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Kaieteur News
Restore Berbice River ferry - AFC The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday disclosed that it regards the government’s almost 20year-old decision to remove the Berbice River ferry as outrageous and irresponsible. Trevor Williams sees it as the sole cause for the rise in cost of living, increased unemployment, frustration among young people and forced migration from the Berbice River area. According to Williams, the AFC’s Member of Parliament representing Region 10, himself and other party executives conducted a two-day outreach and interacted with residents of that Region. He said that a distance of over sixty miles was covered as the team travelled through Kwakwani, Aroraima, and the Wiki Calcuni reservation. Williams explained that the residents of Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice can no longer be involved in agricultural development, forestry, nor operate their businesses in a sustainable manner.
AFC MP Trevor Williams During the party’s weekly press conference yesterday, Williams said that residents along the river, from New Amsterdam to Kwakwani stretching approximately 180 miles - were able at one time to produce, transport and trade large shipments of agricultural, forestry and dairy products , interact with hucksters , as well as transport their families to and from New Amsterdam.
He said that the critical service has resulted in private launches providing expensive, inconvenient service, which is alleged to have poor maritime supervision. According to Williams, a person travelling on a launch from Ituni to New Amsterdam must endure a 20-hour journey with no washroom facilities, neither sleeping nor resting area, and is forced to make the most among cargo, which is mostly wood. He said that residents have complained about the very high cost of transporting goods “for example, one drink case or small carton is priced at $300, a passenger one-way fare is $3000, $5000 for a drum of fuel and all packages must be paid for”. “This phenomenon has resulted in massive migration in search of an easier life, as many packed up and left their homes and fertile farmlands vowing to return only if this (ferry) service is restored. Thriving economic activities can return to this very important part of Guyana should the Government of Guyana demonstrate its commitment to the people of Guyana and Region 10 by ensuring in 2013 the Berbice River Ferry service is restored. The Alliance for Change calls on the PPP administration to act now and bring the sufferings of our Guyanese brothers and sisters to an end.”
Friday August 30, 2013
Lombard St. businessmen peeved at garbage situation
The current state of Bugle Street Several business persons located in lower Lombard Street are concerned with the random dumping of garbage within the vicinity of their premises. According to Nazar Mohamed of Mohamed’s Enterprise “two years ago the M&CC [Mayor and City Council]’s City Constabulary began to officially dump garbage daily along Lombard and Bugle Streets for further transshipment and disposal at the established dump site [Haags Bosch]. However, as the situation currently stands, the garbage is being dumped continuously without being picked up and disposed of at the dumpsite.” Among some of the businesses being affected are Mohamed’s Enterprise, Baracara Quarry, Alabama Trading, Cho Chin Enterprise, Herman & Sons Tailoring and Cosmopolitan Trading.
“This dump site has taken over Bugle Street, displaced the truck park, and eliminated customer parking in this vicinity. The garbage has now piled up considerably. Consequently, pedestrians and inhabitants of this area who seek their livelihood are exposed to an unsanitary environment and health risks daily. It has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, rats, snakes…and will trigger infections such as gastro and typhoid,” Mr. Mohamed said. The entrepreneurs have been calling on the M&CC for this situation to be addressed, stating that their businesses pay significant amount of taxes to the M&CC with the expectation that they (M&CC) would be performing their duties. “Mohamed’s Enterprise remits to the M&CC’s City Constabulary the sum of $488,200 annually for Rates
and Taxes since 1993 and neighbouring business establishments are paying similar sums. Numerous appeals were made by the business owners to rescind this decision of dumping garbage there. This act is one of the most nonsensical decisions ever implemented by the M&CC’s City Constabulary,” Mohamed stated. Public Relations Officer of the M&CC Royston King in an invited comment stated that the matter was raised at the meeting on Wednesday and the Council is looking into the matter and is “apologizing for the inconvenience caused to the business community”. He said as far as he is aware, the people who have been dumping there should be using the facility of Cevons Waste Management just behind the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) headquarters.