Archives for May 15, 2016
Indian women emerging into modernity
May 15, 2016 By
Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community. – Greg Mortenson
In my last three articles I described the transplantation of Indians in general and women in particular from India to Guyana as indentured labourers. I described how the disparity between the numbers of men and women brought over – three men to every woman – helped to break down caste and even religious barriers between the immigrants.
It also offered the possibility of economic equality between the genders since all the women who came had to work in the cane fields like the men. As I showed, also, it was women who also played a major role in gradually freeing Indians from being “bound” to the sugar plantations by cultivating the land they received in exchange of their return passage. They “minded” the cows, planted and harvested the rice, and cultivated and “huckstered” the vegetables.
However, what is striking about the condition of the Indian woman 99 years after Indentureship was ended (1917) is re-creation of so many of the social structures in which women in general were forced in “subaltern” or lower status roles as compared to men. What happened? Even though he is not a Marxist, one of my father’s favourite expressions is by that gentleman, which sheds some light: “Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living.”
What then were the “circumstances” apart from the ones described that has led to the present status of women in the Indian community? First and foremost was the premise of the managers of the sugar plantations that only men were suitable for leadership. While the “slave driver” – head of the gangs that performed field labour – was changed to the Hindi “sardar” meaning “leader”, and commonly pronounced “Sadaar” by the immigrants, the position was still generally given to men. There were few “sardarins”.
While women and children were also entitled to receiving land in exchange for their return passage to India, and on the books there was a law that these had to be registered in their names, in practice the land was controlled by their husbands since the plantation managers would only deal with them.
Later when loans were granted by the plantations for houses to be built so that the Indians could move out of the logees, the loans were granted to the men. In my village of Uitvlugt, there is no instance of any woman being given a housing loan.
Another major reason for the disparity in gender status was the lack of educational opportunities for the Indian children, but moreso for girls. The Compulsory Education Ordinance was passed in 1876 by which children under nine had to attend school. But this was to be accomplished by the various Christian denominations and not by founding of schools run by Hindus or Muslims who may have been qualified in their language of Hindi/Urdu and certainly learned in their religion.
Both Hindus and Muslims therefore saw “education” as a means to convert their children, just as the Missionaries tried to convert them. It was only just before Guyana achieved Independence that “government” schools were removed from the control of the Christian denominations. Because the Indians kept their children out of the Christian schools, most of them went into the cane fields into the “Creole” gang and this suited the planters.
In 1904 the Governor, Sir James Swettenham, issued a Circular which in effect exempted Indian children, attending school if their parents objected on “religious grounds”. While even though as late as 1933 when the “Swettenham Circular” was withdrawn, only 19% of Indian children had a primary education, very few were girls. In “protecting” their girl children, the Indian parents unwittingly conspired to not equip them for the new world evolving.
We need to have a levelled playing field
May 15, 2016 By
Dear Sir,
Minister Patterson has kindly undertaken a review of the lease between the Government of Guyana and Ogle Airport Inc (OAI) which would be instructive.
The National Air Transport Association (NATA) is appreciative of Minister Patterson’s effort after their collective experiences of unjust and unfair treatment by OAI were brought to his attention.
The Government, in good faith, leased 450 acres of state land to OAI to develop and manage “in an equitable and fair manner” but this has not been the case.
Erosion of the governance of the airport by an imbalance in the board of OAI coincided with the manipulations of its chairman who after establishing a board that would endorse his policies, then turned his attention to land use as an anti-competitive tool. A Land Committee comprised of his sibling and two other directors affiliated to his group of companies was set up. Upon learning of this committee and being fully aware of the obvious ramifications on the other domestic Guyanese aircraft operators, I pleaded for representation and was bluntly refused.
With no consultation whatsoever with any of the aircraft operators, not represented on the OAI board, this land committee then drafted the most draconian new land lease.
Some of the untenable recommendations were increased land-lease charges, insurance requirements by leases that also the leasers (OAI), initial payments which in some cases were several tens of millions of dollars to be used “as necessary” by the leasers (OAI), the leaser’s (OAI) right to repossess the lessees facility with no arbitration considerations, etc.
What is instructive is the land committee, whilst penalising new leasees, deliberately turned a blind eye to the rampant land speculation by some companies including subsidiaries of the Correia Group who had leased land at the airport since 2013, with the clear condition to develop within three years. These remain undeveloped in 2016.
The lawyers of the Correia Group of Companies are also the lawyers for OAI and the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana. That they would approve such predatory conditionalities by the land committee, when they are aware that it was exactly such anti-competitive behaviour that had caused a complaint to be filed against OAI to the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission(CCAC) in 2013, is shocking.
The lawyers for NATA’s members, upon review of the initial document, advised their clients that if they signed it in its present state they would in effect be “signing their death warrant”. They provided recommendations to the Chairman but seven months later the much needed protection remain outstanding.
The most recent assault by a member of this land committee is an attempt to allocate blame where it does not lie. One of the new leasees was written to and the letter inferred that he was on the OAI board he had in essence approved of the work of the land committee. OAI’s practice has been to create documentation when they need it to defend inappropriate behaviour and to restrict access to it when it is needed to expose same. For example, despite the two independent directors, requesting a copy of the land-lease register since 2013 has not been provided.
When the government leased 450 acres of state land to OAI the investors were committed to the genuine development of this public utility. It was unimaginable that land would ever be used as an anti-competitive tool which has been the case.
OAI’s land-use policy, which should have catered for the contiguous development of the aircraft operators, was singularly myopic as they did exactly the opposite.
With no consideration whatsoever to the logistical and safety considerations to an aircraft operator being forced to manage their operations from several sites at the airport, they used land allocation as an anticompetitive tool.
Companies perceived by the chairman to be a threat to his own aviation interests were made to and continue to suffer the most.
The Correia Mining Company (CMC) has its offices next to the Trans Guyana Airways, the owner of large amounts of undeveloped land directly behind both companies. This mining company was leased all the land directly behind Air Services Limited, on the opposite side of the airport, for its use as a car park and container storage.
Land leased to companies with aircraft, which should have been developed within clear timelines, were allowed to retain their leases, and in some instances OAI has acted as the broker to have the small operators, who cannot afford land, become tenants to the delinquent landlord.
These and many more severe discriminatory actions by OAI resulted in the government writing OAI in 2011 to advise that any land allocation at Ogle Airport received the no-objection of Cabinet.
NATA would be grateful for this government’s attention to this distressing situation as we need to have a levelled playing field.
Respectfully
Annette Arjoon-
Martins
NATA President
Public Service Reform
May 15, 2016 By
On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of our achievement of Independence from Britain, it is somewhat serendipitous that a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was established “to inquire into, report on and make recommendations on the role, functions, recruitment process, remuneration, conditions and other matters pertaining to the personnel employed in the Guyana Public Service.”
The members of the Commission were Professor Harold Lutchman, who had written a history of the Civil Service, Sandra Jones a management consultant, and Samuel Goolsarran a member of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry.
The CoI began hearings last September and submitted its report to the Ministry of the Presidency last week. The serendipity arises because of the eve of independence there was also an investigation into the Public Service.
During the tumultuous years of civil riots and unrest preceding independence, the PPP had consistently called for the British to conduct an enquiry into the ethnic imbalances in the police and Volunteer Forces, but these were brushed aside by the PNC after they acceded to power.
However, the British insisted and Burnham finally agreed to an investigation by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) to investigate the PPP’s claim. The PNC-UF government however, unilaterally expanded the CoI’s terms of reference to include the civil service, government agencies, the allocation of lands on land development schemes, and other areas of government responsibility.
With specific reference to the Civil Service, the ICJ commission which took submissions in 1965, was instructed “to consider existing procedures relating to the selection, appointment, promotion, dismissal and conditions of service of personnel are such as to encourage or lead to racial discrimination in the areas concerned; to make such recommendations as are considered necessary to correct any such procedures with a view to the elimination of imbalance based on racial discrimination having regard to the need to maintain the efficiency of the services concerned and the public interest.”
Interestingly enough, the PPP was incensed by the PNC’s including the composition of the Civil Service , which even though also racially imbalanced, was not felt to be as strategically important as the police and armed forces in the maintenance of political power. By this time the British had formed the nucleus of a future army for the country – the Special Services Unit (SSU) equally balanced between African and Indian Guyanese. The British Governor had no problem with recruiting the requisite number of Indians. The PPP, however, boycotted the sittings of the ICJ’s hearings.
The ICJ highlighted Indian sentiment on their desire to enter the Civil Service which was seen as the epitome of “success” in the society at large, since it positioned citizens closest to the occupants of power positions. Their Report stated: “It may be said that the existence of a “racial problem” in British Guiana came to be noticed as a political factor about the year 1950. By then some Africans had begun to fear that if the Indian economic and social progress continued it would menace the advancement they had made. The Indians, on the other hand, felt that their newly-found desire to enter public services, such as the Civil Service and the police, was being thwarted by the fact that the Africans were already predominant in those services and that the conditions of entry were restrictive or discriminatory. These fears have to be viewed against the background of an economy which was not sufficiently buoyant or expansionist to allay fears of economic insecurity.”
In the waning days of the Jagdeo administration there were charges made via a private court action that the PPP had “discriminated” against African Guyanese in the Public Service, and these charges figured prominently during the last elections campaign. It is hoped the present CoI has touched on this matter of “racial/ethnic imbalances” in the Public Services, much as the Disciplined Forces Commission in 2004 echoed the ICJ in their recommendations on “balancing” the Armed Forces.
Hinds on course to retain Independence 3-stage title
May 15, 2016 By
Orville Hinds seem on course to retain his Independence three-stage cycle road race title after the completion
of two stages.
The Team Gillette Evolution rider won the first stage and came second in the second stage but will be heading into the final stage today as the overall leader.
Anguillan cyclist Hercules Joseph was strongest to the finish in taking the second stage of the 34th Annual Independence 3 stage cycle meet. The stage which measured approximately 60 miles raced off at 14:30 Hrs from Stelling Road, Rosignol and concluded at Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown saw Joseph outsprinting Lindener and first stage winner Orville Hinds to the finish line.
Joseph riding out of team Double Trouble crossed the line at 2 hours 34 minutes and 39 seconds after an exciting sprint battle with Team Evolution Hinds who also finished with the identical time. Raul Lear, also of team Evolution crossed the line third.
Team Double Trouble, Anguilla most successful cycling team are in good condition have currently won all seven of their local cycle meet of 2016.
On a sunny afternoon with blistering heat the cyclist welcomed the strong winds of the coastlands in what may be considered a slow ride saw few getaways with the main peloton quickly pulling in everyone that made such attempts. Mario “Pigeon” King experienced the largest lead on the peloton, opening up a lead of about 3 minutes after jumping the main pack just after an hour into the race.
Overall leader Orville Hinds and fellow Team Evolution teammate Marlon “Fishy” Williams were among the harder workers having to dig deep to rejoin the Peloton after both experiencing punctures on separate occasions. The overall quality of Team Evolution was on show with their ability to knowledgeably assess situations and quickly assist teammates in trouble.
Speaking to Guyana Times Sport Joseph explained that the course was a little difficult due to this being his first time in Guyana and experiencing the flat nature of the course. He also mentioned that he was no longer affected by the “little tightness” in his legs obtained due to his recent participation at a cycle meet in Guadeloupe that gave him a minor bother in the first stage.
However, winning the first stage was vital for Orville Hinds who is aiming to retain his title.
Orville Hinds and Team Evolution continued their dominance in Guyana cycling by claiming the first stage which rode off from Corriverton to New Amsterdam, covering an approximate distance of 46 miles of East Berbice roadways.
When the riders were sent on their way Team Coco’s Junior Niles who is a seasoned campaigner and upcoming cycling champion Andrew Hicks took the early lead. Aided by a very strong Corentyne breeze, the two maintained the lead for the first 15 miles and initially opened the gap on the platoon of about 800 meters. Defending champion Hinds, did not challenge Niles initially rather, waited on his team mates while Niles and Hicks kept moving ahead. However, Hinds found company in Teammate Michael Anthony and Linden rider Jornel Crawford and together the trio pedaled in the two front runners. The five supported each other to ensure they were going to be the first across the finish line at Main and Alexander Streets in New Amsterdam.
With five miles remaining to the finish, Anthony came off of his seat and forced the others to follow with Hicks unable maintain the blistering pace. Crawford endured the challenge for the next two miles then gave it up, allowing the remaining three to challenge for top finishes. Hinds was the first to cross the finish line in a time of 1 hour 41 minutes and 14 seconds. He was followed closely by Anthony and Niles. For Hinds, winning the stage was the first step in retaining the title he won in 2015.
“It was a great challenge; we have a good strong team so we are just looking to defend right now. I think we can pull this off…I feel good, good health, I think I can win this” were the words of Hinds after crossing the finish line. He said he is confident of winning the overall race having just competed in a five-stage race in French Guiana where he also won a stage.
The first stage was a tough one for him because of the lack of team support from Team Gillette Evolution at the top of the race. In second was Michael Anthony followed by Junior Niles, Marlon Williams and Shaquille Agard.
Orville Hinds with the time of 4H:15M:36S is the overall leader heading into the final stage which starts tomorrow in Linden at 8 hours and concludes on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown at approximately 10 hours 30. Rounding off the top five in the exact order are Michael Anthony (Evolution) 4:16:05, Junior Niles (Coco) 4:17:25, Marlon Williams (Evolution) 4:17:26 and Shaquille Agard (LBF) 4:17:29.
Citizens Bank records $440M profit
May 15, 2016 By
Citizens Bank Guyana Inc has recorded a $440.8M after taxed profit for the first six months of 2016 finanical
year.
According to the Bank’s Interim Report for six months ending March 31, 2016, taxed profits amounted to $440.8 million compared to $459.3 million for the corresponding period in 2015. Citizens Bank is a 51 per cent owned subsidiary of Banks DIH Limited.
Meanwhile, the interest income for the six-month period was $1.6 billion, while interest expense was $343.0 million, resulting in a net interest income of $1.2 billion, which is the same as what was recorded for the same period last year. Other income, the Interim Report detailed, was $206.2 million resulting in a surplus before Non-Interest Expenses of $1.4 billion, the same as the corresponding period last year.
Furthermore, it was outlined that operating expenses were pegged at $621.6 million compared to $562.0 million for the corresponding period in 2015. Inflationary increases in goods and services were the major contributors to the increase in operating expenses.
Additionally, Citizens Bank’s earnings per share for the six-month period were $7.4 in comparison to $7.7 for the same period in 2015. Inflationary increase in goods and services were the major contributors to the increase in the Bank’s operating expenses. The statement further outlined that net loans and advances balance was $29.4 billion at the end of March 2016, compared to $31.8 billion at March last year. Net Investments were $1.6 billion compared to $0.9 billion in 2015. Total deposits balance was $38.3 billion, compared to $34.7 billion at March 31 last year. Moreover, the board of directors has approved an interim Dividend of $0.70 per share, the same as the corresponding period last year.
According to the Bank: “The remaining six months of our financial year will require us to overcome many challenges. Citizens Bank Guyana Inc is however, optimistic that our strategies will yield a satisfactory performance that will result in increased shareholders’ value.”
In its annual financial statements for last year ending September 30, 2015, Citizen Bank recorded an increase in its revenues for the year but at the same time saw its profit after tax reduced, compared with the previous year. The Bank’s revenue increased by 15 per cent or $491.0 million; that is, from $3.217 billion in 2014 to $3.708 billion last year; while it’s profit after tax was $907.0 million when compared to $989.1 million in 2014.
Surinam Airways to expand operations in Guyana
May 15, 2016 By
By Devina Samaroo
Approximately four years after its return to the Guyanese market, Suriname’s National Carrier Surinam Airways has massive plans in the pipeline to further expand operations locally.
A study is being conducted to determine how best the airline can increase its presence here, including the feasibility of adding new destinations or more permanent flights in and out of Guyana.
Surinam Airways General Manager Henk Fitz-Jim during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times disclosed that the operations in Guyana have thus far been successful and therefore, it will most likely be profitable for the airlines to make further investments in the country.
Already, the airlines introduced its third weekly flight out of Guyana to Miami on Thursday last as a part of its expansion venture and it also plans to continue to gradually increase those flights.
“That is the destination we started with and people seem to be satisfied with our service and we are getting more and more business so gradually we’d wanna increase our flights to Miami,” the Manager stated.
Additionally, the airlines is exploring the possibility of adding a permanent flight to Sanford, Orlando.
“We already do seasonal flights to Sanford, Orlando, it starts again on July 1, and we’re looking into making it a permanent flight,” Fitz-Jim stated.
The company is also looking into adding some new destinations including New York, Toronto, and Atlanta.
Further, Surinam Airways also offers cargo services and there are plans to expand on this service once the demand increases.
The Manager also noted that Surinam Airways is looking into the possibility of working in collaboration with another company to help promote Guyana as a wedding destination.
Fitz-Jim represented his company on a team of investors that recently visited Guyana to explore available investment opportunities.
He noted that participating in the mission actually fits in Surinam Airways’ future plans to further expand in Guyana.
Surinam Airways re-entered Guyana’s market on April 3, 2012 when the airline’s Boeing 737 touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport en route to Miami, Florida.
The airline returned after a six-year break.
Fears of four more years
May 15, 2016 By