Guyana_Chronicle_Quarterly_Supplement_2021_March

March 2021

Creating a more conducive business environment –– through amendment of old laws

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Before COVID-19: Lethem attracted as much as 20,000 visitors daily PAGE

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Guyanese music, a comfort during pandemic 23 PAGE

Kerensa Gravesande-Bart creating opportunities for Guyanese youths 26 PAGE

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Creating a more conducive business environment –– through amendment of old laws

By Richard Bhainie

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ITH the new oil and gas sector taking shape and more foreign companies registering interest in doing business in Guyana, there has been talk of overhauling the existing legislative framework to create one conducive to creating a world class business environment.

Despite some deficiencies and archaic legislation, Guyana’s legislative framework is not entirely an impediment to facilitating a vigorous business environment, as the country does have a robust legislative system which is enabling for commercial development.

These were the sentiments shared by prominent Attorney-at-Law, Devindra Kissoon, founding member of the prestigious law firm, London House Chambers, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, discussing the required legislative framework anticipated to facilitate the commercial developments consequent to the oil and gas sector.

“It’s not that we are so deficient that we have these large gaps in our current commercial legislation which is prohibitory to doing business in Guyana, it’s quite the opposite in my view,” Kissoon noted.

Kissoon explained that Guyana has a liberal legislative framework which allows not only foreign companies to conduct business in Guyana, but also allows the Government to enable those companies to enjoy the necessary benefits of doing business here.

He listed a plethora of legislation that is already in place, facilitative to doing business in Guyana, such as the Companies Act, which is based on Canadian’s business cooperation’s law, and consistent with similar legislation in the Caribbean.

And the Income Tax (In Aid of Industry) Act, which has historically been used by Government to allow persons doing business in Guyana to benefit from various concessions.

Further, Kissoon explained that contrary to popular belief, even without the industry to some extent, Guyana does have Copyright Legislation,

Attorney-at-Law, Devindra Kissoon

Trademark and Patents Legislation and Arbitration Legislation.

He noted however that while the legislation exists, laws evolve with society and the existing legislation might not be entirely reflective of the current realities.

AREAS FOR REFORM He listed a number of areas that are in need of reform, such as the current domestic legislation to facilitate Arbitration, the Arbitration Act 1919, and other legislation.

“So, starting with the enforcement of the ability of persons who have their rights determined abroad, Guyana will need and is in the process of manifesting a revised modern arbitration act,” Kissoon said.

“It will need, and is in the process of, revising its Trademark laws and rules. It will need modern Copyright Legislation to handle things such as the change of technology that has occurred from 1956 to now, to ensure that certain things are copyrighted and of course to make it easier to enforce,” he added.

Further, he explained that legislation to allow the easy enforcement of foreign judgements are also required, and while the country has existing legislative provisions, it has

not been enabled.

“We have a foreign reciprocal judgement enforcement act which has not yet been enabled, so the act exists, the legislative framework is there, but the act needs to be enabled to give companies the comfort,” he said.

The prominent attorney added: “… for example, you have an oil and gas contract which has a Texan choice of law, and a Texas forum and you get a Texan judgement; you can now easily enforce that judgement in Guyana. It can be done, but there are now modern mechanisms which are automatic to allow for the enforcement of those judgements in Guyana.”

However, the attorney explained that it is not just commercial legislation that is required to create an attractive business environment and development of the petroleum sector.

HEALTH AND SAFETY “There are other things that can be strengthened in Guyana such as our Occupational Health and Safety Act. You would look around construction for example and they ought to be strengthened provisions which mandate that persons wear certain safety equipment,” he said.

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COVID-19: One year later .... Guyana moves apace with vaccination rollout

By Vishani Ragobeer ON March 11, 2020, Guyana recorded its first case of COVID-19, and, unfortunately, ‘Patient Zero’, Ratna Baboolall, succumbed and became Guyana’s first COVID-19 death. Coincidentally, on that same day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) finally declared the spread of the novel coronavirus a ‘pandemic’.

During the weeks before this day, preparations started within the local health sector. The novel coronavirus had already begun infecting countries outside of Wuhan, China- where it, reportedly, originated. Still, like many countries around the world, the impact of the virus and the pandemic could not be fully understood.

“Guyana at the beginning of the pandemic, when it hit our shores in March last year, like many countries, we were not prepared. It’s not unique to Guyana; countries across

A health worker receiving his Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital

the world were not prepared,” Head of Internal Medicine at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr Mahendra Carpen, told the Guyana Chronicle in a recent interview.

With the pandemic declared and researchers dedicating their time and effort towards understanding the virus, new information was constantly emerging. Wheth-

er it was information on how the virus could be transmitted or which demographics were more at risk, the health sector was to adapt quickly.

Illustrating this, Dr. Carpen explained that in the earlier days of the pandemic, gastrointestinal symptoms were not recognised as part of the coronavirus infection. Nowadays, it is, despite widespread knowledge that

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease. And this is just one example.

“We have adjusted our protocols, across the world not just Guyana, and we have adjusted our protocols based on the knowledge we would have gained from this pandemic,” the Head of Internal Medicine said, explaining that health protocols have been evolving over the past year.

It is also important to note that Guyana was, uniquely, battling an epidemic of sorts simultaneously; that was the protracted electoral process following the March 2 elections.

Though Dr. Carpen acknowledged that there are no standard methods of determining what impact this protracted period had on the management of and behaviours towards the pandemic, he did contend that many persons were “distraught” and perhaps, not as focussed on COVID-19.

By August 2, five months

after Guyanese went to the polls and five months after COVID-19 spread to Guyana, President Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn in.

In the months that followed, several steps were taken to ensure that the economy and society returned to some semblance of normalcy. Schools were partially reopened; restrictions were partially relaxed, allowing persons to return to work, and a suite of fiscal and monetary measures were introduced to spur economic activity.

Dr. Frank Anthony took over the post of Minister of Health. Thereafter, efforts were made to procure the relevant supplies and equipment needed to intensify testing and surveillance efforts.

MUTATED By the end of 2020, however, scientists found that the Sars-Cov-2 had mutated and there was a new, concerning strain of the coronavirusknown as the B117 or ‘United Kingdom (UK) variant’.

Subsequently, additional variants of concern were

discovered in South Africa and Brazil.

Dr. Anthony explained that it is normal for viruses to mutate. Even so, it becomes worrisome when the mutations are related to an increased transmissibility of the virus. This means that more persons can become infected, thereby placing an additional burden on the health sector.

Guyana, without capacity to conduct the specific type of genetic analyses necessary for defining these strains could only take precautions -- more so when the newer variant emerged just next door, in Brazil.

“The transmission really is by droplets or aerosols and so wearing a mask and keeping your distance helps to break transmission,” Dr. Anthony said, while adding: “But the other thing is if we are able to vaccinate the population, you are able to immunize to protect persons.”

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COVID-19: One year...

Since February 11, amid growing concerns of the presence of variants, Guyana commenced its rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination began with the frontline health workers, who are at a higher risk of interacting with persons infected with COVID-19. Since then, in more recent weeks, elderly persons over the age of 60 and some other frontline workers (such as the joint services) have been receiving their ‘jabs’.

AMBITIOUS PLAN Vaccination is also ongoing in all ten administrative regions.

And Guyana has an ambitious plan of vaccinating a majority of its population by the end of 2021, despite the Economist’s projection that Guyana and other low-income countries would not achieve widespread coverage until 2023.

“It’s a race against these variants in a sense because some of the vaccines if we don’t get them quickly and administer them it can be that the virus mutates and prevents the vaccines from working as effectively as it should,” the Health Minister said and hastened to add, “Even with these different variants, however, vaccines

An elderly man receiving his COVID-19 vaccine in Region 10

work effectively.”

Dr. Carpen, who was one of the first persons to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Guyana’s first tranche of vaccines, opined that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risk of any potentially adverse side-effects. As such, while he acknowledged that there is great uncertainty about whether a vaccine will offer long-term protection, he encouraged each person to take it, once offered.

“I believe that if we are going to see the end of COVID-19

in the next couple of years, vaccination would mark the first major step in that direction.

It may be that we continue to have COVID-19 infections, but because of the vaccinations we no longer have it as severe life threatening as it used to be in the early days,” the GPHC doctor explained.

Through Guyana’s vaccination rollout, there have been no adverse side-effects registered. The only side-effects recorded were associated with vaccines in general. That is,

swelling and soreness at the site, headaches and fevers. Still, a pharmacovigilance committee has been formed to monitor the cases where there have been side-effects.

Meanwhile, Dr. Carpen has urged Guyanese not to lose sight of the other health problems Guyana has. “As much as our attention is now focussed on COVID-19, chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are still our number one cause of diseases and disability in this country,” Dr. Carpen said in a recent interview, emphasising: “Cardiovascular remains the number cause of death and disability or mortality or morbidity.”

In 2020, the Pan-American Health Organisation’s (PAHO)’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) progress monitor for Guyana stated that 4,400 deaths (or 68 per cent of all deaths) were caused by NCDs. This report was published in March 2020, which meant that this information was applicable to the year before.

This, therefore, meant that the total number of deaths would have been approximately 6,471.

It is also important to note that persons with underlying diseases- other cardiovascular

Creating a more conducive...

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“For the growth of Georgetown, we need a comprehensive zoning legislation which would allow the city to grow in a structured and not organic manner,” he added.

Kissoon explained that while these legislative reforms are “baseline”, there are other “sophisticated” reforms that are necessary in anticipation of the realties the oil and gas sector will present, for example, a revision of the archaic Petroleum Act. “Similarly, with our environmental laws they will need to be updated to reflect the current realities as we know the environmental concerns would have changed from when that legislation was drafted to now; it’s not that these legislations are in any way deficient. They can just be simplified,” he said.

Since the discovery of first oil in Guyana, there has been a lot of talk about local content. Recently, the Government held major consultations regarding local content policy, something that Kissoon perused and is satisfied with.

He noted that local content has to be balanced with allowing persons the opportunity to provide local con-

tent against the backdrop of capacity building.

In the short-term, it ought to be ensured that persons doing business in Guyana must first scour the local market to ensure that they cannot get the services they are looking for here before looking elsewhere, and, in the long term, local capacity must be built and experience strengthened.

“For example, the lawyers’ profession. It could very well be seen that we don’t have the experience to, for example, draft or implement oil and gas legislation and oil and gas contracts, but at the end of the day if the Government were to suggest that whenever a foreign company hires a foreign firm it must work with a local firm, in so doing that local firm capacity would be built,” he explained.

Kissoon explained that this model should be applied across the board to ensure foreign companies consume local products first, and to build local capacity to provide the products they need.

OVERHAULING EXISTING FRAMEWORK The current People’s Pro-

gressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government has recognised these inadequacies and gaps in the country’s legislative framework and has embarked on an overhauling of the existing framework to implement modern legislation.

For example, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affair, Anil Nandlall, S.C., has engaged the services of retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize, Courtney Abel, to undertake the task of upgrading Guyana’s existing Arbitration legislation and make recommendations on developing the country into an arbitration empire.

Kissoon noted that presently Guyana is heading in an excellent direction, displaying superiority to many countries where they would have been at the same point in time with their oil discoveries.

“We are very bright people, we are very keen people and the Government currently is made of persons that are very alert to not only doing business but to the protections that are needed to ensure that business is done in a matter that benefits citizens, not only from a commercial

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standpoint but from a regulatory standpoint and an environmental standpoint,” he said.

He applauded the Government for taking strong steps in such a short period of time since assuming office to ensure that these deficiencies in the current legislative framework are resolved, and for consulting with the wider society.

“I think that the current methodology employed is excellent whereby the Government is ensuring that it has at its disposal international professionals who has experience in the field to assist us in getting the framework together “As well as the same time taking those foreign views and matching it with the local concerns to ensure that we have a proper framework that suits and benefits the uniqueness of Guyana’s economic landscape,” he noted.

diseases, respiratory illnesses, diabetes or other NCDsare increasingly vulnerable to the more severe effects of COVID-19. These underlying conditions are termed comorbidities.

“If we lose sight of all of the other things that can cause real problems as well, we’re going to end up with problems just like that where

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people are at home with chest pain, at home having a stroke and they don’t come to hospital or they come to hospital too late when too much damage is done or they miss their preventative health screening and follow up and clinic visits and so forth,” Dr. Carpen lamented.

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Guyana to become energy capital of the Region –as authorities push ahead with creation of ‘world-class’ energy mix –plans afoot to form energy corridor with Brazil and Suriname DRIVEN by an energy mix of solar, wind, hydro and natural gas, Guyana could soon become a major player in the energy market, and ultimately the energy capital of the Region, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), access to modern energy services is fundamental to fulfilling basic social needs, driving economic growth and fuelling human development. This is because energy services have an effect on productivity, health, education, safe water and communication services.

For developing nations such as Guyana, the need for reliable and affordable energy is more fundamental.

The general understanding is that reliable energy, in these countries, supports expanded industry, modern agriculture, increased trade and improved transportation.

In Guyana’s context, “energy security,” as said

by President Ali during his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament, will be driven by an energy mix that will see solar, wind, hydro and natural gas being utilised to make this nation the energy capital of the Region.

The integration of those energy sources will provide Guyana with 400 megawatts of newly installed power. As it is now, the national grid is providing 120 megawatts of electricity, an amount which is equal to the consumer demand of 117-120 megawatts of power.

Based on what the President has outlined, the potential “world-class” energy mix will not just increase Guyana’s energy capacity, but will also significantly reduce the cost of electricity for households and businesses.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali making his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament (Adrian Narine photo)

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Before COVID-19: Lethem attracted as much as 20,000 visitors daily –– Mayor says, talks up development in the town for post-COVID business

By Vishani Ragobeer LETHEM is the capital town and main commercial hub in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) that attracted as much as 20,000 visitors daily before COVID-19 whether for business or for leisure, according to Mayor, John Macedo.

This town is located in the southernmost region of Guyana and sits just on the border shared with Brazil.

It is the most populated area in Region Nine and over the years, Lethem has developed into a commercial hub.

The Mayor, in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, explained that this development has its genesis in the region’s proximity to Brazil but also because the town is the main transit point for travel into the other communities in the region.

“People come to visit their families, they come to look for work, they come to work to take back supplies

Brazil. The landscape of Lethem reflects this cognisance; the storefronts of businesses feature signs in both English and Portuguese, while few businesses feature the flags of the two countries.

Mayor of Lethem, John Macedo

to the outskirts… and it is a reality that we are playing a major role in the development of other communities,” Macedo highlighted.

But beyond just meeting the local needs, the Mayor posited that the town’s private sector- which was previously headed by him, recognized, many years ago, that there are much larger business opportunities that this region could tap into.

“As the head of the private sector at the time, I

always argued that we have to look beyond the 750,000 population (in Guyana) that was there since I was a kid…. We have half a million people just across the river (in Brazil), an hour from here, and a further two million in Manaus (a city in Brazil),” Macedo emphasised.

Cognisant of this market size, the Mayor explained that the private sector in the town has been positioning itself to target Brazilians and doing business in

LULL IN DEVELOPMENT “If you look around you can see that these businesses were not designed for the 6,000 population of Lethem,” Macedo, who is also a hotel owner, reasoned.

However, at the moment, there is a lull in development owed to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to concerns of the high number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Brazil, coupled by the emergence of a new variant of the SarsCov-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) there in Brazil, the local authorities have shut down travel between the two countries.

The official link between the two countries is the Takutu Bridge which

An aerial view of Lethem

connects Lethem to BonFim. This bridge, however, has been closed since March last year.

On Thursdays, however, limited trade is allowed. This has

stymied business and further development in Lethem, the Mayor lamented.

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Guyana to become energy capital...

The overarching aim of the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is to reduce the overall cost of energy by 50 per cent through this energy mix.

Local capacity aside, President Ali is confident that the government’s plan will make Guyana’s energy costs globally competitive.

Essentially, the country could become a net energy exporter. A net exporter is a country or territory whose value of exported goods is higher than its value of imported goods over a given period of time.

“Our potential to become a major player in the energy market is not only limited to our borders, but we have already commenced discussions with our neighbours, Brazil and Suriname, in the establishment of an energy corridor,” President Ali said.

International experts say that energy corridors may accommodate multiple pipelines for oil, gas, or hydrogen, electricity transmission lines, and related infrastructure, such as access and maintenance roads, compressors, pumping stations, and other structures.

PHYSICAL LINKAGE Guyana is already closer to building a physical linkage with Suriname through the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River. The Lethem to Linden road is also on the cards.

Those physical linkages will pave the way for increased cooperation, especially now that Guyana and Suriname have joined Brazil in the ranks of oil-producing nations.

Locally, the government has already indicated its intention to utilise natural gas from its oil-and-gas-sector to produce power at cheaper rates. It was reported that the price paid by Guyana for kilowatt per hour of electricity could be reduced by about 80 per cent when the proposed gas-to-energy project comes on stream.

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The cost factor associated with this project has, however, been a topic for discussion in the public domain. But Vice-President Jagdeo believes that the overarching benefits of this project outweigh any cost associated with establishing the facilities.

“It could be from US$500 million- US$800 million to develop the pipeline, depending on the design, geo-technical study and so on… when we go out to tender that is the only time we will know the actual cost,” Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo said during a press briefing at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre recently.

Another US$300 million is estimated to be spent on the construction of a power plant, but again, a definitive cost will only be ascertained when the government goes to tender.

“We are working through the numbers… remember we are still in the preparatory stages, so a lot of these are estimates, but those are the magnitude of the types of estimates… one man said it is not feasible, but how can you determine it is not feasible when you have not done a feasibility study,” the vice-president reasoned.

In his view, with power being generated at six cents per kilowatt hour — about 80 per cent less than the current US$30 cents per kilowatt hour — the average Guyanese and the private sector would surely benefit.

“It is a no-brainer, the benefits are enormous… the gas is also less polluting than diesel,” Jagdeo said, noting that definitive projections will soon be available as the government is in the process of hiring people to conduct four sets of studies.

The studies will not only determine the feasibility of the project, but it will also assess the proposed location for the project, which is likely to be Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

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Budget at a glance

DESPITE the COVID-19 pandemic and a half-year elections debacle, Guyana’s economy still managed to grow by 43.5 per cent, albeit lower than previously expected. More strikingly, the non-oil economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.3 per cent. In spite of this, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government still managed to craft the largest budget of the country’s history. The $383.1 billion 2021 Budget was presented at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, which served as the temporary venue for the sitting of the National Assembly, owing to the pandemic.

The “transformational” financial plan was presented by Senior Minister in the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh. Budget 2021, according to the minister, set out a plan for recovery, outlined policies to catalyse rapid economic growth in the near and medium term, and laid the foundation needed to ensure that growth is not transitory but sustainable for the longer-term.

To this end, the local economy is projected to grow another 20.9 per cent this year.

HOUSEHOLD BENEFITS * Zero VAT on basic food items and household necessities * Five per cent reduction in water tariffs across the board * Zero-Rating certain construction materials * Increase of low income housing loans from $8 million to $10 million * Increase ceiling on loans offered by New Building Society from $12 million to $15 million * Introduction of a cash grant of $15,000 per child to be given to the parents of children in the nursery, primary, and secondary schools in the public school system * Increase in Old Age Pension from $20,500 to $25,000 effective January 1, 2021 * Increase in Public Assistance payment from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY * $2 billion for critical capital works at GuySuCo * $12 billion for improved drainage and irrigation infrastructure * $832 million for development of local agro-processing/packaging facilities, specifically in Lesbeholden, Parika, Sophia, St. Ignatius, Aranaputa, Kara Kara and the intermediate Savannahs * $1.3 billion for the rice sector * •$1.2 billion to support the operations of National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) * •$70 million to support Coconut industry * •$293 million earmarked for the New Guyana Marketing Corporation * •$806 million will go towards the livestock industry * •$293 million for Fisheries and Aquaculture

* •$500 million for Soya Bean and Corn production SUSTAINABLE TOURISM * $185 million for the construction of a Hospitality Tourism Training Institute * Investments towards improving domestic tourism via regional bodies INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY * $360 million to establish the Universality Fund * $67 million to rehabilitate Linden venue for the establishment of a call centre SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT * $250 million to replenish the Small Business Development Fund. * $135 million to procure Electronic Single Window System * $200 million to the National Quality Infrastructure Project including the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory. * Commencement of work on the Wales Development Authority (WDA) * Establishment of a National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council ENERGY EXPANSION AND DIVERSIFICATION * $2 billion to continue clearing the stock of receivable arrears inherited at the Guyana Power and Light * $840 million to develop solar farms and hydro plants * $700 million to install 10 mini-grids and four off-grid systems * US$135 million to pursue renewable energy projects ROADS AND BRIDGES * $3.5 billion for the commencement of the Linden to Mabura Hill Road * $150 million for sectional rehabilitation of the Linden – Soesdyke Highway * $1 billion to continue and complete a four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela Avenue * $9 billion under the miscellaneous and other roads programme * $2.1 billion to upgrade hinterland roads AIR TRANSPORT * $2.5 billion to finance additional modernisation efforts at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport * $415 million to complete, upgrade and rehabilitate a number of hinterland airstrips * $150 million to construct a new administration block at Timehri * $187 million for the Civil Aviation Authority to upgrade the Timehri Control Tower, as well as procure a Safety Data Collection and Processing System RIVER AND MARITIME TRANSPORT * $310 million to upgrade and rehabilitate stellings including at Wakenaam and Fort Island. * $1.2 billion to rehabilitate the Morawhanna, Kumaka, and Port Kaituma stellings * $500 million to rehabilitate the M.V. Malali, M.V. Makouria and M.V. Kimbia.

SEA AND RIVER DEFENCE * $5.1 billion to further strengthen our sea and river defence infrastructure in areas including Dantzig, Prospect, Content, Fairfield, Zealand, Cane Garden, Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, No. 63 Beach, Manila, and Bygeval * $50 million to construct geotextile rubble groynes, and to conduct topographic surveys HEALTH * 1. $1.8 B to purchase critical medical equipment * 2. $322M for the acquisition of medical equipment * 3. $99.8M for re-equipping the ophthalmology hospital in Port Mourant * 4. $750M to support the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines * 5. $900M for HIV services * 6. $96M to support and improve mental health services * 7. $2.8B to modernise and expand infrastructure EDUCATION * $5.2B for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of education facilities nationwide * $3.3B to finance operations at the University of Guyana * $884M allocated to equip and retool technical and vocational training centres. * $1B budgeted to support the online scholarships to be granted in 2021 TURN TO PAGE

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Budget at a ...

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HOUSING AND WATER * $6 billion to advance infrastructure and utility works in new and existing housing areas * $1.5 billion to continue infrastructure works in Sophia, Victoria, Diamond and the Parfaite Harmonie housing areas * Projected allocation of 10,000 house lots * Distribution of 7000 land titles across the country * Provision of subsidies to low-income households * Construction of 1,000 homes for low income earners and young professionals * $4 billion to procure equipment and improve and expand water supply networks countrywide. * $200 million to expand Sophia, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants to benefit over 50,000 residents * $275 million to procure and install 20,000 water meters for residential and business areas across the country. * $100 million to procure electro-mechanical equipment for the rehabilitation of water production facilities. * Upgrade of transmission mains between Church and Cummings Street, Cemetery Road to Mandela which will benefit over 35,000 residents * $1.1 billion for Solid Waste Management , including the completion of the construction of Cell II at Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site and the upgrading of disposal sites at Rose Hall, Port Kaituma, Belle Vue, Lethem, Lima, Charity, Lusignan and D’Edward. The prepa-

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ration of temporary locations for waste disposal in Regions 2, 3 and 5 was also catered for.

CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORT * $90 million to expand the Youth Innovation Programme of Guyana * $820 million towards the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme * Over $85 million to deliver youth-targetted training * Over $85 million to deliver youth-targetted training * $30 million for grants to the cultural and creative industries * Over $120 million for capital works on culture facilities and sites * $915.5 million to improve community grounds * $618 million to host tournaments, maintain sports facilities, and support select sports associations, along with establishing a “Sports Academy” programme.

AMERINDIAN AND HINTERLAND DEVELOPMENT * $630 million to expedite the granting of titles to Amerindian villages * $196.6 million for boats, engines and equipment to empower communities and improve their livelihood * $1.75 billion for the hinterland roads programme to enhance connectivity * 196 scholarships for hinterland students * Removal of VAT on Hinterland travels LOCAL GOVERNMENT * $552 million to strengthen the Local Development Organs across the 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and 10 Municipalities * $1.1 billion for community enhancement workers * $172 million for capacity building PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY * $95 million has been allocated to help those Groups strengthen neighbourhood patrols and visibility * $830 million for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of police stations * $50 million to train inmates in the areas of anger management, literacy, agriculture, and culinary arts * $5 billion earmarked for the Prison Service * Guyana Fire Service will receive $1.9 billion to facilitate major projects such as the relocation of the Central Fire Station at the congested Stabroek Market, and the construction of a new Fire Station at Eccles. Additionally, six water tenders and two ambulances will be procured.

EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES * Improved Petroleum legislations * Continued efforts to enact a strong local content policy * Creation of a policy framework for bauxite development * Identification of 10 acre plots for sand mining * $250 million for the implementation of the second phase of the National Forest Inventory programme

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Potential $272.6B investments in Guyana to create over 10,000 jobs –– 34 local exporters matched with overseas businesses THE Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) has facilitated 55 potential investments worth $276.6 billion within three months, paving the way for the creation of more than 10,000 jobs.

According to information from Go-Invest, applications were received for investments across all platforms and sectors of Guyana’s economy. A business-friendly climate supplemented by the anticipated economic ascension is being credited for the attraction of those expressions of interest.

The aggregate investments are expected to create 9,386 direct jobs when the projects are fully completed.

There will also be spin-off benefits which will reach suppliers, cottage industries, individuals and other sections of the economy.

From 2017 to 2019, the unemployment rate in Guyana increased from 12.2 per cent to 13.4 per cent, but the new administration aims to reverse this over the next five years through the creation of 50,000 jobs.

The country is moving closer to this vision, with the

latest investments set to come on stream very soon.

Of the 55 projects, 28 are local, 25 are Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and there are two joint ventures.

The FDI agreements were predominantly within the tourism and services sectors.

According to the investors’ projections, the value of the FDI projects totalled G$239 billion, while the joint ventures totalled G$5.3 billion.

The FDI projects include the construction of worldclass hotels across the country, to cater for the anticipated increase in visitors who are being attracted by the nation’s burgeoning oil-and-gas sector and its spin-off benefits.

Total investments in the hospitality sector value close to US$1 billion (G$215B).

Proposals have been received from major players in the hotel industry such as, the Sheraton, The Element, Delta Marriott, Best Western Hotels and Resorts, the H-Tower Luxury Hotel, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the Radisson Hotels, and the Hilton Hotels and Resorts, among others.

Caribbean Concrete Guyana Limited’s US$2M concrete batching plant at Linden

According to a study by Oxford Economics, hotel operations and guest spending support eight million jobs across the U.S. alone. The same study found that a typical hotel with 100 occupied rooms per night supports 230 local jobs every year. And the nation’s hotel and lodging industry brings other important benefits to local communities.

These businesses are a cornerstone for local economic activity, providing increased tax revenue, capital investment, tourism-related development and promotion, civic leadership, charitable contributions and sponsorship. These benefits are also expected to accrue to Guyana, as the country continues to function as an investment magnet.

Outside of the hospitality sector, Nexus Machining of Guyana is partnering with Louisiana’s Machine Tech Inc, while GUYSON Engineering is partnering with K + B Industry Inc from the U.S. On the local side, notable investments include the expansion of Royal Chicken Inc, which will be doubling its production line with state-of-the-art machinery.

This investment is valued at

G$531.2 million.

Other notable local projects include John Fernandes Limited providing services to the oil-and-gas industry and ZECO Industrial Engineering.

According to investors’ figures, the value of local investments for the period August to November is G$27.9 billion, primarily in the agriculture, tourism, services and light-manufacturing sectors.

Those projects are projected to create at least 1,752 jobs when fully operational.

“Despite the global pandemic our export department continued to work with our exporters. The agency matched 34 local businesses with overseas clients. These were involved in the supply of sugar, teas, prefab houses, straw mats and wooden furniture to Trinidad, St. Lu-

cia, London and Barbados,” Go-Invest said.

The agency continues to work closely with other key government agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and through various collaborations with Guyana’s overseas missions, the Ministry of Housing and Water through the central Housing and Planning Authority, Guyana Lands and Surveys, Ministry of Finance through the Guyana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Guyana Tourism Authority and Guyana’s private sector organisations.

“Our 2021 plan is to assist in retooling our foreign missions with investment prospectus in addition [to] conducting out- reaches across the world,” said Go-Invest.

An artist’s impression of the US$15M Aiden Hotel being constructed by Arimu Investments Inc

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A look back at the March 2, 2020 elections ...timeline of events

extra votes for the motion to be successfully passed. The coalition proffered that half of 65 was 32.5, but since there could be no half vote, the figure would be rounded to 33. And, an absolute majority could only be garnered from 34 votes or more

* In November 2018, former President and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, filed a motion of No-Confidence against the coalition government, citing massive corruption and an unemployment crisis. * On December 21, 2018, former Alliance for Change (AFC) back-bencher Charrandass Persaud voted in favour of the Opposition-sponsored motion against his government, toppling what would become a one-term Presidency for Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger. Persaud maintained that it was a vote of conscience. * That night, former Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, led all the Government MPs, with the exception of Persaud, into an emergency meeting, where it was agreed that the debate on the motion was an open and transparent one and it must be recorded in Parliamentary democracy. At an urgent press conference that night, the Prime Minister conceded that the APNU+AFC government was toppled by the motion.

* From this point forward, a lengthy legal battle ensued and began at the High Court, where the Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, ruled that the motion was validly passed. A dissatisfied APNU+AFC engaged the Court of Appeal and then the final appeal went to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s apex court Charrandass Persaud being abused by his colleagues on his left and right minutes after he voted in favour of an Opposition-sponsored No-Confidence Motion.

* Elections were further delayed over the selection of the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) when former President David Granger, unilaterally appointed Justice (ret’d) James Patterson.

The PPP/C challenged his appointment all the way to the CCJ; the CCJ ruled that Mr. Granger did not have the power to make the unilateral appointment and so, Patterson had to vacate the office

* The successful passage of the motion activated a section in the constitution which stipulated the need for fresh elections within three months. But this did not happen * On Christmas Eve, 2018, an interpretation for what constituted an “Absolute Majority” in the National Assembly was floated and later adopted by the coalition. The coalition argued that the PPP/C needed not one, but two

* On July 18, 2019, the CCJ ruled that the No-Confidence motion was successfully passed and 33 was indeed the majority of 65. Charrandass’ dual citizenship status was also legally challenged, but the courts ruled that this did not affect his vote in favour of the motion

Former Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, flanked by former ministers Joseph Harmon and Amna Ally, accepted defeat on the night of the No-Confidence Motion.

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before long, it was night and the tabulation was stalled until the next morning. When the tabulation resumed, figures that did not match the SOPs secured by the PPP/C, were called out by GECOM; these inflated the votes garnered by the coalition and showed them coming back from certain defeat

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* After many months of exchanging lists on a suitable candidate, Mr Granger and Mr Jagdeo finally agreed to appoint Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh as the Chairperson, but GECOM then had to deal with the cleansing of the voters’ list and houseto-house registration. Probes into fake certificates and concerns were conducted as GECOM began preparations for the polls * By the end of September, March 2, 2020, was fixed as the date for Regional and General elections.

This meant that the Regional and General Elections would be held more than a year after the No-Confidence motion was passed, and just a few months shy of when elections were initially, constitutionally due. On December 30, 2019 Parliament was finally dissolved * Dr. Irfaan Ali, 40, a former Housing Minister was selected as the presidential candidate for the PPP/C on January 19, 2019 * On March 2, just about a week after Guyana commemorated its 50th Republic Anniversary, citizens went to the polls. At the end of that day, the elections were

Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George

hailed as “free, fair and transparent” * Before the next morning, the PPP/C completed its internal tabulations using their Statements of Poll (SOPs) from 2,339 polling stations. Throughout the official tabulation, the figures matched the SOPs and the party was poised to win the elections after the tabulation of Guyana’s largest voting region- Region Four.

It seemed as though it would take a miracle for the APNU+AFC coalition to return to government. * Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer for Region Four fell ill, stalling the tabulation of the region. His replacement also fell ill, and

* After a thinly-veiled threat to revoke accreditation and one bomb scare later, Mingo read out the figures which indicated a coalition victory, and another one-seat majority in the National Assembly. * Immediately, an injunction, supported by the PPP/C was filed, blocking the swearing in of President Granger for his second term. This began the second

round of court action. Chief Justice George annulled the results of Region Four and ruled that a partial recount should take place, verifying the results of the contentious region * This recount, dubbed the Spreadsheet edition, saw the tabulation resuming in the presence of party agents and observers. The twist was that Mingo read results directly from a spreadsheet, which did not match the SOPs gathered by the other parties. Something seemed amiss * The International Community made it clear that the Mingo’s results were not credible and would not be accepted. And Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime

Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley came to Guyana with a team of CARICOM Ministers in an attempt to mediate between Mr Jagdeo and Mr Granger. This is when the agreement for a full recount of all votes cast in all ten regions was reached between the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC. But then, Guyana started to re-

* About two months later, on May 6, the national recount finally got underway, with COVID-19 precautions

Barbados PM, Mia Mottley with CARICOM heads of government during a visit to attempt to mediate between the political leaders during the electoral crisis

cord cases of the deadly COVID-19

Justice (ret’d) James Patterson takes the Oath of Office in October 2017 before former President David Granger at State House

tional recount. As this matter engaged the judicial system, time passed by. And while the rest of the world battled COVID-19, Guyana was dealing with an electoral epidemic within the pandemic

* This recount, though demanding patience from all parties, was seen as a credible solution to the entire process, as claims of irregularities emerged in other regions. A private citizen, Ulita Grace Moore, was not pleased though; she filed for an injunction (yes, another injunction) blocking the na-

in place. CARICOM sent a three-member team to scrutinise the recount. But as the 34-day recount went on, claims of dead voters, migrant voters and electoral fraud were highlighted by the coalition, but there was nothing substantial to invalidate the elections. A month later, the recount was completed and yes, it showed a PPP/C victory TURN TO PAGE

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Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh takes the oath as GECOM Chairperson in July, 2019

* However, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, in his first elections report, stated that he could not determine the credibility of all votes. As such, he invalidated thousands of votes, giving the APNU+AFC a victory. Another private citizen, Eslyn David challenged the credibility of the recount. It was back into the courts again - albeit COVID-19 style - while “fresh elections” became the new clamour * On June 22, 2020, the CCJ invalidated Lowenfield’s move to discard votes, and elucidated what constituted a “valid” vote.

There was no other conceivable avenue that could be pursued to stall the swearing in of the PPP/C Presidential candidate yet, Lowenfield found one. He either submitted the incorrect elections report (that is, not based on the national recount) or just outrightly did not submit a report to GECOM so that a winner could have been declared. Somewhere in between visa sanctions, growing tensions and ever-increasing COVID-19 cases, Misenga Jones approached the courts aiming to deter the swearing in of a PPP/C government.

The phrase “Res Judicata” was introduced; it meant that matters that were already ad-

PNC activist, Carol Joseph; PNCR Chair and former minister, Volda Lawrence, and Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in October.

judicated may not be pursued further by the same parties * The Court of Appeal then ruled on Jones’ petition and determined the recount was legitimate and should be used to declare the winner of the elections. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the CEO’s actions should not stall the declaration any longer as he was not a “lone ranger” * The declaration of Irfaan Ali as the ninth Executive President of Guyana and his swearing in happened in one swift motion on

August 2, following more than a year of delays manifested by the APNU+AFC coalition. * Subsequently, Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Volda Lawrence; Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, APNU+AFC activist from Region Five, Carol Joseph; Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, were all charged with electoral fraud. Their cases are still pending in the courts

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Guyanese music, a comfort during pandemic dustry, particularly the genre of Soca, to the hosting of the annual National Chutney, Soca and Calypso competitions that commemorate the country’s Republic Anniversary. He also credited the efforts of Hits and Jams Entertainment in pushing local songs during the Guyana

By Rehana Ahamad

FOR as long as I can remember, the quality of Guyanese music has been a much-debated topic. When artistes were struggling to have their pieces played on the radio, many announcers and disc jockeys complained that the songs being produced were not in demand by listeners, largely owing to the “poor” quality. Fast forward to 2021, it doesn’t take much to recognise the evolution of Guyanese music, and appreciate the growing interest among local audiences. Of course, our music industry still has a far way to go, but Guyanese artistes and musicians continue to display incredible levels of potential. It has been particularly pleasing to witness the growing levels of originality coming from the local music industry. Truth be told, I disagree with any notion that suggests that the local music landscape lacked originality; of course, there is the issue of the ‘rotten apples’ scenario, but I am sure many would agree that Guyanese audiences failed to appreciate the lyrical authenticity that was produced much early on.

Take for instance, the grossly under-appreciated work of women such as Nisha Benjamin who originally sang ‘Oh Maninja, Oh Maninja’, which portrayed life on the sugar estates of Guyana, and ‘Benjie Darling’, a piece she had done for her husband. There is also Hallima Bissoon, the woman behind ‘Leggo Me Na Raja’.

These pieces didn’t dominate local airwaves when they were first released. As a matter of fact, today, these legendary hits are largely associated with ‘Babla and Kanchan,’ the husband-wife duo who eased out as Bollywood playback singers, to do covers of a number of Guyanese and Trinidadian Chutney songs.

There may also be dozens, if not hundreds of similarly

The talented ‘Poowah’ singer, Vanita Willie

authentic Guyanese songs that did not “benefit” from popularized covers by foreign artistes.

But it would appear as though the lockdowns and restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have magnified the need, and paved the way for many Guyanese to look within, before looking out. From growing their own kitchen gardens, to dabbling in domestic tourism, many are gradually uncovering the beauty and talent that reside on these shores.

At a time when Guyanese were battling the heartaches and uncertainties that plagued 2020, the talents of our artistes have given us reasons to sing, dance, and even giggle; they have ignited much excitement and provided much comfort to us as a people, and, from the looks of it, local artistes are capitalizing on the opportunity to keep the listeners hooked.

DANCEHALL REVIVAL One of the artistes who shot to fame during the onset of the pandemic was Andrew King, popularized by the name, Drew Thoven. He is an all-rounder of music who believes that Guyana is well on its way to establishing its unique sound.

“I don’t think Guyana has an industry as yet,” King said candidly, adding, “I think we are

well on our way to developing the industry, and we are a lot closer to that goal than we were 10 years ago.”

Reflecting on the major genres of Guyanese music – Soca, Chutney, Dancehall and Reggae, the ‘Toxic’ singer pointed to the fact that Guyana has a pocket full of producers, and a handful of studios, engineers and artistes who have been inspired by the artistes who surfaced in 2020.

The Dancehall musician believes that last year has seen the revival of the genre, with an added flavour that is unique to Guyana. “We are now singing in our dialect; I made a comment before and I stand by it; I believe that myself, and my colleagues have been responsible for making the Guyanese sound more popular; yes, people have been doing it before, but the format wasn’t right, because no one was listening,” King said.

He pointed to the fact that songs such as ‘Eggball’ and ‘Dunce Thugs’ have been heavily flooded with Guyanese slangs and references that have captivated listeners at home and abroad. “I believe those created a major role in creating an appetite for Guyanese-sounding music,” King noted.

He also attributed the development of local music in-

Carnival.

Some of the Guyanese dancehall artistes who have really dominated the scene over the last few months are Kareem Lewis, nicknamed, cKush; Delon Garraway called ‘Stiffy Stiff’ and Kristoff ‘Azariel’ Saun among others. Mean-

while, Adrian ‘AJ’ Johnson continues to make waves as prominent producer in the dancehall game.

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Small, medium, and mega farms to come on stream

AGRICULTURE, one of Guyana’s most important and productive sectors, will benefit from a $22.6 billion allocation for 2021.

This was revealed by Senior Minister in the office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during his presentation of Budget 2021, in February.

The minister said that the allocation, geared at ensuring that the sector is able to discharge its envisaged role, will see government investing in opening new farm-to-market roads; the clearing and preparation of new lands; expanding the infrastructure in the intermediate savannahs; expanding drainage and irrigation networks to make new land available for small, medium, and mega farms; strengthening extension services through additional and improved facilities; traceability and certification services to reduce existing trade barriers; research and development; and coordinating and facilitating private sector participation in agriculture-based tourism.

To complement these initiatives, Dr. Singh explained

that the government intends to build human resource capacity to deliver the services required to drive growth within the food-production sector.

“Government’s intention is that agriculture will be one of the major anchors of our non-oil economy, given its core role to assure food security, improve incomes and create jobs, generate export earnings and reduce food imports, and catalyse value-added production,” he said.

Dr. Singh believes that these budget allocations will not only benefit farmers in their operations, but it will also improve the country’s food-security capacity, thereby propelling Guyana to take its rightful place as a leading agricultural hub within the Caribbean.

“With this holistic plan for agriculture, Guyana is well poised to claim its long outstanding position as the food basket of the Caribbean – supporting livelihoods and transforming not only our economy, but the Region,” the minister said.

He added that despite all the challenges thrown at the

country’s agriculture sector, its agencies, farmers, fishermen and other stakeholders have remained resilient in providing heartily for the local and regional markets during the pandemic.

Dr. Singh reminded the National Assembly that agriculture is one of the most important productive sectors of Guyana’s economy, accounting for approximately one-third of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 30 percent of the country’s employment.

He disclosed that at the end of 2020, agriculture accounted for 27.1 per cent of non-oil GDP and 21.3 per cent of non-oil exports.

“Agriculture will be one of the major anchors of our non-oil economy,” Dr. Singh highlighted, noting that it will be an ever-expanding sector that will enable Guyana to increase food security not only for its own people, but the entire Caribbean as well. The sector is also poised to create and maintain thousands of employment opportunities throughout the country.

Before COVID-19: Lethem attracted...

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“Before COVID, on a good day, we get 10, 12, maybe 15,000 visitors,” the Mayor said. Later, he said that this figure would even increase to 20,000 visitors during a ‘booming’ business period.

The reduction of this influx of visitors has resulted in significant losses in the region, the Mayor noted. He explained that businesses were forced to downsize operations, some even closing for the time being.

This lull in activity was unforeseen but he noted that

the local business community is waiting with bated breath for a greater ease in restrictions and the reopening of the border once the threat of COVID-19 has diminished.

“There was a time when the people of Lethem went there (in Brazil) to do business, now it is the reverse…

Lethem is a trading bloc (and) we have a lot of cheap stuff,” Macedo emphasised, sharing his optimism that business would ‘bounce back’.

He also contended that Region Nine is the number

one tourist destination in Guyana and Lethem plays a big role in the region's tourism since it is where persons come to do business, whether it is replenishing their goods and supplies or accessing key services.

“Lethem can only become better. Everyday outside of COVID, we attract tourists and tourists that spend money in Lethem,” he assured, adding: “I would say that once the border opens up, things would change.”

‘PREMATURE

DECLARATION’ While the town awaits the increase in business activity, the Mayor emphasised that the regional authorities have increased their advocacy to have all the relevant agencies represented in Lethem.

He lamented that there are not many Government services and agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) or other licensing bodies, represented in the town. For the region to enhance its development, he contended that

Guyanese music, a comfort during ...

THE CHUTNEY SIZZLES From the days of ‘Canal Gyal Plantain Chunkay Like a Hell’ to the image of ‘Poowah swinging she waist’, Chutney music in Guyana has also come a far way. Over the past few months, there were several artistes and songs that truly dominated the local and regional airwaves, creating quite the stir in the Chutney arena. As a reporter providing coverage for the majority of the national song competitions held within the last decade, I can attest to the growth of Calypso, Soca, and more specifically, Chutney music in Guyana. I have watched persons such as Steven Ramphal evolve from a green ‘cover’ singer for the Shakti Strings Band, into a seasoned award-winning Chutney and Soca artiste, dishing out captivating hits such as ‘Rang Se

Bare’; ‘Soca In Meh Veins’; and most recently, a Bollywood-flared song titled, ‘Never Leave’.

Over the last few months, however, Ramphal’s spotlight has been rivaled by artistes such as Vicadi Singh, whose song, ‘Never Gonna Leave’ instantly shot to fame, racking up more than 5.4 million views on YouTube between December 2020, when it was released, and now. The song, which is a remake of the Bollywood song, ‘Tere Bin’, from the Movie Simmba, was produced by keyboard whiz, Avinash Roopchand and the Shakti Strings Band.

N e w c o m e r, R a m e s h ‘Tony Cuttz’ Brijnauth has also been dominating the charts ever since his debut in the National Chutney Song Competition in 2020, where he placed third with his performance of ‘Neighbour

The man behind the ‘Eggball’ song, Andrew ‘DrewThoven’ King

Roti’. He is now well-known for his more popular hits – ‘Leh We Go’ and ‘Johnny Walker’.

Former Chutney Monarch, Vanita Willie has also been turning heads with her song, ‘Poowah’ which continues to be a lead song at almost every Indian wedding house in the country. The song was initially released in 2017, but at that time, the

‘love local’ wave had not yet hit. As the popularization of Guyanese music took effect in 2020, ‘Poowah’ resurfaced, bringing much excitement to Caribbean ‘sport’ sessions at home, across the region, and all through the diaspora communities.

US-based Guyanese, Joel ‘Prince JP’ Pharous and Imran Khan, who were once attached to the Shakti Strings

all of these services have to be offered in Lethem, instead of forcing persons to travel to the coastal areas or the Capital City of Georgetown.

“It is my opinion that Lethem was declared a township prematurely,” Macedo underscored.

Lethem was declared a Capital Town in October 2017. According to the Mayor, however, there is still a dearth of infrastructural development and limited access to services in the region that should have been focussed on before the declaration.

In addition to advocating for necessary Government services, he emphasised that the road infrastructure needs to be upgraded. He explained that Lethem has one asphalt main road, but that main road is connected to a network of clay roads. These clay roads, he noted, create significant concerns over dust pollution.

Should these core concerns be addressed, the Mayor was sure that Lethem could become an enviable business hub that will be able to tap into the expansive Brazilian market.

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Band, also received much attention for their songs, ‘It’s Over’ and ‘Yesterday’, respectively.

Prominent Chutney Promoter, WR Reaz has directly attributed the growth of Chutney music in Guyana to young Roopchand and his parents, Celia Samaroo-Roopchand and Bappi Roopchand, owners of the Shakti Strings Band.

“They have been working on a blend that is based out of old tunes, with modern pop, and it seems to be catching on quite greatly,” Reaz said, adding that Chutney music remains on the rise.

PERFECTING REGGAE Meanwhile, Romero ‘Mystic’ Nermal continues to dominate the Guyanese Reggae industry with all things Guyanese, and is looking to implement several unique components of his work. He

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plans to use his identity as an Indo-Guyanese to add some spice to traditional reggae.

Reflecting on the growth of Guyanese music, Nermal commended his colleague musicians for their efforts to include authentic Guyanese slangs and sounds in their production. No stranger to doing this, Nermal is pleased that Guyanese have now started to appreciate the originality featured in local songs.

“Everything has improved; with technology, our sound is improving greatly, and Guyanese are attracted more to their own now. It feels good,” the “Coolie Boy” singer said.

Aside from the actual sounds, the quality of video productions have also improved exponentially, with persons such as Keon Hector topping the list of talented videographers.

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Women in Business: Kerensa Gravesande-Bart creating opportunities for Guyanese youths

By Naomi Parris

WOMEN, in recent years, have been making significant strides in the business world, founding innovative companies, introducing revolutionary ideas and building a path to workforce equity.

In Guyana, one of those women is Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, also known as “Kerri”, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the only ISO 9001-2015 and Trace Certified stand-alone Recruitment Firm in Guyana, Strategic Recruitment Solutions Inc (SRSGY).

As the company’s originating founder, Kerri serves as Chair of the Board of Directors with executive responsibilities for the company’s overall operation, business development, and financial management.

Her role also extends to risk management, contract negotiations, human resources, and the oversight of all corporate and employee policies and benefits.

She is also co-creator and part-owner of Symmetry Brokerage and Logistics.

Kerri is also Co-Creator/

Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the only ISO 9001-2015 and Trace Certified stand-alone Recruitment Firm in Guyana, Strategic Recruitment Solutions Inc (SRSGY)

President of the first Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Guyana launched in November 2019. In 2018, Kerri was awarded the first “Women in Business Award” by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana in recognition of women who possess vision, innovation, entrepreneurial drive, leadership, individuality and tenacity with

the ultimate goal of being a consistent role model for other women in business.

Through her many years of experience in the world of business and knowledge of the oil and gas sector, Kerri has provided jobs for over 200 young Guyanese in the oil and gas sector as well as other non-traditional sectors.

“We wanted to ensure that we created a space for our fellow Guyanese to be afforded that opportunity in this revolution that is happening here.”

With the introduction of the oil and gas sector in Guyana, Kerri said, “Our country is going through a transformational stage when you think about it and we were quite excited about helping Guyanese get training, create opportunities for them to be placed and market them more or less and we just never stopped at it.”

So far Strategic Recruitment Solutions has trained 220 people and while COVID-19 had put a damper on business; Gravesande-Bart noted that the company has been able to place over 100 persons in various offshore jobs in the oil and gas

sector.

Kerri disclosed that she was hired by a foreign company to “set up” another manpower company in Guyana, which also targetted the emerging oil and gas sector. She managed to do so, and that company was well on its way when she realised that as a Guyanese, if

she could do it for a foreign company investing in Guyana, then she could do it herself.

While Kerri is currently one of the many successful women in Guyana’s business arena, she shared that her business field was not necessarily her first choice but it did turn out to be her best choice.

Kerri along with Husband Lloyd Bart

“I always envisioned travelling, so my initial desire was to be a flight attendant. Between the ages of eight and 10, I just knew I wanted to travel. At another time, I wanted to be a lawyer or study International Relations. However, I ended up studying Business Management and fell in love with the HR part of it which I excelled at.”

Kerri has in excess of 17 years of office administration, business development, systems optimisation, and HR experience in the energy industry with an emphasis on training and development.

Kerri has pursued studies in Business Management with Cambridge International University and the Association of Business Executives. She holds Diploma in Business Management with Credits in Communications and Merits in Human Resources, along with professional certification in Leading and Communicating with Emotional Intelligence from Arthur Lok Jack Global School in Business.

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