,” he said.

Jagdeo noted too that there is also a concern that monies budgeted for other things are being transferred to be spent on other things – masking the spending on things like food and alcohol, etc.

Contradictory statements coming from GuySuCo, SPU points to incompetence

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he incompetence of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government is mirrored in what is playing out at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

And during his Thursday (August 23, 2018) news conference, he charged that this is seen in the contradictory statements coming from the GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – who knew nothing about $2B being transferred to GuySuCo – and the statement from National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) Special Purposes Unit (SPU) about the money being released.

“Clearly something is wrong if the acting CEO

of GuySuCo doesn’t know how much money they have received from NICIL… This mirrors the incompetence of the Government…only a totally incompetent Government will operate like this,” he said.

Additionally, he reiterated his concerns about the non-appointment of a GuySuCo Board, which Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, promised would have already been in place.

Earlier this year, there was confusion over a new Board that was appointed, headed by Colvin Heath-London, who also heads the SPU, which is overseeing the divestment of some of GuySuCo’s assets.

After media reports

on the new GuySuCo Board, including comments by Heath-London, who identified himself as the new Chairman, Jordan later stated that Cabinet documents appointing Heath-London and a new board had been sent out without approval of the full Cabinet and these appointments were to be recalled.

As such, Clive Thomas, Jordan said, remains the Chairman of the GuySuCo Board. And Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had said that there will be “an announcement of a board for GuySuCo in a very short space of time” at a recent post-Cabinet news conference.

There is no clarity on when a GuySuCo Board is appointed.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 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 23, 2018), ranging the government excesses and the peddling of blatant lies by government officials, to the latest development with laws broken by Minister David Patterson and the developments at the recently concluded People’s National Congress Reform (PNC) Congress.

Patterson’s move to give explanation to Cabinet another attempt to excuse illegality T

he disclosure that Minister David Patterson will explain the breaches of Guyana’s financial laws to Cabinet – relative to the award of a contract for a feasibility study on a new bridge across the Demerara River – was seen as another attempt to excuse the illegality by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (August 23, 2018) news conference, Jagdeo noted that the conclusion that the law was broken was made by an impartial, constitutionally

appointed body – the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

“Are we supposed to buy that Patterson will give an explanation to a cabal of his friends at Cabinet…what we expect is another excuse,” he said, noting that Patterson has already tried to excuse his action by saying that the laws were broken because there was a time constraint to ensure that the contract was awarded.

The PPC report has been sent to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for in-

vestigation and action to the taken against Patterson. Jagdeo said, “We expect that the investigation will be done in an impartial manner.”

However, he charged that developments since SOCU was called on to act have given rise to misgivings that there will be a fair investigation. “We will pursue this matter,” he assured.

The PPC completed its investigation and handed its report over on August 7, 2018.

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, Liven-

seCSO, 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.

The Parliamentary Opposition’s position is that the findings of the report evidence a flagrant breach of Guyana’s financial rule.

‘Hostile rhetoric’ from gov’t to CGX Energy planned project in Miners’ Association unacceptable Crab Island ‘not new’

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he response from the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to the concerns expressed by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) was termed unhelpful ‘hostile rhetoric’ by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (August 23, 2018), he said, “I am concerned about the hostile rhetoric by government in

response to GGDMA…the GGDMA was factual…. they talked about the state of the road, taxes, harassment of miners, corruption in the sector and bullyism. “…rather than give a response we saw almost threatening rhetoric coming from the Government.”

Jagdeo repeated his call for Government to pay attention to the concerns of

the miners, given the importance of the mining sector to Guyana’s economy, relative to employment and its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

“It seems that some people are totally seduced by the lure of oil that they believe that we can just wait for oil to save use,” the Opposition Leader said.

N

ews that the Canadian oil and gas exploration company, CGX Energy, is looking to develop a project in Crab Island, Region 6, ought not to be confused with another project promised by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the matter during his Thursday

(August 23, 2018) news conference. “This is not a new project,” he said.

He explained that CGX Energy had made a proposal to the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government and had received a lease for land years ago.

Jagdeo expressed hope that CGX does not “sit on the lease” – given that the company has indicated that

its plans will not kick off for some time. “Either they use the lease or give it up,” he said.

In December 2016, Minister Raphael Trotman announced that an onshore supply base will be erected at Crab Island, in the Berbice River, in 2017, to the tune of US$500M. Halfway into 2018 and Trotman has gone silent on the issue.

Granger’s continued delay in moving to appoint Police Commissioner questioned O

pposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday (August 23, 2018) stated that he is awaiting the President’s choice of the nominee for the position of Commissioner of Police (COP) before he raises any questions in relation to the selection process.

Jagdeo explained that he intends to inquire from the Head of State, David Granger, what assessment was undertaken to ensure that the candidate he [President] selected is “un-bribable” and

holds all the qualities that the President outlined he wanted in the new COP. Earlier this month, Granger told media operatives that some of the qualities the new Top Cop should possess are integrity, intelligence and impartiality. “I don’t give orders to the Commissioner of Police, but I want somebody who is unbribable; I want somebody who is intelligent; and I want somebody whose commitment is to carrying the programme of Security Sector Reform, who has the

initiative and who can generate public trust. If I put somebody there who is not trust worthy, the public would laugh,” Granger had said.

Jagdeo had voiced his opinion that Granger’s assertion that the Police Commissioner has to be “un-bribable” leaves room for judgment to be passed on the rejected nominees. Last week, Jagdeo said, “What is he saying about the candidates who are there and generally, the [Guyana] Police Force? …

In a way, it’s disparaging the

people there and whoever he selects. People will feel that the other candidates were bribable, that’s why they were not selected.”

Jagdeo, this week, repeated his questioning about the reason that Granger is taking such a long time to address the appointment of a substantive Commissioner of Police.

Article 211 (1) of the Constitution vests the President with the authority to appoint the Commissioner of Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police only

after “meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, and Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with the other members of the Commission.”

Former Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud went into pre-retirement leave back in February, and officially retired two months later. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Administration, David Ramnarine, has since been the acting Top Cop.

He and seven other Assistant Commissioners were each interviewed for the post. The other ACPs are: Crime Chief Paul Williams; ACP – Operations, Clifton Hicken; Force’s Finance Officer, Nigel Hoppie; ‘A’ Division Commander (ag), Leslie James; substantive ‘A’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman, ‘B’ Division Commander Lyndon Alves; and for the first time ever, a female contender in ACP-Administration II, Maxine Graham.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 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 23, 2018), ranging the government excesses and the peddling of blatant lies by government officials, to the latest development with laws broken by Minister David Patterson and the developments at the recently concluded People’s National Congress Reform (PNC) Congress.

Trotman’s role in meeting ‘Total blackout’ of between gov’t and USA information from police officials questioned highlighted as a problem T

he “deplorable secrecy” surrounding the visit by United States of America Congressmen to Guyana is not the only concern about the entire affair, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. On Thursday (August 23, 2018) he questioned the involvement of Minister Raphael Trotman in arrangement the meeting and highlighted the fact that it Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who admitted that Government was informed of plans for the visit by the USA officials by Trotman.

Jagdeo said, “What I find odd about the entire visit, is not just the secrecy which is deplorable in itself, but when Harmon spoke of this visit, he said that he and the Government had learnt of the visit from Mr Trotman.

“Now a visit of this nature, I expect would be planned with our embassy in Washington. I do not know whether they were informed.

A visit of this nature should be planned with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are our interlocutor with the rest of the world…don’t you find it strange that Minister Trotman was the person who was the interlocutor here and the Government of Guyana learnt of this visit from Trotman and that the

first call was with a meeting with Trotman, from what I gathered, who is no longer the Minister responsible for the oil and gas sector.”

He added that he found it most unappealing that Government would hide the visit from the media as well as the Opposition. “What’s our Government’s reason for hiding the visit from us, not allowing access, not even giving a statement because before these visits are made, they would tend to telegraph what they want to discuss, the delegation that’s visiting, so people are prepared. But all we heard is that the Government learnt of this visit from Trotman, nothing else.”

The Opposition Leader made it clear that questions on this issue will be raised moving forward.

Additionally, Jagdeo made it clear that the support engagements between countries, but he charged that the manner in which the state of affairs played out is concerning. “I support solid short term and long term engagements with the United States of America because we believe that our destinies are intertwined… nearly half of our people live in the United States of America. Some illegally, some as permanent residents

and some as citizens and any Government would have to have friendly relations with the United States of America…We share a lot of their, the US’s, philosophy and ideals about free, open Government, a free press, etc, so we will support any engagement,” he said.

Jagdeo added that he does not believe that the meeting has anything to do with rigging the upcoming elections. “Some people asked me, does this mean that the United States, with what APNU has been saying on the ground that the United States of America will support them for ten years in office and turn a blind eye if they rig the elections and I’ve said to them…I do not believe that any attempt to develop a sinister policy of preventing democratic forces in Guyana to prevail will be done in such an open manner…And so, I say to them, it is not my feeling…I believe they will support democracy,” he said.

When asked, he noted too that the Parliamentary Opposition did not meet with the USA team, as there was no request for a meeting.

“We did not meet with the Congressmen. There was no request for a meeting,” he said.

PNCR continues to use youths as ‘props’

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ith the “overwhelming majority” of officials elected to the Executive of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at its recently concluded Congress being over 60-years-old, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, charged that youths were again used as “props” as was seen during the 2015 General and Regional Elections campaign. His comments came during his Thursday (August 23, 2018) news conference.

Comparing the PNCR to the People’s Progressive Par-

ty/ Civic, Jagdeo said, “The outcome of their elections and the Central Committee now, we looked through the names and the majority of the people there, overwhelming majority, are people over 60 years and so once again, within the party and elsewhere, young people were just used as props. “…I saw young people being used again as propsnice photo opportunities with young people- we saw that before 2015; a lot of young people in all these wonderful ads that they had…then

the young people suddenly disappeared from the scene and they reappeared when there was a need for them to change their image so all of the candidates started taking pictures with young people again.”

Jagdeo noted that successive former PPP/C governments included many young people. He added that after the PPP’s 2016 Congress a number of young people were not only in attendance, but also elected to the Party’s Central and Executive Committees.

A

n accident outside Georgetown Club, Camp Street, after a People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) event, is the subject of a possible cover-up, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (August 23, 2018) he highlighted the fact

that there is a “total blackout” of information from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

“Is it a cover up? Why has there been no investigation?” he questioned.

He charged that officers at the top levels of management of the Force must be impartial and act in a manner

that reflects their integrity.

Notably, the Force, which routinely provides updates on crime, including accidents, has remained silent on the accident outside Georgetown Club on August 17, 2017, which reportedly involved several state vehicles.

Will Granger continue to ‘cherry pick’ incidents for investigation or will he do a comprehensive CoI into the crime wave?

T

here remains a need for a comprehensive Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the crime wave fo the 2000’s, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (August 23, 2018) news conference, he repeated the willingness of the Parliamentary Opposition to work with the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to craft the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for a comprehensive CoI and to select credible commissioners. He charged that in this way, no political party can claim that the other is trying to secure “political mileage” from the findings of the CoI. “Let’s

find out the truth,” he said, referring to the devastating incidents at Agricola, Lusignan and Bartica.

Jagdeo decried Granger’s decision to “cherry pick” incidents for investigation, as was done with the Lindo Creek CoI. Jagdeo said the comprehensive Commission of Inquiry into the crime wave should start with the escape of prisoners in 2002 and should also seek to inquire about the political players in incidents subsequent to the jailbreak, as well as seek to ascertain how army weapons ended up in the hands of criminals.

“They can also look at the role of drug dealers and whether the drug dealers had links to the government,” he said, referring to the criticism repeated by members of the PNC-led Coalition Government, regarding Roger Khan.

Jagdeo added, “It (a comprehensive CoI) is not going to happen because some of the players are now huge in the current Government.”

The Opposition Leader added that if there was a “real” CoI – a comprehensive review of the crime wave – several persons in the Coalition government, including Government Ministers, would be “really” uncomfortable.

Direct questions asked of Granger by teachers remain unanswered

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ill you advance policy to improve the situation of teachers or no?’ This was one of the direct questions that teachers in Guyana public schools wanted a response to from President David Granger, but it remains unanswered.

And this state of affairs was decried

by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 23, 2018) during his weekly news conference.

He repeated his call on the Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition Government to treat the concerns of Guyanese teachers seriously.

Asked about the planned strike action, the Opposition Leader noted that the decision to move in that direction has to be a decision taken by the teachers and their Union.

The planned strike action is set to commence on Monday, August 27, 2018.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

Real Time Economic Insights – Where did the money go?

Misappropriation of resources is the fundamental reason for our huge budget deficit of $43B. Much of the instrumental and critical programmes that targeted low income families, such as ‘Because We Care’ cash grant; the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme – the programme that employed the almost 2,000 Community Service Officers (CSOs) who were fired by the APNU+AFC Coalition government as soon as it took office in May 2018; etc. These programmes could be accommodated, if the government decides to contain profligate spending.

The Government, to date, has failed to deliver on its 2020 socio-economic vision. (Analyses done by Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP)

Breakdown of Increase in Budgetary Allocation: Capital and Recurrent

G$B $60.000

55

$50.000

From 2014-2018: • Recurrent expenditure has increased by 29% or $46 billion; • Capital expenditure has increased by $8 billion or 16% (would be significantly less if adjusted for inflation).

46

37

$40.000 $30.000 $20.000

9

$10.000

8

Interesting Facts: • Increased recurrent expenditure, from 2014-2018, represents 106% of 2018 projected budget deficit. In other words, if the government decides to slash 2018 recurrent expenditure to 2014 level, there would be a projected budget surplus of $3 billion, by end 2018.

$0.000 -$10.000

-20

-$20.000 -$30.000

2015

2016

Recurrent

Capital

2017

2018

Increase in Budget

Key Observation: The huge budget deficit of $43 billion that is projected for 2018, could be contained if prudential budgetary measures are implemented.

Discrepancies in Budgetary Allocation: MoTP vs OPM

Increase in Recurrent Expenditure: 2014-2018 Line Items

41.9%

Security Services

44.4%

Dietary

91.5%

National and other event 62.5%

Other Transport and Travel

48.6%

Transport and Travel

41.9%

Employment Cost 0%

2018

2017

20%

40%

2016

60%

80%

2015

100% 120% 140%

2014

In 2018: • The six line items listed are directly responsible for a $25 billion or 55% increase in total recurrent expenditure; • Specifically, employment cost makes up $17 billion or 39% of total increase in recurrent expenditure; Interesting Facts: • If excess budgetary allocation ($2 billion) is slashed from “Dietary” and “National and Other Event” to 2014 level, the government would be able to: rehire and offer a 66% increase in stipend to the 1,972 dismissed Amerindian CSOs; increase NTC’s subvention by 212% to $50M; and provide each Amerindian village with a $3.5M cash grant.

•

Key Observation: Misallocation of resources is the fundamental reason for current economic hardship.

By removing all excess allocation from “Security Services” and “Transport and Travel” ($3 billion) to 2014 level, the cash grant programme, “Because We Care” not only could be re-instated, but increase by 50%, to $15,000 per child.

Update on 2020 Vision VISION 2020 AS RECORED IN BUDGET SPEECH 2015 •

•

Improve human well-being and social equity

9.4

6.039

4.336

2014

•

5.8

5.788

2015

2016

Recurrent

Capital

2017

• •

Deficit in Central Government increased from $9.3B in 2015 to $34B or 277% by end 2017 and is further expected to increase by another $9B by end 2018, to $43 billion. source: Budget Estimates, 2014-2018 Private Enterprises moved from a surplus of $8B in 2015, to a deficit of $12.8B at the end of 2017. In 2018, it is anticipated to further increase by another $10 billion, to 22.8 billion source: Budget Estimates 2014-2018, and 2018 Mid Year Report Outstripping of Private Investment: From 2014-2018, credit to central government increased by 242%, while private sector, by 11.3% . source: Budget Estimates 2014-2018 In 2017 lending to the manufacturing sector contracted by $4.2 billion or 14.6% . source: Mid Year Report 2017&18 In mid-2018 manufacturing sector contracted by 5.7% to $26.0 billion; credit to the beverages, food and tobacco industry, and for other construction and engineering decreased by $2.6 billion (39 percent) and $1.8 billion (15 percent), respectively. source: 2018 Mid Year Report

•

Reduction in Global Ranking of Human Capital Index: From 79th position in 2015, to 88 in 2017. Is now behind Uganda, Ghana and Zambia. Source: Human Capital Index Report 2018

•

Reduction in global ranking of Human Development Index: From 2015-2016, Guyana fell by 3 position. Guyana is now behind underdeveloped countries such as Namibia and Morocco. Source: Human Development Index 2016

•

Reduction in global ranking of competitiveness: From 2014-2016, Guyana’s global position deteriorated by 19 position. Source: Global Competitive Report, 2017

$10.000 $9.000 $8.000 $7.000 $6.000 $5.000 $4.000 $3.000 $2.000 $1.000 $0.000

2018

0.374

2015 Recurrent

Total allocation to MoTP increased by 56% or $3.3 billion to $9.4 billion. Is now equivalent to total allocation of Region 5 & 6, combined.

VISION 2020 AS RECORED IN BUDGET SPEECH 2015

$8.5B 4.52

2014

TOTAL

REALITY

Reduce the deficit in both the Central Government and Public Enterprises •

Reform tax system and restore private sector confidence in our economy and increase investments while creating sustainable jobs.

OPM

MoTP $10.000 $9.000 $8.000 $7.000 $6.000 $5.000 $4.000 $3.000 $2.000 $1.000 $0.000

•

0.656

2016 Capital

0.881

0.839

2017

2018

TOTAL

Total allocation to OPM declined by 81% to $0.839 billion. Is now equivalent to total allocation of Agriculture programme, under Region 6.

REALITY •

100% increase in tributors’ tax, from 10% to 20%. Source: Budget Speech 2017, page 78

•

Imposition of tax (VAT) on heady-duty equipment. Source: Budget Speech, 2017 Imposition of 2% tax in income. Source, Budget Speech, 2017

Small and medium scale miners will soon • benefit from the waiver of customs duties on certain items, to aid in reducing• their cost of production and create a more level playing field when compared to large scale miners.

IMPORTANT CONFESSION: In 2016, one year before the imposition of draconian measures on the mining sector, the Hon. Minister, in Budget Speech openly confessed that “it was the local miners who accounted for over 90 percent of the 451,490 ounces that were declared. The significant incentives granted to the sub-sector by this Government [PPP], undoubtedly, played a major part in the substantial increase in declaration”. Source: Budget Speech 2016, page 8

•

In mid-2018, the declaration of small and medium scale miners fell to its lowest first-half level, since 2010. Source: Mid-Year Report 2018, page 11

Enhance employability of our youth

•

According to the 2017 Global Human Capital Report, the global position of Guyana unemployment amongst youths, age 15-24, slipped by 9 position.

Increase ranking in doing business: smash suffocating red tape that stifles businesses and stunts growth; and implementing measures to reduce the time taken to get electricity and construction Permits

•

In 2017, Guyana fell in global ranking in ease of doing business by 11 position to 126, when compared to 2014. Notably, dealing with construction permits deteriorated from 33 position to 163. Thus, It is now easier to do business in Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi, than in Guyana. Also, it is easier to get construction permits, electricity and register a property in Sudan, than in Guyana. Source: Doing Business 2018, World Bank.

14

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t inaction this week …a snapshot of headlines making the news

Seven months later: Granger-gov’t still studying crime plan

Volda Lawrence claims that ‘health of citizens’ is a priority even as failures in health sector persists

As the daily reports of incidents of criminal activity continues to make the news, President David Granger and his Government – more than three years after taking office – are still to advance their promised crime plan.

Meanwhile, seven months since 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, there has still been no move to operationalise the plan.

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

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

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

Meanwhile, the report still remains a secret document.

Even as APNU+AFC Coalition Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, insists that billions have been allocated to the health sector and the health of citizens in a priority – she remains silent about the failures she presides over in the sector.

The primary failure relates to the in-action to address the months-long problem of shortages of drugs and medical supplies, especially in the hinterland areas where the only medicine available in some remote areas is ‘Panadol’.

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

In May 2017, a week after details about massive breaches in the procurement system, with over $4B being spent on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies without any public tendering process, Lawrence, touted the matter of a “revised drug procurement” that, according to her, will be rolled out shortly. Lawrence stated revised drug procurement system which will bring resolution to the ongoing drug shortage throughout the country is expected to be implemented by the month of June 2017. However, more than a year later, nothing has been done.

Since then, Lawrence has been hit by criticisms about two questionable, and likely corrupt, purchases of drugs and medical supplies - $605M paid to AnsaMcal and $367M paid to HDM Labs Inc., a company owned by an APNU+AFC campaign supporter.

APNU+AFC gov’t attacks miners association A strongly worded statement from the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on the state of affairs in the sector and the killing of a miner resulted in the Association being attacked by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

In a statement of its own, the Ministry of Natural Resources said, “It is time the GGDMA decided whether it is a political pressure group and a body representing the interests of an elite group, or a partner in national development.”

Coalition gov’t admits that its GSDS builds on work done by former PPP/C gov’t The Department of the Environment (DoE) has said that it is in the advanced stages of finalising the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) which will be presented to Cabinet in September.

The APNU+AFC Coalition government has admitted that the GSDS document builds on the successes of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and several other national documents such as the Nationally Determined Contributions, Climate Resilience Strategy Action Plan (CRSAP), Draft National Energy Policy, and National Adaptation Strategy for the Agriculture Sector (2009 -2018) – all of which were crafted under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

The only other information known about the GSDS is 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; and the GSDS is being developed with US$1.5M of REDD+ monies.

Foreign Direct investment numbers increase because of oil and gas sector, still lower than 2014 levels Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Guyana, according to a report from the Department of Public Information, increased from US$58M in 2016 to US$212M in 2017. The increase was credited to activities in the oil and gas sector.

However, even with activities in the oil and gas sector, the 2017 numbers are still lower than the 2014 numbers (US$255M).

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

In three years, among several other trips made, there were three massive excursions between 2015 and 2017 – excursions that Guyanese were told focused on securing investments. To date there has been no details on the outcomes of those trips.

Still no substantial support, jobs for Guyanese youths The APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to fail Guyanese youths, as it relates to providing opportunities for employment among other things. On the issue of job creation, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, is yet to unveil a national plan to create jobs – more than three years since taking office.

The promise of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition during the 2015 General and Regional elections campaign was to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible Notably, like President David Granger, Jordan is now talking up the focus on persons creating jobs for themselves. “All good paying jobs, as far as I am concerned, can come from self-generation and that is why we have to focus a lot on small and medium businesses, creating entrepreneurs rather than traders out of people,” he said at a recent press conference.

Of note is the fact that President Granger has admitted that under his Government, the economy has not been able to produce “sufficient” new jobs. Also, Granger, in a May 2016 broadcast of ‘The Public Interest’ noted that the Government does not have jobs to give out. “We need to change from the mindset that government owes people employment and create in the minds of young people the desire to go out there and work and do well…people even while they are in school will be encouraged to go into business rather than to look forward to jobs in the private sector,” he said.

However, in a message from Granger, the manifesto stated that the APNU+AFC Coalition will provide: “Employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mining, agro-processing and the arts to provide jobs and promote economic growth.”

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

15

PNCR ‘sport’ exposes extravagance, raises questions about use of taxpayers’ monies T

he extravagance of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) during a ‘sport’ held at Georgetown Club, Camp Street, last Friday (August 17, 2018), was exposed via several photographs.

The menu for the event featured prawns, salmon, steak, king crabs from Alaska and an assortment of liquor. The photographs that were leaked also raised questions about whether taxpayers’ monies were used to fund this even.

Notably, extravagant spending, with little value for money, has been an issue that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been criticised for over the last three years.

Hinterland communities still struggling with access to goods, services

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

State vehicles involved in accident outside Georgetown Club after PNCR party A

‘party’ that followed the opening of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Congress, last Friday (August 17, 2018), at the Georgetown Club, Camp Street, came into the spotlight after a major accident, involving State owned vehicles.

Information reaching the Mirror Newspaper is that senior PNCR and Government officials reportedly fled the scene of the accident, leaving behind several injured persons.

Additionally, a week later there has been no official report from the Guyana Police Force on what actually took place. Notably, the Force’s Public Relations department routinely provides updates to the public on crimes, accidents and other matters that fall under its jurisdiction.

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

Upcoming local gov’t polls provide a chance to address mismanagement at City Hall W

ith questions recently raised over the food bill at the National Assembly, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Councilor at City Hall, Bishram Kuppen, is pressing for a forensic audit into the Georgetown as he fears that lack of accountability may be masking similar expenditures.

Kuppen expressed his concern over the spending at

ticular instance where the Town Clerk said, and his words were to the effect that the Finance Committee headed by Clarke, who has been there close to 20 years, approved expenditure for the City Council. At one of those meetings also, the Chairman had said if Council Kuppen wants to see details and a quarterly report, he would get it. That was years ago

for misuse of the funds, accountable to the law.”

Earlier this year, City Hall’s inability to account for monies by providing relevant documents had prompted Auditor General Deodat Sharma to announce that another audit would be carried out at the municipality.

He had made it clear that approaches would be made

“I think the way the City Council has been run, it has been mismanaged. The only way for the situation to change is for a complete forensic audit. No matter who wins the Local Government Elections, the ground work must be set for a forensic audit so you can start from scratch.”

– PPP/C Councilor, Bishram Kuppen the Council, especially as he says that promised quarterly financial reports have not been presented. He said, “It has always been a concern of mine for all the expenditures that the City Council had and whether those expenditures are actually beneficial to the people of Georgetown.

When I saw that food bill there from Parliament, I recalled in the beginning in the City Council there were these lavishes given out to Councillors and perhaps the staff also.”

Kuppen added, “…over a period of time they have scaled back,” he continued.

“But the concern is still we don’t know what the food bill is or if the Council is buying food for the staff, whether breakfast or dinner in the morning. Because we don’t get any detailed financial statements.”

According to Kuppen, both he and other members of the Council have requested these documents from the Town Clerk and the head of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, through Mayor Patricia Chase Green. He said, “There was one par-

and I’ve never seen it. The Committee has failed to provide full disclosure of all the expenditure and all the contracts they have approved.”

With that being said, the Councilor stressed the need for a revamp of the system coming out of Local Government Elections (LGE).

According to Kuppen, LGE must be used as a catalyst to bring more accountability and transparency to City Hall. Kuppen said, “I think the way the City Council has been run, it has been mismanaged. The only way for the situation to change is for a complete forensic audit.

No matter who wins the Local Government Elections, the ground work must be set for a forensic audit so you can start from scratch. “…you can know what systems are there, where the loop holes are, if there were improprieties, if there were illegal activities. Just like what the President said when he launched forensic audits into the various Ministries.

He said this was the way to reset things. So we do need to reset the system and hold those who are accountable

to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers this time around, if City Hall continued to be non-cooperative with auditors.

Last year, the AG’s attempts to conduct an audit were stymied by documents not being provided. According to Sharma at the time, there were a number of gaps that remained unfilled in the investigation.

He had noted that as a result of these missing and sometimes even damaged documents, there would be a number of pages in the final report that would carry disclaimers. This is all despite City Hall being the ones who wrote to the Auditor General’s Office requesting an audit.

It was at one time reported that during the final phase of the audit, the probe was stalled due to this lack of cooperation. Things had reportedly reached a point necessitating a letter to be sent to Town Clerk Royston King, over the undue delays being caused by City Hall officials not making the necessary documents available for the auditors.

Children of sacked sugar workers, other vulnerable children get support from charitable group

T

he East Berbice Sugar Workers Relief Committee (EBSWRC) distributed 150 backpacks with books and other necessaries to children of the dismissed sugar workers and vulnerable children to assist in preparing them for the new school year beginning in September, 2018.

The recipients were from three schools – Corriverton Primary, No. 68 Primary and Massiah Primary School.

Several People’s Progressive Party (PPP) members supporting the Committee, including Adrian Anamayah and Anil Nandlall were also present.

Nandlall, delivered the feature address, and said, “Education is the surest and safest way of elevating one-

self from poverty. Whatever you aspire to be in life, a sound education is required in order to succeed.”

In comments, Anamayah, on behalf of the EBSWRC, thanked all the donors, members, volunteers and teachers for making the event a reality. “I want to thank all the persons who so generously donated to this worthy cause,” he stated. Anamayah added that 35 backpacks were distributed during the week to various communities in Skeldon and this exercise will continue.

Notably, the EBSWRC is a charitable organization made up of not only PPP members, but also representatives from religious community and civic minded citizens.

According to a statement from the EBSWRC, “This was all made possible through the kindness and generosity of many donors locally and overseas. The donors are: Faraz Nabibaksh, Mrs. Shanti Ramkhalawan and family and friends, Valia Rupan and staff of Shore Driving School, Chandanee Surujlall of Professional Steel Suppliers, Nalani Sukhai, Tricia Lalla Serol, Yudesh Matadin and De Vanita Ali and there classmates, Chand Kumar Hardyal (Vishnu), No. 66 Fisherman’s Co-op Society, Safraz Photo Studio, Mr. Anil Nandlall, MP and other anonymous donors.”

The distribution was done at the Corriverton Primary School.

18

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

Gov’t admits Close to 40,000 unemployed in hinterland – No action taken T

he APNU+AFC Coalition Government has admitted that to massive unemployment levels of unemployment among indigenous youths.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock, has said that close to 40,000 are unemployed in the hinterland. “We still have close to 40,000 indigenous youths who are unemployed,” he said.

There has been no major job creation initiative since the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office.

The promise made by the

Coalition during the 2015 General and Regional elections campaign was that it would “create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible.” Over three years later, the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, is yet to unveil a national plan to create jobs.

Instead, like President David Granger, he is now talking up the focus on persons creating jobs for themselves. “All good paying jobs, as far as I am concerned, can come from self-generation and that is why we have

to focus a lot on small and medium businesses, creating entrepreneurs rather than traders out of people,” Jordan has said.

President Granger has admitted that under his Government, the economy has not been able to produce “sufficient” new jobs. “On one hand I believe that the young people themselves have to stay in schools so they are better qualified. On the other hand, I think investors must allow what you call microenterprise to flourish, particularly in agro-process-

Mabaruma solar farm to be operational by month end, concerns remain unaddressed

T

he solar farm located at Khan’s Hill, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) is expected to be fully operational by the end of this month, according to Government. However, concerns about the project remain unaddressed.

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government is looking to spend some $264M on a solar farm project in Mabaruma, Region One. The Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, has said that the project will not generate enough energy to provide 17 hours of daily electricity as is being claimed by the government.

According to him, he spoke with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hinterland Electrification Programme, Horace Williams, who confirmed that the system may not provide the said number of hours which would have been previously announced. “He, too, confirmed that the system may not provide that amount of hours of electricity, and because of what I am seeing here, I would have asked him to correct and give guidance to the necessary persons, whether it’s the municipality or so, as to what would be

the work coming out of the solar farm. That is where our concern is, because residents of Mabaruma are of the view that there will be a drastic increase in the electricity provided and that will not be so,” the Chairman said.

He stated that while the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is in support of “going green” and utilising renewable energy, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has not properly informed residents, who already have high hopes of benefitting from the increased supply of electricity, about the reality of the situation. “While we at the RDC fully support the idea of going green and using renewable energy, we also like that when a system is put in place, that it be a system that is holistic and that will achieve the objective of why it is being established,” he said.

Ashley added, “…as it relates to the solar farm, our concern is that it is being placed in the media’s domain that the solar farm, in its establishment, will provide 17 hours of electricity. However, when we were briefed outside of what the Mayor and Town Council would have heard about the 17

hours of electricity, we learnt that the solar system is not something that is going to be working independently, as though they are trapping the energy coming from the sun, but rather that it will be a hybrid system, meaning that it will be integrated into the existing gen set that we have. “…yes, there is going to be an increase in the hours of electricity provided, but not by the additional hours that would make it 17 hours….I was reliably informed that the solar farm does not have the necessary equipment, such as the batteries, that will enable it to trap and store the energy for a long period of time,” he added. “…the only thing significant that will come out of it is, we will have a reduction in the amount of diesel being consumed by the generator set because it will help to take off some of [the] load on the grid through the hybrid system, which will see a decrease in the amount of diesel being used on a daily basis.”

Additionally, to date, it is unclear what additional costs residents of Mabaruma will have to bear once the solar farm project starts generating power.

ing,” he said, adding that it is his intention to engage the private sector to create funds for microenterprise, which can serve as a lending facility to young people.

Notably, the plan for microenterprise funding was not included in the APNU+AFC manifesto. In a message from Granger, the manifesto stated that the APNU+AFC Coalition will provide: “Employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mining, agro-processing and the arts to provide jobs and promote

economic growth.”

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

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

Notably, however, President Granger, in a May 2016 broadcast of ‘The Public Interest’ noted that the Gov-

ernment does not have jobs to give out. “We need to change from the mindset that government owes people employment and create in the minds of young people the desire to go out there and work and do well…people even while they are in school will be encouraged to go into business rather than to look forward to jobs in the private sector,” he said.

In the meantime, job creation concerns continue to grow and Guyana’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth continues to decline.

US 2017 report…

Indigenous communities’ access to education, health care highlighted as gov’t failures N

o 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 – underscoring a major failure of the APNU+AFC Coalition government.

Page 11 of the 207 report states that: “The standard of living in indigenous communities was lower than that of most citizens, and they had limited access to education and health care.”

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

Government programmes trained health workers, who staffed health facilities in most communities.”

Despite multiple calls by the Parliamentary Opposition for work to be done to address several concerns of Amerindians in Guyana, no substantial work has been done.

One of the many areas concerns has been the 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on local interior flights. President David Granger’s comments about opening up the hinterland, relative to access and development, were questioned

by Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. Jagdeo acknowledged that some of hinterland airstrips have been informed that they can apply to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to be exempted from applying the 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), but stressed that more needs to be done.

“The tax is driving up the cost of living in the interior,” he said, calling for the Administration to drop the tax altogether. Jagdeo added that VAT is the latest difficulty being imposed on persons in Guyana’s interior regions. According to him, many in the hinterland are still waiting for the promised firearm licences, a promise made by the government during last year’s period of amnesty. He explained that many in the hinterland depend on the firearms to defend their livelihoods. “Now they cannot defend their lands from wild animals,” he said. Jagdeo noted that he has made similar calls before, but they were not received by “receptive” ears.

“Government needs to act in the interest of our people,” he stressed.

In the meantime, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not addressed this issue.

WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 AUGUST, 2018

na’s FirstonPeople Focus Guyana’s First People

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

s

st er of un-

st ed er ed ee nd hso ck se

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.

Region 9 communities complain Three years later: List of promises made to Amerindians about not receiving uniform and broken by gov’t sincreasing voucher support 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

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

n

d

of ot

ime st ts es r’s ic ns ne nd m C ed es te th . of nthe rs ’s in .

REALITY

No major initiative has been embarked on to date.

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 Programme 5. Hinterland Energy Development Programme

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.

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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or the last three years, Amerindian communities in Region 9 have not received uniform vouchers – a support given to children in public schools across Guyana.

The school uniform vouchers initiative was started under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government,

in an effort to support vulnerable families and ensure that there are less barriers preventing children from attending schools. The vouchers were redeemable at businesses that patterned with the government.

On the coastland, the Ministry of Education administers the Uniform Voucher Programme, while

in Hinterland communities the assistance is administered by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

Public schools are set to reopen in the first week of September 2018. To date, neither the Ministry of Education nor the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has responded to the concerns raised.

Gov’t intent with changes to 2006 Amerindian Act still unclear

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he Coalition Government, undeterred by criticisms, is pushing ahead with its plans to make changes to the Amerindian Act. The Parliamentary Opposition has warned the APNU+AFC Coalition against advancing any move that will not bring more benefits to Amerindians in Guyana – changes that will dilute the rights of our Indigenous Amerindian people.

The Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock, to date, has unable to say what the government’s intention is. All he has said is that, “There were lots of ideas, proposals, and suggestions that we can review, to see what might be adequate or relevant to today.”

Meanwhile, moves are underway to advance changes. At the grassroots level, the efforts are being led by a handpicked, government-connected, group.

The Amerindian Act 2006, passed under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), was hailed as an embodiment of policies that covered 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 re-

lating 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.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Opposition has also called on the Coalition Government to respect the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which is enshrined in the 2006 Amerindian Act – which means that nothing ought to be done with the involvement of the Amerindian people.

It is unclear which Amerindian communities have been consulted on changes to the Amerindian Act. The Government’s move to change the Act was announced in 2016.

Gov’t unresponsive to concerns about conditions being attached to Presidential Grants

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ixteen communities, in Region 9, received cheques valued at $20.8M under the Presidential Grant programme, last month.

However, this time round the monies were released with conditions. The recipients were informed that portions of the monies must be used to embark on green sustainable projects.

The cheques were handed over by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, during the Regional Toshaos’ Conference held at the Indigenous Conference Hall at Lethem, Region Nine.

To date, the concerns raised about the ‘conditions’ have not been addressed by the APNU+AFC

Coalition Government.

The Presidential Grant is one of the major interventions being undertaken by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government. The Grant was aimed at boosting economic and social development for Indigenous People in the respective villages and communities.

Villages and communities receive specific sums which range from $500,000 to $2M according to population size. Some of the projects supported under the Presidential Grant initiatives included: Transportation (Procurement of boats, engines, mini buses, tractors, trailers and its

implements and ATV for general transportation; Agricultural Projects (cattle farming, chicken rearing, cash crop farming); Machinery & Equipment (Chain saws, brush cutters, generators); Tourism (Guest houses, Eco Lodges, benabs); and Productive Infrastructure (Pavilions, Multi-purpose Halls, Village Offices, Village shops Roads, trails, bridges, revetments) The allocation of grants commenced in October, 2007 with an allocation of $150M for 139 villages.

Additionally, it is unclear if all the Amerindian communities received their presidential grants for 2018.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

Property owners in the City looking at increase in taxes

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he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will soon begin a complete re-evaluation of the value of properties in and around the City of Georgetown. And property owners are looking at a possible increase in taxes.

The move to re-value properties in Georgetown is one of the many initiatives being undertaken by the Council with support from Central Government to aid in their financial struggles.

Town Clerk, Royston King, has admitted that there was a meeting with representatives from a Canadian company, which is expected to undertake the project within the next few months.

However, it is unclear under what circumstances the company was engaged and if the rules guiding the award of contracts were followed. There is little information available on the issue.

No support to farmers, lands in Pomeroon being abandoned F armers in Region 2, with little support from the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, are abandoning acres of farm lands due to challenges, not limited to the impacts of climate change.

Meanwhile, other problems facing farmers include the non-availability of markets and un-maintained

farm to market roads.

Poor drainage to respond to the overtopping of the Pomeroon River during spring tides is also another problem – a problem made worse by the fact that the Pomeroon River needs to be dredging regularly. Additionally, smaller canals such as the Friendship Canal are also clogged. This 65-

Another fee imposed on businesses: $20,000 per container processed

Teachers' strike to go ahead, he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) T implemented a container scanner sysUnion holds outreaches tem and businesses will now have to pay

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he Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) remains deadlocked with Government over negotiations about salaries and benefits.

And ahead of the planned strike action, the Union has engaged its membership during a series of outreaches.

The teachers, with the support of their Union, insists that the strike action will allow the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to have an understanding that their complaints are not just about money, but about a continued lack of respect manifested in poor remuneration and abysmal working conditions.

Notably, the GTU has informed teachers that they cannot afford strike relief. However, many of the teachers have indicated that they are still willing to proceed with the strike action.

Lyte had noted that the GTU outright rejected Government’s request for teachers to agree to a debunching payoff of $200 million for 2018/19. He said the Union similarly rejected the $700 million cap that was placed on salary increases; Government also wants the clothing allowance to remains at $8000, a figure which Lyte said was given in 2011.

He said too that for Whitley Council Leave, teachers still have to wait four years before getting their one month off even though the GTU appealed for three years.

GTU President Mark Lyte has informed teaches that the union will be seeking legal advice as to whether they can apply for an injunction preventing the Ministry of Education from withholding the salaries of striking teachers. He however stressed that he did not hold much hope that this would prove to be the case.

GTU has a registered membership of about 7,000 teachers.

The outreaches were held at the Enmore Community Ground, in Linden, Bartica and on the Essequibo Coast.

Prior to the decision to move to strike action, the Union had attempted to engage the APNU+AFC Coalition government since 2015.

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, but no action was taken. The inaction on the report from the Task Force led to the Union meeting with Government – talks that ended in a deadlock.

Strike action is set to begin on August 27, 2018.

a fee of $20,000 for each container that is imported or exported.

GRA has said that the fee will ensure that administration costs borne by the Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC)

will be covered by the new few. The scanner is located at the GNIC Lombard Street facility.

Before being introduced, the container scanners were touted as a means to ensure that there is a reduction in transaction costs and time for both imports and exports.

The fee takes effect on August 27, 2018.

City Hall workers protest non-payment of salaries, NIS

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The letter advising teachers about the strike action

mile canal which runs from Charity [Essequibo Coast], to Aberdeen [Lower Pomeroon], has been clogged for some the last few years, according to affected residents.

The Ministry of Agriculture, nor Central Government officials, has not responded to the plight of farmers in the Pomeroon.

aving spent millions on ‘City Week’ and remaining silent on the criticisms about its spending, City Hall is now facing another debacle.

This week, scores of City Hall workers stood holding placards in front of the Municipality on Monday morning (August 20, 2018) protesting their non-payment of salaries and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) payments by the entity.

The group of protesters

who were represented by the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) consisted of members of the Engineering Department and the Solid Waste Department.

“We’re protesting here because of an injustice that [has] been going on here for the longest while. I wuking here 10 years now and you aint getting nothing tangible. Everything is just promises, promises and nothing aint coming out of it…out of 27 months, they

have 13 months left back for us and they said that they gon pay it this month and we cant get a date…,” one protester said Over the years, City Hall has been attracting attention for its inability to pay its workers.

The Mayor has been recorded in the media deeming the Municipality as “bankrupt” and in the past, Central Government has had to intervene with finances to provide a bailout.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t still silent on ‘government corruption’ highlighted in US report T

he 2018 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), produced by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department, cites “government corruption” as a major source of money laundering – marking the first time in contemporary history that this has happened.

However, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to remain silent on this matter. Not one government minister or official has addressed this matter.

Commenting on the report, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, stressed that the Government has been curiously silent on the US State Department’s report.

Jagdeo added too that many of the personalities and groups that took such reports as “gospel” during the PPP/C tenure in office, but have now, also, gone silent.

“Where is Goolsarran?” he questioned, noting that former Auditor General, Anand

Goolsarran, was outspoken about what he believed was corruption under the former PPP/C government.

Goolsarran had been one of the persons hired by the Coalition government to conduct forensic audits, which were supposed to prove corruption. A massive $133M of taxpayers’ money was spent on about 45 audits. The Coalition government has been criticised for the manner in which the audits were commissioned, since many supporters of APNU+AFC were given contracts – including Goolsarran. Goolsarran received four contracts totaling over $6M, with the largest contract sum being $2.3M. Another $8M was paid to Christopher Ram’s company, Ram and McRae, for the audit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). In total Ram’s company was tasked with eight contracts totaling over $37M. How much remaining five audits cost – a total of 50 having been cited by government as intended pursuits – remains unknown.

APNU+AFC gov’t revises downward the projected growth for 2018

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espite the economy growing by 4.5 per cent in the first half of 2018, the 2018 Mid-Year report notes that traditional sectors, such as sugar and rice, have seen decline in their performances, with contractions of 30.6 and 3.8 per cent respectively.

The gold sector also suffered a decline of 9.1 per cent. This is equivalent to a decrease of 288,114 ounces in gold declaration. The report also revealed that this represented a 19.4 per cent shortfall.

However, despite these issues, the report indicated that growth in the economy was more broad-based than in 2017, with robust performances in the agriculture, fishing and forestry sectors of 3.4 per cent. Other crops, fishing, livestock and forestry industries all experienced growth over the same period, with the latter two growing by a commendable 29.1 per cent and 18.1 per cent respectively.

Growth of 8.2 per cent was also recorded in the services sector, and 13.4 per cent in the construction sector.

This significant increase in the construction sector is attributed to higher building imports by 24.7 per cent.

Meanwhile, production in the bauxite industry reached its highest level since 2013, surpassing 2017 by 21.1 per

cent. This has led to a revision of the forecast growth of the industry upward from 23.3 per cent to 29.9 per cent.

There was also growth in other mining of 31.2 per cent, driven by the production of diamonds and other stones, which increased by 13.3 per cent and 45.5 per cent respectively.

In addition to that, the Government has also revised its growth rate for 2018 to 3.7 per cent – from the 3.8 per cent that was initially projected.

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 disclosed earlier this year.

According to Jagdeo, the US officials “clearly saw something” that made it necessary for the words “gov-

ernment corruption” to be included in the 2018 report.

The Opposition Leader made clear that given the nu-

merous breaches of financial laws, the Procurement Act, etc. – and the many underhand dealings that have been

exposed, the APNU+AFC Coalition government is one of “the most corrupt” Guyana has seen.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. FICTION: Special organized Crime Unit operational

9. FICTION: Lower Electricity rates

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

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

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

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

8. FICTION: Plans to bridge Essequibo River

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

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

27. FICTION: Code of conduct for public official completed

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

FACT: There is no Code of Conduct in place.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

ment 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 procedure 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. Company 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 International 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.

Despite the criticisms government has remained silent.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 AUGUST, 2018

No arrests after male labourer Another supermarket robbery: Owner assaulted, found on road in ‘pool of blood’ held at gunpoint A

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hree armed males pounced on the owner of the Real Value Supermarket located at Lot 246 Church and Thomas Streets, Georgetown during the wee hours of Tuesday (August 21, 2018) morning and relieved him of a significant amount of foreign and local currencies among other valuables.

The incident was confirmed by Police “A” Division Commander, Marlon

Chapman on Tuesday.

Based on police reports, the robbery under arms occurred between 03:00hrs and 04:15hrs.

Information is that the perpetrators gained access into the supermarket through an eastern door which was reportedly left unlocked. The bandits accosted the proprietor, identified as Jun Wong, 40, who resides in the upper flat of the building. Wong

was reportedly sleeping at the time.

The armed bandits then forced the businessman to unlock a safe containing cash and valuables, before they made good their escape by unlocking the buildings’ main southern doors and joining a waiting vehicle.

The suspects then drove off in an unknown direction.

Investigations are ongoing.

Woman ‘busted’ with cocaine, ecstasy A Surinamese woman was arrested on Saturday morning (August 18, 2018) at the Number 78 Foreshore, Corentyne, Berbice, after a search of her person and that of her belongings revealed 247 grams of suspect-

ed cocaine and 100 grams of ecstasy (192 pills) in her brassiere.

The 27-year-old was arrested and is said to be a hairdresser of New Charlesburg, Paramaribo, Suriname.

Police said she arrived

about 08:30hrs via the backtrack route when a routine search was conducted by officers manning the port and the prohibited substances were found.

The hairdresser is being processed for court.

Mahaica family latest victims of home invasion

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ive armed, masked bandits robbed a Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) family on Saturday night (August 18, 2018) carting off cash, jewellery and electronic items.

Enquires disclosed that the victims reside in a two-storey wooden and concrete building and on Saturday night, the bandits gained access to the house after entering the yard and holding one of the occupants at gunpoint.

The armed men then entered the home

and tied the hands and feet of a 56-year-old fruit vendor, while demanding cash from her husband, who was assaulted and gun-butted to the head.

The robbers then raided the home which had four occupants and made good their escape in an unknown direction, leaving all the victims tied up in the house.

The victims managed to untie themselves and contact was made with the police.

An investigation is in progress.

Contraband unearthed at New Amsterdam Prison

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JOINT Services raid at the New Amsterdam (NA) Prison over the weekend unearthed five grams of marijuana, five cellphones, a quantity of improvised weapons, lighters and phone chargers.

This search comes on the heels of one conducted days before at the Lusignan Prison, where officers unearthed yet another set of contraband

items, including pepper sauce and syringes.

Among the illegal items found at the Berbice facility were six earpieces; a quantity of razor blades; 17 chargers; 24 lighters; five cellphones; a quantity of wire; 10 improvised weapons; eight metal spoons; two pairs of scissors; one plastic knife; two nail clips; six syringes with needles; a quantity of Ziplock

bags; six bottles of pepper sauce; one pack of cards; three bottles of medicine; four bottles of oil with suspected cannabis seeds; one memory card; three mirrors and one wrist watch.

Authorities are trying to curb the smuggling of contraband items into prisons, which remains a recurrent problem within the prison system.

male labourer was found lying in a pool of blood at First Dam, Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, and is presently admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, in a critical condition, earlier this week.

The victim Munir Amin, 31, of 51 First Dam, Garden of Eden, EBD, was first taken to the East Demerara Regional Hospital by his father, with severe injuries to his head and face.

Investigation in progress.

Ex-police officer being investigated for shooting teen busted with illegal gun, ammo T

hree months after charges were dropped against former Cadet Officer Frenz Paul for shooting 15-year-old Alex Griffith during a game of Russian roulette over four years ago, he is back in hot water after he allegedly threatened to shoot his wife with an unlicensed firearm.

Based on reports received, the ex-Police was arrested on Monday morning (August 20, 2018) by Police ranks attached to the Ruimveldt Police Station after his reputed wife made a report against him.

Paul reportedly cocked the gun and placed it to the woman’s head during an argument in the wee hours of Monday. Upon making the report, a team of Police ranks went to the couple’s Second Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown home

and conducted a search during which a .32 pistol with 13 live rounds were found with a single bullet in the breech.

The officer was subsequently held at the Georgetown Public Hospital where he sought medical attention for an injured right hand.

He told investigators that during the fracas, he struck the hand to a concrete wall.

He also reportedly admitted ownership of the illegal firearm with ammunition.

The suspect is presently awaiting decision of his re-instatement following the discharging of the charges with regards to the shooting of the teen. That decision rests solely with the Police Service Commission. On the incident, it was reported that on April 30, 2014, the teenager was at a friend’s home when a

sister of the ex-Policeman was robbed just outside the house. Soon after, several Police ranks appeared at his East La Penitence Squatting area home to question him on the identities of the robbers. During the interrogation, Paul and the then 15-year-old teen had a scuffle during which Griffith allegedly attempted to relieve the Policeman of his weapon.

It was then a shot was fired, and the young man was struck. The injured teen was placed into a Police van and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The matter was reported and Paul was placed under close arrest. He was subsequently charged.

Those charges were later discharged.

Meanwhile, the present issue is being investigated.

Teixeira questions ‘unusual’ move by SOCU to go to Minister Ramjattan over PPP/C call for investigation of Patterson

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fter being called on to take action against Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, following the findings of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), relative to the selection and award of a contract for the completion of a Feasibility Study and design for the New Demerara River Crossing/ Bridge, the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU) has responded to the Parliamentary Opposition.

Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had promised that SOCU will be engaged. A letter was been sent to SOCU

by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

Commenting on SOCU’s response, Teixeira said, “I noticed they have informed the Minister of Public Security (Khemraj Ramjattan) of the investigation. I do not know what the reason is for this...I find it unusual that the request was also sent to the Minister of Public Security.

Usually, investigations of this nature are not forwarded to a Minister; it goes through an investigative process. “…it’s a little interesting to note in what way the Minister was involved and I hope that the Minister would not interfere with the investigations… as you know it took from September last year until August this year, which is quite a lot of time, for the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to complete its work.”

The letter sent to SOCU, dated August 15, 2018, seen by the Mirror newspaper said: “Due to the seriousness of their findings and the gross violations of the Procurement Act, with particular reference to the role of the Minister of Public Infrastructure in violating the Procurement Act

SOCU’s response to the PPP/C letter calling for an investigation

and the most recent Code of Conduct as outlined in the Integrity Commission, Act, I hereby call on the SOCU to take action as required under the law.

“I also ask you to note that Dr. Sittlington, Advisor to the SOCU., in response to issues raised at an Anti-Corruption Seminar for Members of Parliament in July 2018, stated that any evidence of corruption by Ministers, public officials, etc., should be sent to the Unit.”

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

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

As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-ten-

dered. 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.

The Parliamentary Opposition’s position is that the findings of the report evidence a flagrant breach of Guyana’s financial rules.

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