Border controversy
Venezuela rejects UN SG statement over border controversy tension: Venezuela last week rejected a statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressing concern at the recent escalation of tension between Georgetown and Caracas over the border controversy between the two countries. According to teleSUR, in the text released by Foreign Minister Yván Gil through his account on the social network X, Vene-zuela reminded the Secre-tary General and the international community that, on February 25, 2018, the need to respect the Geneva Agreement of 1966 was warned about. “However, turning its back on the application of the successive means contemplated in that agreement, the case was referred, without the will of one of the parties, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” the statement reads. This action marked a turning point in the behaviour of Guyana, “which has abandoned the diplomatic path of direct dialogue, taking decisions that challenge international legality and threaten the peace and stability of the Caribbean region,” the text adds. The Venezuelan government also reiterated the country’s call to establish direct talks “to advance a peaceful and mutually satisfactory resolution” of the territorial controversy. “Likewise, the text ratifies the holding of the referendum in defense of the Guayana Esequiba on December 3. The results will mark the destiny in the struggle to assert Vene-zuela’s historical rights over the disputed territory”, it states. According to teleSUR, the Vice President of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Carlos Quintero said that 53 percent of the activities foreseen in the schedule for the consultative referendum on December have been carried out. A mock referendum will be held on November 19, which is “an important exercise to interact with the process in the 800 centers available,” said Quintero, calling on the population to participate.
`No to tyranny and aggression’: The government and the opposition joined forces last Monday to unanimously approve a parliamentary motion rejecting a Venezuelan referendum on December 3rd which is seen as tantamount to the annexation of Essequibo with Prime Minister Mark Phillips saying that the Guyana will not succumb to the tyranny and intimidatory tactics of Caracas. “The time for negotiation is over. There will be no need for dialogue with Nicholas Maduro. There will be no meeting between Maduro and President Dr Irfaan Ali. Essequibo is no Bird Island (ceded by Dominica to Venezuela), no concessions through bilaterals. No to invasion, annexation, and other acts of aggression,” the prime minister declared emphatically in the presence of members of the diplomatic corps, senior public servants and schoolchildren. He made these remarks during an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly on a motion which reaffirmed recognition of the 1899 Arbitral Award which settled borders between the two countries and affirmed that Essequibo was part of Guyana’s territory. Phillips, the Leader of the House for Government Business, said that “Guyana remains steadfast in resorting to a peaceful solution as this matter is before the ICJ (International Court of Justice), and we know that this court will ensure that the principles of international law are followed”. “We have noted the aggression from the Venezuelan government to this point we will not allow our nation’s sovereignty to be undermined”. “Let the ICJ rule. Let the ICJ be the judge and deliver a final judgment on this controversy. Essequibo belongs to Guyana and Guyanese only. Together, we will secure the triumph of justice and preserve our nation’s sovereignty,” he added. Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton in endorsement of the motion said that “We have arrived at the point where Venezuela through the device of a referendum is seeking to make a naked attempt to annex Essequibo”.
Wages
President announces $25,000 bonus for public sector workers, benefits for teachers: President Irfaan Ali last week announced a $25,000 one-off bonus for 67,000 public sector workers at a cost of $1.7b to be paid next month. This includes the public servants, disciplined services, teachers, nurses, sugar workers and employees of semi-autonomous agencies etc. In a Facebook announcement, he also announced that an across-the-board salary increase will be announced for teachers and public servants shortly. There have been no productive negotiations between the government and the unions representing teachers and public servants. Old-age pensioners will also be benefit from the one-off $25,000 bonus payable in December. This will benefit 72,000 pensioners at $1.8b. Differently-abled persons on the public assistance register will get a $35,000 one-off bonus to be paid in December. This will benefit 19,000 persons at $660m. Government will also allocate $850m for the purchase of fertilisers for farmers. This will benefit 287,000 acres of cultivation and 35,000 farmers. These initiatives are to be funded in part by the $5b cost of living allocation in this year’s budget. Community Infrastructure Improvement Programme workers will see their salary go to $40,000 per month effective from January 1st, 2023. This benefit 2,000 workers. All graduate teachers will be moved to the maximum of the scale applicable to the post that they currently occupy. This will pertain to 4,000 graduate teachers at an extra annual cost of $1b. Graduate teachers with a bachelor’s degree will now get a monthly education allowance of $10,000.
Investigation
Forensic lab has backlog in toxicology screening -Director: The Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) is currently experiencing a backlog in toxicology screening, so says its Director, Delon France. This issue was raised with France after the forensic lab was criticised over the delayed toxicology testing for city businessman, Nakema Demindraj Deonauth, who was murdered in his Cummings Street apartment on June 12. Stabroek News in an effort to obtain answers on the probe, contacted the director and the newspaper was told, “At the moment we are experiencing some slight delays with toxicology screening but we are working to resolve it.” Deonauth was found with multiple wounds on his body, including one to his neck, that suggested he was strangled. However, although the autopsy has been completed, the toxicology test remains outstanding and in the hands of the lab and according to the Director, the issues at the moment are based on several factors. “While we are outsourcing these tests, we are currently working on factors that are causing our delays. Those factors vary from time. It could be equipment downtime, it could be depending on a specific test that comes in, or we may not have had a method in place. It’s a vast array of things. For example, the toxicology test can’t have the result of someone being poisoned, you can simply overdose on aspirin or you get poison. So, we from time to time will have to develop methods for each individual test. For example, if they just submit a test and say they want a toxicity test; we have to go on a wild goose chase to figure out what that person could have currently used, like if they found a bottle with something that the person might use or a glass of something, they may have expected to drink, you have used an injection to inject something. That’s how wide it could be. So, a toxicology test is not just something you could screen just like that” According to France, there is no in-house test that can be done so the overseas support is needed. “There is no in-country support that I’m aware of so that’s why from time to time, we seek overseas support”. The Director also remarked that as always, they are exploring the options in several countries that have the capacity and at the same time some cases are prioritized depending on the urgency.
Politics
APNU says its ultimate objective is a `livable income for all’: The opposition APNU wants all to know that it has a viable people-centric development strategy for Guyana with the ultimate objective being a livable income for all. In a recent press statement, APNU stated that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo recently made a desperate effort to challenge the fact that the party has a development strategy for Guyana. This, it countered, flies in the face of the “reality that over the past two years, month in and month out,” the APNU coalition has been speaking about how it intends to transform the quality of life of Guyanese. It also stated that it considers this intention, “the ultimate development goal of the serious and caring government we intend to be.” The party sought to make it clear that people are first and at the centre of its development vision. “We see this, i) as our moral obligation as a government to the people of Guyana, ii) as the inalienable human rights of citizens to a high quality of life, and iii), as vital for national social and economic growth and development.” As such, APNU strove to make it clear that it “totally” rejects the PPP’s “frequent boastful assertion” that progress is measured by the size of budgets, or the number of ribbons cut, or the number of temporary jobs handed out. “As a serious and caring government, we will measure progress by how high people’s quality of life is and how satisfied they feel. For us, no other measurement matters.” According to the release, the ultimate objective of the party will be to guarantee a livable income for all households, regardless of size, composition, economic circumstance, or location. It promised to guarantee a livable income by “well-designed policies” such as job creation, living wages, wealth creation such as small business development, and a comprehensive social protection system that includes family support and child care, adequate pensions and elderly care, subsidies and waivers such as on mortgages, rents and utilities, and the guaranteeing of food and nutrition security. “We believe we can realise this vision in a matter of a few years – not in the vague and uncertain future the PPP is promising”, it said. Further, its strategy promises that not only will the citizens share in the country’s economic prosperity, but they will also enjoy their full social and political rights, safe communities, easy access to justice, high-quality health and education, a clean and pleasant environment, and good governance, among other rights and aspirations. Also included in this package was the guarantee that each household will enjoy a livable income and high living standard.
Banking
Demerara Bank registers $4.06b in after-tax profit: Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) has registered a whopping after-tax profit of $4.06b for the financial year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $2.95b last year, an increase of 37.5%. According to its Consolidated Financial Statements published in last Tuesday’s Stabroek News, a significant portion of the expanded profit comprises other income which moved from $758m in 2022 to $2.74b this year. Chairman of the bank, Komal Samaroo in his review said that it had been an outstanding year for DBL as it had recorded the best financial results in its history. The deposits of the bank also registered substantial growth, rising by 30% from $106.9b to $139.1b. Loans and advances jumped by 22.7% from $58.1b to $71.3b. He said that the Board of Directors have recommended a final dividend payment of $1.80 per share. This proposed dividend when combined with the interim dividend of $0.45 per share already paid would bring the total dividend for the year to $2.25. The total dividend paid in 2022 was $2. Interest income from loans and advances was $5.17b in 2023 compared to $4.29b in 2022. Interest income from investments totaled $2b in 2022 compared to $1.6b in 2023. Net credit impairment in 2023 was $825m compared to a recovery of $362m. Income before taxation was $4.88b in 2022 and $5.9b this year. In a statement, Demerara Bank says its “exceptional performance” can be ascribed to several key factors. It said financial discipline, a strategic investment approach and continuous development of human resources have paved the way for the bank’s success. It said that the bank has actively driven economic growth by diversifying its credit portfolio and making credit accessible across all major sectors.
Education
No restriction on students writing CSEC subjects: The Ministry of Education (MoE) last month in a circular to teachers, announced changes to the policies that guide subjects offered in grades 10 and 11 in secondary schools. Among the changes are that students about to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are not to be restricted from writing any subject they select as along as their SBA is of an acceptable standard. The MoE has also established guidelines for the creation of streams and streaming of students into Grade 10. It stated that secondary schools must ensure that each stream offers Information Technology (IT) and/or Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), a foreign language, and a Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) subject. According to the circular, students in ‘A’ list schools who are in Grade 11 can sit for any number of subjects at the CSEC examination. However, their School Based Assessment (SBA) must be of an acceptable standard as determined by the school. “A school cannot prevent a student from writing a subject at the CSEC examinations except if his or her SBA has not met the national deadlines. That is, the practice by schools of ‘recommending’ students to write a subject must be discontinued,” it said. Steps to be taken, in this regard, were not mentioned in relation to foreign language subjects, which do not require the submission of SBAs. As such, teachers of those subjects are unaware about what needs to be done with students whose Grade 10 marks and class attendance do not reflect a promise of passes in the subject. In Grade 10, students at List ‘A’ and List ‘B’ schools may take subjects such as Mathematics, English ‘A’, English ‘B’, EDPM, HSB (Human and Social Biology), and/or a foreign language, and they have the option of not sitting for subjects they have already passed.
Crime
Neesa Gopaul’s mother back behind bars: Having been freed several months ago, the woman who was convicted of murdering her daughter, Neesa Gopaul in 2010 was back behind bars last Thursday night following a miscalculation of her sentence by the prison authorities. After reports had circulated on Wednesday that Bebi Sharima-Gopaul had been released from jail, questions were asked of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) about how she could have been freed since she had been sentenced to 25 years in 2015 with the stipulation that she serve 15 years before being eligible for parole. While it had promised a statement on Wednesday explaining her release, nothing came from the GPS until yesterday when it made the embarrassing announcement that a mistake had been made. “Today the Guyana Prison Service has issued a directive to recall convicted murderer Bibi Gopaul to prison to complete serving her lawful sentence imposed by the Caribbean Court of Justice”, the GPS said. It said that Sharima-Gopaul, “was recently released from Prison as a result of an incorrect calculation of her prison term”. The GPS noted that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in their judgment had ordered that Sharima-Gopaul was to serve 25 years from the date of the conviction. The sentence in the words of the CCJ is as follows: “In all of the circumstances… a just and proportionate sentence is 30 years imprisonment with no eligibility for parole before the expiration of 15 years. From this sentence, the period of 5 years will be deducted for time spent in custody while on remand, with the practical consequences that from the date of conviction in 2015, Gopaul will spend a maximum of 25 years in prison”. The GPS said: “Unfortunately, and in error, the Prison Officials reckoned the sentence to run from the date Gopaul was first remanded which was the 10th of October 2010, and not the 5th of March 2015 which was the date of conviction and on which sentence was imposed. From the clear language of the order of the CCJ, the sentence should have been reckoned to start to run from the 5th March 2015”. The prison service said that Sharima-Gopaul was arrested by ranks of the Guyana Police Force and was handed over to the prison authority at 5.27 pm yesterday at the New Amsterdam Prison. On August 19 last year, the CCJ freed Jarvis Small of the murder of 16-year-old daughter Neesa Gopaul, while commuting the sentence of her mother to 25 years behind bars. Small was freed owing to the finding by the CCJ that his trial seven years ago for the murder of the former Queen’s College student was plagued by prejudicial evidence. It, however, affirmed the conviction of his former lover and co-defendant Sharima-Gopaul but reduced a 45-year sentence, which had been imposed by the Guyana Court of Appeal, from her initial sentence of 106 years, following her trial.
Miner, 16, stabbed to death at Issano Landing: The Police say they are investigating the murder of Raymond Cozier, a 16-year-old miner of Isseneru Village, Middle Mazaruni River. The incident occurred at around 1.30 am on Monday at a bar located at Issano Landing, Middle Mazaruni River. Investigations revealed that the suspect and the victim were at a bar on Issano Landing consuming alcohol during which the victim was dancing with a female. The suspect expressed an interest to dance with the said female which resulted in an argument between the two, the police said. During the argument, the suspect brandished a knife and dealt the victim one stab to his right upper arm and then fled the scene, the police said. The victim who suffered severe blood loss, was taken to the Issano Health Centre where he succumbed whilst receiving treatment to his injury. Checks are currently being made for the suspect.
Robbery suspect shot dead at Annandale by cops in`confrontation’: Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on November 4th shot and killed a robbery suspect during a “confrontation” in Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The dead man has been identified as 23-year-old, Joseph Fiffee, a resident of Buxton also on the ECD. A GPF report stated that yesterday morning at approximately 8.45, Fiffee was shot dead at Annandale by Anti-Crime Patrol ranks from Regional Police Division #4. At the time of his death, Fiffee, along with another, were suspects in seven robberies between October 21 and November 3, from Annandale to Non Pareil, ECD. It was alleged that in the course of the robberies, Fiffee had allegedly wounded most of his victims, one of whom is presently in hospital. An anonymous tip hinted at the whereabouts of Fiffee yesterday and the force acting on the information went to the location and observed him riding a bicycle in Cross Street, Annandale, with a cutlass wedged between the bars of the cycle. Upon seeing the police patrol van, the police said that Fiffee rode faster in an effort to elude the lawmen while they remained in hot pursuit. The report stated that suddenly, during the chase, the pursuing ranks heard several shots being fired and subsequently returned fire after taking cover. Fiffee, by this time, had dropped his bicycle and jumped a fence into a yard, where he collapsed. He was picked up, and upon examination what appeared to be a bullet wound was seen in the region of his lower back. The suspect was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died shortly after at 9.44 am while undergoing medical treatment. According to the police, two .25 spent shells, along with a .25 pistol (without serial number) and a magazine containing three rounds, were found in a drain next to the fence where Fiffe had jumped. In CCTV footage of the incident, Fiffe could be seen jumping over a fence while being chased by a patrol van. Several shots were also heard but with no clear indication as to who fired the shots. Fiffee, however, could be heard crying out in pain while a rank shouted at him several times to “Don’t (expletive) move.”
Accountability
Exporters say opportunities being lost as GMC badly run: Local exporters are calling for a dialogue with President Irfaan Ali about the operations at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) which they say is being run like a ‘doll house’ resulting in some 37 staff members resigning over a two-year period. According to some exporters, the General Manager (GM) of the Guyana Marketing Corporation, Teshawna Lall, does not fully understand the role of the GMC, while senior officials within the agriculture sector have commented that the GMC is in the “worst possible state” since the entity’s existence. However, when contacted, Lall insisted that they have been working to create linkages monthly and informed that the staff loss has been to the oil and gas sector. She also strongly denied allegations of a double payment of $10 million being made to an individual and that drivers are not receiving meal allowances. While the GMC is tasked with promoting the cultivation and export of Guyana’s non-traditional agricultural crops to regional and extra-regional markets, exporters are claiming that the GM’s tardiness in providing required data is resulting in markets being lost. One person who asked to remain anonymous told Stabroek News that a market for a specific item had opened up earlier this year and he reached out immediately to the GMC, however, he is yet to receive a response. “There were other events whereby I reached out to her to facilitate trades and assist in coordinating with farmers and nothing. No help from her end, she’s unreachable.” When contacted, two other exporters supported this claim pointing out that they would have to go through other government persons to get in contact with the GM. When told of the complaints, Lall denied that this was so, while stressing that they have been working around the clock to create linkages for persons who are reaching out to them. She pointed out that there are several other avenues persons can utilise to contact the GMC. “If someone doesn’t get through, they would call, they would email, do everything possible.” According to one exporter, “The GMC is a hub for farmers. They would recommend what can go where, the knowledge, the scientific names, the local names, acreage availability, farmers to be contracted, things to come from GMC,” however, he lamented that none of this valuable information is being appropriately utilised. “She’s a political appointee and has no knowledge in the field. None of the staff at GMC you talk to has anything good to say and Lall knows nothing about what she’s doing.”
Accident
Mon Repos teen dies in lorry crash: A teenager died on Sunday after the truck in which he was a passenger hit a utility pole and toppled on Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, in the vicinity of Guyana Livestock Development Authority. Dead is 19-year-old Glenroy James of Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. Police said the fatal incident, which occurred around 13:45 hrs yesterday, involved motor lorry GAD 6445, owned and driven by Mahendra Surujpersaud, a 20-year-old resident of Agriculture Road. There were two occupants in the lorry at the time – James and 32-year-old Anand Motielall, both of Agriculture Road. Enquiries disclosed that the lorry was proceeding south along Agriculture Road when, the driver alleged, its right front wheel hit a 25-foot pole that was across the western side of the road. The vehicle toppled several times and then collided with a utility pole on the western parapet. The driver and occupants were thrown out of the lorry. James, who was unconscious, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by the police, while public-spirited citizens conveyed Surujpersaud and Motielall. James was pronounced dead on arrival, but Surujpersaud and Motielall were treated for bruises about their bodies and later discharged. James’ body is at Memorial Gardens Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.