Teachers’ strike
Court orders mediation between GTU, Ministry: In a major development in the teachers’ strike which has dragged on for 18 school days, Justice Sandil Kissoon last week ordered that mediation begin today with two senior counsel and both the GTU and the government will attend though the latter last night said that judicial intervention was unnecessary given established industrial relations practices. Justice Kissoon urged both the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) to put their “best foot forward” in the process. In his order yesterday afternoon Justice Kissoon appointed Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo and Senior Counsel Robin Stoby to be mediators for today’s process which is to be held in the courtroom. According to Justice Kissoon, the court is hopeful that following the mediation, issues can be addressed which may result in teachers returning to their classrooms with the resumption of teaching as early as next Monday. “We look forward to positive results (today)”, the judge said. The mediation order followed a deadlock on the streets with teachers from all across the country refusing to back down and the government showing no interest in talks which the GTU had sought. Despite the strike having gone on for weeks, the Ministry of Labour and the Chief Labour Officer showed no interest in enabling conciliation which perhaps provided impetus for the court’s decision. Attorney General, Anil Nandlall SC on behalf of the Ministry of Education yesterday attempted in court to request that both parties meet without mediators, explaining that the duo’s monthly meeting for a multi-year agreement, was to have been held on February 21st. Stating that the government “obviously” would like a return to normalcy, Nandlall said, “I am asking for an opportunity for the Union and the Ministry to be allowed to resume that engagement on their own accord.” Nandlall also asked that the two meet “without mediators”, however, Justice Kissoon quickly rejected this, stressing that the mediators will be present. Counsel for the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Attorney at Law, Darren Wade, said, “We would love to have the mediation as suggested by the court.”
Norton restates support for teachers: Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton last Tuesday restated the APNU+AFC’s backing for striking teachers in their quest for higher pay and he lashed out at the government for being “uncaring” in the backdrop of this year’s trillion-dollar budget. In a Facebook address, he expressed deep concern for the welfare of teachers and children. “The government may be thinking that they don’t want to show weakness and must hold out against all comers but let me be clear – this is not a time for one-upmanship… Our teachers are suffering, our children are suffering, the vendors who work around the schools are suffering, the transportation workers who transport our students and teachers are suffering, every parent who has a child is suffering, all our people are suffering because this government considers itself above the people and refuses to understand that they are there to serve rather than to dictate and we condemn this intransigence by the government in the harshest terms possible”, he said. Norton laced into Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. “Unlike Jagdeo when he was in opposition, we consider this issue too important to be dragged into a partisan political squabble, and instead choose to allow the teachers to have their say in the hope that good sense would have prevailed and that the government would at least have engaged with the GTU in an effort to bring this matter to some level of resolution.” He added: “It is a matter of public record that during our tenure in government, when faced with a similar situation, the APNU+AFC government acceded to the demands of the teachers. This was not weakness or merely a political maneuver, but a recognition of the invaluable contribution of our educators to the development of our society. We understood then, as we do now, that investing in education is investing in our nation’s present and future.” The Opposition Leader urged the nation to come together for change. “The teachers and all public servants deserve better, our children deserve better, and our nation deserves better. Together, let us work towards a brighter future, where the promise of Guyana is fulfilled for all its citizens. It is now patently obvious that if we want to see change, we have to come together and change this government. Together we stand, divided we fall”, he said.
Climate change
Guyana issued with world’s first carbon credits for use by airlines: Guyana has earned the distinction of being issued the world’s first Carbon Credits that will be eligible for use by airlines in their pursuit of the reduction of global emissions. This announcement was made last week in an Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) Guyana release which also informed that ART issued 7.14 million 2021 vintage carbon credits to Guyana yesterday as the Government of Guyana simultaneously announced the world’s first Paris Agreement corresponding adjustment, which was authorized and reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The release explained that this process fulfills requirements to label the credits as the world’s first that are eligible for use by airlines toward their targets in the 2024-2026 phase of the Inter-national Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) global emission reduction programme, CORSIA [Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation]. TREES (The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard) issued by ART, are for actions taken to successfully reduce emissions from forest loss and degradation and maintain one of the world’s most intact tropical forests through a process known as jurisdictional REDD+. The Government of Guyana has subsequently authorized the credits to be used for a range of compliance and voluntary purposes per Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Further, as a result of the authorization and reporting to the UNFCCC, Guyana’s TREES credits are eligible for use by airlines to meet their compliance requirements in the first phase of CORSIA, which began on January 1, 2024. There are currently 126 countries voluntarily participating in CORSIA’s first phase, covering roughly 80 per cent of annual emissions from the aviation sector. As such, all participating airline operators with annual emissions over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions, must monitor and report their emissions, and then purchase carbon credits to offset any remaining emissions that exceed a percentage of their 2019 baseline emissions. Guyana’s ICAO-eligible credits therefore mark a “significant” milestone, given the projections that airline operators could need access to 100-200 million credits for CORSIA’s first phase from 2024 to 2026, coupled with the fact that ART is one of only two crediting programmes to date (the other being ACR) that has received ICAO approval to supply credits for compliance in the first phase. Guyana’s authorisation for the use of the credits, pursuant to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and its reporting of a corresponding adjustment to the UNFCCC are reflected in the credits being labelled as “CORSIA Eligible” on ART’s public registry.
Caricom
Funds to be sought for infrastructure to link Guyana, Brazil -communique: Guyana and Brazil have agreed to collaborate in a number of areas and key among them is sourcing funds for infrastructural projects that will link the two countries, Georgetown and Brasilia last week announced. “For Guyana and Brazil, there is an opportunity that is now, an opportunity that can highly integrate our economies and create enormous opportunities for the people of our two countries. We discussed not only the connectivity of infrastructure through roads, ports, air transport, but we discussed the connectivity of our people, the role of the private sector, the involvement of the private sector, and how we can get our private sectors, more integrated to look at the opportunities that exist in both Guyana and Brazil and look at ways in which we can bring them together, in making use of those opportunities,” President Irfaan Ali stated during a joint press conference held by the two leaders yesterday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal. “In this regard, we have committed to putting together a government and private sector grouping that would go to Brazil in the second quarter of this year to showcase and to interact with the Brazilian government and private sector, on ways in which we can collaborate to maximize the benefits that are available in Guyana and Brazil,” he added. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that these measures pick up from plans set in motion when he was in power in 2010 and had continued under his party – Partido dos Trabalhadores – until 2016 when his successor, President Dilma Rousseff was impeached. “My visit here is to reclaim a policy that we will move forward advancing in 2010 but was paralyzed after that,” he said. Lula who was the Chief Guest at the Forty-Sixth Regular Meet-ing of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), arrived here on Wednesday and departed yesterday for St Vincent and the Grenadines where the Commu-nity of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) states summit will be held.
Benin pledges 2,000 troops for Haiti stability mission: The West African state of Benin has pledged 2,000 troops to the planned multinational force to bring stability to Haiti and the United States will provide US$200m among other support but says its soldiers are not needed as Port au Prince requires peace, democracy and stability and not the spectre of an occupying power. “The US is committed to supporting the multinational force. We are committed to providing the Multi-national Force with what it needs to deploy on the ground, and we are committed to providing a lot of the logistical support that is required,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a press conference yesterday in Georgetown in response to a question from Stabroek News on if US troops would form part of the multinational force. “What we have heard, and I think what you have heard as well, is that Haiti does not need what appears to be an occupying power in Haiti. I think this is why this is so important that the region has to engage and that African countries have to engage. We have committed US$200m to supporting that process, we have committed to provide logistics. We have committed to providing equipment and support to the multinational force,” she added. Thomas-Greenfield headed the US delegation to the ongoing CARICOM Heads of Government summit here. In his address at the opening of the summit on Sunday evening, President Irfaan Ali underscored this country’s and the region’s commitment. “Our region has one interests when it comes to Haiti; that is the people of Haiti, and we will not deviate from that interest – the people of Haiti. Anything that impedes the interests of the people of Haiti is of immense concern for the leadership of this region,” Ali stressed. “Already today [Sun-day], we spent most of this morning on the very issue of Haiti. We are committed as a region in ensuring that the people of Haiti can also realize their full potential in peace, security, and with good governance. We owe it to this, the people of Haiti. Sometimes, as a region, we are in tough positions and we have to take tough measures, but always, the region’s toughness is always in the interests of the region’s people, that is fundamental for the region,” he added. This newspaper understands that Guyana has pledged monetary support for Haiti but it is not clear how much.
Ali floats hunger, malnutrition elimination plan as 46th Caricom conference opens: With data showing that some 57% percent of the region is affected by hunger or malnutrition, incoming Caricom Chairman President Irfaan Ali said that the regional bloc will add to its current goal of 25% reduction on food importation by 2025 to also focus on eliminating the scourges of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. “The 25 by 2025 remains a top priority. However, we are of the view that we must now focus on ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. We are proposing to bring together the human assets that this region nurtured into international fame to bring their goodwill…, as ambassadors, to mobilise international financing and support, so that we can end hunger and malnutrition in this region by 2030. We have the capability,” Ali said. It will be a year of much work focused heavily on food sustainability, according to Ali. He listed strategic development and implementation plans which have been crafted, stressing that they need the collective commitment of all of the countries’ leaders for them to be achieved. Among the plans are tapping into the resources of international partners such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, among others, to get especially women and youth more involved in agriculture in the region. Pointing to well-known sports personalities such as sprint world record holder Usain Bolt, Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle and Guyanese Clive Lloyd, he expressed, “we have to use these assets and mobilise and create ambassadorial missions.” With Saudi Arabian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir in attendance and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva due to arrive tomorrow and also meet with Caricom, Ali informed that part of the agriculture initiative includes both countries. He said that the region has also submitted a sustainable agriculture project to Saudi Arabia at the cost of US$25 million and that it is in the advanced stages of discussions for possible disbursement. This project will target women and youth. “We are hoping that in the coming weeks that we will finalise arrangements to have this US$25 million disbursed in the region to support our food production system,” the Caricom Chairman said.
Accountability
Norton writes Auditor General for probe of spending on public sector projects: Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton has written to Auditor General, Deodat Sharma calling for an investigation into spending on a series of public sector projects. In a letter dated February 22nd, Norton said: “We have received numerous complaints from Guyanese citizens regarding the distribution of cash grants, as well as the utilization of funds allocated to various capital expenditure projects. In light of these concerns, we respectfully request that the Office of the Auditor General conduct audits to ensure transparency, accountability and adherence to financial laws”. He said that many persons have expressed concern about the arbitrary manner of the distribution of cash grants and the absence of a paper trail. “In the circumstance, it is imperative that the criteria used for the distribution of these grants be ascertained, and that the list of recipients be verified to confirm that they indeed met the established criteria”, Norton wrote. The Opposition Leader also made a request for audits of specific capital expenditure projects for the year 2023. In this regard he said a request is being made for the audit of project code 1702300 – Men on Mission Programme under the Office of the President. The request is being made to ensure that the allocated funds were spent in accordance with the existing financial regulations, he said. In addition, a request has also been made for the audit of project codes 1302200 – Community Infrastructure Improvement Project and 1904300 – Regional Economic Transformation which is executed under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Norton added that concerns have also been raised regarding the selection process of National Pathway Workers and the incomplete status of various markets funded under these projects. In the circumstances, an audit is also being sought in relation to this Programme. An audit is also being requested of the criteria for awarding grants under the Sustainable Livelihood Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme which is part of the Regional Economic Transformation project. The objective is to determine whether selections were done based on a fair, transparent and accountable process.
Mentore says legal action likely over Qatar project: Litigation will likely be the recourse of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) if President Irfaan Ali does not meet with Chief Citizen Alfred Mentore regarding the construction of the Qatari Hotel on disputed lands along Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown. Mentore told Stabroek News last week that a letter will be issued with a stipulated timeframe for President Ali to heed the request of the council as it relates to the construction of the hotel on lands that the mayor said were bequeathed to the council more than 130 years ago. The lands were assigned by the estate of Quintin Hogg in 1887 to the city of Georgetown with the covenant that they be used for recreational purposes. This was later amended to allow educational institutions. The Guyana Office for Investment (G-Invest) on Thursday disclosed that the Qatari company (Assets Group Inc.) planning the luxury development on Carifesta Avenue will purchase the land for $2b. Mentore yesterday declared that the company can’t purchase land that doesn’t belong to them unless they consult with the council. He warned that if the company or the government fails to consult with him on the matter the council will issue a cease order against the work that is getting underway on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Guyana National Service (GNS) grounds for the US$300m resort. With that being said the Chief Citizen said that the council’s attorney will be consulted as it relates to the intended purchase of the land. According to the Chief Citizen, the government cannot decide that a facility of such magnitude will be built on lands belonging to the city without consulting the council. He noted that if the state was interested in building the facility on these lands, procedurally applications must be submitted to institutions such as the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission and the Guyana Land Registry, etcetera. Additionally, the State must detail the intended purposes of the said hotel, seafront resort and convention centre.
Aid
UK pumps up credit agency lending purse to £2.1b:Even as businesses here lament poor access to funding from local commercial banks, the United Kingdom last week announced that it has increased its credit agency lending purse from £750m to £2.1 billion through the UK Export Finance (UKEF), and these sums could be tapped by both government and the private sector. However, the caveat is that it cannot be used for investments in the oil sector. “This access to funds that they have here now will assist these companies now to go to them. The good news with this fund is that you can borrow up to a minimum of £1 million,” UK’s Minister for the Americas, David Rutley, yesterday said during the announcement, following meetings with government and the private sector. He expressed the hope that with the increased risk appetite, it would provide an opportunity to identify and finance future projects vital to Guyana’s development. Rutley explained that borrowers would also have to satisfy 20% UK local content. “It allows you the flexibility to develop even the resources that aren’t available in the UK. So you can now go outside of the UK and benefit from that fund.” The UK Minister said that the nearly three-fold increase in funds was demonstrative of the confidence that his country had in government’s management of Guyana’s economy. “It’s also reflective of the confidence that the UK has in the stewardship of the economy of Guyana by the government.” UKEF’s Regional Head, Camilo Neira, explained that interest rates were not across the board and it would depend on the transaction, sector, borrowing company and the lender bank that would be provided with a UK Treasury Guarantee. “At the end of the day, what we do is that the banks are more able to lower their interest rates and extend the terms of the loan just based on the fact that there is collateral in place; it’s a UK Treasury Guarantee.” Speaking on behalf of government, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, stated that this country was grateful for the increase and that “we certainly intend, at the sovereign level, to explore and pursue every available opportunity to make use of this facility.”
Guyana signs pact with Canada for Cdn$120M sovereign loan to impact social services: A Cdn$120 million sovereign loan agreement was signed last Sunday between the governments of Guyana and Canada to aid with the development and protection of vulnerable groups here. The agreement was inked by Guyana’s Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, at the Residence of the Canadian High Commissioner in Bel Air, Georgetown. Speaking at the signing, Hussen detailed that the sovereign loan programme would be utilised to improve social protection under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in areas such as digital transformation, old age pensions, gender-based violence, persons living with disabilities and human trafficking. The minister remarked,“It is about protecting the most vulnerable populations. It’s about making sure that as we grow our economies, we promote gender empowerment, and we fight gender-based violence. It’s about empowering people with disabilities and enabling them to participate fully in the economy and the society of Guyana. “Our retirees deserve a life of dignity, of respect, after working so hard.” The politician is visiting Guyana for the first time and will be participating in the 46th Regional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Hussen said that Guyana is the first country in the western hemisphere to benefit from the sovereign loan programme which provides loans on concessional terms to eligible countries, tailored to their needs and priorities. The Canadian government functionary said that the loan agreement also signals the “next level of collaboration” between Ottawa and Georgetown. Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman also called the loan agreement monumental. “Today’s ceremony is symbolic of the partnership between Canada and Guyana and it highlights the loan agreement that supports Guyana’s efforts towards strengthening social services for its citizens, in particular the most vulnerable,” Berman stated. “It involves a significant amount of hard work, long hours, significant collaboration and compromise by all teams from the Government of Canada, the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Gov’t signs US$90m education loan pact with IDB: The Guyana Government and the IDB recently clinched a US$90m loan deal which will see the upgrading of at least 19 primary schools and the building of six new ones. On the margins of the Inter-American Develop-ment Bank’s (IDB’s ) Twelfth Annual Consulta-tions with Caribbean Governors which opened yesterday at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh and visiting IDB President Ilan Goldfajn signed the deal. A release from the Ministry of Finance said that the US$90m is the first approved tranche of a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) up to the amount of US$150m under which individual loan operations will be processed. The Project’s general objectives are to contribute to the development of the human capital needed to manage and drive economic growth and diversification, expand and improve access to safe and improv-ed learning environments in selected schools as well as broaden and improve educational services for vulnerable students. This investment will support the upgrading of at least nineteen existing primary schools and the construction of six new ones. It also allows for improvement in the learning environment by integrating digital technologies at these schools, benefiting over 8,000 primary education students and their communities. The newly constructed schools will provide an additional 2,610 new primary education spaces, while at least 7,341 students and 352 teachers from Grades 2 – 6 will receive digital devices, the release said. Also signed yesterday was a grant agreement for US$5 million from the IDB to aid in the transformation of the education sector through the Strengthening of Instructional Leadership at District and School Levels. The general objective of the programme is to contribute to improved quality, equitable participation, and achievement in basic education for the sustainable development of Guyana. Specific objectives are to improve: (i) strengthen school and district leadership; and (ii) improve sector management. Through this initiative, a Leadership Academy will be established, supporting continuous training and professional development of educators.
Crime
Charred remains of Bagotville teen found on farm: The charred remains of a 22-year-old man of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, were discovered last Sunday, months after he was electrocuted in his attempt to jump a fence with friends during their plan steal fruits on a farm. The farmer has been held for questioning. Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, confirmed that an investigation has been launched and the matter is being treated as man-slaughter. At about 13:30 hours on Sunday, the remains suspected to be those of 22-year-old Shaquille Jones known as “Botha” of Lot 44 Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, were discovered at Cone Shop Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara, in a fire heap with burnt tires and what appeared to be a piece of burnt denim jeans and a piece of male underwear. Police say that Jones’ 16-year-old friend who accompanied him to the farm went to the La Grange police station and related that in the month of November, 2023, (date unknown), he along with another friend, Timothy and Jones, conspired to go steal citrus fruits from a farm in Cone Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara. The 16-year-old explained to police that as they approached the first farm, they were confronted by the owner who chased them with a cutlass, causing them to run further down the dam to another farm. He related that as they approached the other farm, they jumped over a mesh fence and heard Jones scream out. They then realized that Jones had been shocked by electricity on the fence. In an attempt to rescue Jones, Timothy and the 16-year-old, took a piece of wood and tried to remove him from the fence and in the process, the 16-year-old suffered a shock to his foot. Efforts to remove him were unsuccessful and as a result they hid behind a Mango tree and waited there until the next morning. At sunrise, the 16-year-old continued, Godfrey Carrington, a 59-year-old farmer of Lot 71 Unity Street, La Grange, went to his farm and was picking fruits when he saw Jones laying on the ground. According to the 16-year-old, they waited a while but whilst leaving Timothy threatened to kill him if he disclosed to anyone what transpired.
Guyana literature prize
Michael Jordan, Estherine Adams, Sameer Mohamed win at Guyana Prize for Literature 2023: The 2023 Guyana Prize for Literature awardees were last Friday night at the 2024 festival, honouring outstanding works in fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, and youth categories. In the fiction category, the top three winners were Kennard Ramphal for “Slippery Ochro” in 3rd place, Somnauth Narine for “Rage from the Backwaters” in 2nd place, and Michael Jordan for “Girl in the Pink Pleated Skirt” in 1st place. In the Poetry category, Ruth Osman takes home the Best First Book of Poetry award for “All Made of Longing” while Ian McDonald won Best Overall Book of Poetry for “Not Quite Without a Moon.” Sasenarine Persaud secured 3rd place with “Mattress Makers.” For Drama, Harold Bascom’s “Unfounded” clinched 1st place, with Shaphan Hestick’s “With a Kiss” in 2nd place and Jamal La Rose’s “Requiem for the Living” in 3rd place. In the Non-Fiction category, Estherine Adams wins 1st place for “The Few Among the Many: Women’s Labour in British Guiana’s Jails.” Baytoram Ramharack secured 2nd place with “A Powerful Indian Voice: Alice Bhagwandai Singh” and Nesha Haniff and Joanne Collins Gonsalves tied for 3rd place with “The Pedagogy of Action: Small Axe Fall Big Tree” and “Iris De Freitas Brazao: Legal Luminary and Trailblazer” respectively. Youth Awards were also presented, with Renika Anand winning 1st place in the Girls Poetry category for “Lotus Flower Story: The Woman” and Samir Mohamed earning 1st place in the Boys Short Story category for “The Lighthouse at the Bottom of the Sea.” The event was marked by encouraging words from head Juror, Professor Evelyn O’Callaghan, who emphasized the importance of reading poetry and continuously improving writing techniques.
In the courts
Life sentences for two men who killed agriculturalist: Donnel Trapp and Paul Goriah have both been handed life sentences for the 2016 killing of Soesdyke-Hill Foot farmer/agriculturalist, Anthony Breedy. The sentences were imposed yesterday by trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall, who ordered that Goriah serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole; while his accomplice Trapp is to serve no less than 21 years before being considered for parole. The Judge further ordered that Goriah be enlisted in anger management sessions during his incarceration. Trapp on the other hand, has been ordered to enlist in skills training and to be exposed to counselling on a quarterly basis, given his lawyer’s concern for his client’s mental health which the court heard was the result of the incident and the impact it has had on him. The Judge has ordered that these sessions commence in April and continue during his incarceration, unless determined by a probation officer that they are no longer needed. The duo had been indicted for murder, but a jury last month returned unanimous verdicts, convicting both men for the lesser offence of manslaughter. Back in June of 2022, Keimo Corbin, the third accomplice in Breedy’s killing, was handed a life sentence after pleading guilty to murder. He admitted murdering Breedy in the company of others, between March 12th and 14th, 2016 during a robbery at the man’s home. The trial which ended last month was Trapp’s second as a jury back in May of 2022 was unable to arrive at a verdict. It was, however, the first time that Goriah had been facing trial.
