October 18, 2016

Archives for May 15, 2016

3 killed, 16 injured in Essequibo Coast smashup

– 4 air-dashed to GPH

By Indrawattie Natram

Three persons are now dead and 16 others hospitalised following a head-on collision between a minibus and

The damaged car

The damaged car

car at Richmond Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam). Dead are Esan Cornette, 19, of Darthmouth Public Road; Gavin Lawrie, 19, of Better Hope and Levon Grey, 45, also of Darthmouth Village on the Essequibo Coast.
Those injured are Maxton Lawrie, Anil Marks, Alvin Stephen, Ruel Lawrie, Glenford Stephen, Stephen Benn, Kevon Clay, Navin Radesh, Trevon John, Delroy Barranton, Lancel Seizer, Rovon Johnson, Ansel Cornette, Cadine Clay, Kevin Brummel and Alred Shepherd. These persons are nursing injuries to their heads, abdomen and faces. Four of those injured were medevaced to the Georgetown Public Hospital at about 05:00h on Saturday by Roraima Airways Medivac Trislander.
Reports are that at about 23:00h on Friday minibus BRR 3943 was heading south along the Richmond Public Road when it collided with a 212 blue car, PMM 5867 which was heading north. At the time of the accident, the minibus had 16 passengers and was driven by Glenford Stephen, while the car was driven by the deceased Gavin Lawrie, and had four passengers.
Police sources confirmed that from reports received so far the accident was as a result of speeding.
Disbelief
When this newspaper visited the family of Esan Cornette they were still in shock. Cornette’s cousin Safo Cornette told this publication that the teenager had left his Darthmouth home around 21:00 hours to go to Anna Regina to meet a family. The cousin said at about 02:00h he received a call stating that his cousin had met in an accident and had died.
Alexander was a student at Essequibo Technical Institute and was pursuing his dreams in the field of General Electricity. He was the second child of four children for his parents.
At Grey’s home, relatives related that he was accompanying the driver of the minibus, Glenford Stephen to Anna Regina at the time of his death.
Meanwhile at Lawrie’s residence neighbours and relatives gathered consoling his mother.
The dead teen’s sister Renisa Lawrie said her teen brother had left home with his brother, Ruel Lawrie (owner of the car) to take home a worker who lives at Queenstown Village. According her the occupants of the car were all relatives. She added that the family received the tragic news at about midnight.
The grieving sister revealed that the relatives journeyed to the hospital and described the scene as “horrific”. This is the fifth fatal accident on the Essequibo Coast for this year which has claimed the lives of seven persons. Police are continuing their investigations.

Student hospitalised after allegedly pushed from 2nd floor at school

By Kizzy Coleman

A Grade 10 student of Canje Secondary School, in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is now a patient at the

Joshua Lynell

Joshua Lynell

Georgetown Public Hospital after he was allegedly pushed from the schools premises by another student last Tuesday.
The injured child is 16-year-old Joshua Lynell of Lot 26 New Street, Cumberland, Berbice. A teacher at the school told Guyana Times that the student was involved in an argument with another student which led to a scuffle. It was at this point that the now injured teen was pushed from the second floor of the building and landed on the concrete ground.
Teachers were alerted and the child was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital but was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. As a result of the incident, the child sustained spinal injuries, a broken arm and a broken hip.
Speaking with this publication, Lynell recounted the incident. He explained that the other student who pushed him, was involved in a scuffle with another student to which he intervened.
He added that he went outside to the school’s corridor and was holding onto the railing when the student told him “you want me push you over there?”
He divulged that he objected and the student began to push at him which resulted in the railing, which is rotten, breaking, causing the teen to fall to the ground. “When I fell over, he tried to help me up because I grabbed at his hand but he couldn’t hold me and I slipped and fall to the ground”.
He further explained that when he fell, he was unable to move and students ran to his assistance. “Some other children come to help me and they turned me over on my back,” the teen explained.
Loriette Lindy, mother of the injured teen, said she was called to the school at around 12:30h on the day of the incident. When she arrived, she was met by two teachers who told her that she has to go to the hospital as her son fell off of the school’s corridor.
“When I got to the hospital, I was able to go into the room where my son was and I overheard the doctor asking him which student pushed him. It is then that I realised that the teachers were lying to me, telling me that Joshua fell over the railing”.
Upon learning this, Lindy questioned teachers who were present at the hospital and was then told the truth of the matter.
“When I told them that they lied to me, that is when they told me that Joshua was involved in a fight with another student who pushed him off of the corridor,” she explained.
The matter was reported to the Reliance Police Station by the father of the teen on Thursday after the school’s head teacher refused to do so. Guyana Times was told that the school’s administration is trying to keep the matter “under wraps”. In an attempt to protect the other student involved in the matter, they have reported that the injured teen was running on the corridor of the school, when he accidently went over the railings.
The frustrated parents, who are currently living out of their car, parked in the vicinity of the Georgetown Public Hospital, explained that they are unhappy with the current situation and the injustice that they are facing. Lindy said they have nowhere to stay in the city, and as such, they are staying in their car outside of the hospital.
They are of the view that the other teen involved in the matter should be punished for his actions.
“Currently, he is in school carrying on as usual. He was not even suspended and the teachers have secret meetings with him in there office for him to corroborate what they have been reporting. This is so unfair to us and our son.”
The Police have since launched an investigation into the matter.

Ramjattan concedes Govt blundered

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

– accepts blame for releasing robbery suspect

In light of 19-year-old Kelvin Bates – who was pardoned by President David Granger last year – being charged for a spate of robberies on the Corentyne, in Berbice, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has stated that he will consider releasing the names of the new set of prisoners that are expected to be released.
As part of the country’s 49th Independence Day celebrations last year, the Guyanese Head of State announced that he will be pardoning some 60 “petty” criminals in their late teens to mid-20s; however only 40 of them were released in June. The remaining 20 were presumably found unsuitable for various undetermined reasons and remained incarcerated.
The criteria includes that prisoners who are facing short sentences; those who are incarcerated for petty, non-violent offences; and those prisoners between the ages of 18 and 24. This pardoned gesture applies to both female and male inmates.
This decision, however, had caused great uneasiness among Guyanese, especially business owners, since the country’s crime rates were high at the time. Persons were also calling for the identities of these convicts to be publicised but Government explained that this would have hindered the reintegration process of these young people back into society.
Nonetheless, Ramjattan told Guyana Times on Saturday that he will be inclined to release the names of those pardoned prisoners if it is requested. “Of course if asked, we will release the names of all those who will be pardoned. It is an obligation in the name transparency that the Minister released all the names of those who are on parole and pardoned,” he pointed out.
The Public Security Minister confirmed that the 19-year-old robbery suspect in Berbice is indeed one of the pardoned criminals. Bates appeared in court on Thursday facing several charges ranging from robbery under arms, larceny from persons and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition that occurred earlier this month. According to court documents, he was reportedly on bail for another armed robbery when he committed the aforementioned offences.
However, Minister Ramjattan conceded that Government erred in selecting Bates as a candidate to be pardoned but noted that they were given the opinion that he was of very good character while in the prison, hence he was released. He added too that the teenager only had four more months of his sentence to serve and this was taken into consideration was well.
“It is not exclusively the President that makes these releases. He has to get some advice from the Director of Prisons, the Prison Officers who would have dealt with him directly and also after I would have sort the record out,” the Minister explained. He noted that in reviewing the name submitted last year, he was advised that the list presented to him was vetted and all candidates were qualified to be released.
“I had a role to play because the fellow just had a short-term more left and he was of good character in the prison. We have to release our young people, jail is not necessarily for young people but if we make a mistake even like that by virtue of the fact that he started stealing again, what do you do,” the Minister questioned while adding “you simply now have to ensure that when he gets back in there (prison) that he will never again get pardoned.”
Moreover, Ramjattan pointed out that this now brings the question of overcrowding of the prisons system into question. “It is a collision course with trying to defuse the tension by over population in the prison system,” he stated.
It has long been established that the local penal system is holding prisoners way beyond its capacity. In fact, in March this year, inmates were protesting the condition of the Georgetown Prisons, causing a three-day unrest during which 17 inmates were killed and several others injured in a fire within the Capital A Division of the facility.On the other hand, the Public Security Minister went on to say that the Administration is looking at strengthening the rehabilitation programme that the pardoned criminals undergo as part of their reintegration into society.
He said Government is awaiting the disbursements from the Citizens Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), which has some US$1.5 million set aside. He added too that the United Stated funded Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) project plays a crucial role in the reintegration of these pardoned convicts into society.
According to Ramjattan, he is looking forward to partnering with the US and utilising this rehabilitation programme because of the level of expertise and research that goes into their projects. “Whenever they come up with a programme, it is well advised and well funded. They have a skills-set that is pretty excellent so whatever programmes they come with, I will generally adopt,” he remarked.
Nevertheless, the Public Security Minister outlined that even though Government wants to strengthen its parole system, it is the access to funding that is posing a hindrance. He underscored the need to have more tools and equipment to engage pardoned convicts and those on parole in workshops in an effort to train them.
“When they come out of prison, we want to also ensure that we do see them doing something useful outside,” he stated.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had called for the release of the names of the pardoned prisoners, pointing out that these persons were not “pretty” criminals as was being portrayed. The Opposition Leader’s calls fell on deft ear.

Indian women emerging into modernity

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

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

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

Orville Hinds seem on course to retain his Independence three-stage cycle road race title after the completion

The peloton on their way in stage two of the 34th annual Independence 3-stage cycle road race from Rosignol to Georgetown

The peloton on their way in stage two of the 34th annual Independence 3-stage cycle road race from Rosignol to Georgetown

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

Citizens Bank Guyana Inc has recorded a $440.8M after taxed profit for the first six months of 2016 finanical

Citizens Bank Inc Camp and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown

Citizens Bank Inc Camp and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown

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

By Devina Samaroo

Approximately four years after its return to the Guyanese market, Suriname’s National Carrier Surinam Surinam AirwaysAirways 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

By Ryhaan Shah

Nothing good has come out of the Coalition Government’s first year in office. Crime in high and the economy has flattened. There have been no new investments or jobs and President David Granger’s admonitions to the unemployed to go out and be entrepreneurial when his Government has established no policies to generate business and commerce show an absolute lack of concern for the state of the country and the people.
More than that, there is a note of authoritarianism in Granger’s style of governance. His pardon of criminals signalled a tolerance for criminality that is directly related to the crime wave. His directive to the police that they are not to shoot to kill during armed confrontations with bandits might also have seeded the new brazenness among criminals.
To date, most of the victims are Indo-Guyanese businesspeople and shopkeepers and the bandits who invaded the Essequibo home of the Munirs and caused their fiery death are still at large. Granger does not mention such brutalities when he talks about the crime wave but refers only to atrocities that result from bad inter-personal relationships.
He evades taking any responsibility for the current criminality when, even up to this past week, Commander of B Division Ian Amsterdam reported that one of two young men arrested for an armed robbery in Rose Hall Town had been pardoned by Granger.
The man, Kelvin Bates, was serving a four-year sentence for Robbery with Violence when he was pardoned. The rehabilitation arranged by Granger obviously did not work.
Many of the accused, and the prisoners during the recent Camp Street Prison riot and fire, all called on Granger for help. They see the President as their saviour.
The Guyana Bar Association objected strenuously to the unlawful manner in which the presidential pardons were effected but Granger simply vowed to continue with more, showing little respect for democratic procedures or the rule of law as in his earlier unilateral renaming of the Convention Centre as the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.
Despite the objections then, he went ahead and did the same with the Ogle Airport, changing the name to the Eugene F. Correia Airport which raised protests from the nine other airlines that are partners along with the Correia Group in the airport company.
The renaming gives the Correia Group a distinct commercial advantage and the issue remains contentious even as the airline companies have agreed to consultations with Minister David Patterson.
However much Granger dismisses accusations of political manoeuvring to favour the Correia Group, the perception remains and, more than that, he continues to be unperturbed about public opinion.
A friend of mine cuts to the chase and says Granger is nothing but a cult leader and another notes that whereas Burnham practised party paramountcy, Granger’s is a personality paramountcy. Both might be on to something.
According to Minister Raphael Trotman’s revelations, Granger has been placed as President by God. He never questions or objects to Granger’s decisions, Trotman stated, but waits for the wisdom of Granger’s actions and decisions to become clear to him. This is cult-like behaviour. In the context of the governance of a country, it is extremely frightening.
PNC member, Jerome Khan, echoes this unswerving loyalty when he condemns criticism of Granger’s actions as “outrageous and disrespectful”. Khan makes it clear that Guyana is no longer operating along democratic principles where the President, as the senior public servant, must be held accountable by the people at all times.
Trotman’s and Khan’s statements support the idea of a personality paramountcy, as does the arena at D’Urban Park which is being specially built to befit the President and his followers for the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Whereas the Providence Stadium and National Park were large enough venues for every past President, they are not so for Granger. This kind of grandiosity can be interpreted as cult-like, paramountcy or authoritarian.
Many sniggered when, at the very start of the Granger regime, I stated that Burnham was back. The PNC/APNU/AFC elections campaign call to “forget the past” could not have been clearer about the intent of the PNC – the major partner – to return to office for a repeat performance.
Even as Government drums up false notes of celebrations over the upcoming Jubilee, the country is gripped by a sense of despair as everyone looks on helplessly at the presidential highhandedness that contradicts all the campaign promises of fairness, transparency and good governance.
Granger and his Government are all ready to “sport”. After the Golden Jubilee, what?
Fears are high about the next four years.