Government Outreaches continue…
- President to visit lower East Bank Saturday
Georgetown , GINA, November 18, 2004
As Government continues its process of governing from the grass root level, President Bharrat Jagdeo will take to East Bank Demerara, Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) communities on Saturday, November 20.
The visit will focus on lower East Bank communities. The communities to be visited are Peter's Hall, Providence, and Herstelling.
At 11:00 hrs the Head of State will meet residents of Caneville Squatting area, at the Grove Primary School, after which he will walk-about the Caneville community.
P.S. GINA will provide transportation for the Media. The vehicle departs GINA/NCN Compound, Homestretch Avenue at 08:15 hrs on November 20 . Contact GINA on 226-6715 on the number of media personnel your media house will be sending by 12 noon on November 19.
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New Governor for Bank of Guyana , other key appointments approved
Georgetown , GINA, November 18, 2004
The country's Central Bank – Bank of Guyana- now has a new acting Governor.
President Bharrat Jagdeo, on November 1, 2004, appointed Mr. Lawrence Williams to act as the Governor of the Bank of Guyana.
This announcement was made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet Media briefing yesterday.
Dr. Luncheon said Williams' predecessor, “the long serving Ms. Dolly Singh retired on the previous Friday (October 29, 2004) and proceeded on a well-deserved retirement.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Luncheon announced the Guyana Securities Council has been reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Brain James, a prominent private sector official and member of the former Council. Attorney-at-Law Bryn Pollard has also been returned to the GSC. Cabinet approved the appointments of Leslie Glen of the Bank of Guyana and Linda Gossai of the Ministry of Finance to replace two outgoing members of the Council.
Dr. Luncheon announced that the Central Tender Board has been statutorily replaced by the National Board for Procurement and Tender Administration, provided for by the country's new procurement legislation – the Procurement Act 2003.
The Board consists of five public officers and two representatives from the Private Sector. The Public Officers are the Finance Secretary (ag), the Deputy Finance Secretary and the Head of the Project Cycle Unit, all from the Ministry of Finance; the Chief Administrative Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a lead engineer from the Ministry of Public Works and Communication
The two Private Sector representatives are John Seeram of the University of Guyana and David Yankana of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry.
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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - November 25, 2004
Georgetown , GINA, November 18, 2004
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women will be observed on November 25 in Guyana .
The Women's Affairs Bureau in collaboration with other women's organizations in Guyana is planning a number of activities in observance of this day.
One of the activities planned is a symposium at the Umana Yana.
The symposium will take the form of short presentations following an interactive discussion with the audience.
The ten Administrative regions of Guyana are also planning activities for this day.
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Assisting the disabled in Guyana
Georgetown , GINA, November 18 2004
“Nothing About Us Without Us” is the theme for this year's International Day of Disabled Persons.
The National Commission on Disability in recognition of this day which will be observed on December 3, 2004 plans to hold a debating competition.
This competition aims at sensitizing Guyanese students on issues relating to disability.
The topic for the debate is ‘Educating persons with disabilities is useless.'
The debate will take place between Fourth and Fifth formers of Queen's College and Bishop's High School.
TOP Guyana one step closer to CSME readiness
Georgetown , GINA, November 18, 2004
Guyana today launched the Business and Labour Advisory Committee (BLAC) on the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).
The launching took place at Cara Lodge in Georgetown in the presence of Ministers of Government, including Minister of Labour Dr. Dale Bisnauth, Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee, representatives of the Caricom Secretariat, representatives of Trades Unions and private sector bodies.
In remarks at the opening, Minister Rohee noted that the launch of BLAC is another manifestation of Guyana 's commitment to the establishment of the CSME.
According to Minister Rohee, the CSME spirit is gaining momentum and while some Member States have expressed that they will be CSME ready before the December 2005 deadline, it is expected that all restrictions to the free movement of goods, services, capital and skilled Caricom nationals would have been removed by this time and the Development Fund for Disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors would be in place.
The Minister noted that the movement from the Single Market to the Single Economy requires an advance beyond market arrangements to the establishment of a regional competitive environment, and in this context a tentative timeline of 2008 for the Single Economy has been agreed.
According to Minister Rohee, Guyana has adopted the position that it will meet all its commitments for the December 2005 deadline and will not adopt the fast-track accelerated schedule to be CSME ready before the established deadline.
He however noted that this should not the interpreted as a dampening of Guyana 's commitment to the CSME.
He said the socio-economic and political realities of each member state must be taken into account as governments and people of their respective territories seek to honour their obligations to the full realization of the CSME.
The Minister listed six points which would indicate CSME readiness:
• The signature, ratification and enactment of the Revised Treaty
• The establishment of the requisite national consultative bodies and focal point.
• Signature, ratification and enactment of the agreement on the Caribbean Court of Justice and the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)
• Full implementation of the Programme for the removal of restrictions
• Free movement of Goods
• Free movement of persons.
According to Minister Rohee, Guyana is well advanced towards the full implementation of the CSME.
In noting the goals of the CSME, Minister Rohee said the BLAC must be the consultative vehicle through which the private sector and other stakeholders make their contributions to the success of the CSME by identifying opportunities for growth, expansion and wealth creation within the CSME.
The role of the private sector and other stakeholders in the CSME were also noted by the Secretary General of Caricom Dr. Edwin Carrington, who said that for the CSME to be achieved, there must be action from a number of players and stakeholders, each playing its full role.
These, he said, include governments, community institutions such as the Heads of Government Conference, the Community Council of Ministers and others, but critical to the process are the private sector, the labor movement and civil society.
“The establishment of the BLAC can be a start for a new and dynamic demarche for Guyanese and regional development,” Carrington said.
There were also presentation from the Labour movement and the private sector representative.
The BLAC will be responsible for initiating proposals for discussion at the national and regional levels, discussing and analyzing proposals in relation to their impact on various sectoral interests and developing positions.
It will also make representation to governments on matters affecting their sectoral interests and develop and initiate strategies for implementing decisions.
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Industrial areas in Berbice to be developed
Georgetown , GINA Thursday, November 18, 2004
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir yesterday met with the New Amsterdam's Mayor and Town Council and the Regional Chairman, in Berbice to discuss the development of industrial areas in New Amsterdam and Belvedere.
The meeting was part of a consultative process to determine the way forward for the development of the area to increase industrial production.
Efforts were made previously to develop the area but issues of ownership and allocation needed to be resolved.
The parties will be advertising to investors for expressions of interest shortly.
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Ministry of Housing and Water has lost a good friend
Georgetown , GINA Thursday, November 18, 2004
Minister of Housing and Water, Shaik Baksh has expressed regret at the passing of Ramdial Bhookmohan, Chairman of the New Building Society Limited.
The Minister said that Mr. Bhookmohan, as a member of the Housing Advisory Committee, had made a substantial contribution to the development of the housing sector.
He was in frequent consultation with the Ministry of Housing, providing development ideas for growth in the sector.
Mr. Bhookmohan was also instrumental in making housing loans accessible to poor rural communities and bringing down the rate of interest, making home ownership more affordable.
Minister Baksh, on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, offers condolences to the wife and family of Mr. Bhookmohan.
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A Nicaraguan Psychologist to visit Guyana
Georgetown , GINA, November 18, 2004
Dr. Martha Cabrera a Nicaraguan Psychologist will be visiting Guyana from November 20 to 30 to conduct a number of workshops and symposiums.
The workshops will focus on the issue of ‘Psychological approaches for reconstruction and development of societies and communities.'
Dr. Cabera is noted for pioneering work on addressing trauma within societies, a necessary step towards national transformation and development.
The visit is being sponsored by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the Ethnic Relations Commission, is seeking to strengthen existing initiatives by the Government of Guyana.
The Ministry of Health is also seeking to create opportunities to deepen the understanding of the relevant psychological processes and to equip Guyanese practitioners with necessary attitudes, skills and knowledge to apply the methodology.
Among the activities planned for the psychologist is a public symposium at the Demerara Life Building and open to the public.
Speakers will include officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ethnic Relations Commission and a representative from Non-Governmental Organizations.
A follow-up session is planned for mid-January, 2005, to further review networks and approaches to ensure sustainability of this initiative.
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Cabinet gives its no-objection to more than $1B in contracts
Georgetown, GINA, November 18, 2004
Cabinet at its meeting on November 16, 2004 gave its no-objection to several contracts in various sectors, particularly to develop infrastructure.
The contracts, which will be awarded shortly, are in the Works, Education, and Housing Sectors, totalling more than $1B.
Below is a list of the contracts and their value.
Sector |
Contract |
Value |
| Works |
Road rehabilitation and maintenance in the City of Georgetown; West Ruimveldt and Albouystown/Charlestown Areas |
$41M
|
Education |
Construction of Aurora Secondary School, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, under the Basic Education and Management Support (Beams) Programme
|
$238,817,325
|
Education |
Construction of Wisburg Secondary School, Linden, Region Ten, under the Guyana Education Access Project (GEAP)
|
$345,767,010
|
Works |
Rehabilitation of Mon Repos School Road, East Coast Demerara, Region Four |
$18,164,490
|
Works |
Rehabilitation of Somerset/Berks bridge, Essequibo Coast
|
$27,468,800
|
Works |
Rehabilitation of Vriesland to Viva La Force Road, West Bank Demerara, Region Three
|
$18,312,000
|
Housing |
Construction of roads and drains and structures at Tuschen North, East Bank Essequibo, under the Low-Income Settlement Programme |
$133,717,831
|
Housing |
Construction of roads, drains and structures at Zeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo
|
$194,056,500
|
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Police step up crime fighting measures in Berbice
Georgetown, GINA, November 18, 2004
Residents of Central Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), are relieved at measures promised by ‘B’ Division Commander Ivelaw Whittaker to ensure speedy response to criminal activities in the Region.
This afternoon, Region Six Chairman Kumkarran Ramdass and other member s of the Regional Administration, along with the Commander of the B- Division, met residents of Hampshire, Williamsburg and Rose Hall.
The meeting followed protest action this morning against the alleged
non-response of the Police to crime in the area.
According to Zulfikar Mustapha, Member of Parliament, over the past few days criminal activities have been increasing and residents complained that the police were not responding efficiently.
He said that the Commander has pledged that he will institute measures to ensure speedy response to criminal activities.
One of the measures include a permanent Police patrol between Rose Hall and Belvedere.
Some residents have also been identified to work with the Police to respond to crime.
The Commander is to look at allegations that some of the ranks are working with criminals in the area.
Other matters including low water pressure and concerns about the Rose Hall municipality came up at the meeting.
A few weeks ago an inquiry was held into the operations of the Town Council. The report is with the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Clinton Collymore.
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Kaieteur online!
Georgetown, GINA Thursday, November 18, 2004
The Kaieteur National Park has found a home on the worldwide web.
Today the Kaieteur National Park Board and the National Parks Commission launched a website that provides tourists, tour providers and students with a wealth of information on Guyana’s jewel, the Kaieteur Falls.
The website was launched at the Umana Yana in a ceremony that also included the launching of the Kaieteur information package.
The package includes posters, the Kaieteur National Park Newsletter and brochures that display the falls, its surrounding attractions and information about the National Park.
Shyam Nokta, Chairman of the Kaieteur National Park, said that these awareness tools are in keeping with the focus of Tourism Awareness Month activities that are centered on raising awareness about Guyana’s tourism product.
He said that the Friends of Kaieteur group has been instrumental in raising awareness for the National Park.
The website, which can be accessed on the web at www.kaieteurpark.gov.gy, was created by project Coordinator Jong-hyon Shin, a United Nations volunteer and a group of University of Guyana computer science students and others.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues, in an invited comment, said that the residents of the only Amerindian community in the vicinity of the Kaieteur National Park, Chenapau, are being prepared for the growth of the Kaieteur National Park as a more popular tourist destination.
The increased popularity of the area could bring development to that community. However, Minister Rodrigues cautioned that any activities there must be culturally appropriate.
At the launching, the Kaieteur National Park Board presented Roshan Morris, the winner of the Conde Nast Traveler “My Caribbean” essay competition for her piece on the Kaieteur Falls, with an award.
Awards were also presented to air service and tour operators and members of the web design team.
General Manager of the National Parks Commission, Inge Nathoo, also spoke at the launching and said since the Kaieteur Falls is the premiere tourist destination in Guyana, development work at the Park is ongoing.
Most notably, the guest house now has solar power to provide lights, running water and refrigeration.
The audience at the launching was treated to video displays of the Falls and narratives describing visits to Kaieteur Falls.
The launching was also attended by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir; Minister of Local Government, Harripersaud Nokta; and Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud.
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Local products on display at the Home and Garden Exhibition
Georgetown, GINA, Nov, 18, 2004
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce in its efforts to support local products and local producers is hosting a five-day Home and Garden Exhibition from Nov 18-22 at the Sophia exhibition site.
Special Project Officer Shafdar Alli said this mini-exhibition is an offshoot of Guyexpo.
He said most of the furniture manufacturing and the home construction
businessmen who participated in Guyexpo met with the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manzoor Nadir and requested another exhibition.
He said although this is not the appropriate time in the year for most exhibitors
many persons are still participating.
A total of 15 companies are involved in the exhibition comprising furniture, horticulture exhibits and craft.
Mr. Alli said local producers benefit tremendously from exhibitions since they provide the opportunity for showcasing their products to local and overseas buyers.
He said the Guyanese public usually benefit from exhibitions also as they are able to shop around and look for new ideas to improve their homes and businesses.
According to Mr. Alli the Home and Garden show will be an annual feature, hopefully involving other products from additional sectors such as information technology, and other local products.
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