Berbice Bridge toll more cost effective than using Ferry service-President Jagdeo
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2009
President Bharrat Jagdeo during a press conference on January 7 explained to media personnel that the tolls for the Berbice Bridge are fair and less costly when compared to the ferry service.
Using a practical example, he explained thus: “Let’s say you have 10 persons in a minibus and that is 10 times $60, totals to $600 and you add that to the $800 cost for crossing by ferry, a total of $1,400. You had to pay $2,800 in the past you would now have to pay $2,200.”
Some persons have expressed dissatisfaction at the toll structure for the Berbice Bridge saying that it is too expensive.
The President said that they had to make sure that the rates are kept low on public transport and private cars. He noted that investors have to get a return on their investment.
He called for people to be reasonable and supportive of this initiative. President Jagdeo said that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Government, has about 35 percent investment in the bridge and highlighted that they have decided not to take any return from their investment just to keep the fares down.
When asked by a media operative if it was really fair to compare the ferry to the bridge, given some of the difficulties with the ferry, the President pointed out that, “if you cross four times per day, and if you earn $4,000 per day, you lose $2,000 because you work eight hours a day. If you make $4,000 per day you lose $2,000 just waiting and if you have four people in the vehicle or 10 people in the minibus that’s $2,000 times $10, that’s $20,000 of lost time.”
He noted that most people are happy over the bridge which was built through a Public Private Partnership at a cost of about US$40M.
“This is people’s money. They can invest this money elsewhere, but they put in a service that saves you $20,000 of lost time if you are in a minibus. In the USA, you have millions of people using bridges, you have people paying $5 sometimes $6 to cross a bridge and they have the volume. It costs the same to build a bridge over the river but if you have a million people using it rather than 10000 you would recognize there is a big difference in how much you would pay and earn from these structures,” President Jagdeo highlighted.
He urged persons that instead of looking at the physical appearance of the structure, to look at the improvement in the quality of life for people.
The Berbice Bridge is a dream come through for many Guyanese especially Bebicians. It serves as an essential link to Regions Five and Six, facilitating the easy movement of goods and services. The bridge is expected to stimulate more economic activities in the region and across the country.
It was commissioned on December 23 by President Jagdeo and witnessed by thousands of Guyanese who had long waited to see this dream materialise.
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National Opthalmology Centre to begin operations by April
-medical equipment being installed
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2008
Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran said that equipment for the National Opthalmology Centre at Port Mourant, Berbice is currently being installed in preparation for medical teams to begin conducting eye surgeries.
The Minister told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the facility is expected to begin operation in approximately four months and that adjustments are being made to the ceiling to accommodate heavy, expensive microscopes.
Dr. Ramsaran said this major investment would be a turn around in the health of the Guyanese people and will build on other programmes in the area of eye care.
He said the centre will provide approximately 10,000 surgeries per year including cataract, retinosis pigmentosa among other eye diseases.
The centre, the Minister said will be staffed with 40 Cuban medical personnel including: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrators and bio-medical technicians.
A team is already in Guyana and has been deployed to conduct works on the centre. These are bio-medical engineers and technicians, he added.
In the meantime, the Minister noted that five eye care surgeons are in the country engaged in screening of persons for the Mission Miracle Programme at the Diagnostic and Treatment centres while finishing touches and installation of equipment is being completed at the Opthalmology Centre. The centre is constructed to accommodate 75 in-patients
“While the Port Mourant Centre is being developed, persons needing eye care especially in the area of cataract are screened right across the country and sent to Cuba for surgery,” the Minister stated.
Recently, 52 patients returned from the 75th Mission Miracle flight to Cuba where they underwent surgeries for cataract, retinosis pigmentosa and diabetic retinopathy among other eye ailments.
The Ophthalmology Centre is one of several projects under the Guyana/Cuba collaboration programme initiated by President Jagdeo in 2006, which also includes four diagnostic centres at Diamond, Suddie, Mahaicony and Leonora.
The centre will conduct many types of eye surgeries and this will replace the current arrangement which requires that Guyanese patients be transported to Cuba for specialized eye care.
Cuban medical personnel will initially serve at the Centre and these will be replaced by Cuban-trained Guyanese eye specialists upon completion of their medical training in Cuba.
The Port Mourant Hospital has been upgraded to accommodate this $140M centre.
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No records available to show permits for supply of goods to Jonestown – Minister Singh
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2009
Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh told the National Assembly today that no records are available at present to show by which means permission was granted for the importation of goods and supplies, including arms, ammunition and poison to the Jonestown settlement in the North West district, Region One.
Minister Singh was at the time responding to questions asked by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) Member of Parliament Harripersaud Nokta as to whether any such permission was granted without being scrutinised by customs or revenue authorities.
The Jonestown saga is now popularly known in many parts of the world. Questions are being asked in Parliament about the establishment of the People’s Temple of the Disciples of Christ (People’s Temple) headed by Reverend Jim Jones in a remote location in Port Kaituma, Region One.
Reverend Jones was blamed for the mass killing of over 900 of his followers who were forced to commit suicide by ingesting cyanide. United States Congressman Leo Ryan who visited Jonestown on November 18, 1978 was also assassinated. November 2008 marked the 30th Anniversary of the Jonestown event.
During the December 22, 2008 sitting of the National Assembly, several questions were posed by the ruling party to ascertain the circumstances that led to the establishment of the People’s Temple. These include the amount of weapons available to the People’s Temple and if licences were issued to its members and the immigration status of the United States citizens in Guyana.
It was highlighted that there were no records to indicate how many Guyanese were killed in the massacre, if any children were born to members of the organization while they were in Guyana of if any other Guyanese were killed, the discrepancy in the number of passports found compared to the number of bodies and what had become of the nearly US$1M in cash and jewellery recovered from the settlement after the massacre
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Beehive, Dochfour residents satisfied with work of NDIA
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2009
Residents at Beehive and Duchfour, East Coast Demerara yesterday said that the drainage and irrigation strategies that were implemented by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are working well.
These statements came in light of reports being carried in the press that these areas were not receiving any relief and no assistance was given to them.
According to Beehive resident, Robert Khandai, since the outfall for the koker was dug, there has been excellent flow of water. He also added that the pump was working well since several inches of water were drained from his land.
Residents also noted that the negligence of some private estate owners to ensure proper drainage and irrigation contributed to the present situation in Beehive. Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud on a recent visit was also told about this situation.
On the issue of assistance being given to residents that were affected, Nelawattie Khemraj of Beehive said that a medical team had visited the area and provided medical supplies.
In the Dochfour area, Nazam Ali, a resident said that he was satisfied with the pumps that were brought in since they had helped to remove the water from the land. According to him the situation would have been worse but the land was now dry.
Since the area had been affected by heavy rainfall over the weekend, two tractor pumps were reinstalled in the area by the NDIA. Residents had expressed the view that the rains were causing the water to accumulate on the land. According to them, the pumps had helped the situation.
Another resident, Nazim Ali also shared similar sentiments and added that the government is trying its best to keep the situation under control.
Jamella Mohamed, a resident stated that the medical team had visited the area three times and had given out medications for cold, cough, diarrhoea, itching and other medical supplies.
Yesterday, medical teams were also deployed to areas such as Buxton, Better Hope, Nootenzuil, Courbane Park, La Bonne Intention and Agricola.
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