Guyana Chronicle International Edition E-Paper 09-02-2018

NO.009

JAMES

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 30, 2018

TAKES

CHARGE …New top cop charged to lead security reform PAGE

3,11 Newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Leslie James (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

‘Come back and build your nation’

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

‘Come back and build your nation’ -British High Commissioner urges local Chevening scholars

The scholars share a moment with officials of the British High Commission (Delano Williams photo)

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HE United Kingdom’s (UK) Chevening Scholarship has over the years become one of

the most attractive international scholarships for Guyanese. As the number of applicants continues to increase however, the Brit-

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, addressing the beneficiaries at the reception (Delano Williams photo)

ish High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, is reminding the beneficiaries that it is important to return and build their country.

“Return and work here…

The UK Government is not spending money for them to vanish off elsewhere,” said Quinn during his remarks at a farewell reception for 18 persons who were selected to be Chevening scholars this year.

The Chevening Scholarship is an international scholarship scheme which enables students with leadership qualities from 144 countries and territories to undertake post-graduate study or courses in universities in the United Kingdom.

There were 298 applicants from across the country, representing an increase in the number of persons seeking the scholarship. Although everyone could not get a scholarship, Quinn said the number of beneficiaries has moved from two in 2015 to 18 this year. One of the scholars is from Suriname, while the others are Guyanese.

“Not only the number has increased, but the competitiveness in terms of quality of applications has also improved… The process is

much more difficult now because of the quality,” said the high commissioner, adding that this year the total cost of the scholarships was $128 million.

The quality of applications, he believes, is testimony to how highly the scholarship is regarded locally.

Quinn was confident that as the response to the scholarship continues to grow, the UK will be able to better fulfil its mandate through the programme by ensuring that persons are given the skills and knowledge to develop Guyana.

He observed that the majority of Guyanese who get scholarships usually return home and contribute to the development of the nation.

Although the UK has to trust that Guyanese would use their own initiative and return, he believes that while interviewing applicants they could tell who would return and who might not be so inclined.

“I have no hesitation in saying that the money is spent well for the benefit of this country,” said Quinn,

adding that the UK remains committed to promoting education in Guyana.

Deputy Chief Education Officer Ingrid Trotman, acknowledged the UK’s commitment and noted their contribution to the empowerment of Guyana’s academia by offering Guyanese the experience to enhance themselves theoretically and practically.

One of the past Chevening scholars, Jermaine Grant, said among the field of study that the scholars will pursue are environmental policy, mineral resources management, economics and oil-and-gas management, among others.

The 18 scholars for the 2018/2019 period are Michel Amsterdam, Kenton Bailey, Zelena Darshan, Zelanda Glen, McKinne Hackiff, Gregory Harris, Nicole Hayne, Sonia Lord, Maria Paul, Avinash Persaud, Yolander Persaud, Nicholas Peters, Sachin Ramsarran, Dave Saran, Deron Saul, Stacey Weever, Monique Williams and Adonia Benjamin.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

James is new top cop

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-- scores unanimous agreement between President, Opposition Leader

By Rabindra Rooplall

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resident David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo unanimously agreed to appoint Leslie Albert James as the 12th Commissioner of Police with immediate effect when they met at State House on Thursday.

President Granger said James will be supported by four deputy commissioners, namely Lyndon Alves, Maxine Graham, Nigel Hoppie and Paul Williams.

The four deputies will be responsible for Operations, Administration, Law Enforcement and Special Branch/ Intelligence of the Force.

“My intention is that the four deputies will be responsible for various aspects of the Police Force, for example, Operations, Administration, Law Enforcement and Special Branch or Intelligence. What we have done today is we have not only appointed a police commissioner but we have also improved the architecture of the Police Force so that instead of having a flat structure we now have clearly defined responsibilities in those four deputy commissioners. So, things will be better. I am sure there will be better performance in those areas. It will help to enhance the specialisation of the Police Force. It will help to spur the career mobility of officers and I am convinced that the efficiency of the Police Force as a whole will be enhanced,” the head of state said.

The President noted that it is his expectation to meet with the new commissioner and deputies to discuss the appointments to each of the four areas identified.

“I was not interested in having a foreigner head the Guyana Police Force. I felt that we had local talent. I think

the process has resulted in the best five being selected to lead the Force and I will be meeting later today with the commissioner and deputy commissioners. I think this is the best outcome and they are all fit and proper persons to lead the Police Force,” he said.

The President said his principle concern is security reform implementation and citizen’s security.

“This Government will resist any attempt from any

Newly-installed Commissioner of Police Leslie Albert James taking the oath of office before President David Granger

quarter to reverse, retard or to thwart the reforms on which we are about to embark and I look to this new team to promote those reforms vigorously to ensure that from year to year the citizens of this country will see the Guyana Police Force is there to serve and to protect them,” he explained.

The appointments pave the way for the Force to be more efficiently managed, including having a system of succession planning, notably training in preparation for high office.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Jagdeo, at his Church Street office on Thursday, said the President explained the process he used to select the commissioner of police and why was the person acting in the position, David Ramnarine not confirmed.

“He said there were specific reasons why he was not selected and he did not say why….The person who is the new commissioner of police, I have heard nothing adverse about him so far, personally I have nothing adverse about him being appointed,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader said he inquired from the President about the process he used and had asked him for a copy of the Combs’ Reports since he wanted an overview of the thinking behind the security sector and the reforms.

The PPP, he said wants to buy into the reforms and contribute to them because “we would likely inherit them.”

New Top Cop, James said his mandate is clear and he will ensure the laws of Guyana are maintained.

“I will execute the office of the Commissioner of Police, I will assure that citizens in Guyana and in the diaspora to be assured of their respective security,” Leslie Albert James said.

James said he is aware of the crime situation and plans will be made immediately to develop counterstrategies.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES

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ECTIONS of the local press have reported under similar captions: “Venezuelan exodus approaching crisis moment”. A United Nations migration agency was quoted as urging Latin American countries to ease entry for Venezuelans, “more than 1.6 million of whom have left since 2015”. (Kaieteur News, August 25) Not surprisingly, with apparently nothing better to say or do, the opposition leader was a few days earlier fuming about acceptance of Venezuelan refugees by the Guyana Government. It was a vintage piece of pure undiluted hypocrisy for him to oppose temporary settlement in our sovereign and secure border areas of Venezuelans, who are coming to Guyana as refugees. Their admission is being done on humanitarian grounds. If he had his way, he once stated, he would cede to Venezuela Guyana’s territory, which he ignorantly (?) reduced to a mere “Channel”, to appease the aggressor.

While he was rattling away against Venezuelan refugees, his surrogate newspaper was pumping speculation that under the coalition government things could go bad, and we could send “another wave of Guyanese refugees into America”. (Guyana Times, August 24).

PEJORATIVE LABEL The pejorative label, “Guyanese refugees”, is something that we seemed to have forgotten over time. I

was, however, reminded of it by my close friend, Ralph, when we met recently in Iowa. He recounted to me, with apparent disgust, comments on social media by a Florida-based Guyanese that the American authorities should deport all illegal immigrants.

I asked him to explain and this is what he said in a nutshell: many Guyanese, who were once affiliated to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in applying for non-immigrant visas had declared that they were NOT members of a communist organisation. The PPP, he reminded me, has been a member of the International Communist Movement since 1969. Members of the party had subscribed to its ideology of Marxism-Leninism (Communism). Though it seemed far-fetched, he opined that should files be dug up, many Guyanese could find themselves in trouble for uttering false declarations, which is a federal offence.

There is a flip side to that scenario. While I was in

private practice as a lawyer, I was approached by relatives of many Guyanese who had settled in Canada and were seeking asylum, for affidavits to say that the asylum-seekers had been PPP members. I had advised the party then not to issue any such statements.

The affidavits were needed by Guyana-born lawyers, who were making a “killing” from the Guyanese refugee cases, that the asylum-seekers would face political persecution should they be deported to Guyana. I had seen cases where false and exaggerated claims were made about the army digging up temples for arms and ammunition, and about persecution of persons who had been found in possession of prohibited essential food items, such as potatoes and split peas, even for personal consumption or for religious rituals.

PLIGHT OF REFUGEES So, Guyanese cannot be unaware of the plight of refugees which is why I am proud to be a member of an administration that responded with genuine humanitarian concerns when the trickle from Venezuela started.

I recall when Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix visited Guyana’s border areas where stranded Venezuelans were reportedly eating from garbage cans and sleeping virtually in inhabitable hovels. Ministers in the Health and Indigenous Peoples’ sectors went to locations where there were cases of measles and polio - diseases that have been eradicated in Guyana. They rendered prompt assistance. Our government provided safe sanctuaries.

Guyana has tried to regularise the inflow by admitting Venezuelans who had passports, and tracking cases of suspected trafficking in persons. We were accused of allowing entry to those with only ID cards, which was not the case; but it is significant to note that a close ally of the Maduro outfit, Equador, is accepting Venezuelans with ID cards only. Peru, Colombia and Bolivia have all eased restrictions.

I had said in these columns and elsewhere that Guyanese fraternally embrace the Venezuelan people and while we do not interfere in the internal affairs of their country, we remain kind and hospitable as a friendly neighbour.

DESPERATE SITUATIONS It is not easy to explain how it feels to be in need, in desperate situations. I still vividly remember being approached many years ago by a Guyanese woman at the Barbados airport. She politely asked me to buy her some snacks. I gave her a few dollars instead, and left to board the flight. Whilst seated in the plane, I saw her in the aisle walking towards me. She had a broad smile on her face. Around her neck, hanging like a pair of boots, were two hefty loaves of bread. That has been for me a tear-jerking but unforgettable face of need.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

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Understanding Energy...

New Opportunities for Guyana

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HE newly announced American Airlines route from Miami to Guyana, the opening of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgetown, and the commencement of a US$50M investment by a Canadian mining company all demonstrate what many Guyanese had long suspected: Guyana is open for business.

This perception is confirmed by record levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. Some US$212M in FDI flowed into Guyana last year, led by investments in the bauxite and oil industries.

This figure is more than quadruple Guyana’s 2016 level of US$58M, bucking a wider downward trend in Latin America and the Caribbean, which saw overall investment flows decline by 3.6 per cent in 2017.

The energy sector accounted for nearly half of that investment, according to a report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). That investment was driven by the rapid development of the Liza field, which is headed for production by 2020 and slated to bring in more than $4.4B in FDI during the development phase.

The signs of growing international interest, like the opening of the American Chamber and the new American Airlines route, are everywhere in Guyana, and are helping to create a

cycle in which new investment leads to the development of new opportunities and access, driving even more investment.

American Airlines cited Guyana’s history, culture, and climate as part of its reasoning for the new route. No doubt, increased demand for flights from Guyana’s growing energy industry likely played a significant role in convincing the global airline that Guyana was a place it needed to have in its network.

Meanwhile, Anne McKinney, Vice-President for the Americas for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told Kaieteur News earlier this month that the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham) was formed to “catalyse and strengthen cooperation between Guyanese businesses and American business and facilitate two-way trade.”

Recent investment announcements also include a $50M commitment from the First Bauxite Corporation of Canada to begin construction on facilities to mine bauxite this year, according to the ECLAC report.

Guyana is also hoping to play a role in China’s widely touted “Belt and Road Initiative”, and the government is said to be assembling a list of priority projects, though it remains to be seen whether Guyana will truly need Chinese investment, considering the magnitude of future oil revenues.

More broadly, this kind of FDI can be transformational.

Costa Rica has been widely acknowledged as an investment success story, a place where strong investor and contract protections have been paired with smart government policies to produce meaningful economic growth benefiting the entire society.

The Costa Rican government has long tried to aggressively seek out new sources of foreign investment, especially in high-tech manufacturing, services, and sustainable resource extraction.

As a result, FDI into Costa Rica increased from US$409M in 2000 to more than US$3.1B in 2016. The small nation now receives more than a quarter of all foreign investment into Central America, and enjoys low unemployment and internationally recognised healthcare and education systems.

FDI and oil revenues could lead to a similar outcome in Guyana. Already, foreign investment is increasing, thanks to stable economic policies, strong rule of law, respect for contracts, and the discovery of new resource opportunities.

Leveraging the revenues from those resources, by funding infrastructure and education projects, for example, could attract even more interest and investment from international businesses and, over time, can create better opportunities for all Guyanese to earn their livelihoods.

Chinese investors willing to take risks--Ambassador Karran only more open to doing business in states such as Guyana, but also are willing to take the greatest risks for such investments. “One has to have a balance between what is coming in and what we can utilise. It is up to us to filter the good ones from the bad, because Guyana is open to

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Guyana’s Ambassador to China Bayney Karran

UYANA’S Ambassador to China, Bayney Karran, while underscoring the importance of investment to national development said investors must be held accountable.

“One should certainly exercise caution with one’s international interlocutors. In Guyana, we have had some bad experiences with some companies and this is very much in the public mind,” Ambassador Karran said in a press statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday. He said local authorities must ensure that investors follow the law. “When investors don’t operate like good corporate citizens, the onus is on us to ensure that our laws, regulations and customs are applied and enforced.”

Referring to Chinese companies operating here, the Guyanese diplomat explained that many of them are not

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

all investors… We have to be careful that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water,” he said.

Guyana and China recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) that was launched in 2013 by the Chinese Government. It aims to enhance the orderly free-flow of economic factors and the efficient allocation of resources.

It is also intended to further market integration and create a regional economic cooperation framework. This has

been widely criticised as a move by China to ensure global market dominance.

In the face of suggestions that this could render Guyana indebted to China, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, said the MoU was not a loan agreement, explaining that it merely represents an intention embraced by the two states. Moreover, he explained the incentives of Guyana’s engagement with China as one where “China is prepared to engage without multiple-layered political and other conditions.”

Minister Greenidge also emphasised that China’s general inclination to fund infrastructural projects complements Guyana’s intent to take advantage of the MoU for related development.

“China views infrastructure projects in the context of a bid to build regional and global networks and views such projects in the long term and this initiative is a means of laying a claim to such arteries,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister pointed out that “recent work undertaken by William & Mary College suggests that developing states have received significant additional responses, thanks to the B&RI and that few of the 68 states which have accessed it have suffered the kind of horrors that are being promulgated”.

While some countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka have experienced some difficulty with their projects, the Guyanese Foreign Minister said not all responsibility can be laid at the door of the Chinese initiative.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Pushing back against violent crimes

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here have been numerous reports of late on incidents of violent crimes, in which robbery was the primary motive. Unfortunately, such an effect is an ironic and undesirable, but hopefully temporary side effect of the government’s clampdown on organised criminal activity.

The fact that everyone has needs is understood. People need food, shelter, clothing, companionship, and other necessities. Money can buy most if not all of those necessities. In order to obtain money, most people work.

However, some turn to crime, and they may use violence in the commission of such crimes.

Psychologists agree that “normal” persons do not wake up one day and suddenly decide to become violent criminals; there must, therefore, be some explanation of that behaviour.

Early thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner and Ronald Akers approached the problem from different angles, but, simply put, they all concluded that there must be pre-existing psychological factors.

That school of thought has since been corroborated by recent findings, one of which has to do with a psychological abnormality called anti-social personality disorder (APD).

It has been determined that, worldwide, about two to three per cent of persons may be characterised as having some level of APD. The incidence of the disorder is higher among prison populations, and astronomically elevated among violent criminal offenders. There is, therefore, a correlation between APD and violent behaviour.

APD has been shown to have a genetic basis; children who grow up to exhibit symptoms have a tendency to be cruel to animals and other children. Adults with the disorder usually lack the ability to feel empathy or remorse. They may often break social rules and violate social norms, and exhibit delusional or paranoid thinking.

They frequently engage in high-risk behaviour, and may abuse drugs. They usually crave instant gratification. And, importantly, they have a high tendency to become violent.

Consequently, those factors make it difficult for them to keep jobs.

Combine those personality traits with the fact that everyone has needs, and what one has is an explosive situation. Sociologist Robert Merton has shown that a person with such a pre-existing biological personality disorder, who is exposed to a social environment of abuse, neglect, extreme poverty, or other traumatic experience(s), may be more likely than others to commit violent crime. And committing crime for gain (robbery), becomes probable.

And now we come to the question of how an increase in violent crime correlates with government’s policies.

A person who commits crime for gain--or any crime for that matter--does not want to be caught. Therefore, that person may engage in drug-running, trafficking in persons or any other criminal activity that has the potential of producing high yields, while having a relatively low risk of capture. There is overwhelming evidence that during the previous regime, under the leadership of Bharrat Jagdeo, there was a proliferation of such criminal syndicates. It would, therefore, have been relatively easy for crime-

prone persons to find a place within criminal organisations and enterprises.

Now, on the other hand, the current administration has put a stop to state-facilitated crime. There are no more state-protected drug lords; no more state-run death squads; no more state-enabled cellphone-tracking computers.

So, the criminals who once enjoyed a life of luxury with their ill-gotten gains are suddenly without incomes.

And, given their psychological propensities, they certainly will not seek honest employment.

What alternative are they left, then?

Such individuals, having a psychological predisposition to violence and being used to a life of crime, will, naturally, continue their criminal conduct.This, though,will necessarily be done in a less organised way, by attempting to fulfil their material needs through robberies. Although violent robberies have a higher probability of capture, they believe that they have no choice.

Considering the foregoing, law enforcement, and by extension the government, should consider the problem of violent robberies from a scientific perspective. If the preceding analysis has merit, then, if we do not have the expertise to address the problem, we must work to acquire it. We must work towards prevention, deterrence, and prevention of recurrence. After all, too many persons are traumatised by violent robbers; too many tourists are dissuaded from visiting our beautiful country owing to the fear of violence; and too many young men are losing their freedom or their lives, because they have taken the wrong path in life.

We are the future of this country, invest in us Dear Editor,

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N Guyana, the youths comprise approximately 60% of the population. In my humble opinion, enough emphasis isn’t being placed on the young people of this country who are the future. Each year, hundreds graduate from secondary schools and are unable to further their studies (worse if they are not from Georgetown). Even more graduate from the university to venture into the world of work in which there are no jobs for them. Many are forced to suppress their dreams and aspirations, despite being qualified; despite working and studying hard to finish their schooling, academically equipped to face the challenges of the world of work, only to be surprised that the real challenge is in gaining meaningful employment in Guyana. Any hope of a productive and meaningful life, the chasing of one’s dream significantly diminishes, leaving nothing but a struggle for survival. As a young Guyanese, I find this challenge burdensome. I pity those who aren’t qualified, for if those of us with our qualifications find it so difficult to secure employment, what about those without. Many are talking about things being better in this country; they need to be more aligned to the common man and the everyday hardships they endure just to survive in this country, because the struggle is real.

We the youths constitute Guyana’s only hope for a real future. The youths of this country are ambitious, enthusiastic, en-

ergetic and promising. We are considered vulnerable in today’s society because of the rapid pace of change we experience at this time in our lives. A national youth development policy should be created and designed to advocate for youth and youth development. This policy should view youth welfare as vital to Guyana as a nation and its socio-economic development. Identifying and addressing these issues would enhance the lives of youths in Guyana and would improve overall national development.

Now is the time; what are our leaders waiting for? The formation/creation of a youth policy must have youth participation on a national level, which should involve recognising and nurturing the strengths, interests, and abilities of young people of this country through the provision of real opportunities for us youths to become involved in decisions that affect us at individual and systemic levels. It is time the young people become involved in the decision-making process that adversely affects our lives, both now and in the future. For example, The draconian marijuana law directly affects many youths, since mostly young men are jailed for small quantities, thereby directly and indirectly changing their lives negatively.

I implore those responsible to provide technical training to our youths to prepare them specifically for jobs. Technical and Vocational Training and Education (TVET) would help address the skills crisis. Youths who aren’t academically inclined and/or are school dropouts are often the most unprepared in acquiring jobs, due largely to their lack of skills. With our resources and

the money from our oil, a technical institute should be available in each of the 10 administrative regions of this country.

This would be more convenient for persons living out of Georgetown or Linden, where two of our institutes are located.

Youths who are neither working nor studying do not have the opportunity to learn and improve their skills. They are progressively marginalised and in turn can develop anti-social behaviours (hence, crime mostly involving youths, drug abuse and gang-related problems and teenage pregnancy, and a whole host of other social ills that negatively affect our society).

Vocational education will help to combat youth unemployment, because vocational training programmes will reduce unemployment and increase wages, increase employers’ productivity and significant social benefits will improve the health and well-being of the average Guyanese youth. For the “Good Life” that was promised a while over three years ago, we the youths of this country still await those jobs. It was time for the youths, please do not fail us with your divisive politics and petty agendas. We are the future of this country, invest in us, create that foundation that we so desperately need; be our role models and ensure that you set a good foundation for the future generations of this beautiful land of Guyana.

Regards Nkosei Williams

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

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Not prudent to demean trainee teachers Dear Editor,

I CRAVE your indulgence to be offered some space in your newspaper to express my opinion on the concerns raised by some parents regarding the contingency plan that may be activated by the Education Ministry should strike action proceed.

Understandably, a few parents are concerned that trainee teachers or teachers now graduating from the Cyril Potter College of Education may not be competent enough to teach their children. I believe the concern of these parents is based on the lack of experience that these teachers may have in the classroom and in schools generally. However, I urge parents to be rational. Every teacher has his or her first day, whether during times of an industrial relations impasse or not.

So it would not be prudent to criticise the new teachers, saying that they cannot handle the work since the teachers that will be striking also had their first day as well. Secondly,

parents must remember that strikes do not last forever, hence, the new teachers are substitutes and the substantive teachers for the respective classes will return and continue from where the substitute would have left off.

Debasing the competence of our teachers is debasing the quality of education and training that is delivered at the CPCE, an institution that has been training teachers since the 1920s.

The same college that trained the majority of teachers that have indicated their willingness to strike. At this point Editor, I wish to condemn the comments made by a parent at a recent engagement on the teachers’ strike action that was held by the Ministry of Education at Queens College. The parent said that “The Children will chew them up; ‘them’ meaning the CPCE students. As a parent, my priority at this moment is the continued progress of my children’s education. During this dispute, I and my children are held as human shields between the warring factions.

But I am going to point something out. The integrity and

focus of that Minister of Education says to me that she does not intend to be side-tracked by histrionics and people who present strategies that are not even based on basic mathematical national economics. I believe that my children’s education path is very safe with this minister because she understands that quality education is for all Guyanese and that includes my children.

For the first time in generations of my family, I see a future for my children in education. The teacher’s union needs to understand that they are part of this transformation and an uninformed demand is very different from intelligent negotiations. May the gods bless the teachers’ union with wisdom and the Ministry with patience. Together we rise, divided we fall.

Regards Tracy Franklin Parent

Guyanese seeing depth of coalition’s effort to make Guyana a just society Dear Editor,

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ORMER President Donald Ramotar recently wrote about a presumed escalation of local crimes, but with his typical reliance on anecdotal evidence, rather than statistics or facts to see what escalation he is talking about.

Just as he brings up the odd theft, anyone could easily bring up counter-points, like the police recently catching and killing five heavily armed thieves in the act.

He tries to paint this picture of bleak economic performance driving crime but, frankly, what crime we do see is in no way an escalation over that seen under the PPP/C. What it is, is simply

a different type of crime. Perhaps the former president doesn’t think corruption is a crime, or money laundering or drug smuggling. As multiple international measures have shown, Guyana was doing significantly worse under the tenure of his party, drawing comparisons with all kinds of kleptocracy.

It seems to me that in the mind of the former president, it’s only a crime if it’s committed by poor people. Those who use their public office to siphon off hundreds of millions from the public coffers are not criminals. Those who dodge their fair share of taxes, undermining the entire country’s development, are not criminals. Drug lords who run rampant, casually carrying out extra-judicial killings are not criminals. No, they are just businessmen!

The PPP MPs claims are outrageous Dear Editor,

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IGRATION into Guyana is admittedly going to be more and more a problem we confront, and as a result we should be thankful that the President had the foresight to establish the Department of Citizenship.

In fact, it seems every day we hear about new Venezuelan refugees!

The urgent work of this department is however totally undermined by the constant, unfounded attacks by the PPP/C. How absurd is it that the opposition chief whip continues to harass the minister of citizenship about supposed Cuban and Haitian migrants that cannot be accounted for. Some Cubans and Haitians seem to be entering Guyana legitimately and then leaving without stamping their passports, which likely means they are using the “backtrack.” This is not good, of course, but how the minister is supposed to stop that given our extensive, porous borders, is beyond any common sense.

Even more than this, PPP/C MPs are making the outrageous claim that these people are being issued with ID cards so that they can vote for the coalition. If there were thousands of foreigners taking up residence locally, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned in parliament, it would immediately be obvious to Guyanese. Can you imagine Haitians, who probably don’t even speak English, turning up at polling stations and not setting off all sorts of alarms with the observers?

Allegations like these, which are so preposterous they can’t even be taken seriously, have no place in our public discourse. Next, we’ll hear there are Brazilians coming in, and when they show up at polling stations looking for Portuguese voting cards, this won’t raise any questions. If the opposition wanted to raise real concerns they should have picked an English-speaking country’s migrants. As it stands this is a joke.

Yours, Malcolm Marshall

The heart of the matter is that an economic slowdown is to be expected, while the coalition cleans up the hot mess that was left them by the former president. That process is coming along well, and for the first half of this year we even saw a 4.5% growth rate, which is excellent. Guyanese are certainly seeing the depth of the coalition’s effort to make Guyana a just, reasonable, law-abiding society. Soon they will also see a prosperous economy with the advent of oil.

Under the former president, only God knows what they would have seen.

Regards George Scott

Our response to disasters Dear Editor,

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HE earth tremor we felt in Guyana, on the back of an earthquake in neighbouring Venezuela was certainly one of the most shocking events lately. It draws attention back to our most recent local natural disaster, the floods at Kwakwani last month, and our preparedness for these types of events.

Of course, Guyana seems to be blessed with truly great luck, as we suffer from very few large scale natural disasters due to our geographic location. Not so with our South American peers, Chile being a prime example and if

anything, this is even more of a concern in the Caribbean, which is so prone to hurricanes.

We should nonetheless be cautious, however, and put in place the requisite structures to deal with such events. These can be expanded if the scale of disasters we experience grows, but at least we have been able to see the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in action in last month’s floods. These affected an estimated 300 people.

The Civil Defence Commission was quickly in place to assess the situation and continued to monitor flood water levels throughout.

When the floods began to

recede, they then followed up with vital cleaning and disinfecting supplies, to limit the risk of any infectious diseases taking hold and wreaking havoc with local residents.

This shows foresight which likely stopped an outbreak by mosquitos which could certainly have turned deadly. It is therefore very encouraging to see such a response locally, and we should all get behind the Civil Defence Commission and related ministries, which together help ensure the Guyanese safety in times of need.

Regards, Shawn James

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

n r o b e s e n a y u G e On

journalist’s determination to succeed

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By Tracey Khan

ELISSA Noel is an award-winning independent journalist based in the New York City area who has made it a point throughout her career to tell stories that centre on the Caribbean region and Diaspora.

She believes that stories about the region and its people should go beyond headlines of natural disasters and crime and she makes sure, “that [for] stories of Caribbean Americans, marginalised groups and groups that really don’t get a lot of attention in the mainstream American news, there is coverage and good coverage.”

Melissa, who dabbles in multimedia journalism, is a very proud first-generation Guyanese American who continues to shine a light on the Caribbean and Diaspora to showcase the country’s rich diversity.

She has been honoured with the 2016 Shining Star Journalism Award for her global diaspora coverage by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and is a 2009- 2010 White House Correspondents’ Association Journalism Award recipient, where former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama honoured her.

This, she said, was one of the highlights of her career so far, “to have them tell you that they are proud of you, they’re proud of your work and the fact that you’re doing what you can as a young journalist to highlight your own people is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”

“Another thing that sticks out in my mind is that I was able to cover Guyana’s 50th anniversary for NBCnews.com and to be able to share Guyana with NBC news’ audience with the world, a place that I’m so proud of, it brought tears to my eyes.” It was one of the stories she did for Guyana’s 50th that won her an award.

Melissa’s commitment to bringing attention to underreported and international stories also earned her the 2016 International LabourOrganisation’s Global Media Award for her work on the effects of parental separation due to migration on Caribbean communities.

INSPIRATION

There is always someone who inspires us into our passion which often times turns into our career. That person was Melissa's Guyanese-born grandmother.

She would often pick up the newspaper for her grandmother. “[I would do that] so she could find out what was happening back home and to see the way my

grandmother would either cry, laugh, suck her teeth or just really connect with home through the news and I was like I want to be able to do that…for my grandmother the news was connecting her with home, which is Guyana,” she said.

Melissa studied at the Mecca of Black Excellence which is Howard University, a historically Black College. “It teaches you that your success is not just your own, it’s your ancestors, your community that you have a responsibility to be a leader and not only for America but for the world and that whatever you do you have to do it with a sense of pride and know that there are other people depending on you to do well and continue to honour their names, their legacy and it was literally

t h e news outlets would say ‘wow your story did the best all week’. As the saying goes, ‘there really is no overnight success’.”

BUDDING CAREER

She produces video as well as print and online stories for NBC news, Voices of NY, Ebony Magazine and Caribbean Beat Magazine. Melissa is also a contributing reporter for One Caribbean Television and The Huffington Post.

Both domestically and internationally, she is dedicated to researching, writing, producing, and editing news stories

Noel interviewing a child in the Caribbean for an international feature story

the best four years of my life,” she said.

She explained that at Howard she was able to connect with people from the rest of the world, learn about their cultures, adding that there is a misconception that historically black colleges are not diversified. That is where Melissa got her start on a Caribbean radio show at the college, making her experience, “magical.”

When she started her career she took the unpopular route and went independent, that meant her challenges would be a bit more than that of reporters who worked fulltime with news stations in the United States. “When I started I thought I would start reporting and then sit at the anchor’s desk but the more I saw the gap between our stories and mainstream news, and I started thinking how can I make a difference,” she said.

“I had to hear ‘no’ a lot. They would say ‘We love your story idea but we don’t have a budget for it’. Having to spend thousands of dollars of my own money when I started off, it meant sleeping at my granny’s house if I was coming to Guyana to do a story so it was a lot of couch surfing, shooting for myself until I was able to get the stories out, and the editors from

that centre on the experiences and critical issues impacting Caribbean and minority communities.

Melissa’s in-depth news coverage spans the United States as well as Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Cuba.

She has covered a number of political, governmental and social justice stories including, the 2016 Supreme Court ruling on immigration reform in America, disparities facing black immigrants in America and the U.K., restoration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the global Black Lives Matter movement, marijuana decriminalisation and legalisation, mental health, sustainable tourism and the effects of migration on Caribbean economies and families.

Her body of work also includes many arts and culture stories that have included high-profile interviews with celebrities like Majah Hype, The Mighty Sparrow, TikaSumpter, Taye Diggs, Run DMC, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Cruise, Shaggy, and Kool and the Gang, to name a few.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Howard University and a Master of Arts degree in journalism from The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Journalism, where she specialised in broadcast media and urban studies.

To learn more about Melissa, follow her work at www.melissanoelreports.com.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018 14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 18, 20189

Elections have FOR A YOUR consequences What male leaders can learn from their female counterparts?

CCORDING to the Pew Research Center, the number of female leaders in the world has doubled since 2000. Fifteen out of 193 United Nations member countries are led

by females.

Two of the world’s highly industrialised nations, England and Germany, are led by females. In the case of Germany, Angela Merkel to trounce herinpolitical ‘DUH (that) is nah (not)continues positive outcome; other rivals in a once chauvinistic in cases me business’ is highly a famous cases,society. it could Even be negative. where some societies are culturally and religiously geared phrase used in our everyNumerous issues associday conversations.

When towards male authority, women arewith emerging as preferred ated the arrogance of we make this remark, it government in candidates in political contests.

What couldinbeGuyana responsible means we have zero inthe past have disappeared, for this phenomenon? While every context is different and terest in an issue. because of thelike decision of it is sometimes down to individuals, I would to humbly It is sad when this the masses at the last elecsuggest that women enjoy the unique leadership quality of phrase is applied while tions to demonstrate their empathy that is often less projected by men. Empathy is describing our attitude to power at the ballot box. the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. public advocacy. The posFurther, some ominous This,of I am of the what male leaders can learn from ture ‘Duh is view, nah is me things with life-and-death female leaders. business’ is what led to implications are no longer researchers have found that women differwhatFirstly, is arguably the worst around due to thelead results of time for governance in the last polls. The simple Guyana’s modern history, pleasure of government experienced between 1999- critics and reporters driv2015. Governance reached ing with their windows its nadir during this period down or citizens subjecting when the holders of power their leaders to complete declared with unrivalled social media, lsew h e r e i n ridicule baggage.onOne of them sudpomposity,the ‘weCaribbean, have the no longer come with fatal denly opened a box, took ethnic numbers’.

On May of Guyanese who repercussions, out a pair of because light-green 11th, 2015, Guyanese our last monumental exerdid not settle as shoes with heels the length demonstrated that elections cise of our collective franeconomic refugees, were of an upturned bottle, and have serious implications. chise. It is only those who doing “suitcase trading”. hurriedly put them on.

In this case, there was a were in the trenches during In Trinidad, even while I She stuck her slippers in was a government min- her handbag, and took off ister, women would ap- with her companion, also proach me with a humble in high heels, to catch their request: “minista, book in flight. They literally held a piece fu me, nah”. They on to each other as walking would have a heap of jute on those new spiked heels bags full with trinkets and were like balancing on an confectionery that would overhead tightrope. Those be sold in Guyana, if only shoes would be placed on they could get them on a the market somewhere, as flight. high-priced exotic footDuring the hard times, wear at a time when GuyaGuyanese scattered almost nese scoured the world for everywhere. I couldn’t a good deal. believe meeting during We knew hard times the 1980s a Guyanese in and though we didn’t pride remote Yemen. He was ourselves in being called working in a posh hotel. refugees, many huddled in But at the risk of losing cramped basement overhis hands or head, he sold seas, thankful for the kindwhiskey on the sly, and ness of relatives and the delivered to rooms cheaper generosity who offered than the duty-free prices, jobs to those without propwhich he received from er documentation. diplomats from an unnamed Asian country to GUYANESE that liquor-free state.

SUCCESS STORY On one occasion at the Wherever they went, Paris airport, I saw two and whatever they became, Guyanese women as they Guyanese made a success juggled with boxes at the story of themselves. They check-in counter. It seemed became achievers from that they could not carry hard work, whatever the the boxes as extra cabin nature of that work.

ently, they tend to have a distinct approach that is fraught with transformational leadership (Riggio: 2010). Female leaders tend to lead their teams by enhancing motivation, morale and job performance. They guide through inspiration and above all, they combine strength with sensitivity and lead with empathy. That maternal inclination that resides in every female, demonstrates a sense of care and understanding that appeals to followers. This to be undergirded this period of destructive ousseems mechanisms, is a forby nature.

Neuroscientists proven thatbywomen and vindictive government have mal process which have you higher appreciate oxytocin levels This hormone is referred would the than dan-men.make a decision.

Whento gers of ‘cuddle going tohormone,’ the Cheddi cut female through the razzle as the whichyou makes leaders seem Jagan International Airport and dazzle of campaigning more personally connected to followers or those whom they tosolicit fulfilfor an support overseastoobligaalloffices. the shining fanascend to and higher Once the fetion as an anti-government fares, it is a wise choice male is up against a male candidate and they are tied on all activist and having face toI am make which can that affect the requirements forto leadership, of the opinion the the dreaded possibility from what your children sense of care that is effortlessly manifested by the female, of having drugs planted will carry in their lunch will give a natural advantage. The masses seem to be gravin your luggage. These kits to whether your counitating towards persons simple fears arethis. no Understandably, more try getspeople a badwant reputation in authority who can feel their circumstances and realities. due to the wise choice in the international arena.

Asby a consequence, I herebyThis advance thatoffor the male made Guyanese. These practice democraconsequences cannot be cy has been in place since underestimated, especial- the 17th century. It is the ly in light of the fact that results of the May 11th most of the persons who 2015 elections that have were custodians of the bad erased the shame of Guystate between 1999-2015, ana having a reputation of haveOgone a drug-filled banana n c e nowhere, w h i l e I they w a s being her and learned that she are the ones waiting in the republic with little law and in Toronto, as the train came from Belvedere, and electoral to I once It ismother due to had our last screechedwings to a halt, heard order. that her sold again reign down terror on vote-casting that we have a sweet voice above the fish with Ma, whom she the population. an unprecedented murmur: “Ayou walk good seen endearingly called “aunty Added to this, an elec- crackdown on the drug gal!” I looked ahead and Chunoo”. tion, besides its conspicu- empire in Guyana and the saw a woman I recognised Though her story was concomitant positive efas Guyanese. I approached fects no different that comefrom along many with

ATTENTION !

time me ain’t see people is the argument that politicandidate to succeed in most cases, he must convince shooting inheparties’. are out touch on with the peopleup that feels their cians pain and can of connect an This is due level to thewith fact their that struggles. issues that impact the lives emotional This I believe will Guyanese a decision of young people.

On the always bemade a major advantage that female candidates to elect an incorruptible other hand, there is the valenjoy over their male counterparts. Usage of nicknames President who stands for id contestation that if polsuch as ‘auntie’ for female leaders immediately trigger law and order and cannot iticians refuse to address comfort and affinity, the likes of which automatically be enticed by the overtures your issues, it is you who resonate ordinary folk. must delve into advocacy of the drugwith empire.

Again, your safety when you go out to have a good time can be traced right back to electoral decision-making.

Be that as it may, global voter apathy is at its highest percentage.sheThe asylum-seekers, did youth remain the most not lose her Guyaneseness, passive globalsense voter block; her distinct of huthis is a universal trend. In mour, her feeling of gratiJuly 2010, 75% of eligible tude. Guyanese have been voters between ages 18-30 helped chose notbytostrangers, participateand in being kind in turn to others the US midterm elections. in economic hardship, be The question is: who is to be blamed for low voter turnout by youths globally? Politicians or young people? On one hand, there

THE PLIGHT OF ...

E

dealing condignly with this scourge. The average Guyanese party-goer can now remark: ‘Is a long

By Ronald Austin Jr.

and address those issues.

It is a crime against your fellow citizens to allow the rise of the destructive FROM PAGE 4 state by not having an I.D Card or refusing to get up on national electionsCubans day to they Venezuelans, vote.

Not getting involved or Haitians, is a small toisken tooindeed detrimental. for the kindness It is a good time to of others towards us. remind ourselves of the We cannot curse the wise words of William bridgeMckenzie that we ourselves Lyon King, had crossed, to ‘Where [there] iseither little or Venezuela, Suriname, no public opinion, there is likely to be bad government, which sooner or later becomes autocratic government.’

10

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Indian company offering oil-and-gas services to Guyana

A

N Indian company specialising in oil-and-gas operations is offering its services to companies and organisations in Guyana ahead of first-oil anticipated on or before 2020, according to President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan.

This company, Golla Engineering Private Limited, specialises in petroleum refineries, petrochemicals, oil-and-gas processing, pipeLines, power, chemicals and fertilisers, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, offshore structures and platforms, minerals and metallurgicals, cement and steel, amongst others.

The Region Three Chamber official said that the company handles many public and private projects in India that are billion-dollar industries providing services in project management, process design, procurement, fabrication, detailed engineering, construction management, health safety and environment, along with software development.

Further, Khan said Guyana’s current ability to manage the massive amount of oil revenues it will receive needs to be increased before it starts oil production.

He explained that Guyanese at all strata of society must become oil-smart by either positioning themselves to operate effectively within the oil-and-gas industry, or become educated on the developments in the upcoming sector.

Adding that only an educated population would be able

to successfully guide the decision-making process, Khan said Guyana needs trained geologists, economists and oil experts.

In giving advice to the youths, the private sector official said Guyana will need major infrastructural investment to support offshore activity and government has proposed a $500-million investment for a processing facility and oil-services base on Crab Island, at the mouth of the Berbice River, and is evaluating development of a deep-water port there.

“New oil-and-gas development has the potential to create many well-paid jobs, but technical training programmes will have to be put in place to provide locals[with] the skills needed to develop and maintain new oil-and-gas facilities,” Khan explained: “It is in these fields the young generation must invest in their education and skillset to be prosperous.”

In addition to the company’s capability, the company has experience and expertise in the following areas: gas-liquid separation, gas-sweetening and removal of sulphur compounds, gas dehydration and hydrates control, mercury removal, gas dew point control, NGL/LPG recovery and fractionation, mercaptans removal by caustic wash, gas compression, crude oil and condensate stabilisation and stripping, crude oil desalting, crude oil pumping, sulphur recovery and removal and sour-water treatment.

President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan

A number of companies currently hold petroleum blocks in Guyana. With the world-class Liza discovery in 2015, interest from even more companies, including at least two super-majors, have skyrocketed.

Guyana’s potential rests on the discoveries in the Stabroek Block, located approximately 120 miles off our shores in 5,500 feet of water. First-oil is anticipated in 2020.

Nineteen Cuba-trained doctors graduate

By Vanessa Braithwaite

N

INETEEN newly trained doctors, who recently returned from Cuba, graduated on Sunday at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre amid a gathering of families and friends. The young physicians were reminded to play an integral role in the development of Guyana’s health sector.

The Cuba-trained doctors spent seven years training in general medicine and will complement the hundreds already in the public health sector. Of the 19 graduates, 11 are Guyanese, four are from St Kitts and Nevis, one from Malaysia and three from St Lucia.

Giving the feature address, Public Service Department representative Vincent Alexander urged the graduates to shun individualism and cultivate a spirit of community service.

“The cost is historic, because we have had to overcome many hurdles and many obstacles to keep this relationship going; the people of Guyana and the people of Cuba had to insist to make this possible… we need to understand that this is about community, it is not just about you, individual doctors, it is about community, a community of Guyanese, a community of Cubans and community of progressive people, who have been able to forge the kind of relationship that made the way possible,” Alexander noted.

He further reminded them that as licensed medical doctors, it means that they are now beginning the process and it is therefore important for them to continue their professional education and should use every opportunity to learn from those who would have gone before them. Issues of remuneration and facilities should not come foremost in their minds, but about providing health service second to none to the community, Alexander said.

He added: “You should always recognise that you are giving a service to humanity and a service to community-- and this service impacts your whole lives.”

Alexander spoke of the psychology of medicine and how simple decorum and communication can affect a patient’s confidence in their diagnosis and treatment given by a doctor.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Boyle, urged the

The Cuba-trained doctors taking the Hippocratic Oath on Saturday night

graduates to display humility since they can learn so much from subordinates such as veteran nurses, nurses’ aids and even cleaners.

BE READY AT ALL TIMES “We are all part of a team, everyone has a role to play and we depend on each other, we are each other’s keeper,” she urged. Boyle encouraged them to not only show up for work, but to be present, to be engaged mentally, physically and emotionally.

With the ministry’s stride to push preventative medicinal measures, the doctors were told to not only focus on treatment, but to educate and to change patients’ ways of life so that they may not be patients again.

She further urged them to be compassionate and to see themselves as the patient on the other side of the desk, since it is a noble profession.

Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, in a short address also reminded the graduates that their graduation is the beginning of a journey that has to be resupplied constantly, so that they can continue to provide optimum service.

He urged them to reject mediocrity and cultivate a passion for excellence. To achieve excellence, the new doctors were

told to inculcate virtues of humility, leadership and inclusiveness. Majeed expressed gratitude to the Government of Cuba for continuing to facilitate the programme.

Valedictorian Sodavie Naraine described the seven-year journey as hectic and thanked her parents and grandparents who were her main support, as well as her colleagues who stood together and her lecturers who coached her.

Coming to the end, she said that the days were long and the nights longer, but the sacrifice paid off and now her dream has come through. She expressed appreciation to the Government of Guyana and the Government of Cuba for hand-picking them out of hundreds of applications and making their careers possible. Naraine, along with her 18 other colleagues, took the Hippocratic Oath, signalling a start to their careers.

There are currently 62 students studying in Cuba, 22 of whom are pursuing specialised fields. On Monday, 13 more students will be commencing their seven- year journey.

Also present at the graduation ceremony were permanent secretary of the Department of the Public Service, Reginald Brotherson; Head of the Medical Brigade, Dr. Tatianna Garcua, Embassy of Cuba (Guyana); Charge d’ affaires Llanio Gonzalez; and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

11

New top cop charged to lead security reform

P

RESIDENT David Granger on Thursday swore in the new Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, charging him to lead the administration’s efforts in reforming the security sector and to also work vigorously to root out corruption and rebuild and regain public trust.

Speaking at a simple ceremony held at State House, President Granger said that the Office of Commissioner of Police is not a toy, a trinket or a tool of political favour or patronage. He noted that the security of the State and the safety of the Guyanese people rest on the police force and the officers who command it.

“Unless those officers are persons of integrity, intelligence and impartiality, this country will never be secure and our women and children will never be safe. This country cannot move forward unless the Guyana Police Force preserves the environment, the peace and security of the State and the people to allow us all to go about our work without being harassed, without being threatened. “ In addition to appointing the Commissioner of Police, President Granger also appointed four deputy commissioners: “One deputy commissioner for Administration, one for Operations, one for Law Enforcement and one for Intelligence. Those are the four most critical areas of police operations in this country,” he said.

The President noted that these appointments will see the Force being more efficiently managed; provide motivation to members of the Force as officers below the rank of deputy commissioner could look forward to becoming deputies and filling those positions and there will be a high degree of specialisation so that senior officers could be selected for advanced training.

The President noted that the police force, for far too long, has gone through a ‘dark’ period but this must be reversed if the safety and security of Guyanese are to be assured. “Countrywide, this

country faces challenges. On our western border with Venezuela, we have [migrants] coming in by the day. On the southern border, we still have aircraft landing, bringing strange substances. Along our coast, we still have traces of smuggling and piracy, contraband, gun running, narcotics trafficking. Along the coastal areas, women are still being attacked and abused, robberies take place, and unfortunately, too many rogue police officers have been found to be involved in these crimes. We have come through a long dark period in Guyanese history. It makes me weep to think about the number of policemen who were killed between 2000 and 2010; never before in the history of the police force and it must never happen again in this country. Never before has the police been so badly used that many of them were accused of being complicit with narcotics traffickers, gunrunners, tax evaders and

President David Granger holds his first meeting with the new top brass of the Guyana Police Force

President David Granger poses with new Commissioner of Police, Leslie James ( second from left) along with the other deputy commissioners

assorted smugglers. There are not many but those few have given the Police Force a bad name,” he said.

President Granger noted that the four deputy commissioners led by Commissioner James will have much work to do as the Guyana Police Force is the principal agency concerned with ensuring law and order and this mandate must be fulfilled. “The Police Act is clear. The Force is charged with the prevention and detection of crime, the preservation of law and order, the preservation of the peace and suppression of internal disturbance, the protection of property, the apprehension of offenders and the due enforcement with all laws and regulations with which it is directly charged. For the Police Force to perform these functions, it cannot remain unchanged.

Things change every day. The Police Force has to be reformed and you cannot build a new house with old wood. You have to select new materials, people with a new vision, people with a new commitment to break from the old bad habits and to return to the principles of good policing. To be capable, it must command the confidence of the citizens,” the Head of State noted.

He further stated that, “The public trust is important. Security sector reform is essential to maintain a Force, which is committed to citizens’ safety. That is my principle concern.

This Government will resist any attempt from any quarter to reverse, to retard or to thwart the reforms in which we are about to embark and I look to this new team to promote those reforms vigorously to ensure that from year to year the citizens of this country see that the Guyana Police Force is there to serve and to protect them. We have to rebuild public trust and I am confident that we have a team of men and women who are going to rebuild that public trust. No more troubles in Guyana! We want every Guyanese citizen, every child to look with pride at the Guyana Police Force.”

Following the swearing in ceremony, the President met with the new top brass of the Force to discuss their mandate and other related issues. Vice President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mr. Sydney Allicock, who is performing the functions of Minister of Public Security; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams; and Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Paul Slowe were also present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Gov’t appoints new oil & gas adviser

A

S government moves to strengthen its petroleum management department ahead of first oil, it announced on Tuesday the appointment of Matthew Wilks, an experienced senior oil and gas business developer and negotiator, as Oil and Gas Adviser in the Department of Energy within the Ministry of the Presidency.

Wilks has 32 years of experience in the global oil and gas industry, spanning all segments of the energy value chain including exploration and production, liquid natural gas, pipeline transportation, power generation, and project financing, the ministry said in a release. Wilks previously held management responsibility for international asset management and joint venture operations. During his career, he has worked for, or opposite, several heads of state, other senior government officials and senior corporate executives.

According to the ministry, Wilks, who will be based in Georgetown, has worked in Asia, East Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, and had corporate portfolio responsibility for assets in Central Asia, the Levant, and North Africa.

Most recently, Wilks was Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk Oil, where he was involved in projects in Angola, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Norway, and Qatar. Before that, Mr. Wilks worked at BG Group where he was

Country Manager for Tanzania at the time of significant offshore discoveries and rapid sector development there. He worked on projects in Bolivia, Egypt, Libya, Palestine, and Thailand, also at BG Group. Born in Australia, and grew up in Kenya, Wilks the ministry said, earned a BSc Tripartite in mathematics, physics, and chemistry and a BSc Hons in applied physics from Robert Gordons University, Aberdeen. The Department of Energy (DOE) recently also advertised for an office manager and accountant as well as a procurement officer and confidential secretary.

Meanwhile, only last month government appointed economist Dr. Mark Bynoe as the head of the Department of Energy. In defending his selection President David Granger had said that Dr. Bynoe has the necessary intelligence and experience to best manage the impending oil sector. “We had been researching and we decided on a person who is experienced not necessarily in petroleum but who has the intelligence and the experience to find people who are experienced and who can administer that important industry,” President Granger said.

President Granger said of Dr. Bynoe “he knows he doesn’t do everything but he knows where to find people who know enough to make that sector functional and we feel that he is a fit and proper person to do that.” The Department of Energy was gazetted with effect from

August 1st, 2018 which means that its responsibility was formally transferred from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Ministry of the Presidency. This transfer comes following the recommendation of Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, which led to Cabinet’s examining of the state of the industry for the last seven months.

Bynoe has taken over the duties of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Petroleum Unit and has the responsibility of embarking on a “four phase programme” for the establishment of the department.

The first two phases include administration through which Bynoe will assemble a team to work in the department and rationalisation which will ensure the efficiency of the new department. Speaking on the second phase, the President said: “There is a Petroleum Unit in the Ministry of Natural Resources and there may be other persons in the Government of Guyana right now who have experience in that sector, so some parts of some ministries may have to be transferred to the Department of Energy.”

The third stage includes the operationalisation of the department while the final stage of implementation, the President predicts, will begin by the beginning of September. “A lot of work has to be done.

We have to advertise for experts all over the world and we have to look at drafting legislation, we have to look at financing and we have to look at all other aspects of the operationalisation of the department,”

Matthew Wilks, Oil and Gas Adviser in the Department of Energy

he added.

President Granger hopes that during the month of August the parties working to achieve this will accomplish much more than they were able to in that last seven months.

Bynoe is an Environment and Resource Economist and the former head of the Project Development and Management Unit of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). He is the holder of several academic degrees including a Doctorate, Masters and Bachelor’s degree as well as a Postgraduate Diploma and other certificates mainly in the areas of Environmental Economics, Resource Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. In his position as head of the Department of Energy he will receive direct guidance from the President as he works to place specialised attention on the petroleum sector and the management of its resources.

#SNAPSHOTS

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Refinery closure a done deal Despite rumblings from Roget, Khan says: ENERGY Minister Franklin Khan said yesterday there will be “no rescinding” of the decision to shut down Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. Khan was responding to an ultimatum levied on Government yesterday by Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget that it either reverse the decision to close the refinery, call a general election, or face chaos.

PNP Outlines Serious Concerns With Education Sector During a press briefing yesterday at the party's headquarters in St Andrew, Ronald Thwaites, opposition spokesperson on education and training, said that teachers have been in limbo over aspects of PEP. "Teachers have legitimate concerns about the Primary Exit Profile. The New National Standard Curriculum, on which the PEP is based, has only been introduced since 2016, and many teachers have not even been provided with a hard copy of it. The challenges teachers are experiencing include the way in which the training was done, and some of the teachers do not understand what is expected of them. They have complained about the inconsistency of the messages they have received from the various trainers," said Thwaites.

Paulwell meets with petroleum sector stakeholders

KINGSTON, Jamaica — People's National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of Mining and Energy, Phillip Paulwell, says that he has been meeting with critical stakeholders in the petroleum sector to discuss ways to reduce the effect of rising prices on business and families.“With the moving oil prices pushing up the cost of energy, food production and some categories of services, the Jamaican consumer must brace for further increases in their basic cost of living,”

No need to fear the CCJ, says PM

As the people of Grenada and Antigua prepare to hold national referenda before year end to decide whether they will sign onto the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as their final appellate court, Prime Minister Mia Mottley is assuring them they have nothing to fear in terms of political interference.

PM Skerrit vows gov’t will not tolerate crime and violence

Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit has vowed that his government will not tolerate crime as the country faces a series of violent gun offenses.“I give you the assurance that this government will not allow and tolerate any such activities going on in Dominica, we will be firm and resolute in ensuring that we wipe out this lawlessness that is permeating our society,” the Prime Minister stated.

However, he pointed out it will require the role of every Dominican since “crime and violence are societal issues and therefore it requires the whole society playing its part in bringing a sense of peace and tranquility in our country.”

Illegal workers on Nevis urged to register with employment authorities Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis is calling on persons working illegally, or under the radar, on the island to register with the employment authorities. Brantley made the request at his monthly press conference at the Nevis Island Administration’s Cabinet Room at Pinney’s Estate today while addressing the issue of employment on the island.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

13

Lowest public debt in Caribbean -- Guyana gets good rating from ECLAC

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HE United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has reported that Guyana has the lowest level of public debt in the Caribbean.

According to ECLAC’s economic survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2018, Guyana’s public debt is 46.9 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In the Caribbean, central government public debt remained stable at 68.6 per cent of GDP. Despite having the highest level of liabilities in the region, Jamaica continues to reduce its public debt. The country had a debt of 103.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, followed by Barbados with 89.3 per cent.

Even as Guyana has made progress in the management of its debt, government will continue to work hard to ensure that debt levels remain sustainable, said Minister of Finance Winston Jordan last year.

Jordan had noted that under the Public Debt Management Capacity Building Programme (PDP) Strategic Country Plan for Guyana, the country has made notable progress in the area of debt management.

He said the programme concludes this year.

The finance minister singled out several areas which have progressed here and these include the formulation of a National Sustainable Funding Strategy in 2015, inclusive of a Debt Sustainability Analysis and Public Debt Strategy, a comprehensive Public Debt Management Procedures Manual which has improved and ensured consistent debt management operations while reducing operational risk; and the first National Workshop on Debt Management Self-Evaluation and Improvement (DMSAI) in 2016, using the World Bank Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) methodology to assess Guyana’s

debt management operations, and chart a course for improvement and achievement of international best practices.

“These achievements are tangible indications of our Government’s redoubled efforts to ‘raise the bar’ in the management of public finances,” he said, adding that such efforts include the management of the public debt.

He said such efforts ensure heightened transparency and accountability, value for money and efficient and effective allocation of the country’s resources.

According to Jordan, Guyana is well acquainted with the harsh consequences of an onerous debt burden as well as the painful process of structural adjustment, and the harsh outcomes of weak and impudent management of the public purse by previous administrations.

Despite the challenges over the years, the mid-year

report of 2018 had positive statistics. Among the statistics was a 4.5 per cent growth of the economy at mid-year.

ECLAC has projected that the economy will further grow by 3.0 per cent this year. The mid-year report, however, projected a 3.7 per cent growth for this year.

According to the midyear report, non-sugar growth rate is estimated to have climbed to 5.1 per cent from a revised 2.8 per cent,

while preliminary data indicates that this growth, for the first half of 2018, was more broad-based than the previous year with robust performances in agriculture, fishing and forestry.

The significant increase in the construction sector was evidenced by higher building imports by 24.7 per cent, supported by the increased pace of execution of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) which rose by 3.9 per cent above the previous half year.

Minister Jordan highlighted in the report that Government has made gains on putting its macroeconomic and development agenda on a strong foundation. He said the initiatives taken during the first half – and which will be accelerated during the second half of 2018 – brought greater clarity to the Government priorities, with emphasis on spending on growth-enhancing opportunities such as construction.

OAS pledges continued support for Guyana The Assistant Secretary-General to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ambassador Nestor Mendez, as he passionately spoke about the role of the OAS in global development.

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SSISTANT Secretary-General to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ambassador Nestor Mendez, has pledged continued support in providing training, grants and scholarships to Guyana.

Mendez on Thursday night made a presentation outlining the role of the organisation in global development at the Education Lecture Theatre at the University of Guyana.

He told the gathering that he was there to talk about the part that doesn’t make the news, since the OAS is required to fulfil its mandate to its member states, noting that the organisation was much more since it was one of the oldest multilateral institutions in the world.

Mendez in his spritely presentation said that the OAS operates under four pillars and he spent some time detailing each on Thursday night.

He stated that the four pillars under which the OAS operated were the promotion of democracy, the promotion of human rights, multi-dimensional security and integral development.

Mendez told the group that the OAS had 34 member states and they often come together to discuss problems facing each member state.

He noted that the OAS responded to the needs of its member states in an effort to fulfil its mandate and they are also pushing ahead with cross-cutting issues in youth empowerment, since the OAS believes in preparing young people to think a certain way.

Mendez pointed out that they were also championing the cause of vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples and

people of African descent.

The assistant secretary-general of OAS also spoke of the institution’s pace to connect with its member states and to understand the challenges faced and to address same, since they were putting mechanisms in place for water-resource management.

Mendez urged those present to look at what the OAS was doing and to look at opportunities to go overseas to study and to network with other young people across the hemisphere.

He said that the OAS will continue to provide training, grants and scholarships to the people of Guyana and lend support where necessary to foster the development of this country.

Meanwhile, in remarks, Professor Leyland Lucas, Dean of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation

at the University of Guyana, said that the OAS was one of the oldest regional bodies and it was an organisation that has withstood the test of time and it was growing.

He related that he was however thankful for the continued support given by the OAS to Guyana in our border challenge with Venezuela and also its efforts in our sustainable tourism goals.

Lucas added that OAS has been at the forefront in regional development and is dealing with issues of human rights in this hemisphere.

He told the gathering that what comes out of the OAS is a unified message through dialogue. He added that even though we are separated by language and location, the organisation would continue to grow and play a dominant role.

A section of the gathering on Thursday night at UG in the Education Lecture Theatre.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Carter not a broker, but a friend …President says political dialogue to continue with opposition

President David Granger

By Rabindra Rooplall

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RESIDENT David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo are set to meet this month to further discuss and collaborate on matters of national interest.

This is according to President David Granger during a press conference hosted on Friday at the Ministry of the Presidency. The President was at the time responding to a question about the Head of the Carter Center, former United States President Jimmy Carter, intervening in the political process of creating dialogue between President Granger and the opposition leader.

“As a friend of Guyana, he [Jimmy Carter] enquired about [the] process and whether there were any obstacles

and I gave him some answers based on the experiences we had since 2015, so I would not agree there is an ongoing process supervised by the US [State] Department. I have always been open to meetings with Mr Jagdeo and I will continue. I have never denied, failed or refused to meet with Mr Jagdeo-- I wouldn’t. As leader of the opposition, Jagdeo represents a significant part of the population,” the President said. “I don’t need Mr Carter to tell me that, so there is no Carter process taking place and, as far as I’m concerned, Mr Jagdeo and I speak the same language and I think we could make progress on our own,” President Granger told a news conference held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The President noted that Mr Carter is not a negotiator in Guyana’s political arena and he is not a broker, nor is he establishing some new procedure. Disclosure of the former American leader’s discussions with President Granger and subsequently Jagdeo had come following a meeting with the Guyanese leaders back in July. The President had then agreed to lead talks between the government and the opposition.

Jagdeo had told the media that he had received a call from President Carter in July after the former President had got word that the PPP had refused the offer to engage in amiable talks with the government. “The impression I got from President Carter is that in his conversation with the President, the President stated that he was inclined to have talks with us, but we in the PPP were not so inclined, because we don’t like Nagamootoo. And, so, I pointed out to President Carter that it was not Nagamootoo that was the issue, it was our concern that…he would not be able to commit the APNU or the PNC to anything at the meeting,” Jagdeo said.

However, despite saying this in a statement issued back in 2015, the PPP had this to say regarding Nagamootoo: “Knowing the dim view the PPP holds of Moses Nagamootoo, the APNU+AFC, by insisting that he is their ‘best man’ who will head its team, must know that that initiative will go nowhere. Thus, by pushing Nagamootoo centre stage, it is now pellucidly clear that the coalition’s objective is not to have any talks at all, but to put the PPP/C on the defensive and to project the party as refusing to engage

in talks with the government.” The Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who is a former PPP executive, has maintained that he had no axe to grind with the PPP and is ready to enter talks on national unity.

President Granger said that if the PPP has an issue with the prime minister, he (the President) would lead the discussions which are to be focused on the pertinent issues of crime, oil and gas and the environment. Although the compromise was made, the opposition leader told the media that he would have to discuss with the PPP’s executives whether the body wishes to deliberate with the government on the above-mentioned issues.

For decades, the former U.S. President has been involved in the assistance of smooth political processes in Guyana, facilitating the country’s first internationally certified free and fair elections in 1992. He last visited Guyana in 2015, when he co-led the Carter Center’s 100th election observation mission to the May 11 General and Regional Elections. Over the years, there have been calls for the major political parties, the PPP and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) to put their differences aside and have political dialogue on social and economic matters of high importance. Collaboration by the major political forces, it has been opined, can foster confidence, trust, as well as good cordial relations at the national level, thereby obtaining solutions to matters of national importance.

The APNU+AFC coalition government has from its very formation stressed inclusionary governance. In fact, President Granger has repeatedly said that his administration is committed to inclusionary democracy and is prepared to consider executive power-sharing with the PPP/C. Back in September 2015, the President noted that at that year’s General and Regional Elections, the coalition secured 51 per cent of the votes cast by the electorate and as such, it would not be prudent for his government to exclude the PPP/C base. “We have at all times aimed at having inclusionary democracy and inclusionary government, so that the 49 per cent don’t feel locked out.” The head-ofstate stressed that national unity is part of the philosophy of the coalition and noted that there must be some form of sharing, national unity and inclusionary governance.

The Carter Center’s involvement dates back to 1990, when it brokered key electoral reforms such as fresh house-to-house registration, a seven-member Guyana Elections Commission and the counting of votes at the place of poll. It is believed that he has met more Presidents in Guyana than in any other country, having held talks with the late Cheddi Jagan, Desmond Hoyte and Janet Jagan and, more recently, consulted former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar and sitting President David Granger on matters mainly related to elections and bipartisan dialogue.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

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Guyanese nurse not forgetting her roots

Even as she excels abroad

By M Margaret Burke

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YNETTE Richards-Lorde is one of those persons who have never forgotten her home-country Guyana regardless of the fact that she has always found herself immersed in activities in the United Kingdom, a place she has called her home for nearly 60 years.

“I was born at 47 Palm Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown to loving Christian parents.

My father, John Richards, was the Manager for Bourda Market and my mother, Beatrice Dora Richards was a dress designer and seamstress,” Lorde told the Pepperpot Magazine.

She explained that in her family she had one older sister, Nan and two brothers - Owen and Vincent. Her parents, she said were keen on enabling their children to have a good education and also provided them opportunities to take music and art lessons. For music, Lorde said that she attained a Grade Four pianoforte and for art, she was able to do paintings that she exhibited and sold.

THREE CHOICES Lorde said that her head teacher told the students that there were only three choices of careers available after senior Cambridge. The three choices were nursing, teaching or the civil service. She said that she wanted to do nursing in Guyana but the waiting list was long.

“I decided to work as a civil servant with the Ministry of Health in Brickdam and at the Georgetown Hospital as a secretary to the Radiographer. This was after I had completed my high school education at Tutorial High School and art education at Queen’s College with E.R.Burrowes as her tutor,” she stated.

SAILED ON ORANJESTAD Lorde told the Pepperpot Magazine that her father suggested that as she was only 19 years of age at the time, she should save up her money and take her sister with her to the United Kingdom.

“I did just that; I saved up my fare – £100, which was $480 Guyanese dollars in 1959 and we travelled together to England on the Oranjestad in February 1959.

We sailed from Georgetown and arrived in the heart of the English winter three weeks later at Plymouth. It was a wonderful experience, seeing places such as Surinam, Trinidad and Madeira on our way to England,” she said.

She said that her sister was accepted to work as a nursing assistant at Oxford, and she was accepted for training as a

state registered nurse (SRN) in Taunton and Somerset Hospital. “My main aim was to become a midwife, my father’s dream. I wanted to qualify as a nurse-midwife and return home after five years.”

STATE REGISTERED NURSE At the completion of my State Registered Nurse training, Lorde was awarded the prize for the best practical nurse of the year (1962) and went to Cheltenham and to Birmingham to train as a midwife in the hospital and the community. “On successfully completing my formal training I returned home to Guyana to see my parents and if possible to work there. There were some political problems at the time and my father advised me to return to the UK and come back later. On return, I got married and my daughter was born the following year.”

Lorde told of her experiences as a district midwife; training as a clinical teacher to student midwives in the community; and as a Nursing Officer responsible for all antenatal and gynecology services and staff at the Greenwich District Hospital.

She further worked as the Senior Nursing Officer, in charge of three hospitals, the Weir, the South London Hospital for Women, and the St George’s maternity unit.

DIVISIONAL NURSING OFFICER “After six months in the post of Senior Nursing Officer, my immediate boss informed me she was leaving her post as Divisional Nursing officer, the top Midwifery post in the Wandsworth Health Authority,” she said. “I never expected to be considered for this post, but the health authority told me they were pleased with the way I worked and I should apply for the post.

I applied, was interviewed and I was appointed. I then became the adviser on midwifery services to the health authority and supervisor of all midwives working in Wandsworth in 1979.”

Lorde said that she was also appointed as a director for Maternity Alliance, UK, an organisation which advised the UK government’s select committee on midwifery services and care.

CONTINUITY OF CARE Later, Lorde was introduced to the subject of ‘Continuity of care’ for mothers; a suggestion that was accepted and adopted as a good care model for maternity services. At the same time, she became chairman for the association of supervisors of midwives in 1989 for the southeast region of UK. She said that she then became the first nurse-midwife to be appointed to

Lynette working as a volunteer in the Diabetic Community Library

the general manager responsible for medical, nursing, clerical and technical staff. In so doing, she was able to introduce effective care for all general, midwifery and all children services.

After a successful career, Lorde took early retirement in 1992.

VOLUNTARY WORK The experienced health worker was one of the founder members and chairman of the Association of Guyanese Nurses and Allied Professionals (AGNAP) that was formed in the UK in 1989.

“We felt we were in a position to give our services and resources to our home. We are now in our 30th year, and over the years we have provided training and helped develop services such as cancer care, sickle cell and thalassaemia, audiology services and palliative. We also supplied theatre instruments, walking frames and setting children’s library in hospital,” she posited.

She further explained that from 1993 to 2005 she undertook training as children’s advocate with children’s organisations and also worked as an advocate for children who lived in Homes and represented them in schools and in courts, giving them a voice in society.

COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS By 1999 the Department of Health appointed her to represent the UK as a member of a committee of experts to serve in Stratsburg in Europe. The committee was termed Adaptation of Healthcare Services.

Almost simultaneously she was appointed as Director for the Commonwealth Society for the Deaf (now Soundseekers).

“This was as a result of my visit to Guyana where I found that there was no service for

people with hearing disabilities.

I sought the opinion of the then Minister of Health to find out if I could seek help in the UK. This was agreed and my appointment as director was mainly to help with fundraising for providing a comprehensive hearing service in my home Guyana. We sought funding from the Lottery in the UK and the fundraising made of £250,000, she said.

Project 2000 was conceived and a fully comprehensive service comprising of a doctor, nurses and technicians to make hearing mounds and a 4x4 vehicle to take the service over the whole country were all provided.

Many Guyanese with a hearing problem benefited from this service, Lorde stated.

FEEDING PROGRAMME On a visit to her mother’s home village of Beterverwagting on the East Coast in 2005, Lorde said the medical officer in the area told her of children who were having some problems, going to school with just sugared water for breakfast and no lunch.

This, she said was confirmed by the then head teacher.

“On my return to the UK, I discussed this matter with AGNAP and also with the Soroptimist International club, for which I had become the president. Help was given. Funds were raised. Links with the head teacher of the B/V school and the parent-teachers group were made. I returned to B/V three months later and funds were provided to prepare meals and for breakfast for 30 children.

After six months, Food for the Poor took over the funding of the project.

As a result of members of Soroptimists knowing of the BV school, a school in Catford contacted her offering fiction and nonfiction books. Over 5,000 books were donated and sent

to the school, so a small library for children and parents were formed. Ten computers were also donated by an Inner Wheel Croydon member. This enabled the B/V children to link with children in a school in Croydon to exchange messages.

COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES LEAGUE (CCL) Lorde is a member of the Commonwealth Countries

League (CCL), an organisation that provides bursaries for girls of the Commonwealth, who are ready for secondary education. The fund enables children to have uniform, books, travel, especially where parents are going through financial difficulties. The funds are provided to the school so that they can be properly accounted for. “Over the past 20 years, I have managed to provide many bursaries to Guyanese girls, children from Jamaica and South Africa,” she said.

She is also known as a champion within the diabetes community, doing work in the UK, as well as in Guyana. “I became interested in diabetes because it is a condition affecting members of my family and many friends.

I was offered training to become a diabetes community champion. For the past eight years, I have been actively engaged in communities in the UK, in teaching people how to prevent becoming diabetic. This involves going to schools, workplaces, colleges, railway stations and having a stall in my local market, where I display information and answers questions from the public,” she stated. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

THAG rakes in $5M in development funds thus far

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INCE the launching of its Tourism Development Fund (TDF), the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) has raked in close to $5M in voluntary contributions from visitors staying in the country.

Now, the body believes that with more resorts, hotels and lodges on board, there is the potential for Guyana to collect up to USD$100,000 per year.

The TDF was launched in March 2015 and hotel, lodge and resort guests are asked to donate just US$1 for each night of their stay. The money goes entirely towards the TDF. A letter is provided to guests in their room or at the front desk which clearly states that it is a contribution which, if they would prefer, will be removed from their final bill.

To date the contributions have come from the Cara Lodge; the Guyana Marriott and Roraima Duke Lodge, securing $ 2,761,760; $ 1,940,522 and $48, 506 respectively. Although similar initiatives are being conducted in other Caribbean countries where they have raked in even more, the TDF was established locally by former THAG President Shaun McGrath.

Of the funds collected they will be dispersed to three main areas which will see 60 per cent being spent on marketing, 20 per cent on product development and 20 per cent on capacity building and training.

Thus far, through the TDF, THAG has awarded $400,000 to the Protected Areas Commission to effect signs in the Botanical Gardens; $155,952 towards Guyana Restaurant Week banners and $160,000 to facilitate Action Coach, Social Media Marketing for two months.

McGrath says that the programme has been working exceptionally well with 70-75 per cent of visitors being willing to pay.

However, THAG is still working to encourage additional

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Former and present presidents of the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Shaun McGrath (left) and Mitra Ramkumar (Delano Williams photo)

accommodation establishments to come on board, some of which were previously skeptical about the process and how they would benefit.

“Some people looked at it as, ‘Well if everyone is not doing it, someone is going to take my money and use it for someone else’. But actually it’s not your money; it’s the money of your guests, so it doesn’t cost the hotels a red cent. So, I think people have seen the value to it and when they see the social media marketing campaign kick they will see that there is a distinct value to doing this,” McGrath said.

Nonetheless, funds received thus far have been used to promote the country as a whole through Destination Guyana which has seen many, even those who aren’t members of THAG, benefitting in return.

The TDF is managed by a special committee comprising representatives from the public and private sectors who ensure that projects undertaken by the fund are transparent.

HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE NEEDED Of the three areas to benefit from the TDF, capacity building and training takes special interest. For many years THAG has been lobbying for the establishment of a hospitality institute where overseas trainers would provide their services to tourism areas such as hotel staff, cooks, transportation operators and more.

“I think there is a lot more to be done and I think the hospitality institute is the way to do it. It is a national effort that has to be put in to encourage kids when they leave school to go into the hospitality sector and realise that that is a very valuable sector to be working in,” McGrath stated.

Hospitality training is even more important now as the country rapidly approaches first oil which McGrath is certain will see many more visiting the country for five star services

and experiences. “That is going to create a whole new demand for rooms, bars, restaurants and everything…and that requires staff, but at the moment there are no training facility for those and that needs to be done. THAG does what it can, using some of the TDF funds, but it really needs to be done [at] a national level,” he continued Meanwhile, President of THAG, Mitra Ramkumar, revealed that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has already approved funding for the construction of the Hospitality Institute but allocating a plot of land is slowing down the process.

“What they have said to us is that they will have to meet again with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and probably Lands and Surveys to get on with it. We will be sending off a correspondence to the ministry independently to seek a meeting to see where it’s at because this is something we really need to push,” Ramkumar said.

He believes that the oil and gas industry, which is a highly skilled capital industry, will not create many jobs directly but rather jobs will come from the “trickle down” effect of the sector through areas such as tourism.

“What is going to really enable those people and benefit those people is an industry, which is the tourism industry, that can create this massive employment because it’s a labour intensive industry,” he said, adding: “The school drop-outs are a target group for this institute and single mothers-- the vulnerable.”

It is hoped that at the institute, persons attending will be able to work and study to implement and practice new skills as they learn them.

Speaking on these plans as well as the TDF, McGrath said: “This is developing the sector, not just THAG or THAG members, it’s developing the sector.”

UK-Guyana Chamber of Commerce in the making

By Svetlana Marshall

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RITISH High Commissioner Greg Quinn said there are increasing discussions on the establishment of a UK-Guyana Chamber of Commerce.

The discussions are taking place at a time when Guyana is well positioned to become an economic powerhouse in the Caribbean in light of its massive oil discoveries.

More than four billion oil-equivalent barrels have been discovered in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana as the country puts the gears up to kick start oil production in 2020.

During a press conference at his Bel Air Gardens residence on Friday, the British High Commissioner said that over the last three years there has been a significant increase in the number of UK businesses operating in Guyana as he alluded to Stena Drilling – a UK-based-company that conducts drilling operations offshore Guyana for US oil giant – ExxonMobil; and Noble Corp., which has its drillship ‘Noble Bob Douglas’ operating offshore Guyana for ExxonMobil as well.

He said there is a major interest in Guyana’s budding oil and gas industry, given the UK’s experience in the petroleum industry at Aberdeen.

Known as the oil capital of Europe, Aberdeen over the last 40 years has re-invented itself from a provincial regional centre dependent on agriculture and tourism to become the centre of the UK’s national oil and gas exploration and production activities.

In 2015, the UK oil and gas industry produced an average of 0.9 million barrels of oil equivalent every day. Over the last 40 years, the UK has produced nearly 43 billion barrels of oil and gas and still has substantial potential.

But while there is growing interest in Guyana’s oil and gas industry, the British High Commissioner said other areas are also of considerable interest.

“I think that our services industry is the single biggest con-

tributor to the UK economy.

We are no longer the manufacturing economy we once were, we are a services economy,” High Commissioner Quinn said while noting that there can be an exchange in knowledge and experience in this regard.

TRADE MISSION Ahead of the proposed establishment of the UK-Guyana Chamber, which is in its embryonic stage, a trade mission will be in Guyana come January as British companies seek to build and strengthen ties here.

“We are looking at the possibility of increasing links between here and the UK,” the British High Commissioner said.

It was noted that while the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) have all been creating linkages in the UK with support from Guyana’s High Commission in London, greater effort should

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn

be made to have Guyanese companies and businesses operate in the UK. “There are British companies coming here, [and it] would be good to see some of the companies here going the other direction, and the private sector here understands that,” he posited.

The disclosure of the possible establishment of a UK-Guyana Chamber of Commerce comes approximately one year after President David Granger told the

British that Guyana, for long-term development, has the most exciting investment prospects in the Caribbean. At the time, he was delivering remarks during an investment seminar organised by the Caribbean Council in London.

It also comes days after American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana (AMCHAM Guyana)--a voluntary association aimed at promoting trade and business between the United States of America (USA) and Guyana-- was launched here.

AMCHAM, while offering businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to network, make new contacts and transfer knowledge, will provide a platform for business, resource and advocacy support as well as a medium for community involvement and social corporate responsibility.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has established three trade councils to facilitate business among Cuba, India and Canada.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Not everything is ‘Free-and-Easy’

Life

in the tucked-away West Bank

By Telesha Ramnarine

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REE-AND-EASY, a quiet and peaceful agricultural village located at an estimated five miles off the West Bank Demerara main road, is home to roughly 200 persons.

It is still not clear what was responsible for choosing such a name for the village, as its residents have to toil long and hard for a daily bread. What is more, after reaping their produce, villagers would now have to deal with the mountainous challenge of transporting it to the main road.

With no public transportation available, a taxi charges $1000 from the village to the main road. With a load, though, the cost can amount to a few more thousands. Only villagers know what they are left with after having to spend that kind of money on transportation alone.

Grace Joseph, 40, a mother of three, who was born and raised in the village, told the Pepperpot Magazine that the main issue at the moment has to do with the deplorable roads existing there.

Life in the village is “very hard,” she expressed, but the residents have become accustomed to the circumstances there.

“The road was bare mud but about 14 to 16 years ago, they throw sand and loom; nothing else after that. The hardest thing is to carry out your load,” Joseph observed.

She recalled that the situation was much tougher in earlier days when mud reached her knees while going to school. “When rain fall, we had to put our school clothes in our haversack and tie up our boots in plastic bags. Then we would wash up and change into our clothes.”

The situation at the moment, however, has improved although the roads still pose major challenges to the villagers. While most residents walk the distances, many others use bicycles and motorcycles. There are also a few cars.

PEACEFUL The challenges aside, Joseph said residents live well with each other. “It is

a very peaceful area. People living nice here,” she said.

The village is also low in crime, although some bandits might hide in the bushes in the lonely sections of the trail to pounce on their victims. This mainly happens at night.

Another positive coming out of the village is that its students have been doing well over the last few years at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). A school, housing both nursery and primary school students, is located in Vive-la-Force, the village after Free-and-Easy.

The residents “really suffered” for water over many years, Joseph recalls, as they had to fill from the trench; they also kept ponds

in their yards. A little under two years ago, however, they were able to benefit from a proper water supply.

While they have received electricity some four years ago, they are still hoping to receive landline phones and good roads.

Some more street lighting would also make life easier for the residents.

The National Data Management Authority last year opened its 52nd e-Government ICT Hub in the village, as part of the Government’s overall plan to make the internet accessible to citizens all across Guyana.

Joseph recalled during the interview, that prior to the opening of the facility, she would have to travel all the way to Patentia Village

The Sambade Koker, originally built by the Dutch.

The Grove and Diamond Villages on the East Bank Demerara, among others, can be seen across the river while on the trail to Free-and-Easy.

to be able to use the internet. With free internet right in their village, life is much easier in this regard. It is a “great relief,” she said, adding that her children are able to get help with their homework and other activities.

Tulsiram Otto, a cane cutter living about a further four miles from Free-andEasy, is originally from Patentia Village but has moved out here for the past 15 years.

While trekking through the trail on foot on his way home, he told the Pepperpot Magazine that he enjoys life here because he is able to be independent. “Nobody tell you anything. You live your independent life,” he expressed.

Tulsiram Otto, a cane cutter, walks many miles from his home to the main road.

A resident making his way home after doing some tree-cutting work.

The Milmount Congregational Church is said to be in existence for well over 100 years. It was closed earlier this year and is now a monument site in the area.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

Exxon in 9th oil find

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MERICAN oil giant, ExxonMobil has announced its ninth discovery offshore Guyana at the Hammerhead-1 well in the Stabroek Block.

ExxonMobil said the latest discovery marks the fifth on the Stabroek Block in the past year and proves a new play concept for potential development.

Hammerhead-1 encountered approximately 197 feet (60 metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. The well was safely drilled to 13,862 feet (4,225 metres) depth in 3,373 feet (1,150 metres) of water. The Stena Carron drillship began drilling on July 27, 2018.

“The Hammerhead-1 discovery reinforces the potential of the Guyana basin, where ExxonMobil is already maximising value for all stakeholders through rapid phased developments and accelerated exploration plans,” said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company.

“Development options for Hammerhead will take into account on-going evaluation of reservoir data, including a well test.”

Stabroek Block at Liza, Liza Deep, Payara, Snoek, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora and Longtail.

Those previous discoveries led to the announcement

offloading (FPSO) vessels producing more than 750,000 barrels per day by 2025.

The company said there is potential for additional

ExxonMobil said Hammerhead-1 is located approximately 13 miles (21 kilometres) southwest of the Liza-1 well and follows previous discoveries on the

of an estimated recoverable resource of more than 4 billion oil-equivalent barrels discovered to date, and the potential for up to five floating production, storage and

production from significant undrilled targets and plans for rapid exploration and appraisal drilling.

“A second exploration vessel, the Noble Tom Mad-

den, is due to arrive in Guyana in October to accelerate exploration of high potential opportunities and will commence drilling at the Pluma prospect approximately 17 miles (27 kilometres) from Turbot,” the company said.

Liza Phase 1, which is expected to begin producing oil by early 2020, will use the Liza Destiny FPSO vessel to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Construction of the FPSO and subsea equipment is well advanced.

Pending government and regulatory approvals, Phase 2 is targeted for sanctioning by the end of this year. It will use a second FPSO designed to produce up to 220,000 barrels per day and is expected to be producing in 2022. A third development, Payara, will target sanctioning in 2019 and use an FPSO designed to produce approximately 180,000 barrels of oil per day as early as 2023.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exx-

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onMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, is operator and 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.

Government had called on all stakeholders to act responsibly and patriotically as Guyana continues its thrust into this new sector and as news and events continue to unfold about the extent of the oil reserves offshore and the manifold opportunities and benefits for the Guyanese people.

Late in December 2017, the government released the full petroleum agreement with ExxonMobil at a high-level forum held at the Ministry of the Presidency. During presentation on the contract, it was disclosed that Guyana stands to gain some US$7B over a 20-year period from the LIZA Phase One well alone.

A passenger boarding bridge being installed at the CJIA (photo courtesy of Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson)

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HE management of Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) will be conducting trial runs of the new arrivals terminal and boarding bridges in the next two days.

According to the CJIA, the objective of these tests is to ensure all systems under the passenger treatment/loading conditions are acceptable to allow the identification of final opportunities for improvements ahead of the proposed official opening of the terminal.

The 4,891 square metres terminal features 10 passport control booths, one elevator, one escalator, two functional boarding bridges, three baggage carousels, a spacious custom area and a public greeting hall to welcome the arrival of family and friends.

In light of this, airport users were urged to adhere to the rules of the CJIA. According to the rules, motorists will now park in the parking lot adjacent to the new arrival terminal building. The fees for the various types of vehicles remain

the same.

During this trial phase motorists will not be allowed access under the arrivals canopy to uplift passengers - this is to analyse the readiness of the collection of passengers which was proven difficult in previous experiences. “It is the extended desire of CJIAC management to ensure the new terminal operations attain the most favorable efficiencies; stress-free and supple passenger movement, and superior service to all its users,” the CJIA said.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

It’s virtually survival for the fittest

-out west, where Español is now the lingua franca The main road at White Water village, in the North West District

Story and photos by Alva Solomon

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URVIVAL of the fittest is considered the buzzword of the moment at Gaja Landing on the outskirts of White Water village in the North West District, where dozens of Venezuelan migrants have taken up residence as the economy in the neighbouring country dwindles daily.

The “landing” is a hot-spot for traders in various food items such as rice and other staples from both sides of the

Villagers hard at work repairing a canoe at Gaja Landing, just outside White Water village

border. Venezuelans sell almost anything of value to eek out a living.

“We are helping them from a humanitarian standpoint,” says new White Water toshao, Ernest Samuels.

Small huts, cleared parcels of lands for housing, and the provision of medical care almost daily at the health post in the village tell of the struggle of the migrants, many of them Warraus, seeking a better way of life on this side of the border. Other Venezuelans, including those from the states outside of Caracas, have found small jobs around the Maba-

ruma sub-region, like painting and carpentry.

Toshao Samuels told the Guyana Chronicle that on entering White Water from the western border, the migrants first report to the Council and provide it with vital information such as their names and other relevant data.

Their next stop, he said, would be the police station established at the location. There’s also a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) post at the centre of the village, which was TURN TO PAGE

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

It’s virtually survival ...

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established several months ago so as to ensure proper security arrangements are in place.

A stable number of 328 persons have moved to the community permanently since 2017 and periods of 2016, but according to Samuels, there are many who would just come weekly to buy ration or to trade items such as fish.

And there are those who would come in search of the odd job from time to time.

He said two councillors would keep him abreast of what is happening regularly, and that the village has even had to bend some of its by-laws to help out the situation.

“They needed a place to stay, and we have community by-laws; but we had to flex those laws and see how we can help, because they need it,” Samuels said, adding that vacant lands have been checked and green-lighted in parts of the village for the migrants to occupy.

THERESA’S STORY Theresa Daniels, a mother of nine, lived in Venezuela for almost 12 years. When the Guyana Chronicle caught up with her, she was busy hanging clothes to dry in her yard as her grandchildren played nearby. A small fireside with smoking embers stood next to the family’s home.

Daniels recounted that when she and her family moved to Venezuela, “things were very nice that side.” But the situation took a drastic turn when Chávez died and his successor, Nicolás Maduro took office. “We start to suffer with the schoolchildren, the food price; things get slow after a while,” Theresa said.

She and her husband decided to return to Guyana in 2017; and pretty soon, some of the children followed, bringing with them their children. Five of her children are still in Venezuela, she said, but the others have opted to relocate here permanently.

As to how badly the price increase is affecting Venezuelans, Theresa said: “When I left that side, it was Bs150 for one kilo rice; and now it get worse because my children can’t even buy a kilo.”

“Me glad bad fuh come back here, because meh mother from this side, and me got roots here, so this is home.”

As we headed further west to the border along the part rugged, part hilly terrain of meandering sandy road, the evidence was clear that the village’s population was on the increase, as many makeshift homes could be seen in various stages of construction.

Many are native Guyanese who are returning to Guyana after living several decades on the other side of the

The manicole stalks which are traded by the refugees at White Water village

border, while others are venturing here for the very first time.

One such family is that of Rosalinda and Victor Mercano and their four-year-old son. They’ve set up house in a small thatch-roofed structure which they are still working on. Rosalinda told the Guyana Chronicle, via a translator, that they made the move all the way from Cumaná, in Sucre, some 250 miles from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Victor, who’s 26, speaks only Spanish, but he’s hoping he could find a job here. He explained that after leaving school, he started working in the fishing industry, but after a few years, things got pretty rough.

Rosalinda, who’s 23 and speaks a little English, said she has relatives here in Guyana. She said that both she and her husband are hoping they can find jobs, and quickly, so they can live more comfortably.

A typical homestead at the border community

ASSISTANCE WELCOME They said they’re willing to accept any form of assistance, but unfortunately, they have no mobile phone. White Water residents have, however, promised that they would make contact with the young family should they hear of anything.

Rosalinda, who is optimistic that things will work out fine, said that come what may, their son will be attending school come September 3, when schools across Guyana re-open.

As we headed still further west to Gaja Landing, a prime spot for trading, there was no mistaking that the area has been a hive of activity in recent months when compared to back in 2016 when the Guyana Chronicle last visited.

As one negotiates the trail of planks across the swampy marshland to get to the “landing” proper, several houses can be seen in the distance. On arrival, we met a mother sitting in a hammock and rocking her week-old baby.

According to a community health worker from White Water Village, the woman gave birth just last Saturday around 05:00hrs, and she and her husband are contemplating naming the baby “Guyven,” short for Guyana-Venezuela.

As the afternoon progressed down at the “landing”, several men were seen busy repairing the bow of a canoe, blithely unaware of the trail of ants crawling nearby.

Not far from them, a woman was busy making craft items for retail, while stacks of manicole from the heart-of-palm tree lay nearby.

Word is that the migrants have been harvesting the manicole to sell it to traders who would pay them handsomely for the commodity. We also learnt that some make money, as much as G$300 per trip, by ferrying heavy items such as bags of rice on their backs across the marshy wooded track.

According to migrants, the situation in Venezuela is becoming dire with each passing week, so they’re hoping that their fortunes would change this side of the border.

The Guyana Government has been addressing the issue by distributing food items and other supplies to assist the migrants through various organisations such as the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).

The Regional Democratic Council of Region One (Barima/Waini) is also doing their bit to alleviate the situation.

A temporary settlement is being considered for establishment on the outskirts of Mabaruma.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

President's Presser

His Excellency President David Granger

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 30, 2018

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August 31 Down The Years

Supercat arrives

The man who led a juggernaut

Clive Lloyd holding the cup for the 2nd time as captain

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1944

HAT mighty hitter and all-round cool dude Clive Lloyd was born. He bludgeoned 7 515 Test runs with that oversized bat of his but will be remembered mainly as the man who restored West Indies to a position of dominance.

Captain in 74 of his 110 Tests (the first West Indian to win 100 Test caps), he led them to a record 26 without defeat, which included a ‘blackwash’ of England in 1984.

In the one-day arena, he took West Indies to two World Cup titles (1975 and 1979) and to the final in 1983. His sparkling 102 in the 1975 final is one of the best innings in the tournament’s history.

He joined the Packer circus in-between, before returning to captain West Indies. Before bad knees took their toll, he was also one of the great cover fielders. (ESPN Cricinfo)