Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

Amerindian Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues is refuting claims by the President of the National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF) Ashton Simon, that she shunned a proposal for an Amerindian Security Force to defend Amerindian the borders of communities. The countries sharing borders with Guyana are Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname.
According to the President of the NADF in an Evening News Newscast of June 11, 2003, the Minister said that when she raised the issue with the Military, they said it was “nonsense”.
Minister Rodrigues says she takes “serious offence” to this allegation as she did not make such a statement. She said that when Simon raised the issue with her, she advised him to forward the proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Defence Force since the matter was under their portfolios (border security).
Simon claims that if implemented the project would create employment for 700 Amerindians to secure their borders.
Minister Rodrigues said she also advised Simon that the Army presently conducts training for persons from interior areas. Recently, there were some persons from the Pakaraimas trained but there was some difficulty in getting them to return to their villages.
The Minister further said that she advised Mr. Simon to discuss his proposal with the Amerindian communities.
NADF is an Amerindian Non-Governmental Organisation that was established a few years ago to represent the welfare of Amerindians and Environmental issues, among others.
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Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

The frequent granting of requests for the suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET) is causing Guyana some amount of concern, prompting Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee to call for a comprehensive review of the Region's trading arrangements.
Guyana has had cause to comment on the suspension of the CET on more than one occasion, including at the 11th Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held in May, 2001.
According to the Foreign Trade Minister, the situation since then remains basically the same, except that the CARICOM Secretariat has initiated some action by hiring a Consultant to conduct a review of the principal trade policy instruments governing the operation of the CET and Rules of Origin, and other aspects of the Regional trading arrangements.
At the 13th COTED it was decided that items on which suspension have been granted over a period of time, should be brought to the attention of Ministers of Agriculture who would advise on potential production possibilities.
Guyana is calling for more stringent procedures governing suspension of CET and derogation from Rules of Origin, and that the onus should be on the requesting country to prove that the suspensions are essential, and that severe damage would be done to a significant production interest if a suspension or derogation were not granted.
According to the Foreign Trade Minister, the rules governing suspensions of CET and derogations from the Rules of Origin do not include any guidelines on the manner in which product specifications are to be made. Neither do they require the requesting country to provide justification for the selection of a particular input.
The Minister said this gives ample room for parties wishing to evade the payment of CET to devise specifications that are intended to exclude Regional producers.
On the issue of rules governing substitution, the Minister notes that the rules governing suspensions from CET and derogations from the Rules of Origin do not allow for the substitution of available Regional goods, which could provide the requesting country with a suitable product.
According to Minister Rohee, both the CET and the Rules of Origin are intended to provide Regional producers with some degree of preference over extra-Regional producers.
Rohee notes that if these mechanisms are to serve their intended purpose, the provisions must be such that that they are stable, transparent and open to a minimum of abuse.
"Tariffs should remain in place unless there is an exceptional and overriding reason for their suspension." Rohee said, adding that Rules of Origin which are meant to provide an incentive for the use of Regional inputs into production, should not be easily relaxed."
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Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

The Parliamentary aspect of the agreements reached by President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin in the Joint Communiqué signed on May 6 continues to be addressed as Guyana approaches the fifth week of post-communiqué activities.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet Media Conference held at the Office of the President this morning, gave an update on the situation.
A Chairperson to the Constitutional Reform Committee has been appointed, said Dr. Luncheon. Attorney General Doodnauth Singh has been appointed to this post.
The HPS added the Chairperson of the four Sectoral Committees dealing with Natural Resources, Economic Services, Foreign Services and Social Services also will be appointed on Thursday.
Recently, Parliament was provided with the re-worded policy document of House lot and Land Distribution, as well as that of the Bi-partisan Committee on Borders and National Security.
To continue deliberations on outstanding matters relating to the communiqué the President and Mr. Corbin will be meeting again shortly.
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Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

The ongoing Public Consultations on the Report on the Final draft of the Public Sector Modernization Design Plan (PSMDP), has seen worthy contribution from the various groups within Georgetown that were consulted.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet Media Conference held at the Office of the President this morning, made this disclosure.
Among the organizations that were consulted during the past two weeks are various sections of the Public Service at the senior and middle management administrative and technical level, the academic community at the University of Guyana, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), Non-Governmental Organizations, the Georgetown Municipality and the Private Sector.
Consultations on the document started late May and the consensus-building phase of the project will proceed for two weeks to the ten Administrative Regions starting on Monday.
The design plan will enable Guyana’s leaders to access the vital information they will require to make strategic decisions with regard to public sector modernization and also to begin a process of consultation and consensus-building about the future of the nation’s public sector. The Modernization Design Project was prepared, in close collaboration and consultation with Guyana’s leaders, by The Governance Network (TGN), a Canadian-based management consulting firm, which was awarded this task in January 2002. Over the past decade, the Government of Guyana has undergone a fundamental transformation.
Although facing internal and external challenges, Guyana has been able to chart a course towards a modernized, economically and socially viable and progressive state. The National Development Strategy (NDS) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) have laid a solid foundation for the renewal of virtually every element of Guyanese society. Although much remains to be done to fulfill this vision, the NDS sets a new course by recognizing the interrelationship between elements of society and, especially, the importance of the public sector in providing a framework for sustained human development.
It is within the context of the need for a public sector for sustained human development that the PSMDP was launched. The Design Plan consists of five cornerstones that are designed to strengthen the overall management capacity of virtually the entire public sector through a phased and timed approach that emphasizes capitalizing on early lessons learned and building on initial successes. These five cornerstones are accompanied by three rapid interventions and one coordinating initiative that are designed to build awareness of and support for modernization in general. Further, these early initiatives will test the absorptive capacity of Ministries and Government agencies, identifying areas of capacity and resource gaps at the very outset of the long- term process of comprehensive modernization.
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Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

As work continues along the East Demerara Water Conservancy Dam, large sections have been either repaired or rebuilt to stabilize the areas of slippages.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet Media Conference held at the Office of the President this morning gave an update on the status of repairs.
Several areas along the dam were identified as being porous by the National Drainage and Irrigation Board (ND&IB) and the East Demerara Water Conservancy Commissioners (EDWCC). As a result, the Ministerial Tender Board within the Ministry of Agriculture awarded contracts to four contractors to execute the necessary rehabilitation.
Dr. Luncheon said about 34,000 feet of cracked embankment has been stabilized at various parts and an additional 7,000 feet were rebuilt.
Recently, Cabinet appointed a permanent body including members from the ND&IB, the EDWCC, the Guyana Defence Force, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to effectively monitor and report to Cabinet the state of the dam.
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The delivery of the highest quality of education to all Guyanese is part of the Government‘s mandate. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Mr. Harripersaud Nokta at a Media briefing yesterday said Government has agreed to cancel loan payments of teachers who are indebted to the University of Guyana if they are willing to work in the Hinterland for a specific period of time.
This is to ensure that students in the Hinterland receive professional teaching, as those in the urban communities and make quality education accessible to all Guyanese.
The Ministry of Education will be assigned with working out the logistics for the agreement.
Minister Nokta noted that at present Government is working on several ways to enhancement the life of persons who are living in the Hinterland communities. Among these ways are the building of modern schools and health facilities, roads, water facilities and sustainable development projects.
In the area of Education, Minister Nokta stated there are secondary schools in all the Hinterland Regions and the students are provided with dormitories, meals and electricity. A decade ago, students from the Hinterland were forced to leave their homes and relocate to the City to obtain secondary education. Ten hinterland students have also benefited from the Guyana/Cuba scholarship programme.
Since 1992 when the present Administration took Office, tremendous work was done in the Regions Minister Nokta said. Despite minor set backs, developmental works in all the Regions have advanced.
Medical treatment delivered by trained personnel, once a dream, is now available in the villages. The construction of roads, schools, bridges, markets, and health facilities, among other infrastructure, in the Hinterland were completed in a short period of time with limited resources.
Extensions are being made to several schools in the Regions, including the Charity Secondary and Cotton Tree Primary School. The rehabilitation of the Rosignol Secondary School and the construction of a Mess Hall at Paramakatoi Secondary School are presently going through the tendering process.
In the Health sector, the Minister was pleased to announce that there are Health Centers with trained staff; including resident doctors from Cuba and China; equipment; and medivac facilities in cases of emergencies that can’t be handled by the village doctors and staff.
Several health projects would be implemented in Regions One, Seven. Eight and Nine, including the rehabilitation of the Suddie Hospital to include a new lab, dispensary block and physiotherapy department and an ambulance for the Mahdia Community. New hospitals will be established in Lethem and Kamarang this year.
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Georgetown, GINA, June 12, 2003

The details surrounding the ownership of the Lumber being transported aboard the MV EWL Venezuela when British Authorities seized a large quantity of cocaine are still sketchy.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet Media briefing yesterday said that Government is not in possession of much information about the incident, including ownership of the shipment of lumber.
He opined that possession of the shipment may be known as the legal inquiry into the matter proceeds, as well as who in Guyana is responsible for shipping or planning the Lumber.
According to the HPS, he is “advised that already reputable firms have issued denials of being involved, he added. He declined to name the firms that are in denial.
The vessel left earlier this year from an undisclosed port in Guyana. In a joint operation between the Gwent Police Force, Customs and Excise and the National Crime Squad, eight persons were arrested after 265 pounds of cocaine were unearthed. The quantity of drugs is said to be valued at 8M pounds sterling.
The eight arrested men are said to be uplifters of the cocaine concealed in the consignment of lumber.
“There is right now just the barest sketches of what took place and I am certain that with some support from the Law Enforcement Agencies in the United Kingdom and from our own domestic investigation, this matter will have greater clarity by this weekend,” Dr. Luncheon said.
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