October 18, 2016

Archives for July 11, 2016

Kitty Market to be completed in 2 months – Town Clerk

By Ramona Luthi

In light of construction being recommenced on the Kitty Market, Town Clerk of Georgetown Royston King announced in a statutory meeting on Monday that the structure will be completed at the end of two months.

According to King, this information was relayed to him by City Engineer Colvern Venture prior to the meeting, highlighting the availability of relevant materials.king

“With regards to the Kitty Market, I’ve received a report from the engineer who has given me a new date of about two months to complete with the availability of the appropriate materials to get the work done,” the Town Clerk noted.

The rehabilitation of the Kitty Market began earlier this year, and the announced deadline was Guyana’s 50th Jubilee Anniversary on May 26. However, construction halted, causing many persons to refer to the work as an election gimmick, under the refuted claims that the Mayor and City Council had become cash-strapped and unable to pay contractors for the restoration.

During the latter part of the previous month Guyana Times was informed by City Engineer Venture that the reconstruction on the Market had already resumed but was delayed because of the inclement weather.

Meanwhile, earlier in this month, vendors related to Guyana Times that the contractor has recommenced works on the structure and the relevant materials were bought and delivered to the location.

 

New international banks soon to take over – BoG Governor

Bank of America withdrawal

New international banks from both the United States of America and Europe have indicated their interest in offering their services to Guyana and could begin doing so as soon as the Bank of America officially pulls out from Guyana next month.
Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga told Journalists recently that banks in the US, as well as in Europe, could soon replace the Bank of America. He made the disclosure, after he confirmed earlier reports by this publication that the Bank of America would be severing ties with indigenous banks here before the end of August.
The Bank of America provides corresponding banking services for some financial institutions in the Region, including those in Guyana. According to Dr Ganga, the reasons for the pullout by the Bank of America are many, including de-risking and the need to concentrate more on larger customers owing to the high level of liquidity. He said the US financial institution’s move would have no major implications for the country and particularly the indigenous banks.

Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga

Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga

About a month ago, the Bank of America sent a notice indicating that it was severing its correspondent relationship with “indigenous banks” in Guyana.
Dr Ganga explained that Guyana was in talks with several other banks that were willing to form new corresponding banking relationships with local financial institutions.
“We have had other foreign banks that have shown interest in providing the kind of corresponding banking relationship to fill the void that the Bank of America is causing… These are banks from Europe and North America,” Dr Ganga stated.
When asked how far along were the discussions with these banks, Dr Ganga told this newspaper that the talks were ongoing and projected that the negotiations should come to fruition shortly.
“So, at this time, there is no cause for concern, because the banks do have corresponding relationships and they are seeking others. The Bank of Guyana is assisting these banks in finding new corresponding banking relationships,” Dr Ganga reassured.
This matter was on the agenda for discussion at the 37th Caricom Heads of Government Meeting held in Guyana from July 4 to 6, as Caribbean leaders looked to tackle the cut-off of regional indigenous banks, in a de-risking phenomenon – that poses dire consequences for the Region, including crushing impacts on the wider economy.
De-risking is when international banks withdraw from their relationships with indigenous banks because of fears of money laundering and questionable sources of funds which would cause the international banks to receive heavy fines from their regulators.
Caribbean banking institutions rely on such relationships to allow residents to conduct international financial transactions. However, since last year, the Region has been facing the impact of de-risking and the issue has been occupying the attention of regional policymakers, following signals by international banks that they were unwilling to continue carrying the business of regional banks.
De-risking in the Caribbean came into the limelight last year when the Belize Bank was cut off by the Bank of America and one of the two banks in Montserrat shared the same fate. Some of the areas that are affected because of de-risking are: transfer of remittances, cheque payments, international trade and the facilitation of credit card settlements for local clients.
The Caribbean Development Bank quoted a November World Bank survey saying that about 75 per cent of international banks have experienced a reduction in correspondent banking services, with the Caribbean being the worst affected.
However, St Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet believes that a collective and broad effort is needed to address the situation. At the opening ceremony of the Caricom Heads of Government Conference last Monday, Prime Minister Chastanet said the Region must stop thinking that it has to solve this problem alone.
He pointed out that there were a number of multinational companies in the US such as airlines, cruise companies, and suppliers, as well as individuals who own their homes – that have a vested interest in the Region and know exactly how to lobby their Government.
In this vein, the St Lucian Head of State posited that the Caribbean should get more persons from abroad, especially those who would be affected, involved in efforts to address the Region-wide problem that threatens their economies.
“The idea of us going to Washington, DC by ourselves is a tried and tested failure. We must be able to bring more people to the argument and we must do it urgently,” Chastanet remarked.

“Participate in your Government” – US Ambassador encourages

United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway is encouraging all Guyanese to participate in their government, even if their candidate does not win.

United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway

United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway

In observance of fifty years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Guyana, Ambassador Holloway shared a bit of advice to the Guyanese populace on moving its country forward.
He was at the time delivering remarks at a reception organised by the US Embassy in Georgetown to mark this milestone, which coincided with the 240th Independence Anniversary of the United States of America.
The Ambassador explained that freedom is something people often take for granted until some aspect of their freedom is restricted. “Then we jump into action often screaming bloody murder and sometimes in extreme cases resort even to revolution,” he stated.
Holloway said in the United States, just as in Guyana, citizens enjoy a tremendous amount of freedom and in this regard, he implored every person, Guyanese and American, to do the right things every day so that the next generations will enjoy the same freedom.
“This means vote in elections, participate in political campaigns, engage in debate, and write letters to editors. Don’t be caught standing on the side of the road as your country moves forward. When your candidate does not win, continue to participate because it will only make our country better,” he stated.
Ambassador Holloway pointed out that US elections are often 50-50 affairs, and if 50 per cent of the US were to stop participating if their candidate did not win, then the country would not move forward.
He advised that in such cases, persons should still participate at the local and national levels of the country’s development and push harder for their candidate and issues next time around.
Holloway went on to encourage persons to educate themselves and those around them about everything and anything possible.
“We live in a complex world and our access to information, wrong and right, is greater than it ever has been. Figuring out how to access that information and how to impart it to our young people is our challenge…we must put emphasis on education if we want to remain free and continue to advance as a country and as individuals,” he stated.
The Ambassador also encouraged both government and the people alike to invest in the future: “We cannot live in the laurels of our past nor accept the reality of our present. We must invest in education, infrastructure, and government to protect our freedom going forward.”
In this regard, the Ambassador urged everyone to pay their taxes and then hold their government accountable for using them.
“We all want our government to do everything, but a government cannot turn water into wine. It needs funding to function and funding comes from taxes, whether we like them or not,” he said.

Govt should develop a long-term plan to manage oil

…an “old problem” for resources to be mismanaged – Hinds

Associate Professor and political activist David Hinds is imploring the government to not make the same mistake as Trinidad and Tobago did by not developing a long-term plan to manage its oil resource.

Dr David Hinds

Dr David Hinds

Although the discovery of oil is welcoming, Hinds in an interview with Guyana Times stated that government should start taking the necessary steps towards the proper management of the resource. He highlighted that it is an “old problem” for Guyana’s resources to be mismanaged, in terms of foreign investors being the prime beneficiaries of the resources.
He said this “old thorn” has not been removed because Guyana is not single-minded about confronting and solving the issue of Guyana’s resources being mismanaged.
“For example, we have our gold. However, there is no processing plant to refine our gold and so the gold is extracted in its raw state and shipped out to be refined. And what do we gain – a percentage,” he explained, noting that it is the same with other resources.
Recently, ExxonMobil discovered that the second exploration well in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana has a recoverable resource of between 800 million and 1.4 billion oil-equivalent barrels. The wells are located approximately 193 kilometres (120 miles) offshore. The block is 26,800 square kilometres (6.6 million acres).
Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block; Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 per cent interest.
ExxonMobil is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products while its chemical company is one of the largests in the world.
According to Hinds: “There is always the overemphasis on attracting foreign investment. I think the same emphasis should be put in developing internal mechanisms and economic structure. So we should invest in small businesses, in our local investors.”
Hinds alluded however, to the deficiency of the skilled human resources and to that end insisted that before Guyana begins to envisage managing oil on its own, it should start investing in its people first. He stated that government should encourage Guyanese to develop the skills necessary to build an economy around oi: “We should start investing in having locals trained in oil engineering for the future….we would need lawyers to handle cases of petroleum issues.”
Education Minister Rupert Roopnaraine had disclosed that he had proposed to the authorities of the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, to develop a petroleum engineering programme that would prepare Guyana to manage its potential oil industry.
Petroleum engineering is the study of the extraction of oil, gas and other natural resources from the earth. This is accomplished through the design, drilling and operation of wells and well systems, and the integrated management of the underground reservoirs in which the resources are found.
Hinds suggested that Guyana needs to start envisaging a whole new economy around oil and start now: “It is not about pumping the oil out from the ground and selling it and getting the money…if Guyana is going to benefit from oil we have to build up an enabling economy…an offshoot economy.”

Oil refinery
The Associate Professor indicated that if Guyana cannot develop its own oil refinery, then the country should partner with Caricom countries to construct one. “That is the way to go…that is why we have Caricom…” he stressed.
“It would be nice if we can have our own oil processing here but if we cannot do it by ourselves then we can partner with sister Caricom countries to do,” he said, explaining that this is what a single market is about.
He noted that if Guyana and Trinidad could develop an arrangement where they can both manage a future oil refinery in Guyana, then both Guyanese residing in Trinidad and Guyana would benefit.
“It is either we have our own processing plant or we do it through a regional emphasis,” Hinds stressed.
Ministers of Natural Resources and Finance Raphael Trotman and Winston Jordan are currently visiting Uganda to gain knowledge on the strategies that country has employed to manage and develop its oil resource.

No advice from Govt being proffered – residents

Poultry continues to die on East Bank Berbice

Following a report that an East Bank Berbice poultry farmer had lost hundreds of birds due to a mysterious illness, other farmers on EBB have reported that birds are dying of an illness with similar symptoms and the Ministry of Agriculture is providing no advice.
Several farmers who all rear bantams or what is referred to as ‘Creole’ fowls have reported that many birds have died/are dying of an unknown illness. The disease is also affecting Muscovy ducks, the farmers say.
Vanessa Sampson of De Kinderen depends on the eggs from her fowls to make a living. She has lost 70 per cent of them due to the unknown illness.

Affected poultry on an EBB farm

Affected poultry on an EBB farm

According to her on Sunday morning she discovered that fifteen of the birds became ill overnight. They all appeared to be lifeless. Since then about fifty more have died.
Another resident Indira Nauth who lost a similar amount, said the symptoms were detected about one month ago. She says most birds die a few days after becoming ill.
Meanwhile, Mohan Sookhoo explained that the disease has killed many of his birds: “Sometimes it kill about 10 to 20 for you one time. The sick can’t take recovery because sometimes we try treating it with drugs from the pharmacy and it don’t help. Most times it kills the roosters, big and small they just start slowing up in movements and eating and after a few days you gon just see the head going around and when it turn round, that’s it; they can’t recover again. Sometimes it takes the ducks; but not so much the ducks.”
Sookhoo says extension officers from the Ministry visited his farm on Tuesday but have provided no advice.
“When the vet came on Tuesday they experimented on the chickens and take samples from the inside and say they will take it back to the lab and then give us an answer, but no advice what to do till then,” Sookhoo noted.
Two weeks ago an EBB poultry farmer had reported that a mysterious disease had taken the lives of hundreds of his birds. He had told Guyana Times that when the disease hit his pen he had 1300 birds, now he is left with 70.
The farmer had reported that he was getting no assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, however following the publishing of the death of the birds in Guyana Times he received several phone calls from senior officials of the Ministry.
The poultry farmers’ plight came to light after this publication reported of a possible poultry illness outbreak in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
The death of over 800 chickens prompted Regional Chairman David Armogan to request that the Agriculture Ministry investigate the mysterious illness.
Previously, reports had surfaced of a similar occurrence where a farmer at Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) claimed that 300 birds had died from a mysterious disease at his farm.
The Berbice farmer had explained that his birds started dying on June 19 when he discovered that more than 200 had died overnight.
According to the farmer, the Ministry was contacted and extension officers were said to have visited the farm and took samples from some of the dead birds.
The farmer also stated that his brother went to the Agriculture Ministry to seek assistance for his plight but officials were reportedly unavailable.
The allegation of the Permanent Secretary (PS) saying that the Ministry did not have the equipment to do the requisite testing was strongly denied.
PS of Agriculture Ministry George Jervis had told Guyana Times that personnel from the Ministry will soon visit the farm and assess the situation.
“What we will do is visit the farm, go and take blood samples and see what we can do about it,” the PS had noted. (Andrew Carmichael)

Clear Waters renews commitment to a green city by recycling bottles

 − Marriott International gets 1st bin

In a bid to protect the environment, Clear Waters handed over a unique bin to the Marriott International Hotel on Sunday.
The bin is designated for the collection of all empty Clear Water branded bottles that will be recycled.
Director of Sales and Marketing at the Marriott Hotel, Richard E Kasossky, commended the programme while highlighting what it meant to him and those at the Marriott Hotel.

From left: Ricky Lucknauth, Richard E Savossky and Jonathon Morgan

From left: Ricky Lucknauth, Richard E Savossky and Jonathon Morgan

“I’m very proud of this initiative, it’s something very dear to our heart. Taking care of the environment and cleaning it up is a great step to the future and for us to live up to our expectations as the green city and a beautiful country.” Kasossky added: “It fits right into the future of Clear Waters, a clear city and recycling is always helpful.”
Kasossky noted that Clear Waters has received a spectacular response from its occupants and posited that this was so because the water is of the “highest quality”.
Marriott’s Purchasing Manager Jonathon Morgan indicated that statistics show the Marriott Hotel purchases within the range of 200-400 cases of Clear waters branded water every month.
Clear Waters’ operations manager Ricky Lucknauth expressed delight in sharing this initiative with the Marriott.
“Clear Waters is the exclusive water at the Marriott Hotel, that’s why we have selected there to be the starting ground for this programme and we are committed to making bins available to collect empty bottles” Lucknauth noted.
The officials at Marriott noted that the hotel has been a customer of Clear Waters from the inception and is pleased to be part of this collaboration which is on par with international organisations.
The project will see customers using the bins to dispose of their empty clear water containers and the company collecting the empty bottles at the end of every week which will then be recycled, with the aim of keeping the environment clean and healthy at all times.

PPP/C concerned over ramrodding of complex bills through National Assembly

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Gail Teixeira has once again registered concerns over what she describes as the high-handed behaviour of the government, this time accusing them of ramrodding large and complex legislations through the National Assembly.

PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

During a recent press conference, Teixeira lashed out at government for straying from the established parliamentary practices of taking complex Bills laid in the National Assembly to the Parliamentary Select Committee for further scrutiny.
She noted that this action by the governing MPs completely undermines parliamentary democracy by rushing to pass bills in the National Assembly without having the extensive scrutiny by all stakeholders beforehand.
Traditionally, large and complex Bills go to the Parliamentary Select Committees for further review and debate. According to Teixeira however, of recent, government has been refusing to allow the Bills to go to Parliamentary Select Committees.
“The demand for large and complex bills going to Parliamentary Select Committees are still being denied by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) parliamentary representatives,” she stated.
Teixeira said the most recent example was the passage of the Insurance Bill on June 30. She posited that the Insurance Bill required further examination in a select committee since there were many issues in its contents.
However government passed the Insurance Bill despite petitions from the Opposition that the bill ought not to be rushed and instead sent to a select committee.
With several large and complex Bills upcoming for debate in the National Assembly, Teixeira is worried that those too will be rushed through the House.
These Bills are the Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill 2016, the Telecommunications Bill 2016 and the Public Utilities Commission Bill 2016.
“There has been no indication that the three bills pending on the order paper will be heading for Parliamentary Select Committee as they ought to, due to size and complexity… it is unthinkable in any parliamentary democracy that such bills will not be subjected to scrutiny in Parliamentary Select Committee,” Teixeira asserted.
The Opposition Chief Whip said it is rather unfortunate that government continues to undermine parliamentary democracy. She however pledged that the PPP/C will continue to speak out against such actions.
Admitting that there is not much the Opposition parliamentarians can do to get government to adhere to parliamentary procedures, Teixeira said the PPP/C will continue to use public forums to inform Guyanese of the transgressions of their government.

After suffering an unprecedented heat wave, Region 9 is now water-logged – REO

Regional Executive Officer of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), Carl Parker on Sunday stated that while residents of the Rupununi have been freed of the El Niño-induced heat wave, the current rains are now causing the land to become water-logged.
“We moved from one extreme to another…but what I can say is that we have no issue with lack of water now,” Parker stated.
He noted that while the rainy season was a bit delayed, it has brought relief to farmers in the various Amerindian communities after months of severe drought.
Region Nine was hit with the drought-like conditions and high temperatures of the El Niño in early 2015 and had continued to bear the consequences of the sweltering heat until two weeks ago. During the drought, the Rupununi was dried out completely, the green had disappeared from the savannahs, the crops were killed and the animals were dying.
It had reached a point where authorities had to declare a state of emergency. The Region was never struck with a heat wave of this magnitude since 1988.
Twenty-four wells were dug across the Region, but they were not enough to save the livestock.
Parker stated that the water table of the Region is very high and this has helped to cause the land to become water logged. As a result, the Brazilian Army, which had helped in the relief efforts by drilling wells, pulled out. However, they have promised to return in August when the rains are predicted to end.
Nevertheless, he noted that the farmers were happy and the farms were doing well. However, they were worried that the heavy rainfall would damage their crops. “If we have too much rain, the cassava would be soaked,” Parker explained.
This newspaper understands that during the drought over $8 million was poured into the Region.

“Nearly all the roads in Region 10 have problems”– Chairman

By Utamu Belle

The deplorable state of a recently constructed road at the entrance to Wisroc, Wismar, Linden, Region10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) formed part of the discussions during the statutory Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting held last Thursday.
During the discussions, Councillor Gordon Callender stressed his frustration over the recently rehabilitated road that was undertaken by the previous Council.

One of the deplorable roads in Linden

One of the deplorable roads in Linden

He stressed that the newly built asphalted road, which is one of the main thoroughfares in the community, presently contains large potholes and was also an issue talked about at the previous Council.
The Councillor contended that the road needs urgent intervention given its present deplorable state.
“We road only do the other day…it’s a short period of time. The REO who is the Clerk of Council…traverse that road two, three times per day and I want to know if the REO ain’t see those holes that opened in that newly built road…money spending on that piece of road over and over…and you can’t be spending money over and over on the same piece of road”, Callender iterated.
He suggested that the road be urgently repaired using “hot mix”, indicating that it was not a chip seal road which was constructed.
In response, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said nearly all of the roads in the Region are problematic and blamed the recent rainy weather for road works not being carried out in a timely manner. He nevertheless stated that works are currently ongoing at places like Obama Drive, Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, and Linden.
“You got more than thirty examples of that (those type of roads) in Region 10. What we’ve asked contractors to do is mobilise in the weather because we don’t normally do road works in the weather and contractors have mobilised to do road works. And trust me we won’t even do quarter of the roads that need to be done in 2016 because nearly all the roads in Region 10 have problems. But I can assure you that road works are being done all over Region 10”, the chairman said.
Meanwhile, residents have also expressed dissatisfaction with the deplorable state of numerous roads in the Linden community. In some instances, they have related that attention has not been placed on these roads for years and that has led to serious deterioration.

CPL donates bats, balls to promote cricket in Guyana

– Minister of State says it will foster camaraderie

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon earlier on Sunday received a donation of 50 bats and balls from the Caribbean Premier League’s Chief Operations Officer, Pete Russell, for distribution to communities across the country.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon receiving the “Chief” shirt from Caribbean Premier League’s Chief Operations Officer, Pete Russell on behalf of President David Granger

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon receiving the “Chief” shirt from Caribbean Premier League’s Chief Operations Officer, Pete Russell on behalf of President David Granger

He also received a bat, bearing the autographs of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team and a shirt, labelled “Chief”. The Minister received these items on behalf of President David Granger.
The simple presentation ceremony was held at the Ministry of the Presidency and Russell was accompanied by CPL Chief Finance Officer Barry Corcoran.
Russell, in making the donation, said that the franchise was serious about spreading ‘the gospel of cricket’.
“For us at CPL, it’s about spreading the word of cricket and we want to thank the country for its support. The children [who will benefit from this] hopefully will go out and spread the gospel of cricket,” he said.
Minister Harmon, in expressing his gratitude for the gesture, said the Government and the people of Guyana have always seen cricket as a unifying force as it has always brought people together, regardless of their age, race, creed, political persuasion or status. Therefore, he said, the donation will have a two-fold benefit: it will help children to engage in meaningful recreation and foster camaraderie.
“We are very thankful to CPL for the interest and enthusiasm which you have shown in ensuring that cricket is played in Guyana. We are a cricket-loving nation and we are a cricket starved nation so what you see at the Stadium is a representation of the hunger for the game that we so love. The balls and the bats, I am sure it will go a long way in popularising the game in our communities. We want to spread it to the hinterland and these areas, because if we are to have strong teams we have to have representation from across the country,” Minister Harmon said.