Suriname- P

8NEWS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Suriname-based Guyanese busted with cocaine at CJIA remanded

Forty-two-year- On November 23, CANU old Tommy Ann officers carried out a search Bunbury, a on the suspect, who was an Suriname-based Guyanese outgoing passenger on an who was on Monday in- Eastern Airlines flight to tercepted by agents of the JFK International Airport, Customs Anti-Narcotics New York. Unit (CANU) at the Cheddi During the search of Jagan International Bunbury’s two suitcases Airport was remanded to and a carry-on, the cocaine prison by a city magistrate was found concealed in a on Thursday. number of objects including

She pleaded not guilty a hardcover book, handbag, to the charge which stated make-up kits, deodorants, that on November 23, 2020, nail polish covers, mascara, she had 1.948 kilograms and permanent markers. of cocaine for the pur- Upon the discovery of pose of trafficking. She ap- the illegal substance, the peared at the Georgetown woman was cautioned, told Magistrates’ Courts. of the offence, and arrest-

It was reported that the ed. accused is a food vendor at She and her belongings downtown café Wiek Straat were subsequently transParamaribo, Suriname, ported to CANU’s headand resided at Condor quarters where the illicStraat #1 Paramaribo. She Tommy Ann Bunbury it substance was extracted hails from Lot 10 Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The mother of seven has been residing in Suriname for the past six years and would periodically return to Guyana to fulfil immigration obligations. and weighed. Bunbury will return to court on December 23, 2020.

Spreading…

…culture?

America’s inexorable spread of its culture across the world has earned the sobriquet “McDonaldization”; courtesy, of course, of those ubiquitous Golden Arches that have now served more than 15 billion burgers - double the population of the world! Excepting Guyana! Yet, ironically, your Eyewitness saw all kinds of ads in the papers advertising “Thanksgiving menus” in restaurants on that quintessentially American event!

Now, you’d have thought that Thanksgiving would be pretty tough to export. After all, it’s tied to a specific event in American history: the landing of their “Puritan Fathers” at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts. they were what we would nowadays call “Christian religious fundamentalists” fleeing a European backlash. They’d encountered the “Indigenous Peoples”, whom they dubbed “Red Indians”, and who generously offered them their native food - pumpkin, wild turkey, etc. This didn’t deter them from forcibly displacing the natives from their land, and even eventually exterminating them. But they started celebrated the occasion of their arrival as THANKSGIVING - feasting on the same food items the long-gone Indigenous Peoples had shared with them. And here we are in Guyana now celebrating “Thanksgiving”?!! Oh, the irony!!

Now, there’s nothing wrong in giving thanks, but your Eyewitness’s point is this: Can’t we do it in a way that comes out of OUR culture, especially since, from 1970, our governments have been trying to convince us that we’re doing this by celebrating Republic Day with Mashramani? What does this tell us about the success of our effort at “nation building” when, after 50 years, we so willingly accept instead the trademark “American” occasion? We might as well go along with those loonies who’re clamoring for us to become the 51st American State, shouldn’t we?

What makes the adoption of Thanksgiving even more cringeworthy is that it’s so contemptuous of the feelings of our own Indigenous brothers and sisters. The Americans have done a good job of hiding the origins of Thanksgiving, but shouldn’t we be a bit more sensitive? What’s especially egregious is the way the “woke” crowd in Georgetown have latched on to this latest import. What next? Raising the Conservative flag in the National Park?

C’mon people! We know that, in the grand scheme of things in the world at large, we might not matter much; but with oil scheduled to hit 1 million barrels production per day, shouldn’t we start showing at long last that we’re capable of not being blown over by even the slightest breeze that blows from the north?

But then, even Mashramani is a cheap imitation of Carnival, which we cogged from Trinidad, isn’t it?

…rigging?

Donald Trump and a significant number of Republicans are convinced that Biden and the Democrats have rigged their Nov 3 elections. In Guyana, this state of affairs has precipitated a most curious reaction. The PNC and their camp followers have uniformly mocked the moves by the President and Republican lawyers to move to the courts to prove their claim. Yet, here in Guyana, they’ve made the identical claim, and have made the identical move!

What gives? Is it that they’re still upset that the Trump administration was the one - along with the rest of the world! - that insisted democratic procedural norms be followed after our elections? And which saw the PPP assuming office? Well, there IS that…but there’s more in the mortar than the pestle can pound! The PNC knows they were “trying a thing” with the Mingo rigging; and after they were caught with their hands in the ballot boxes, so to speak, they switched gears and concocted the “voting anomalies” they’ve lodged in our courts.

Their ridiculing of Trump and the Republicans simply reveals their own guilty consciences at their brazen effort to once again cuckold the Guyanese people!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

President Ali announces 2-week bonus for healthcare workers

President Irfaan Ali and other officials at the launch of the modernised Leonora Cottage Hospital as part of the Smart Health Care Facilities project

President Dr Irfaan are key foundations on which Ali on Thursday an- the society will advance,” the nounced that all President said. healthcare workers will ben- The President also anefit from bonuses before the nounced that over $1B will end of the year. be allocated in the 2021 na-

“All healthcare profes- tional budget to upgrade the sionals will benefit from a West Demerara Regional two-week bonus paid before Hospital. the end of the year as part “You gave us the manof the response to the pan- date by trusting us to lead demic,” the President an- this country, and we have nounced. a duty to honour that trust.

He was at the time de- We have a duty to respect livering remarks during that trust and, importantthe launch of the retrofitted ly, those who may not have Leonora Cottage Hospital as supported that mandate on part of the “SMART” Health Election Day, we have a duty Care Facilities project. to win your trust; so that, to-

The Head of State noted gether in a unified way, we that all healthcare workers are definitely going to build will be classified as ‘frontline a stronger Guyana,” the workers.’ President said.

“Some months ago, al- Shortly after the new most as soon as we assumed Government assumed ofoffice, there was a strike fice, healthcare workers beamong nurses. In address- gan protesting for better pay ing that strike, I said, ‘We all and benefits in light of the have democratic rights, but COVID-19 pandemic. we also have a duty and an The Emergency Budget oath depending on what ca- for 2020 presented by the reer we take’. And I said to Peoples Progressive Party the nurses and doctors that Civic (PPP/C) had already we understand their com- allotted $150M for frontplaint, but we must have pa- line workers, who are those tience…I promised that the healthcare professionGovernment will address als that deal solely with this issue before the end of COVID-19 patients. the year. And we also backed But the healthcare workthat promise up by setting ers, during their protests, aside $150 million in the wanted all healthcare probudget to support these pro- fessionals – not just those fessionals in the pandemic”, on the frontline – to benefit the President said. from better conditions.

President Ali noted that, As such, President Ali initially, the health officials explained that these bonuswere trying to decide how to es will be paid to all healthdifferentiate between front- care workers, not just those line workers and those who on the frontline. are second- or third-line Meanwhile, the Head of workers. State reminded healthcare

“We have been able to workers that they will also be cut programmes and to find benefiting from the $25,000 additional resources be- per household COVID-19 reyond the $150 million. And lief grant, a slew of tax rethis afternoon, I want to ductions, and their children say that we will consider ev- will benefit from the $4,000 ery healthcare professional per child school uniform as frontline,” the President vouchers and the $15,000 said. per child cash grant.

The President assured Additionally, the Human the gathering that, as the Services and Social Security economy grows, conditions Ministry had also announced will get better. He said that, that it would be expanding come next year, special re- its childcare assistance prosources would be set aside gramme to provide free child for educational courses in care to frontline workers the field of health care, pub- who are providing an essenlic health nursing, nursing tial service or key public serassistant, pharmacists. vices during the COVID-19

“Health and education pandemic.

10 NEWS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Good Intent woman stabbed to death by drug-addict son

– 4-year-old-granddaughter found unconscious

The community of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD) has been plunged into a state of shock after an elderly woman was reportedly murdered by her son.

The woman’s four-yearold granddaughter was also discovered in an unconscious state.

The dead woman has been identified as 62-yearold Jennifer “Judith” Anderson of Lot 21 Murphy Street, Good Intent. According to infor mation received, the in Dead: Jennifer "Judith" Anderson The body being removed from the scene

The house where the woman was discovered

cident occurred between Wednesday and Thursday. Anderson was last seen alive by her daughter on Wednesday, but her body was discovered on Thursday just after midday, sending shockwaves through the small village.

The elderly woman lived with her four-yearold granddaughter and the 38-year-old suspect. Police said it was alleged that the suspect was a drug addict and would normally steal items from the deceased.

When Guyana Times visited the scene, another son, Mark Anderson, who lives in another house on the same property, recalled being contacted by someone about 12:00h and told that his mother had not been seen for the day.

Upon hearing this, the man rushed over to his mother’s home and called out to her, but there was no answer. He went into the house and it was then he saw the motionless body of his mother lying face down on the floor in her bedroom next to a wardrobe, buried in clothes.

“All I know is I come and reach her dead. When I came home, I search for her and I just see she lay down there dead, so I don’t know what really happened… The wardrobe clothes went on her. We don’t know what play out until the post-mortem is done,” he related.

The Police were immediately summoned to the scene and the evidence therein was processed.

The body was examined for any marks of violence, and several small circular injuries were seen on the face and chest. Checks were made for the suspect, but he was not contacted.

The West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) confirmed the death of Anderson after her body was transported there. The young child was treated at the medical facility and upon regaining consciousness, she was sent away.

Relatives of the dead woman were still processing their loss. The suspect, a mason, remains in hiding, and Police have launched a manhunt for him. The body of the elderly woman is awaiting a post-mortem at the Ezekiel Funeral Home.

Coffee Bean Café celebrates 10th Anniversary. Seeta and Narvini Dewnath started the Coffee Bean Café on Church Street on November 27, 2010. The mother and daughter pair has served the Guyanese populace with pride and dignity over the past 10 years. Over the years, the business has empowered many women to develop their potential. As such, the management expressed its immense gratitude to all its supporters for the love shown for the past 10 years. Coffee Bean Café is your home away from home and serves breakfast all day, healthy salads, wraps, sandwiches, grilled items and a variety of coffee beverages.

NEWS11 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM President Ali urges Private Sector in Guyana, Suriname to “step up”

Guyana’s president, Dr Irfaan Ali, is confident that the governments of Suriname and Guyana have the political will to enable the private sector in both countries to expand and grow.

The Head of State gave this assurance on Wednesday evening during a reception with the Suriname Private Sector to culminate his three-day State Visit to the neighbouring nation.

“Our task as policymakers is to ensure we create the environment, an enabling environment and framework, so that the private sector can flourish and grow; so that we can create opportunities for the private sector to expand… I want to assure you tonight that we have the political will, and we have established the political framework to get it done. And with your help, we can move it rapidly forward.”

President Ali pointed to the pace and coordination between the two countries on the Corentyne River Bridge project. He urged the private sector representatives to make the necessary linkages and connections to strategically benefit from such development.

“We want to see local content in that. We want to see the local private sector from Guyana and Suriname stepping up aggressively. Don’t wait on companies to meet you, you have a high commission and ambassadors here.”

He explained that while such projects may seem

President Irfaan Ali addressing a Private Sector event on Wednesday evening in Suriname

“overwhelming”, working in partnership would eventually build capacity, technological capability, and experience, which would then enable the private sector to grow.

Winning economies

President Ali announced that the two Heads of State are already in discussion to twin the economies of their respective states, thereby achieving economies of scale. This, he said, would also reduce and remove existing hurdles and barriers to trade.

“The time has come, and sometimes the media will not capture the essence of the story; but I want to assure you that, in Guyana and in Suriname, we have the political will. We already discussed twinning our tourism product, making it easier for visitors to come to Guyana and Suriname, we have a huge diaspora.”

He said that also high on the agenda are discussions to improve security between the two countries.

President Ali also emphasised that both Guyana and Suriname, as natural resource-based countries, understand that to avoid the Dutch disease, the economy must be broad-based and diversified.

The Guyanese Head of State further explained that in order to take advantage of the distinctly competitive edge the two countries have in regard to food security in the region and Caricom, it is imperative to “achieve the synergies” and push the market together.

“We are not in competition. Every company has to have a competitive feature, that is how business is; but we are in cooperation mode,” he said.

Consortiums are the future

On this note, President Ali said that while the two countries do not have a long history of working in a consortium, the future requires this, given the investment potential.

“The future requires companies to come together; for individual investors to come together and form consortiums that can go after the larger projects. Crossborder consortiums, national consortiums, these are all things that we must ponder on.”

He then urged the Private Sector representatives to be bold enough to not only embrace, but to defend the development agenda, particularly if it brings benefits to the people.

The Private Sector, he emphasised, is heavily integrated into the political system, and therefore must find its voice when things go right.

President Ali assured all that his presence and that of President Santokhi at the event signal their commitment to building the necessary networks and connections to move the integration forward.

“It is to let you know that we are serious and we are ready. We are bold enough to confront the challenges and the changes that are necessary; And this, I think, is what is important in confronting the future, the opportunities, the challenges and the threats that we face.”

The President also announced that he has already advised his Cabinet to remove all the bureaucracy in regard to collaborating and doing business.

In closing, he pointed to the benefits of a collaborative relationship moving forward.

“Guyana was able, seven years ago, to negotiate the largest carbon credit deal per capita in the world with The Kingdom of Norway. Imagine if we had done it together, both Guyana and Suriname would have benefited. So, in reflection, we have to see where we could have done things better and together to bring greater benefits to the people. At end of the day, it is the people who must benefit and see the positive change.” (Office of the President)

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