Economy
Ram pummels gov’t over management of economy: Focusing on the foreign exchange controversy, commentator and chartered accountant Christopher Ram has pounded the government over the management of the economy and has called for the exclusion of non-bank cambios and for more banking licences to foster increased competition. In his oil and gas column in March 25th’s edition of the Stabroek News, Ram homed in on the controversy over the shortage of foreign currency and said while it had receded into the background it didn’t mean that the problem had been solved. He noted that the government’s Model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) essentially retains the old foreign exchange framework which allows the oil companies to run their own exchange regime, outside of the national matrix. e said however that the country must not make the mistake that it is all down to the oil companies and that that the extant PSA is the sole cause of the problem or that any fixing of the PSA would solve all the problems. “Rather, if the Model PSA is a signal, it is safe to assume that the Government does not intend to address the issue of foreign exchange – surplus or shortage – but to leave it to the Bank of Guyana and the so-called market. Perhaps the Government has to be reminded that the Bank of Guyana is a statutory creation, bound to act within the policies set by the Government. The central bank does not make policy but only carries out policies set by the Government. Since neither the Governor of the Bank nor the Government has indicated any change in policy on foreign exchange in response to oil, one has to assume that the Government is comfortable with the status quo”, Ram said. Such continued inaction on the part of the Government has grave consequences, he warned. “It has become the victim of the Cambios, the tax evaders, the money launderers and the illegal export of the country’s foreign exchange resources, transfer (under)pricing and the faithful adherence to the foreign exchange rules, already limited as they are”, Ram said. He added: “This Government has to get around to managing the economy and to address the problems with the economy and the country. Unless it acts soon, the condition can potentially become totally unmanageable and insoluble. Maybe the Government fears that necessary action will not be welcome by their friends and supporters but it must surely realise that it has to act in the best interest of the country rather than in the Party’s electoral interest”. He listed a number of matters which he said require immediate attention.
Mahaicony farmers say imported chicken killing business: Poultry farmers in Mahaicony in Region Five are pleading with the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene to stem the importation/ smuggling of chicken into Guyana which they say is resulting in reduced sales for them in the local markets. The Sunday Stabroek spoke to two of the farmers on March 24th and they stated that it has been difficult for them to compete with businesses which have been importing and smuggling their poultry from neighbouring Brazil. According to Mark Ross, who has been a poultry farmer for many years, persons are mostly rushing to purchase the imported chicken since it is being sold at a lower price compared to the locally reared variety. He explained that they cannot decrease their prices to match the imported ones since rearing poultry locally is comparatively expensive. “Persons killing their own local farmers because they are importing their chicken from Brazil and selling it back for a lower price than ours, but we local farmers can’t do anything about it because we can’t sell our chicken at a much lower price when feed and those things gone up.” Ross said that he currently has approximately 10,000 birds in his poultry farm which are ready to be sold but hardly gets sales due to the quantity of the imported ones on the market. The man is imploring the government to step in and deal with the matter since local farmers are suffering great losses at the hands of other Guyanese vendors and businesses who choose to import and even smuggle their chicken. He stated that a meeting was held with the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, months ago and he had promised to look into the matter, and to call another meeting to address the interventions but nothing has since been done. Meanwhile, another farmer who wished not to be named, told the Sunday Stabroek that they have received word from a source at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that persons are still being issued licences to import chicken. “We heard that persons are being issued licences to import these chickens from Brazil and although we were told by the Minister that it isn’t so, we did our own little investigation and we received confirmation from sources that indeed these licences are still being given to persons”, the farmer said. The farmer who has been in the poultry business for more than 15 years said that he is pleading with the government to revoke some of those reported licences. “So we’re asking the government to help us local farmers out by revoking these licences because we are really finding it hard to sell our chicken because we can’t compete with the price of the chicken that persons importing and because of that, actually everybody running to buy the imported chicken because it much cheaper.”
Politics
Jagdeo touts PPP/C as the ‘only multiracial party in the country: PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo last Sunday proclaimed his party’s inclusiveness, while urging supporters to use social media to defend its track record even as he accused sections of the media of joining with the opposition to attack the government. Speaking at Babu Jaan, Corentyne, where he, President Irfaan Ali and others had travelled to commemorate the life and work of former president Cheddi Jagan, Jagdeo, noting the diverse crowd gathered, concluded that the PPP/C was the only multiracial party in Guyana. “If you look around here, no other political party in this country can put together a gathering of this nature that is multiracial,” he said, stressing that they went there voluntarily. He said that his party, while in opposition, openly admitted that more needed to be done to engage Afro Guyanese, to bring them into the party which was strong in Indo-Guyanese representation with growing representation from the Amerindians. “But we have historically failed to bring a large number of Afro Guyanese into the party,” he said. According to him, this was owing to distortion and rumours from the current opposition, adding that Jagan struggled daily to bring persons together. According to Jagdeo, the APNU and AFC have used the “rumour machine” to distort what the PPP/C stands for, and labelled it a “racist party.” However, he said, “Our practices, our policies, our philosophy, all speak differently and today we are fighting this in every single community and it has resonance now.” The PPP/C, he said, has gained momentum with party groups and cells being formed in “every one of these villages.”
According to Jagdeo, it is “the racism of the PNC” which will lead to its demise as it is already rapidly dying and that the PPP/C, at the next general election, will prove that the opposition is dying definitively. Jagdeo claimed that some sections of the media will not question “an organisation like Transparency International of Guyana that sent a report in 2019 to the International Transparency Organisation” which had several disparities which including that APNU had stopped a corrupt parking meter deal “when the fact was that they instituted the corrupt parking meter deal… “They said that APNU published all the oil contracts and you know we had to fight for that to happen. And they said that APNU resuscitated the Integrity Commission when we know that is a lie.”
Public Health
Canada funding project to improve maternal care in hinterland: The Canadian High Commission to Guyana last week launched a Cdn$2.5 million project that aims to improve maternal and neonatal health across Guyana’s hinterland regions. The $386m project will be executed by McMaster University and will last for five years. The main objective of the project is to reduce mortality rates among women of childbearing age, newborns, and children under five years old in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. During the life of the project, pregnant women in those areas will be assessed at least once by an obstetrician at a clinic in their own community. The project also provides for the training and staff at community health centres to promote routine antenatal testing as well as procuring equipment. Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman told attendees that in many countries around the world, the availability of health services, especially in rural areas is still an issue. He said Canada is committed to supporting Guyana to ensure the country breaches the gap between the hinterland and the coast. “Lack of access to health care continues to contribute to gender inequality, to discrimination, to violence and to disempowerment….Canada remains very much committed to delivering essential quality health care to every women, every child, every family, everyone, everywhere here in Guyana,” he said. Apart from improved health services and access, communities are expected to benefit from family health planning activities as well as training to reduce adolescent pregnancy. Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony in brief remarks noted that Guyana and Canada have had a great partnership for a long time. He noted that Guyana is on a path to ensure that the hinterland can have access to the same level of health services available on the coast and this project will assist in this regard. “We have started but we need that little impetus to make sure that all the regional hospitals will eventually have neonatal services and that is what this project will help us to do in many ways,” Anthony said.
Infrastructure
Contractor to rebuild Parika Market at no extra cost to gov’t – Dharamlall: The construction company which had been working on the Parika Market when it went up in flames will rebuild it at no additional cost to the government, according to the Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall. Panko Steel Fabrication and Construc-tion Company had been working on the second phase of the expansion of the market in February when sparks from its welding ignited flammable items from one of the stalls. The entire market was ravaged by the ensuing inferno. Dharamlall said that the company has committed to rebuilding it in four months. “They have a standing contract and whatever losses that was incurred as a result of the fire, they have to cover it… we don’t have an additional contract,” the minister told the Sunday Stabroek when contacted last week. The incident has raised questions as to what happens in the aftermath of a contract being upturned by a major event such as a fire particularly if the contractor might be liable. Last year December, Panko was awarded a $270 million contract for the second phase reconstruction of the market. The contract was signed between a representative of the company and Permanent Secre-tary of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine. Last week Monday, Chairman of Region Three, Inshan Ayube, told this newspaper that the company had committed to rebuilding the market within a three or four-month timeframe. This newspaper reached out to the company and a representative promised that he would have a spokesperson return a call. However, up to press time, that person had not done so. On February 10 at about 3:14 pm, a massive fire erupted destroying millions in stock, such as clothing, jewellery, electronics, food items, and much more, which were being sold by over a dozen vendors both in the market complex and along the roadside.
Aviation
BA kicks off new service to Guyana:
British Airways (BA) last Monday made its inaugural scheduled flight to Guyana from the UK as it commenced its twice-weekly operations. Its predecessor, British Overseas Airways Corpo-ration (BOAC) had last flown here 42 years ago. BA is a major addition to the carriers serving Guyana. The airline will fly from Gatwick Airport to Guyana twice weekly on Mondays & Thursdays via St Lucia. The service to Cheddi Jagan International Air-port, Timehri also operates as a “tag on” on BA’s service from Gatwick to Saint Lucia.
Arriving at dusk at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) there was palpable excitement among officials of the three countries. Steel pan music filled the air and represen-tatives of the United Kingdom High Commis-sion here and St Lucia and Guyana governments wel-comed passengers for the first time. The atmosphere was electric and passen-gers underscored that the flight was “exciting.” British Airways, the official flag carrier of the UK, announced in August last year their plans to ply the route which has seen increased traffic since the country’s commencement of oil and gas operations. These flights here will offer not only connections to multiple destinations but extensive tourism and business opportunities for Guyanese entities. The airline is utilising a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft catering for 332 passengers per flight. While there is much talk of the new ser-vice for passengers, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill who has res-ponsibility for the aviation sector, pointed out that operations on the route will facilitate greater trade activities. “… The profit in airlines is not the passengers it is in cargo, and our agricultural sector is gearing up to be able to ship our products to various parts of the world,” Edghill said as he announced that adequate mechanisms are being put in place to facilitate such trade. Edghill expanded by saying that government is working to implement the necessary phytosanitary facilities to ensure Guy-anese products are trans-ported to different parts of the globe.
Investment
Agriculture ministry signs $1.13b in contracts: The Ministry of Agriculture last week yesterday signed a number of contracts to the tune of $1.13 billion as part of its 2023 capital programme. The contract-signing ceremony was held in the boardroom of the Ministry of Agriculture and was attended by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, contractors, engineers, and other officials of the ministry. Seven contracts were signed on behalf of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for the supply of critical equipment and other material as part of the government’s efforts to revitalize the sugar industry. Among the major GuySuCo contracts is a $165m deal with Game Equipment LLC for the supply of four 195 hp 4-WD articulated agricultural tractors. A $224m contract has been struck with General Marine Company for 12-inch, 305 mm diameter High Density Polyethylene Corrugated Drain-age Tubes. The Ministry said that these will be used to drain cane fields. The tubes are installed after tillage has been completed. The ministry said that if the tubes are not installed “water will accumulate in the field and kill the cane plants”. Two contracts worth $75m were also clinched with Massy Motors Limited for the supply of seven tractors to the Albion and Blairmont estates. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) signed 13 contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. For the NDIA, M Sukhai Contracting Services secured a contract for $70m for the rehabilitation of the access road at Onderneeming Phase II, Essequibo Coast. Various contracts were awarded for the rehabilitation of NDIA pontoons including one to Roopan Ramotar for $44m.
DDL takes US$22m loan from IDB-Invest: Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) last Monday clinched a US$22m loan from the private sector arm of the IDB which will allow it to boost output of milk and juice while also diversifying its energy mix. The signing took place at DDL and was overseen by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. A release from the Ministry of Finance said that the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB’s) Resident Representative Lorena Solorzano-Salazar and Division Chief of Corporates, Aitor Ezcurra pointed out during their remarks that the transaction will assist DDL in energy diversification, broadening of the products it offers as well as an expansion of its labour force. Ezcurra emphasized the importance of private sector development to overall social and economic growth further adding that diversification of exports, working with the agricultural value chain, and smaller farmers in the fruits business are all part of the things considered. He said that it will also be contributing positively to CARICOM’s 25 by 2025 initiative. Solorzano-Salazar pointed to the importance of energy and economic diversification and why the IDB-Invest considered the initiative to be imperative. Executive Chairman of DDL, Komal Samaroo recalled that DDL was the first to be ISO-certified in 1995 and the first to establish a bio-methanization plant in the Caribbean, the release said. He stated that the Company aims to commit in excess of US$100 Million in Capital projects as part of its future plans. He added that the loan agreement with IDB-Invest will provide the resources required to fund the diversification strategy of the DDL group and the transition to renewable energy. The loan will allow DDL to develop a new one-litre packaging line for juice and milk, set up an automated fruit processing line, and finance the construction of a 3.25 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system with battery storage for self-consumption.
School violence
Houston Secondary School teacher and parent have resolved differences: The incident at the Houston Secondary School, during which a teacher, Kimone Gentle, armed herself with a cutlass, has been resolved with the parent of the offending student. According to Guyana Teachers Union General Secretary Coretta McDonald, the teacher and the parent “sorted out their differences”. McDonald, who spoke to this newspaper yesterday, added that while the incident was unfortunate, there is a breakdown in the school’s system and the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with teachers and parents, must work to find the root cause. McDonald referred to another incident in Linden where teachers and students were attacked by an invading gang. A male teacher was also attacked in Berbice two weeks ago. She added that the ministry should put systems in place to guide policies surrounding issues of this nature.Regarding the Houston Secondary incident, which went viral in a video on social media, other teachers were seen trying to restrain the teacher and student. However, the situation escalated and Gentle could be seen brandishing the weapon and rushing to the school gate. She and the child’s parent were both taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station. Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, President of the Guyana Teachers Union Mark Lyte, and McDonald visited the teacher at the police station. The teacher had told reporters at the station, “What I want to say is that this thing has become the new COVID, and as an educator I would like to see a better relationship between teachers, parents and students. So we can work on what we are paid to do which is to educate charges in our area. I was attacked by a parent and a student.” Lyte told reporters that the issue seems to be a new one plaguing the schools’ system. He added that applicable ways must be explored to resolve differences among teachers, students and parents. He proposed that the country needs reform legislation, better security at schools and counsellors to see children who have challenges.
Accident
Canefield guard dies after struck by drunk driver on Canje Bridge: A family of Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice is now grieving the death of their loved one, Glen McLeod, who succumbed at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital last Tuesday after he was struck by a drunk driver along the Canje Bridge on Monday evening. McLeod, 61, a security guard attached to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute and of Lot 913 New Area Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice, was pushing his bicycle over the Canje Bridge heading to work located less than a minute from the bridge, when he was struck by the speeding car which was being driven by a drunk driver. It is reported that the driver, 25, of Lot 67 Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara was driving motor car PWW 511 at the time of the accident with a passenger of Lot 60 Archer Street, Number 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice. The motor car is owned by Teelokie Deolall of Lot 27, Number 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice. According to a report from the police, initial investigations revealed that motor car, PWW 511 was proceeding west along the northern drive lane at a fast rate when the driver lost control and collided with McLeod, who was walking and pushing his cycle over the bridge in the said direction. As a result of the impact, McLeod was flung into the air then onto the road resulting in him sustaining injuries, while the car then collided with the southern rail of the bridge and turned sideways before coming to halt. McLeod, the driver and the passenger were rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Stabroek News was told that McLeod was admitted while the driver and occupant were treated for minor injuries.
Housing
Forty-seven Parika Sea Dam residents to be relocated – Croal: With some of them having spent 40 years in the area, 47 Parika Sea Dam, Region Three squatters are to be relocated. The move comes months after their plight was featured in the Sunday Stabroek on Christmas Day last year. Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal on Wednesday met with the residents of as part of preparations for their relocation. He assured them that lands would be made available. Some 47 households that have been occupying the reserve for many years are to be relocated. An initial investigation by the Community Development Department has revealed that a total of 47 structures are occupied. These are structures where families dwell and in some instances operate businesses, a Ministry of Housing (MoH) release stated. To date only 13 person have applied to the MoH for residential house lots, while the remainder were invited to start the process of applying. Residents were informed of the ministry’s plan to work with them to arrive at an amicable solution as it relates to relocation. The Ministry also emphasised that the area cannot be regularised. Croal, reiterated that the sea dam and river defences are critical pieces of infrastructure that should be made easily accessible to regulatory agencies. “This is not an isolated situation, squatting is an issue we must address and its being addressed across the country, so it not you alone, we have a similar situation on the East Bank of Demerara, so we are encouraging you to work with us as we address this issue.” Residents were informed that the government will continue to work with existing informal settlers to have them regularised where possible. In instances where the situation is not ideal for regularisation, lands will be made available for relocation. Croal also stated that no new instance of squatting will be encouraged, as continuous monitoring will be done in communities to discourage this activity. The Parika Sea Dam residents had lamented that they were being neglected even though squatters in other areas were being regularised.
Outreach
President says nearly 5,000 issues raised in outreach: President Irfaan Ali recently reported that nearly 5,000 issues were attended to within the space of two days(March 31st to April 1st) in his administration’s outreach to Region Three. Dubbed as a means of getting to the people directly to listen to and work on their concerns, the President along with various Ministers and Government Agencies took over the space at the Leonora Track and Field Facility to conduct the two-day outreach. At the outreach, the government in tracking the works that have been done throughout the two days, developed an app to plot progress to the finalization of the matters. Tracking the number of cases being attended to, the Government has revealed that some 4,836 cases are in process with some 1770 still to be resolved. Most of the issues related to housing and the National Insurance Scheme due to the large number of sugar estate workers who were in the area. Local government issues were raised especially as it related to drainage and garbage collection. A number of matters were raised with the Lands and Survey Commission with respect to leased land. According to the Government, a number of business ideas were raised and government will be following up on them to ensure they become a reality. While the issues and solutions are being addressed, President Ali maintained that the Government will continue to do such outreaches since it tells the government directly what is needed where. “This exercise allows us to understand the priorities of the community, the priorities of the region. So that when we develop our budgetary framework for the year we will be able to understand in a firsthand manner from the people directly what their priorities are and what our interest should be”, President Ali noted. The President said that at the end of each outreach, he will also form Ministers and other Government officials and community members into groups to oversee future projects. With the promise of getting to the people directly, the President also repeated that this programme will be rolled out in each part of the country.
In the courts
Life imprisonment for man who killed Essequibo newspaper vendor: In a moving tribute to the man she called her hero, Vidya Mannilall said that the day her father was shot and killed “my life changed forever…my world was turned upside down.” The young woman was at the time presenting her impact statement at the sentencing hearing of her father’s killer—Norlando Browne—who Justice Sandil Kissoon imprisoned for life, ordering that he is not to be eligible for parole before spending at least 30 years behind bars. Shawn Mannilall, a newspaper vendor, was shot and killed on the night of January 10th, 2020 after armed bandits invaded his Essequibo Coast home during a family Bar-B-Q. His daughter said that witnessing her father take his last breath, has left her with an “unbearable heaviness” from which she said she can never escape; and that no one should ever have to face. In tears she spoke of being “broken,” and having “lost every sense of normality.” She said it is indescribable the devastating loss her family suffered on that fateful day she likened to a nightmare, which she said they wish they could wake from. In between sobs, she said that her father would not be there to share in her future achievements such as university graduations, walking her down the aisle or welcoming his grandchildren. She said that while she can call for her father’s killer to be put behind bars for the rest of his life, it would not be enough, as there is nothing that could ever bring her dad back, which would be her only true wish. Meanwhile, in his brief address to the court, Browne told the family that he was “sorry for their loss,” but was quick to add that it was not he who had done the shooting. He claimed to have been tricked by his accomplices whom he referred to as friends. According to him, they had told him that he was being taken to someone who could provide him a job as he was unemployed at the time. Commending himself to the Court as “not a criminal person,” the offender then begged his victim’s family for their forgiveness.
