Accountability
Mocha/Arcadia residents allege injustices by gov’t in meeting with US congressman: Emotions ran high last week as residents of Mocha/Arcadia expressed their concerns to visiting US Congressman Jonathan Jackson over injustices they said they have been facing at the hands of the government. The Congressman, who is the son of Civil Rights Activist, Reverend Jesse Jackson, was accompanied by Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy as he visited with the East Bank Demerara villagers to hear their concerns. The meeting, which was held at the Mocha Community Centre, commenced peaceably despite the half hour late start. However, tensions slowly rose to a boiling point after opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Nima Flue-Bess raised her concerns to the Congressman. Flue-Bess, who is also a Mocha resident, noted the community’s struggles to protect their ancestral lands and the devastating impact of flooding on their farms. On the latter note, she drew the attention of everyone present to some Caneview residents whom she said were displaced from their homes, by the government, for the purpose of developing the new four-lane highway. These residents, the APNU+AFC MP pointed out, were not in the way of the road’s construction when their homes were raided. The MP then turned her attention to the issue of flooding that has been plaguing the community. “The vegetables are currently under threat from flooding… From the time we have this government in 2020, they said they were building a bridge and they blocked the drainage canal; all the families lost. 2022, deliberate flooding was done to this community from water being drained from other communities into the canal; there’s no pump there. So, all the water is being flooded on our farmlands. And thirdly, 2024 now in this rainy season, I’m witnessing again, the loss of many crops as a result of work that is not done during the dry season,” she explained. As she expressed her concerns to the Congressman, Flue-Bess presented him with a flash drive which she said contained video evidence of the damage caused by flooding. She also expressed concerns about the leases of residents’ lands not being renewed since the present administration took power and the impact it is having on farmers who have been farming for years.
NIS
Time for gov’t to increase NIS minimum payouts – Winston Jordan: The plight of NIS pensioners specifically in relation to the failure of government to increase minimum payouts was addressed by former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan in a letter to Stabroek News dated May 23. In his missive, the former minister related being approached by an NIS pensioner for an explanation as to why pensions have not seen an increase above the minimum since 2020. He confessed to not being able to give a satisfactory answer but proceeded to explain the situation concerning NIS minimum payments. He indicated the yearly increases in NIS Old Age Pensions since 2015 with the Coalition Government increasing the minimum pension (equivalent to 50% of the minimum wage) every year between 2015 and 2020, with the minimum pension increasing from $21,352 in 2015 to $35,000 in 2020. However, he noted that following their installation in office, the PPP/C Government, while increasing salaries in 2021, 2022 and 2023, failed to similarly raise the NIS minimum pension for those years, only doing so in 2024, when the minimum pension was increased by 23.1% to $43,075. This failure of government to compensate NIS old age minimum pensioners for the 3 years, Jordan posited, has resulted in an accumulated loss in unadjusted income of $92,496 for each pensioner. He also pointed out that the figures reveal that the last increase in NIS old age pensions above the minimum, was in 2019 when a 4% increase was granted by the Coalition Government, which was implemented from January 2020. However, since then, no further increase was given, hence the query by the pensioner. This, Jordan explained, has had several “deleterious” consequences, since importantly, money has a time value, that is, the value of today’s dollar is not the same as that of four years ago. Further, he noted that the basket of goods bought with $52,000 dollars in 2020 will cost substantially more in 2024, which, in the absence of savings or other income to supplement his pension, a pensioner would have experienced a reduced standard of living through no fault of his own.
Industrial
GTU, ministry still in stalemate over terms of resumption: The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) remain at odds over the resumption of teachers’ duties and salary negotiations. The industrial action, which has been ongoing since March, shows no sign of ending soon. In a telephone interview with Stabroek News (SN), GTU President Mark Lyte reiterated the union’s stance that the government must agree to an interim payment across the board before negotiations can begin. “[The] 20% interim payout is on the table. It’s left for the ministry or the government to say, ‘look we can’t give you 20%, but we can give you so much interim. And that’s what negotiations are meant to do; to have talks, you know… but we’re not getting that from the side of the ministry,” Lyte asserted. The union has also proposed a compromise in which it is willing to work with the government on a two-year timeline, but only if the government agrees to meet them halfway. On Thursday, Lyte told members of the media that the GTU is willing compromise and have negotiations for the years 2022-2025. This is a step down from their initial proposal which is demanding negotiations from 2019-2024. “The union is willing to flex even if it means that… they take two years, we take two years, the union is willing to work with that”, he said. However, the MoE is sticking to its guns, insisting that teachers must return to work before negotiations can take place. Minister of Education Priya Manickchand yesterday reiterated to SN that the 1990 Memorandum of Agreement requires teachers to resume duties before conciliation talks can occur. The union is adamant that this is not a viable option, and Lyte has stated that the union will not return to work without a satisfactory agreement on the terms of resumption. “[The] Ministry of Education is asking us to re-enter the classroom and then they will talk, we are not prepared to go with that. Once the terms of resumption are satisfactory, we will return to the classroom, but we will not return just like that,” Lyte emphasized.
Industrial accident
Worker was seriously injured in toppling of shore base crane – ministry: The Ministry of Labour last Monday said it has so far learnt that a crane on the artificial island shore base which toppled and seriously injured a worker was being tested at the time. In a statement, the ministry named the injured man as Collis Hall. It said that the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department has started an investigation into the accident that occurred at the construction site of the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc (VEHSI), West Coast Demerara, Region Three. The accident occurred on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at approximately 6:57 pm. “The injured employee has been identified as Mr. Collis Hall, an operator employed with Saipem Guyana Inc. who was working at Vreed-en Hoop Shore Base Inc. “According to information received from Manager, Mr. Della Rosa, and Safety & Health Officer, Mr. Alex George, Mr. Hall was using a 400-tonne Manitax Walk Crawler Crane during a test loading exercise, when it suddenly toppled over causing him to be seriously injured”, the statement said. Hall was subsequently transported to the Woodlands Hospital, where he remains a patient. This investigation is being conducted by Assistant Chief Occupational Safety & Health Officer, Maxean Bess. “There was an incident last evening and an investigation is ongoing,” was all that VEHSI’s Public Relations person Ajay Baksh would say about the incident, when contacted on Sunday by the Stabroek News. This is the second time this year that there has been an on-the-job incident at the facility. In February, an employee, Rusbel Azocar, drowned after falling through a hole and into the Demerara River. The Ministry of Labour’s investigation into that fatality was completed and a number of recommendations were given to the company. Among the findings were that there was improper lighting at the facility and that Azocar was not in proper safety attire.
Police
Murder suspect found hanging in Whim police lockups: The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the suspected hanging last Saturday of a 53-year-old prisoner, Suyjit Ramotar, also known as ‘Mono’, of Lot 72 Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, Berbice, whilst in custody at the Whim Police Station. Ramotar, a rice farmer, was arrested and taken into police custody at the Whim Police Station on May 22, pending an investigation into the alleged murder of Joshua Hardatt, also known as ‘Money’, a welder of Lot 371 Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Berbice, which occurred sometime between 18.00 hours on Tuesday, May 21, and 08.00 hours on Wednesday, May 22, at Auchlyne cultivating dam. Reports are that Ramotar was informed by the police while in custody yesterday at approximately 09.45 hours that he had been charged with the offence of murder committed on Hardatt and that he was required to appear at the Whim Magistrate Court on Tuesday, May 28. The charge was also read to him. However, at approximately 4.55 yesterday afternoon, ranks on duty went to the lockups to check on the prisoners and discovered Ramotar hanging by his neck with a piece of his tee-shirt that he ripped and tied, on the grill of the lockups. When investigators examined the body, they discovered compression marks from the jersey around the neck. He was taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His body is currently at the hospital morgue awaiting a post mortem examination, while the OPR investigation continues. Stabroek News had earlier reported that Ramotar had confessed to murdering the man. Hardatt was found lying motionless face-down in a crouching position in the back seat of his car along the Auchlyne cultivating dam. He bore marks of violence to the face, forehead, and the back of the head.
Natural disaster
Part of Kurupukari–Lethem Corridor washed away: A section of the Kurupukari to Lethem Corridor collapsed last week under continuous pressure from a storm surge and traffic between Georgetown and Lethem will be affected, the Ministry of Public Works said last night. In addition, the approach to the Pirara Bridge has been submerged after heavy rain lashed the area and light traffic is being recommended. In a statement, the ministry said that it has activated emergency teams for the restoration of the Linden-Lethem Corridor. Contractors and materials are en route to the affected area. “There was significant disruption along the Kurupukari–Lethem Corridor at approximately 3:40 PM (yesterday), when a truck traversing the Kurupukari–Lethem Corridor attempted to cross an eroded section of the roadway within the Iwokrama Concession. This section of the road subsequently collapsed due to sustained pressure from a storm surge caused by heavy rains. It should be noted that the contractor responsible for the maintenance of the area, KP Thomas, was not on site. In the last 48 hours, Ministry of Public Works engineers have alerted all contractors to monitor areas where they have active worksites”, the ministry statement said. “Presently, this section has completely washed away, rendering it impassable. This will affect all traffic traversing between Georgetown and Annai/Lethem. The Ministry wishes to reiterate that the affected area is currently inaccessible to all traffic, and all drivers and passengers traveling along this corridor should expect delays”, the statement added. Additionally, there is a warning advisory in effect for traffic crossing the Pirara Bridge via the Timber Bypass. The water level has risen significantly within the last 24 hours, covering the approach road and bridge. Light traffic is recommended and requested to exercise extreme caution if attempting to cross the bypass. The ministry said it does not recommend the crossing of any heavy equipment over the bypass at this time. Emergency teams have been mobilized, and efforts are underway to assess and repair the damage.
Heavy rain floods Linden: Heavy rain over the last two days has swamped large parts of Region 10 and sections of Region Nine and Five and the Ministry of Public Works mobilized resources to ease flooding. A Ministry of Public Works release yesterday said that the severe flooding in Linden is the result of an excessive amount of rainfall coupled with poorly maintained municipal drainage systems as well as obstructed drains. The ministry said that a multi-prong response had been launched. The Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Agriculture and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in collaboration with the Linden Town Council and the Region Ten council have been working to bring relief to citizens in the flooded area in Linden. Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Patrice Wishart told Stabroek News yesterday that areas in Linden had been highly impacted by the flooding. These include Mackenzie, Wismar and Christianburg. A team is in the area assisting residents. In some areas in Region Nine like Lethem, the water has receded while some areas like Aishalton, South Rupununi are still flooded. An assessment team is in the area assisting residents. The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) said that relief work started since dawn yesterday. A technical team from the bauxite company, BOSAI had also commenced a rapid assessment exercise across all affected areas in Linden, while teams have been dispatched to the Rupununi and other affected hinterland communities. The MPW said that the central authorities have since engaged two contractors to clear blocked drains and take other actions to allow for a quick run-off of floodwaters in areas in Wismar and Mackenzie. Additionally, the Civil Defence Commission has begun preparations for establishing two shelters within the township of Linden before nightfall today to help people whose homes have been flooded. One will be located at the Egbert Benjamin Hall, Linden and the other location is yet to be determined.
Independence speech
Region Ten positioned as centrepiece for development, President says: In what could be seen as a signal of the government’s concern over the burgeoning road carnage, President Irfaan Ali on Saturday (May 25th) night highlighted the deaths of two Region Ten teachers in a recent crash on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway in his address at Guyana’s 58th independence flag-raising ceremony at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. Commiserating with Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) over the loss, President Ali included the late teachers among the country’s heroes who had fallen since the last independence celebration. He led the gathering in a moment’s silence. Spotlighting Region Ten as an imminent major investment centre and “centrepiece for development”, the President said that it was being positioned to become a link with the interior and northern Brazil. Infrastructural development currently underway, he said, would result in the region emerging as “an integral part in the transport, logistics, shipping hub, that container transhipment point in this whole ecosystem that we are building where the food capital, the regional food hub will be located…” He added, “Your region will be the region that will be producing all the corn and soya for us nationally and to satisfy Caricom’s needs. Your region will soon produce the black eye and red beans to satisfy national demand and by the end of next year to satisfy regional demand.” Issuing a call for all Guyanese to work together toward building a better future for themselves and their children, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a nation where every child has the opportunity to pursue their aspirations and realise their dreams. Policies, initiatives, and investments, he said, were being directed towards achieving this goal. The President highlighted the progress made in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and infrastructure. He emphasised that the government is committed to building a strong and sustainable Guyana, where every citizen can live in dignity and prosperity.