GINA | GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AGENCY

Cuban Minister moots closer cooperation between Guyana and Cuba

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New date for presentation ICC Bid Book

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Omai tour reveals no water pollution from mines

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PYARG introduces the franchise concept to organisations

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Several Konawaruk River mining operations closed
-GGMC Commissioner cites environmental malpractice

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SIMAP/IDB sponsors CCB training

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President Jagdeo meets Cuban Government team

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Cuban Minister moots closer cooperation between Guyana and Cuba

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

Minister within the Office of the President, Cuba, Hon. Ricardo Cabrisas, this afternoon paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister, Sam Hinds.
With the aid of a translator, Cabrisas told the Prime Minister that his encounters held at various levels today were positive. He noted that Guyana and Cuba can pursue cooperation in public health, culture and education, and foster initiatives in the agriculture sector, since food supply is vital to both countries.
At the bilateral level, the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission meets every two years, but the Cuban Minister of Government said this period is too lengthy, and he called for meetings on an annual basis.
"As initiatives arise, we should try to communicate through different means," said Cabrisas.
He noted that the annual meetings could serve as a follow-up of agreements met at the commission level, and further strengthen relations between Guyana and Cuba.

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New date for presentation ICC Bid Book

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

The presentation of the ICC Cricket World Cup Bid Book has been postponed to March 30.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport had organised a presentation of the Bid Book at the Umana Yana this Tuesday.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event was rescheduled.
Last month, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Gail Teixeira collected Guyana’s Bid Book for the hosting of the 2007 World Cup Cricket.
Each country will be expected to submit its bid by May 6, 2004.
Last year, two Indian experts visited Guyana to assist Government with the technical design for a cricket stadium.
The total cost of the stadium is estimated to be in the vicinity of US$20M. Construction work is anticipated to begin later this year.

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Omai tour reveals no water pollution from mines

Georgetown, GINA, March 21, 2004

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir, , senior officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and Bartica residents yesterday toured the mines of Omai Gold Mines Limited and found that discoloration in the Essequibo River was not caused by hazardous discharges from the mines.
The visit stem from complaints received by Minister Nadir from Barticians during a recent visit to Region Seven. At that time, the Minister was told that discharges from Omai caused the colour of the usually black water of the Essequibo River to become light brown.
As a result, representatives from the various Government entities, members of the media and Barticians were invited to have a first hand look of Omai’s operations.
Several other communities along the river have also complained about discolouration of the water.
The Essequibo river is the sole means of water for most of the communities along the river. Additionally, fishing is part of the livelihood of some of these communities.
Omai representatives accompanied the team around the mining site and explained the use of the tailings pounds. Since it operations began in 1990, Omai has used three tailings pound. The first one that broke, the second one was discarded from economic reasons and the one that is currently being used.
Minister Nadir said the visit is set to reassure residents of Bartica and surrounding areas that Government regulates mining operations to ensure compliance with national, regional and international environmentally-friendly regulations.
Commissioner of GGMC, Robeson Benn noted that the commission has been working with Omai since it started operations.
He noted that the necessary checks and precautionary measures are in place at the mining site.
He assured residents that whenever discharges occur, they have to be within environmentally-friendly limits within prescribed international perimeters set.
He noted that during the mining process, provisions are made by law for some amount of discharges into rivers. However, the issue should not be whether there are discharges, but the quality and level of contamination of discharges.
Mr. Benn noted that Omai Gold Mines have satisfactory proven that possible discharges are in compliance with the law.
He said that the low levels of the river and small mines alone the Essequibo River may be the main cause of the water discoloration.
Human Resources Manager of Omai, Norman Mc Lean told the team that since January 2003, nothing was discharged into the Essequibo River.
He said that since the cyanide spill of 1995, several precautionary measures have been taken to ensured protection of the environment.
The tailings pond which broke away during the spill, has since been discarded and a new, more secured pond is being used.
Additionally, cyanide is used only as a back-up method of gold extraction, since approximately 35 percent of the precious metal is extracted naturally.
It is then discharged into a tailings pond for reuse. The sun and rain naturally breaks down the cyanide content in the tailings pond.
He said that sampling have proven that Omai satisfies both the End of Pipe Criterion and the Reviewing Water Level Criterion.
Mr. Mc Lean noted that the End of Pipe criterion stipulates that cyanide levels should not exceed 1.5 parts per million and to this Omai’s samples record far less contamination.
The other measurement – Reviewing Water Level criterion stipulates that samples should be below 5.2 parts per billion to be environmentally acceptable.
Mr. McLean said that the Omai’s samples results show non-detectable level with the latter measurement.
Mc Lean noted that is some countries, discarded tailings pound are used at fertile land to plant legumes, corn and other cash crops.
Director, Environmental Management Division of the EPA, Eliza Florendo assured concerned residents of communities along the Essequibo river that the EPA is constantly monitoring all projects that can have negative impacts on the environment and Omai is one of these projects.
She noted that Omai has met the high level of internationally recognized compliance to mining.
In addition to Omai mandatory sampling of hazardous materials, the EPA does regular checks and samples of Omai’s waste at independent testing facilities.

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PYARG introduces the franchise concept to organisations

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

The President’s Youth Award: Republic of Guyana (PYARG) executive has just completed a meeting to discuss partnership with non-governmental organisations, youth groups and other groups in Guyana.
These partnerships are addressed as a ‘franchise’ and are commonly known as user units.
They are exploring ways in which groups and organisations may form partnerships and share resources.
In the process, parents, youth and adult volunteers are informed on how to get involved in the programme.
This youth programme focuses on providing young people with opportunities for individual development. The PYARG is working on making programmes more accessible to young people countrywide.
According to Executive Director of the PYARG, Alfred King the programme was “very successful. More than thirty organisations participated of which a number were first-timers including Marian Academy, School of the Nations and the Business Trust College.
King said they were able to discuss matters relating to the philosophy of the programme, its operating principles and values.
They were also able to address matters of feedback after organizations would have partnered with the PYARG.
The PYARG operates in four areas, Service, Expeditions, Skills and Physical Recreation.
King said there are a number of groups operating in only one of these areas. The PYARG is providing the opportunity for them to partner with the PYARG and include the other components into training for young people.
According to him, it provides an opportunity for youths to secure skills in a number of areas instead of only one.
The PYARG will not interfere with the operations of the programme by these units unless they operate outside of the principles of the International Award Association.
He said the Sapodilla Learning Centre is a shining example of the success of the PYARG.

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Several Konawaruk River mining operations closed
-GGMC Commissioner cites environmental malpractice

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

Over the past week, nine small scale mining operations along the Konawaruk River were closed down, following inspections by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
GGMC Commissioner, Robeson Benn told the Government Information Agency (GINA), that the operations were closed as a result of unrestrained discharges of heavy silt from the operations' tailings into the nearby environment.
The Konawaruk River is a tributary of the Essequibo River, and due to the discharge, the GGMC head explained that serious discoloration was evident in the waterways downstream.
"GGMC is insisting that the discharges from hydrauliking and other mining operations be routed into settling ponds from water which could be recycled for reuse, or discharged after settlement" said Benn.
He affirmed that discharges from mining operations into the receiving environment are required to be clear.
Benn pointed out that the discharge standard for total suspended solids (TSS), in water leaving a mine site, adapted by the GGMC, is 60 parts per million (60 mg per litre). Recent discharges listed for TSS content in the Konawaruk River reached over 400 parts per million.
Some weeks ago, the GGMC Commissioner issued instructions to notify operatives in mining districts about the Commission's impending sanctions against operations that discharge sediments into creeks and rivers.
Officers have been in the Konawaruk and Upper Mazaruni areas to advise, assist, and where necessary, enforce the regulations with respect to discharges.
Benn said the Commission will continue to take stringent action against miners whose tailings fail to conform to the required environmental standards throughout all mining districts.
At the moment, water levels are low in the Essequibo Region, and it becomes more susceptible to contamination.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner is scheduled to visit the Konawaruk/Mahdia district this week, followed by visits to Upper Mazaruni and North West District in the coming weeks, to inspect mining operations in those regions, with a view to ensuring the required practices are upheld.
The GGMC head issued a plea to miners to use mined out pits as settlement and recycle ponds, and to build impediments to control water use and sediments.
In its efforts to monitor and address concerns, this year the Commission plans to set up mining affairs committees to deal with matters directly affecting residents and miners in mining communities.

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SIMAP/IDB sponsors CCB training

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

A one-week training programme that focuses on Community Capacity Building (CCB) is aiming to involve communities in the execution and maintenance of development projects.
The workshop, sponsored by the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) and the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), opened today at the Guyana Agricultural Workers' Union (GAWU) Conference Room, Kingston.
Minister of Labour Dr. Dale Bisnauth, in an opening address, pointed to the need for communities to feel a sense of ownership and a part of the change in sustaining development.
“Development is a fundamental right. It is the most secure basis for order and stability in any country, in any community,” he said.
Communities therefore need to see a project as their own and help to maintain and take care of it.
Minister Bisnauth sees the teachers and retired teachers who are participating in training as most suitable since they are likely to be accepted by the community.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Ganga Persaud said the programme does not intend to “short change” the nation’s children, as the teachers involved will carry out their roles outside of school hours.
He lauded the effort saying, the intervention “will take us along the right path and will accelerate development.” He hopes that through interaction with parents and the community at large, teachers would be better able to release the true potential in students as they would have a better understanding of the socio-economic background of students.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Phillip Hamilton pointed out the importance of inclusion of the community, especially as it relates to local government.
Through this workshop, Hamilton says, SIMAP is assisting his Ministry immensely in complementing Government in its effort of governance of the people by the people.
He said for too long there has been a lack of effective development planning, which resulted from the void in community leadership.
“When this culture takes root there are many ‘white elephants’, ” as many times Governments operate from a level of imposition.
However, programmes such as this will help negate incompetence at the community level and ensure community involvement.
SIMAP currently has a needs assessment programme whereby its field officers ascertain from communities, their priority needs.
However, SIMAP’s Community Participation Specialist Ms. Tomaisha Hendricks, said training of trainers workshops are aimed at equipping community leaders to go beyond SIMAP in accessing support for community development projects.
Mr. Phillip Walcott is facilitating the training exercise.

IDB’s Resident Representative Mr. Sergio Varasoka said IDB is pleased to contribute to the country’s development.
He said over years IDB has learnt that development is not about material things but about the state of mind of people.
“We’ve have been learning that together we stand and separated we fall, “ he said.
Participants for the workshop have been selected from Region’s One, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Ten.
A similar training exercise was held in Essequibo from March 15 through 19 and a similar one will be held in Lethem from March 29 through April 3.

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President Jagdeo meets Cuban Government team

Georgetown, GINA, March 22, 2004

President Bharrat Jagdeo today met Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, Minister of Government within the Office of the President, Republic of Cuba at the Office of the President.
Minister Ruiz and a delegation of Cuban officials, accompanied by the Cuban Ambassador Jose Manuel Inclan Embade, paid a courtesy call on the Head of State this morning.
The delegation is in Guyana for the XXII Session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission.
The Twenty-Second Session of the Guyana/Cuba Joint Commission began in Georgetown today and will continue until March 24.
A release from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation stated that this session of the Joint Commission will review the progress of the work programme for the Twenty-First Session which was held in Havana in November 2001, with specific focus on the Health and Education sectors, and would identify new initiatives for the intensification of technical and other forms of cooperation for the ensuing work programme. Among the projects that will form part of the 2004-2006 work programme will be the provision of experts to promote cultural cooperation and post-graduate training for the health and education sectors.
Among the agencies participating in the Twenty-Second Session are the Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture, Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, Culture, Youth and Sports, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Office of the President, Guyana Office for Investment, Public Service Ministry and the Private Sector community.
Guyana has been benefiting from the significant presence of a Cuban medical brigade and other technical expertise. The two Governments also concluded three agreements in 2003:

• Agreement Establishing the Guyana/Cuba Joint Business
Development Council
• Memorandum of Understanding on Trade between the
Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Cuba
Agreement of Collaboration between Guyana Office for and the Center for Export Promotion of Cuba
•

Guyana and Cuba have witnessed a diversification and intensification of cooperation programmes since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, the Foreign Trade Ministry release stated.

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