Local Government Ministry training staff of RDC's, NDC's
Georgetown , GINA, August 19, 2005
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud said yesterday that the Ministry in collaboration with the Auditor General's and Accountant General's Offices have begun training staff from the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC's) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC's) around the country.
Persaud explained that on Wednesday last, training of staff from the Region Four (Demerara/ Mahaica) RDC was completed, while the other Regions have also completed training, except for Region Nine (Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo).
The RDC officials have been trained in HIV/AIDS, the Fiscal and Financial Management Acts, the Procurement Act and the roles and functions of Standing Committees.
Meanwhile NDC officials have been trained in discliplines including the preparation of financial statements for auditing, reconciliation of accounts, working with communities, personal management, HIV/AIDS and preparation of budget/project profiles.
Training of NDC's in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) will be ongoing from today, while training for those in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) was completed.
The Regions have been the venues for the training programmes.
TOP
Manual guiding the management of Sexually Transmitted Infections launched
Georgetown, GINA, August 19, 2005.
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Canadian Society of International Health (CSIH) has developed a manual that deals with an outlined strategy for the management of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
‘Guidelines for the Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Guyana’ was launched today at the Ministry of Health and is primarily for use by health care providers in Guyana who manage individuals with possible or proven STIs.
The guidelines follow those outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003.
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said the manual is consistent with the general obligation of the Ministry that all health programmes must be guided by policy, therefore, people must be trained in using the guidelines.
“STI has been among the major projects. In the laboratory testing, the sequence of diagnosis and treatment of STI. Now we are ensuring that there is assistance, since we have the manuals and all health workers will be trained,” Minister Ramsammy said.
Initial drafts of the manual were prepared by CSIH and were subsequently circulated and reviewed by several health agencies including the Ministry of Health and United States (US) Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Global AIDS Programme Guyana (CDC/GAP).
These guidelines form part of the Public Health Strengthening in Guyana project that is managed by the CSIH and is a project being executed by the Governments of Guyana and Canada.
It is being funded through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Minister Ramsammy also noted that the Ministry is proud to launch the manual since it will allow for the establishment of other such documents.
Previous manuals have been developed for use in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Home and Community Care.
The Minister pointed out that the Ministry of Health and other health organisations in Guyana have been working collaboratively towards a set goal.
“I am happy, that in Guyana all of our partners have been working with each other in the health sector, ” the minister said.
TOP
Government examining efficient use of power – conservation campaign on
GINA, Georgetown, August 18, 2005
Government has embarked on a conservation campaign in the face of all time high fuel prices, which continue to spiral upward.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manzoor Nadir is appealing to Guyanese to conserve on their fuel and power consumption in this time of crisis.
 “We are right now in a fuel crisis situation in terms of the high prices for fuel. What we have to address now in this crisis is the important issue of efficient use of power and fuel at our disposal.”
Recently, President Bharrat Jagdeo indicated that hydropower is the answer to the energy crisis now facing Guyana.
“We have to look at a programme to educate the Guyanese consumers about more efficient use of the fuel and power at their disposal,” Minister Nadir said, noting that the money to pay for these supplies has to come from somewhere.
Head of the Guyana Energy Authority (GEA), Joseph O’ Lall said the agency has established a committee to look at public awareness programmes for the next six-month, giving tips to consumers on power conservation.
“In the past, we had a little cartoon in the newspaper, Mr. Switch who gave little tips on how to conserve on fuel. We will re-institute that in the media to keep bombarding people how important it is to conserve on their electricity use.”
“We have to use foreign exchange that we must earn and if the economy and export earnings are not increasing at the same rate of the oil prices it means that the country will have to budget a larger percentage of its export earnings to meet the fuel bill,” Minister Nadir explained.
He said in the event that this occurs, the demand and price for foreign exchange will rise significantly, which will cause a ripple effect through the entire economy. This, Minister Nadir said, will translate to importing inflation.
“Some people might say we are getting a windfall tax but, Government has been cutting the consumption tax on a sliding scale and people are forgetting that Government is a large consumer of fuel for vehicles and driving of machinery. If we cut the tax more, we are increasing the gap between our expenses and our revenues- larger deficits,” emphasised Minister Nadir.
He said that Guyana’s fuel bill is about US$160M yearly, and the export earnings for the country is below US$500, a reflection that the fuel bill is about 30 percent of the country’s export earnings.
“This is not being alarmist, this is being realistic. Conservation and efficient use of the resources will be paramount now as another way of cushioning these very high and unprecedented levels of oil prices,” Nadir said.
O’ Lall said, “ in the past, the price for fuel was US$25 – $30 per barrel and even then the economy could hardly withstand that kind of prices. The general rise in price is due to international marketing and prices and that in turn has taken its effect by the insatiable demand of oil from both India and China.”
Gasoline prices have been moving steadily and took a sharp rise recently. Today the price per barrel of fuel is US$85 moving from US$69 dollars just a few days ago.
In the meantime, Guyana has a number of alternative energy schemes in the pipeline. The cogeneration facility at Skeldon Estate is expected to supply 10 megawatts to electricity consumers in the area.
Minster Nadir said Government has reduced the duty and consumption tax on solar systems to encourage people to go that route.
Also, construction work is also closing in on a wind farm at Good Hope on the East Coast of Demerara. Delta Caribbean NV is developing the farm.
O’ Lall said, “The wind project, scheduled to come on stream next year will be 10 mega watts of power coming into the national grid and it will be sold for eight cents per kilowatt hour. Right now, the bill we pay is about 28 and 32 cents per kilowatt-hour.”
TOP
Participation in youth camps this year on the increase - Minister Teixeira
Georgetown, GINA, August 19, 2005
Youth participation is camping activities for this year’s August school break has shown a tremendous increase and the number is rapidly increasing.
While launching the ‘Star Campers Camp’ at the Kuru Kuru College, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, yesterday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira told the participants that close to 6,000 students have been involved in youth camps so far.
She said that subsequently, the funding has also increased, but this does not allow government to fully support all the programmes related to camping.
“We can fully fund those activities, but the number of camps around the country will have to be reduced."
The Star Campers Camp will expose over 100 youths to a variety of learning experiences over a three-day period.
Minister Teixeira told participants drawn from the numerous youth camps currently ongoing across the country of the importance of camping as these provide activities for young people to develop themselves. She explained that they are so designed that they afford the students opportunities to make decisions independently.
The Camp, which started Wednesday last, will allow the participants to interact with their peers, giving them an opportunity to learn about each other’s customs and livelihood.
The campers said that they were excited when they were chosen by their clubs to represent their colleagues at the Kuru Kuru Camp noting that for one to be chosen to attend the camp, he/she must be disciplined and willing to learn.
One participant was high in praise for what she has learnt. “The camp has taught me leadership qualities, which will be of great benefit when I return to my camp.”
Every year, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport organises camps during the August school break to encourage children’s participation, to have them gainfully employed, either in sports or learning a skill.
This year, the Ministry, in collaboration with the Regional Officials organised camps in the administrative regions, except Region Nine. Camps were also held in Georgetown.
TOP
Government to meet bus operators on Monday
Georgetown, GINA, August 19, 2005
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir plans to meet operators of the private transportation services on Monday to arrive at a compromise on fares to be paid by consumers in light of escalating oil prices.
The Minister said that commuters should not pay higher prices until the Ministry has made a statement to this effect.
This escalation of prices over this week has been due to huge increases in prices on the last shipment of refined oil to Guyana.
The last consignment of gasoline, dieseline and kerosene were bought at a price of US$85, US$79.04 and 81.51 respectively on August 13.
This represents a sharp increase in the prices paid on shipments just days ago when prices were US$69.72, US$74.96 and 71.25 for gasoline, dieselene and kerosene respectively.
Meanwhile, fuel was being retailed at the state-owned, Guyoil Service Stations today at $813.7, $668.26 and $575.06 per gallon for gasoline, dieselene and kerosene respectively.
Over the years, Government has frequently intervened to cushion the impact of rising oil prices primarily by reducing the Consumption Tax. In May last, Consumption Tax on gasoline was reduced from 50 to 40 percent. At present no tax is levied on kerosene while for dieselene it is only 20 percent.
Rising fuel prices are due to increased demands from large economies such as India and China; the instability in the Middle East and the recent hurricane threats to the US refineries.
About five years ago crude oil price was US$10-US$12 per barrel. Today, prices have jumped beyond the US$60 per barrel mark.
In 1998, Guyana’s import bill for fuel was US$78,539,499. Since then it has risen steadily and figures now show that it is close to $US200,000,000.
Guyana’s fuel import bill represents about 25 percent of its current Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
TOP
| 