As government continues to withhold approval for a number of European Union-funded micro projects, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said the action was taken because certain expectations were not met.
The cabinet secretary did not elaborate and when pressed to explain this position he would only say that the administration was currently trying to reconcile whatever differences existed. Contacted after his post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday on the issue, Luncheon said at the initial stage of the project the administration had some expectations and an understanding of the process, but for some reason the outcome was different. “We need to examine why these differences have arisen,” Luncheon said. Government had withdrawn its endorsement of some 39 micro projects valued at close to $200 million under the programme. Stabroek News was told that the Bharrat Jagdeo administration had withheld its endorsement of the contracts because of concerns it had with most of the prospective beneficiaries.
Up to yesterday, a number of the groups that had submitted proposals said they were yet to receive any positive word on when they would sign the contracts. Wesley Porter of the Ithaca Agricul-tural Land Development Association said his group was still searching for answers regarding the delay. Porter said members of his group had read previous articles by this newspaper on the issue and many of them were no longer hopeful that the project would come on stream. Around 30 cattle and rice farmers from the community and surrounding villages had come together to develop over 600 acres of land to increase their yields and earning capacity. However, Porter said while they had ambitions they were constrained by financial resources. The group had requested $10 million, but the EU approved $7.5 million. The group is hoping to increase its pasture acreage and make the farmland more productive, while promoting community development. It also intends to increase yield per acre. Porter had told Stabroek News that currently the land being used to rear cattle and plant rice was being leased from the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/ Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA). He said the cost to lease the lands exceeded the profits the group would make from the cattle, and as such it was looking to own its own farmland.
A women’s group at Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara, is also anxiously awaiting word on its proposal. Badewattie Kandial, President of Blankenburg Women’s Group for Social and Economic Empowerment told Stabroek News on Friday that her group members were beginning to feel disappointed as the deadline for the implementation of the project neared, but the contracts had not been approved. Kandial’s 10-member group had proposed to manufacture pepper sauce. Its proposed budget was $2.5 million, but the EU was prepared to provide $1.8 million.
Lloyda Angus of the Trafalgar/Union Communion Development Council had told this newspaper late last month that she was appalled at the hold-up of the projects. She said she had vented her frustration at the Micro Project Office for the delay, but later she realized that it was the government that was responsible.
The West Coast Berbice group had proposed setting up a poultry-rearing enterprise with a view to bringing relief to residents of Numbers 28, 29 and 30 Villages. Sixteen persons from the respective communities were to benefit from the project, which Angus said was needed as jobs were scarce and the living standard poor. The group had requested just over $7 million, but was granted $5.3 million, Angus told Stabroek News.
Efforts to get a comment from the Programme Manager of the Micro Project Office, Jimmy Bhojedat, on Friday proved futile. He had told this newspaper earlier, however, that he had been aware of an earlier endorsement by the government, but he had been subsequently advised to hold off inviting applicants to sign their contracts. Bhojedat said he did not know why there had been a change, although he acknowledged that he had sought to find out, but had got no answer. Under the programme which began in 2005 groups are invited to submit proposals for funding on micro projects. The Micro Project Office would then ensure that all the requirements were met by applicants before passing on the proposals to the Micro Project Board, which would review and evaluate the proposals before crafting a short list, which would then be sent to the European Commission and the Guyana government. The current contracts that have been held up are part of the third set since the programme was launched in 2005.
August 17 is the deadline for the implementation of all projects. He said if the situation did not change the money would likely be returned to Europe.
