Stakeholders in the clothing and textile industry to meet on WTO Agreement
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce will convene a one-day workshop on the expiration of the WTO agreement of textile and clothing. The workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20 at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre – Red House, Kingston.
A release from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International cooperation stated that the aim of the workshop is to discuss the major constraints facing the textile and clothing sector and develop and draft Action Plan outlining ways in which stakeholders can collaborate to overcome the constraints faced by Guyana’s clothing and textile firms. This is especially in view of the competitive threats from the expiration of the agreement on textile and clothing in December 2004.
The workshop will bring together representatives from the textile industry, officials from the Government and regional organizations and representatives of the banking sector, transport and energy sectors.
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Miscellaneous Road Programme to start soon-Minister Xavier
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005.
The Government of Guyana will embark on a Miscellaneous Road Programme shortly. Some $400M has been allocated for the programme which is scheduled for rehabilitation works.
Minister of Public Works and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier said there are already pre-qualified contractors to execute works on several roads.
Additionally, plans are on stream to execute works at the Ogle aerodrome road. "A brand new road would have to be constructed but this would be executed when the necessary funds are made available," he said.
In the meantime repair works would be undertaken. The patch works which had started before the flood and was disrupted is now scheduled to re-commence sometime this week. The Ministry is now in the process of reorganizing the project, by purchasing bitumen to continue the repairs.
Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that an assessment has been completed to determine the damages done to roads in Regions Three, Four and Five, as a result of the flood. He said this assessment would allow repair works through funds from international donors.
Additionally, the four-lane road, East Bank Highway is progressing smoothly and is scheduled for a June completion.
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Post-flood recovery update
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
More than 100 volunteers fanned out over the week-end to collect householders’ data from the south of Brickdam to the east of Sophia. This was disclosed by Head of the Planning, Recovery and Implementation Secretariat, Robeson Benn.
Students from the University of Guyana and members of religious bodies were among the volunteers, and according to Benn, completion of the data collection will end today.
In Region Three, household data collection which began on April 16, is also expected to be completed today.
Additionally, five teams were in Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary Creeks yesterday to obtain household information. Some 500 names were collected.
However, Benn said a team will return to Branch Road, Mahaica to do a ‘mop-up exercise’ – to ensure everyone is covered.
During the months of January and February, heavy rainfalls battered the Coastal belt causing severe flooding, and on January 18, President Bharrat Jagdeo declared Regions Three, Four and Five disaster areas.
Subsequently, on March 18, President Jagdeo announced a short-term post-flood recovery and rehabilitation package.
He also announced the establishment of a Recovery, Planning and Implementation Secretariat supported by a technical team to guarantee transparency of the recovery package - both of these initiatives are now in effect.
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Minister Insanally at South American Nations meeting
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
Foreign Affairs Minister Rudy Insanally is in Brazil for the First Ministerial Meeting of the South American Community of Nations (SACN) being held on April 18-19.
SACN was launched on December 2004 at the Third South American Summit in Cuzco, Peru when representatives from twelve South American countries signed the Cuzco Declaration. A two-page statement of intent, announcing the foundation of the South American Community
The concept behind SACN is to create a political and economic bloc that will unite Mercusor and the Andean Community.
The plan is to eliminate tariffs for non-sensitive products by 2014 and sensitive products by 2019.
At Cuzco, leaders had announced their intention to model the new community after the European Union including a common currency, parliament, and passport.
It is expected that the first Ministerial meeting will define the mechanics of the new entity. A constitution is also expected to be drafted.
The twelve community members are, from the Andean Community – Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela and from Mercusor – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The other countries include Chile, Guyana and Suriname.
Guyana and Suriname did not immediately join the community as they are members of CARICOM The details of how simultaneous SACN and CARICOM membership will be accomplished are still to be worked out.
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Consultancy firm suggests that BNTF project be shifted to different Friendship location- as construction forcibly halted by gunmen
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
The consultancy firm attached to a Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) project on the East Coast Demerara is suggesting that the project be shifted to another location due to works being forcibly halted by gunmen.
The project was being executed by Government through BNTF and involved the construction of a road, roadside drains and drainage structures at Yaya Roland Avenue, Friendship Middle Street, East Coast Demerara.
In a letter to Project Manager of BNTF, Davindra Jaglall, the Supervisor of the engineering and consultant company noted that on Friday April 1, workers on the site were ordered to stop the excavation of the carriageway and to remove the machine from within the street by men armed with guns.
The gunmen indicated that the construction of the specific section of the street would provide easy access to the area by the Police and as such, the construction would not be allowed.
The matter was subsequently raised with the Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and some residents ,according to the letter.
“ To avoid any aggravation of the present situation and to ensure that the community benefits from the grant, it is suggested that the project be shifted to the northern section of the Railway Embankment within the same street,” the letter further stated.
The company noted that should the shift be agreed to, the road design for the new section would be prepared. It was noted too that the contractor had ‘stockpiled in excess of 400 cubic yards of white sand on site, has excavated approximately four hundred feet of carriageway and has repaired all the pipe leaks within the excavated area’.
It was further stated in the letter that the excavated carriageway has not been refilled.
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Inmates graduate from music programme
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
Sixteen inmates from the Georgetown Prison graduated from the Prison’s Music Programme – levels I and II, on April 16. The graduation ceremony was held at the Prisons Chapel.
Some of the musical instruments the inmates used included the guitar, piano and keyboard. This programme was a collaborative effort between the Guyana Prisons Service (GPS) and Prison Fellowship Guyana (PFG).
The training of the inmates to play the instruments started in May last.
According to Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, this is just one of the rehabilitation programmes offered by the Guyana Prisons Service, in an effort to fulfill its statutory responsibility for retraining prisoners for re-integration into society.
Under the guidance of Principle Coordinator, Pastor Colin Caesar of the Prison Fellowship Guyana, the inmates are now versatile in playing musical instruments.
In attendance were members of the Prisons Rehabilitative Review Committee including Chairman Samuel Small who commended the inmates for their dedication and their willingness to learn.
This is the third batch of inmates to graduate from the programme, and according to Erskine, several other programmes are on stream for 2005. These include, the Sex Offenders' programme, designed for convicted and remand prisoners; an HIV/AIDS programme coordinated by a non-governmental organization, among others.
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Thank you Guyana! – Prime Minister Mitchell
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President Jagdeo visits GDF troops in Grenada
Georgetown, GINA, April 18, 2005
“I extend on behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, our deepest appreciation to the Government and people of Guyana for this enormous show of support they have given us in our greatest time of need …” were the sentiments expressed by Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell to President Bharrat Jagdeo today.
The Guyanese Head of State was in Grenada for a first hand look at the operations carried out in Grenada by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers to aid that island’s reconstruction following the devastation caused by hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was received at Point Salines Airport this morning by the Chief-of-Staff of the GDF Brigadier Edward Collins, Lt. Col. Bruce Lovell, who is in command of the GDF contingent in Grenada and Major Nazrul Hussein.
President Jagdeo and the GDF Officers then paid a courtesy call on the Grenadian Prime Minister, who was about to begin his Cabinet session for the week.
It was there that the Guyanese soldiers were showered with praise by the Prime Minister.
According to Mitchell, Guyana’s response to Grenada’s call following hurricane Ivan is remarkable, since it was unexpected that a High Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) would have any resources to share with another country. It is in this context, Dr. Mitchell pointed out, that Guyana is the country, which Grenadians believe has made the most sacrifice in helping them in the recovery process.
“If anything it (Guyana) requires, resources and for the President and entire country to have taken the initiative to provide the support they have given us, we must be eternally grateful for this,” the Grenadian Head of State declared.
President Jagdeo noted that Guyana’s status as a HIPC country has plagued it for sometime, but Guyana is a rich country in terms of resources, especially human resources.
“There was no issue whether we should help Grenada. We are committed to this Region and when brothers and sisters in this Region are affected we have to help. It was an easy decision and that is why we have had such a sustained presence here because we thought that this would take some time”
The Guyanese Head of State also announced that his country will be keeping its commitment made to Grenada prior to the flood to pay Grenada’s upcoming contribution to CARICOM.
“We will do that also in spite of the disaster we have had,” President Jagdeo said to the Prime Minister and the Grenadian Cabinet.
According to President Jagdeo if one part of the Region is affected, then the whole body is and it is for this reason that Guyana seeks to help.
“Therefore whatever little assistance we could have given to Grenada, it was done as giving to your brothers and sisters,” he said.
Guyana's joint response between Government and the private sector has seen the provision of humanitarian aid to Grenada by air and sea, the sensitisation of local Guyanese to the Government’s offer of repatriation and tangible assistance on Government’s part.
On September 10, twenty-six containers containing relief items from Guyana were sent to Grenada. The Guyana assistance also included taking up the $40M bill for sugar supplies, as well as the deployment of 100 GDF troops who are currently serving in Grenada.
Prime Minister Mitchell commended the work of the soldiers and President Jagdeo echoed similar commendation.
“I hope our soldiers have done well. We have had very good reviews of them,” he said.
He noted that whether the troops should remain in Grenada was questioned when Guyana faced its worst natural disaster – the flood.
“I said no. The commitment we made to Grenada would remain in tact. In spite of our difficulties we will maintain that commitment
Grenada also returned the sisterly/brotherly sentiments when the Grenadian community, as well as Guyanese in Grenada hosted fundraising activities for Guyana during the recent flood.
“There was tremendous support from the Grenadian community and it has a lot to do with how Guyana responded and the historical relationship between our two countries,” Prime Minister Mitchell said.
He also expressed wishes of a speedy recovery for Guyana from the impact of the flood. Prime Minister Mitchell expressed gratitude to President Jagdeo for his special visit to Grenada.
President Jagdeo was briefed about the GDF operations in Grenada during a site visit to the camp. He also interacted with the troops after addressing them. He later retuned to Guyana this evening.
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