Newly appointed Minister of Housing and Water meets with Region Six NDCs- outlines Ministry’s work programme for 2009
Georgetown, GINA, January 14, 2009
Newly appointed Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali, accompanied by several officials from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) along with Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday met with representatives of the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to outline the Ministry’s 2009 work programme and to garner feedback from the representatives as it relates to issues affecting the region.
Minister Ali told the NDCs that Government has invested approximately $1.5B over the last five years in infrastructural development for the region which includes roads and housing infrastructure.
He identified squatting as a major issue raising its head in Region Six
Approximately 22 squatting settlements in the Region are currently being regularized. These consist of 3,630 houselots of which approximately 2,835 (80 percent) have been regularized, approved and verified. About 800 houselots are to undergo regularization.
From Left: GWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Karan Singh, Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Region Six Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha, and new Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali during discussions with NDC representatives
“Squatting will be regularized to improve the living conditions of the people in the community…We are looking forward for more interventions from the Regional and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils to help us to enforce the regularization,” Minister Ali added.
Non-occupancy of houselots is a major challenge for the Ministry and he urged the representatives to encourage persons to take up their lots.
Minister Ali said his Ministry will be advertising for a tender at the end of January for the upgrading of roads in Fort Ordnance. Under the second phase of the Low Income Settlement programme (LIS) will include the supply of electricity.
A new housing policy is also being developed to improve the application process when persons are applying for houselots, the Minister stated
Chief Executive Officer, Central Housing and Planning Authority, Myrna Pitt who outlined the plans for the region said that roads will be paved during this year and vacant lots will be repossessed and redistributed.
NDC representatives, Region Six
She said since the Ministry has been investing huge sums of money over the years the administration cannot afford to continue to leave lots unoccupied in housing schemes.
“During this year also we will be finalizing in some cases the transfer of the schemes to enable us to pass individual titles and transports to our allottees. The hand over of the schemes is currently ongoing and we are doing it in a phased basis…We will be looking forward to the region working with us to ensure that those schemes are handed over and the NDCs can proceed in managing those schemes in accordance with the act,” the CEO said.
Meanwhile, representatives expressed concerns as it relates to water supply and leaks which are found within the distribution system in various areas across the region, among other infrastructural matters.
They were assured by GWI’s Chief Executive Officer Karan Singh and the Minister that the Ministry and GWI will look into the matter.
Minister Ali interacts with GWI representatives at the Port Mourant Treatment Plant
Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran while giving an update on the current health status of the areas which were affected by the accumulation of water said that threats to public health across all of the regions has been limited.
He noted that Region Six has shown no signs of increase of diseases but persons must continue to be cautious.
Due to the response from the population in protecting themselves and their children this has resulted in the decrease in the number of illnesses, Minister Ramsaran added.
Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali speaking with a resident of Fort Ordnance housing scheme. In photo is GWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Karan Singh
The Minister and team also inspected the New Amsterdam and Port Mourant water treatment plants and visited Glasgow, Fort Ordnance and Manchester Housing Schemes where the team interacted with residents and noted their concerns.
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GuySuCo interim board to start working February 14
Georgetown, GINA, January 14, 2009
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud today announced that it is now an appropriate time to make changes to the organisational structure of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), starting at the senior management level, in order to prepare the Corporation for the challenges ahead.
“The restructuring is about shaping the organisation into the most effective structure to enable management and employees to deliver the best possible results for the Corporation in the future,” he said at a press conference held in the Credentials room at the Office at the President.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and Cabinet have approved an interim board which is “mandated to develop and present to the shareholder, within one-month, a “Blueprint for Success” that will detail a set of strategies over the next 2-3 years, designed to turn-around GuySuCo. This process will require interactions with the new management and stakeholders, including the unions. Specialized skills will be sourced to carry out this effort,” Minister Persaud stated.
Members of the interim Board are: Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul as Chairman, Geeta Singh-Knights, Keith Burrowes, Dr. Rajendra Singh, Donald Ramotar, Jangbahadur Raghurai; and Errol Hanoman, an ex-officio member.
The strategies will be included into the current update of the business plan that the new board will review.
He noted that activities related to the development of the blueprint include; reviewing cost saving initiatives such as reduction of cost per hectare; improved cane production performance; the progress of the Chinese contractor on completing the tests on the new Skeldon sugar factory; tackling wastage and corruption; relocation of the head-office to Albion; effective implementation of the management reorganization; mechanization of operations; increased production and sale of packaged sugar.
The Minister explained that the key feature of the restructuring is the grouping of the eight estates into two regions; Demerara and Berbice. The Demerara Region comprises Enmore, LBI, Uitvlugt and Wales, while the Berbice Region includes Albion, Blairmont and Rose Hall.
The new management structure will see each region headed by a Regional Director who will report to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO). The Estate Manager will report directly to the Regional Directors while the Agriculture and Factory Managers will report to the Estate Manager. The Finance and Human Resource Managers will report to their respective Head Office Function. Skeldon will continue to operate independently, reporting to the DCEO.
“With effect from February 13, the current Chief Executive, Nick Jackson will end his stint in Guyana. I am advised that he will be taking up the position of Managing Director of the Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation, Swaziland, Southern Africa. Jackson's commitment and dedication to the organization has earned him the respect of many. I wish him success in his new appointment,” Minister Persaud said.
The Minister thanked the Chairman and members of the previous Board for their service and commitment.
Errol Hanoman will be appointed Chief Executive of GuySuCo from February 14 and will lead the new locally arranged management team.
Minister Persaud noted that an agreement has been reached with Booker Tate Ltd to replace the Corporate Management Agreement with a Technical Support Services Agreement. “This will involve required programmed visits by Specialists, as well as the provision of specific technical personnel to be based in Guyana as required.”
Booker Tate will also provide, on an ongoing basis, the required key skills that are difficult to attract directly by GuySuCo. The current management arrangement with Booker Tate will end on March 31.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon explained that while they are addressing these issues they are not new and that for a major portion of 2007 and 2008 the industry was assailed from many quarters.
He noted that the most grievous was the loss of the price that the preferential market provided by the European Union, “a loss that we characterise as unconscionable in our engagement with the EU and as 2008 progressed the falling production that can be attributed to significant abnormalities in weather patterns and inefficiencies and deficiencies in management.”
President Jagdeo has been “intimately involved in addressing these challenges as they arose and for us today, January 2009 it is the performance of the industry that remains the focus of our attention,” Dr. Luncheon said.
“Up to the time of his departure, the President was engaged in consultations with many scholars working to arrive at least at a preliminary plan of action with a clear understanding that there would be more to come. A turn-around plan so to speak that would be perfected within the shortest possible period of time, a task that would he entrusted on a short-term board and new faces in the management to start to work on the recovery of the industry,” the HPS said.
GuySuCo since 2004 has seen a steady decline in production with last year recording production of 226,227 tonnes. A number of factors have been cited as the cause for this situation during the past four years. Last year's situation was aggravated by the delay in the commissioning of the new Skeldon factory.
GuySuCo went through the year end with an overdraft of G$3.1B, however, financing has been secured through a combination of local banks and foreign sources. The Corporation is in the process of securing crop financing from the ING Bank for 2009.
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GPL working to restore electricity to Essequibo Coast residents
Georgetown, GINA, January 14, 2009
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is at present working to restore electricity supply to residents of the Essequibo Coast in Region Two who have been affected by prolonged power outages.
A release from the power company said that the problem was caused by contaminated fuel at the Anna Regina Power Station, which created mechanical problems on two Wartsila units.
Today GPL sent a technical team to the area for immediate repairs to the engine at the Anna Regina Power Station and is also investigating the circumstances leading to the fuel being contaminated.
The company said it has noted the concerns of the residents and is urging them to be patient as it works to return power supply to the Essequibo Coast.
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Paramakatoi receives first resident Doctor
Georgetown, Gina, January 14, 2008
Paramakatoi in Region Eight has received its first resident doctor through collaborative efforts between the Governments of Guyana and Cuba in an effort to improve access to and elevate the level of health care provided
Min. Bheri Ramsaran acquainting Dr Amaury Marce with villagers of Paramakatoi
Cuban Dr. Amaury. R. Marce is part of a team comprising Medex Winston Williams, Nurse and Midwife Matilda Saigo-Williams, Midwife Donette Martin, Community Health Worker and Microscopist Renta Paticio, Microscopist Patrick Kemfume and Datt Nagalla and Community Dental Therapist Jefferson Robin.
The community of approximately 800 villagers has a health centre that is equipped with medical supplies to combat illnesses that are peculiar to the area. Dr. Marce will conduct minor surgeries and provide general health care.
Pupils of Paramakatoi Primary School who turned out to welcome Dr. Amaury Marce
The present team of health professionals welcomed the doctor along with villagers, teachers and pupils of the Paramakatoi Primary School. Dr Marce was given a tour around the village and Medex Winston Williams expressed gratitude for the new addition to their team of health workers in Paramakatoi.
In picture from L-R are Toshao Noel Thomas, Nurse/Midwife Matilda Saigo Williams, Min Bheri Ramsaran and Medex Winston Williams
Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran who accompanied Dr. Marce to the village explained that not only Cuban doctors will be deployed around Guyana but Guyanese who are studying will receive the opportunity to serve in their homeland. He further pointed out that those students upon their return from Cuba will complete their internship at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) before being transferred to hospitals around the country.
Min. Bheri Ramsaran and team engaging in friendly conversation
Dr Ramsaran also informed that of the 18 medex who completed their training recently, 14 of those will perform duties in hinterland areas.
Accommodation for Dr. Marce is being provided by the Government of Guyana.
Dr. Marce greeting a villager in Paramakatoi
Dr Ramsaran told the Government Information Agency (GINA that the Government is continuing to train persons in the health field free of cost and noted the number of nurses being trained at present has notably increased. This will ensure trained professionals for the increasing numbers of health institutions which are being established.
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GuySuCo has to adapt to changes in weather pattern –Agri Minister
Georgetown, GINA, January 14, 2009
With the new interim board to be set up on February 14 to address the problems being faced by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud said that the company now has to adapt in terms of changing its cropping patterns, utilising technology and new techniques to deal with the weather factor.
The Minister in response to a question posed by a media operative at a press conference today explained that “opportunity days” have been declining consistently.
In 2004, 1990 mm of rainfall was recorded, but the figure increased significantly with over 3000 mm recorded in the sugar producing areas in 2008. This has resulted in a direct impact on the quality of canes and has affected its sucrose level.
Minister Persaud said that work has been done previously for the company to adapt to the weather and other factors. He cited that one of the things done to deal with the reduced opportunity days has been to engage in 24 hours of operations using flood lights since there is now less time to do the same amount of work.
“So it is about the company making changes, adjustments and adapting to these new realities…failure to recognise these constraints and not take action would certainly see the corporation remaining in its current state. The interim board and the new management will be gripped by this new reality,” the Minister stated.
The Minister assured that as part of the strategic plan workers will not be out of jobs and the mechanization process is to be phased up to 2013/2015.
“The industry itself does not attract the full complement of what it requires in labour. If you look at the turnout sometimes it is an average of 60 percent and around harvest time the estates say they have difficulties in attracting the full complement of harvesters and other skills that they require,” he noted.
Mechanization will also allow for adjustments as a result of the weather. It will realize benefits that include reducing cost, developing the packaging plant, and a long term - plan of a refinery.
Minister Persaud added that there will be opportunities for those persons who may want to retrain and the company will have to develop the types of tools in management for this purpose.
Addressing the concerns of declining cane harvest by private farmers, he said that
the National Cane Farmers Committee has been resuscitated.
“For the Skeldon project there is a deliberate plan to assist private cane farmers both in financing and support for the Skeldon factory. In fact 25 to 40 percent of the cane - 1.1 M tonnes required for that factory will have to come from the private cane farmers,” he said.
The interim board will also be responsible for providing more support to private cane farmers.
The production target for 2009 is approximately 290,000 tonnes; however, this may have to be reviewed because of the impact of rainfall.
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