Special fund for Ogle Aerodrome and Hope Estate roads upgrade
Georgetown, GINA, August 15, 2005.
Government has provided approximately $8M under a special fund to execute emergency repairs to the Ogle Aerodrome and Hope Estate roads on the East Coast Demerara. These main access roads have been constantly deteriorating, due to increased vehicular traffic.
The Ministry of Public Works and Communication over the weekend undertook repairs to sections of the access road leading to the Ogle Airport.
During a visit to the Ogle Airport in June, President Bharrat Jagdeo had requested that the Ogle Airport Incorporated formulate a design for the construction of the access road, promising that government will seek funding for it.
This is in keeping with the Ogle Expansion project’s second phase, which will entail the development of the surroundings leading to the airport.
Road Maintenance Superintendent attached to the Ministry of Public Works Lloyd Rawlins said the work at Ogle that costs $3.7M started on Saturday, August 13 and repairs to the Hope Estate road, to cost $4M, are scheduled to begin today.
Meanwhile, under the Road Maintenance Programme 2005, works were completed on King Street, Georgetown.
Repairs to Mandela Avenue, Georgetown were recently finished at a cost of $1M and that entailed clearing of the road shoulders and maintenance of drainage in the area.
Government has a number of road projects ongoing countrywide as it continues the drive to improve infrastructure.
TOP
Mahaicony celebrates second annual ‘Village-Day’
Georgetown , GINA August 15, 2005
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said even though Guyana has been tremendously developed over the past few years, there is much more to be done to further strengthen its economy and social systems.
He made the comment on Saturday last while delivering an address at the second annual Mahaicony ‘Village Day’, at the Mahaicony Community Centre Ground, Mahaicony, Region Five.
 The Prime Minister noted that Guyana may not be economically attuned with the developed countries and this can be attributed to a number of setbacks which includes being an emerging democracy, and the fact that our economic resources were plundered to assist in building the economies of our former colonist masters.
He said it is therefore, the responsibility of citizens to work harder together to attain a level of social and economic stability that makes us compatible with our first world counterparts.
Prime Minister Hinds who also hails from Mahaicony noted the volume of developments in the community over the past decade. “In my day you had to wake up at 4:30am and catch the train to get to a school all the way in Georgetown.”
He observed that the community has been significantly developed since, and persons no longer have to leave the district to access education. It was noted also that Mahaicony produced several prominent sports figures, medical personnel and academics including the Honourable Prime Minister.
Several outstanding persons were honoured at the celebration including Guyana’s former boxing champion Terrence Alli, The Prime Minister and the Leader of the main parliamentary opposition, Robert Corbin.
The event also featured a number of exhibition booths in the areas of health, agriculture, and traditional foods. There were also sporting activities including domino competitions, cricket, basketball and a cycle race to mark the event
TOP
Persaud represents Guyana at meeting of OAS Government spokespersons
Georgetown , GINA, August 15, 2005
Information Liaison to the President and Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA) Robert Persaud left yesterday to represent the Government of Guyana at the Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the Members of the Organization of American States (OAS).
 Persaud's participation follows an invitation by the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, who indicated that the ultimate goal of the meeting is to enhance the ability of communicators to face the communication challenges of the 21 st Century, by exchanging information and experiences, promoting dialogue and creating a network of prominent individuals from the public information sectors.
The seminar, Insulza said, is pursuant of the mandate of the Nuevo Leon Declaration issued at the Special Summit in Monterrey in January 2004 that "access to existing and emerging information and communications technology has an increasingly significant impact of the lives of individuals and offers important opportunities for democratic development, and that the media has an important role to play in promoting a democratic culture."
The Meeting of Government Spokespersons of the Member States of the OAS is a joint effort of the OAS and the Chilean Government, with the objective of bringing together the spokesperson of the 34 OAS members States during a two-day colloquium at several round table discussions relating to public information of the Americas.
It will be held at the European Commission for Latin American Countries' (ECLAC) Headquarters, Santiago, Chile. Registration begins tomorrow, Tuesday August 16, while the inaugural ceremony gets underway on Wednesday, August 17 with Chile's President Ricardo Lagos addressing the delegates.
At the Inaugural Ceremony the welcome will be delivered by José Luis Machinea, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC, while the Minister Secretary General of the Government of Chile, Osvaldo Puccio and the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza will deliver remarks.
On the agenda of this meeting is the issue of Transparency and Access to Public Information in the Hemisphere, which will feature discussions on:
- Legislative Experiences to Facilitate Access to Information
Chilean Case: José Antonio Viera Gallo, Senator of the Republic of Chile
Mexican Case: Angel Trinidad, Executive Secretary, IFAI
- Civil Society Participation in Legislative Reforms
Roberto Saba, Association for Civil Rights, Argentina
- The Role of the Media in the Enactment of Laws
Kela León, Director, Peruvian Press Council
Moderator: Eduardo Bertoni, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Also on the first day's agenda is "Reporting Risks." This includes discussions on Threats to Journalists and the Media to be presented by Gonzalo Marroquín, President of the Freedom of Expression Commission, Inter-American Press Association, Protection of Sources and Journalism quality, ethics and democracy by John Dinges, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University.
The discussions continue on Thursday on "Dissemination of the Central Themes Related to the Strengthening of Democracy in the Hemisphere."
At this session, discussion will be held on Human Rights, which will be addressed by Santiago Cantón, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Combating Poverty and Millennium Development Goals by A licia Bárcena, Assistant Executive Secretary, ECLAC, Gender and Governance by Sonia Montaño, Chief Gender Unit, ECLAC and Protection of National Security and Public Order by Eliézer Rizzo, Professor, Campinas State University (UNICAMP).
Another issue on the agenda for discussion is the fourth Summit of the Americas, on which several Persons will speak, including Leonardo Franco, Under Secretary for Latin American Policy and Assistant Summit Coordinator, Argentina and Carlos Portales, Director General of the Chilean Foreign Ministry and National Coordinator for the Summits of the Americas
The Meeting wraps up with a media conference at which José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General, Osvaldo Puccio, Minister Secretary General of the Government of Chile, Leonardo Franco, Under-Secretary for Latin American Policy and Assistant Summit Coordinator, Argentina and Representative of the Spokespersons will be present.
TOP
Business owners need to ‘beef up’ internal security – Minister Teixeira
Georgetown, GINA, August 15, 2005
Minister of Home Affairs, Gail Teixeira is cognizant of the spate of robberies that has been occurring over the past few weeks, targeting businesses that are foreseen by criminal elements to be vulnerable.
 “Business communities cannot expect the Police to deal with all these issues - they have to invest,” stressed the Minister.
“The President has made it clear that he is willing to assist in terms of duty free concession for them to enhance their security capacity.”
The Minister said that she is yet to receive a request from businesses for duty free concession for high technology surveillance equipment, but she is sure that they are reassessing their own security weaknesses internally.
“You cannot say, there would not be any crime, but what you have to do is to make it difficult for criminals,” said the Minister.
For crime to be prevented or reduced, Minister Teixeira feels it is imperative that all parties come on board. She is pleased with the proactive approach of the Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix in seeking the involvement of these parties.
This includes recent meetings with the business community in which Minister Teixeira was also an active participant.
TOP
Tenders to be out soon for water treatment plants
Georgetown, GINA, August 15, 2005.
The designs for the construction of Water Treatment facilities under a major potable water supply project are currently ongoing and it is expected that by September, the tenders would be out.
 Minister of Housing and Water, Shaik Baksh said the US $11.3M project would benefit approximately 40 000 people in identified areas.
It targets a population of 15 000 at Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), 15 000 in areas between Tuschen and Parika, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and another 10 000 in the Rosignol area, West Coast Berbice.
The project is being funded by a grant approved by the World Bank and entails the construction of Water Treatments Plants and upgrading of major transmission and distribution lines in the targeted areas.
This project is an initiative of the Government and the feasibility studies were completed just over a year ago, Minister Baksh said.
This project also includes another aspect that caters for the upgrading of the services offered by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which would reach out to several other low income areas.
“The objective is to bring treated water to a larger percentage of the population and it is part of the strategy plan of GWI,” Minister Baksh said.
The Water Supply Strategy Plan which is currently being implemented aims at the continuous improvement of water supply distribution over the next five years.
Providing potable water for its citizens has been one of the major goals of this administration.
To make this possible Water Treatment Plants were constructed at La Bonne Intention and Mon Repos on the East Coast Demerara, New Amsterdam and Rose Hall in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, Eccles, East Bank Demerara and Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni).
TOP
Youths and students represent Guyana well at Festival
Participants from various countries including Guyana, preparing for the opening ceremony of the 16 th World Youth Festival in Caracas, Venezuela on August 8, 2005 (A GINA/Tariq Mohamed photo)
Georgetown, GINA, August 15, 2005
The Guyanese delegation of youths and students, some of whom are still in Venezuela taking part in the 16 th World Youth Festival in Caracas, have represented Guyana successfully
The opening ceremony of the festival held under the theme " For peace and Solidarity, we stand against imperialism and war" was scheduled to begin on August 07 and conclude on August 15, but began a day later due in part to the large number of countries participating in the festival and delays in the arrival of some countries' delegations.
Guyana's contingent, consisting of various youths groups was assisted with finances for airfare and accommodation to attend the festival by President Bharrat Jagdeo.
Members of Guyana’s delegation gathered to meet with their groups leaders on the Panorama Ferry before they disembark in Venezuela for the 16 th World Festival of youths and students
Among those representing Guyana were the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), the Youth and Student Movement (YSM), the Walter Rodney Youth Movement and the Volunteer Youth Corps.
More than 100 countries participated in the festival which involved contingents from Europe, Australia, South Africa and South America.
A number of countries paraded into the arena of the festival during the opening ceremony waving their countries' flags along with that of Venezuela to express their solidarity with the country.
Taking the march past was Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. Mr. Chavez also addressed the opening of the festival.
The Fuerte Tiuna, Parque Central, Teatro Teresa Carreno, Poliedro de Caracas and Plaza de los Museos were all transformed into a hub of activities as participants numbering more than 30,000 gathered to display their countries' culture through music, craft and dance displays during the days following the opening ceremony.
At an exhibition at the Hilton Caracas Hotel, Guyanese representatives ensured that a booth was set up to showcase Guyana.
The materials included flags, T-shirts and mementos, booklets and magazines on the tourism industry as well as video shows.
Attending the festival was Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud as well as Guyana's Ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Odeen Ishmael.
A member of Guyana’s delegation distributing information on Guyana, via booklets and magazines, to an interested participant at an exhibition at the Hilton Caracas Hotel during the 16 th World Youth Festival. Also in photo is Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela Dr. Odeen Ishmael (centre).
Dr. Ishmael noted that the festival especially gave young people of Guyana an opportunity to meet and interact with each other.
"By being here, the young people get to understand about people from other parts of the world and they leave here after a week or so making new friends. These friendships sometimes last a long time," the Ambassador contended.
The Ambassador pointed out that Guyana was well-represented at the festival despite some hiccups encountered by its delegation, as well as others in the country.
Meanwhile, Hussain Majeed of the PYO, and one of the co-ordinators in Guyana's delegation, said that the youths also took part in another event at the festival titled "Night of the Caribbean" on Saturday evening last, while a number of participants were able to visit various universities in the country and participate in different workshops and seminars. Some were also involved in tours of different parts of Venezuela.
Organisers of the festival in Venezuela had expected that the festival would have been attended by just over 15,000 delegates according to advertisements in the country on the event. Hiccups in accommodation arrangements by the host country highlighted that the organisers did not expect more than double the participants from around the world taking part.
The festival is to conclude on August 15 and some members of the delegation are expected to return to Guyana on August 18, while some will return on August 21.
TOP
| 