The members of new Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Board and the Sea and River Defence Board yesterday received their letters of appointment.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, in delivering a charge to the new GCAA Board at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Boardroom explained that the board is expected to work assiduously to increase effective implementation of international standards and achieve the sustainable development of aviation in the country.
“Guyana’s level of effective implementation is currently 44.21% with regard to eight critical elements of safety oversight as established by ICAO [International Civil Aviation Authority] …with your help it will be fixed,” Minister Ferguson charged. She explained that her hope is to achieve at least a 60% effective implementation.
As she shared her vision of a modernised civil aviation to match global standards, the minister committed herself and the government to working closely with the board, ICAO and other stakeholders to increase Guyana’s effective implementation to at least 60%.
She asked the new board to pursue six goals; namely: provide effective leadership and guidance to the authority; transform the GCAA into a high performance organisation that is results-oriented and people-focused; develop a succession planning framework; establish a clear strategic direction and corporate plan for the authority; renew and develop strategic partnerships with key stakeholders for the achievement of the organisation’s mandate; and address the financial sustainability of the authority.
The ICAO has been pushing a “no country left behind” initiative, which means that significant work has to be done in the sector with regards the implementation of its recommendations.
Lawrence London, new Chairman of the board, in response, said he expects the board to work as a team. “When we meet early next week, we will chart a course and set out a work plan so that what you’ve charged us to do will be done,” he added.
New sea defence policy before Cabinet
Meanwhile, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson charged the members of the new Sea and River Defence Board to play a greater role in protecting the country’s sea defence and shore protection.
Noting that “unfortunately there have been cases where persons and businesses and companies for one reason or the other have erect[ed] structures or [blocked] access to our egress, to our pumps or our sea defence facilities,” the minister explained that the government would like to see not just the actual structure [seawalls] being protected, but the entire ingress and egress along with the boundaries around the sea defence.
He called for a consistent policy in relation to construction in the area of the sea defences and challenged the new board to emphatically say if they agree or disagree with a proposed erection as opposed to the general responses previously offered.
Patterson also shared that a new sea defence policy, which is expected to help in the efficiency of the board, is currently before the Cabinet for approval.
The thrust of the new policy will see the board becoming a focal point on sea defence issues, as previously that responsibility was in the hands of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), along with regional bodies.
In congratulating the new board members, Minister Ferguson reminded that they are all working in the interest of all Guyanese to ensure that those persons residing along the coastline do enjoy a good life and as a result it is necessary for them to cooperate.
Returning Chairman of the Board John Cush, a member of the Guyana Association for Professional Engineers, requested that a secretariat be set up to assist the board in processing building applications submitted. He also informed the members that the Board will meet every third Friday in the month.
