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Kaieteur News
My thoughts on the crime situation DEAR EDITOR, The crime rate in our country is definitely on the rise although the statistics from GPF is of the contrary. If we were to debate the incompetence, unreliability and the slow response of the GPF, it is safe to say we would be arguing for a lifetime. Yes! That’s the magnitude of backwardness we put up here with and sadly we have become comfortably passive about all this. It has become a cliché, like a morning breeze we wake up to. Reflecting on all of this makes it very difficult for me to convince myself that there is a future here for me as a young man. However, this is my country which I love dearly and therefore I took it upon myself to sit and formulate some strategies on how we can tackle this crime situation. Firstly, the GPF needs to accept that crime is on the increase and stop trying to fool us with those percentage assessments. After all, the first step to recovery is acceptance. How can we tackle something we think is not there or is not a threat? Secondly, we need to work on information gathering methods. If we are serious about reducing crime, we need statistics about criminals. I suggest we get more police in ci-
vilian clothes in the streets to gather intelligence or probably even live in crime oriented areas and act as informants. The more we know about criminals the better we can profile them. Lastly, there is a need for a rapid/reliable response to calls coming into the police station and 911. This may require functioning vehicles and enough personnel 24/7, which always seems to be the contributing factor to slow and in most cases, no response. I may have gone too far by thinking about a helicopter response to robberies around Georgetown, this way we can be in hot pursuit of getaway cars and especially CG motorcycles, which always seem to elude the police. In conclusion I must say that there are instances where credit must be given to the police but in most cases they disappoint. Criminals are literally wreaking havoc and becoming more blatant and if we don’t up our game and act, the poor, their hard earned bread and innocent lives are all at risk. If you are a member of the GPF and reading this, I am reaching out to you personally to say I am depending on you. Mahindra Nyron Narine
Four indictments against... From page 5 food items from the zero-rated list? Lastly, the 2017 budget shows clearly that the Minister of Finance is just an adroit juggler whose main intention is to squeeze as many taxes as possible from the poor working class of people of this country and ensure that the excesses of this government can be sus-
tained and not the country’s socio-economic development. Monetary and fiscal policies which can stimulate the economy are sorely lacking in this budget. Next year definitely will be worse than this year. I am sure that the opposition will expose the inherent weaknesses of this budget. Haseef Yusuf
Thursday December 01, 2016
There were always close links between Guyana and Barbados DEAR EDITOR, Barbados will on Wednesday November 30 join Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana in celebrating its golden jubilee as an independent nation, and the 166 square mile country started activities since January to mark the occasion. Guyana’s President, David Granger will journey to Bridgetown for the celebrations since Freundel Stuart that country’s Prime Minister, was in Georgetown for the Guyana’s celebrations last May. Stuart was honoured by
the Guyana government when the country’s second highest award, the Order of Roraima (OR) was bestowed on him. Barbados now has its own national awards. In fact knighthoods and Dames are awarded to persons for their meritorious services. Several outstanding cricketers like Wesley Hall, Everton Weekes, Conrad Hunte and others as well as academics and even trade unionists have been knighted, and one wonders if Stuart will reciprocate by honouring the Guyanese leader. There was
The State should pay for this boy’s surgery DEAR EDITOR, In a time of super salaries and pensions for government workers, there is the story of Omkar Persaud whose family is still looking for money for surgery for him (Kaieteur News, November 29). Nobody in Guyana would object if the government paid the full fee for all care for Omkar and any other child who is in need of medical attention which is not available in Guyana. Nelson Mandela had reportedly said, “There can be no
keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children,” and given that Guyana’s soul seems to be gradually eroded in the manifestation of different kinds of violence, we have one chance to redeem ourselves. The Government of Guyana should be paying full medical bills for Omkar Persaud and any other child who needs medical care which is not available in Guyana. Vidyaratha Kissoon
The importance of prioritization... From page 5 are outlined within a timeframe that allows the economy to sustain established growth rate targets over the near and mid-term. This approach will help us avoid the trap of that old saying “build it and they will come”. These near and midterm projects in turn should also
generate enough income to undertake longer term investment needs that are also revenue and income positive to the economy. Such an approach will ensure we as a nation can minimize the borrowing of capital needed for such projects and help us keep the debt level as low as possible. Jamil Changlee
a close link between Guyana and Barbados for several decades, long before independence. Errol Barrow, the man who led the country to independence was very close to Forbes Burnham in the preindependence era, and the friendship between the two countries continues up to this day. I recall as a boy there were several Bajans who were living in the country most of them were in the hinterland engaged in agriculture. Scores of Guyanese migrated to Barbados. Some of them are medical doctors, businessmen, lawyers and journalists, including Rickey Singh and Hubert Williams. They have contributed significantly to their adopted homes and a few were honoured by the Barbadian government, including Professor Bishundat Persaud who died a few months ago
in London, and his niece Dr. Shirley Hanoman. Radio personality Olga Lopes Seales lived for decades in Barbados where she eventually died. The standard of living in Barbados is relatively high and unlike Guyana and most of the Caribbean islands it is almost crime free, and as a result a few Guyanese retired there including Sir Shridath Ramphal. Sir Fenton Ramsahoye who has toned down his legal practice also has a home there. The 50th independence celebrations started on January 6 with the launch of ‘Barbados We Come From’ at Independence Square, and will culminate on November 30 with activities being held in Barbados and across the global diaspora. The celebrations are not only entertaining, but also multidimensional and educational with special emphasis on a youth audience. Oscar Ramjeet
Political favours were granted... From page 4 the current Cable Broadcasters have lamented that they were unfairly treated by the last administration and some of these claims seem credible, but I have not been advised that there is a single application lying at the GNBA for cable broadcasting 600700 MHz band. Operators who spoke to me I have repeatedly said to them that they should apply to be where E-Networks is and that will give the GNBA a legitimate reason to say to ENetworks, there are others who want to be where you are and there is hardly any place to put them please dress down (or some other form of regulatory action). I had made a commitment to make representation on their behalf with the Government for concession-
ary relief to allow them to invest in the sector. I had already made approaches to the Hon. Prime Minister and the Minister of Business to feel out their willingness to entertain such an approach, they both agreed in principle with my suggestion but wants to see concrete proposals. No existing cable broadcaster ever approached with a preliminary proposal of how the wish to be enabled to compete with E-Networks. Ultimately Guyana has to decide if the aim is to wipe out E-Networks simply because it received favours from the last government or is it that we want to curb the near monopoly status it is enjoying and expose it to formidable robust competition. Leonard Craig