Cash grant
Cash grant to be shared in Region Nine today: The Ministry of Finance last week said that the $100,000 cash grant will be distributed today in Region Nine. Meanwhile, registration which began yesterday for pensioners and public servants has gotten off to such a smooth start that the government has now green lit the process for all adults. A Ministry statement said: “With thousands of persons already registering to receive Government’s $100,000 cash grant, the Government has announced further that the actual distribution of the cash grant in the form of a cheque will commence (today) in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo). The distribution process will commence at 10 am at the Tabatinga Sports Complex for residents of Lethem and St. Ignatius and will continue until December 6 for that area. For other villages in the Region, Government has announc-ed as well that these will be listed along with their distribution schedule soonest. Registration for the cash grant … commenced (yesterday) in several Regions. However, Region Nine will be the first Region that will receive the grant as Government plans to complete the process as quickly as possible”. Government’s $100,000 Cash Grant Initiative was announced by President Irfaan Ali in October and every Guyanese citizen 18 years old and over will receive the payout, the statement noted. After weeks of uncertainty regarding where and who can register, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy clarified to the Stabroek News during an interview that all persons over 18 can now register. “We wanted to ensure that pensioners and public servants were prioritized first,” McCoy stated. “However, recognising the smooth flow through which the process is going, we immediately opened the process for everyone to register.” McCoy emphasised that the cash grant programme aims for comprehensive engagement. “The programme is open to all individuals aged 18 and older, regardless of their employment status,” he explained. “We aim to register as many citizens as possible, targeting at least half of the population by the end of the year.”
In the court
CJ deems GRA’s questioning source of funds of remigrant ‘illegal’: A remigrant who was embroiled in a dispute for over a year with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) over his application for a duty-free concession finally got his day in court with the judge ruling in his favour. At the High Court last Tuesday, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George struck down and quashed the requirements imposed by the GRA that a remigrant who had applied for a duty-free concession for his new Toyota Land Cruiser, provide the source of funds for the vehicle’s purchase. This is according to a release issued on behalf of the remigrant.According to facts of the matter, Reaz Manjoor re-migrated to Guyana in August, 2023 after residing for over 10 years in the United States of America. After presenting his case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister, Hugh Todd, awarded him remigrant status on August 23, 2023. Head of the GRA, Godfrey Statia, was notified of this by Todd. Remigrants, after being awarded their remigrant status by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, benefit from preferential tax conditions when they import a vehicle and their other personal effects. A remigrant who imports a vehicle such as the 2023 LC300 Toyota Land Cruiser with an engine size of 3,500cc would only have to pay an excise tax of 30% (approximately $4,300,000). Without the remigrant status, the taxes for the same Land Cruiser would be $43,784,000. Of that amount, $6,627,000 would be customs duties, $29,983,000 excise taxes, and $7,174,000 value-added taxes. The release said that Manjoor provided the GRA with all of the necessary documents – and more, to enable the GRA to grant his tax exemptions. However, instead of granting those exemptions, the Authority, through its officers, embarked on a campaign of seeking financial information from the remigrant. The remigrant cooperated and provided documentation including affidavits, a letter pleading his case, his online bank information showing the debit and credit of his account with the purchase funds, a copy of the cheque used to purchase the vehicle, the receipt from the auto sales company, the Chase Bank wire transfer instructions from his aunt who provided him with the funds, and other pertinent information.
Oil & Gas
Investment Committee member says NRF Board is `rubber stamp’: Opposition representative on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee, Terrence Campbell, last week declared its board to be a rubber stamp and said that his efforts for justification for withdrawals from the Fund have been stymied. Campbell also posited that the lack of transparency in the spending does not satisfy the provisions of the Natural Resource Fund Act and that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo wanted to “cop out” of government providing to the nation a breakdown of how it spends the funds. “The Act calls for the funds to be used in a specific way. The government goes for blanket approval of X billions per year. It then withdraws in parts. The withdrawals do not specify how the funds will be used,” Campbell told Stabroek News yesterday when contacted. “It is a copout for Jagdeo to point to the commingling of funds in the Consolidated Fund. If it wishes to satisfy the provisions of the Act, the government would specify how the funds are to be used and set up some mechanism, perhaps a separate account at Bank of Guyana, to allow the PAOC [Public Account-ability and Oversight Com-mittee], Auditor General, et cetera, to monitor disbursements,” he added. His statements followed a letter to Stabroek News, published in today’s edition where he also said that the matter of the NRF, its procedures for withdrawal and the rate of depletion “demand urgent national attention.” In his letter, he referred to an article in the online version of yesterday’s Kaieteur News titled, ‘Showing how oil money being spent would be difficult’. Campbell, a businessman, noted that the NRF Act was revised by the PPP/C government in December, 2021, and was praised for its transparency. He pointed out that VP Jagdeo has been quoted as saying the revised Act “is the most transparent model that will not only ensure public scrutiny but also parliamentary oversight on the spending of oil revenues” (https://guyanatimesgy.com/proposed-nrf-legislation-most-transparent-model-vp-jagdeo/). “I was quite shocked to read that this same gentleman is now claiming, a mere three years later, that the ‘balkanization of revenues’ in the Consolidated Fund would make it difficult to show how NRF funds were being spent,” he wrote.
Men sentenced to life for 2020 Sophia shooting death: Justice Navindra Singh last week sentenced Sitaffa Joseph and Rickford Marcus to life imprisonment for the October 2020 murder of Seon London. The sentencing came after an emotional hearing in the High Court in Georgetown. Defence attorney Leslie Sobers argued that the pre-sentencing reports were inadequate, noting that his clients had not undergone psychiatric evaluations. Sobers said that Joseph was under the influence of psychotropic substances at the time of the killing, impairing his judgement. He also highlighted that Marcus had completed anger management courses in prison and expressed remorse for his role in the crime. State Prosecutor Madonna Rampersaud presented a victim impact statement from London’s mother, who described the family’s ongoing trauma. She noted that London’s six-year-old daughter continues to ask about her father. London’s mother also alleged that the accused had previously attempted to kill her son before succeeding in October 2020. Rampersaud urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, citing the calculated nature of the crime and the suffering endured by the victim, who died from multiple gunshot wounds. The prosecutor argued that the evidence showed the intent to rob London and emphasized the severity of the offence. Before the men were sentenced they were given the chance to say something to the court and both apologized for the roles they played, with Joseph saying he has served four years imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. Justice Singh sentenced both men to life imprisonment, with parole eligibility set at 43 years. The judge cited the premeditated nature of the act and the defendants’ prior convictions as aggravating factors. He noted the absence of mitigating circumstances and added five years to their sentences as a result.
Diplomatic
Todd meets Suriname Ambassador: In the wake of a protest from Suriname over this country’s New River Triangle, Foreign Minister Hugh Todd met last Monday with Paramaribo’s envoy here Liselle Blankendal. The statement that followed the meeting did not refer to Friday’s summoning of Guyana’s Ambassador in Paramaraibo, Virjanand Depoo by Suriname’s Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin to lodge the protest over this country’s plans for an airstrip in the New River Triangle. Suriname claims the area but it is recognized internationally as part of Guyana. The statement yesterday said that during the meeting, Todd outlined Guy-ana’s national policy framework that “addresses the provision of social services including education and healthcare and existing infrastructure to facilitate humanitarian support and other emergency relief services, to remote communities within Guyana’s territory”. The statement said that the Minister and Ambassador also discussed advancing the bilateral cooperation agenda through the Strategic Dialogue Cooperation Platform (SDCP) including the bridging of the Corentyne River and preparations for the convening of a Meeting of the Border Commission between Guyana and Suriname. The next SDCP between the two countries is scheduled to take place in February 2025.
Accountability
Health Ministry says has moved to prevent fraud at Materials Management Unit: After numerous queries by Stabroek News for information on a massive fraud in 2022 at its Diamond bond, the Ministry of Health finally released a statement setting out the steps that it is taking to prevent a recurrence. As part of its efforts to strengthen its systems in the wake of the uncovering in 2022 of fraud involving the misappropriation of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies at the Materials Management Unit (MMU) where those alleged to have been involved have been charged, the Ministry of Health in the statement yesterday informed that it has instituted several changes and strategies at the Unit to mitigate the risk of such an incident being repeated. These include: Total restructuring and strengthening of the management team of the Materials Management Unit – a completely new management team has been installed, bolstered by several experienced senior functionaries of the MoH. This was accompanied by a detailed chart of roles and functions for each manager, which allows for improved oversight of the operations. The new management comprised a new Director, Chief Pharmacist, Logis-tics Management Unit Manager (also a pharmacist), and two financial analysts, all supported by the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Admin). Several line supervisors were also appointed to support the management of floor operations. Strengthening of security measures – security at the Materials Management Unit has been bolstered through the upgrade of its CCTV system, with its expansion to 36 cameras along with increased storage capacity, resulting in greater coverage and increased capacity to retrieve footage. This has been supported by the recruitment of an additional internal security officer (for a total of three), and improved security procedures, including routine and random searches of vehicles and personnel, by both the internal security officers as well as the contracted security firm, all with the aim of curtailing the incidents of theft from the organisation.
Patterson pressing for answers on Qatari Carifesta Avenue development: Not satisfied with government’s answers surrounding the deal for the lease of the Carifesta Avenue lands to Qatari company – Qatar Assets Group Inc – for the development of a hotel here, APNU+AFC parliamentarian, David Patterson, says he will again go to the House in hopes of getting information for the public on the US multimillion-dollar agreement. “When the Finance Minister [Dr Ashni Singh] was asked about the lease agreement, he was very disrespectful to the Parliament in his answers, dismissively saying it is public and we know where to find it. So I have informally and will formally ask the Parliament to help me find it,” Patterson told Stabroek News last week. “I am not satisfied with what he said; that it is a public document. So I am asking the Parliament for a copy of it and I will await their response. This is an important issue for the people of this country. Those grounds have been sports grounds for almost 60 years. I mean, the least the government could do is say what benefits would be derived,” he added. Last week Monday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, responded in writing and orally to questions asked by Patterson on the issue, which Patterson had asked through Parliament in July of this year. Among the questions Patterson had asked were if the Minister of Finance could state the method of transfer of ownership for the lands, and if it was leased to provide the National Assembly with a copy of the lease agreement. Singh responded that a lease has been issued to the Qatar Assets Group Inc for the development of the US$300 million Georgetown Seafront Resort and Convention Centre, on the controversial lands at Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown. The lands in question encompass the Guyana National Service (GNS) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) sports grounds, which the City Council claims as municipal property. However, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) maintains that the lands are state-owned. To the question of provision of the agreement to the House, Singh said the agreement is “a public document” and can be accessed from the respective agency.
Yunas contract for Versailles pump station terminated: The $393 million Versailles A–Line pump station contract which the NPTAB awarded to Yunas Civil & Building Construction Service in September has been terminated following an objection from the Ministry of Agriculture which cited past errant works of the contractor. “We wrote to tender board objecting and it was terminated and has to be retendered or they will determine if it will go to the next contractor,” Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha told the Sunday Stabroek when contacted for an update on the contract. Mustapha proclaimed that should in the future any contractor who was delinquent with projects be found to have gotten awards, he is going to object. “I am going to object to all delinquent contractors,” he declared, saying that when works fail he, as subject minister, would have to answer and thus wants them to know that he was not holding the burden for anyone. The minister disclosed that the objection to the award was due to the past experience the company has had with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) with regard to incomplete works done. Yunas’s $978m contract for a pump station at Black Bush Polder, Corentyne was terminated in October last year. The award in September 2024 to Yunas will raise further questions about what is transpiring at the NPTAB. Evaluation committees at the NPTAB have been accused of making injudicious decisions. In this case the NPTAB and the evaluation committee should have been aware that Yunas had been removed just a year before from a pump station contract in Berbice. It also raises the question as to why the NPTAB is not keeping a register of contractors who have encountered difficulties so that its evaluation committees could be suitably guided. Before the contract award is made, the procuring agency, in this case the NDIA, is given an opportunity to indicate its acceptance. It doesn’t appear that that happened in this case.
Travel
Guyanese must obtain electronic travel authorisation for entry to UK come Jan 8: As a prerequisite for travel to the United Kingdom from January 8th , Guyanese will have to apply for Electronic Travel Authorisations and if this is denied will have to go through a visa application process, the British High Commission has announced.“Starting 8 January 2025, it is mandatory for all Guyanese nationals travelling to the UK without a visa to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). This new requirement applies to most visa-exempt travellers and is part of the UK’s efforts to enhance border security and improve the travel experience,” the High Commission said in a statement. “Travellers arriving in the UK on 8 January 2025 must secure ETA approval beforehand, so those flying late on 7 January 2025 should ensure their ETA is in place. If an application is refused, travellers must apply for a UK visa.” Applications for an ETA can be done via the UK ETA app — available on Apple Store and Google Play Store — or through the official GOV.UK website. “The process is simple, takes less than 15 minutes, and costs £10. Decisions are typically provided within three working days, and app users may receive quicker responses. Once approved, the ETA will allow multiple trips to the UK for up to six months per visit, lasting either two years or until the passport linked to the application expires — whichever comes first,” the release explained. The ETA requirement does not apply to British or Irish passport holders, or those travelling to the Turks and Caicos Islands or other British Overseas Territories. Two years ago, the United Kingdom had announced that holders of Guyanese passports would be allowed visa-free entry for up to six months for business and leisure.
InterCaribbean Airways launches twice weekly direct flights between Guyana and Grenada: Last Monday was a landmark moment in Caribbean travel as InterCaribbean Airways launched its inaugural direct flight connecting Guyana and Grenada. The new service, which will operate twice a week, promises to strengthen regional ties and provide a convenient air link between the two Caricom member states. The flights will operate every Thursday and Sunday, with departure from Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport at 12:20 pm, arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana at 1:50 pm. Return flights will leave Guyana at 2:35 pm and touch down in Grenada at 4:10 pm. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Minister of Mobilization, Implementation and Transformation of Grenada Andy Williams, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority Kamrul Baksh, Chief Executive Officer of InterCaribbean Airways Trevor Sadler, and CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority Petra Roach, among others. Baksh expressed his enthusiasm for the new flight, describing it as a “seminal moment” for regional travel. He highlighted the importance of Caribbean connectivity for Guyana’s tourism sector, noting that the Caribbean is the second-largest travel market for the country. “This route is pivotal in connecting Caribbean people and goods. It will undoubtedly play a fundamental role in bridging the divide between nations and fostering tourism,” Baksh said.
Accident
Three perish in St Cuthbert’s Mission crash: A St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri woman, her daughter and her granddaughter perished in a horrific crash on November 30th. This was confirmed to the Sunday Stabroek by the toshao of the village Alvoro Simon. He identified the dead trio as Olive Andrews, around 60, her daughter Athina Andrews, 29, and Athena’s daughter, Emma, 7. The accident occurred on the trail leading to St Cuthbert’s Mission. One of the vehicles in the crash was a Toyota Raum. Simon posted the following message on his Facebook page: “It is with the deepest of pain in our hearts that we have to say goodbye to Aunty Olive, Athena and little Emma. “I can understand the pain flowing in the hearts of the family members and more so the entire village and we must all pray for the family as the find comfort in this tragic time.” In a statement last night, the police said the trio died in a head-on collision. The accident involved motor car #PXX 4949, owned and driven at the time by Josh Simon, of St Cuthbert’s Mission, and motor car #PAE 5140, driven by Fidell of St Cuthbert’s Mission.
In The court
Life imprisonment for two over murder of Sophia man: Kaprese Nobrega, 22, and Shay Carter, 30, were last week sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2020 murder of Kevin Campbell. They were sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara who said that they will be eligible for parole after serving 40 years. The defendants were represented by attorney Ronald Bostwick who stated that at the time of the incident Nobrega was 18 years old and had no misdemeanours on file and that he was remorseful for the life lost. Bostwick urged the court to hand down a sentence that would permit him to emerge in due course as a productive member of society. He noted that Carter is an ex-member of the Guyana Defence Force which was used against him in the trial. He added that probation reports described Carter as a good person and prison service reports recognised him as disciplined and a peacemaker and hoped these factors would be taken into consideration in sentencing. The court also heard victim impact statements. The brother of the deceased said that Campbell was a hard worker who helped to aid his family’s financial situation and taught him to swim. He added that his brother’s passing led to their family being placed under stress. The accused were given the opportunity by the court to speak. Nobrega declined to say anything while Carter stated that he was innocent and was being wrongfully incarcerated and has a family that needs him. The prosecutors representing the state: Muntaz Ali and Christopher Belfield urged the court to take into consideration the seriousness of the offence and that a number of weapons were used in the murder of Campbell. They noted that the accused were close to the family and showed no remorse for the family’s loss. Counsel said that the court owes a duty to the citizens of Guyana to institute a suitable punishment to send a strong message of abhorrence of this crime. They asked for the accused to be sentenced to the maximum number of years the court deems fit. The two were found guilty on November 8, 2024
Aviation security officer at CJIA gets three years for cocaine: A 29-year-old aviation security officer and a 28-year-old airport security officer of Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri were arrested by Custom Anti-Narcotic Unit Officers and charged last week with the possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Keesha Greene, a 29-year-old of Lot 5 Grant Road, Soesdyke, E.B.D was arrested and escorted to CANU’s headquarters along with a quantity of cocaine. Greene appeared yesterday before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court where she was charged with the possession of 2.152 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Greene pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years imprisonment. She was fined $3,228,000. A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of , 28, an Airport Security Officer attached to CJIA of Lot 5 Grant Road, Soesdyke, E.B.D, and the discovery of an additional quantity of cocaine that weighed 2.134kgs, thus amounting to a total of 4.286kgs of cocaine. Thompson appeared before Magistrate Fortune at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court where he was charged with the possession of 2.134 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Thompson pleaded not guilty. He was refused bail and the matter was adjourned until 8th January 2025.
