Weekend Mirror 28-29 April 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t called out in US report for failures in Amerindian communities 28-29 April, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 19 / Price: $100

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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 and it underscores a major failure

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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.” PAGE 15

GDF to finally brief Parliamentary Committee on border issues next Thursday PAGE 6

PPP team visits Moraikabai

PAGE 13

SEE INSIDE

Gov’t takes another loan to cover cost of its PAGE 11 incompetence – US$20M World Bank loan expected to pay for more oil and gas consultants

APNU+AFC gov’t PAGE 6 silent on ‘government corruption’ highlighted in US report

Amerindian representation on Indigenous People’s Commission reduced PAGE 2

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Guyana has little to show Amerindian representation after taxpayers’ monies on Indigenous People’s spent on over 100 overseas Commission reduced trips for Granger G S ince being sworn in as Head of State, President David Granger has attended over 100 international events in various countries on almost all the continents of the world. But he has failed to inform the Guyanese public on the outcomes of these international forums – all of which were funded by taxpayers’ monies.

At most of these international events, the participants would sign off on either a declaration, a plan of action, or a set of commitments.

However, on his return to Guyana after these events, the President has never ever reported to the nation on the outcomes of the events he attended as the high representative of the people of Guyana, traveling at taxpayers’ expense.

In fact, last year it was revealed that Prime Minister

Moses Nagamootoo’s traveling expense reached $19M in two short years. In a written response to Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira’s question, the Government said that some US$39,604 including G$11.3 million (19.2M) were spent during that specific period, giving a breakdown of all the conferences, cultural events and diaspora engagements the Prime Minister attended.

There have been concerns that these government officials are not adequately representing Guyana when going on these trips. For example, Granger headed to the United Kingdom for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit without a plan to address the ban that country placed on Guyana’s greenheart products – a move for which he was criticised by Opposition Leader

Bharrat Jagdeo.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Clement Rohee pointed out that since the President abhors press conferences, the task is assigned to Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge to provide to the local press corps with the usual “obfuscated and vague understanding” of what actually took place at the meetings.

overnment is coming in for increased criticisms after its move to reduce the Amerindian representation on the Indigenous People’s Commission.

The Coalition Government has now moved to reduced that representation to 30 per cent – with a 15 member commission, of which three are from the National Toshaos Council and two are from local Amerindian organisations.

The other 10 members will come from the: Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs; Ministry of Public Health; Ministry of Social Protection; Private Sector Commission; Environmental Protection Agency; Bar Association of Guyana; Guyana Gold and Diamond

Miners Association; Forest Products Association; National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); and the Inter-Religious Organisation.

The latter, the Inter-Religious Organisation, was a proposal that came from PNCR General Secretary, Amna Ally, who defended her recommendation by saying that “the majority of indigenous people” may not be Christians.

These details are according to the seventh report of the Committee of Appointments, in relation to the appointment of members of the Indigenous People’s Commission, was tabled in the House and came up for debate on Thursday (April 26, 2018).

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

Minister George Norton chairs the Committee of Appointments, which made the controversial move. Norton’s Committee report will be subject to a vote that required two-thirds approval.

PNC’s call for house-to-house registration desperate, an attempt to postpone elections - PPP C alls by the PNCR for fresh house-to-house registration reeks of desperation and can be seen as an attempt to postpone the upcoming Local Government Elections and the imminent General and Regional Elections.

This is according to the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), which said in a press release that request for houseto-house registration means that the PNC has discovered the harsh reality that its supporters are not heeding their calls to register. “This reluctance to engage in the process is as a result of the despondency precipitated from the economic hardships that the PNC government continues to stack on the backs of Guyanese. The visionless PNC government through its woefully inept management, not only decimated a once vibrant economy, but has made it virtually impossible for Guyanese, including their own supporters, to eke out a living after falsely promising a good life,” the PPP pointed out.

PNCR General Secretary, Amna Ally, had issued a statement calling for houseto-house registration.

The PPP reminded that after the 2015 General and Regional Elections, it called not only for a new houseto-house registration by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), but for electronic voting utilizing enhanced biometrics with a paper- ballot trail which could be audited.

“Having ignored our calls, the PNC, having completed almost three years in government, is now making calls for a new house-tohouse registration,” the PPP outlined.

But the PPP explained that house-to-house registration is a meticulous process that necessitates a protracted time period for its completion and accuracy. The Party reasoned that if GECOM embarks on this process now, it would delay the elections.

“Therefore having realized that its support is diminishing, this desperate call for a new house-to-house registra-

tion by the PNC three years hence, can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to postpone or even derail Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled for later this year and General and Regional Elections constitutionally due in 2020,” the Party warned.

The PPP has urged all Guyanese not to be misled by a “now worried and desperate PNC” through its usual diversionary tactics.

BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT FROM THE PPP: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted the desperate call by General Secretary of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Ms. Amna Ally, for a new house-to-house registration.

The PPP wishes to remind that after the 2015 General and Regional Elections, it ccalled not only for a new house-to-house registration by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), but for electronic voting utilizing enhanced biometrics with a paper- ballot trail which could

be audited.

Having ignored our calls, the PNC, having completed almost three years in government, is now making calls for a new house-to-house registration. After the completion of two cycles of continuous registration and two periods of claims and objections, the PNC has discovered the harsh reality that its supporters are not heeding their calls to register.

This reluctance to engage in the process, is as a result of the despondency precipitated from the economic hardships that the PNC government continue to stack on the backs

of Guyanese.

The visionless PNC government through its woefully inept management, not only decimated a once vibrant economy, but has made it virtually impossible for Guyanese, including their own supporters, to eke out a living after falsely promising a good life.

Their failed economic policies have removed confidence from local and foreign investors thereby compounding the woes of a now wary Guyanese populace.

House-to-house registration is a meticulous process that necessitates a protracted time peri-

od for its completion and accuracy. Therefore having realized that its support is diminishing, this desperate call for a new house-to-house registration by the PNC three years hence, can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to postpone or even derail Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled for later this year and General and Regional Elections constitutionally due in 2020.

The PPP urges all Guyanese not to be misled by a now worried and desperate PNC through its usual diversionary tactics.

People’s Progressive Party

Nagamootoo refuses to face facts

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rime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has said that press in Guyana is “free, open, plural and kicking” and continued in his failure to speak about criticisms highlighted in a recently published United States of America (USA) State Department Report.

The 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the US State Department, on page 5, under Freedom of Expression, including the Press – Censorship or Content Restrictions, refers to: “A 2015 directive from the prime minister determined that all headlines in the state-owned print media be approved by the Office of the Prime Minister before publication.

“In April (2017) the minister of communities publicly admonished the editor of the state-owned newspaper for using a report on oil and gas as its lead article. The minister sated a report on a local government should have been the lead article.”

Despite this, Nagamootoo insists that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has moved to expand press freedom in Guyana.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

The Return of National Service?

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he account of the Guyana National Service (GNS) being manipulated under the dictatorship of the former People’s National Congress (PNC) and harrowing stories of sexual misconduct among ranks and by the authorities in charge have not left the minds of many Guyanese, as well as the fact that it was compulsory enlistment if Guyanese at University level. And now questions are being raised about a possible return of the Guyana National Service.

Earlier this year, President David Granger established the Guyana Youth Service (GYS). The body will be responsible for consolidating all of the youth programmes, including HEYS, a programme that targeted hinterland youths, which has since been scrapped.

Like the Guyana National Service programme, the GYS is being touted by the PNCled Coalition Government as a training programme for youths. And it was had targeted the hinterland in particular as an area for recruitment to be done.

Even more worrisome is that what seems to be a re-branded Guyana National Service falls under the authority of the Ministry of the Presidency – under the direct authority of President David Granger. Even as a former Opposition Leader, Granger penned several articles, published in the local press, about the need for the Guyana National Service

Ranks of the GNS on a march

to be re-introduced – even though he admitted that it was scrapped while being mired in controversy.

As early as the 1970’s the late president and former PPP General Secretary, Janet Jagan, identified the Guyana National Service as a “PNC para-military force to back

up the coercive apparatus of the State” under the Forbes Burnham’s leadership.

SUBVERSION OF STATE INSTITUTIONS The subversion of State institutions was detailed in the 155-page Commission

of Inquiry Report on the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, the then leader of the Working’s People’s Alliance (WPA). Rodney, a distinguished Guyanese scholar, was assassinated on June 13, 1980, by an explosion which occurred in his car at John

GDF to finally brief Parliamentary Committee on border issues next Thursday

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onths after President David Granger’s promise that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will address the Parliamentary Committee on Security Oversight, with respect to the developing situation with Venezuela, a briefing is likely for next Thursday, May 3, 2018.

Prior to the month-late development, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had lamented the delay.

“There has been nothing,” he had said, adding that the Granger-led government is treating the border issue in a “callous” manner. “This government just can’t get anything done well,” Jagdeo added.

The Opposition Leader at a prior news conference

had decried the fact that it is the Guyana Defence Force that has been asked to address the Parliamentary Committee on Security Oversight, with respect to the developing situation with Venezuela. “We hear the Army will brief the Parliamentary Security Oversight Committee….

Ganger has come to Parliament to speak about a whole list of inconsequential things,” Jagdeo said.

He noted that Government ought to have called in the Parliamentary Opposition and related a brief of the situation at hand.

According to him, Granger could have also either addressed the nation or addressed Parliament.

In the case of the latter, a

resolution could have also been put to the floor of the National Assembly, whereby all Parliamentarians could have voted in support of moved to defend Guyana’s territorial integrity – all in the interest of maintaining a national position on the matter. “These surreptitious moves, keeping it (the issue) in the Cabinet is not the way to go,” the former President stressed.

Granger’s promise of a briefing only came after pressure from the Parliamentary Opposition Notably, the words “threats to Guyana’s territorial integrity” from neighbouring Venezuela were finally been uttered

by President Granger, after being called on to address

the matter for weeks. Jagdeo has stated that Granger, for the past several weeks, has been visiting border communities and has addressed the issue of security, with respect to criminal activities, but has failed to respond to the Parliamentary Opposition’s call for him to address the larger issue at hand. “Now we have one line…tangentially he talks about it…. again we come back to the culture of secrecy in this Government….they seem to believe that they own the defense of Guyana, not us the Guyanese people,” he lamented.

There has been no response to Jagdeo’s concerns by the Coalition Government.

and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown. Dr. Rodney was, at the time of his death, an eminent political leader engaged in democracy and social justice in a struggle against authoritarian rule.

The Commission’s report concluded Rodney’s assassination was a “State organised” act that was executed with the knowledge of the then Prime Minister Burnham, who had “large and detailed” knowledge of what was being done by the State and its agencies during his tenure.

The report details also detailed the link to Burnham’s principle of party paramountcy and the use of the GPF and Guyana Defence Force (GDF), as well as the judiciary, to go after persons who were seen as opposition elements. The report, on page 41, also noted that Burnham in 1974, at a PNC Conference, said, “It was decided that the Party should assume unapologetically its paramountcy over the Government, which is merely one of its executive arms.” Prior to that, according to page 42 of the report, Burnham reasoned that “God says that before you were, I was. The party says to the Government before you were, we were.

The government has got to be in our system as a subordinate agency to the party.”

Page 45 of the report stat-

ed that Burnham called for the armed forces to “be fully acquainted with the policies of the PNC party.” As such, page 46 adds that the judiciary and ranks “committed themselves to being servants of the Prime Minister (Burnham), rather than official in service of the State.”

The report concluded that Burnham had such an “absolute” grip and control over the society that he “dehumanised and belittled many Guyanese.” The result was that opposition elements were constantly harassed, threatened or assaulted and some murdered. “The period under review was one of extreme hardships and difficulties in the life of Guyanese people.

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

Over the past three years, since the PNC-led Coalition government took office, there have been criticisms that its policies, levels of corruption and decisions – including the unilateral and unconstitutional appointment of 84-year-old James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) – are reminiscent of those advanced during the Burnham-era.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

EDITORIAL

APNU+AFC – Naturally Corrupt T

he statement by the People’s Progressive Party that “the APNUAFC Government can easily be classified as the most corrupt government in the post-independence English speaking Caribbean” did not go down well with those in the current Administration – at least from all the indications so far, including the reemergence of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to ‘sing for his supper’ by attempting to mislead Guyanese on the current state of affairs.

The government is caught in a vice. While it loudly and without any evidence continues with its ridiculous allegations that annually the PPP/C government stole some $300B, it has not lifted a finger against the daily flouting of government’s procurement laws and the corrupt use of monies in the treasury. Moreover, the Coalition remains curiously silent on the 2018 US State Department report that cited “government corruption” – for the first time – as a primary source of laundered funds.

This government has been in office for three years, and after spending some $130M for forensic audits, it stall cannot provide the public with a single substantial case of PPP/C ministers, who are being targeted by the government, being involved in corrupt practices. It is clear they are being targeted because of the robust opposition to the policies of this government.

The spending of more than $1.5 billion on a useless D’Urban Park without any regard to the procurement regime is a glaring example of massive corruption at the level of the government, is the least of the corrupt acts perpetuated on Guyanese. Over the three-year period that this government has been in power, there have been hundreds of instances where the Cabinet, in violation of the constitution, and in a most vulgar fashion, spends tax-payers money as if this is its personal property. This behavior has become characteristic of the APNU/AFC regime.

It is difficult to fathom the extent of corruption under this government, but it has to be unbelievably towering to have attracted the interest of US State Department.

All the experts agree that corruption in government undermines a country’s economic potential and robs the citizenry, especially in poorer states, of the basic amenities. Guyana is a classic model of this phenomenon.

The Coalition government inherited, despite denials, a robust economy, which over the decade prior to 2015, has shown a pattern of progress that, if continued, will see Guyana emerging as a leading Caribbean nation, at least economic wise. And now that Guyana is on the verge of reaping benefits from oil production, the prospects would have been greater.

Alarmingly, all that has gone overboard!

The corrupt nature of the government, dominated by the old ways of the People’s National Congress, is taking Guyana down the path of insolvency.

By their actions, and in-actions, the economy is on the down-slide. Being possessed with their own self-interest, our new leaders care nothing about managing the affairs of the nation in a manner that will bring benefits to its people.

While corruption flourishes, our people are heavily taxed, the cost-of-living is sky-rocketing, crime is out of control and unemployment is increasing. The state sector is over-bloated with more and more political hacks being placed on the State’s payroll, there is wasteful spending, and the cost of running the political hierarchy is mounting.

Recent reports show that the President alone has made some 100 trips overseas in less than three years.

This a throwback to the more than two decades of dictatorial rule, during which time the country was bankrupted and the people impoverished.

Under this government, the web of corruption has now engulfed the new oil sector. The entire dealing with the oil company has been bungled. The analyses by the world’s top experts have concluded that Guyana was shafted and the company got the better of the deal. The scandalous handling of the US$18 million has been exposed and highlights the Government’s corrupt dealings.

It is in this not-so-pleasant context that the regime is attempting to find red herrings and scapegoats to hide its true corrupt nature.

As the government becomes more and more exposed, Guyanese will experience increasing hardships. Today they are targeting PPP leaders and former government officials, but as criticisms from all quarters mount, including from their own supporters, the state of affairs is likely to worsen.

However, what is clear is that the ‘writing is on the wall’.

Baseless conjecture on ‘president for life’ situation in Guyana Dear Editor,

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beg space in your letter column to respond to a curious publication (Kaieteur News, April 20, 2018) penned by Thomas Singh, where he comments on the possibility of a person being “president for a lifetime” if the Caribbean Court of Justice upholds the ruling of Guyana’s Appeal Court, which allows a former president to run for a third term.

Editor, the writer seems confused about the situation of Guyana and countries like China, where the latter has a one-party system and Guyana’s political arena has given space to multiple political parties. With this in mind it cannot be conclusive that a former president being allowed to run for a third term will then be president for life. Any candidate seeking the highest office in Guyana still has to return to the electorate every five years. Any candidate seeking the highest office in Guyana still has to compete with other politicians seeking election as Guyana’s President.

The writer’s use of the words like “impending apocalypse” is even more curious and he exposes his hostility to certain political figures in Guyana. Is this not the same Thomas Singh who tried and failed to secure relevance in the political arena by offering comments on issues of the day, including corruption, or in his case what he perceived was corruption, and other mainstream issues, which personalities like Christopher Ram and Ramon Gaskin have regularly

been featured in the media addressing. In this case, one can only conclude that Thomas Singh is attempting, again, to secure some relevance, even if it means peddling a very distorted view of an eventuality depending on the Caribbean Court of Justice’s ruling.

The simple truth is that there cannot be a President for life, even if the Caribbean Court of Justice’s ruling upholds the ruling of Guyana’s Court of Appeal. At the end of the day, every five years, any candidate seeking election as President of Guyana will still have to account for the Guyanese people.

It is the General and Regional Elections every five years that protect the Guyanese people from the “political excesses” that Thomas Singh talks about. In a democratic society, with multiple political parties and elections every five years, no matter how the Caribbean Court of Justice rules, there cannot be a president for life and ALL politicians are held accountable by the Guyanese people.

Thomas Singh needlessly insults the sensibilities of the Guyanese people by implying that a ruling from the Caribbean Court of Justice to uphold the ruling of Guyana’s Court of Appeal will automatically result in a president for life situation.

Sincerely, Baldeo Mathura

What is Sittlington’s role at SOCU? Dear Editor,

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overnment’s Advisor, Mr. Sam Sittlington, continues to cement himself in operational matters of the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU). Isn’t it about time that the British High Commissioner comes clean on Mr. Sittlington’s role with SOCU? Is he an Advisor? Or is he more involved? Are the British taxpayers aware of what their monies are being spent on?

Editor, is has been over a year since concerns were publicised about a Government Minister, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, engaging Mr. Sittlington.

It was the Minister who let the ‘cat out of the bag’ anyways. He had said, according to the report, that: “The fact (is) that I had some wine with Sam on Wednesday evening at Oasis was because I wanted to thank him for the great work he did at SOCU.” This ‘wine-drinking’ happened days after top leaders of the former government were hauled into SOCU. By now most Guyanese are clear on what the role of SOCU was supposed to be, most Guyanese except those in this current Coalition Government, which is strange because it is as if they forgot what they said only four years ago. As a former Leader of the Opposition, Mr. David Granger, a press conference on October 11, 2014, acknowledged that SOCU was assigned “as the investiga-

tive arm of the FIU.” Another Cabinet Minister, Mr. Carl Greenidge (former Shadow Minister of Finance), also in 2014 said: “The FIU, after receiving that report (from its reporting institutions), will now send it off to the SOCU which will operate as its investigative arm.”

Editor, many people seemed to have forgotten not only this, but also the questions about what SOCU has been turned into, especially after Guyanese read reports of the deaths of a Guyana Defence Force rank, Robert Pyle and his wife, Stacy Pyle, as well as a truck driver, Linden Eastman, on December 30, 2015. The Guyana Defence Force said the deaths occurred during a legitimate operation in which the Force was supporting the work of SOCU. What work remains the question.

Coming back to present happenings – with the controversy surrounding shift in the work of SOCU from the purpose it was set up for, the questionable operations of the Unit under this new Government and the personalities involved – Guyanese need answers on the role of Mr. Sittlington in Guyana.

What do we know about Mr. Sittlington? Other than he was a police officer in Ireland, has a company, ‘The Fraud Company, Ltd.’ and that he has worked in other third world countries.

Is Mr. Sittlington the latest ‘consultant/ advisor’ using Guyana to bolster his resume? For personalities like Mr.

Sittlington boasting that he worked on cases that resulted in the ‘jailing of some black people’ (rationale being if you’re not white, you’re black), would that not mean that Guyanese are accepting a new kind of colonization.

Maybe this is far-fetched reasoning, but the truth is that we know very little. The truth is also that the ambitions of personalities like Mr. Sittlington seem to find a happy synergy with the goals of the new APNU/AFC Coalition Government – it fits what we heard on the campaign trail about jailing former government officials. For example, only days ago the newspapers reported that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams berated SOCU and the FIU over their inability to secure convictions. But, as I said earlier, most Guyanese are clear on what the role of SOCU was supposed to be.

Because Guyanese know what the role of SOCU is supposed to be, the British High Commissioner must say what exactly is the nature work being done by Mr. Sittlington and the Government must justify the current operations of SOCU, particularly since Guyana will be reviewed by CFATF soon and the work of SOCU is linked to that review, with the mandate of SOCU being to support the Financial Intelligence Unit to tackle money laundering.

Sincerely, Cedric Lord

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Opposition will not participate in a charade Dear Editor,

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he Parliamentary Opposition notes with great amusement the invitation, under the signature of the Clerk of the National Assembly, being directed by Speaker on the behest of the Minister of Public Infrastructure to a tour of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project site, schedule for Friday 27th April 2018.

The purported purpose of this tour, according to the correspondence, is to provide all Members of Parliament (MPs) with relative information so that a more informed discourse on the project may occur in the future.

However, we wish to reiterate the following: 1. The Parliamentary Opposition will not participate in any charade, of any kind, at any time, to lend any semblance of legitimacy and to camouflage any appearance of transparency to this unaccountable Administration; 2. We remind all Guyanese of the hostile, diatribe and near sabotage of this project by the then Opposition, AFC and APNU, jointly.

This was suppose to have been, according to their interpretation, a corrupt under hand deal by the then Jagdeo Administration; 3. The CJIA expansion project was part of a number of transformative projects, which included the Marriott Hotel, to bring in a new sector, mainly tourism with its eco brand.

Guyana was being poised to become a hub for air traffic to facilitate regional and international traffic, with one of the main effects being lower airfares and lower freight, which would have resulted in a ‘big boom’ for the export of non-traditional projects, not forgetting the Speciality Hospital with a view to provide for medical tourism. The development of the synthetic track and other world class facilities to encourage sports tourism; 4. This contract that was entered into under the PPP/C Administration is a fixed price design and build contract, the documents clearly defined what was to be done. The

expansion and lengthening of the runway, the new size of the tarmac, the number of boarding gates eight (8) according to the document and the square footage of the building. It was clearly understood that all the risk, including the geo-technical risk, was to be borne by the contractor in this arrangement. We are aware that significant alterations and changes have been made to the design. It is our intention, and we will at the appropriate time, call for a performance audit of this project, to ensure that the Guyanese people got value for their money and what was paid for was delivered.

The Minister of Public Infrastructure on numerous occasions in the National Assembly, failed to answer questions or deliver information promised in regards to this project. His usual style of much rhetoric is now common place with very little to show; 5. I suspect the reason that we have had the entire Cabinet visit this PPP/C project and now an invitation to the entire Parliament, is that the environment is being prepared for supplementary request and approval for more monies for this fixed price project. At the appropriate time, in the National Assembly, we will address these matters.

It has been three years since this Administration has been foisted on the Guyanese people and they have not a single project, of a developmental nature, to show. Is this now an act of desperation for some media coverage, to show that things are happening?

Maybe the now embattled Minister, who is facing private criminal charges for Misconduct in Public Office, through the Speaker may soon invite the entire Parliament to visit two other PPP/C projects, specifically, the East Coast Highway expansion and the West Coast Demerara road expansion and upgrade.

Yours truly, Bishop Juan A. Edghill, PPP/C MP Parliamentary spokesperson on Public Infrastructure

Government treats bauxite matter with alacrity, sugar workers left in the cold Dear Editor,

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he announced intention of the cessation of operations by Oldendorff was indeed saddening and provides a stark reminder of how a situation between two (2) countries could affect us.

It must be seen as a wakeup call for our people to recognise the interconnected world we live in.

I saw that within hours of the Oldendorff announcement, the Ministers of Natural Resources and Members of Parliament from Region #10 engaging the company

on the way forward. The press also reported that a Ministerial team will meet with the workers of Oldendorff and Rusal in the coming days. Guyanese should take note of the Administration’s swift and prompt response to the situation in bauxite.

While the Government moves with great alacrity on the bauxite matter, a similar enthusiastic attitude has evaded it when it comes to the sugar workers who the Government, I might add, laid off. The rationale for this may be interesting. If

the Government’s different treatment of the sugar workers was politically influenced then this is nothing more than patent discrimination.

At the end of the day whether they be sugar workers, bauxite workers, or whatever other worker, they are Guyanese and the Government is there not to serve the interests of their supporters only but they are obligated to serve the interest of all Guyanese, irrespective of their political, ethnic, religious or whatever persuasion they may be.

Liebert Alleyne

Violence against women is an increasingly neglected national crisis

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t appears to have been missed by our government, but Domestic Violence Against Women (Intimate Partners Violence) has long passed a national crisis in Guyana. It is with deep concern that I make an appeal to President Granger and his APNU+AFC Cabinet.

Guyana is presently in the midst of a serious crisis of domestic violence and this national crisis demands the attention and attending action of the President and his Cabinet. The physical, sexual and mental abuse of women in Guyana continues to escalate unabated.

The frequency of the murders of women by their spouses (Intimate Partners), close associates and by other individuals has increased to unprecedented and frightening levels.

What is worse is that the cruelty of these murders has also reached unfathomable levels.

It is incumbent of the President to declare a national emergency in confronting this obnoxious phenomenon. It is necessary for President Granger to demand that the relevant ministers present a national action plan now.

In fact, the President must scold the relevant ministers for neglecting the issue and allowing it to escalate to beyond a national crisis.

The truth is that the increasing frequency of killings of women appears to have not gained the attention of the President and his Cabinet. The President has been totally absent in addressing the crisis that women and our country faces. The Prime Minister is preoccupied in proving his relevance in this government. The Minister of Public Security has been AWOL, missing in action, on this issue. Other relevant ministers, like the Ministers of Social Protection and Public Health, Amna Ally and Volda Lawrence, appear too busy with other matters. None of the Ministers with direct responsibilities and none of the Cabinet Ministers have shown any empathy or concern. It is as if the increasing violence against women in Guyana is invisible to President Granger and his APNU+AFC Cabinet. While the President and his Cabinet appear to have a very demanding appetite for media attention, they have totally abrogated their responsibility to ensuring the rights of women and children are respected, promoted and defended.

Yesterday, two women were killed by their spouses in Guyana. In appears that this has become an everyday event. In fact, violence against women is increasingly and daily occupying the pages of our newspapers and filling the minutes on TV and radio newscasts. Social media now is filled with the daily occurrences of violence - physical, sexual, mental - in Guyana. To be sure, this is a global crisis and not limited to Guyana. But in Guyana, it seems as though the authorities are still unmoved and not paying the kind of serious attention that a national crisis demands. The invisibility of domestic violence to the government and the authorities in general, even as it has reached levels far beyond a national crisis, is startling, troubling and a national scandal.

But it is not invisible to the Guyanese people. I commend the Leader of the Opposition for demonstrating by his expression of concern that domestic violence demands

an urgent national response. In this regards I commend Priya Manichand, the former Minister of Social Services and the former Minister of Education, in Guyana for using her FB Post to highlight the growing crisis. I commend the media, across the political divide, for ensuring that they frontally highlight the cruelty and the neglect of domestic violence and the increasingly cruel and violence murders of women and girls in Guyana. I commend the thousands of Guyanese sisters, in particular and Guyanese brothers, who have taken to FB and social media to highlight the growing crisis and to urge action.

The WHO and PAHO, UNICEF, UNFPA have been making sterling efforts globally and nationally to highlight VAW and the impact on society. In fact, for more than a decade, the WHO has been warning that VAW has become a global crisis that demands urgent global and national responses. In 2008, as President of the WHO, I declared that VAW is a public health crisis and actions to combat VAW must become a priority agenda item on national and global development programs.

Domestic violence against women and girls remain one of the most systematic and widespread violation of the Rights of Women globally. This is very much evident in Guyana today. To be sure, this is not a new problem globally and it is certainly not a new problem for Guyana. In highlighting this issue, therefore, I am not in any way trying to place the blame on President Granger and his APNU+AFC Government. It would be unfair of me and of anyone to do so. When I was a Cabinet Members, domestic violence was a major national problem that we were forced to confront. Priya Manickchand, as the then Minister of Social Services, made it a national priority social issue to address. Throughout the period of the PPP tenure in Government, we were robust in keeping the issue on the national agenda.

While not casting blame on the government for the escalation of domestic violence in our country, I am accusing the present government of being neglectful and not addressing the problem in any urgent and comprehensive manner. There is need for the government to say something and to do something. Their silence show that they are tone-deaf and insensitive to the problems women and girls face and that is an albatross around the neck of our country.

Globally 35% of women are subjected to daily violence and abuse in a domestic setting. It is estimated that in Guyana, the figures are now surpassing 50%. The time for silence is long past. The Government must act now. Domestic Violence Against Women is not merely another problem that affects Guyana's development, it is a national crisis at this moment. The Government of Guyana is AWOL and abrogating its responsibility. In lieu of its silence on this matter, I am asking the Women and Gender Equality Commission to declare VAW in Guyana as qualified to be a national crisis.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t silent on Company documents link ‘government corruption’ gov’t official to vessel seized highlighted in US report for suspected fuel smuggling 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.

According to Jagdeo, the US officials “clearly saw something” that made it necessary for the words “government corruption” to be included in the 2018 report.

The Opposition Leader made clear that given the numerous 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.

– Roysdale Forde, Sanasie and others named

F

ollowing 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 have been 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 Inc. as the company that engaged the services of Sia Regulus, which owns the vessel that was seized by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA). That agreement was signed by Forde in May 24, 2016 and one, Captain Alexander Kilmanskiy.

Reports about the illegal act of fuel smuggling surfaced in 2016.

After initial reports

about the illegality, businessmen, Vic Oditt and Pradeep Abdool, were implicated after a matter was addressed by the local courts. In fighting the injunction granted against him on May 27, 2016, businessman, Augustine Jackson, in a sworn affidavit, implicated former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) head, Oditt and his partner, Abdool in a fuel smuggling racket.

Since then, news of a second operation, involving the Attorney-at-Law’s operations, was made public. The documents released would suggest that the prominent Attorney-at-Law is Forde.

Other suspicious activity involving government officials and persons close to the Government have also been reported. The current Coalition Government has been criticised by the political opposition for its inaction in cracking down on such illegal op-

erations. However, government officials remain silent on the matter.

Meanwhile, under public pressure, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) head, Godfrey Statia, has said that the ‘Jubilee’ was carrying some 200,000 gallons of smuggled fuel and that the vessel will be released after an estimated $36M of taxes are paid.

The Captain of the vessel is also facing a $20M fine.

There has been silence on how the vessel was allowed to pass GRA’s Customs Boat House. Incoming vessels at Port Georgetown are required to report to the Boat House. Officials of Customs and the Maritime Administration are stationed there. Also, those implicated, including those close to the Coalition Government (Forde), have not addressed this matter.

The ‘Jubilee’ is currently anchored in the Demerara River, under guard.

Massive corruption under Coalition gov’t surpassed only by its incompetence - PPP T

he APNU+AFC Coalition has been put on blast the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) for the increasing acts of corruption – ranging from breaches of Guyana’s financial laws to the siphoning off of taxpayers’ monies.

Below is a statement from the People’s Progressive Party: After being in office for only three years, this APNU+AFC Government can easily be classified as the most corrupt Government in the post-independent English speaking Caribbean.

Indeed, its corruption is only surpassed by its incompetence.

In three short years it has managed to completely by-pass the public procurement process, mandated by law, and has handed to its cronies and financiers, hundreds of contracts to the value of Billions of Dollars.

In one single transaction, the Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence ordered the

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to purchase $620M in drugs and pharmaceuticals supplies from an identified supplier, without any resort to the procurement process. Then shamelessly and publicly accepted a gift of a freezer from the supplier to store some of these pharmaceuticals. What is worse, the pharmaceuticals were acquired at a cost of over 100% more than their market value.

This Government rents a house, in Albouystown, for $14MGYD per month to store pharmaceuticals, when that same house can only yield a rental of approximately $100,000 GYD, on the open market. Over $300M GYD has thus far been paid in rental for this bond. This very landlord, who is a member of the PNC, rents a building from a sitting Minister, which is situated in the heart of the city, for a meagre $800,000 per month. This premises

is a popular liming spot for Ministers and one of the preferred places where corrupt deals are brokered.

Again, there was no resort to any form of procurement, in relation to the rental of this house in Albouystown.

This Government expended over $2B of taxpayers’ dollars in the construction of the D’Urban park facilities and established a company that was given the major construction works under this project, comprising of a Minister and known members of the PNC. Again, there was no resort to any form of public procurement. Despite repeated demands, they cannot produce any credible records to the office of the Auditor General, in relation to this project.

Whenever this Government resorts to the procurement process and it does not yield the contractor of their choice, they manufacture a reason to scrap the process and restart it until

the desired contractor is awarded the contract. At the level of the Regional Tender Boards, this practise is even worse. The Regional Executive Officers are allowed to manipulate the process so that cronies and party loyalists are awarded the contracts.

This Government has surreptitiously negotiated a petroleum sharing agreement with Exxon Mobil and for over a year refused to make it public despite thunderous public pressure.

Dozens of questions have been raised about this contract, but this Government has persistently refused to answer any of them.

This is a Government that refuses to submit itself to the Integrity Act, which requires the submission of their assets and earnings of Ministers and Public Officials. This is a Government that voted against a Motion, tabled by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in the National Assembly, which called upon all Members of Parliament (MP) to disclose their Integrity Commission submissions as well as their

income tax submissions for the past 10 years.

This is a Government that surreptitiously stashed in a secret bank account, $18MUSD, received from ExxonMobil as a signing bonus and uttered not a word about it to the public, for over a year, until the information was leaked to the press.

This is a Government that secretly paid itself, retroactively, a 100% increase in salary, to the first day that it took office.

We can continue, but we believe that the picture has been painted.

This Government has the audacity to accuse others of corruption and manipulates the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and directs the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to institute fabricated and malicious charges against political opponents and highly qualified professional Guyanese, who have served their country and their people with distinction. The charges instituted against Dr. Ashni Singh and Mr. Winston Brassington are simply the

most recent.

Corruption under this Government has reached to such alarming levels that the March 2018, US State Department Report titled, “International Narcotics Control Strategy Report Volume II,” identifies Government corruption, for the first time in Guyana’ history, as one of the main source of money-laundering. In short, we have a Government of money-launders.

We ask the public to observe the deafening silence of former crusaders against corruption, in the face of the massive corruption, which permeates this Government.

We further ask the public to note that whenever these crusaders and others, troubled by their consciences, speak out against the corruption now taking place, they duplicitously make a comparison with the PPP/C Administration as to create a veneer of balance.

We say without any fear of contradiction that this is the most corrupt Government, which has ever held office in independent Guyana.

STRAIGHT TALK 7

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

(This speech was first made public in 1971 at the University of Guyana. 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.)

Discrimination and Corruption

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

I

n any discussion on discrimination and corruption, it is necessary to take a comprehensive view including consideration of cause and cure.

As regards cause, it is not enough merely to point out kinds of discrimination and corruption and to cite examples. To do so would be to take a partial, superficial view in the same way as one can speak about crime and prostitution without relating their relevance and incidence to the social milieu, to factors such as unemployment and poverty. One must try to get to the root cause so as to find an effective remedy.

That there are corruption and discrimination, no one can deny. It has reached such an alarming stage that the government has been forced to take some action, inadequate though it is.

There is discrimination in employment practices on political grounds. In the Guyanese context, this assumes a racial form.

Documenting this is a memorandum compiled by the People's Progressive Party concerning the upper echelons of the Public Service. In it are cited cases confirming that the Public Service and Police Service Commissions have become instruments of the Executive will, a rubber-stamp of the Prime Minister’s office. As long ago as 1967, the Civil Service Commission expressed grave dissatisfaction with several appointments made by the PSC, some of which were "most questionable and seriously disrupted the Association's confidence in the integrity of the PSC.” In a letter, it appealed to the Trades Union Council to "intercede before it’s too late." The then president of the Police Federation, Sergeant Joe Braz, giving evidence before the Collins Commission on July 27, 1968, charged - that favouritism was rampant in

the promotion system in the Police Force. He declared: "The merit principle is seldom applied. Many men have belittled and degraded themselves in order to find favour with an officer in the hope that they would be recommended for promotion… there have been cases where men who have ben fore the court on charges touching on their integrity and honesty have been favoured when neither characteristic could recommend then.”

The treatment meted out to students who graduated in socialist countries illustrates the subservience of the PSC. There is, for instance; the case of Dr. Motilal, a Guyanese Tuberculosis Specialist.

He was refused employment even though there is need for such a Specialist. The Prime Minister had made it clear that persons who had gone on PPP scholarships to the socialist countries would not be given employment and the PSC subserviently toed that line.

In the lower echelons of the government service, recruitment for employment is done, not at the Employment Exchange, but at Congress Place, the PNC headquarters.

In the rural areas, those given employment by the Employment Exchange must first be screened and cleared by PNC activists.

CORRUPTION Corruption takes various forms. There is the misuse

of public funds. We have been told of un-vouched for expenditure for the Independence Celebrations which increased to $1.5M. Later, the Director of Audit disclosed that $19.5M of expenditure in 1967 was not vouched for.

In 1967, Peter D'Aguiar as Minister for Finance, questioned the illegal and un-vouched for expenditure on the East Coast Demerara road. He called for the dismissal of the UF Minister of Works and Hydraulics, who however, was accommodated by the Prime Minister immediately as Chairman of the Telecommunications Board and later as Minister of Communications.

In the circumstances, the Director of Audit had to go in the same way as the United Force was forced out of the government from the strategic Ministry of Finance.

Within this same context must be seen the non-functioning of the Public Accounts Committee.

Strict Tender Board procedures set out during the PPP government are also observed in the breach. This explains why Greenland Cooperative Society can get so many government contracts.

Small truck owners who previously secured direct employment with the Ministry of Works and Hydraulics now have to pay $2 per ton load to Greenland, which has been given the government trucking contracts. The Guyana Marketing Corporation, which is subsidized by the public and which has a 25-cents per bag distribution contract with the local flour mill, sub-contracts to Greenland Cooperative Society for, it is understood, 20 cents per bag. Greenland also got the $1.5M contract for the erection of the NIS building.

There is not only the misuse of public funds. Also prevalent is the misappropriation of public property and misuse of government personnel.

Bribery has become a national industry. The Arch-

bishop Dr. Alan KAght rightly said in December 1969 that with 5,000 and less, one can get almost anything done in Guyana including the disappearance of files and the reduction of income tax, etc.

At the lower levels, the bribe is the means for obtaining a job, a piece of land, a passport, a driver’s licence and a motor vehicle fitness certificate. So corrupt has become the national moral fibre that the credo of the small man has become: "if them big boys can tief, wha wrong wit me.”

Existing side by side with discrimination and corruption in the public sector are discrimination and corruption in the private sector. The securing of employment and the holding of the job often depends on the employees being paid less than prescribed by law or he bargained for. In the case of female employees, in many instances there must be acquiescence in the selling of their bodies.

POLITICAL CORRUPTION But above all, there is political corruption. Guyana's electoral system was changed by imperialism, not because

of principle, but expediency - to get rid of the anti-imperialist PPP government. The electoral process is so rigged with a padded voters lists, proxy-voting, overseas voting and tampering of ballot boxes, that even the imperialists threw up their hands in horror with their half-hour of watching the Granada World in Action TV films, ‘The Trail of the Vanishing Voters’ and ‘"The Making of a Prime Minister’.

Political activists and even members of the National Assembly are persuaded through harassment and corrupt practices to cross sides, not on the basis of ideological persuasion and conviction, but opportunism.

Discrimination and corruption must therefore be seen as part and parcel of the political process in the defense of an outmoded social system. The political system, neo-colonialism, which maintains an archaic and anti-human economic system, capitalism-imperialism, is "corrupt", not merely because the individuals who wield political power line their pockets, but because it sustains and maintains a system, which has outlived its usefullness and which acts

as a brake on further progress and the best interest of the masses of the people.

Capitalism-imperialism has become irrelevant in our era just as slavery and feudalism became outmoded in previous eras and had to be replaced for the sake of human progress.

Clearly, tinkering with the system and asking the Ombudsman to investigate will not suffice. The malaise in much more deep-seated. If the curse of corruption and discrimination is to be eradicated, a concentrated drive must be made to bring an end to the system of capitalism-imperialism and neocolonialist rule which sustains and props it.

CHANGE Revolution, not reform, is urgently necessary. To this end, I propose: 1. The struggle for the democratization of our society and the real involvement and participation of the people at all levels of government and administration. Only with the full exercise of civil liberties and truly representative government and institutions and participatory democracy can there begin the process for (Turn to page 22)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

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

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

T

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

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

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

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

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

3. The dismissal of 1,972 Amerindian community service officers at “one stroke of the pen” with no cause by the third (3rd) Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Despite a promise by VP Allicock in the National Assembly, during the 2015 Budget debate that the government would create a new programme to hire Amerindian youths, they instead replaced this programme with the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youth Skills Programme (HEYs). HEYS is a sixmonth training programme with no entrepreneurial or employment component, which is under severe duress as there are complaints that the facilitators and students have not received their stipends despite the budgetary provision of $1Billion.

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

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

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

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

7. Durban Park Development Project for the Jubilee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

government.

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

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

17. The GoG/BK International settlement of $1.17 B for Haags Bosche - The Ministry of Communities’ settlement of $1.17B to BK International for the Haags Bosche project came to light as a result of a Supplementary Financial Paper on August 8th where the country learnt that this settlement was made and would be paid in three tranches, even though the court did not award costs to BK Int’l. The government paid BK Int’l the first third of the payment in January 2016, which begs the question - where did this money come from? It was not provided for in the 2015 budget, nor was there any SFP in the interim nor in the 2016 Budget or since to cover this first payment of G$500M. The August Supplementary Financial Paper covers the payment of the second tranche of $501M to BK int’l from the Consolidated Fund. The third payment the Minister stated would be reflected in the 2017 budget. This is a scandal like the RUDISA and the DDL write offs. Interesting and of note is that BK International is being paid the entire $10M USD for the contract though BK Int’l only worked for 3 of the 5 years of the contract at substandard work. The PPP/C government had terminated the contract due to substandard work and delays. Ministers Bulkan and Patterson late 2015 both publicly stated that BK Int’l had done substandard work on the project!

18. Two fuel scandals relat-

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

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

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

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

19. Consistent and frequent violation of the Procurement Act by line ministries - e.g, the Minister of Agriculture admitted that the MOA nor the NDIA had gone out to tender for works totalling $234M due to emergency works for El Nino and flooding in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In fact, these monies should have been provided for in the Supple(Turn to page 9)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(From page 8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The COI of the March 2016 prison disturbances and fire has been kept secret but more evidence coming to light indicate that the government did not act on those recommendations, including the establishment of a multi-agency multi-sectoral

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

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

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

different ethnic groups in the country.

47. Repossession of lease and transported lands and property - the revocation of 30 MMA farmers leases by the President, the Central Housing and Planning Authority ( CHPA) repossession of transported houses and land and its CEO’s recent renewed threats to take away land from private developers are all unconstitutional. The judiciary in early August 2017 ruled that the President’s revocation of the leases of the farmers in the MMA was unconstitutional. In another instance the court issued a conservatory order to prevent the government from seizing and taking possession of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre until case is properly heard.

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

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

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

51. Painting state properties in APNU colours.

52. Reduction of constitutional bodies budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 in violation of the 2015 amendment to FMA Act. These scandals, not limited to this list, have been uncovered and expose a level of corruption and discrimination that has not been seen since the Burnham era. The APNU+AFC government lacks transparency and accountability, and is prepared to undermine and even violate the procurement and financial laws of this country, as well as other constitutional provisions and statutory provisions.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Hope Canal fishermen complain of hardships imposed by gov’t

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eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo met with scores of concerned fishermen, whose livelihoods are being disrupted by the Government.

The APNU/AFC Administration has instructed that they stop operating at the Hope Canal area.

Jagdeo interacted with the fishermen and listened to their concerns. The Opposition Leader promised to raise their con-

cerns at the level of the National Assembly and other forums. He also promised to put pressure on the Government in order to get them to reverse the ban.

The APNU+AFC Administration had issued a notice calling for fishermen who dock their boats at the Hope Canal to remove from the area. This move represents the latest blow in the ongoing onslaught against fishermen in the country – many of whom are still struggling

to recover from the ban on their exports of certain species of catfish to the United States.

When Jagdeo met with the fishermen, they expressed that they are willing to work with the Government to reach a compromise so they can continue to dock their boats at Hope Canal.

The fishermen said they are even willing to pay a landing fee to use the area.

According to the fishermen, they were

told that they can no longer dock at the Hope Canal because the Government is “suffering damages” as a result. But the men explained that they use the Hope Canal to dock their boats in order to save them from the pounding waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

They also noted that docking at Hope Canal gives them security and if they are to dock elsewhere, their vessels could be subject to theft.

Jagdeo puts gov’t on blast for plans Farmers under pressure to pay to impose tolls on Region 7 roads increased land rental fees

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lans announced by Minister David Patterson to impose tolls on roads in Region 7 found government on the receiving end of strong criticisms by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

“These things harm our people…it is as if specific groups of people are being targeted…as if the government has no care for the struggles of our people and it harms us economically,”

he said recently.

He noted that the productive sector is already under presser from the harmful policies imposed by Government since it took office in May 2015. Ordinary Guyanese, he added, are also facing increasing hardships, with more taxes and fees - a whopping 200+ new taxes and fees after Budget 2017.

Region 7 is home to hundreds of persons involved in

mining and the mining sector is already under pressure from adverse polices implemented since May 2015.

The Opposition Leader made clear that, after three years in office, the Coalition Government has failed miserably to meet the expectations of the people of Guyana; failed to keep its promises; and is clueless about where we are going in terms of development.

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egion 5 farmers continue to complain about being placed under significant pressure by the Coalition Government to pay increased land rental fees, despite the hard economic situation they find themselves in.

According to the farmers, the increase fees threaten the survival of their trade. News that the Government may be moving to court against the farmers now have scores in a greater quandary.

The rates had increased

from $3,500 annually to $15,000 per acre annually, while land rent costs went from $1,000 to $8,000. Drainage and irrigation charges also increased from $2,500 to $8,000.

The farmers content that the increased costs, together, with the recently imposed Value Added Tax (VAT) on agricultural inputs, education, and water and electricity consumption are only some of the additional burdens they are being asked to bear – as a

result of government policy.

The MMA- a statutory agency under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture is required to provide Drainage and Irrigation services within the MMA/ADA area; as laid out in the Authority's Act. The areas which fall under the MMA preview are: Abary/ Berbice, Abary/Mahaicony and Mahaica/Mahaicony – which includes areas being used by rice farmers, cash crop farmers and stakeholders in the livestock sector.

Private sector bodies confirm govt’s plan to remove zero-rating from exports – move hurts more businesses

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ust a few days after Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, denied that Government was seriously considering having zero rating of exports for Value Added Tax (VAT) purposes removed, but the Private Sector Commission (PSC) confirmed that such a move was intended and has expressed its deep dissatisfaction.

The PSC said it considered the decision by the Government and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) ill-advised and counterproductive to the interests of businesses and to the economy of the country. “We wish to place on the public record our dis-

satisfaction over the decision by the Government to disallow exporters the right to reclaim the VAT paid on inputs used to produce goods and services to be exported from Guyana. Such refund claims were allowed since 2007 when the VAT was introduced,” the entity said on Monday (April 23, 2018).

While the Government, through Minister Jordan, has advised that the export of rice is an exempt item, that exempted goods and services are not considered taxable goods and services, and that the provisions of the VAT Act which provide for the zero-rating of exports do not

apply, the PSC had a different opinion.

“We respectfully point out that it appears the Minister is misled on the chronology of amendments he has made to the VAT Tax Act since 2017 and on the specific provisions of the Act. Nevertheless, the Minister must be held responsible for the amendments which he piloted in the National Assembly,” the PSC said.

Jordan’s response was in relation to concerns raised by the President of the Guyana Rice Exporters and Millers Association, that the action by the Government was negatively affecting the competitiveness of the rice exporters.

His justification was that he

consulted with the Commissioner General of the GRA. The Private Sector body strongly believes that the GRA is fusing two amendments, neither of which supports the interpretation and advice offered by the GRA to the Minister.

The PSC said the GRA is causing the Minister to reverse an undertaking given to the National Assembly in January 2018 that “none of these proposed amendments will negatively affect any individual or business”.

The first amendment, which became effective on February 1, 2017, resulted in a significant shift of items from the zero-rated list to the exempt list, the PSC stated.

But, exports remained on the list of zero-rated items. The second amendment, which became effective on January 24, 2018, resulted in a deletion of guidance from the VAT Act on how to treat with an item appearing on both lists.

It was observed by the PSC that no changes were made to the zero-rated list in respect of exports, but the Minister and the GRA were advising that exports of goods and services listed in the exempt schedule were not zero-rated even if they were listed in the zero-rated schedule.

“The consequence of denying VAT refunds is that the exporter must either absorb

the VAT, which can make their operations lossmaking, or seek to recover these losses by increasing prices for their exports of the goods and services, making them uncompetitive,” the PSC noted.

Speaking on behalf of other organisations such as the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Guyana Rice Exporters and Millers Association, the PSC said while the margin in trade for their goods and services internationally was often small, it allowed local exporters the opportunity to offer competitive prices on the domestic market.

(Turn to page 11)

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Gov’t takes another loan to cover cost of its incompetence

No indication that the $30B borrowed for sugar will be spent on delivering results – Opposition Leader points to confusion

– US$20M World Bank loan expected to he National Industrial T and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) pay for more oil and gas consultants Special Purposes Unit (SPU)

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he APNU+AFC Coalition government continues to rack up billions of dollars of debts, this time moving to borrow US$20M from the World Bank.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, has confirmed the move and stated that the money will be used to develop the legislative architecture of the oil and gas sector. He added that Guyana lacks the people who would be able to competently draft the pieces of legislation needed for the sector. That said, it is expected that the Government will be using the monies to pay for more oil and gas consultants.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has, on numerous occasions, blasted the Coalition Government for its incompetence and for “farming out intellectual work” to foreign consultants.

While Jordan is talking about the need for more legislation for the oil and gas sector, ongoing work on legislation has been stalled for the past two years.

The current state of affairs is: A proposal for a Petroleum Commission that vests significant control in the hands of a minister, not technical personnel; No defined local content policy; No defined or established principles for the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund; No clarity on a process to deal with the remaining oil blocks; and No clarity on engagements with future investors; what sectors will

primarily benefit from oil resources.

According to Jordan, the Local Content Policy has now been dropped on the desk of Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, for completion. Meanwhile, the long awaited draft legislation on the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is expected to make its way to Cabinet, before going to Parliament. The Petroleum Commission is being reviewed.

The Petroleum Commission, he argued ought to be a purely technical commission, but in currently configured in a way that gives excessive powers to one Minister of Government – the Minister determines: the size of the establishment; the employment of staff and the terms and conditions of employment; the provision of equipment and use of funds; reorganization or such works of development as to involve a substantial outlay on capital account; training, education and research; the disposal of capital assets; and the application of the proceeds of such disposals. “Clearly this is the wrong signal,” Jagdeo said.

Relative to a Local Content Policy, Jagdeo proffered the view that a strong local content policy will allow Guyana to safeguard opportunities for locals and not allow locals to be crowded out in the sector. “This is vital for local private sector and local people,” he said.

On the Sovereign Wealth Fund, he noted that a state-

ment of principles on which the establishment of the Fund would be based would have sufficed. As he has done on previous occasions, he stressed the need for there to be: an apolitical approach to setting up the Fund; a clear definition of the purpose of the Fund; clearly defined rules on spending from the Fund; clarity on what share of oil proceeds will go to the Fund; and the conditions under which the government can access the Fund. “This model can last for the future and is one that is akin to Norway’s model,” the Opposition Leader said.

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

The former president also repeated his call for the US$18M signing bonus to be placed into the Consolidated Fund, with the rest of state revenues, and not be kept in a separate account in contravention of Guyana’s laws.

The positions of the PPP/C on these matters are clear, according to him.

Comparing the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, Jagdeo said, “There has not been a single attempt to answer pressing questions….there has to be clarity of government’s policy in a particular sector.”

Notably, Government has made no move to engage the Parliamentary Opposition – despite calls from civil society for the sector’s development to be apolitical.

Jordan on US$900M loan: ‘I will take the whole thing’

A

fter being called out for moving to increase Guyana’s stock of debt, by indicating that government will borrow another US$900M, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, flip-flopped on the issue, before finally admitting that he intends to borrow the monies from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

He said, “I will take the whole thing. I have sugar that needs financing. I have renewable energy that needs financing. I got roads.”

Jordan had first talked about the US$900M IsDB

loan at the 43rd meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group in Tunisia. There he explained that the IsDB fielded a programming mission in December 2017, during which time a programme was formalized. The US$900M is expected to be spent between 2017 and 2022.

Jordan said, “Guyana’s needs are great.”

The Parliamentary Opposition has noted that in almost three years, the APNU+AFC Coalition has racked up a public debt that is approximately equivalent to the stock of debt

left by the PPP/C government after 23 years in office.

Meanwhile, warnings have been issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about debt levels. In 2016, the IMF in its Country Report warned that local debt distress risk remains moderate but is rising. The country’s gross public debt to GDP ratio is projected to reach 60 per cent of GDP by 2020, a relatively high level which can bring heightened financing risks on the non-concessional component, according to the report.

has borrowed $30B at a 4.75 per cent interest rate. However, there seems to be some confusion about whether the monies were borrowed in the form of a bond or a loan.

Head of the SPU, Colvin Heath-London, according to reports by the state media, at one point referred to the sum as a bond. However, when

responding to criticisms about the move to borrow more, he said the SPU was able to “cap the LOAN” at 4.75 per cent.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has noted that while Government persists in defending its borrowing policies, the interest rate of 4.75 per cent is still high, for a government of Guyana guaranteed debt. “The interest rate is in no way concessional,”

he said.

Jagdeo also voiced concerns that the monies will be spent in a wasteful manner that delivers no real result.

Looking at the interest rate, he said, “We have grave concerns about the loan…we cannot allow the pawning of state assets.”

Guyanese stand to ‘loose big’ if the APNU+AFC Coalition government continues with its failed approach to economics and managing the nation’s affairs, according to him.

Gov’t actions will ‘exacerbate Guyana’s risk profile’ – Jagdeo C omments made by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, about Guyana’s challenges in addressing the issue of de-risking and maintaining correspondent banking relations expose his ignorance and incompetence, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The economist, a former president and Finance Minister, noted that government’s current actions only serve to exacerbate Guyana’s risk profile in the eyes of international organisation.

Jagdeo pointed to the fact that 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. “If it (Guyana’s risk profile) was bad before, it will get worse,” he declared.

This identification of “government corruption” coupled with the borrowing policy of the Coalition Government worsens the state of affairs. “Other countries look at economic management and sustainability at

micro and macro levels,” the Opposition Leader said, decrying the massive debts being racked up by the current Administration. According to him, after three years under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, the debt incurred is more than the “entire stock of debt” left by the former PPP/C government after 23 years in office. “This borrowing will exacerbate our risk profile,” he said.

Jagdeo underscored the fact that nothing substantial is being done to address the issue. To bolster his argument, he referred to comments made by Jordan who used terms like “I think” and “I don’t know” in talking about the impact of problems with de-risking and maintaining correspondent banking relations.

“I have publicly said that this (problems with de-risking) can take us back to the financial stone age….I would think that maintaining correspondent relations and tackling de-risking would be a priority of Finance Ministry,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added, “…he (Jordan) does not know what is going on with our banks….this is our

Minister of Finance leading the charge.”

Commenting on the dismal performance of the economy in 2017 – reflected in the 2.1 per cent GDP growth rate – Jagdeo termed it as anaemic.

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

Jagdeo said, “So now that it is low, all of the ratios they spoke to us about in the last budget in November would have to be recalibrated. And so the size of our fiscal deficit would climb, our balance of payment in relation to GDP will climb et cetera… rather than the Minister of Finance seriously addressing the issues to say what policy-wise can I do to stimulate the economy, he then makes excuses.”

The economist noted that the actual growth rate for 2017 impacts on the calculation of macro-economic variables, used to plan for the future – all of which will now have to be recalculated.

Private sector bodies confirm...

“We, therefore, consider that should the Government proceed with this policy, the country, the economy, the exporters and consumers will suffer,” the statement from the PSC added.

The PSC maintained that Government should encourage the export of products to earn foreign exchange and to avert the Dutch Disease and the creation of a “one-horse

economy” referring to the impending oil sector.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has described the initiative as a misguided approach aimed only towards collecting more taxes. He said it could destroy the entire local export sector reducing its competitiveness; factories would have to close and more people could lose their jobs.

(From page 10)

The new measure has the potential to negatively affect the following products: raw brown, white and parboiled rice; paddy; raw brown sugar; vegetable, corn or coconut cooking oil; fresh fruits and vegetables; plywood, logs and construction lumber; raw gold or diamonds; sanitary napkins; and bleach, among others.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

‘Trust’ quintessential to any notion of power sharing, Jagdeo says strategic efforts were made by PPP/C to build trust A

n affirmative response was given to media queries about the possibility of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) being open to a discussion on shared governance in the current situation. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, fielded questions on the issue at his last news conference held at his Church Street office.

However, he called attention to the fact any discussion could only happen if there is a genuine approach to having one. Jagdeo noted that during his first courtesy call to President David Granger, he made it clear that the PPP/C is open to discussions and engagement whenever the APNU+AFC Coalition is ‘done playing politics’.

Three years later, he charged that the Coalition is still playing politics.

MORE INCLUSION

The PPP/C, he stressed, has been working strategically for years on a national project, to ensure a more unified Guyanese society.

In 1999, Jagdeo, as president, had said, “I extend a hand of friendship to those who are in Opposition and invite them to sit with is and iron out differences so that we can have a common cause to serve – a cause in service of our people and nation.”

Starting with changes to

the Constitution, between 1999 and 2001, he noted that there were moves to have the political Opposition more involved in at the legislative level – with changes to the composition of the parliamentary committees, with the Chairmanship rotated between the Opposition and Government; and a hearing system where government ministers can be summoned to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, to name a few.

Efforts at policy level could support effort to allow Guyanese to overcome racial polarisation – Jagdeo

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uestioned on the continued challenges posed by a history of racial polarisation, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, stressed that there must be concerted efforts at a policy level to ensure that these challenges can be overcome.

“Our country was polarized in the 60’s and this is still an issue…there are several issues that did not help the problem,” he said recently.

According to him, until democracy was returned in 1992, many Guyanese felt excluded from national processes. Secondly, referring to views expounded on by the late Dr Walter Rodney, Jagdeo said, “The fact that we live in almost ethnic enclaves did not help because stereotypes about each other thrived…we did not have many mixed villages…this did not help us.” Thirdly, he noted that rural and urban socialization of Guyanese was different. He also pointed to the fact that pre1992, communities felt like certain polices, adversely affecting them, were advanced in a targeted manner.

Since 1992, he stressed that successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administrations rebuild democratic institutions to ensure that all Guyanese were included in Guyana’s democratic processes.

Jagdeo added that there was also focus on ensuring that mixed communities were developed, with the various housing scheme developments. He explained that having Guyanese from all walks of life pick a lot number from a bag was geared to ensuring that housing allocations allowed for the development of mixed communities.

He underscored, too, the fact that successive PPP/C governments also advanced policies to ensure that all Guyanese saw improvement in their standard of living. According to him, there was no entrepreneurial class pre-1992, but this was changed with an increasing number of Afro-Guyanese being able to own and operate their own businesses.

“Look what is happening today, after three years under this government, with those

very businesses,” he said.

Jagdeo also rapped the government for its policies on access to land, having revoked leases for agricultural lands held by several Guyanese farmers, including Afro-Guyanese in the community of Seafield, Region 5. In addition to building an entrepreneurial class and ensuring access to lands, he noted that other social support initiatives for groups like single mothers, such as the Women of Worth (WOW) scheme, were also advanced.

Moreover, Jagdeo stated that it was under the PPP/C that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was established and given powers to sanction political parties, including the Executive for any move that is racially divisive. “Nowhere else in the world this has happened,” he said.

All considered, the Opposition Leader charged that efforts were made to ensure Guyanese society is united and urged that policies advanced by the current APNU+AFC Government ought to ensure the same.

“These were carefully crafted to give greater involvement at the legislative level,” he said.

The Opposition’s legislative involvement, he added, extended to the setting up of the Rights Commissions, the Public Procurement Commission and Service Commissions.

“At the level of the judiciary, we moved from just consultation to agreement of the Opposition…but we saw what happened with that,” Jagdeo said, referring to the fact that for over 10 years the Chancellor and Chief Justice of the judiciary could not be substantively appointed because there was no agreement from the then Opposition.

According to him, several moves were made to “build trust” at various levels. “After that (trust has been built) we can contemplate sharing at the Executive level,” the Opposition Leader said.

NATIONAL PAPER A detailed plan to advance inclusive governance, Jagdeo noted, saw several

measures being expounded on in a Paper titled ‘Towards greater inclusive governance in Guyana – Building Trust To Achieve Genuine Political Cooperation’, which was made public in 2003.

He explained that the measures detailed in the Paper were cited as “vital” for political development and the “emergence of a new political culture” characterised by greater trust, civility and commitment to the national interest.

Commitment to the national interest, Jagdeo stressed, continues to be a call made by the PPP/C. He noted that with the developing oil and gas sector, he has called for an apolitical approach that would ensure long term growth and sustainability for all Guyanese to prosper.

MOVING FORWARD Jagdeo stressed the fact that the must be involvement of key stakeholders to ensure a truly progressive society.

“I have said that right now there are three groups of people who have constituencies – civil society members who have political view, the PNC and the PPP….the AFC has none… we have to find a model that involves everyone in the future….not just in oil and gas, but maybe in a governance setting….this is why I said PPP will work on compact with civil society,” he said.

He explained that the compact with civil society: will seek to solicit the ideas from persons: will make policy promises, which could include constitutional reform, campaign financing reform and policies favourable to private sector growth; and will see the development of a mechanism to ensure that the Executive is held accountable.

He stressed that the PPP/C will always support advances that are pro-poor, pro-wealth creation and inclusive of all. “Any party that wants to be part of that will have a space,” he said.

Work continues to consolidate, broaden PPP support base - Jagdeo

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everal former supporters of the APNU+AFC Coalition have joined the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), according to Party General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo. “A group of individuals who worked very hard for APNU joined us recently,” he disclosed.

And he noted that work continues to break the stereotypes peddled about the PPP. He referred to the fact that the one of the former APNU+AFC supporters was in a recent confrontation with a PNC leader, Aubrey Norton, and was told: ‘You will never make it to the top floor of Freedom House’. Jagdeo pointed out that many of his news conferences are held on the very top floor and Norton’s comments are evidence of the warped view being peddled about the PPP. “Mis-

ter Norton and others who believe that there are secret rooms in Freedom House, I can invite them for a tour…. this is the perception that is being peddled actively, that Freedom House is not receptive of persons from different races. Anyone is free to join the Party….we urge them not to fall prey to these stereotypes,” he said.

According to Jagdeo, Norton’s comments reflect the most recent stereotype peddled about the PPP – and the latest that has been rubbished. “This is similar to the list that was circulated 10 years that said that the PPP government killed 400 Afro-Guyanese….we have been re-circulating the list and it is clear who are on the list….it was not a list of people killed by the PPP, but that stereotype thrived again and was actively peddled in

many communities to create an impression of the PPP,” he said.

The PPP General Secretary added, “…a third issue is that Afro-Guyanese fared worse under the PPP than under the PNC….I have said let us do fact based analysis…let us see the difference between 1964 and 1992 and 1992 to 2015 and now….. look at access to education, home ownership, wealth accumulation….Afro Guyanese, all Guyanese fared better under the PPP.” Jagdeo made clear that the PPP’s work continues and all Guyanese are welcomed as supporters of the PPP. “We are working to change that and we urge people to look at the facts,” he said, adding the work to consolidate and broaden the Party’s support base continues.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Gov’t borrows almost Bank of Guyana gold $50B from Central reserves plummet to Bank, reserves being record low depleted

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ince November 2015, the Central Government of Guyana borrowed some G$48.8B from the Bank of Guyana – a threat to Guyana’s economy.

A Central Bank is a lender of last resort in an economy, according to Financial Analyst Sasenarine Singh.

He noted that, when the banking system seizes up, it is the function of the Central Bank to prevent the financial system from failing. “It can only do this if its balance sheet remains stable and strong. If one is to observe the balance sheet of the Bank

of Guyana, it has been losing value for a while now under this Granger administration.

This is a major economic threat and is a key indicator of an incoming economic meltdown if not addressed promptly by the authorities,” he said.

Singh added, “…this is exactly the financial strategy used by the Burnham regime in the 1980’s and the outcome can be predicted if this strategy is continued – ‘uncreditworthiness’ and financial bankruptcy”.

He noted too that this act reveals that the authorities

have already spent two years of the oil revenue before even a drop of oil is pumped.

“This is administrative recklessness. What if the oil price changes? What if the world demand flattens and another source of oil floods the market leading to a slow up in the production in Guyana? It is imperative that the authorities commence a program of repaying all of this G$48.8B borrowed from the Bank of Guyana,” he said.

Despite the concerns raise, the Coalition Government has failed to address them.

T

he Bank of Guyana’s latest Statement of Assets and Liabilities are out and it shows the bank’s total assets are on a slide, with several indices ranging from the bank’s gold holdings to its market securities showing reductions when compared to previous years. The statement was only recently released.

According to the bank document, its total assets

Whistleblowers, media could be penalized under new Bill gov’t is pushing – Reporters Without Border

G

uyana moved five places up on the ‘Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index from 60 to 2017 to 55 this year, but the international watchdog has issued a warning about the draft Cybercrime Bill being pushed by the Coalition Government.

The draft Cybercrime Bill includes provisions that seek to combat cybercrime by creating offences related to cybercrime; to provide for penalties, investigation and prosecution of the offences and related matters.

However, several pro-

visions have been cause for concern. The controversial provision relates stipulations on illegal access to a computer system, illegal interception of data, illegal data interference, illegal acquisition of data, and illegal system interference.

The cybercrime will was a major bill that the Parliamentary Opposition called on Government to send to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee. After almost 18 months in office, the APNU+AFC finally agreed, for the first time, to positively respond to calls for major bills

to be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee.

On the matter of the Bill’s provisions, the report from ‘Reporters Without Borders’ said: “Although Guyana’s constitution guarantees free speech and the right to information, officials often use its defamation laws—which provide for fines and up to two years in jail—to silence opposition journalists.

“The members of the media regulatory authority are appointed directly by the president. This restricts the freedom of certain media outlets, which are denied

licenses.

“Recent attempts to improve regulation of the broadcast industry involved no consultation with any broadcasters. Journalists are still subjected to harassment that takes the form of prosecutions, suspensions, and intimidation.

“A draft cybercrime bill could penalize whistleblowers and media for publishing information collected ‘illegally’.

The Bill was scheduled to be debated in the National Assembly on Thursday (April 26, 2018), but was deferred.

as of March 28, 2018, were $206.4 billion. This includes $1.9 billion in gold reserves, $82.1 billion in capital market securities and $5.6 billion in money market securities.

This is a reduction from the gold reserves the bank recorded in June 2017. According to the bank’s Half Year Report last year, it had $4.8 billion worth of gold in its foreign holdings as assets.

The gold reserves have steadily been declining with each passing year. The levels of gold reserves were: 2014 - $25B; 2015 - $14.2B; and 2016 - $7.4B. Also, in the case of total assets, that has also seen a marked decrease. At the end of 2014, total assets were $207.9 billion. It reduced in 2015, being recorded at $188.7 billion in December of that year, before recover-

ing by 2016 year end and being recorded at $220 billion.

At June 2017, total assets were $221.8 billion, before the drop recorded in this year’s figures.

The practice of countries selling the gold it held in reserves is not an uncommon one. Many countries hold billions of dollars in gold as a “back up” in time of inflation or economic downturn. It is usually in these cases that the gold is then sold.

At present, gold prices are approximately US$1,350 per ounce. It has fluctuated over the years, at one point hovering around the US$1,000 per ounce mark in 2016.

In Guyana’s case, observers are likely to worry whether the State received the best price the world market could offer.

PPP team visits Moraikabai

T

he Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Zulfikar Mustapha, and a team recently visited the riverain Amerindian village of Moraikabai and interacted with residents, recently.

A quantity of sports gears was handed over to residents. They were also updated on the current political situation and had an opportunity to voice their concerns of issues affecting their lives.

The visit is part of the Party’s continuing outreach programme, where communities across the country are being visited by Party officials and also by Members of Parliament.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

‘Significant progress made under successive PPP/C administrations t LEGISLATION

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

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

TOURISM SUPPORT

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

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

HEALTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLAR PANEL AND ENERGY ACCESS

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

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

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

GOVERNANCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LAND OWNERSHIP

Prior to 1992, 74 communities were 24 more villages were granted titles, th total of titled villages to 98, seventy-s been demarcated.

Six (6) titles were to be approved and seven (7) extension were investig ration for approval While Indigenous people in many C of use of the Land only, in Guyana wh People account for approximately 9.7% Amerindians own land, including the within their Titled Lands.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT

The MoAA has launched the You Programme (YEAP) aimed to train y while employing them at the same time erful partners in development.

Some $200M was spent on YEAP i placed on developing 2,000 Communit (CSOs) participate productively in Edu Social Welfare, Community Developm Infrastructure and small business.

The CSOs received training in var ing: • Management of Photovoltaic System • Management of Basic ICT hardware • Governance & Amerindian Act • Youth Voices for Climate Change (Sp Embassy/Caribbean Development Ba on the importance of Climate Change the Caribbean) • Business & Sustainable Developmen • Various aspect of the Community De training The Youth Apprenticeship Program training young Amerindians while emp same time is a medium to empower the in national development. These youths in the implementation of CDPs and oth activities that are taking place in the v inclusion of the young in gearing the progress by letting them participate pr nical, mechanical, computer, and agr will definitely enhance the capacity of t resources.

AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

Tractors, farm implements, fertilize irrigation systems, and other infrastru villages every year An average of $50M per year was g support for various villages through th COMMUNICATION

Computer Accessibility through 1 commenced in 2013. Some $287.7M w lar systems for ICT hubs; and 57,000 pe As at 2014: 72 of these hubs are comp completion and the HUBs were constru of 1, 7, 8 and 9.

All villages now have radio sets fo tion, each one costs $500,000 Telecommunication facilities built i Kaituma, Red Hill, Morucca, Aishalto Ominaik, and Mahdia, thus improving the hinterlands!

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

to improve welfare of Amerindians’

e titled. Since, then hereby bringing the seven of which had

prior to May 2015 gated and in prepa-

Countries have right here the Indigenous % of the population, e forests resources

uth Apprenticeship young Amerindians e and become pow-

in 2013. Focus was ty Support Officers ucation, Health, and ment, Culture, ICT,

rious areas, includ-

m e

ponsored by the US ank educate youths e and its impact in

nt evelopment Project

mme was aimed at ploying them at the e young as partners will be our partners her socio-economic villages now. The eir villages towards roductively in techricultural activities the villages’ human

ers, acoushi ant bait, uctures provided for

given in agricultural he years

100 computer hubs was allotted for soerson-beneficiaries. pleted;9 hubs near ucted into Regions

or fast communica-

in Mabaruma, Port on, Annai, Lethem, communication in

APNU+AFC gov’t called out in US report for failures in Amerindian communities

AMERINDIAN LAND TITLING PROJECT (ALT)

In 2010, MoAA together with UNDP and the Office of the President initiated a Land titling Project that sought to process applications for titling and demarcation. When it started, some 13 new communities were considered for titling, 32 applications for extension of land were made; and 33 Villages were demarcated.

Some US$10.75 was been allotted for the project under the LCDS-GRIF. A Project Management Unit was established in June 2014 to facilitate the implementation of the project. Under the APNU+AFC Government, the Unit was disbanded.

Government of Guyana has also allotted $77.9M in its 2013 national budget for this purpose.

This means that 89% of eligible villages have thus far been titled, and only 11% remains to be titled by 2015.

TRANSPORTATION

The PPP/C government consistently allocated funds for Land and Water Transport to improve transportation services in villages, and thus improving Access to hospitals and health centers and posts.

Boats, outboard engines, ATVs, Mini-buses, Pick-ups, Motorcycles have been provided to almost all the villages through the years; and more.

PRESIDENTIAL GRANTS

From the year 2007 to 2013, the Government of Guyana invested $1,172,000,000 to 189 Amerindian communities for Economic, Agriculture, Tourism, Infrastructure, Transportation, and Social Projects.

In 2012 and 2013 alone $M359, 800,000 was allotted for this program to 189 Amerindian Communities. In 2014, 200M is allotted for this project, and 28 villages have thus far received their grant.

EDUCATION

Access to Primary Education was advanced and 100 % of villages have primary schools Better access to secondary education was pushed and through 14 secondary schools in the hinterland were set up.

Under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme sixty two (62) students were awarded Hinterland Scholarships in 2014. In 2013, 430 total students are in the roll which is an 18% increase from the total of 362 students in 2012.

An average of 50 Hinterland students per year for the past decade is added to the list of grantees.

Some $94.5M spent for Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, with state of the art facilities, was home to an average of 90 students per year . All secondary schools have dormitories.

The cost per student per year in the Dormitory is $994,780; (inclusive of transportation and allowances).

The Cost per student living with Guardians in the Interior is $214,000 per year. For those living in Dormitories in the region including President’s College is $99,000 per year.

School Uniform Distribution commenced in 2007 to increase school attendance in hinterland areas by ensuring students have the necessary uniforms. The programme benefitted 30,000 hinterland students from Regions 1, 7, 8, and 9.

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 and it 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 govern-

ment’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.

16

Opposition to challenge DPP’s dismissal of charges against Lawrence, Norton in High Court A fter the move by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, to dismiss the charges against Government Ministers Volda Lawrence and George Norton, the Parliamentary Opposition has indicated its intension to challenge the decision in the High Court.

This was announced by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall. “I am now actively considering challenging the DPP’s decision in court because her decision is reviewable by the High Court… I will do it, it’s just a matter of time. The DPP has exercised her discretion and her powers unlawfully and discriminatorily and therefore, her actions are illegal and unconstitutional,” Nandlall said.

According to him, while the DPP has the power to take over and discontinue all criminal charges filed, this “power and discretion” is not absolute, and must be exercised reasonably and in accordance with established principles.

To this end, he pointed out that that the reasons advanced by the DPP cannot withstand objective legal scrutiny. “The two legal reasons given in the press statement are dubious at least. One that a report was not made to the Police station, the DPP was careful not to point which law requires for such a report to be made because there is no such law. Secondly, the DPP said she’s acting

in good governance; ‘good government’ is not part of the responsibility of the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions,” he said.

The former Attorney General further outlined that there seems to be a battle between authoritarianism and the rule of law unfolding, while noting that every time an authoritarian act is not challenged, then it is allowed to prevail over the rule of law. “I am aware that at a press conference held on Saturday, the 21st day of April, 2018, Attorney General Basil Williams stated that ‘the Government expects’ the DPP to review the private criminal charges filed against the Ministers.

It is now apparent that, even without a request, the Government’s expectations were met,” he observed.

The court document stated that: “Volda Lawrence, being and performing the duties of Minister of Public Health of the Government of Guyana, between 16th January, 2017 and 16th February, 2017, in the City of Georgetown in the Georgetown Magisterial District, in the County of Demerara, in the State of Guyana, willfully misconducted herself in a way which amounted to an abuse of public trust without reasonable excuse or justification, when she authorised or caused the unapproved single sourcing and purchase of drugs and medical supplies for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, in the city

of Georgetown from Ansa McAl Trading Limited, a company incorporated under the Laws of Guyana, for the excessive sum of six hundred and five million, nine hundred and sixty-two thousand, two hundred dollars ($605,962,200).”

In relation to Norton, the court documents stated that: “George Norton, being and performing the duties of Minister of Public Health of the Government of Guyana, on 1st June, 2016, in the City of Georgetown in the Georgetown Magisterial District, in the County of Demerara, in the State of Guyana, willfully misconducted himself in a way which amounted to an abuse of public trust without reasonable excuse or justification, when he authorised or caused the rental, of the property known as and situate at 29 Sussex Street Albouystown, in the city of Georgetown from Linden Holdings Incorporated, a Limited Liability Company, incorporated under the Laws of Guyana, for the sum of twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) exclusive of VAT, per month, by way of a written Agreement of Tenancy at an excessive rate of rental.”

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

‘More private criminal charges coming to continue exposure of gov’t corruption’ – Jagdeo

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pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that more criminal charges, all to expose the massive corruption in government quarters, are coming.

Jagdeo noted that the charges against Government Ministers move follows on from his earlier indications that private criminal action would be taken against APNU+AFC Coalition Government officials.

He explained that the charges may have been different, but following charges against former PPP/C officials – Dr Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington – the

Coalition Government defined what they viewed as misconduct in public office. “These Ministers are responsible for egregious breaches of the procurement law and involved in acts that were totally corrupt…. this is a million times worse than anything they claimed happened under the PPP government because it resulted in millions leaving the treasury,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added that the Parliamentary Opposition has been trying to get redress on these issues for over a year now, without much success. He pointed

out that the Government seems intent on public relation stunts, as opposed to real action – despite work of the local media corps to expose acts of corruption, etc. and despite calls from civil society and the Parliamentary Opposition for action to be taken.

Asked if the Parliamentary Opposition was worried about a vindictive response from the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, Jagdeo said the PPP/C will not be cowed. “If the cases we file don’t amount to misconduct in public office, nothing can,” Jagdeo declared.

Second set of charges exposing gov’t corruption dismissed by DPP

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he Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, has discontinued private criminal charges instituted against Ministers of Finance, Public Infrastructure and Public Service, Winston Jordan, David Patterson and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, respectively, for the offence of Misconduct in Public Office, contrary to the Common Law. The DPP in letters dated April 23, 2018 and addressed to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and copied to People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Member of Parliament(MP) Juan Edghill said, “in pursuance of the functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions vested in article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Guyana, I hereby inform you that the charge [s] instituted shall not continue against Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine (Winston Jordan and David Patterson) for the offence of Misconduct in Public Office, contrary to the Common Law.” On Monday (April 23, 2018), the three charges were filed against Jordan, Patterson and Roopnaraine.

In the first charge, the court heard that Jordan and Patterson were being accused of “paying to a Private Limited Liability company, Homestretch Development Inc (HDI) , the sum of $906M, being public funds, without any resort to the procurement process as is required by law.” The additional charge against Roopnarine alleges that “while being a Minister, [he] acted as Director of

the Private Limited Liability Company, Homestretch Development Inc (HDI) and accepted $906M of public funds without any resort to the procurement process which is prescribed by law.”

Summonses were issued for the Ministers by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and the matters were adjourned to April 30 2018.

The increasingly controversial matter of financing and management of the D’urban Park project started when works commenced in September 2015.

From September 2015 to January 22, 2016, an estimated millions of dollars in donations, as well as contributions of equipment and labour, were collected.

Government has released some names of donors, but there are some persons who contend that they were not listed.

From January 22, 2016, Homestretch Development Incorporated took reins of the financing and management of the D’urban Park project. The name of the company was made by public by Minister David Patterson in the National Assembly on November 21, 2016.

It should be noted that once a company takes on status of incorporated, it must be registered before it begins official operation – making involvement of Homestretch Development Incorporated on the project legal from January 22, 2016. The company was registered on January 22nd, 2016 and its number is 8247. The registered address is Lot 18 Lamaha Street.

The directors of Homestretch Development Incorporated are Education Minister, Rupert Roopnaraine, Larry London, Bobita Ram, Gentian Miller and Victor Wilson. From January 22, 2016 to April 21, 2016, there is again no account given to the Guyanese people. It is also unclear how Homestretch Development Incorporated became involved in the project, since the company could not have started work of that magnitude on State property without a Cabinet decision and a Memorandum of Understanding, a contract or agreement.

From April 22, 2016, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure took over the project. What is known for certain is that works on the D’urban Park project, in April 2016, were tendered out using the selective tendering system, according to Public Infrastructure Minister Patterson. His response came to questions on the $407.6M spent for the completion of the D’urban Park project for 50th independence anniversary. The money already was been spent and the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government came afterwards for parliamentary approval for the monies. Prior to that, the National Assembly by government majority approved another $150M for the same project. In Budget 2017, another $500M is allocated to the Ministry to be given to Homestretch Development Inc. to pay off the debts it racked up.

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Gov’t excuses on poor economic Granger’s silence persists performance continues of issue of substantive appointment of Chancellor, G Chief Justice A ny move to advance substantive appointments of a Chancellor and Chief Justice unilaterally

by President David Granger will be unconstitutional, declared Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Responding to questions at a news conference, he added that Granger is still to write him as promise on the matter.

Granger was expected to write Jagdeo for another round of consultations before the appointment of a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice. “The President took the decision that he is going to write the Leader of the Opposition….there is a provision in the law which provides in the event that there cannot be agreement, because the requirement is for agreement, there is a second

level which now requires meaningful consultation…I believe that is the next step we’ll have to go to,” Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had said on February 8, 2018.

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

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

Asked about the reasons

behind his decision, Jagdeo stressed that unlike Granger’s approach to dealing with the nominees for the post of GECOM Chairman, he would not publicly address these. “I am not in the business of judging people in the public domain. These are two distinguished individuals who have had long careers in the judiciary. I will not do like the President did and drag people’s names through the mud…. if I am required to give reasons for my rejection, I will do so in the future,” he said.

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

DPP was ‘instructed’ by MOTP to drop misconduct charges against Ministers Lawrence and Norton – source

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he Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, has discontinued private criminal charges instituted against Ministers of Finance, Public Infrastructure and Public Service, Winston Jordan, David Patterson and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, respectively, for the offence of Misconduct in Public Office, contrary to the Common Law. The DPP in letters dated April 23, 2018 and addressed to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and copied to People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Member of Parliament(MP) Juan Edghill said, “in pursuance of the functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions vested in article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Guyana, I hereby inform you that the charge [s] instituted shall not continue against Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine (Winston Jordan and David Patterson) for the offence of Misconduct in Public Office, contrary to the Common Law.” On Monday (April 23, 2018), the three charges

were filed against Jordan, Patterson and Roopnaraine.

In the first charge, the court heard that Jordan and Patterson were being accused of “paying to a Private Limited Liability company, Homestretch Development Inc (HDI) , the sum of $906M, being public funds, without any resort to the procurement process as is required by law.” The additional charge against Roopnarine alleges that “while being a Minister, [he] acted as Director of the Private Limited Liability Company, Homestretch Development Inc (HDI) and accepted $906M of public funds without any resort to the procurement process which is prescribed by law.”

Summonses were issued for the Ministers by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and the matters were adjourned to April 30 2018.

The increasingly controversial matter of financing and management of the D’urban Park project started when works commenced in September 2015.

From September 2015 to January 22, 2016, an es-

timated millions of dollars in donations, as well as contributions of equipment and labour, were collected.

Government has released some names of donors, but there are some persons who contend that they were not listed.

From January 22, 2016, Homestretch Development Incorporated took reins of the financing and management of the D’urban Park project. The name of the company was made by public by Minister David Patterson in the National Assembly on November 21, 2016.

It should be noted that once a company takes on status of incorporated, it must be registered before it begins official operation – making involvement of Homestretch Development Incorporated on the project legal from January 22, 2016. The company was registered on January 22nd, 2016 and its number is 8247. The registered address is Lot 18 Lamaha Street.

The directors of Homestretch Development Incorporated are Education Minister, Rupert Roopnaraine, Larry

uyana recorded its lowest growth recent in the last decade – a dismal 2.1 per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product. And the APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to come in for blows for offering excuses, instead of real action to arrest the problem.

During remarks at the Regional Agriculture and Commercial Exhibition (R.A.C.E.), at the National Track and Field Ground, Leonora on April 21, 2018 Minister Harmon stated that that future regional development is only achievable through the collaboration of the three main arms of the government. He disclosed that he will be conducting a weeklong visit (April 23-28) to various establishments within the region, to ascertain ways in which the government can provide assistance to these businesses “to grow and become major producers of local items.” Other similar exercises have not yielded any substantial results.

“It is important to understand that if we want our farmers to produce, if we want our people to manufacture, the three levels of the state – central government, regional government and the neighbourhood democratic council have to work together to produce for the common good of the people of this country,” he said.

However, Harmon remained silent on the many policies – in-

cluding the imposition of over 200 taxes and fees - that make doing business more difficult.

Also, the imposition of Value Added Tax on agricultural equipment makes it more difficult The Minister also encouraged locals to move away from being raw producers, to becoming value-added producers in order to promote the “Made in Guyana” brand, which he opined is the brand of the future. However, he refused to address government’s move to remove the zero-rating from exports, making the export of local goods uncompetitive on the international market.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, in confirming the dismal growth figures, excused the country’s economic performance by linking it to the gold, sugar and other productive sectors. “The economy did not perform as robust as we expected during last year. Even at the half year we were predicting that the economy would not, given what we knew about sugar. At the end of the day, it was even worse than we predicted. So even though there was positive growth last year, the growth rate ended up being 2.1 per cent,” he said.

Jordan added, “…sugar, we had budgeted at 208,000 tonnes, came in at only 137,307 tonnes. Bauxite again did not do quite well. We had budgeted 1.7 million tonnes. Bauxite

came in at 1.4 million. Gold (was a) major disappointment.

We budgeted at 694,000 ounces. It came in at 653,674 ounces.”

Rice, it seems, was one of the few bright spots, with the Minister reporting that from a target of 600,000 tonnes, rice came in at 630,104. Having budgeted for 318,000 cubic metres, forestry recorded 349,900 cubic metres. Jordan noted that this is better than previous years. According to Jordan, the overall state of the economy is nothing new.

He said, “I think I’ve been quite open with you about this economy, in the sense that this economy has not changed much in over 50 years, depending on one or two products, which depends on what prices are. One day you’re up when gold is up, one day you’re down when bauxite is down. Our critical sectors have always depended on some grandfather, that grandfather being some protectionist market. In the case of sugar, that grandfather being the ACP markets. In the case of rice, rice has always had some kind of grandfather market.”

Previously, Jordan had said the economy was expected to grow by 2.9 per cent, failing to meet the revised growth projection of 3.1 per cent for 2017.

The initial projected growth of the economy was 3.8 per cent.

This was, however, revised.

East Berbice farmers being urged to return to farmlands but harsh gov’t policies remains a hurdle

G

overnment-appointed Regional Executive Officer (REO), Kim Stephen, has been appealing for farmer East Bank of Berbice to return to farmlands. While there has been a promise of drainage and irrigation support, farmers maintain that policies of the Coalition Government remain a major hurdle, particularly for small farmers.

Some of the hurdles include increases in land rent,

drainage and irrigation rates, lease fees and Value Added Tax (VAT) on agricultural inputs, equipment and machinery.

The imposed increases by the APNU+AFC regime on the agricultural sector, according to the farmers, signal a deliberate plan by the Granger administration to destabilize and destroy rural families in Guyana.

The Opposition Leader has committed to reversing

all the hardship measures imposed by the Coalition Government once the PPP/C returns to office in the near future.

The East Berbice-Corentyne region is primarily an agriculture-producing area.

Agriculture is a major segment of Guyana’s economy, representing 20% of the National GDP, and has far-reaching effects on rural sustainability and national economic growth.

London, Bobita Ram, Gentian Miller and Victor Wilson. From January 22, 2016 to April 21, 2016, there is again no account given to the Guyanese people. It is also unclear how Homestretch Development Incorporated became involved in the project, since the company could not have started work of that magnitude on State property without a Cabinet decision and a Memorandum of Understanding, a contract or agreement.

From April 22, 2016, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure took over the project. What is known for certain is that works on the D’urban Park project, in April 2016, were tendered out using the selective tendering system, according to Public Infrastructure Minister Patterson. His response came to questions on the $407.6M spent for the completion of the D’urban Park project for 50th independence anniversary. The mon-

ey already was been spent and the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government came afterwards for parliamentary approval for the monies. Prior to that, the National Assembly by government majority approved another $150M for the same project. In Budget 2017, another $500M is allocated to the Ministry to be given to Homestretch Development Inc. to pay off the debts it racked up.

18

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

SARU/SARA created to target PPP/C, Clive Thomas ‘playing games’ on real issues of corruption C

hief Whip of the Parliamentary Opposition and Executive Member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Gail Teixeira, has taken the APNU+AFC appointed State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) Head, Professor Clive Thomas, to task in a recent letter.

After penning her first letter on the issue of corruption and SARA’s seeming unwillingness to address the problems that are within government quarters, Thomas responded and Teixeira noted that he is playing a game of “smoke and mirrors” of matters of importance.

She added that Thomas continues on his and the government’s mission to do nothing about corruption under the current Coalition Administration.

Teixeira in a letter to Thomas noted too that the SARA head continues to mislead the people while targeting the PPP/C leaders.

The following is a letter sent to Dr. Clive Thomas, head of the State Assets Recovery Agency by PPP/C Parliamentary Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira: Dear Professor Clive Thomas, I am pleased to note that you have responded with such alacrity to my correspondence of April 16, 2018.

Having read statements made by you and others yesterday at the symbolic march organized by SARA, l am now compelled to respond to both.

My correspondence pointed out glaring instances of some of the grossest violations of the constitutional and statutory provisions regarding financial probity, transparency and accountability which you as a self-proclaimed anti-corruption campaigner would, l would have thought, be profoundly concerned about.

The examples l raised were not necessarily exclusive to the powers you hold as Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency but as a citizen who spoke out so often publicly and authoritatively accusing successive PPPC governments of massive corruption, and have continued to do so, I therefore thought that now that you head such a powerful body with a hefty legislative clout and have access to the inner camera of the political directorate that you would

want to do something to expose, investigate and protect the citizens from any acts of corruption and violations of the constitution and laws of our country regardless of who was involved.

Sadly, your response only confirms what most people believe that the SARU now SARA, is a body created for one purpose and with one target alone on their radar -- the PPPC leaders and supporters!.

This view is bolstered by official statements such as the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU)’s response to the Private Sector Commission’s comments on the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Bill, February 15, 2017:“In some areas of corruption, the size of loss speaks for itself. Before the change of Government, the nation was losing $28-$35 billion each year through procurement fraud. With regard to illicit capital flight, the nation was losing $90 billion every year. Furthermore, the underground economy caused the nation to lose $188 billion per year. This adds up to a grand total of $306-$313 billion per year, which is a conservative figure as according to several international agencies, this amount is grossly understated.

Given the purposes of the Bill and the damaging losses to the economy as stated above, it is imperative that the Bill be passed immediately. The scale of corruption discovered by SARU, to date, is astounding. The Guyanese population is eager to see the country’s assets recovered and appropriate action taken against the perpetrators of corruption. The SARA Bill is geared toward these purposes.”

After the great haste to pass the bill in April 2017, supported by such screaming assertions, aimed at recovering these assets, a year has passed. You now say that “SARA does not and cannot initiate investigations without first receiving a complaint such as yours.”

So can you say who made the complaints about the $28-35 B lost each year in procurement fraud or the $306-313 B per year being lost due to corruption?

Strange to say, these are the same figures you used prior to the 2015 elections? Are you, sir, the complainant?

And where is your evidence?

If you declared such losses were real and then used your position in the SARU/SARA without evidence and mere mathematical speculation, then this is a case of reckless irresponsibility of enormous proportions. Such disinformation fed to the Guyanese electorate for several years leading up to the 2015 elections as well as friendly governments and international organizations clearly has been now exposed as a concerted political campaign to get the PPPC out of office.

If your allegations are the source of these investigations, why then are the complaints and exposures made by civic-minded individuals and the media about corruption by members of the APNUAFC government not worthy of investigation?

In terms of your defense as to why no action has been taken with regard to the numerous cases of corruption l raised in my previous correspondence, l wish to remind you of statements made during an Anti-Corruption Sensitisation Seminar (Demerara-Mahaica) , by your Deputy Director, Aubrey Heath-Retemyer and reported in the media on November 9, 2017 that “Guyana’s State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) has 25 “solid cases” of officials of the previous government having properties that they acquired unlawfully using their then privileged positions”. It is now over a year later and no action has been taken.

This number of “solid cases” has now dropped to 10 cases to be brought in the last quarter of this year external to Guyana as declared by you yesterday.

Why wait to the end of the year, what are the reasons for the delay? Is it because you are having trouble finding “cogent evidence to satisfy the court that the property is the proceeds of unlawful conduct of a public official” as required in civil recovery under the SARA Act. Or is it you wish to keep massaging the lie against the PPPC leaders leading up to the 2020 elections? Therefore you are guilty, as are others, of the worse fraud perpetrated on the hearts and minds of the Guyanese people in the nation’s history.

Whilst no case has been brought to substantiate these outrageous claims you and

the government have besmirched people’s characters and lives and tried people in the public eye with no proof to uphold any of the claims.

I have noted your proclivity to drop names with regards to experts from international agencies including the UNODC, the World Bank and the United Nations who you claimed helped to develop and widely reviewed the bill as to the powers of the Head of the SARA. Nevertheless, the constitutionality of the SARA Act and the Director’s powers which override the independence of constitutional post holders such as the Director of Public Prosecutions will be determined by our courts and not any unnamed international experts.

And you continue to drop names with regard to “documents received from External Law Enforcement Agencies such as Interpol, Homeland Security and CFTAF have shown the massive scale of corruption and money laundering during the late 2000s to the mid 2010s”.

After spending over $150 M expended on forensic audits to undercover the corruption of the PPPC government and assuming the above-mentioned documents are available, after 3 years, you have been unable to find the $30 B per annum you and others publicly claimed for years was stolen by the PPP C government.

At the April 20th March, you now admit that “We can’t recover state property in this country….without fighting in the courts outside of Guyana…. It’s a global fight! The wealth has left Guyana. It is deposited into accounts in places outside of Guyana….. we need to get to those accounts to place the charges against the persons who hold Guyanese assets through some initial unlawful conduct and to try to recover it for Guyana.”

A day after writing me, you now publicly admit that documents you referred to receiving from those external law enforcement “did not contain hard evidence to make out strong court cases.”

You now admit that “there is a difference between information and evidence”.

I hope you have taken to heart the statement by the British High Commissioner, as you do not seem to want to take the word or information

of a Guyanese such as myself, or any other Guyanese, that “There can be no escape and no impunity for those who are corrupt. Regardless of where you are, regardless of who you are, everyone must act within and be subject to the laws of the land.”

Your sudden insertion in your letter referring to a criminal case against a former Permanent Secretary having $20 B in his bank accounts is interesting as this case has been in the courts for over a year and seems to be going nowhere. Or are the sources of this money too close to home?

Since SARA seems to be having a problem with the cases l raised, let me make a complaint to you about the following cases that fall squarely in your remit:1. The acquisition of a house and land in Bel Air Gardens, then state owned, below market value at that time and with no recourse to any procurement process by the former Minister of Finance of the PNC government and now 2nd Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Carl Greenidge of the APNUAFC Coalition. .

2. The PPP/C government responded to the Burnham family’s request for land and issued 5 acres of prime land in Georgetown at no costs to former Vice President and First Lady Mrs. Viola Burnham and widow of President Forbes Burnham in D’Urban Backlands.

3. The acquisition of a huge tract of land to the People’s National Congress for their party headquarters, Congress Place, in Sophia, at no cost and where sections have been sold over the years at market value and for profit, the most recent sale took place after the 2015 general and regional elections.

All of these cases are easily investigated as all the records are publicly available.

And remember the SARA Act provided for retroactivity, probably one of the first statutes that did so.

As such, l am now formally laying my complaint with reference to the cases regarding corruption, abuse in public office and violation of the constitution, Procurement Act, and financial laws listed in my letter dated April 16, 2018 and those listed above and call on SARA to investigate them.

The most egregious case relates to the sale of our national patrimony in oil and natural gas well below what is observed internationally and “relatively favorable to investors by international standards,” as stated in the IMF report prepared for Guyanese officials. Follow the trail Dr Thomas you will find the answers and the accounts of those who benefitted.

Again your letter refers to the US International Narcotic Control Strategy Report and other reports which “depicted Guyana as one of the most corrupt countries in the world”. How do you now address the most recent 2018 US State Department report which stated that “Narcotics trafficking and government corruption are the primary sources of laundered funds. However, other illicit activities, such as human trafficking, illicit gold mining, contraband, and tax evasion, are also sources. “( pg 111, Volume 11) ?

You must admit that the phrase “Government corruption” was never used before to depict a “primary source of laundered funds.”

Your view of the PPPC administrations is so jaundiced that you stated that “little if anything was done institutionally between 2008and mid-2010s to ensure “corruption is everybody’s business”. Unfortunately you have failed to acknowledge that the fundamental anti-corruption legislative framework was established under successive PPPC governments.

To name a few:• constitutional reform that insulated the Auditor General from executive interference; • many new laws -the Procurement Act; Financial Management and Accountability Act; the AMLCFT Act 2009; Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act; Access to Information Act; • the removal of power to appoint judges from the President including the appointment of the Chancellor and the Chief Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions; • the appointment of the three service commissions through a consensual parliamentary mechanism instead of appointment by the President.

(Turn to page 19)

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Gov’t fails to present promised Health Ministry skirts around issue of improving replacement for HEYS drug procurement to A reduce shortage

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he Ministry of Health has instituted a new procurement rule that requires a manufacturer’s authorization from suppliers of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

These instruments of authorization must be submitted

by May 25, 2018. However, the actual problems with how procurement of drugs and medical supplies is done are still to be substantially addressed.

After taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government changed the way that procurement of drugs and medical supplies were done.

Where the Health Ministry did procurement at the central level and delivered supplies to Regions, monies have been allocated to the Regions for that purpose. The new system demands that monies be allocated to the Regions, which then send the money to the Public Health Ministry, which then purchases drugs and medical supplies and finally delivers these to the Regions. The added layer of bureaucracy,

as well as mismanagement, has been blamed for the drug shortages.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has said that it established a Procurement Department to address issues with drug shortages. Notably, not much success has been reported by the Department.

After details about massive breaches in the procurement system, with over $4B being spent on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies without any public tendering process, Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, touted the matter of a “revised drug procurement” which, according to her, will be rolled out shortly.

According, to the information released in the National Assembly, last year, some $1.3B was spent on pharmaceuticals and $761.1M on medical supplies between January and February 2017 – a whopping total of $2.1B – all of which was spent without following the procurement rules at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). There

was also no adherence to the procurement rule for over $400M spent by GPHC in 2016 on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Additionally, another $1.63B has been spent regionally on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies without tender and in breach of the procurement rules.

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. This was almost a year ago.

To date, reports of drug shortages continue to surface.

Earlier this month, doctors and pharmacy staff are currently engaged in a sit-in at the Skeldon Hospital over shortage of drugs and medical supplies. Reports are that the over since last three months “chronic” shortages of drugs and medical supplies have worsened, despite multiple attempts by staffers to have the matter addressed by the Ministry of Public Health.

fter scrapping the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS), the APNU+AFC Coalition Government is still to deliver a replacement that will respond to the need for training hinterland communities.

Touted as a flagship programme for the Coalition Government, the HEYS initiative – months ago – was scrapped and set to be replaced by another programme – one still to be determined, developed and consulted on.

Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Sydney Allicock, admitted that HEYS will be scrapped, since it was not structured to incorporate other training programmes for youths in the various sectors.

Just over 700 persons were involved in the HEYS programme, which is a far cry from the thousands trained under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), which was an initiative under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government.

Backed with administrative measures to enhance transparency such as the public opening of tenders, the posting of the minutes of the opening of bids and awards by the NPTAB on its website, all of these are no longer available and the website is devoid of information. Guyana was the only country in the region that introduced such scrutiny with the procurement process.

In other words, the framework to prevent and reduce corruption in government and by public officials through the separation of powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary based on rule of law was put in place by the PPPC government. All of these measures guarded by the constitution, law and administrative mechanisms are unraveling in the APNUAFC Coalition government.

As the former Guyana Expert between 2008- 2015 on the MESICIC, the Mechanism that monitored the implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption between 2008- 2015, l wish to suggest that you familiarize yourself with the reports submitted by Guyana in the four rounds of review between 2006-2014 to see what progress was being made and the review reports of the MESICIC. All are available on the OAS MESICIC website.

In closing l note your statement that “ the goal is to repel procurement fraud, stolen state assets, corruption so that Guyanese of all walks of life can be assured their roads, national patrimony , gold and other state assets are used for the betterment of all Guyanese”. In other words all the cases l brought to your attention in my first letter and this follow up fall into that stated goal.

So l return, sir, having read your response now even more convinced that you will do nothing but play “smoke and mirrors” and continue on your and the APNUAFC mission to do nothing about corruption in this government’s circles but continue to mislead the people and target the PPPC leaders.

I therefore return to my earlier letter and reiterate that “the APNUAFC Government can easily be classified as the most corrupt government in the post-independence English speaking Caribbean” costing the Guyanese people billions of dollars with greater hardships and deepening poverty.

Sincerely, Gail Teixeira, M.P., Chief Whip for the Parliamentary Opposition

mentation of CDPs and other socio-economic activities taking place in the villages.

The inclusion of the young allowed them to participate productively in technical, mechanical, computer, and agricultural activities will definitely enhance the capacity of the villages’ human resources.

With the HEYS programmes, the participants received six months of classroom training and six months of practical training, but no follow-up support to ensure that they secure jobs or are supported with easy access to financing to launch entrepreneurial activities.

Over $2B was invested in the last two years of the PPP/C government in YEAP. Given the scrapping of the HEYS initiative, questions related to value for monies spent are now being asked.

Instead of a replacement for HEYS, as promised, some catering kits, stoves, agriculture tools, were handed over to former HEYS participants in Region 9 recently.

Changes on procurement website another indication of lack of transparency, accountability under APNU+AFC – Teixeira

SARU/SARA created to O target...

(From page 18)

The focus of YEAP was to train young Amerindians while employing them at the same time is a medium to empower the young as partners in national development. Under YEAP, over 2,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) were trained and participated productively in Education, Health, and Social Welfare, Community Development, Culture, ICT, Infrastructure and small business. The CSOs received training in various, including: Management of Photovoltaic System; Management of Basic ICT hardware; Governance & Amerindian Act; Youth Voices for Climate Change; Business & Sustainable Development; and Various aspect of the Community Development Project training. Also, a group of qualified and eligible Community Service Officers were enrolled for course at the University of Guyana on line programme for a Bachelor’s Degree in Maths and Physics or Computer Science.

The trained youths then collaborated on the imple-

ne of the key and critical components in the fight against corruption is not only laws and regulations and Auditor General’s Office, but also access to information and the provision of information to the public that is easily available to allow for greater transparency and most of all scrutiny.

This is according to Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, who underscored the fact that the No. 9 of 2004 Regulations to the Procurement Act provides for the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) website to post tenders, standard bid documents, minutes of the opening of tenders, minutes of NPTAB meetings awarding contracts, posting of tender awards etc.

“In fact at that time and even up to 2014, Guyana was the only country in the region that had such a website governed by statute that

posted such information.

This was acknowledged at the review process of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption,” she said at a news conference, held at Freedom House yesterday.

She added that before demitting office the website carried the minutes of opening of the tenders and the minutes of the NPTAB meetings awarding contracts up to April 2015, details of awards, and well as advertisements for tenders by sector.

However, since the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government took office, Teixeira noted that the NPTAB website has been changed significantly. “The website is not in compliance with the Procurement regulation of 2004,” she said.

Among the failings are the facts that: • No longer are the min-

utes of the Board posted reflecting decisions made with awarding contracts; instead the minutes of the opening of the tenders are all that is posted and the most recent is dated May 10, 2016; • With regard to advertisements of tenders none are posted; • The last post of a tender award was on May 17, 2016 in violation of the Procurement Regs 2004 ( # 9); and that • The tender awards column is locked so one cannot read the contents of the awardees and the amounts of the awards.

This lack of transparency and violation of the procurement regulations do not inspire confidence in the government’s transparency and accountability especially in the light of 16 scandals in only 15 months,” the Opposition Chief Whip charged.

Attempts to contacts officials from NPTAB proved futile.

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Ministry facing questions NTC to Amerindians: Don’t be silent anymore on work to address indigenous communities A to be titled, demarcated

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he Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has said that it successfully completed the investigations for 45 hinterland communities identified for land titling and demarcation. But that number is being questioned, giving the findings of the last status report on Amerindian land tilting issues.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, in early February 2018 had said that among the villages to receive titles are, Four Miles in Port Kaituma, Region One; Rockstone, Region Ten; Kambaru Region Seven; and Mashabo, Capoey and Mainstay in Region Two. Prior to 1992, only 74 communities were titled.

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

titles were to be approved prior to May 2015 and another seven extensions were investigated and in preparation for approval.

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

Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project. Since then and additional $165M being earmarked for the advancing of the remaining identified areas for land titling.

A Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to facilitate the implementation of the

project. However, under the APNU+AFC government, this unit was disbanded.

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

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

Delay in delivering ICT services in Hinterland back in spotlight

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government has moved to complete an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hub at Cinderella City, opening the Administration up for questioning on its failures to deliver on the same promise to Amerindian communities.

According to Minister Cathy Hughes, to date, approximately 110 ICT Hubs have been established across Guyana by the Ministry of

Public Telecommunications.

These allow persons to access the internet and government services online. However, she remains silent on the failure to deliver the same service in hinterland regions.

Under the former PPP/C government, computer accessibility was advanced through 100 computer hubs commenced in 2013. Some $287.7M was allotted for solar systems for ICT hubs; and 57,000 person-benefi-

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

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

‘There will be vigorous opposition to any move that takes rights away from Amerindians’ – Jagdeo

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rguments were made

by Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, for full consultations to be had with Amerindian people on any move that will affect them.

Addressing the talk of changes to the Amerindian Act, he made clear that any amendment to the Act, which will give more benefits to the Amerindian people and more autonomy in the management of their villages will be supposed.

“If we, however, get a hint that there is an ulterior motive…a move to denude rights and the autonomy of the villages, we will vigorously oppose it,” he said.

Last month (March 2017) a three-day seminar, aimed at reviewing the Amerindian Act (2006), opened at Moray House in the presence of the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock.

The seminar was coordi-

nated by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA).

They were being assisted by the Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes, the husband of a sitting Government Minister. Since then consultations have been held in Region One, as the Government moves ahead with plans to change the existing law.

However, the areas that these changes will affect is still unclear.

merindians are becoming restive and have lamented the need for attention to be given to their concerns by the APNU+AFC Coalition government.

In a recent letter circulated by the National Toshaos Council, the body that speaks for Guyana’s indigenous peoples, it stated that: “If the Government cannot commit to implementing a change for our peoples and address ‘our peoples’ rights’, we are asking all our peoples – ‘The Indigenous peoples’ to gather in Georgetown for a ‘mass protest’ for our peoples’ rights. We should not be silent anymore!”

Among the many issues raised by the Council is the government’s refusal to accommodate a request by Amerindians for a review of the Amerindian Act. This matter was discussed by Amerindian leaders in many localities and found all round support.

Additionally, the Amerindian leaders accused the APNU/AFC government of interfering in the affairs are Village Councils. “There are communities whose Council members have been sanctioned to meetings without the Toshao’s knowledge to undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the Toshao and Village Councils,” the NTC said in a letter to its members.

The Council reads into

these moves the intention of th government “to politicise the office of the Toshao and see them as a “threat to the Indigenous peoples”.

The leaders also addressed the issue of government trying to starve them of funds to carry out their work.

The present subvention of $16 million as being inadequate and a total disregard for the Council’s budgetary needs.

In the past, the NTC highlighted that approximately $4 million is required to facilitate one of the four quarterly meetings for Council executives, pointing out that the quarterly meetings alone would consume the total budgetary allocation.

They related that this leaves no money for the Council to travel to various isolated and hard to reach Indigenous communities to host outreaches to promote good governance and educate the Indigenous people of their rights.

“They (the Government) have also given $50 million to Bina Hill Institute and $30 million to Arnaputa – a new NDC (Neighbourhood Democratic Council). While we do not disagree that these are needed resources for these two important institutions, the NTC represents over 83,000 Indigenous people in over 212 communities while Bina Hill has a population of roughly 200 and

Arnaputa has less than 3000.

This shows that they are not committed to the Indigenous peoples,” the NTC noted.

As regards land titling the Council nailed the Government of not staying true to the 2013 agreement between Guyana and the Kingdom of Norway to address the issue of land titling. “What we now know is that they have not held to this commitment.

In fact, we now understand that they are speeding up the processing of leases in some areas. Rockstone for example has such an issue,” the Council noted, “There are also significant issues surrounding Nappi and Satellite and Yupikari. The Government has taken an aggressive step to dispossess these communities of their ancestral lands.

The community has said when options are exhausted, they intend on protesting in Georgetown and the NTC is fully in support of them,” the letter indicated. Amerindians have also been vocal against the establishment of a Commission on Lands by the government. They have publicly declined to be part of the commission as they believe that this would re-open many already-settled issues concerning Amerindians. They also expressed dis-agreement with the government’s move to equate Amerindian lands issues with that of requests

by Africans for ancestral lands.

Gov’t accused of conspiracy with Toolsie Persaud Limited in land issue T he People’s National Congress (PNC) – led Government has been accused of conspiring with Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) so that the company and Ministers within the Government can rake in millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money.

It was the Desmond Hoyte Administration that initial gave away 100 acres of land to TPL in 1987 at a “peppercorn” price. However, the company never paid the sum for the lands and then filed for Prescriptive Title, the matter reached all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The matter was defended successfully

by People’s Progressive Party Civic Administration (PPP/C) and the Administration was able to get back over 40 acres of land, which was sold for billions of dollars later. Further, another 30 acres of the

said land at Turkeyen, which remained in the possession of the Government, was allocated for the Specialty Hospital.

Years later, TPL then moved to the High Courts of Guyana and filed for Specific Performance under a contract and last Thursday, High Court Judge, Brassington Reynolds handed down the Decision, ruling that the Government of Guyana will have to pay the $1.7B damages, as well as $500,000 for the defendant’s courts cost, along with interest.

Notably, a PPP source disclosed that it appears as if the PNC conspired with TPL to ensure that its “friends” benefit. Yesterday, a lawyer, who spoke with Citizens’ Report, noted that it is impossible to file for Prescriptive Title and lose at the CCJ and then file for Specific Performance at the High Court and

succeed. The lawyer said that it is either incompetence that can lead to such a result or something sinister. It is against this backdrop, the PPP source, after examining the situation and development thus far, is claiming that some sort of collusion between the company, the Attorney General and Minister Harmon, and others.

The source also pointed out that news reports on the matter, specifically some media reports on the matter seemed to be geared at excusing the Government. The source added that it is widely believed that this is another opportunity for “kickbacks” at the level of the Government, similar to what transpired in relation to Haags Bosch, where BK International was granted $5.7M USD on a mere legal letter threatening litigation.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Health Ministry now facing questions of possible tax fraud T

he Ministry of Health accepted a donation of a Hummer SUV last year and the vehicle was registered under the Ministry.

However, the donor group, ‘Hope For The Nation Foundation’, continued use of the vehicle – a luxury vehicle, a Hummer SUV, PWW 1458.

The vehicle was registered in the name of

the Ministry on April 10, 2017. Under duty free concessions, there are strict conditions how vehicles and goods are to be used.

Breaches could result in the correct taxes being calculated and charged.

Meanwhile, the owner allegedly handed the vehicle over to ‘Hope For The Nation Foundation’ with

the view that he would be a member of the non-governmental organisation. He is now making moves to repossess the vehicle. The owner, who is a New Yorkbased Guyanese, is reportedly making tax payments so he can get back the vehicle.

The Health Ministry has not publicly addressed this issue.

City Hall spending back in spotlight: Royston King admits that debts have passed $1B mark

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lready under public pressure for the way public monies are being spent, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is now further embattled. Town Clerk, Royston King, has admitted that City Hall has accounts to settle with a number of agencies, including the GRA to which it owes over $100M. King now says that arrangements are in place for the liquidation of debt owed to the revenue authority.

Meanwhile, GRA Commissioner, General Godfrey Statia, has said that the Revenue Agency will not be taking any action against City Hall.

Statia said that the M&CC

communicated with the revenue authority on the matter, but until a clear plan has been identified, he does not find further meetings necessary.”

Apart from these debts, the Council has accounts to the tune of $1B to settle with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), as well as statutory payments to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Credit Union.

King disclosed too that City Hall collects between $78M and $80M a month.

City Hall spending, particularly breaches of the procurement law to engage ‘handpicked’ contractors for various works, has found

King and others at City Hall on the receiving end of scathing criticisms of how they are managing the City’s affairs.

Ignoring questions and concerns about financial laws being broken and wasteful spending of taxpayers’ monies, King is now pushing to City Hall to move ahead with increasing container fees, littering fees and the revaluation of properties. “We need to move ahead with this… we need to have the kind of money we need,” he said.

Both King and the Mayor, Patricia Chase-Greene, have failed to address major concerns about the management of City Hall.

Nagamootoo flayed for ‘misleading’ Guyanese T

he inaction of Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, the only figure to hold such a post and have as limited powers/ responsibilities, on serious issues and his “misleading” statements, resulted in him being taken to task by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) over his latest comments.

Nagamootoo insists that the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department gives the APNU+AFC Coalition Government a “clean” bill of health.

However, the PPP had a different view.

BELOW IS THE FULL PPP STATEMENT: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) notes that Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has emerged from his ‘parasitic existence’ and is, once again, back to his antics of misleading Guyanese, this time talking up the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department.

His misleading comments come even as he ignores the elephant in the room –

that the 2018 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), produced by same State Department, cites “Government Corruption” as a major source of money laundering for the first time in contemporary history.

Nagamootoo instead of addressing this issue remains silent. He opts, instead, to defend the cause of good governance as ‘defined’ by the Director of Public Prosecutions, and stands in defense of the siphoning off of state resources through corrupt dealings, including countless breaches of Guyana’s financial laws (the Procurement Act, etc.), the financing of the D’urban Park development and the spending of millions of taxpayers’ dollars on the corrupt ‘drug bond’ deal, among countless other schemes perpetuated on the Guyanese people by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

The Party notes that Nagamootoo’s misleading of Guyanese is so glaring that it is baffling. For example, in touting the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana, he said: “The independent media were active and at times ex-

pressed a wide variety of views without restriction.”

However, the same report, on page 5, under Freedom of Expression, including the Press – Censorship or Content Restrictions, refers to: “A 2015 directive from the prime minister determined that all headlines in the state-owned print media be approved by the Office of the Prime Minister before publication. In April (2017) the minister of communities publicly admonished the editor of the state-owned newspaper for using a report on oil and gas as its lead article. The minister sated a report on a local government should have been the lead article.”

Additionally, the Prime Minister also talks about “pervasive corruption” being cited in the 2017 report, but he ignores the

scathing comments about the Integrity Commission.

Page 8 of the very report, under Financial Disclosure, said: “Although the law requires public officials to declare their assets to an Integrity Commission, the Commission had not been constituted by the year’s end.” Nagamootoo makes no comment on the fact that the Secretariat of the Integrity Commission was disbanded under the current Administration.

Nagamootoo makes no comment on the fact that he appointed his ‘friend’ as the Chairman of the finally constituted Integrity Commission – an admission that came from no less than the new Chairman himself. He also remains silent on the fact that since taking office, not one of his colleague ministers has

filed declarations with the Integrity Commission.

Nagamootoo’s aversion to dealing with facts is also exposed when he talks about the “inherited problem of over-crowding” of prisons. However, he fails to mention that the report makes no mention of the two jailbreaks in three weeks, during July 2017, and the destruction of the Georgetown Prison and the deaths that resulted from that incident.

This so called ‘advocate’ for anti-corruption, not only distorts reality for his purpose, but sits silently in the face of some of the most egregious acts, acts of corruption only surpassed by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s incompetence. Nagamootoo is involved in his Government’s actions that make

a mockery of Guyana’s financial and other laws – actions that are in stark contrast to best practices and good governance.

Nagamootoo seems content in ‘singing for his supper’, living in ‘la-la land’, and does not address real issues. He ignores facts, revealing his preference for peddling fictions.

For example, he charges that the report characterizes Guyana as a "multi-party democracy" – something of a success in his mind – but fails to say that this characterization of Guyana has been included in, at least, the last three reports. The PPP urges Guyanese not to be swayed by the ramblings of Moses Nagamootoo.

The Party will continue to expose the excesses of this Government and hold it accountable at every turn.

Miners still to be told about alternative places to sell gold

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HE Guyana Gold Board closed its laboratory, located in the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission compound Tuesday (April 24, 2018) afternoon.

In a release, the Ministry of Natural Resources said the burning of raw gold at the Gold Board’s laboratory,

Upper Brickdam, Georgetown, will cease as of close of business on Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

The release added that miners will receive due notice of the alternative and authorised place or places at which they could sell their gold. However, miners are

still waiting to be told about the ‘alternative arrangements’.

Meanwhile, the GGMC has temporarily moved one of its operations to a location in Subryanville, as part of the measures put in place to address the concerns of mercury exposure at the agency’s

Brickdam head office. The move follows a walkout by a number of staffers last week.

A number of GGMC workers who had promised not to return to work if satisfactory measures had not been implemented.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t exposed PPP/C local gov’t reps pushing over different treatment of for support to be given to sacked sugar and bauxite workers sugar workers T T he Coalition government has established a task force, to ensure workers of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) are not adversely affected by recent sanctions affecting parent company Russia Aluminium (RUSAL).

Last week, the United States Treasury Department announced the sanctions against RUSAL which would effectively ban the company from conducting business in American currency. The sanctions were to take effect in June but this week the Treasury Department announced it is pushing back the deadline to October 23 to give American companies time to wind down business with RUSAL. Germany-owned shippers, Oldendorff Carriers, had announced a June 5 pullout from Guyana. However, this may be cancelled now if the US sanctions are eased

further.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, visited Rusal Guyana’s operations, located in Kwakwani, Region 10 to deliver the assurances first hand to workers. Rusal Guyana is a majority shareholder in BCGI and a subsidiary of Russian owned RUSAL. “We are here to assure you that we are not going to see your jobs just go aside.

We are going to be fighting,” Minister Trotman told workers.

However, the move to set up a task force to deal with the “crisis to come” in the bauxite sector, has exposed Government’s – even more – the callous treatment it meted out to sugar workers. More than 4,000 sugar workers were sacked in mass one of the worst mass firings in contemporary history.

No government official en-

gaged the sugar workers in the manner that the bauxite workers have, prior to the firings.

Moreover, there has been no move to offer substantial support to sugar workers reeling from the impact of the firings. This is despite multiple calls by the Parliamentary Opposition for them to do so. In contrast, bauxite workers have been assured of government backing is the worse is to materialise.

The PPP/C has called on the Coalition Government to extend similar treatment to the sugar workers, as was done by the former PPP/C government in the case of bauxite workers in Linden and surrounding communities – when bauxite face challenges after 1992 – support of subsidized water and electricity, training and the creation of a loan programme, among other measures of support.

Coalition gov’t members in ‘palaces of privilege’, ignoring welfare of working class – Jagdeo

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uring several community meetings, part on the ongoing community outreach by the PPP/C, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, noted that the welfare of working class Guyanese is being ignored by the Coalition Government.

“They are in the palaces of privilege they have built – the high salaries, conferences and dinners at the Marriot Hotel…they have forgotten the concerns of people… if they were to just travel to these communities, they would heard about general and specific concerns of our people,” he said.

He noted that some of the concerns include worries about: crime, loss of jobs, the state of sea defenses, the deterioration of community roads, the deterioration of farm to market roads, closure of sugar estates, the price of paddy, the lack of support for the rice industry and the shortage of basic drugs at

public health facilities. “It seems that things are falling apart for them,” Jagdeo said.

Honing in on the rice sector, the Opposition Leader noted that the lack of rice markets, the increased tax on inputs to the sector, the tax on agricultural machinery and the increase in drainage and irrigation charges are negatively impacting rice farmers. “They are worried about the lack of support to the rice industry, which is one that, in addition to the gold mining sector, has kept Guyana’s economy going… there is an assault from government on this sector,” he said. According to him, the government needs to step up its work in ensuring that proper drainage and irrigation infrastructure is in place to support the hundreds of farmers who depend on this.

Jagdeo also called on Government to pay attention to the deteriorating infrastructure, including stellings.

“With some of the stellings, the piles are eroded. If it collapses, you will hear it is the PPP that built it. But the fact is that it was built more than 10 years ago and there needs to be works done regularly to maintain the structure,” he said.

The welfare of Guyanese people ought to be a primary consideration of any Government, the Opposition Leader stressed.

“Many people are concerned about the direction they see the country is going in. They read the newspapers, the TV news and for them, it seems as though that there is a reduction and increase in crime; people are rapidly losing jobs; they are worried about the daily reports of large scale corruption in government; they can’t believe that, on a daily basis, there can be so much incompetence…people are concerned about their future and welfare,” he said.

he Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Councillors representing the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) are backing a motion, which calls for support to be given to sugar workers placed on the breadline – following mass firings advanced by the Coalition Government.

The motion calls for water and electricity subsidies to be provided to the severed sugar workers.

The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Region 6 has already passed a motion calling for support to the children of sugar workers, but the Government appointed Regional Executive Officer (REO) has refused to write the Coalition Government on the matter officially. In the first week of February 2018, the Region 6 RDC voted unanimously on a motion to provide, and finance, transportation for the children of severed sugar workers in the Rose Hall Canje/East Bank Berbice area and in the areas from Crabwood Creek to Number 56 Village, Corentyne.

Both motions is consistent with calls from Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, for sugar workers to be considered for support, given their economic situation.

Decrying the “callous way” the sugar workers have been treated by the Coalition Government, Jagdeo noted that in addition to the fact that not all the sugar workers have received full severance payments, several others have complained about problems

getting part payment and others have complained about the methods used to calculate the severance they qualify for. All considered, Jagdeo said, “It is another manifestation of this uncaring government’s approach to people.”

That said, Jagdeo repeated his call for the Coalition Government to extend similar treatment to the sugar workers, as was done in the case of bauxite workers in Linden and surrounding communities under the former PPP/C government – support of subsidized water and electricity, training and the creation of a loan programme, among other measures of support.

The Opposition Leader

Discrimination... eradication of discrimination and corruption. In the Guyanese context, this must mean: (a) free and fair elections which must involve the impartial conduct of elections, the compilation of new voters lists the ending of proxy and overseas votes and the counting of ballot papers at the poll where the ballots were cast; (b) the repeal of the National Security Act providing for arrest and detention without trial; (c)- the repeal of the Order empowering the government to prevent Guyanese from leaving the country; (d) the fight to couple union recognition with the freedom of trade union association;

(e) the defeat of the proposed anti-strike measure, the Trades Disputes Bill; (f) the removal of restrictions against peaceful demonstrations and picketing.

2. Fair Employment Practices legislation with penalties for abuse and greater statutory powers to the Ombudsman; 3. A national anti-corruption committee and regional sub-committee with statutory powers to serve, as watchdogs of the national interest.

Some cynics and liberals are wont to quote Lord Action's famous aphorism that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts - absolutely".

reasoned too that the Coalition Government could easily restore the cash grant, which was offered to all public school children under the former PPP/C government, to the children of sugar workers.

“Or Granger could put him name on more busses in those communities too,” he said.

“We will have to continue pressing this case,” Jagdeo assured.

The Coalition Government has been criticised heavily over the past three years for its anti-poor and anti-working class policies, many of which have been advanced despite protests from the Parliamentary Opposition, civil society and Guyanese themselves who took to the streets.

(From page 7) While this is true in one respect, it is a dangerous half-truth. We make a distinction between people's power or working-class power, which we support, and capitalist-imperialist and neocolonialist power, which we reject.

For the latter, absolute power is synonymous with bureaucratic dictatorial rule, fraud, racism and corruption and their twin "brother", inefficiency.

People's power on the other hand eradicates these evils through the expropriation of the expropriators and by the building of a now society free from the exploitation of man by man.

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

PPP/C remains opposed to parking meter project, Jagdeo slams Oscar Clarke over ‘arrogant comments’

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rrogance from the top levels of central government is filtering down to local levels, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who waded into City Hall Councilor and former PNC General Secretary, Oscar Clarke.

Clarke at a recent Statutory Meeting at City Hall said, “We are not going to move away from our legal responsibility. Under the law, we can initiate parking meters in Georgetown, and we will. No matter how many people you bring to gather and make noise outside, that doesn’t change the position of Council. Council has a right and Council will carry out that right.”

“This Oscar Clarke, his arrogance reflects the arrogance at the central government,” Jagdeo said.

Clarke’s comments came

during a debate on the approval of the amended bylaws to allow for the re-introduction of the parking meter project.

Jagdeo stressed that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) remains opposed to the project. “Any manifestation of its return will be opposed,” he declared.

He added that City Hall can make more money, considering that only a minimum of the profits under the parking meter deal will flow to City Hall, with other initiatives, including ones that require lower implementation and administrative costs.

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

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More jobless G people than available jobs

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Youth unemployment twice that of older persons

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rying any avenue to secure employment, some 700 persons registered for jobs with the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CMRA) at the end of March 2018, but only about 200 of were placed – highlighting the increasing unemployment problem in Guyana.

The agency also collaborates with the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) which provides training for unqualified individuals through the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and the Guyana School of Agriculture – agencies all set up under the former PPP/C government.

The CRMA was set up

to register applicants for employment, taking specific note of their occupational qualifications, experiences, and desires; it evaluates, if necessary, their physical and vocational abilities. Its objective is to place individuals seeking jobs in suitable employment while providing career guidance and counselling. The Agency was established by the Government of Guyana in October 1944.

The Agency confirmed reports of unemployment in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 for 2017.

There was no available data for hinterland regions, which points to another problem

– insufficient focus on job creation, particularly, in Amerindian communities.

Earlier this month, 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” – an indictment of the current APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Coalition gov’t still has no national job plan T HE aim of your new government is to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible. This was the promise of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition during the 2015 General and Regional elections campaign.

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

Instead, like President David Granger, he is now talking up the focus on persons creating jobs for themselves. “All good paying jobs, as far as I am concerned, can come from self-generation and that is why we have to focus a lot on small and medium businesses, creating entrepreneurs rather than traders out of people,” Jordan has said.

President Granger has admitted that under his Government, the economy has not been able to produce “sufficient” new jobs. “On

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

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

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

The manifesto also promised that public expenditure

measures would be determined by related factors, which include: Stimulating productivity, investment, savings and growth of the economy; and the provision of jobs, among other moves.

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

Notably, however, President Granger, in a May 2016 broadcast of ‘The Public Interest’ noted that the Government does not have jobs to give out.

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

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

uyana’s unemployment rate is pegged at 12 per cent, according to the first in a series of periodic continuous Labour Force Surveys, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government is claiming a decrease in the unemployment rate when compared with 12.5 percent recorded in 2012. However, a 2014 Ministry of Labour report indicated that unemployment was pegged at 10.2 per cent.

The most alarming statistic included in the survey’s report relates to youth unemployment, which stands at

21.6 per cent, of which 28 per cent are young women. Additionally, the youth unemployment rate, aged 15-24, is almost twice that of adults with young women facing severe hardships, as 28 per cent of them are unemployed.

The situation is even more desperate when the employment, by sector, is reviewed. In 2012, the construction sector accounted for 10.4 per cent of the total employed persons, but in the latest report that figure has dropped to 8.4 per cent.

There has also been significant decline in other sectors, including the manufactur-

ing sector – which can be attributed to the closure of sugar estates – transportation sector and service activities.

But the most striking and troubling decline has been in the mining and quarry sector with 8.2 per cent employed in 2012, that number now falling by almost half with only 4.8 per cent. Hundreds of Amerindians are employed in this sector, hence they are affected.

Moreover, the Coalition Government has embraced a policy of enlisting ‘political hacks’ well over retirement age, failing to give space to youths.

Jagdeo given copy of private sector’s economic recommendations, says ‘country is adrift at the moment’

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eader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, lauded the private sector for its critical role it played in the past in providing support for government’s economic plans and said the country is presently adrift – policy wise.

Jagdeo was at the time meeting with leaders of the private sector who presented a report in which it compiled recommendations of policies and initiates needed to put Guyana on a path to economic growth.

He said: “I believe that we’re adrift now, policy wise, as a country. Predictability and clarity (of policy) are very important for the future and for investments.

So any role we can play, in

helping to create that environment, (we will play).”

“So I’m glad the private sector has taken this bold step of trying to put things on paper, so then you’d have a specific response from government about those measures. Personally, I’m not hopeful that that would happen in the government, due to the deficit of understanding of what makes an economy tick, but I’m hopeful.”

Jagdeo reminded that the PSC has played critical roles in the past to help previous governments strategically plan their economic policies.

He pointed to their role as job creators, in an economy where recent reports indicate large numbers are unemployed.

“I think it’s great that the private sector bodies of Guyana, they’re taking a leadership role in helping to define a future Guyana. We do have challenges now and I think we have to work to overcome these challenges,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added, “Nevertheless I remain optimistic. The private sector is a critical stakeholder in wealth creation and by extension jobs and wellbeing. They must be listened to and be part of a process of contribution to the creation of that vision.”

He committed to reviewing the report. Guyana’s economic growth rate for 2017 was a dismal 2.1 per cent, the lowest in the last decade.

Billions in taxes being raked in, average Guyanese feeling the squeeze

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he 140+ tax measures, including the increased fees, which were announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, have resulted in billions being raked in by the Coalition Government.

However, welfare measures, particularly to assist vulnerablenGuyanese, have not been advanced. Current revenues or taxes collected moved from $145.7B in 2014, under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), to a whopping $201.8B projected collection in 2018. “This is a $56B increase…a 40 per cent increaseover this period…..this is the same AP-

NU+AFC that is collecting more after saying that the tax burden under the PPP was too high…. this (taxes) is what is sucking the essence out of the economy,” said Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Current revenues or taxes collected moved from $145.7B in 2014, under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), to a whopping $201.8B projected collection in 2018. “This is a $56B increase…a 40 per cent increase over this period…..this is the same APNU+AFC that is collecting more after saying that the tax burden under the PPP was too high….this (taxes)

is what is sucking the essence out of the economy,” he said.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE NEW MEASURES: 1. 14% VAT on water consumption 2. 14% VAT on electricity consumption 3. VAT On Health Services 4. VAT On Internet Services, etc.

5. Environmental tax of $10 per unit on the importers and local manufacturers of products using non-returnable metal, plastic or glasscontainer of any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Intruders break into office Linden man gets two life sentences for raping of local NGO S eight-year old girl taff of ChildLinK, a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which works towards protecting children from violence and abuse, came to work on the morning of April 24, 2018, to find their 47 Croal Street and Austin Place ransacked by unknown intruders.

A number of items, including pieces of

equipment, were missing from the office.

The intruders gained entry by way of two windows on the first floor on the western side of the building.

The police were contacted and a report was made to the Alberttown Police Station.

Investigations are ongoing.

Gunmen attack staff of Diamond auto dealer

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M

icah Williams was sentenced, earlier this week, to two life sentences on two counts of sexual activity with an eight-year-old child, According to the state’s case, on January 1st and 31st, 2016, the accused engaged in sexual penetration with a child under age 16 years when she was only eightyears-old. The 34-year-old Linden resident denied the allegations.

In handing down her sentence, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow

said, “You cannot claim ignorance of sexual abuse, but during the trial you testified that you were an advocate against these very acts, noting that you were involved in campaigns and knew of the impact it would have on victims and what it does to people.”

Meanwhile, in his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Asa Stuart-Shepherd told the court that the trade unionist is the sole breadwinner of his home/family and is an active member of his community.

He added that it was his first offence of its kind and asked the court for leniency and mercy in his sentencing on Tuesday afternoon, after a 12-member jury deliberated for more than two hours before arriving at the verdict.

The life sentences will run concurrently and Williams will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years imprisonment. He was also ordered to undergo any rehabilitation for sexual offenders while in jail that may be available.

Woman robbed while walking in Cummings Street by motorcycle bandits A 35-year-old hairdresser was robbed on April 23, 2018 of her mobile phone, along with some $20,000 in cash while she was walking in the vicinity of Cummings Street, Albertown, Georgetown.

According to reports received, the incident occurred at around 13:30hrs.

The victim, Wendy Griffith of Cummings Street, Albertown, Georgetown was heading north on the western side of Cummings

Street- on foot- when she observed a black CG motorcycle, with two unmasked males approaching her from Church Street.

The pillion rider reportedly dismounted from the motorcycle some distance away and began to run towards Griffith, who at that time, held on tightly to her purse.

However, the bandit allegedly whopped out a black gun from his pants waist and pointed it at the

victim, demanding that she hand over her hand bag.

Fearing for her life, the woman told police that she hesitantly complied with her assailant’s orders.

The bandit then ran back to the waiting motorcycle, and the duo made good their escape in a southern direction along Cummings Street.

Police are presently reviewing CCTV from the area. Investigations are ongoing.

wo employees attached to Ideal Auto Sales in Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara were left in a traumatised state on April 24, 2018, after four gunmen pounced on them as they were returning to their place of work from a Bank Outlet in Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

According to the Vice President of Operations of the entity, Jailall Ragnauth, he was informed that as the

driver and a female account staff was returning in the company vehicle after conducting a bank transaction, a silver grey vehicle rode up alongside them.

At that time, the victims were awaiting the company’s security guard to open the gates.

However, in less than a minute, three of the four armed and masked men reportedly exited their motor-

car and approached the duo, while demanding that they turn over their cash. Realizing that the employees had no cash in their possession, the bandits then opted to snatch the purse belonging to the female staff, and a mobile phone belonging to the driver.

They then fled the scene in a waiting motorcar.

Investigations are ongoing.

West Bank Demerara man kills lover, slits throat in suicide bid T he West Bank Demerara (WBD) village of Good Intent was plunged into a state of shock on the morning of April 25, 2018, when it woke to news that a resident allegedly murdered his lover before attempting suicide by slitting his throat.

Dead is Diane Hernandez, a 48-year-old housewife of Recht-Door-Zee, WBD. She reportedly shared a visiting relationship with the suspect, Nigel Glasgow, 40, of Murphy Street, Good Intent Squatting Area.

Reports are that the duo arrived at Glasgow’s house late Tuesday (April 25, 208)

night, but just about 02:30h on Wednesday morning, screams and shouts were heard emanating from the house.

According to information received from Police sources, the gruesome discovery was made by two relatives of the mother of Glasgow’s children, who is a pump attendant. This newspaper was told that the pump attendant reportedly received a phone call from the suspect, requesting that she took care of their children. Realising that something was amiss, the attendant contacted her relatives and instructed them

to go to the house.

Upon arriving at Glasgow’s residence, the relatives had to break in to the locked house where they reportedly found the couple lying on a bed. Hernandez’s body was on the bed, but her head was propped up with what appeared to be a cable wrapped around her neck while her hands were bound. The alleged suspect, on the other hand, was lying alongside her, bleeding from his throat. The suspect’s attempted suicide bid failed.

He was rushed to a medical facility, where he remains under guard.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Jordan presents Bills to National Assembly in breach of Standing Order T

he Minister of Finance, on Thursday (April 26, 2018), presented four Bills to the National Assembly, without having the documents circulated to the Members of Parliament (MPs) as is required by Standing Order 53.

The Bills are the National Payment System Bill 2018, the Bank of Guyana (Amendment) Bill 2018, the Deposit Insurance Bill 2018, and the Financial Institutions (Amendment) Bill 2018. Further, the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan laid the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2018.

However, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira noted that while the Bills have been read a first time in the National Assembly, they were not presented to the MPs. Noting that this practice is unacceptable, Teixeira questioned when the Bills will be circulated to MPs. According to Teixeira, Standing Order 53 has been being violated by the current procedures in the National Assembly of reading

the long title of the Bills without first circulating them in the National Assembly and to all members.

However, the Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland con-

tended that electronic copies of the Bills were circulated to MPs and he assured that hard copies of the Bills will be circulated on Monday 30th April 2018.

However, at the time of the Speaker’s announcement, the Parliamentarians said they had not received such electronic copies. The Parliament Office subse-

quently released the copies to the MPs. Teixeira reminded that is has become a norm of not circulating Bills to MPs and urged that this practice

come to an end. She noted that electronic copies of these Bills need to be sent before the sitting starts, in order to keep in conformity with the Standing Orders.

PPP/C calls for Juvenile Fishermen labeled as ‘possible Justice Bill further reviewed, thieves’ by Minister Holder Bill sets age of criminal P responsibility at 14-years-old

T

he former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, has underscored the importance of modern laws to deal with Juvenile Justice in Guyana, but he said the proposed legislation presented by the Government needs fine-tuning.

Dr. Anthony, in sharing his views on the Bill, which has been presented for debate in the National Assembly today, explained that the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) started the process through various initiatives to reform the juvenile justice system.

He lauded that finally, after years of work under the former PPP/C Administration, the Bill has been completed. But the Par-

liamentarian explained that while proposed structure is ideal, there is ambiguity regarding the age of criminal responsibility.

The age of criminal responsibility set for the Bill is 14-years-old. Dr. Anthony explained that this means that children below the age of 14 cannot be prosecuted for crimes. He noted however, that the Bill does not explain what happens to children under the “age” who commit serious crimes.

Dr. Anthony explained that there is a rise in “Youth Gangs” in the region and pointed out that adults often use children to execute criminal activities. As such, he said it is important that provisions be made to deal with

offenders under the age of 14.

Pointing to the system in Scotland, Dr Anthony said they have special institutions in place to deal with children under their age of criminal responsibility – which is 8-years-old – who commit criminal offences.

Dr. Anthony said there are other small issues, particularly contradictions in the wording of the Bill, which needs to be ironed out and he urged that before it is passed in the National Assembly, it be taken to the Parliamentary Select Committee for further fine-tuning.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had moved the second reading of the Juvenile Justice Bill 2018.

eople’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP), Nigel Dharamlall sought to demand answers from Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, in relation to the mitigation support being provided for fishermen who ply their trades at the Hope Relief Canal, on the East Coast of Demerara, during the sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday (April 26, 2018).

According to Dharamlall, over the years, more than 40 boat owners have been mooring their fishing vessels in the vicinity of the Canal.

However, since Government has moved to have the fishermen desist from doing so, the Opposition MP questioned as to what measures have been implemented to remedy the situation for the fish traders.

He also questioned the Minister on what the Ministry intends to do to facilitate fish trade in the area, while ensuring that the livelihoods of the “fisher folks” and the overall viability of the fishing sector is not harmed.

In addition, the MP asked

Holder state whether his Ministry intends to ensure that the boat owners can continue to moor their boots “in the vicinity of the Hope Relief Canal” without undue harassment from the authorities.

The Opposition Member further questioned if the security fences at the location will be opened in a “supervised manner to allow ingress or egress of wholesalers or fish traders’ vehicles” in an effort to encourage fish trade.

However, the Agriculture Minister remained stoic as he explained that “fishermen who ply their trade at the Hope Relief Channel Outfall were advised to return to their traditional place [of mooring] at the Hope Drainage Outfall Channel, which is about 300m away.

This was despite the fact that Dharamlall explained that the channel used before is not ideal for mooring boats.

The MP further explained that many of the boat owners complained of how frequent their boats get damaged in

the area.

Holder said that upon the construction of the Hope Relief Sluice, there was always a gate at the beginning of the road, near the East Coast Demerara Public Road. However, he noted that the gate has since been relocated and a fence has been added to prevent vehicles from their continuous traversing of the high level dam as this could result in a breach and its associated consequences. As such, he maintained that the fishermen should return to the Hope Drainage Outfall Channel and that the decision for them to be removed remains non-negotiable.

Holder said, “Please note that the High level dam is in effect a continuation of the conservancy dam so if this dam is breached, severe flooding would affect Anns Grove, [etc.]…for the greater good, we cannot permit the use of this Outfall Channel by fishermen.”

Holder stirred controversy when he also spoke of possible theft of Government property by the fishermen.

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 APRIL, 2018

Granger’s office interfering with investigations into fuel smuggling - PPP T

he Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is deliberately being kept away from the investigations into the vessel seized, after being found to be carrying smuggling fuel, according to the People’s Progressive Party.

In a statement the Party said, “Our information is that this case is being handled differently because the vessel is owned by several persons who are deeply connected to the Coalition Government. Our sources say that the Commissioner General received direction from the Ministry of the Presidency, in this matter and the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is deliberately being kept away from the investigations. “…this fuel smuggling ring is huge and it defrauds the state of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue per month.”

The PPP made clear that it wants the Auditor General to get involved. The vessel that was seized has been definitively linked to at least one government official.

BELOW IS THE FULL PPP PRESS STATEMENT: The manner in which events are unfolding, in relation to a boat, recently held with smuggled fuel is raising eyebrows across the country.

The Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Au-

thority (GRA) is reported in the press as saying that the boat contains smuggled fuel and a fine of $30M will be imposed. This seems to be the only sanction which will be imposed on this vessel and its owners.

We are aware that the law provides that in such a circumstance, the boat is liable for forfeiture, the owners are liable to a fine of treble the value of the amount of tax evaded, as well as being liable for criminal charges. This is the regime of treatment to which the ordinary Guyanese is normally subject in similar circumstances. It begs the question, why this particular vessel attracts special treatment.

Our information is that this case is being handled differently because the vessel is owned by several persons who are deeply connected to the Coalition Govern-

ment. Our sources say that the Commissioner General received direction from the Ministry of the Presidency, in this matter and the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is deliberately being kept away from the investigations. The GEA would normally institute several criminal charges in such situation. We are further informed that a top official at Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), who holds a fuel import licence, rents this licence to fuel smugglers for millions of dollars per trip, to give them legal cover.

This fuel s muggling ring is huge and it de frauds the state of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue per month. Yet, SARA, SOCU, the DPP and the Commissioner of Police turn a blind eye to these activities. This is so because Ministers of the Coalition Government get

kickbacks from every trip.

This is one of the reasons why the US State Department in its latest report, identifies corruption in Government as a major source of money laundering in Guyana.

We call upon the Auditor General to launch an investigation into this matter and we call upon the international community to note the level of corruption which permeates this Administration.

‘Half-measures’, neglect seen in hinterland regions expose failure of Granger-gov’t – Jagdeo S

erious concerns about the plight of Amerindians and other hinterland residents were expressed

by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo.

And speaking to the Mirror Newspaper, he noted that the current APNU+AFC Administration “continues to create hardships” for hinterland residents.

His comments come on the heel of the 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department, which underscores the 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.”

The PPP General Secretary noted that the continued problems with drug shortages continue and seriously hinder the delivery of health care in hinterland regions. The system of procurement was changed in 2015, resulting in serious

problems with shortages of drugs and medical supplies.

Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, was called on by the Parliamentary Opposition to provide the reconciliation of monies sent by the Regions to the Ministry of Health and the drugs delivered to the Regions.

Bulkan, when pressed, admitted that reconciliations take about three months

and the reconciliations for 2017 should be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2018. Notably, the Parliamentary Opposition indicated that no information has been provided on reconciliations from since 2016. To date, it is unclear is Bulkan has fully complied in this regard.

Increased costs was another point that Jagdeo touched on, lamenting the situation with: increased air tax, which increases the cost of travel to and from hinterland regions; the imposition of taxes and fees, that affect not only consumer goods, but also productive sectors, with miners, among others, having to pay more to ply their trade; and the reduction of measures that support the welfare of Amerindians, including the slashing of old-age pensions, public assistance and removal of the cash-grant subsidies for children in public schools.

The PPP General Secretary also underscored the neglect in many of the hinterland communities, referring to the delays in proving promised ICT services and solar panels, among other stalled initiatives that were started under the former PPP/C government. On the issue of solar panels, President David Granger, despite admitting that students in the hinterland who are studying need “proper” light (electricity), leads a government that has done nothing to address this issue. The President’s comments came after his Government came under fire for taking some 6,000 solar panels that were purchased for several Amerindian

communities. The panels will be used at the Ministry of the Presidency and State House. The disclosure that the solar panels will not go the Amerindian communities was made since 2016 when the PPP/C, in the National Assembly, questioned the spending of $48.6M on furniture and equipment for the Ministry of the Presidency and State House. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in response, disclosed that part of the $48.6M was spent of 6,000 solar panel systems for the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

Jagdeo also called the APNU+AFC Coalition Government out for failing to right a heinous wrong – the firing of 1,872 Indigenous youths who received training through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, in a number of skilled areas and were placed in jobs. He cited the lack of any new initiatives to provide employment for young Amerindians. Notably, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, earlier this year had talked up the training of over 3,000 young Amerindians, but he has said nothing about ensuring that there are job creation opportunities. “These half measures will not improve the lives of our Amerindian people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo stated that while Granger has stated that his Government wants to see hinterland development advanced on par with that of coastland communities, he has failed abysmally in delivering and has not even expounded on how this will be done.

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