Whatz positive Guyana?

The end

2010-06-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Due to several reasons, we are closing this site.

we recommend the following:
http://ohguyana.blogspot.com/
http://peerguyana.blogspot.com/
http://www.chrisram.net/
etc
etc
etc
etc....

Another sad day has dawned for Guyana

2010-06-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

Another sad day has dawned for Guyana.

Independent critics of the Government have all come under immense criticism and personalized attacks from the Government spokespersons.

In a particular blog which can be traced to Office of the President,
1) Glen Lal the owner of Kaieteur news has had his children and wife vilified.
2) Freddie Kissoon was attacked and accusations made about his wife and daughter.
3) Christopher Ram has come under intense criticism, being accused of everything under the sun, including drugs.

While we have no affiliations or sympathies for any of the above named, the cold fact is that those three persons are known to be independent persons. And, all have been attacked. We predicted these attacks many posts ago.

In the Guyana Times, we find cartoon about Ram, and ludicrous letters and columns about any one who has dared to oppose the Government. Online one can find the mischievous postings of Chris Ram's family being abused. What did these kids do to be so abused?

Other blogs have been attacked, hacked and shut down. We have also tried to make contact with previous persons associated with this blog to warn them of upcoming attacks since the pattern is clear.

As the hate posts spirals uncontrollably, we can only predict that the wives and children of all and any opposing voice will be viciously attacked. One can expect photoshop adjusted photos to find posting online as the Government knows no boundaries.

May God bless us over the coming weeks.

Some stolen photos

2010-06-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

With some serious fun in mind, tonight we stole some fotos from Kwamy's website. That site is being run by Kwamy, RobeBenn son etc.
These photos are taken from Kwamy's site and are artists impressions of the PPP event in berbice.

From a broken wharf an unfinished Tarmac

2010-06-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

He has done it again ! Beekay has fished up another major project in this country and No no! He will not be sanctioned! No no, none of those things happen to our friends.

Months AFTER Beekay was to complete work on the Taxiway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, he still has a lot to. As a matter of fact our Dear Beekay cannot tell the Airport officials and Public Works Ministry when the works would be completed!

Extension in the contract deadline? Your guess is as good a mine!

We know that one part of the Airport Taxi Way has been closed until the end of July and this was after a notice was issued to Airmen at the end of April. And, the Consultants are busy drinking soup from Beekay hands to even bother with this "fish-up".

So BeeKay has roads, bridges and airport taxi ways under his belt, while he is also building his Mall at the corner of Sandy Babb and Vlissengen Road.

How the Bee produces honey eh?

Sweet !

Carvil Duncan

2010-06-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

His smile spells treachery, his face, greed, he is another one of the black fools, a puppet of the Jagdeo gang, a sinister idiot.

Carvil Duncan will move on to the next bowl of soup if the government changes tomorrow.

But we have been observing him since the days of the formation of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions. He was one of those brainless brains who opted to sell out the workers, turn his backs on them and trample on their rights when he stepped away from the large Trade Union body in Guyana, the Guyana Trades Union Congress.

He used this opportunity to make his money, buy new cars, buy new properties and send his daughter to school overseas, some of life’s choices working class Guyanese patients don’t have.

Today his nose is so close in the Champion’s Butt that we not even sure he got an adequate supply of oxygen!

He is hailing, applauding and kissing as at every opportunity he has with the PPPites and the Champion.

He has received several appointments when the PPP sought to put snitches in various constitutional bodies including the ERC where both Duncan and his daughter served.
He is one of the man soup lovers who crossed the Atlantic with the Champion to Copenhagen.

Life is indeed sweet for the few who kiss butts.

The cloak of ICT

2010-06-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

We have noted the prominence of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company recently in the Media, with the arrival of its Fibre Optic Cable and what seems to be the appointment of one of the younger CEOs in the history of the Company.

Both are welcomed but we hope the Company and its young CEO have both eyes opened as the government is sneaking around under this cloak of ICT Strategy.

For one the government owns 20% shares of GT&T and is privy to all information possible about its fibre optic cable, its arrival, its setting up and its promises.

This is the same government that is headed by Chief Tyrant who is bringing his own cable for ‘e-governance’ across the Brazilian Border. Is the Government using its position as minority shareholder to abuse the inside plans of the company - against the company itself? Knowing Jadgeo and Brassington, we see their betrayal of companies' secrets as a real possibility.

We understand that GT&T does not see Jagdeo’s cable as competition since according to Major General Retired Joe Singh his company was assured that Jagdeo’s cable is for ‘e-governance’ only.

If so, then Jagdeo ought to explain why he is claiming that he is breaking a monopoly and what about reducing bandwidth?

Jagdeo must also tell Guyana why he is pursing some call centres not to set up shop in Guyana because of unreliable bandwidth, does he plan to sell his to them and what about that doctor, his friend who needs this cable for this Phone Company something soon?

GT&T better keep their eyes open.

What about government selling their shares in GT&T? isn’t that still open?

The blame-game habit of Guyana's King

2010-06-02T05:46:00.001-07:00

We are starting a reflection of his Presidency by looking at several of his statements made in the Media over the years.

Here is fuel for your memory of a man who many thought would have changed the landscape of politics.

The Opening of the 9th Parliament
“I encourage all of you to be faithful to the timeless principle of service, and to be detached from the ambitions of power and the trappings of office. I urge you to execute your duties with pride, simplicity and integrity, and to find in this service a higher calling. There can be no greater honor than to be called to the service of one’s country.”

Maybe he should listen to his own advise !

Mr. Speaker, in the next five years, my Government will work towards the political, economic and social transformation of our country in which all of our people will have equal access to resources and benefit from economic development and improvement in social conditions.

Equal access? Is that how you explain the Queens Atlantic Deal?

The underlying pillars of the new political framework will include meaningful engagement with all political parties; reform of the legislative and judicial branches of Government; and continuous engagement of the progressive civil society in the governance of this country.

Ha ha meaningful engagement

HIS YEAR 2000 Promises
A special “crime crack force,” along the line of a SWAT team will be set up to complement existing units. A large enough group of special trained and well-provided-for armed officers and ranks will form this crack force and will respond mainly to these new forms of criminal activities and acts of domestics terrorism.

Yes that happened, hence extra judicial killings and torture that followed

A comprehensive reform of the Intelligence sector to strengthen intelligence gathering to support the fight against crime, narco-trafficking and threats to internal security will be undertaken.

Employment of Roger Khan
Legislation would be introduced to provide for closer monitoring of certain categories of deportees

??

2001 Acceptance speech
My vision is to create a country in which everyone has a sense of belonging and an opportunity to continue to its development.

Failed!

MAY DAY speech 2003
Government has, as its top priority, the continued improvement of the living standards of workers and the reduction of poverty throughout the country. This is manifested in Government’s involvement and emphasis on the issue of tackling poverty over the recent years.

Yes the continued degradation of workers, lowering wages and salaries, impositions and racism in the Public Service.

The Government has placed immense emphasis on the importance of the National Labour Movement to the development of the country and in particular the well being of the Guyanese workers.

Lovely! A national labour movement meant the continued politicization of the Labour Movement, stifling of one faction of the labour movement while appointing Labour Union heads to political positions and taking some of them on overseas trips.

Here are some of the most important wheels we are missing in this ‘democracy’
President Champion and Opposing Everything leader Corbin signed a Communiqué in May 2003 and promised us, the fools among these:
- National Policy on Land and House lots Distribution
- The Appointment of the Public Procurement Commission
- A Human Rights Commission
- Local Government Reform
- Radio Monopoly and Non Partisan Boards
- Border and National Security Issues including the Recapitalisation of the GDF
De-Politicisation Of The Public Service
- The Appointment of a Commission of Inquiry into the Operations of the Guyana Police Force
- Agreements for the Electricity Sector

Shall we go on??

Guyana Times launching 2008
“You know me; I am controversial and I don’t care at this stage of my life,” President Jagdeo

Honesty?

To Yesu Persaud
“Mr. Persaud, you are falling right into the trap of the ignorant people who have been saying this over and over again (the negotiated deal) but we chose not to respond to it because we knew that it would continue”

His best excuse on the Queens Atlantic Deal

On signing the EPA 2008
“To sign EPA is to forfeit economic sovereignty”

“We had extensive discussions and I still feel strongly that we are entering into an Agreement that will undermine some aspects of the regional integration movement.”

On David Clarke 2009
“From now on if you believe all that this informant is saying, you have to also believe that he (Waddell) was a member of the Buxton gang and that he was in criminal enterprise,

The quick to blame black people game

When Roger Khan issued a full page ad saying he was helping the government fight criminals I publicly said at that time, ‘you tell us which Government you are helping because it couldn’t be this government,

What about those meetings eh?

On Roger Khan 2009
I have said before, Khan said several things, he said that [former Commissioner of Police Winston] Felix was undermining the Government of Guyana too, he said he had taped conversations with people sharing information who are linked to drug dealers

The blame game continues

“I have never put any store on what Roger Khan has said in the past or not said. I never decided whether he is guilty or not guilty, so if he pleads guilty he has to face the consequences that is clear.”

What history will say about you Mr. Jagdeo.

All hail the Mighty Oozeness

2010-06-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Once again we witness the ooze spewing out from the elected President of Guyana. It is our view that the President of Guyana has lied to the public more than any other president in the world at his time. Whether it has to do with duty-free vehicles, mining concessions, cabinet outreaches, ramjattan’s expulsion, janet jagan’s leadership, bobby ramroop’s gifts, Gerry gouveia’ gifts, the amalia falls hydrocele project or the government’s fiber optic cable.

Lies have formed a every increasing, every present flowing of fermented verbiage coming out of his excellency’s mouth.

How can the nation stand the level of deceit that is being foisted on them?

We will soon put together a chronology of Jagdeo’s lies one of these days as we attempt to document Guyana’s slide into a hopeless, hapless, crime-infused nation in which the friends of the president has risen to great wealth due to their association with the President.

Yet, this man, nay, this fading light of what was a human, looks the public in the eye and lies more and more – each and every time that he talks to them. They literally threw filth in Fredie's face, but throw more nasty verbal filth to our intelligence every day!

Let’s look at the LCDS project. How many persons KNOW of the total amount spent by Jagdeo on the LCDS project so far. We see the “3rd edition” (ref 3rd term) of his strategy document on LCDS. Who paid for that and who/what body approved those expenditures? We see Amerindians feted and partied and airplaned to places to give a show of support for the LCDS, at whose cost? Isn’t it true that we have already spent US$20million on this project? WHO is approving this release of funds? From WHAT account? Who is paying for all the billboards praising the Jagdeo’s Champion filthood? Where are those funds coming from. Could the GRA and Sattaur explain the collection of VAT for those billboards? Where are the funds coming from, and to whom?

We will continue. We will build a Fippin dam to stop this filth!

Riddle of the week

2010-05-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Who struck a cord with the distinguished mad man, we mean the Attorney General Charles Ramson?
1. Speaker of the National Assembly
2. Leader of the Main Opposition Party
3. Advisor on Governance
4. Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee
5. PPP MP Anil Nanadall
6. President Jagdeo

Who rubbed Ramson the wrong way to have him resigned from all the Parliamentary Committees two weeks ago out of a fit of anger?

Who did?! Your guess is as good as ours.

He's Greene, but not Hulk (more like Bulk)

2010-05-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Henry Greene is now talking about retirement after he sat his fat ass in the Police Commissioner’s chair parading like a worth less puppet for the government while holding up the appointments of several police officers who were tipped for promotions.

Like another top black person in Guyana, he has allowed his professionalism to be manipulated by the Jagdeo Band of Criminals as worthy police officers were stepped upon.

As an act of friendship President Champion has extended his term as Commissioner of Police last year, an act that should have been deliberated on by the Police Service Commission. Greene’s dismal performance has not placed in the Guyana Police Force in any better light than it was five years ago.

But what Jagdeo has managed to do is to push the professional officers worthy of any political tarnishing out of the force. We understand that Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe will have his going out Parade soon as he is proceeding on retirement.

Where does this leave the Guyana Police Force?

Ask Greene when you meet him at Pegasus, he takes his crime fighting skills there for a drink and food after which he paddles himself out to his car to have a drunk drive home.

Greene mirrors the sorts of crooks, the Jagdeo administration surrounds itself with.
Endless bribes, visa revocation, drunk car crashes, friendships with known criminals and the list goes on.

Have a good early retirement Paul Slowe! We will now have to deal with the likes of deportee Steve Merai.

I'm feeling Raaaandy

2010-05-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

RANDY Persaud. Who is this person?

A political scientist or mad scientist? Either, we will never know. Dr. Randy Persaud, the latest Office of the President recruit and understudy of Prem Misir has a full letter writing task set out for him for the rest of the year.

Before he adds pen to waster another piece of paper on idiotic rants we will suggest what his next topics should be.
- How about Fip Motilall’s failure to deliver that US$15 million road?
- How about the 40 plus year old President relationship with a unknowing lass ?
- How about his non-existent marriage?
- How about McKoy’s crime ?
- How about Nanda Gopaul takings at NBS?
- How about Dr. Luncheon’s listening device?
- How about the blatant racism in the Public Service?
- How about Norway lying to us about the REDD plus funds?
- How about personal investments made by the President?
- How about telling us which friend he will grant duty free concession to next?
- How about that cable he is planning to bring?

Instead of counting chairs and penning letters about who is a CAPITAL FOOL, pen letters about these.

$30million dissolving away

2010-05-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

The promise of US$30 million from Norway could blow up in front of our faces.
What will he say to the Amerindian Villages he has promised millions of dollars to, what will he say to those communities he has promised roads and water, what about those project he has air marked this money to be spent on, what will the fool do now?
Norway’s Ambassador Hans Brattskar recently told the Stabroek News that this millions of dollars in forest protection money is months away from reaching Guyana’s coffers.

The good PPP administration has begun to stifle the Forestry Sector in a bid to get this money while a battle begun with the mining sector to place miners against a wall.

The Guyana Government has once again fooled the Nation as to what exactly is promised to Norway in exchange for funds.

We are asking the Jagdeo administration once again to release the MOU for scrutiny.
As Professor Clive Thomas pointed out in his Colum today Sunday, Brattskar simply said that Norway though the MOU is trying to ‘gain practical experiences that may give positive inputs to the NEGOTIATION on a future REDD-plus regime under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’. In fact according to Prof. Thomas column Brattskar said Norway’s ‘cooperation [with Guyana] has not been motivated by the possibilities for offsetting against any future emission targets for Norway.’
Professor Thomas Column’s raises a number of issues we wouldn’t do any justice to if we transform his words, but he highlights Norway’s disingenuous moves while pondering on government’s hypocrisy.

Now where will we get money to build this roads Jagdeo?

See Prof Thomas' article here.

Jagdeo in Newark

2010-05-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right, he is in Newark... not a mention in the press as he ensured that he was out of the country for the attack on Freddie and the other Guy.

The Mayor of that city welcomed him (as if they could do differently) and Jagdeo noted that it was the "first time in 37 years that he celebrated Guyanese Independence Day outside of Guyana"...

Get real! You are never in Guyana! What do you know about our independence day or our celebrations, Mr. tourist corruptident?

Jagdeo also committed sacrilege by saying:
“Both of your countries need your involvement to succeed. Be active, stay active, and be progressive”. Can you imagine anyone really getting active in Guyana? Acid pon dem face!

He who pays the piper...

2010-05-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

The sellout is about to be finalized with a fat pay out plan. We will be sold to the Dictator and his immoral bullies for a few pieces of silver. We knew that were we never safe but we never expected this act of blatant disregard for the citizenry or the act of mistrust that lingered for years.

We have reported that the Office of the President continues to the pay several bills for the Office of the Leader of the People’s National Congress (Congress Place, Sophia) and several of the leader’s bills.

But sources are telling us that this isn’t new and he was in fact being paid via brown paper bag from a certain friend close to the New Garden Street Property.

Two people we were told are authorized to collect these payments and these include a driver and a close man who is no stranger to the law. This explains why the Champion coward pays no mind to this ‘sickly’ man.

Wonder about all the politicking?
All in the game as we are left to look on as fools. A recent meeting to discuss ‘matters of importance’ is nothing about a photo opportunity that gets us to think outside the box when inside the box they have been secretly meeting and secretly talking about deals. These include a Constitutional Reform to allow for over seas voting and secure an extension of the Presidential term and another to allow the PNC to implode using race politics within the line.

When you hear every man for him self, its no joke.

A king without clothes

2010-05-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

We refuse to imagine Him without clothes....any person who struts their ego must be agonizingly insignificant, so Freud would tell us.

Think of the King...Hail the King.

1) Where does the filth come from?
It may take a master to analyze the psychology of the King of Guyana. Which end does the filth pour from? All over Freddie, all over the poor cricketer-guy (to put a different spin), all over the Amerindians, all over the Indians, all over black people, all over Guyana. The poop-bags like lumumba et al are but the gaseous pre or post bubbles of the rest.

1) The drivel that is Fip was used to fool the nation. So confuse the nation with US15million while tying up a US600million deal. Confuse the press into a frenzy with 15million while working out the deals of a lifetime.

Then sacrifice Fip, because the bigger deal is done. So that makes him Shine like a champion. The savior of the masses, the champion of earth. Take justice to Fip. He deserves it. he cannot finish the work. Champion's hireling Luncheon gave a clue to that yesterday.

2) Sexual offenses bill. Yeah! A pedophile works as liaison to the King. He took the king's ooze and threw it at freddie's face. Yet, the king publicly spoke of his dislike for "man-kissers". Show me your friends....

There are records, documents, public accusations of ministers who have raped, pimped and sexually harassed young (stupid) women in their offices. Sexual offense?

The King himself, lived in sin, sleeping with a woman that he told the country was his WIFE! The ooze flowed with his 'explanation'. Sexual offense?

The King took Stanley Ming's relative to Lethem as his companion - well, that is not rape, she's big - but he has to prove that the man-kissers around him does not overly affect his suspicioned fatuous insignificance - then create a scandal to ensure that everyone knows he was with this woman. The poor fool, young and silly, has disgraced her family. Sexual offense?

3) The farce of the government fiber is another master idea aimed at pushing business to B-Yong and B-rassington. The latter is owner of an island in Essequibo (with a yacht moored to boot!). B-Yong operates his "business" front in a building owned by B-rassington. The King's cable will be "managed" by B-Yong and b-rassington (remember our previous post about B-rassington's brother in ICT business in USA). Meanwhile, the "Laptop per family" contract will be given to these two to bring in 100,000 laptops that will crash in a year or with 2-hour battery life to span the blackout. Cheap, affordable will be their words - after all it is a Government contract.

4) Laws and more laws. are passed to protect the B's. The King's filth flowed at a public forum when he called on his man-friend B-rassington to educate Yesu Persaud. Next day, the legal fools were scrambling to the King's desire to put laws in place to legalize the deals that the King made with B-ubby.

The filth has flowed for so long - we are b-lind, bitten by the Bs, fed BS everyday.

Should we go on?

The king has no clothes

2010-05-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

A "guest" letter borrowed from the Kaieteur News

Are the ministers, advisors, and ambassadors of this naked king the same species and purpose of filth?

If I am going to write an impassioned novel, I will name it “The Day of the Champion.” In this piece I will write about a filthy man with a filthy mind, a depraved hero who has fallen into the convolutions of his primitive instincts, a man who can’t contain his love and resolve to wallow in filth. This novel will not exclude beauty and exuberance, but will also talk about the fear and insecurity of a man, a weak and frightened man who drinks the wine of power to flex his muscles in a travesty of strength. In a childhood story I was told, I will write at length about this man who rides a white horse as a king, boasting his fine clothes and jewellery, with thousands of his people waving banners, throwing garlands, and singing his praise that he is the best-dressed man ever to walk this earth. Then I will write about the little boy who was both astonished and baffled at seeing the king on a white horse, a naked king in pornographic obscenity, with the hypocrisy of thousands celebrating this king in his best regal apparel. Then the little boy cried, “King, king, you have on no clothes!”

This book I will write will have a basic theme, with a question: “How can a man be a champion of decency, nature, and beauty when he is a prisoner of the lowest qualities of the human mind, a man obsessed with the crudest repulsiveness on “Earth” of a thing called ‘filth’?” I will ask another question, “Are the ministers, advisors, and ambassadors of this naked king the same species and purpose of filth?” Where is the intellectuality of these ministers, ambassadors, and advisors? Where is the shame, the sense of justice, morality, and personal decency? Has the word “filth” metamorphosed into meanings of parliaments, cabinets, family life, international diplomacy, economic strategies, cultural expositions, offices of presidents, and social justice?

What troubles me most is the overt and covert humour of a particular ethnic section of Guyana about this plot and execution of filth. I am a Hindu and East Indian. Nowhere in our Vedas, Itihaases and Puraanas our heroes and celestial deities condone this raakshas (demonic and fecal) act of throwing filth on a writer and academic to thwart freedom of expression. But I am now wondering if this king without clothes is given permission and rights to rewrite the tomes of our resplendent Hindu past, to rewrite it with the putrid and odious ink of filth.

I will certainly write this novel, titled “The Day of the Champion.”

Churaumanie Bissundyal

Elections - 2011?

2010-05-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

It’s close to the 2011 and you are not sure there would be General Elections- We share your pain.

If the Jagdeo administration throws a Manning fit and calls General Elections tomorrow - you have no idea who you’d be voting for- We share your pain.

It is quite obvious that voters this time around would have a difficult time choosing a leader as they have had in 2006.

The PPP record of corruption, crime, cronism and unaccountability haven’t help, neither has the PNC’s lack of leadership, indecisiveness and baggage of dismal performance has helped their image.

The AFC has practiced much of what it has preached since 2006 and opted to be a party that use to the opportunity to rebut everything that spilled from the others’ mouth.

We predict fewer voter turn out if elections is called, we also predict mass rigging- as the government may seek to allow overseas voting.

In 2001, the three main parties and two others blamed the low voter turn out on migration. None of them noted their dismal performance since 2001 and the fact that the citizenry may have been silently protesting against them by not exercising their franchise.

With a population or more than 700000 in 2006, the Guyana Elections Commission recorded a more than 350000 voter population. There was a 69% voter turn out for that Election says the Commission. It was the lowest voter turn out since Guyana’s Independence.

We see it as the year, the PPP and PNC also lost considerable votes in traditional strong holds as we will later point out.

The PPP lost Indian votes, the PNC sank lower and the AFC entered the political realm.

For the PPP Region 4 was a walk over, as President Jagdeo said publicly that he expects his party to win more black votes than the PNC and AFC combined.
We may never know, but what we know that the PPP netted only 61000 votes in 2006 a far cry from the more than 74000 it has won in 2001.

As for the PNC, that party scrapped a miserable 67000 votes that can’t even compare to the more than 94000 in 2001.

More than 217000 Region 4 residents voted in 2001 but in 2006 148000 voted, 2000 were probably unsure when they spoiled their votes.

As for Region 6, a stronghold of the PPP just about 50000 people voted, more than 80000 voted in 2006.
41000 of that more than 50000 voted for the PPP.

As for Region 10 the PNC strong hold, it lost more than 30000 to AFC and the Elections Commission averaged that more than 10000 Lindeners did not vote.

In the end, this is what happened, PPP won 36 seats, two more than it had in 2001, the PNC lost 3 and was reduced to 22 seats and AFC got 6. Two other parties got one each and the PPP fought CN Sharma and his Justice for All Party in Court for a region Ten Seat that they had already taken away.

Our prediction?

PPP will win the 2011 elections
Jagdeo will be President
PPP will lose one seat
PNC will lose more than 5 seats
PNC will struggle to be the main opposition party as it preaches
Shared Governance
AFC will gain 4 more with an alliance with GAP/ROAR
We will be screwed once again as the PPP will come up with another corny line like LET THE PROGRESS continues and we will battle with them for another five years.

p.s. Dear Mista Rohee, a corrupt goat bite the presidential seat. Let me translate: no one else can get it.

This is Guyana

2010-05-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Stabroek News for this article.

Many of the shires (counties) in the UK have web portals which begin with the words ‘This is,’ and what they do is provide a wealth of information on the area. For instance, a visitor to Leicestershire would find on its ‘This is’ page, historical information, where to find what, news, links to jobs, real estate, pubs, almost everything anyone might need to know. Perhaps this may have caught on in other places in some other parts of the world. Not in Guyana, though. Here, ‘This is Guyana’ is a sentence that brings with it connotations of everything that could possibly be wrong.

For example, if one found oneself waiting at 10:00 hrs for a scheduled 09:00 hrs event to begin, the reason that would be given is that this is Guyana. It is used almost wholesale to explain practically every flawed eventuality: blackouts, corruption, nepotism, unsolved crimes, water shortages, injustice – the list can go on and on. But it’s a useless tally really, since no true Guyanese would like to see any of this on a web portal introducing Guyana to the rest of the world.

Just this last Monday, President Bharrat Jagdeo, as he launched what was called the third draft of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, shed some light on the “Guyana way of doing things.” He intimated that though there had been no consensus in Copenhagen last December, Guyana was not prepared to turn away from playing a role in combatting climate change. He held out the hope that his imminent trip to Norway would bear fruit to the tune of millions of US$ to be spent over the next few years on climate change initiatives, one of which was the Amaila Falls hydropower project.

This hydroelectric project, which the President said would cost some US$450 million will, the ‘This is Guyana’ invocation notwithstanding, be ready for commercial operation by October 2014. Hardly believable it is, that Guyana will have commercial quantities of green energy in the next four years – all things being equal that is. One question that is yet to be completely and comprehensively answered is whether this hydropower will be available throughout the entire country.

In the meantime, while we await this progressive step we must continue to endure the blackouts and the high and low voltages still being supplied. We must still resign ourselves to using candles, flambeaux and kerosene lamps, especially the poor families who cannot afford the high electricity rates, or those who live in unelectrified communities, or the residents of Berbice, where periods of outage currently exceed periods of power supply.

Obviously, no one needs any alternative form of energy. Who cares if Food For The Poor in collaboration with the Roetheli family of the USA successfully built 100 houses in the Lil Red Village and supplied each one with solar power? What does it matter if smaller hydropower projects might be more feasible? After all, it’s just another four years then all will be well.

Meanwhile, we must unquestioningly swallow the drivel being fed to us by smarmy politicians; like the “one laptop computer per family” statement, dished out last week by Minister of Education Shaik Baksh, who said government is working out the modalities and costing for this initiative. Surely this cannot precede the completion of the great hydroelectric project. For while we are not all tech savvy, certainly everyone must know that laptops carry batteries which must be charged and that this cannot be done with candles, flambeaux or kerosene. And unless there are also plans to have Wi-Fi throughout the country, there will be need for other infrastructure to allow the laptops to access the World Wide Web. But why worry, this must have all been thought through. It just was not conveyed to the rest of us. After all, this is Guyana; this is the Guyana way of doing things.

Miasmic mess, acid, grenades

2010-05-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

Another sad day has dawned for Guyana.

Freddie Kissoon
This may be an unsavory writer who rambles more than he analyzes. But, like everyone of us, deserves his space in the crazy world. He hates the PPP and is very vocal about that hate. It is a pity that he cannot see past that hate sometimes. But he is entitled to his freedom!

Months ago, the Guyana Times attacked Freddie's wife. Then the GoG's spin doctors (honorary doctorate to0), started rumours about Freddie's daughter and his bisexual traits. Bhrat Jagdeo displayed his homophobic side by calling Freddie 'man-kisser' - as if kissing a man is a crime.

He, jagdeo, is better placed to know if it is a crime, since he recently 'ass'ented the sexual offences bill. We wonder how many persons will analyze the rapes and prostitution that is done by the highest people in the land?

Back to Freddie: the attack on his family was a very low chapter in Guyana's media - all compliments of Guyana Times. However, this recent attack on Freddie is a public message - NOT to Freddie - but to the public.

Elections are approaching. The public is warned about its mouth! Journalists be warned.

To top it off, acid was thrown on a virtual unknown - making him acidly known - and telling the public again that "be warned".

What else will happen, we wonder?

What does it all mean for Guyana?

2010-05-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

This week speaks volumes of a turning point in the History of the Caribbean as several noted and questionable acts have occurred and as people prepare to take to polling stations to stay or remove governments.

In JAMAICA:
A state of emergency was issued for a month by the Bruce Golding administration. This action followed a 2 PM Cabinet meeting.

The genesis is the US request to extradite Christopher Dudus Coke.

In recent weeks, we saw PM Golding being forced to review his moves and even think about the leadership of his country when news broke that he sought legal help to address the extradition.

After he signed the extradition order-Tivoli Gardens and Denham City were on a shut down by criminal gangs opposing the extradition of Dudus.

What followed is unprecedented violence in Jamaica as gangs sought to protect Dudus.
Police stations burns, police cars hijacked, Kingston Airport shut down, Hospitals come under gun fire, citizens had to be evacuated and gun violence in Kingston and other parts of Jamaica.

A State of Emergency was issued at a time the United States Embassy Officials in Jamaica and Dudus lawyers are trying to get him out of the country. Dudus have reportedly waived his right to stand trial in Jamaica and wishes to be flown directly to the US.

This is one telling tale.

In Trinidad
Tomorrow, Monday, Trinidadians will turn out in their thousands to polling stations in Trinidad and Tobago to vote.

The UNM-COP grouping seems a likely winner- as Trinidadians seek a change from the Patrick Manning led PNM.

In recent years corruption had plagued the Manning government as Trinidad, the richest Caribbean Country battled a plunging economy. The UNM also a tarnished record on that topic as well but with the emergence of a promising candidate Kamla Persad-Bissessar the elections is one to keep a close eye on.

Suriname
And on Tuesday, Surinamese would take a trip to the poll.

The calls are in for the infamous Desi Bouterse of the National Democratic Party as some are suggested that the incumbent Ronald Venetiaan of the National Party of Suriname is out.

All of these events could see a change in the landscape of politics in this Region, so keep an eye on them.

Our exclusive take on the NICIL BOSS

2010-05-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

In this photograph Winston Brass Boy must be running off to State House to meet Jaggers to discuss their next deal as the two prepare to siphoned off monies from weary and disillusioned taxpayers.

We want to ask Brass Boy some simple questions:

1) Are you prepared to take a lie detector test?
2) What is Your salary?
3) How much % you make on those deals, yes THOSE deals?
4) Why are you leaving the country every month?
5) Where do you go and why?
6) Who pays for those trips?
7) Have you ever been to Russia?
8) Serious business now, how much money NICIL makes annually?
9) Are you prepare to reveal this?
10)What about an audit?
11)How many properties has NICIL acquired and sold recently?
12)How many friends of the President have you sold these to?
13)How many deals NICIL has negotiated recently?
14)How many closely linked to the Office of the President?
15)Brassy boy what about those Guyana Telephone and Telegraph shares you spoke about selling? and,
16)In whose name did you write Fip's US$1.6million cheque?

Brassy don’t lets be enemies, speak to us.

Parcels of land given to friends

2010-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Too much wrongs in Guyana.

Land is being given away to friends of the Government. Our understanding is that Airfan,Robbie, Brat and the 5 bees are giving and getting everything.

The latest cause for concern in a strip of land on the embankment of the canal at Montrose. If one were to take a drive to that area, you will find a gated community being developed there - from the public road to the seawall, east of the canal.

Who owns that "reserve"? Who gave it to whom - and when? Was it gazetted?

With our penchant for flooding, how will that canal ever be cleaned? I guess, the poorer residents on the western side will have to have their homes bulldozed in any flooding emergency.

More to it than meets the eye. Deals and Deals!

2010-05-21T17:42:00.001-07:00

When will the Integrity Commission lets it independence guide it to drag the Head of Staff with his ‘assets’ before it?

A President who merely makes less than a half a million dollars a month on his day job is busy tying and knotting deals with his cronies and friends that his expected to full his pockets at some time or another.

We know that he got himself a little of the Guyana Times pie as Guyana Times TV Plan to set up a Berbice operation. A new office space is being built.

We know that he has cut himself several sweet deals and owns properties in and out of Guyana. He is negotiating another sweet deal with Russian Powers and would see a fibre optic cable coming from Brazil. This man would be making more money!!!

We were also informed of this connection to the Russian owned Rusal. Connection we say but hidden in that, word is director of the Bauxite Company.

Now as the story about Rusal’s involvement in a hydro power plant breaks we wonder about that else is not visible to the eye.

Stabroek News of Wednesday May 19 has an interesting and though provoking story. It says that a letter between a Gianfranco Miceli of Business Development of a Brazilian Company, Andrade Gutierrez and RUSAL’s General manager Alexex Gordymov talking about building a hydro power plant in the Middle Mazaruni. This isn’t the only revelation. According to SN who we will quote their article says that there are talks about two consortiums involving RUSAL, GUYANA GOVERNMENT and Brazilian owned ELECTROBRAS.

In fact, the Brazilian Company said that it is ready to go ahead.
This is despite no announcement by the government, no reports of Environment Impact Assessment and oh wait, No tendering.

There must be a Memorandum of Understanding somewhere around.

There are some pieces of the puzzle as put together by Stabroek News.

“In the letter dated May 14, which was seen by this newspaper, Gordymov told Miceli that he hoped that their meeting in Miami in March this year was productive and at least the parties could exchange their intentions and recognise how they could move the project forward. He recalled that despite efforts they could not find any amicable solution at the time. He recalled that during the March meeting it was understood that one of the crucial points for Miceli was to get Electrobras to be part of a consortium. He mentioned the building of a smelter. After numerous internal reviews and discussions, they would like to continue dialogue on the main principals, Gordymov said.

He outlined six points. According to the letter, Consortium A would be created with three main stakeholders: Electrobras, the Government of Guyana and Rusal. “This consortium would be responsible for developing the Hydropower Plant and distribution of energy”, Gordymov wrote. He said the consortium would build a 3000MW hydropower plant which would be done in three phases.

He said that the first 1000MW would be sold to Brazil “beside what is energy required by Guyana” and the second 1000MW “(probably less)” would go to the smelter. The third 1000MW would be sold to Brazil, he said.

He outlined Consortium B – which would be created between the government of Guyana and RUSAL for the construction of an aluminum smelter. “RUSAL would control the consortium”.

According to the letter, Consortium B has a right to declare an option to use energy in the second phase of up to 1000MW “in case smelting capacity will be built before commissioning 2nd phase”. Such an option has to be declared no later than six months after the commissioning of the first phase, Gordymov outlined. He said that if this option is not declared by Consortium B within that time then Consortium A has a right to use the energy of the second phase at its own discretion. In this case, the third phase will be developed by Consortium A when Consortium B decides that the smelter is needed, according to Gordymov.

He said that the Consortiums will enter into a written agreement where Consortium A will guarantee to supply power to Consor-tium B in the requested amount for smelting but no more than 1000MW at a cost basis price.

“We will appreciate your feedback on this message and would like to point (out) that we are ready to develop further this project in case you accept (the) above main terms”, Gordymov wrote. He added that any final deal is subject to contract. “

We say there is no way this could have even past our dear President’s ears.

Press Release: 'Peter' Vs Nicola Jang

2010-05-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown
Tel: 225-5401 or 227-2685
Email: propolice247@yahoo.ca

PRO: May 18, 2010

News Editors,
PRESS STATEMENT

Acting on information received the police obtained and executed a search warrant on a building owned by Mr. Peter Ramsaroop at 261 Forshaw and New Garden Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, yesterday.

The building houses several apartments and the police were only able to access one occupied by Nicole Ming, female, 19 years, the sole occupant. The search revealed the existence of three covert cameras. One hidden in a clock on the wall that obtains a panoramic view of the apartment, another hidden in a radio in the bathroom and a third focusing on her bed.

Nicole Ming indicated that she rented the apartment about two months ago from Mr. Peter Ramsaroop and about a week ago he requested that she leave her keys as he had to fix an electrical problem and on her return she observed an instrument on the wall with a light flashing.

She also stated that about two weeks ago she had replaced a battery in the clock in which one of the cameras was found and the camera was not affixed at that time and complained that Mr. Peter Ramsaroop may have been recording her.

The police became suspicious that Mr. Ramsaroop may be in possession of pornography and may be distributing pornography and consequently obtained warrants to search his apartment as well as his office at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. At the time he was overseas and upon his return on May 17, 2010, the warrants were executed in his presence by the police who seized two computer hard drives and a digital video recorder from his apartment and two computer hard drives from his office.

Mr. Peter Ramsaroop has denied the allegations of possession and distribution of pornography and indicated in a written statement that he once used the apartment to house an office for his employees when he installed cameras and did not remove all of the cameras when he rented it to Nicole Ming.

He is currently on $20,000.00 cash bail pending investigations.

Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations & Press Officer

Political conspiracy? Or plain old wickedness?

2010-05-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

These two questions feature prominently as news broke tonite about cameras found on the premise of AFC member Peter Ramsaroop.

A woman, Nicole Ming, an employee of Guyana Times and a personal friend of a very senior official claimed that she was being spied on. She occupied a garage that was also an office owned by Ramsaroop where she paid a rent. She claims that she noticed cameras and believes that she was being spied on.

What is so tricky about this situation is that the woman at the centre of the allegations is known for her personal relationship with this very senior and influential public official.

They were in Lethem together and she recently travelled to a neighboring country to meet him and her boss, her good friend.

We have seen a police report which said that three cameras were found in the apartment as the police probe how they were placed there and by whom- Ramsaroop? well, it is his property.

But something is not right about this story. We know that the woman reported the matter to the senior official and it was him to alerted the police.

What we don’t understand is how she was renting Ramsaroop’s apartment in the first place when she was dating the said official for more than two months.

Was it a well-orchestrated planned? Were the cameras placed there at someone else?
The quick action of the police is notable like we have seen in the CN Sharma matter and wonder if this is how the PPP intends to take down their opponents as General Elections near.

State ads

2010-05-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

Read this carefully and do as we tell you! We hope you are wearing trousers with two pockets!

Now reach into one pocket and take out that little change you have there, yes those same crummy $20 bills, now put them in your other hands and place them into your other pocket.

Done?

Well, that’s exactly the situation with the now 22% government advertising that has reached the ‘privately’ owned Guyana Times Newspapers. http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/stories/05/16/guyana-times-received-22-of-state-ads-in-april/

You get the picture yet?

Well boldly we are gonna draw that picture for you.

The Champ President has taken tax payers money once again and it putting it into his own pockets, this time under the guise of Guyana Times that he owns with his good friend and crony Bobby, the doctor Ramroop.

Nothing else could explain the sudden injection of cash into this almost dying media entity. A newspaper whose circulation is not even matched with the Guyana Chronicle!

The sweet joys of ‘cronism’!

We wonder what explanation it will be this time?

Sugar and the Nation

2010-05-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Diamond Sugar workers have no one but themselves to fight this battle against Guysuco. Its almost 4 months now since the workers having heard about the closure of the Diamond Estate asked the Sugar Company for their severance.

The Turn Around Plan (TAP) had listed the closure of that estate along with other East Demerara Estates and the Union had deliberately kept it a secret.

The workers didn’t wait on the Union to take to the streets to demand their severance and that is when the Union realized the workers were prepared to fight the company it drafted itself into the protest.

Now it is at the forefront of calling on the Sugar Company to pay the workers their severance.

Some are of the view that the workers are not entitled to their severance. These few are those who have misinterpreted the Severance Pay Act.

While the Act does say that if the employer offers alternative work to the employee, severance may be negotiated, it also says that such work much be able to pay the employees the same amount of money or more but there must not be extra labour, working hours or hazardous conditions.

By now we all know what the Diamond Workers have said, they simply prefer their severance than to work at LBI, with among their reasons being a decrease in their actual working hours.

In a most comical action recently, GAWU has announced that it will be moving to the courts, this is after Guysuco said that the Union knew of its plans to close the Diamond Cultivation and move workers to LBI, even suggesting publicly that the Union was in agreement of this move all along.

What does GAWU do? Pretend that it has exhausted all of its negotiating skills and announce it will go to court, the scenario for you? Well you be the judge of this and tell us who is really serious

The PPP Union takes the PPP run Sugar company with legal support and advice from PPP lawyer the esteem Aston Chase S.C

You be the judge and tell us who is making a mockery of the workers.

Forget the cake shops, deal with the issues

2010-05-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

We are falling in love with the approach of Stabroek News. Not that Kaieteur News is not doing a good job.... but these last two editorials of Stabroek News are analytical, pragmatic and honest.

We think soon both newspapers will lose their Gog ads.... if only Kaieteur joined the struggle a little while back on the ads.... in unity lies strength. Both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News should join in the fight.... if the Gov't pulls ads, then they, in effect, wont be placing ads, because no one reads the Guyana mis-time and the lying-chronicle. Unite fellas!

Here is Stabroek's editorial of May 17, 2010
There would likely have been many cake shop owners and patrons who would have been bemused and taken some offence at President Jagdeo’s recent description of reportage on the controversial Amaila Falls deal as cake shop journalism. After all, cake shops not only provide heavenly fare such as salaras, sponge cakes, buns and frosty beverages on sweltering days; they are also a forum for important community discussions. Perhaps, the reporters covering the Amaila Falls shenanigans should take the president’s remarks as a solid compliment.

The President is an old hand at trying to demean valid criticism and never tires of trying. One would have thought that in the week when he was quite properly recognized by his cabinet colleagues for his UNEP award he would have been more accommodating of those who are asking important questions on behalf of the people of this country.

If one were to follow the cake shop analogy it may be the case that the President sees his government as the delicatessen or patisserie. That’s all well good but it doesn’t infer that it is any more scrupulous or vital than the humble neighbourhood cake shop. Moreover, the bar is set higher for the government; it runs the country and must be accountable all of the time to all of its people; not only the reporters and the stakeholders in the cake shop.

This brings us to the question of accountability and Guyana’s appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council last week in Geneva. Several years ago the government gave a commitment to improve the timeliness of its reporting to the various UN treaty bodies and at the same time to extensively canvas Guyanese on all issues to be reported on. It failed comprehensively to do this. Last week its delegation surreptitiously flew into Geneva without a word to the public or without the report which was to be the subject of the relatively new Universal Periodic Review being distributed locally.

If the government thought it would have escaped piercing scrutiny of its woeful human rights record it miscalculated big time. The information that it tried to keep from the Guyanese public was readily available and so were embarrassing questions by heavyweights such as the UK and Canada and a statement to the committee by the United States.

Numerous questions were put to the Guyanese delegation including concerns about extrajudicial killings, police brutality, rights of the indigenous peoples, violence against women and children and discrimination against the lesbian and gay community but in the rarified Geneva atmosphere the bombshell would have been the recommendation in front of the committee by the United Kingdom and Canada that Guyana convene an independent probe of the abuses committed by the phantom squad between 2002 to 2006 and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

This call by London and Ottawa is what the PPP/C government has obstinately and quite improperly refused to institute. Despite numerous appeals locally and the patent need for such an enquiry the Jagdeo administration has filibustered at every turn and thrown in red herrings such as the need to investigate abuses going far back into the past. When calls were made for a forensic probe of the Clico (Guyana) collapse President Jagdeo said he would acquiesce if the PNCR agreed to one of Globe Trust. When his bluff was called there was no change in his position.

He may want to continue with his refusal to agree to an inquiry into the phantoms as his term in office is swiftly coming to an end and he doesn’t need to face the electorate again. In so doing, however, he is leaving the ruling PPP/C with an enormous burden to bear and no matter which party wins the next elections there will have to be a full-fledged inquiry into the phantoms. In the same manner that rigged elections was the albatross on the PNC, the operations of the phantom squad will be the PPP’s millstone as the present government has failed to convince the public that it had no ties or knowledge of what was going on.

For those who would immediately rebuff this argument by asking what about the other criminals who ran amok after the prison-break in 2002, we say that all of the arcane violence of that period must be properly investigated and as far as possible the masterminds, the triggermen and the accomplices brought to justice. The stupendous violence of that period traumatized the lives of many thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis. Many scars remain. Many voids have opened in many lives only to be filled by gnawing emptiness. Many questions remain about the direction of the violence and its intersections with sections of society. An inquiry would provide a catharsis that the entire nation needs, except that this government remains fearful of what could be revealed especially when it contemplates what the recent drug trials in New York have revealed about the underworld here and its connections with officialdom.

Whatever happens, the government now faces a bigger problem than the media and political parties clamouring for an investigation into that period. The clamour is now resounding in the halls of the human rights council in Geneva and the call is coming from the United Kingdom, Canada and others. As is evident Washington, London and Ottawa have become increasingly irritated by the stance of the government on human rights and security issues most recently manifested by the UK’s decision to withdraw its offer of security sector assistance. The pressure by the western countries will undoubtedly grow and could have unpleasant repercussions on aid and other forms of cooperation with Guyana.

It is revealing that many of the same human rights issues that besieged the PNC confronted the PPP/C government last week in Geneva and it was left to its spokespersons to trot out lame excuses. Responding to the questions, Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues revealingly said that in relation to the “so called” phantom squad the government wished to indicate that the “allegations are currently being addressed and investigations are ongoing…The public has been invited to assist in providing information that will aid in the successful completion of the investigations”. Really? This is the type of statement that President Jagdeo might have intended to label as emanating from those wonderful cake selling shops. It is high time that this government shrugs off the cake shop talk and deal with the substantive issues. Is it now ready to order an investigation into the phantom squad and all of the associated violence of that period?

Adoration

2010-05-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

We respectfully quote the entire Stabroek News' editorial of Sunday May 16, 2010.

Public adulation, extravagant receptions, congratulatory advertisements, laudatory billboards – what head of state could ask for more? If it weren’t for those pesky, geriatric critics gulping down their bitter brew in the dark recesses of their favourite cake shops, our President’s cup would have ‘runneth’ over and left him standing knee-deep in a syrup of flattery.

Certainly no president since Burnham has been the recipient of this amount of public ‘adoration’ – and no one needs to be told how popular he was with large segments of the population, especially in his later years. Both the Jagans as well as Hoyte were very unpretentious people, and while the protocols necessary for a head of state were observed, there was none of this level of glorification. While President Jagdeo has won a UN award, for which he deserves appropriate congratulations, it appears to have gone way beyond this, and been made the excuse for a major publicity campaign to exalt him in the eyes of the populus. But why, one wonders? Has he been such a failure that his spin-doctors find it necessary to try and boost his reputation to distract from his poor image? If he had a good image in the first place, then it would hardly seem necessary to go to these lengths. After all, why gild the lily?

And what about the President himself? What does he think driving around Georgetown seeing these billboards sprouting like mushrooms bearing his own face smiling back at him? Does he not feel even a tad uncomfortable? Did he ask whose genius of an idea this was? And most of all, did he ask whether the taxpayers were footing the bill for this bit of seeming narcissism? Or is this a generous donation from one (or more) of his admirers? If it is, who gave permission for the city’s parapets to be utilized for this purpose? The Mayor and City Council?

All of this may play well with the President’s support base, and perhaps even with the Amerindians who are geographically removed from the political shenanigans of the Lower East Coast, and whose dancers are brought down to perform at the adulatory functions, but surely the spin-doctors know that this kind of saturation acclaim really convinces no one else. In fact, it may succeed in alienating them further; many will see it for what it is: an example of rank propaganda. Have the architects of this campaign forgotten so soon what it was like during Burnham’s days? How the population took all the promotion of personality and the fawning by some noisy disciples with a pinch of salt? How they picked up the Chronicle every day and read between the lines? How they watched with a cynical eye as the motorcades and outriders zipped past at full throttle?

So again, what are the spin-doctors trying to accomplish? Surely they don’t think that because the foreigners have given the President an award, the local population will be overwhelmed. Can they seriously believe that Guyanese are incapable of exercising their own judgement? Despite what they think, in the end the electorate of this country is primarily concerned about what he does now and has accomplished here, and where that is concerned elements of his record are in question and will not be erased by any number of outside awards. It might be mentioned in passing that in any case the UK only last week asked for an independent inquiry into the phantom squad at the UN meeting in Geneva.

It might be said that this whole campaign is coterminous with a sudden flurry of projects, foremost among which is Amaila Falls, closely followed by a revivified Marriott Hotel. The most problematic of the two by far is the first-mentioned of these. As was asked in SN’s editorial of April 19, for a project which has been hovering around for about thirteen years, why the sudden rush now? Amaila will involve a huge undertaking and has been promoted by a small company which has absolutely no experience with hydro facilities and at best could only act as a middleman. Mysteriously it has recently been awarded the preliminary road project for Amaila although it appears to have no experience in road-building either. Despite persistent questions asked by a variety of sources, there have been no clear answers from the government.

Is this what the hagiography campaign is all about? Distracting from Amaila? Or is it for the benefit of an overseas audience which would have to provide the funding? Is the message: here is a President who has accomplished great things on the environmental front, not just abroad, but at home as well; the Amaila Falls project forms a part of this, and he has the unequivocal support of a grateful population? Even if that were what the propagandists wished to convey, it does not answer the question of why the haste to take on Amaila at this late stage?

We have, of course, a national election supposedly coming up next year. Is this campaign connected to that – in some labyrinthine way?

An award for the forest while Guyana sinks lower

2010-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

The United Nations has long and respectable history. Having replaced a failed League of Nations, the United Nations under various stewardship over the many decades have investigated some of the world’s most horrific crimes against humanity.

And, the United Kingdom has recently recommended that the Guyana government independently investigate the death of more than 400 Guyanese and asking the government to bring the perpetrators of the death squad killings to justice.

But there is an obvious double standard that the United Nations and its members have overlooked. It is with no doubt that the dictator they awarded the Champion of the Forest award, is the person who has stifled the essence of a democratic society.
We know the UN is fully aware of the existing situation in Guyana as contained in the Gay McDougal Report of 2009.

In that report, McDougal examined the racial complexity of the society and listed a number of what was believed to be racial discrimination as complaints of the violent deaths of hundreds of Guyanese were also brought to her attention.

The UN is aware that the PPP government shot down the McDougal Report and even attacking the professional who spent time in Guyana meeting officials including the government.

The existing hold of the government has on the state media is no secret either to the United Nations.

Guyana has a very poor record with the onlookers and it ranges from the withdrawal of the ads to the independent Stabroek News, closure of CNS Ch 6, the refusal to address Broadcast Legislation, the manipulation of the State Media and the constant threat to media houses by the Head of State himself. And more recently, the steady increase of state ads to the Guyana Times, well-known best friend of the president.

These are no secrets.

Several international bodies have ranked Guyana’s corruption - both government and other wise, the crime situation and the delicate investment situation but yet the double standards that exist awards a dictator with an award. On first look that award is unjustifiable - and a large part of the LCDS money is being spent to "honor" Jagdeo for his award. Yet, it has to be a cruel joke that he gets an award for the forest - trees and animals, while the people are starving and the nation sinks in a rot of corruption that the awardee is himself a part of.

It is a timely reminder that there is no helping hands - but our own to ourselves.

Great walls of China

2010-05-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Chinese walls have been erected - not by Beekay - but by Jagdeo.

Guyanese would remember the huge chinese wall that was thrown up by jagdeo around the GuySuCo Skeldon factory. No Guyanese has full details of the Skeldon factory (how much money was spent, what were the contract details, how much materials was sold on site by the chinese, how much was removed to ministers and businessmen's properties, etc).

That virtual wall around the Skeldon deal has never been conquered.

Then there is the Russian deal. One man flies to Miami on a monthly basis to meet with the Russians. SUVs await certain officials at Miami airport on their touchdown. No guyanese knows the full quantum of bauxite that is mined and exported by the Russians - they have collaborated with the Miami traveller and the President to build a Chinese wall around the Rusal deal.

There has been many others - stadium money, geeta knight's squandermania, huge property acquisitions in miami, the fippin motilal (US15million) etc.

Last week there was the announcement of Jagdeo's deals with a Chinese firm for his 47million cable project. No feasibility study, environmental study, long term planning is in place for this deal. Someone will obviously make millions, so the Chinese (literally) are employed to build a chinese wall around the cable project.

I wonder if this is the same company that is doing GT&T's infrastructure - and if it is, then maybe it is another chinese wall - that there is a hidden deal between GT&T and the Government.

Chinese walls are going up everywhere. We hope that one day the walls will fall like Jericho walls. But please, Savior, let it fall on their heads - and forgive us for these sinful intentions since we are surrounded by Chinese walls.

Sparks from the beekay

2010-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

Seems like we should be expecting some sparks to fly between the GoG and beekay. The wharf that died is not beekay wharf but GoG wharf.... or part of it, according to beekay.

I guess as a big contributor to PPP finances, beekay can sometimes say what he wants.

These monopolies

2010-05-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

How Quaint!
A country with government owned monopolies.
1) Sugar – the sugar monopoly: beaten into submission by Burnham. Breathed under Hoyte. Boomed under Cheddie and Janet. Beaten to death by the Jagdeo-ites. A failed monopoly.
a)Jagdeo government paid million$ (management fees) to Booker Tate administration.
b) This same government collected millions from EU for the sugar industry
c) This same government took away guysuco land and paid for it with workers’ wages.
d) This same government collected SUGAR LEVY totaling more than that collected by the entire 28-years-PNC-government.
e) Jagdeo runs GuySuCo from his office, OP, since the chairman of GuySuCo (who has no business experience) operates from the office of the president.
Reason for all of this? Simple: the sugar workers are not pro-jagdeo

2) Electricity – owned by the Government, run by the Government.
Head of the GPL is:
i. The behind-the-scene-part-owner of another company
ii. The prime seller of government properties
iii. The owner of an island (really).
iv. The main broker for russkies
Another failed monopoly that cannot function even with the millions of sugar workers dollars being poured into it.
Political twist: the GPL is a black-people company.

3) Water: run by Jagdeo-ites.
Another failed monopoly that pays millions for sweet deals. Investigate the prepaid contracts handed for manufacture of pipes. See who got the contract.

Next time we will discuss GT&T, Gold board, health, etc.

Meanwhile, let us investigate how much land Lumumba really owns, how much property Brassington owns and how much contracts and $$$ are paid on a prepaid fashion to Atlantic.

PPP's track record analysis

2010-05-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

The track record to the PPP in recent times is a cause for concern!

While the government cannot be directly blamed for some of the issues facing Guyanese, an obvious political directive in every sphere of life in Guyana plays a role in life's determination. Examples of government involvement can be found in private deals, public deals, foreign investment, policing, judicial judgment and much more.

2011 is expected to be another election year - but we wonder if this and other political parties would be judged by their almost inactivity.

For the ruling PPP the Amnesty Internation Universal Periodic Report does not say much for governance among other critical issues facing Guyanese. Here are the
Recommendations to the government of Guyana:

The death penalty
- To immediately establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty as provided by UN General Assembly resolution 62/149, adopted on 18 December 2007 and resolution 63/168 adopted on 18 December 2008;
- To commute without delay all death sentences to terms of imprisonment;
- To immediately remove all provisions in national law which are in breach of international human rights law, in particular those that provide for mandatory death sentences,
- To ensure rigorous compliance in all death penalty cases with international standards for fair trial are respected.

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity
- To repeal all provisions allowing for the criminalization of same sex relations;
- Repeal all provisions, including Chapter 8.02 section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, which are used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

Violence against women
- To expedite passage and implementation of the Sexual Offences Bill;
- To ensure the coordinated implementation of the National Domestic Violence Policy.

HIV/AIDS and human rights
- To combat discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and particularly against members of the LGBT community.

Excessive use of force by the security forces and impunity for human rights violations
- To ensure that all complaints of human rights violations by the security forces are subject to immediate, thorough and independent investigation and, if state agents are charged with such crimes, that their cases are brought to trial in an expeditious manner;
- To conduct a fully independent investigation into human rights abuses allegedly committed by a ‘death squad’ between 2002-2006, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that witnesses and their families are offered effective protection in all these investigations;
- To ensure that members of the Guyana Police Force are adequately trained on the appropriate use of force and firearms in accordance with international standards, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law enforcement officials.

Ratification of international human rights instruments
- To ratify the following international treaties: the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (and to remove reservations to its First Optional Protocol); the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
- To ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, both of which Guyana has already signed;
- To ratify the American Convention on Human Rights.

Why we must not get old in Guyana

2010-05-12T03:48:00.001-07:00

If there is anyone to be charged for neglect it could be the entire government - or in this case, the Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand!

We often wonder if these people have a conscience, perhaps a couple days at the Palms Institute for the Elderly should wake them up along with a monthly pittance of $6000.

It is an atrocity on our old folk, little pension from the government, little or sometimes no pension from NIS(always some computer glitch or scam there), no subsidies the Guyana Power and Light Company and little help from Guyana Water Incorporated, little medical help from Health Centres and no food stamps.

But we want to look at the care of our elderly when they are placed in the Palms.
Why?

Well because we feel that we do not need to quote any bias press reports but to look at the Performance and Value for Money Audit report that was complied by non other that the Auditor General’s Office.

From this report we understand that over $55 million was spent on this facility annually to cater for over 240 elderly folks.

While $50 million is not a budgeted sum we understand from the Report that a sum is allocated to the Home based on the budget allocated to the Social Services for the year and the sum allocated to the Palms is at the discretion of the Human Services Ministry.

In fact, donations to the Palms, would also play a part in the allocation of public funds to its coffers.

What is striking is that there is no proper record keeping at the Palms. The Auditors found that there were no annual reports, no reports on intake of members, no reports on the deaths of members and no reports on donations.

In fact, when the Auditors visited the institution they founds hundreds of walking aids and canes discarded in a mostly appalling fashion under the Palms.

In addition to this, there is no potable water, food is not readily available and staff most times have to prepare meals based on what is available and not according to dietary menu.

Don’t ask how the food is transferred and in what conditions is it given to the inmates!

The Palms buildings and compounds are hideous and requests to the Human Services Ministry for handymen, carpenters, brush cutters, demands for safety bars at windows and garbage receptacles were all turned down.

In 2009 the defects were many and included:
- Overgrowth in the yard,
- defective pipes that lead to flooding in the yard and buildings,
- discolored walls,
- defective walls and washrooms,
- presence of rodents among others.

We wonder which Minster would be willing to spend a night in this hell hole?

We sure they are making deals that would see them better off at that ripe old age as for the rest of us - good luck at getting old !

Ashni hilding up GECOM's funding

2010-05-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Breaking News:

$350 Million budgeted for the Guyana Elections Commission is being held up by the Ministry of Finance and as the Minister Dr. Ashni Singh continues to dance around the commissioners and other officials of GECOM.

Latest information reaching us is that the money is available and has been available since late last year and reappeared in this year’s budget estimates to be handed over to the Guyana Elections Commission.

The government’s refusal to hand this money over to the Commission could hinder two things, its preparations of Local Government Elections and General Elections.
We were told that the salaries of the Commissioners and other staff members have been secured as those are paid through a separate arrangements.

However, the salaries of hundreds of contracted workers are still to be paid.

Sources close to the Commission told us that Dr. Steve Surjubally, Chairman of GECOM is well aware of the government plans to frustrate the commission and has informed several of the donors in the form of letters of his frustration.

We are hell bent on finding a reason for this recent hold up of government funds to GECOM we are however convinced that there is more brewing in this pot that meets the eyes and ears.

Is the government corrrupt?

2010-05-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am sure that many time our readers would have been asked the question, of would question themselves as to "is Jagdeo corrupt?" We put forward the following arguments;

1) Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Jagdeo's friends include
- Ramroop who pays off ministers, get's contracts awarded to him - and then goes to buy the equipment to manufacture. He also resells drug for MoH.
- Brassington who has abused every bank account in NICIL. Remember that no less than 10billion dollars goes to nicil EVERY YEAR. That money is never accounted for. Brassington, like odinga, has his own island in the Essequibo. It is important to note that Ashni Singh chairs the NICIL board.
- Odinga Lumumba - need we say anything about him? (see previous posts)
- Gerry Govia who used to have deals worked out in the army with McLean. They used the army helicopter to deliver "stuff" in the private hidden airstrips in the jungle.

The List could go on an on....and we will expand this soon....but these friends of the President shows his true nature.

2) The integrity commission. Does jagdeo submit his assets? The fact that he cannot get this commission going as an independent body points to their hiding of things.

3) Fip's road for US$15million. This is just a plain payoff for which moneys would roll back into the private bank accounts.

4) The brazil cable project. Here too moneys will roll back into personal accounts in Miami.

More to come.... for now, you decide!

Mercy Hospital

2010-05-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Our heart goes out to the management, staff and patients of the Mercy Hospital (partly) burnt by fire.

Muddy Road Molds Debate on the Future of Guyana

2010-05-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

The New York times has the above headlined article.

The article posits the juxtaposition of building a $315-million road vs protecting the environment. What the writer of the article does not know is that the Jagdeo has already given US$15million to Fip Motilall to build a road that will have chaotic effect on the environment (and by the way to build a road that the GGMC seemed to have built already).

What is even worse is that Jagdeo is spending $47million on a fiber optic cable that will go through the Iwokrama protected area and will see work done that will severely threaten the creeks forests and ecosystem of the forest and trail.

Obviously the NICIL handled project will be top secret and the moneys paid out will be like the cat-o-nine-tails with each tail landing in a different account.

God help Guyana!

From professional to ugly politician - Ashni Singh

2010-05-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

According to the Press, Finance Minister (technocrat-turned-politician) was the guest speaker to the Annual General Meeting of the private Sector Commission.

However one would have thought that he was speaking to a group of PPP supporters. His entire speech was based on his belief:
- that the press is biased against the Government
- that "mistakes" during the elections must be excused as mistakes
- that the one or two lapses of GoG must not be interpreted as 'corruption'
- that the transparency international and economic freedom evaluations are all liars
- that the auditor general reports on 'lapses' by the GoG should not be viewed as report of corruption or fraud

What a shame!

He spent one hour quoting from the Dick on criticisms of the USA government, not realizing that he was showing his Government's weakness! He tried to prove to all that Dick Morris could have said what he wanted about the US government....
NEWS FLASH to MR. ASHNI SINGH: no one can criticize the GoG!!! Jagdeo, yourself and everyone else reacts violently when criticized!

He spent another hour talking about elections in the UK - and asking all the business men to pardon any mistakes the GoG will make during the next general elections.

He spent another half hour lambasting the press about quoting from the auditor general's report - while he spent the hour quoting from various sources.

He spent an hour talking about the politics of the PPP and, reading between the lines, he begged the audience to keep supporting the PPP.

Two-and-a-half-hours of venal garbage. Rather than talk about investment, liquidity, bank regulations and topics of interest to the businessmen, he preached politics!!!

What a waste of time! The brilliance that we once knew as Ashni Singh has disappeared. In his place is a Jagdeo lackey, a PPP apologist and a corrupt politician who makes excuses for the lapses of the Government. I guess it all started with construction of the Caricom's annexe.

Meanwhile, we note that Ashni Singh holds the post of Finance Minister while his wife holds the post of Auditor General (ag).

Fipping along

2010-05-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

The plot thickens as the Tale of Fip continues. This is probably the most incestuous contract ever awarded in recent times, as we have learnt that Fip Motilal is related to Bharrat Jagdeo on this is father’s side.

While this is a small picture compared to the bigger painting of corruption involving NICIL, the Office of the President and several government officials, more information is flowing as we continued our exploration of the man who promises us Hydro Electricity.

If you check our archives we were the first to alert out readers to the snail’s pace in which Hydro-electricity was being dealt with when we asked Fip to slip the swith.

As we uncover more on Fip, one official told us that the man is no stranger to being awarded government contracts. In fact, the official told us that the government ought to explain who the contracts for the supply of the two generators for the Guyana Power and Light Company were awarded to Synergy Holdings. In fact, two senior government officials raised an alarm about this but these were ignored by the forces higher up.

We are told that the two officials were frustrated to the point where a major project had to be delayed several times since Fip could not deliver the products for the start of this project. We understand that the government had to step in and clean up and mess and take more money from the Lotto Funds to cover its track and get the project started.

Lets just say the project was launched last year!

As we find out more details about our friend Fip, the man is listed as a Chemical Engineer on one of his many profiles on the internet but no one could explain if this is indeed true, where he studied and when.

All we know is that nothing makes sense in this web of Synergy, the award for the contract to build the road to Amaila Falls or the Hydro Electricity but what can we say but what a tangled web we weave.

Question: Is Jagdeo exempt from submissions to integrity commission?

Our integrity commission

2010-05-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Integrity Commission still falls under the preview of the New Garden Street Palace. Sadly, since its Commissioners were sworn in more than 4 years ago the Commission has not investigated a single politician.

The History of the life of this recent Integrity Commission started with a sorry story of Robert Corbin challenging the Constitutionality of the Commission. This is after King Jagdeo appointed the Commissioners without consulting the dear opposition Leader.

This Court action that still lingers in the wall and halls of our bugged down High Court should not have held up the Operations of the Integrity Commission but I guess it did since daily and operational orders still come from the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Chief Henchman Luncheon.

According to the 2010 National Budget, the Integrity Commission still falls under the Office of the President budget and received just about $1.5 million annually for its operations!

Despite this we know the Commission cannot make any independent decisions or conduct any independent investigations - Bishop Randolph George resigned (never served a purpose anyway), while Fazeel Feroze keeps following King Jagdeo on his overseas trips and the wife of a Former Gun minister serves on the Commission.

NO wonder the Commission cannot check on the integrity of our politicians and one man can be a miner, dolphin exporter and real estate mogul while a New Garden Street employee can invest in a Media entity, own shares of a supermarket outside this country and has personal bank accounts in Europe.

Given the relationship between Jagdeo and Corbin, one cannot but help concluding that the court action was orchestrated - to set up the commission and to stymie its ability to function. After all neither side can afford to have an investigation!

We wonder yet again, meanwhile Guyana continues to slide in the morass of corruption.

Spending on Sports

2010-04-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

A total of $417 million is expected to be spent this year on young people and sports as least that is what the 2010 National Budget says. But is this money directly benefiting our thousands of young people?

Is there adequate funding for games, sports, recreational activities, sports clubs?
Here is the answer. We have dissected the $417 million and examine what this money will be spent on for the remaining of this year.

We found:
- No sporting programme will be funded
- No clubs are listed to be funded by government
- No new projects would be undertaken for sports and youth
- And, Government will not be funding any sporting groups’ participation in tournaments overseas.

It is all the in 2010 National Budget!

So what would the taxpayers money be spent on?:
- Out of the more than $400m, is given the PPP Lackey Neil Kumar managed National Sports Commission.
- This sum is expected to:
1. Complete the 2-year old National Swimming Pool,
2. Complete an athlete track (where was an athletic track being built, by whom and who tendered for it, what a strange allocation),
3. Rehabilitate and upgrade Colgrain Pool (same allocation was made in the 2009 National Budget, somebody is lying!)
4. Construct a fence for the National Sports Commission (but this Commission is housed in the Culture, Youth and Sports, do they mean that the Ministry needs a new fence? We are lost)
5. Construct a guard Hut in Compound of the National Gymnasium (well this is at least a $50 million contact!)
6. And finally, purchase sports gear and equipment (for whom really?)

To balance off the more than $400 million allocation-a pittance of $25 million would be spent on minor works on the Smythfield Drop in Centre, Construction of a trestle/bathroom at Madewini Youth Camp and ohhh purchase more equipment and sports gear.

As the government parades as one that championed the cause of Young people for more than 1 decade we would like to remind them of a few things that they have left out:
1. Durban Park is still a dream after millions of dollars from the Lotto Fund was spent to clear and sand fill it
2. Hundreds of play grounds and parks around the City have gone to waste
3. No cycling track yet
4. A synthetic track still to come for hockey etc
5. Tennis court and swimming pool are still under construction - more than two years for each
While
6. Mass migration of coaches and sports professionals continue and
7. Mass migration of athletes continue

Finally, lets all ask Lumumba to stop pretending to inject funds into Football Clubs and honestly do it. Save our youth.

The stink of corruption - II

2010-04-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

A government that is deep seated in criminal activities can only reap the benefits of such while it must earn its negative image - yet become indignant and angry when it get's it well-deserved cries of "shame" from the world.

Transparency International, Business Monitor International, World Economic freedom - all of these have shown the picture of the corrrupt Government of Guyana. And yet what? Corruption continues and the President and ministers (without shame) blame the consultants and the report writers. Is everyone wrong? Is the entire world of independent professionals - all wrong on their condemnation of Guyana? Or is the handful of corrupt GoG officials, the bloated, corrupted office of the president, the criminal, corrupt minds of presidential advisers, and the group of jagdeoites all bent of filling their overseas accounts while the people of Guyana have to bear the shame of the Government's actions?

We have listed a number of multi-billon dollars scams over the years that have been linked to the PPP and more so the PPP Jagdeo administration.

We would not forgot the Death Squad links, Roger Khan and his Squad links, the links to a certain suit passing through the CJIA and two top officials one of them sits at Freedom House, the gun licensing links, fuel smuggling links, passport frauds and so many more.

Last year, several government ministers’ lives were said to be threatened and they hired personal security - we do not know who pays these security officers (some who are attached to the Office of the President and other former Police Officers).

But, what we know is that these ‘body guards’ have been deployed to give full protection at certain locations, excluding some public restaurants and public forum including Parliament and public days at their offices.

Jennifer Westford who dated the President’s close man was provided with two body guards after her ex-Baffa had allegedly threatened her several times. We understand that the real reason for the bodyguards were threats that emanated from a certain man who was the ex-body guard for our dear dear friend serving time overseas.

Priya Manickchand claimed to need a body guard after several men made sexual overtures to her in public.

Leslie Ramsammy was given several Presidential Guards for protection after his contact with our dear dear friend was made public

Manzoor Nadir had two body guards when his name was linked to drugs in a taxi several years ago, now we understand that he requested several police officers at his home and homes of families after a grenade attack at his son’s home.

Ashni Singh requested personal security after his life was threatened by a member of staff at the Finance Ministry (but he later declined).

Brave Brave Boxing-Promoter-land-dealer-mining-dealer-dolphin-dealer Odinga Lumumba had has to hire four men to protect him as he is said to have large amounts of cash on him all the time. (must be the Lotto Funds to ensure empowerment, or did he sell a dolphin or, wait, a piece of land)

Kwame McKoy, not a MINISTER but a Royal Object hired a body guard following the release of the infamous Kwame/Julius tape, he felt that someone was out to get him - and we thought Aubrey Norton was a creature?

How does Roger Lunchoen feel about all this, he is the keeper of secrets after all!

One day...

IF they have nothing to be afraid of… we wonder...

Another floating wharf

2010-04-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

When a more than $500 million wharf floats away who or what is to be blamed?

Yesterday afternoon, residents of Essequibo River though the earth was moving before they realized that the million dollar, new White elephant was moving away from them!
Built by Royal Subject BK International more than three years ago, the said facility was disowned by several ministries!

The firm known for being awarded several healthy contracts, built the wharf with several defects, but who is to be blamed when Consultants are scamps too?

The government apparently spent the money, had the wharf built, refused to accept it, and now the lonely facility decided to float off.

Another tax payer millions gone to waste on a facility that may never be used- as we all HAIL the KING!

Guyana plunges to the bottom - again

2010-04-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

World-wide analysis has been done to show the economic rating of Guyana and the Caribbean-American Forum has headlined "Guyana plunges to bottom of recent economic freedom ratings"

"According to the compilation released this week, Haiti is placed at 147 on the overall list, with Guyana at 155 and scored 48.4, making its economy the 155th freest in the 2009 Index of 183 economies examined." The Forum commented.

We quote extensively from the "2010 Index of economic Freedoms" as follows:

World Rank: 153 Regional Rank: 27 of 29 (Guyana)

Guyana’s economic freedom score is 48.4, making its economy the 153rd freest in the 2010 Index. Its overall score remains the same as last year because improvements in three of the 10 economic freedoms were offset by declines in investment freedom and property rights. Guyana is ranked 27th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/Caribbean region, and its overall score is well below the world and regional averages.

Guyana does not perform well in any of the 10 economic freedoms and is slightly above the world average only in labor freedom and monetary freedom. Average economic growth over the past five years has been only about 3 percent, lagging behind other developing countries.

Long-standing constraints on overall economic freedom include property rights protected only erratically under the weak rule of law and widespread corruption in all areas of government. The biggest barrier to development is Guyana’s oversized government, with expenditures that often exceed half of GDP. Significant restrictions on foreign investment, combined with an inefficient bureaucracy, substantially depress the entrepreneurial environment.

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, and its state-dominated economy, dependent mainly on agriculture and mining, has been stagnant for many years. Violent crime and drug trafficking are serious concerns.

Business Freedom 63.4
Despite some progress, the overall freedom to conduct a business remains restricted by Guyana’s regulatory environment. Starting a business takes about the world average of 35 days. Obtaining a business license requires less than the world average of 18 procedures, but closing a business can be costly.

Trade Freedom 71.3
Guyana’s weighted average tariff rate was 6.9 percent in 2008. Import restrictions, import taxes, import-licensing requirements for a relatively large number of products, burdensome standards and regulations, inefficient customs administration, weak intellectual property rights enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption add to the cost of trade. Fifteen points were deducted from Guyana’s trade freedom score to account for non-tariff barriers.

Fiscal Freedom 55.9
Guyana has relatively high tax rates. The top income tax rate is 33.3 percent, and the top corporate tax rate is 45 percent. Other taxes include a property tax and a value-added tax (VAT). Excise taxes on fuel were temporarily suspended in 2008. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 35.7 percent.

Government Spending 26.2
Total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, are high. Privatization of state-owned enterprises has achieved mixed results. Poor management of public expenditures has led to persistent fiscal deficits. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 49.6 percent of GDP.

Investment Freedom 30.0
Guyana has been moving toward a more welcoming environment for foreign investors, but major foreign investments receive intense political scrutiny in an economy still dominated by the state.

Financial Freedom 40.0
Guyana’s underdeveloped financial system remains plagued by inefficiency and a poor institutional framework. High credit costs and scarce access to financing remain barriers to more dynamic entrepreneurial activity. The percentage of loans that are considered non-performing is a relatively high 14 percent.

Freedom From Corruption 26.0
There is extensive corruption at every level of law enforcement and government. Public officials are required to disclose their assets to an Integrity Commission before assuming office, but the commission had not been constituted as of mid-2009. Widespread corruption undermines poverty-reduction efforts by international aid donors and discourages foreign investors.

The CAF noted, "The size of the Jagdeo government was also slammed, being deemed the biggest barrier to development since expenditures exceed the gross domestic product (GDP)."

Of course the two doctors (Ashni and Jagdeo) can only spin doctor their way through his one. Expect full Prem-Misirable and Randyitis to be in the papers for the next weeks, doing articles for the non-selling chronicle and sending those articles as letters to the other media...spin! Spin Doctors.

Press Releases Press Release - Dr. Mahendra Chand

2010-04-27T18:23:00.001-07:00

Press Release

I received a letter dated April 20th from the Medical Council regarding the decision of the Medical Council on the case of Dr. Mahendra Chand.

Dr. Chand was investigated by the Medical Council for Professional Misconduct in the case of a young man that was allegedly "tortured" by police officers.

Without prejudice to that case, the Medical Council found that Dr. Chand was guilty of professional misconduct.

The Council has recommended censure of Dr. Chand under the Medical Practitioners Act.

The Act states that the council can "Censure him" for anyone found guilty of professional misconduct.

This is a serious action taken against the doctor.

As Minister of Health, I am not in the habit of disagreeing with the Medical Council or any of the other regulatory bodies. I believe the Council has done a thorough investigation and has considered all aspects of this case.

They have sent a serious message to medical practitioners in Guyana. I believe the Council has established the protocol that would reduce the chances of success when those who the Council have censured and suspended in the past approached the courts to reverse the Council's action.

I would like the thank the council for their work on this case. I am giving my No Objection to the Council to carry out the recommendation.

The doctor in question is seconded to the police by the Georgetown Public Hospital. I believe the GPHC might want to consider any other action it might deem necessary.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Minister of Health
April 27, 2010

As the Earthly One returns

2010-04-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

We are rambling dangerously....on this special day:

As the Earthly one returns to Guyana, his worshippers are gathering at the Airport to welcome and worship him. Gerry Gouveia's invitation to the corporate world invited all to join him in the pilgrimage to the airport to receive The Big Ego. The Ministers, the Advisers, the soup drinkers, the account holders, the contract receivers - will all be driving hummers and prados and other SUVs to the airport tonight....polluting the air with their gas guzzlers while their environmental hero arrives in a cloud of pollution into his loving crowd of corruption.

No sweat! We dont begrudge the man for his award that was made on the backs of lying about the forests and the amerindians while sharing the profits from selling dolphins, mining concessions and large blocks of land and properties to Boyer, Gouveia,Brassington, Yong, Ramroop etc. No sweat at all!

But remember that while he is sashaying across the world, zipping from one country to another, we sweat it out in Guyana. Taking licks from the police, paying 16% VAT and 33% income tax on our earnings. No, no sweat that the Mighty Ego will be riding high in the next couple of weeks. After all, all the awards and degrees are like the presidency - fake, just paper awards - no real work done.

Caution to Kissoon, Christofer Ram, Ramjattan etc etc... watch out.... the Mighty Ego will be riding high during the next couple of days. He will lash out about Lumumba and its terrible indictment on him. He will lash out at the kaieteur and stabroek and will cut off ads.

He will lash out at the PNC, AFC, the UG protest and anyone who dares to criticize....sigh...those whom the Gods want to destroy they first make them mad.

Double sigh....But the cunning ways will continue as the $50-million hydro, $17-million road, $37 million cable and countless contracts will be awarded just like he has been. The stink of corruption is rising to high heaven. Welcome home oh mighty ego.

A US$15-million man and his bodyguard

2010-04-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Two pictures of a US$15-worth Fip and his bodyguard.

Surveying the market while Ashni decides what to do with the G$77-million per year unaccounted "consultant money" and Jagdeo decides what to do with the 2010 lotto funds before the case is called to court.

The stink of corruption!

2010-04-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

Finally someone woke up and smelled the stink of corruption. Hats off to Desmond Trotman and his lawyers. I vote the "citizen of Guyana" award to Desmond!

Well known WPA Activist Desmond Trotman has sued the government for not paying the Lotto Funds into the Consolidated Fund- we all know and as stated in the media these monies were being spent without the necessary Parliamentary Approval. Well parliament be damned, spent without even any care for accountability!

When King Jagdeo on his Cabinet Outreaches would give away a $50 million here and a $20 million there. These exclude the millions prepaid for pipes, pharmaceuticals, rooms at hotels, Limo at Miami, etc.

Even the PNC (which has denounced this act many many times) could not muster up the courage and will to take this matter to court-we wonder about the many lawyers in that party - maybe they are all beneficiaries of the lotto-unaccounted-free-flowing-money.

The Audit Office of Guyana has reported this illegal act many times in multiple reports. In its just recent report of the 2008 accounts, the Auditor General (which is co-headed by the wife of the Finance Minister) said:

“The Contingencies Fund continued to be abused with amounts totaling $670.343 million drawn from the Fund being utilized to meet expenditure that DID NOT meet the ELIGIBILITY criteria as defined in the ACT”

Page 12 of the AG’s 2008 report also states that Expenditure in respect to services which by law are directly chargeable to the Consolidated Fund DO NOT form part of the voted provisions approved by the National Assembly.

These expenditures include:
1. Repayment and servicing of Public Debt
2. Emoluments of holders of Constitutional Offices
3. Pensions and gratuities of Public Officers

The Financial Management Act spells out how and why exactly monies should be extracted from the Consolidated Fund.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh in this case must show that “urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen NEED for the expenditure has arisen”, for which NO money can be reallocated as provided for under the FMA- or for which no money has been allocated for, or for which the sum allocated is not sufficient.

When the Minister does the above, this is to be tabled in the National Assembly. According to the 2008 AG Report more than 80 advances totaling more than $4 billion were drawn from the fund.

Of course, by the end of 2008, the Ministry of Finance could not account for more than 17 of those advances totaling more than $1 billion.

The Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his report said that his previous reports “highlighted the continual abuse of this fund”. The report listed several instances where monies were taken from the Fund showing wanton abuse. These included:

1.More than $200 million to the Public Works Ministry for support to the Transport and Harbour Department

2. More than $180,000 million to the Guyana Defense Force

3. More than $77 million to the Finance Ministry for Consultancy

4. More than $72 million to the Home Affairs Ministry for Carifesta expenses

These are only a few sums that were captured by the AG Office for 2008. One can only wonder what took place in 2009!

We congratulate Desmond Trotman for the long awaited move as we await the outcome of this court matter.

We take this opportunity to caution Desmond, Ram and Fitzpatrick - look our for nasty 'letter' on your wife (or wives), girlfriends, cars, any duty free if you ever had, any tax free if you ever had, any fetish if you ever had....and of course even if you didn't have, they will now get dirty.

Owned and operated by the office of the president

2010-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Signboards across Guyana used to read (in the old days) "owned and operated by the people of Guyana." That may still be up in some places, but the truth is captured in our headline.

The BLUEprint
The Guyana Sugar Corporation’s Strategic Blueprint for the years 2009-2013, we believe, is a little late in life of the one of the most important industries for the survival of this country. Not only is it late but the simply incompetent and corrupt people that are expected to implement this plan leave a lot to be desired.

The Plan which was approved by the government was done in one of the most miserable years of the company’s life- it had fallen short of its target production, the price of sugar had fallen on the worlds market and industrial action on the estates had increased by 75%.

The Plan which by its own admission seeks to “create a transformed industry with competitive cost base…” has done but little to achieve its goals for 2009.

A check and balance system was never employed to ascertain if indeed the Company was able to perform in 2009 and more so this Plan was never made public and not even tabled in the National Assembly for all to scrutinize. Only people the Office of the President saw, owned and approved the Blue plan.

Following are some of the targets of the plan. Should we ask the officials were any of these realized?

1) Did the company increase land cultivation from 43,668 hectares to 46,608 hectares?
2) What lands did they plan to increase cultivation on and was those lands even prepared?
3) What about this 20% replanting target per year?
4) Improve the working standards and quality across the industry?
5) What about increasing the rate of mechanization at the Enmore factory by 20% (is that factory even up and running?)
6) Was the management teams on all locations improved or there was the wanton dismissal of officials over a period of time?
7) In 2009, GuySuCo wanted to reduce cost of cultivation per hectare to less than G$490,000 - since it spent more than G$3 billion previously on this activity ( We guess we’ll have to await the 2009 Annual report to be table in Parliament in another 5 years)
8) We know that the Company is in the process of transforming the Health Centres to the Government of Guyana and we have questioned whether or not this is the best move in the interest of the workers.
9) We know of the disposal of non-performing assets and the sale of lands but what we don’t know if the prices and who got them! (HUSH HUSH NICIL)
10) Did the head office of Guysuco relocate to Enmore as suggested in the 2009?
11) The plan suggests the dredging of the Demerara Channel (along with the government) as a mean of lowering freight costs of imports- but this is someone’s dream - 'cause no one could explain why we closing all the East Bank Estates?
12) The Enmore Packing Plant- Construction began
13) Regaining and finding new market niches for direct consumption of sugar (cant produce why search for market?).
14) Sourcing financing for the ethanol plant to be operational after the elections year (well sorry, Jagdeo is presently busy with his $47-million Cable & $15million road-for-Power).
15) What is the update on the Power Purchase Agreement with GPL (for increased co-generation supply from Skeldon) – couldn’t happen in 2009 and will not happen in 2010 because Skeldon Factory still has major defects.

Bitter Sweet – how much more bitter will our sugar be as we continue to examine the GUYSUCO-BLUEPRINT

What a web we weave

2010-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Who really do we question? Bharrat Lumumba or Odinga Jagdeo?

A) Year 2005 – Jagdeo gave him Tract C, rear of Botanical gardens (for G$2.5 million) – (Jagdeo was president).

Flash back: Who “gave him these lands and for what price”
1) 4000 acres at Manarbisi: Sometime before the PNC have him land at Manarbisi – the Skeldon II project was then in the air (since early 1990’s) – so they carved out a piece of land there for price later (lumumba admits spending money on the land to develop ‘rice or sugar’). Cheddi is dead – so accuse the dead man of requesting your land – where is the documentation? That should be published for all to see.
2) 10,000 Acres at Akawini – again given by the PNC (why are we accusing Burnham of Swiss bank account – this is the guy!)

B) April 5, 2005 – Jagdeo gives Lumumba $4million for “enhancement of the sport”. Show me another such donation by Jagdeo for any other type of sport – or to any other person.

C) October 2003, Lumumba as head of McNeal Enterprises received money to ‘host’ the Ms. Guyana Universe (he was the holder of the franschise) and "gave aid" to lots of girls.

D) In 2010 jagdeo gives Lumumba a $200 million dollars’ worth of mining concession – which Lumumba sold for $200million. Claimed that someone took away his land again (sounds familiar).

E) The billion dollars’ dolphin scandal was given presidential approval. He was rewarded with the title of “presidential adviser”.

More to come.

Flips, Fibs, Fling, Flassington and Flagdeo

2010-04-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

FIP’s FIBS

Well Fip, Ashni and Winston ought to be awarded for the Best Actor and Best Supporting actors respectively in the movie Synergy or not!

Kudos to Kaieteur News for the excellent piece of journalism this week, that skin up the PPP government and their lies as they sought to give another friend more of our tax payers money!

Well Fip lied when he said that Synergy Holdings built road in the state of Georgia in the US.

The good folks in the transparent State Department in Georgia must be wondering ‘who the heck is Fip and what the hell is Synergy ?’ cause the plot thickened when We found out that poor Fip and Synergy never had any Road Building experience!

Now now, the government will have to explain why exactly it was given Fip US$15 million! Because we KNOW that Fip would not be building any roads to the Amaila Falls.

Our sources indicated that that this money could have been to bluff investors that the project is starting while helping their dear Friend Fip to get on his feet.

Fact is, Synergy Holdings has NOT done a single work anywhere in the world! NO one really knows what they are all about their webpage is just a cheap publicity stunt.

Amazingly, since 2002 when Fip presented the government with a proposal he couldn’t get this thing running??!

But we know that 2011 is closer and the PPP has to offer its supporters something for them to be returned to office, even if it’s a road in the forest.

Just be reminded that Fip claimed that he is doing windmill projects in Minnesota and Kansas also and we are still looking for those projects!

We wonder if Brassington is in his right sense when he says that ‘ this is the single most important project at this time’ He forget the fibre optic cable he and his friends are suppose to be bringing from Brazil.

Shucks! this is really a talk half left half piece!

But we will leave you with Synergy Holdings Mission Statement:

MISSION STATEMENT
To plan and develop projects that offer the greatest benefits to the most people with the least impact on our environment. We firmly believe that progress and development can be accomplished synergistically with the environment, not at its expense.

Odinga Lumumba, CA

2010-04-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Let us look at the national figure: Odinga Lumumba, CA (con artist)

Soup drinker, political prostitute, promoter, dolphin catcher, exporter, pageant/franchise holder, miner, businessman, MP, adviser to the President- and all of this adds up to one man- A scamp- Odinga Lumumba.

After being embroiled in a controversial mining deal recently with a certain HBTV Ch 9 Man, Lumumba, the enterprising con has now been linked to another.

But this time he is claiming that the media and some forces are out to get him cause he is black.

But here is what confuses us- Lumumba the political party hopper has secured himself a nice small change by selling a piece of land he has acquired cheaply by the PPP and selling it back for millions more!

Lumumba acquired the of Tract C land at Mandela Avenue at a lil hush price of $2.5 million from the PPP (eh eh Nicil?) and went on to sell it for a whopping $35 million.

Even though he has failed to address this issue in the many interviews he gave to several media houses- and the letter he sent to Stabroek News- Lumumba said that he sold the land at MARKET VALUE- Well…

Dear Odinga Lumumba, could you tell us how you should a piece of land at market value when you didn’t even buy it at market value? Name us on piece of prime city property that could be bought for $2.5 million in 2005?

Lumumba could only explain his shady deal with an explanation that he has given up land to the PPP that was acquired by him under the PNC. (land that he developed in Canjie and supposedly voluntarily gave 4000 acres to farmers)

The Former Thug is nothing but a common thief who has a fancy title of Presidential Adviser to hide from prosecution under Mother Jagdeo’s gown!

Lumumba who was named in the Dolphin Scam and now who holds a controversial post on the Land Use Committee( Dealing with Mining) is also a miner !

HE and Dr. Grantley Waldrond scampishly fostered a deal that would see them acquiring mineral rich lands!

Walrond who is now an avid soup drinker has been bought up now that he holds a mineral map! Shame on you!

But back to Lumumba who has been a key recipient of the government’s slush funds to fund pageants, foot ball matches and entertainment shows.
HE is yet to talk about the millions of dollars in duty free concessions he has received to do these, included the special request to bring the once banned Mavado. (Poor Rohee couldn’t fight this one off as hard as he tried)

But before we leave could Lumumba explain why he has not traveled to North America or Europe in years?

As an Advisor on Empowerment, he didn’t get a chance to accompany the government at the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen, Why?

Do we need an ambassador to China?

2010-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

We believe that it is the most idiotic move in the history of this Country’s Foreign Relations and we have written about it: The PPP have failed or should we say refused to appoint an ambassador to one of the largest and growing economies in the world, China.

And we are already facing the consequences.

Guyana is still struggling to finance its Alternative Energy Programme, we have seen the failure of the Hope Wind Farm, well it was never conceived and we are looking on as the government prematurely tries to defend move to restart the Amelia Hydro Project with wacko Fip.

But lets look at what has been going on this same Region for this year.

China and Venezuela signed a series of agreements just last month! To do what?!

Well Venezuela is moving to exploit its Orinoco’s reserves belt for oil and is looking to develop it Hydro Electricity capacity!

China is now providing our neighbor with more that US$20 billion for its Energy Sector.

Such a shame we were not able to cash in on that, but we are guessing that Mr. President who is also our Finance Minister missed that one juggling so many portfolios and projects!

Here is a little hint PPP, Bilateral Trade between China and Venezuela has netted more than US$7 Billion for our neighbor!

But maybe he will take a hint as his government and the rest of Caricom plans to face off with Brazil next week, don’t waste any more time!

That 15million USD

2010-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

We have found one of the planned uses of the 15million that has been donated to Synergy Holdings.

The attached picture give us an idea of how much work has to be done for the Head Office of Synergy Holding, Guyana office.

We estimate that 4million USD will be spent on this building. We also would be on the lookout for another building that will be built simultaneously. This second building is usually a gift.

The APA's let down of PPP

2010-04-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Political manipulated National Toshaos Council allowed itself to be prostituted by the government when it stormed the APA meeting to protest.
The less than competent Minister Pauline Sukhai is been urged by High Government officials to help shut the Amerindian People’s Association up.
The aim? Well the government has realized that the APA is not being fooled by this Norway Agreement and has found a way to sensitize its people against those frivolous ‘consultations’ the government said it held on the LCDS.

What is at stake in the millions that the Norwegians are to give Guyana under this slop shot agreement to save our forests.

What has even more annoyed our dear government is that international groups, organizations and donors are paying attention to the APA.
They too may have realized that the government did nothing who fooled people calling their Cabinet Outreaches, ‘Consultations’.

What we do know is that the Jagdeo Administration has promised any of those association with the NTC, monetary contributions for their villages if they support the LCDS. Jagdeo himself, straggled himself with a few supporting Amerindians to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen but has never embraced the critics (usually egotiscal attitude)

But here is an interesting point Pauline Sukhai does not stress on, She tells the Chronicle that the members of the NTC are elected by Amerindians to represent them, right, but Pauline doesn’t the government provide an ‘unbudgeted’ subvention to this same group. The group does not have an independent office and have no other source of funding for the government, its no wonder they were prostituted in the way they were.

No severance pay for Guysuco Diamond workers

2010-04-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

So, the NEWS is out: Guysuco is not willing to pay the hundreds of workers of the Diamond Estate their severance. Not willing or not able to? Sources said that the Management of the Sugar Company delivered the bitter news to the Sugar Union GAWU today in a letter.

The Company told the Union is will not pay the workers severance (totaled in millions of dollars) while the workers are expected to be relocated to other estates on the East Coast of Demerara.

Reports indicated that the Labour Ministry has been asked to intervene (lets see what will happen here since the same Ministry is yet to intervene in the Bauxite Workers issue after 6 months)

Diamond Sugar Workers simply want their monies to move on, hundreds have signed a petition saying that they do not want to work on other estates and would look for alternative work.

Guysuco should have made alternative arrangements to pay these workers their severance since it knew from its TURN AROUND plan that it was moving to close the Diamond Estates as part of its plans to close the East Demerara Estates.

TAP! TAP! Tap dancing the turn around plan!

2010-04-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tap dancing seems more descriptive of GuySuCo TAP (turn around plan). Every year they come up with a new plan (blueprint, strategy, Business plan...you name it...like the movies..names and names), that is, 'till they realize they were dancing their way through a self-created maze. So they aptly named the last one, TAP.

Lets look at the art of dancing in the TAP.

While Guysuco is pretending that it is a worker oriented company that cares about the well being of the thousands of Sugar workers, these workers must remember a couple of things. Everyone knows about the low wages and salaries, harsh working conditions and refusal of the company to address several issues affecting workers.

But, workers must now remember PAGE 4 of the much talked-about Guysuco Turn Around Plan (2009-2013).

Int his plan, the Company proposes the transfer of community and health centres to the Government! Yes the government who already cannot pay its nurses and doctors much less care and run some of the community centers it has under its wings.

It is more than likely the heavily subsidized Sugar Company is trying to ease itself of some of the financial strains and at the same time accumulate some finances.

We know about the sales of lands to friends and family (oh NICIL!) and the disposal of Hermanston House and other so-called "non-performing assets"(one wonder if they had an opportunity to sell human beings too, what would happen)

But back to the ‘transfer’ of these centers to the Government. How is this exactly in the interest of the workers?

Let's point out a few things first, Nowhere in the Government's 2010 Budget (under the Culture Ministry) has sums been allocated for the operating and runs of ANY Community Centre, government or otherwise. A measly $25 million has been allocated for just a few youth oriented Training Centers and none of those are related to Guysuco.

We are sure that with this plan being presented in 2009, the government’s move to ‘help’ Guysuco out would have been calculated as catered for in the 2010 budget. (fishy)

There is no budgetary allocations for the take over or operations of new centers in the Budget under the Health Ministry either!

Now the never-in-tune Minister Bheri Ramsarran wanted to fool the country when said that the Government is ‘taking away’ the Health Centers from Guysuco.

GAWU was quick to tell public that it never had any discussion about the government ‘take over’ of the health centers and that Ramsarran’s statement was ‘factually incorrect, and misleading’ (GAWU SAID that).

GAWU put over perfectly what we want to ask the government in that statement, it said that it “wonders whether the pressure of work, the already challenging state of government health services or an outright intention to undermine the two unions (NAACIE and GAWU) credibility is responsible for this false figment of the Minister’s imagination”

We wonder when the dancing will stop and the turn around of Guyana will start.

The spin artists of GoG

2010-04-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

The innner works of the Government can be seen in its many incarnations. Groups like CREEP (3rd term) have been 'launched' with specific purpose.

Liveinguyana blog is the work of some Jagdeoites who believe that they are going to be rewarded for their vigilance and high praise for the government. Two of them will soon be sold as used tyres! They will never find themselves on the closer side of the PPP supporters.

One of them already has a record that stinks more than the Le Repentir Dumpsite. An alleged child molester who was caught on tape soliciting sex from a minor and who has been embroiled in many scandals is the number one writer of this pathetic idea of a blog.

The sometimes very market vendor behavior displayed by him shows a person who is battling with its hormones.

The second person is the son of a minister of the government who is known for his display of arrogance almost everywhere he goes. This young man strives off the name of his father since having returned from studying in England he was placed in a minimum wage paying job at the Office of the President to observe what critics are doing (look out Prem Misir)

With John DaSilva dead there is no doubt that this young ‘lawyer’ will be co-opt in the letter writing section of OP soon, as he already has one letter.

The Third person, a GGMC official- is the son of a man know as ‘The Hammer’.

The malnourished young man is infamously known for offering a policeman bribe on the East Bank Highway and then using his father’s name to have his matter dismissed in court. He apparently has been very active in getting pictures and updating this blog.

We understand that emails confirming their association with this blog are being circulated. We await our copies.

Spin! Fip! Brassnicil! Money gone!

2010-04-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

Shameless !!
The government gives another other sweet heart deal, this time to Fip Motielall saying that Synergy Holdings was the lowest bidder for the road to Amaila Falls Hydro Project. Well, so says a NICIL source (look who opening his mouth) who told Stabroek News that the $15 million road building contract was awarded to SH since it was the lowest bidder !

Why worry about the future of Guyana when we have geniuses like these? What a combination! Lowest bidder with no experience wins contract. In this case lowest bidder, no road building experience! Wow!

NICIL (and We know damn well who got the ‘voice’ to speak on this project at NICIL) said that 4 tenders were submitted. We would like to hear names! Cause I know one big contractor who has been gunning for this project since 1999 feels cheated. Even though responded to Stabroek News last week about all these concerns, he has not uttered one word about his company’s road building capabilities.

At least two new agencies have reported on a Request for Proposals document. Stabroek News said that the documents said that the construction is based on a time of essence basis (after 15 years) and must be completed in 8 months !

But wait !!! The same document says that our Dear Fip’s company must reach various criteria!
- He must have done a similar project,
- He must list examples of previous works and
- he must submit details of the equipment he owns and human resources.

Fip must know that he has to repair an existing roadway and build a road on virgin territory. What is the default clause this time?

Sickly spin doctor Roger said last week that those who are questioning the awarding of this contract have sinister motives, So Roger put a spin on this one.

Spin! Fip! Brassnicil! Money gone!

(We have been watching the developments of this project as many would have noticed in out previous post asking FIP to flip the switch on this project. This project has been in an incubator for more than 15 years)

How will history judge Jagdeo?

2010-04-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

His usual egotistical rants and premature dismissal of international reports and criticisms will follow him as a legacy as much as he wants to be remembered as a Champion for Guyana’s Forests and all time good guy.

One thing is sure about Bharrat Jagdeo, he does not like to acknowledge that he has led one of the most corrupted governments in this hemisphere and one of the most sinister administrations in the history of this country.

Will corruption in Guyana be his legacy?

When the PPP inherited office it inherited a miserable state of affairs of Guyana. There was 100million central reserve and many of the state assets were under-performing and cried out for recapitalization.

Then came the wave, nay, the tsunami - first evidenced by Pradoville. The PPP fell prey to the changing times, the demand for money and its impact on the socialist-mind-capitalist-lifestyles.

Then one contact after the other, one scam to another, one bank account start feeding the other. This became visible under the jagdeo-led PPP as the PPP started to accessorize itself with the indulgence envied even by the Guyanese rich-and-famous.

The Jagdeo-run administration now has proved itself as an ‘indulger’ to massive corruption.

Some would argue that some of the scams may not have been committed under his direct leadership. The fact is that he has done LITTLE to ensure that prosecution was in the name of the day when others occurred. What he did do was launch into market-woman-type-'busing’ of local critics and international organizations who spent considerable time in assessing our still very corrupt government.

For instance, as we well know, Transparency International continued to rank Guyana as among one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Jagdeo was quick to they were coming to the country and making “blanket statements”.

But a number of scams and frauds committed has left one asking where are the serious investigations and prosecutions.

Here is a list of SOME of the early days scams that rocked us:

STONE-SCAM:
This is a multi million dollar mission - Importation of poor quality stones from a Trinidadian Construction Company for an Essequibo Road Project. And we supposed to 'gat stones'.

MILK:
Low-grade vegetable milk was supplied to SIMAP in place of cream milk by Hanson Import and Export. The multi-million scam saw PPP MP Hugely Hamnoman resigned from his seat and migrating, missing out on police prosecution while a low level officer was dismissed.

CANE GROVE BREACH:
After being paid million of dollars the infamous BK International’s shoddy work on the Sea Defense left Cane Grove farmers (all diligent supporters of the PPP) at the mercy of the sea.
BK was not prosecuted but was rewarded with more government projects.

CHARITY WHARF FRAUD:
Well it sank, after billions of dollars was used to build it. (what a fraud - but evidence is underwater!)

LAW BOOK:
Over US$200,000 dollar contract to update law books given to PPP friend Kawal Totaram’s company New Global Consults Inc.
Never advertised locally; the contractor was no legal expert and a law student reviewed the sample copies of the laws. Please Don’t Ask!

RE-MIGRANT VEHICLES:
This saw more than 50 vehicles being imported by persons who falsely declared remigrant status - some of these were/are PPP supporters and businessmen who evaded millions of dollars in duty.

WILD LIFE:
Export of precious wildlife amounting to more than $50 million and who gets blamed? EPA’s head Bal Persaud was blamed but jumped to the media to refute the claims and guess who is the advisor to the President named in this one?

EXPORT OF DOLPHINS:
Thug, soup drinker, miner and Adviser to the President Lumumba spare headed this one. But we rather not comment on this one when we could send you to http://www.biodiversityreporting.org/article.sub?docId=13762&c=Guyana&cRef=Guyana&year=2005&date=January%202005
More to come on this guy who was given a concession by Jagdeo and promptly sold it for US$2million.

POLAR BEER:
$300 million fraud that rocked the Guyana Revenue Authority after cashers, customs officers and a broker were fingered in this scam. Most of them, (some plead innocence) were dragged to court - while CHIEF CULPRIT, an already Shady character and one of the persons behind the defunct LEAP and Caricom Insurance( also of the Scared Heart Church fraud) Mr. Joshua Shafeek blamed all the wrong doings on the broker and cut himself a sweet deal and skipping prosecution. (remember the Plea bargaining Legislation).

These are but a small list of the many scams of the proud PPP administration. This is where my money is going!

How will history adjudge Jagdeo?

FIU- a tooth less pit bull

2010-04-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jadgeo continues to stifle the Financial Intelligence Unit and is now trying to lecture that is has work to do.

The hands of the ONE MAN money laundering fighting engine has been tied since the Money Laundering Act has been passed more than 5 years ago.

The FIU an office operated out of the FINANCE MINISTRY to this date is still equipped with a single computer and one secretary, along with boss Paul Geer of the GBTI fame.

While Sources close to the UNIT said that it has been awaiting amendments to the Money Laundering ACT- the UNIT has been limited in its working capacity.

Paul Geer the former managing director of the Guyana bank of Trade and Industry cannot act as Sherlock Holmes, police prosecutor and trail blazer all at the same time. (Reports are that there are no increases in the financial allocation to this unit-and there is no record in the National Budget that this Unit is funded at all)

The man simply does not have the human resources at his disposal.

To date there has been no annual report from this unit nor does the Finance Ministry provide no statements on its operations.(Note that any entity directly associated with Jagdeo, like the NICIL, does not comply with financial regulations).

We do accept that this is an intelligence agency but as the PPP lead government preaches transparency could see just get a lil' peep into the work of the FIU? One lil' peep.

For those who don’t know, Geer has the power to investigate all suspicious transactions and significant movement of money. He can also investigate the movement of money for large investments and sale of properties.

We may soon have to publish some work here for Mr. Geer to follow up on starting with his ‘friend’ RKS sudden departure from GBTI and AP’s ‘escape’ to Maimi from Citizen’s Bank.

Working at the Skeldon Factory

2010-04-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

Working at the Skeldon New factory is a working pleasure.

For dis out ah crop we bin gat fi clean crap. Here is a group abee wokkin on de canal pan which de punt dumper tray sit down. De manaja dem emty de canal an den we had to use abee chitta bags to fetch de mud outta de trench.
How we do it? Me video go show we in akshun. We fus dig a hole near the dam (throw de mud on de dam), den dig out the mud from unda de punt dumper to fill de odder hole. Sung ezzy, but dutty wok.

Source of crap
No plan seem to be in place for this type of problem. When the punt dumper operates, it drops a lot of canes under its carriage. This mixes with the mud that is remixes every time the punt dumper carriage comes into the trench to pick up another punt.

Oh Fip! Jagdeo awards G$3bln contract without tender.

2010-03-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago we questioned why FIP hasn’t flipped the switch on the Amaila Hydro Electricity. Then, lo and behold! we hear that Master Planner and ‘Strategiser’ Jagdeo has awarded a whopping US$15 million to SYNERGY Holdings to build an access road to the Amaila Falls dam site ! That's 3 BILLION G$!

What is very obvious is that this official ‘ELECTIONS’ time has the PPP government flicking (in this case FIPering) backwards to make some of their promises a reality- we see them trying to pour all the ‘portions’ and magic dust to make the Skeldon Factory work and now more than 15 years after the promise of cheaper electricity they are building roads to the site! Wow ! 15 years ago we didn’t realize that we needed. roads to the Amaila Falls area.

But here are our concerns about this other SHADY JAGDEO commitment-
- The President took it upon himself (last week) to announce the award of this US$15 million contract to Synergy Holding for the building of roads to the proposed Hydro Project site.
- This means that a Company with NO history or experience in road building will build a road - and in 8 months! (Brass around the corner).
- The 2010 Budget showed an allocation for this project under the Ministry of Finance saying that it is allocating a apart of $615 Million to construct an access
to the Falls and for related infrastructural works. Note the difference between the Budgeted allocation of 615million to the award of 3 BILLION.
QUESTIONS
We ask:
1) When was a Tender for this project published? In what the Media?
2) When did Synergy Holdings bid for this project and who are the other Companies that bid?

Sadly we conclude that this is yet another eyepass on Guyana.

In addition, this announcement is so murky you are left to wonder like Alice - what exactly happens to the existing road, an all weather road through Tumatumari?

Reports are that Synergy said that it needs 30 miles of new road and may have double those demands two years ago.

Here we have a government that is moving with haste to build a road to the Hydro site when there is no proper road from Georgetown to Madhia?

MADNESS
This is beyond madness or poor planning - to get to the Site- you have to take a plane to Kaieteur Falls and use the same Tumatumari road in- to get there by road you have to use the Georgetown to Madhia road and then haul materials in from there- the Madhia road is in no state to transport heavy duty equipment and materials to build this road Synergy is now task to build!

EPA
NOW that we have vented on those points, we can also ask: Please Mr. Jagdeo, tell us where is the Environmental Impact Assessment from the EPA?? And more so the Benn Land Use Committee??

Can we imagine that with the demand of more than 60 miles of new road - those Norwegian Satellite images would not be pretty!

As Janette Bulkan explained recently ‘the government will need to report the deforestation and loss of forest carbon as a result of the road upgrades and new construction to the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative’

So, its not Oh 'fip' it's once again, "Oh Jagdeo!"

Special talent - significant skills

2010-03-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Geeta Singh Knight - the person who caused the most flagrant abuse of investment laws in Guyana has been praised for her special skills by the President of Guyana.

In a recent press release, Jagdeo praised Knight for her significant skills. I guess, no one was looking at Jagdeo to see which foot was in his mouth as he made that statement. He then went on to note that no one siphoned moneys out of Clico Guyana.

What are the facts?
There are laws that control the amount of money that can be invested overseas by any institution. Apparently, Ms. Knight (like Jagdeo) realized that she had significant skills and the laws did not apply to her. So she sent (no siphoned) all the poor people's money to Bahamas.

With the realization of the impending crash, she spoke to Jagdeo. They arranged for certain transfers to save certain institutions and persons. Todate no public declaration has been made as those last minute deals that took place.

What deals took place between NIS (headed by Luncheon), Berbice Bridge (Headed by Knight herself) and NBS (Headed by Gopaul) and Jagdeo? No one will know of the liquid flows of money!

But, the poor people who tied up their savings for annuity - and even the mighty GAWU was not spared the blemish of Ms. Knight's significant skills.

Criminal
Is it not criminal therefore that she broke the investment laws or insurance laws or whatever they are called?

However because of the things she now has to hide, she is awarded with heading the Audit Committee of the largest sugar company in the Caribbean!

What more? She is supposed to be the spouse of a former Finance Director of the same sugar company.

Significant skills! This is $$ not Samille!

The state of Diplomacy in Guyana

2010-03-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

It’s a down right shame!

The State of Our Diplomacy is a shame. Fine enough we have had to see Clement Rohee head the Foreign Affairs Ministry (he didn’t know the difference between Dominica and the Dominican Republic), Sam Hinds take his written address to a Foreign Delgation from his pocket, and Bharrat Jagdeo taking his friends for a ride around the world as if they were diplomatic officers.

But the State of our Foreign Service is a down right shame! It is at an all time low. Imagine the Foreign Service Institute has been closed! This department which was once used to train career diplomats is now closed! But we simply do not need such an office because to get a diplomatic post as you need is a party card.

The faces of Guyana’s diplomacy are not those who were trained to negotiate strong bi-laterals. Maybe this could explain why Brazil decided to open the Takutu Bridge without informing us, why Suriname flinging an old threat in our way and why we cannot make the most out of China, by far one of the most important and growing players on the world stage.

Recent diplomatic posts are just plain PARTY CARD HOLDERS:

- Merlin Udho (Women’s Progressive Organization Member) is Ambassador to Suriname.
- Mitra Devi Ali (wife of a late former PPP member) and former Permanent Secretary in the Legal Affairs Ministry is the Ambassador to Cuba
- Harrynarine Nawbatt- Former Housing Minister is the Ambassador to Brazil, yes Brazil one of the largest economies in South America.
-Ronald Gajraj- Former Home Affairs Minister and of the Death Squad fame- Ambassador to India, another world player.

While these appointments have happened in recent times, the government has failed to appoint a representative to the United Nations!

The young Ms, Anyin Choo is the Charge d’Affaires in Guyana’s Embassy in China!
There seems to be no bold move to name a career diplomat to take that post!

A couple of other old heads who are around and have grown to be respected are Dr. Patrick Gomes- Ambassador to Brussels and the EU, Odeen Ishamel, Ambassador to Venezuela, Laleshwar Singh, Guyana High Commissioner in London and Bayney Karran who has served in Washington as Representative to the OAS.

But what is will happen to our diplomatic face? Already the President feels that it is his personal mission to ensure that he meets with and negotiates or begs Foreigners. Between 2008 and 2010 he has been to Iran twice, Dubai, Libya, Greece, Jordan, Kuwait and Syria. Not forgetting Russia, where we are sure he brokered some deals.

However the details of the personal deals remain undisclosed. The public is only privy to any ‘deal’ when upsurge of activity takes place in certain areas. Until such time, we are told of ‘debts’ and ‘partnerships’. It is when we see Russian TV relayed on Ch 28 or dolphins shipped out that we know how deep the deals are.

Meanwhile the face of Guyana’s diplomatic community remains shrouded in a veil of presidential choices.

It pays to have friends

2010-03-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Pharmaceutical baron turn media Mogul Dr. Bobby Ramoop may never speak publicly, as a matter of fact he will never avail himself to the media or such agencies to be questioned. We would not respect any interview he gives to Times Tv or Guyana Times but Dr. Ramroop as a ‘major’ player needs to open his mouth.

The man rose to fame as a major player in his company, the new Guyana Pharmaceutical Company, a company known for the local producing medical supplies and medication but also receiving shady contracts from the Health Ministry (the same Company that produced ARVs that saw the watchful eyes of the US Government pulling its funds from that Project forcing us to seek ARVs overseas)

But, Dr. Ramroop’s bread is well buttered, a friend of a President and close confidant, the man could close his eyes and breathe money. The well known ‘indian elite’ is also noted for receiving a ‘sweetheart’ deal, better known as the Queen’s Atlantic Deal, a series of unlawful concessions for Ramroop’s Company.

These deals might have been backed dated to when Ramroop acquired the Sanata Textiles Property but who is checking?

But will Dr. Ramroop ever speak publicly?

Reports are that he was once cornered for an interview by a Former Stabroek News Senior Journalist but told her that he would grant her an interview when she leaves that Newspaper.

Ramroop may never be able to explain how he single handedly acquiring billions of dollars in contracts from the Health Ministry?

He may never be able to explain why he and Eddie Boyer continue to fight Robert Badal over the East Bank Demerara Property

He may never venture to explain the Queen’s Atlantic deal and how he got duty free concession to import pieces of equipment that are still to be used.

And what about explaining this telephone company and Commercial bank, Ramroop is now touted be behind??

It pays to have friends.

Stories of the dark - Safdar Ali

2010-03-28T12:54:00.001-07:00

As all eyes were on Shadfar Ali, the REO now infamously known for being wanted by the Police.

One B. Johnson and Nanda Kisson were busy writing President Bharat Jagdeo and the Dr. Roger Luncheon about other characters, Sewchand, the Permanent Secretary in the Local Government ministry and Ashford Ambedkar the Deputy REO. As long back as 2008 Johnson wrote President Jagdeo asking him for an investigation into Sewchand.
This Johnson said that he is a staff member of the Local Government Ministry.

In a letter dated 27th May, 2008 Johnson said that it looks like all the contacts recommended by the Sewchand are awarded by the National Tender Board.
He told the President in this letter that a contractor from region 5, one ERROL LALL tendered in the later 2007 for Purain #2 Bridge at Blairmont, but Lall was not the lowest bidder. Johnson said that Lall won the $17 million contract because he was recommended by SEWCHAND.

Johnson went on to say that LALL won the award for the Lusignan Nursery School. Lall again was not the biggest bidder.

Johnson added in that letter to the President that SEWCHAND continues to make several recommendations for contracts to be given out. He listed the purchase of a Low bed for Region 6 and the construction of the Region four RDC office.

Johnson alleges that Sewchand continues to collect quotations and send to the Regional offices and tells them who to buy from.

All this information is in writing to President Jagdeo and yet not one investigation!

In another letter, Nanda Kisson of Nanda Parlour Grocery in Enmore wrote Dr. Roger Luncheon displaying what she described as frustration with the attitude of Deputy Region Four Executive Officer, Ashford Ambedkar.

Kisson said that she was a supplier for the region in 2009 but every time she received her payments he would have to give Ambedkar with 5% of the payment!

Kisson said that one Saturday morning Ambedkar called her and told her that his telephone and electricity would be disconnected is the bills are not paid. Kisson said that

Ambedkar threatened that if the bills were not paid he, Kisson would not receive payments due to her.

Kisson in the letter to Dr. Luncheon said that she borrowed money from her sister and paid the bills.

Kisson in that same letter said that on Christmas Eve day. Ambedkar called her and told her that ‘things brown for the holiday and if nothing na dey’.
Kisson said that she hired a taxi and sent Ambedkar $25000. Kisson told Dr. Luncheon that Ambedkar also requested $35000 in beverages.

The Single parent of Two told Dr. Luncheon that she would be willing to testify if necessary. That letter was copied to the Auditor General, the Local government Ministry and the Public Service Ministry.

To date…

Nepotism and abuse of state funds

2010-03-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

(According to News Center of MoneyControl) Caricom heading for bankruptcy, says Guyana President

It would appear, according to Jagdeo, that Caricom is heading for bankruptcy. Well, he has to know what he is talking about as he is clearly bent on putting Guyana in the same position.

In a previous article we positioned Jagdeo's intent on his fiber optic cable that should see the successful completion of the Queens Atlantic data center and IT center. This blog has learnt that after the fall-out of the Norwegian US$30 million deal, Jagdeo has vowed that he will build his cable with local funds.

However, no one has seen the feasibility study of Jagdeo's cable and its total cost to Guyana. What is becoming more real than apparent is the sidling off of state funds to complete the
President's Pet Projects, a PPP - which will continue long into the PPP's next election victory.

STRANGE THINGS
While the data project seems noble, this blog will be proven by the test of time for the use of Jadgeo for e-governance. We predict that the cable will be completed, will be used by the Bees (the Bees will form the management committee) - all achieved by abusing Guyana's national treasury for meeting personal financial goals.

Meanwhile, the abuse of state funds will continue. More Presidential Pet Projects will be done by state funding and the 2011 elections will see the national reserves at an all time low of 300 million (which incidentally will be 200m more than what the PNC had). Donald will boast about the 300m as being a better performance than the PNC.

CONCLUSION
Before year end, the sale of state assets will ensure the rebuilding of the reserves.
So?
So, the Bees will have be laughing all the way to the bank - with my money!

Guyana features in Poker News

2010-03-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Guyana Opens First Casino, But Locals Barred from Gambling

The Princess Hotel in Guyana officially opened the country's first casino last week, but because of a law passed in 2007, Guyanese residents are forbidden from playing there. The Gambling Prevention Act restricted Guyanese gambling after several religious leaders and politicians led an anti-gambling crusade. For now, the only people who can gamble at the casino's 300 slot machines and 11 gaming tables are international ecotourists and the many Brazilians the casino hopes will travel there to gamble.

The government decided to grant limited casino licenses to hotels with a minimum of 150 guest rooms as a way to accelerate the growth of the country's young tourism industry. Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo denounced the hypocrisy of opening a casino where only foreigners are welcome, saying that freedom of choice should outweigh antigambling concerns. “For me, this is something that I find distasteful. I believe that Guyanese should enjoy all of the choices in the country… our society is a moderate one…there was opposition, but we will give people choices,” Jagdeo said.

The Princess Hotel is owned by Turkish hotel group Princess Group, which owns 14 hotels internationally. The company, which bought the hotel for $15 million in 2008, is exploring legal loopholes that would allow Guyanese residents to gamble at the casino as long as they are guests of the hotel. In addition to slots and table games, the casino plans to host poker tournament satellites in the future.

Legalized Gambling illegal to Guyanese - Imran Khan

2010-03-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

Legalized Gambling illegal to Guyanese
By Imran Khan

Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Following comments made by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the formal opening of the Princess Casino there has been a reheating of the debate on the virtues of casino/gambling legislation in Guyana. The President finds himself in some difficulty with regard to what appears to be an about face on the issue given his most recent comments and has been copping some criticism.

There is merit in most of the criticisms I have seen, however I have found that a narrow view is being mostly propagated (perhaps for political and other convenience) when there is a critical larger issue which needs to be ventilated.

The point of conditional and thus discriminatory casino/gambling legislation, in my opinion, takes a U-Turn from basic human equality – an essential facet of life now, apparently, taken much for granted to the point where it is treated with scant regard by even our National Assembly.

In my mind the issue is a simple one which can be a sorted through by asking a basic question. “How can an individual – regardless of who he or she is – have a legally protected right to partake in an activity in MY country which legally I, as a citizen of said country, am debarred from participating in?”

I am not a gambler and I may never visit a casino in Guyana or anywhere else, however I take offense to any law which prevents me from participating in an activity which foreigners are allowed to freely partake in. There can be no moral justification of it in what we all consider – perhaps to varying degrees – to be a democracy. The freedom of choice has been withdrawn from locals while foreigners have that option.

I have agonized over this to find some way of accepting that it can be. I am unable to find even an iota of sense or good judgment in it.

My view is that gambling should either be made legal and permissible for all in Guyana (whether Guyanese or not) or it should be an illegal activity for all. Legislation which discriminates on the basis of nationality reverses hundreds of years of social advancement.

It cannot be legal for some and illegal for others. Surely we have not forgotten times when there were restaurants for some, washrooms for some and when the front of the bus was only for some among other discriminatory practices.

The contention that government should allow vices for foreigners in our land whilst ‘protecting’ its citizenry from these vices is a flagrantly dangerous one as it is grounded in false logic and flawed thinking.

It is, in fact, the bedrock of hypocrisy.

The legislation as it now stands allows a loophole which defeats the presumed intention of the law. A local can very well enter and partake in the activities of the casino if they are a guest of the hotel. Therefore there is no real protection of the citizenry against the vice. It is in fact a worsening of the vice.

Whereupon a Guyanese wishing to gamble could have just walked into the casino and so do, they now have to expend additional financial resources to book a room to qualify themselves to gamble. For persons who are intent on gambling this is not a deterrent, it is a mere inconvenience. Addicts will find a way of overcoming the hurdles and the current design of the law aids them in so doing.

Also for government to take the role of – based on the construct and operations of our Parliament – unilaterally determine what is good and what is not for citizenry and enshrine same in law is to set a scandalously treacherous precedent – the perils of which, through unkind experience, I am sure most are all only too familiar with.

What next? Exclusive dining options for foreigners? Special airport transportation services only for foreigners?

The precedent has been set.

THE ROTTING CORPSE OF THE MARRIOT AWAITS BURIAL

2010-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

In January 2009 the President assured Guyanese of an alive and well Marriot Hotel, aback of Kingston.

With the government already spending millions of dollars on relocating and revamping 42 sewage pipes it was a done deal ! or so u would think.

Why has President Jagdeo held on to a deal that is dead with no real hope of revival? One can only think that he believes that there was such a DEAL.

WHY ? Why? EXACTLY WHY HASN’T THE MARRIOT HOTEL BUILT?? We refuse to believe that the Marriot Deal was used to moved squatters off the seawall, we refused to believe that the Marriot could have replaced the Pegasus and we refuse to believe that the President dreamt that he has a deal with the company, Marriot Incorporated.

This ‘Marriot Hotel deal’ was expected to be closed since mid 2008 but then the President said that “That was the time when the turmoil in the capital markets escalated with the collapse of some financial institutions and you had the catastrophic drop in the stock exchange and the credit crunch deepened and therefore, traditional sources of capital that were identified were no longer there. So the financial closures simply could not have happened,”

In May 2009 government advertised for expressions of interest in a joint venture for the a location aback of the Kingston Seawall. The Privatisation Unit said the government was seeking interested investors for the project, a total of 6.9 acres of land situated in the north-western part of Kingston bordered by the Atlantic and the Demerara River. The government was look for an investment of US$20M.

Oh well and in 2010? We still await this government rated 5 Star hotel or RIP Marriot.

Boycott looms for Guyana's 1st elections since '94

2010-03-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Boycott looms for Guyana's 1st elections since '94
(Associated Press)

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Opposition leaders in this South American country threatened Thursday to boycott the first municipal elections in 16 years over a plan to give a government-dominated commission control over local affairs.

The government says the proposed seven-member commission would reduce the central government's power over cities, but critics note that the government would still appoint a majority of its members.

"We can't agree with this and are not prepared to work with this," said Oscar Clarke, general secretary of the main opposition People's National Congress.

Clarke said his party might boycott planned April elections if the government doesn't agree to give local governments greater control over their own affairs, such as helping decide how to allocate funds.

He complained that the current system gives the central government power to fire and hire key city staffers, as well as to withhold funds for municipalities and neighborhood councils.

The government has proposed the commission plan to parliament as an alternative.

Vishnu Persaud, Guyana electoral commission spokesman, said officials are planning elections for a still-unset date in mid-April to choose mayors and councilors of six towns and 65 rural districts.

Guyana has not elected mayors, district and village leaders since 1994, largely due to continuing disputes about how to update voter registration lists.

Disputes over voting lists also prompted delays in several recent presidential elections.

Plans to hold municipal elections last year were scrapped because officials said new voter cards based on updated lists were not yet ready and a redistricting project had not been completed.

Presidential and general elections are scheduled to be held next year.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Business Monitor International rankings

2010-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

The recent (March 2010) issue of the BMI's Latin America and Caribbean Monitor gives Guyana a very low ranking for a number of areas. BMI has also provided a scathing outlook and its own projection of growth for Guyana.
A summary:

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Guyana scores 38.1 in BMI's business environment ratings, ranking it 117th out of 167 states.

SUGAR
"According to Finance Minister Ashni Singh, sugar production will add 1.0 percentage points to real GP growth in 2010, in contract with our own more cautious stance on state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation's growth potential. as a result, we hold to our 3.5% real GDP forecast for 2010."

BMI view on Government
"Domestic opposition to government intervention in the economy is becoming the biggest threat to the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) electoral hopes in 2011. with little chance of a constitutional amendment to allow President Bharrat Jagdeo to stand for re-election,t he party will be hard pushed to regain its majority, in our view."

BMI's view on Data and forecasts
"Our concerns over Guyana's fiscal woes have been exacerbated by the Government's 2010 national budget, which pledges a substantial uptick in infrastructure and social expenditure. If revenue flows fail to meet government's expectations - which we expect will be the case given that our own 3.5% real GDP growth forecast for 2010 is lower than Government's 4.4% forecast - the fiscal gap could be substantially above 2009 levels. Until we get a clear breakdown of the planned budgetary expenditure, we hold to our GY22.3bln (or 7.9% of GDP) central government deficit forecast.

UPDATE (WPG update)
WPG has been reliably informed that the Norwegian's LCDS promise is evaporating faster than the carbon emissions. The money will now be tied up in the World Bank's coffers until that institution is satisfied that proper accountability is in place for its use.

The LCDS fund was the main source of funding for the Government's fiber optic cable and the road to Amalia falls. Since that is now uncertain, we opine that Jagdeo will force Finance Minister to get Parliamentary release of funds for those projects.

With a clear majority in parliament, they will get what they want - resulting in greater deficits per the BMI projections.

Who will prevail - Guyana's PPP Presi-race

2010-03-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

The battle continues for the Presidency candidate for the ruling party.

Some are secretly endorsing others while some are declaring ‘goat aint bite me’
But who will prevail?

We have already analyzed and opined the possibility of constitutional changes that can see the young dictator continuing his rule. For instance, the pursuit of overseas voting by filing a constitutional motion can see GECOM postponing the holding of any elections to have those in the Diaspora registered.

This postponement of the elections could see the government holding office for the next two years (and dictator holding unto presidency)

Then there is another theory being touted:
The Dictator steps out the race, returns to "help" as Prime Minister and then sworn in as President.

Guyana's Constitution says that the any president is barred from running for a third term for that Office. But the current dictator will not run for the Presidency or better yet be elected as President. He could be the Prime Minister or serve as another Minister in the government and be sworn in as President if the President at that time is unable to perform the duties of President.

With that aside, from the looks of things the Opposition Parties may not have a chance at even grasping at the seats of government.

The PNC is virtually dead, probably presently on saline solution but is dying a slow death. The only other real party at this time is the Alliance for Change, but what chances they really have in picking up the needed votes for change? They are gonna pick up a few votes from the young and professional, but there is no real indication that Guyanese are really ready to vote on issues and not race.

So who will actually be around in 2011?

Well, the race is apparently still on between Donald Ramotar, Ralph Ramkarran, Clement Rohee and possibly Moses Nagamottoo for Presidential candidate.

These could be all a puppet show.

Word out is that a few have been booted and a few promised promotions. For instance:
--> Carolyn Rodrigues is tipped to be Prime Minister while
--> Sam is said to be rehired as a consultant.
-->Robeson Benn who was once tipped to be Prime Minister but who has ‘hammered’ too many wrong nails is tipped to be Minister of Mining. (a post set up to ensure that mining is minimized to capitalized on the LCDS finds)
--> Donald Ramoutar will be Minister of Works
--> A Ministry of Communications is to be shared by someone close to the President and yet to be named.
--> There is word that Odinga Lumumba will be made a Junior Minister (possibly the Sports Ministry)
--> Irfaan Ali is expected to be the Culture. Youth and Sports Minister
--> The current Culture Minister will probably be a serving doctor at the Georgetown Public Hospital or head a foreign funded health programme.
--> Pauline Sukhai will remain Amerindian Affairs Minister.
--> Kellawan Lall is said to have already gotten the boot.
--> Manniram Prashad will not return (he is making no money holding the post of Tourism Minister)
--> Priya Manickchand will remain and her sisiter Jaya Manickchand is tipped for a Junior ministerial role.
--> So is Attorney General in waiting Anil Nandalall (and no, he will not be AG) Charles Ramson will remain there until someone else gets Senior Counsel Status and accepts the job.
--> Region 6 Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha is tipped for a ministerial post.
--> Robert Persaud will retain his post.

But there are a few who MAY retain their post for the fear of interdiction by the United States. Leslie Ramsammy is one of those.

These are The Happy Faces of the PPP government to come in 2011 !

Guyana's faux pas - data vs power

2010-03-10T05:22:00.001-08:00

Wikipedia says:
"The electricity sector in Guyana is dominated by Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the state-owned vertically integrated utility. Although the country has a large potential for hydroelectric and bagasse-fueled power generation, most of its 226 MW of installed capacity correspond to inefficient thermoelectric diesel-engine driven generators."

Wikipedia also notes that Guyana's blackout (power outage) is the highest incidence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The most incisive statement is that,"Electricity prices in Guyana are the third highest in the Caribbean." The rates range between US$0.25cents for residences and US$0.35cents for businesses (kWh). See GPL site.

The promise of cheaper power has been echoed for more than 30 years by several governments and now seems only a comfort to fools. It has been years since we have been told of Hydro Electricity and how such a venture would save us of billions of dollars we already spend each year on our fuel bill. For instance, our petroleum import bill for 2007 was almost 40% of our GDP. Not much has changed since then has it?

However, the Government of Guyana is now throwing more than US$37million behind bringing another fibre optic cable, a cable which benefits are still to be calculated.

In 2008 the President of Synergy Holdings Inc. (Makeshwar Motilall) spoke of bringing the Amaila Falls Hydro Project to a working state as he calculated an investment in this project at $400 million. Since 2002 we hve heard that the Hydro project has been slated to begin year after year. In 2006 Mr. Motilall was quoted as saying that the financial closing and ground breaking for this project were targeting for 2007 with December 15 2010 as the latest commence of work date. This 100 mega watt station is said to aid in the development of large scale industries and domestic consumption.

But has the government changed its course of direction in pursuing hydro power? Since the Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the government and Synergy Holdings Inc, the Company has repeatedly been quoted in the local press as saying it is awaiting financial closure.

As noted above, The government has now quickly secured more than US$37 million to bring a competing fibre optic cable to promote e-governance and break the Guyana Telephone and Telegraphy Company monopoly. While the President has said that his cable will be used for egovernenace, his Ministers and the PPP MPs have insisted (even in Parliament) that their cable will be competitive.

At the same time, the telephone company (GT&T) has said that it was/is investing US$60 million on a new undersea cable.

So, while the Government is finding US$37 million for a data cable, it is hard pressed to find a Lesser amount for hydro electricity?

Why are they investing in something that others are investing in when they cannot supply basic power? What will the GoG's customers pay for bandwidth prices and will the GoG be regulated?

Also, what will power up the customers' data customers?

There is more to this data cable deal than can be explained by economics, politics or by the lame excuse that they want to bring data prices down by their (GoG) own cable.

Corbin's Electricity II

2010-03-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

corbin elecctricity II

Corbin's Electricity

2010-03-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Corbin Electricity

Corbin's Household assistants

2010-03-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

Investment of the taxpayers continued

See document here

Corbin - Household Assistants
Contents read:

14 October 2009
Ms Paula James
Principal Assistant Secretary – Finance (ag)
Office of the President
New Garden Street
Bourda, Georgetown
Dear Ms James
Refund for Household Assistants – Leader of the Opposition
Please find attached the disbursement receipts Nos. 66381- 66382 and HPS
Ordinary Imprest Vouchers for payment to two (2) senior household assistants for
the month of September 2009 totalling $65,664 (sixty five thousand six hundred
and sixty four dollars).
I would be pleased if the necessary arrangements be made for reimbursement.
Yours sincerely
………………………
Robert H O Corbin, MP
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform &
Leader of the Opposition

Great investment for Guyanese Taxpayers - II

2010-03-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Great investment for Guyanese Taxpayers, Part II

We continue our analysis of the great investments that Guyanese taxpayers are proud to make. In the last installment we showed how each taxpayer is investing in the person and assets of the President.

In this second part, we will show how our taxpayers invest in the person and assets of the opposition leader.

We hope that at the right time, we can claim fair share of returns from these persons and their assets.

Unlike the previous paper, this bill must be on the conscience of the Opposition Leader since it is yet to leap off the Order Paper into the debate.

Leader of the Opposition (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill
(WHAT ELSE TAX PAYERS COULD BE PAYING):
1. Rent free, furnished office accommodation

2. Medical attention including medical treatment and reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for himself and dependent members of his family

3. Full time security at his home

4. Services of a secretary, executive security, chauffeur, gardener and domestic help

5. Vacation allowance applicable to that of the government minster (usually is 2 first class tickets)

More to come.

Berbicians - lots more to come

2010-03-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

The picture on the left is a replica of how Berbice was from Sunday 9 am to Monday 5pm.
Blackout.

Calls to the GPL offices explained nothing - they claimed a maintenance that was not 'fixed' properly.

Berbice will continue to enjoy blackout!

WHEN WILL FIP FLIP THE SWITCH?

2010-03-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

WHEN WILL FIP FLIP THE SWITCH?
Since 1996 Synergy Holdings Incorporated has been ‘working’ to bring the Amaila Hydro Project to life’. Synergy Holdings Inc is owned by overseas-based Guyanese Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall and each year from 1996 Guyanese have been promised that this Hydro Electricity Project will be powered up.

Here is a recap of these promises:
In 2008 Motilall said that the Engineering, procurement and construction bids would have been closed on the 30th October, 2008 and contractors would have been identified shortly with works going into ‘full swing in the 1st quarter of 2009’.

But this laughable position was later given at another forum which was attended by His Excellency President Jagdeo. The bids were pushed back and the investors and the government agreed that giving bidders an extension of time ‘would benefit all concerned’.

What has happened since?
There was talk that Sithe Global Power would have been providing $400 million and there were eager investors waiting to pump money into this.
In 2002 Motilall was quoted as saying that the project could cost $312 and this would be obtained from private financial institutions. (NONE NAMED because NONE CAME FORWARD).

BUT in 2006 here is what we heard, ‘we are STILL AWAITING FINANCIAL CLOSURE FOR THIS PROJECT’.

While there have been talks about the project kicking off in 2010 from 1996 to now there has been a long list of promises and excuses about this project.
This 100 megawatt facility is expected to reduce Guyana’s dependency on fossil fuels. We spend more than 40% of our GDP on Fuel!

YOU TELL US WHY INVESTORS ARE NOT TUMBLING OVER EACH OTHER TO PUMP MONEY INTO AMAILA??

Wanted Bulletin - Shafdar Ali

2010-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

Bulletin:

POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown
Tel: 225-5401 or 227-2685
Email: propolice247@yahoo.ca

PRO:29 February 26, 2010

News Editors,

WANTED BULLETIN

Shafdar Ali, who is the Regional Executive Officer of Region No. 4, is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to a multi-million dollars fraud committed on the State of Guyana.

His particulars are detailed below.
Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Shafdar Ali is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2700, 226-9941, 225-2227, 226-1326, 225-8196, 225-3650, 911 or the nearest police station.

All information will be treated with strict confidence.

Name: Shafdar Ali
Height: 5’ 7”
Complexion: Fair
Last known address: Lot 83 Better Hope North, ECD.

Photograph attached.

Sgd)Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations and Press Officer

Great investment for Guyanese Taxpayers

2010-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

HURRAH!

HERE IS A LIST OF EXPENSES YOUR TAXES WOULD HELP WITH NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS:

The President’s Benefits Bill of 2009

1. Water, electricity and telephone bills

2. Personal and household staff, clerical and technical staff

3. Medical attendance, medical treatment/reimbursement of medical expenses

4. Full time personal security/guard service for home

5. Motor vehicle, owned and maintained by the State

6. Toll Free road transportation locally

7. Annual vacation allowance equivalent to the cost of 2 first class tickets

8. Tax exemption status

Public Accounts part trios

2010-02-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

We continue to analyze the report of the Public Accounts' Committee.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DEC 2004.
The Public Accounts Committee said that it expressed dissatisfaction that the Guyana Office for Investment retained $0.522 Million which was not expended, IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW, from the amount $7.4 million allocated for the rehabilitation of office building and purchase of office equipment instead of returning same to the Office of the President for REPAYMENT to the Consolidated Fund.

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DEC 2005
The Public Accounts Committee in its report noted the frequency in which the National Communications Network operated in violation of the laws in not following the Procurement Regulations and advised that the Accounting Officer of that Agency should employ greater supervisory control to ensure that there was adherence to Tender Board Procedures.

MINISTRY OF FINANCE
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DEC 2004
The Committee in its report for that year expressed concern about the many unlicensed liquor operators. It was noted from the Auditor General’s report that amounts totaling $15.949 million were collected for liquor licenses. An examination of liquor licenses records for Regions 2, 3, 4 and 10 revealed a total of 1855 registered premises did not renew their licenses in 2004. In the absence of information of the status of these businesses, it could not be determined whether all were due for renewal. The PAC proposed that the Custom and Trade Administration investigate this matter.

FOR THE YEAR DEC 31 2005
The Committee continued to express concern that monies collected from the Lottery Fund
1.WERE NOT deposited into the Consol Fund as provided for in the Constitution and
2.Were spent without the consent of the National Assembly

FOR THE YEAR 31 DEC 2004
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Committee reports that an imprest bank account no.444 which became non operational in July 1996 reflected an overdraft of $51.635 million. The Committee proposed that the Ministry prepare a losses report and submit it to the Finance Ministry to resolve the issue.

With some 11 stale dated cheques valued at US$12,591.36, which were remitted though Diplomatic Bags and whose whereabouts have not yet been ascertained, the Foreign Affairs Ministry was advised to approach the Finance Ministry with a view of obtaining guidance in the clearing of the cheques.

The Committee said that in respect of the Foreign Missions, the Auditor General noted that some of the Mission lacked adequate segregation of duties in the Accounting Units.

FOR THE YEAR 31 DEC 2005
There was evidence to indicate that remittances to the various Missions were not received in a timely manner to allow for the smooth execution of the operations of these missions. The Report said that remittances to meet capital expenditure did not arrive at the Missions until after the close of the financial year, and the committee expressed serious concerns over the issue. In this regard the committee proposed that a routine system be adopted for remitting monies to missions, especially in relation to capital expenditure.

The Auditor General reported that the main bank account was affected by two outstanding advances totaling US$3,901.83 issued to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation to facilitate payment of hotel expenses for a Ministerial visit.

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
The Committee advised the Ministry to present all the financial returns for the warrants issued for 2004 for Audit examinations.

FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
Report said that the Committee noted with concern that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority RECEIVED funds from the Agriculture Ministry through subsidies and Contribution to Local Organizations rather than subventions to conduct its operations. It was reported that in the AG report that the NDIA was formed by ACT in 2004. The Authority came into ACT during MAY 2005 and is a separate and legal entity and is required to maintain its OWN accounting records which are subject to separate reporting and audit.

MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
Amounts totaling $1.099 million were expended to purchase computers, photocopier, workstation desks and filing cabinets for the Guyana Tourism Authority resulting in an excess expenditure of $598,544 which was deemed as UNAUTHORISED. The Committee in its report expressed concern that the Ministry has been expending sums that were not approved by the Finance Ministry.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
Amounts totaling $4.850 million expended to purchase 1000 of ‘What’s cooking in Guyana’. The books were received and taken to the Book Distribution Unit of the Ministry. The report said that a physical count revealed that 609 books were in stock where as the bin card and the stock ledger showed balances of 780 and 826 respectively. The Committee advised the Accounting Officer to consider a new mechanism for the distribution of school books.
Three years has elapsed since the Ministry filed a losses report on the misappropriation of funds totaling $136,637 and the matter had not received a response from the Finance Secretary. The Committee asked that the Accounting Officer take the matter up with the Finance Ministry.

THE GEORGETOWN PUBLIC HOSPITAL CORPORATION
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation which is now a separate entity from the Health Ministry continued to use the Ministry’s Cabinet approval CP (2003) 11:4: M dated 25 NOV 2005 for the purchase of drugs and medical supplies from specialized agencies, locally and overseas. The Procurement Act supersedes the Cabinet decision and as such the Committee advised the GPHC Accounting officer to adhere to the Procurement Act.

FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
The Committee in its report noted that the Corporation was using a Cabinet approval as the basis of procuring drugs from the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation rather than procuring such drugs through the Health Ministry. It was reported by the Auditor General that amounts totaling $443.203 Million were paid to the New Guyana Pharmaceuticals Corporation for the supply of drugs and medical supplies and during the year under review, the Corporation entered into 3 contracts using the Ministry’s Cabinet approval CP (2003) 11:4: M dated 25 Nov 2003 for the purchase of drugs and medical supplies of which amounts totaling $198.802 million were paid on these contracts.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
The Auditor General Reported that amounts totaling $723.945 were expended on Materials, Equipment and Supplies. Included in this figure are sums totaling $675.816 million which related to the purchase of drugs of which $225.059 million represents purchases made from overseas suppliers. This was done via cabinet approval CP (2003):4: M of Dec 2003 which was utilized to purchase drugs and medical supplies from specialized agencies locally and overseas. Given the time period that would have elapsed, it would appear necessary for the present arrangements for the supply of drugs and medical supplies from overseas be reviewed.

FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
The Committee expressed disappointment over the absence of a supervisory role by the Government and particularly the Health Ministry in the procurement process involving the GPC.

ONCE AGAIN THE COMMITTEE WARNED AN ACCOUNTING OFFICER OF THE PRACTICE OF PROCURING GOODS AND SERVICES WITHOUT TENDERING.

LABOUR, HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2004
The Public Assistance imprest bank account no.092 which ceased to be operational several years ago was overdrawn by $270.586 as at 31 Dec 2004. This was due mainly to inadequate provisions made over the years in the National Estimates to facilitate the payment of Old Age pensions and public assistance.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
The Committee expressed serious concerns over the failure of the Heads of Municipalities and District Councils to submit financial statements on an annual basis as required by the law despite the legal requirement to produce financial statements in a timely manner as well as the penalties involved for the failure to do so. It was noted in the PAC report by the AG that two of the municipal councils and majority of the district councils have been violating the provisions of the Law.

MINISTRY OF CULTURE,YOUTH AND SPORTS
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
The Committee in its report said that with regard to the Auditor General’s comments that the Ministry operated a current account no. 410004235 held at the then National Bank of Industry and Commerce for the operations of the National Cultural Centre and did not pay over the proceeds to the Consolidated Fund and have the related expenditure met out of the appropriations.
The Committee advised the Accounting Officer to regularize the operations of the National Cultural Centre and reminded that all revenue collected should be paid into the Consolidated Fund and related expenditures be met from appropriations.

MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND WATER
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
It was reported by the Auditor General that unspent monies totaling $23.796 was not refunded to the consolidated Fung BUT KEPT IN A SEPARTE ACCOUNT. The Committee in its report reminded that Accounting Officer that all unspent amounts should be refunded to the Consolidate Fund and expenditures should be met from the appropriated sum.

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
FOR THE YEAR END 31 DEC 2005
The PAC in its report said that with regard to the Auditor General’s findings that there were:
1. 41 instances where breaches of Tender Board Procedures were observed
2. 5 payments amounting to $2.720 million for which Ministerial Tender Board approvals were not seen
3. 28 payments valued at $2.245 million subdivided to avoid adjudication to the Departmental Tender Board
4. 8 payments totaling $703,050, which exceeded the limit of $600,000 and should have had the approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board
5. And 9 payment vouchers valued at $7.074 million which had no supporting documents attached to verify accuracy and validity of the transactions.

MORE TO COME: Fuel for Regional administration’s generators’ provided electricity to private homes for a fee, Contractors paid without physical examination done, resulting in overpayment, 300 meters purchased for Hinterland area still in store and Magistrates used $700000 in taxis for out of town duties.

Public accounts part deux

2010-02-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS SCRUTINY CONTINUES:

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A FIGMENT OF SOMEONE’S IMAGINATION BUT TAKEN FROM THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE FOR THE YEARS 2004 AND 2005.
CONSOLIDATED FUND

The Public Accounts Committee said that it noticed that even though the Consolidated Fund was opened there was still an UNRECONCILED balance in the account the findings reported that there were difference between the bank account balances reported in the Statement of the Current Assets and Liabilities of the Government and that in the records of the Bank of Guyana. According to the records of the Bank, the new Consolidated Fund account reflected a positive balance of $6.459 billion as at 31 December 2004, compared to a negative balance of $6.153 billion noted by the bank.

In addition, the total bank account balances of other ministries and departments amounted to a negative balance of $8.446 billion, compared to a positive balance of $10.907 billion as reported on the statement.

The Committee reports that according to Section 73(2) of the FMA Act, the Finance Minster is required to prepare a Statement of Contingent Liabilities which forms a component of the annual consolidated financial statements. The Act also defines a contingent liability as “a future commitment, usually to spend public monies which is dependent upon the happening of a specified event or the materialization of a specified circumstance”.

The Committee in its report said that DESPITE previous recommendations that liabilities for entities that are no longer in existence be transferred to the Public Debt, IT IS DISAPPOINTING to note that at the time of reporting in March 2006, NO ACTION was taken on the matter. The report said too that it should be noted that the statement submitted was not prepared in accordance to the ACT.

The PAC said too that according to the Statement of Receipts and Payments of the Contingencies Fund for the year end 31 December 2005, total payments of the Fund amounted to $5.865 billion, compared with $2.647 billion in 2004, an increase of $3.218 billion. Total Receipts from the Consolidated Fund amount to $5.856 billion as against $1.188 billion in 2004 an increase of $4.668 billion. This gives an excess of payments over receipts of $9 million.

Of the payments made from the Contingencies Fund for the period under review, 25 totaling $1.468 billion remained outstanding as at 31 December 2005.

The Report also noted that 19 ADVANCES totaling $37.634 million granted during the period 1986 to 1996 were still outstanding as of the 31 December 2005. At the time when the matter was reported to the Public Accounts Committee, the nature of the 19 advances could not be determined.
The Report said that during the time period involved and that fact that there was no financial reporting during the period 1986-1991, it was not possible to ascertain how the amounts were expended for the purpose of replenishing the Fund.

The Public Accounts Committee in its meetings over the 2004 and 2005 periods scrutinized the records of Ministries, Departments and Regional bodies.
In its Report the Committee noted that there were a number of bodies including ministries that still breached the Financial Regulations.

To be continued...

The GT&T scapegoat

2010-02-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

A monopoly that is shaking and toppling over - a breath of relief for Guyana.

The building of a new era is being heralded by the opening up of the telecommunications sector. The Government of Guyana has promised to liberalize the economy and is delivering on this - even if it is the only thing they do.

While the opposition is scratching their privates, the dolphin expert who holds mining concessions and received US$$$ to bring in the red company is now the Government expert on telecommunication. Of course he is the expert as he held the US$ payoff and he made good on the Red store at the airport.

Report of the Public Accounts Committee

2010-02-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Public Accounts for the years 2004 and 2005.

This report was recently submitted to the National Assembly. The Report started by listing some of the general problems it observed in the government’s financial management. The Committee said that during its deliberation of the 2004 and 2005 Auditor General’s reports, a number of general problems which adversely affected the financial management system were identified.

Those problems included:
1. OVERPAYMENT OF CONTRACTORS
2. BREACH OF TENDER BOARD PROCEDURES
3. LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF LOGBOOKS
4. NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE STIPULATED TIMEFRAME FOR THE CLEARING OF CHEQUE ORDERS
5. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BEING MET FROM CURRENT ALLOCATIONS
6. WRONGFUL PAYMENTS OF SALARIES AND CONSEQUENTIAL DEDUCTIONS PAID TO AGENCIES
7. OUTSTANDING POLICE REPORTS
8. ABUSE OF EXTRA BUGETARY FUNDS
9. VARIATION ON CONTRACTS
10.HIGH COST OF MAINTAINING VEHICLES

OVERPAYMENT FOR CONTRACTORS
The report says that a number of ministries and regions continued to have make overpayments on contracts. The PAC in its report said that it has noted that some ministries and regions have made progress on this issue but some continued to be delinquent.
These included the Ministries of:
1. Agriculture
2. Public Works and Communications and
3. Health
And Regions 1-3, 6, 7, 9 and 10.

BREACH OF TENDER BOARD PROCEDURES
There were various levels of non-compliance with the existing Tender Board Regulations relating to the procurement of goods and services and the undertaking of works, both capital and current by a number of agencies for the years 2004 and 2005, particularly where it relates to compliance with Tender Limits. In view of the fact that the last increase in Tender Board Limits was in November 2004 via the Procurement Regulations, the Committee recommends that the Tender Board limits be increased in the light of current prices.

LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF LOG BOOKS
The PAC is in report said that it noted that during the two years the control and use of government vehicles continued to be very lax resulting in log books not being kept or not being satisfactorily maintained. These agencies were found to be delinquent:
The Ministries of:
1. Agriculture
2. Education
3. Labour, Human Services and Social Security and
4. Home Affairs
5. The Guyana Defence Force and
6. Regions 1-6 and 8

While the Committee recommended that Accounting Officers ensure that log books are maintained and closed at the end of the year, the agencies continued to ignore these.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE STIPULATED TIMEFRAME FOR THE CLEARING OF CHEQUE ORDERS
All ministries, departments and regions are required to clear cheque orders with 16 days from when they are issues but there was an inability to do so and this was prevalent in
The ministries of:
1. Agriculture
2. Public Works and Communications
3. Education
4. The Guyana Defence Force and
5. Regions 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10.
I

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BEING MET FROM CURRENT ALLOCATION
While all amounts budgeted are required to be expended in keeping with that which was approved by the National Assembly, the PAC noted that a in a number of instances where the Auditor General reported that Ministries, Departments and Regions were funding activities of a capital nature from amounts approved for the Current Expenditure.
This forced the Committee to recommend that they:
Collaborate with the Finance Ministry with the aim of determining or differentiating current from capital purchases/works and also adhere strictly to the regulations whenever a need exist to make capital purchases from current allocations.

WRONGFUL PAYMENTS OF SALARIES AND CONSEQUENTIAL DEDUCTIONS PAID TO AGENCIES
The PAC report says that the slow processing of pay change directives in several ministries and mainly in the Regions results in wrongful payment of salaries to employees after they had resigned and the consequential deductions being paid to various agencies without the necessary adjustments made to the payroll and the Ministries and Regions not being able to recover such sums or any at all expeditiously.
This was especially prevalent with respect to the employment of Teachers.
It was also noted by Auditor General that this state of affairs also resulted in these Ministries, Departments and Regions recording overstatements on their Appropriation Accounts as a result of the deductions being paid over to various agencies and the Ministries and Regions not being able to recover such sums.

In 2005 the PAC recommended that:
To strengthen the mechanism to expedite the flow of information from various schools/ministries so that the necessary adjustments could be made to the payroll in a timelier manner; that the Accountings officers should seek to discuss with the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority the possibility of crediting the amounts overpaid to the respective ministry, department or region’s account; and in instances where the Accounting Officers attempt to recover sums from the agencies proved futile they should seek to bring the matter to the attention of their subject minister.

OUTSTANDING POLICE REPORTS
The Committee in its report said that it is gravely concerned about the number of issues concerning the loss of public property which are currently with the police and have not been resolved or which were pending in the courts. It said that a number of issues are in relation to the Supreme/Magistrate Courts and are dated as far back as 1992 while others were during 2004 and 2005.

The PAC recommends that Accounting Officers: seek the advice of the Head of the Budget Agency, Home Affairs Ministry where matters were with the police and have long been outstanding; seek the advice of the Attorney General with a view of bringing closure to the court matters and where discrepancies and fraud were discovered actions should be taken and developed to avoid recurrences.

On January 1 2004, the Procurement Act 2003 became operational. This act provides for the regulation of the procurement of goods, services and the execution of works, to promote competition among suppliers and contractors and to promote fairness and transparency in the procurement process. Regulations for this Act were also made and came into operation on the 29 November 2004. However, although the Procurement Act to date has assisted in some instances in addressing the numerous concerns the Committee had over the years, it was noted at the time of the report: THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT COMMISSION PROVIDED FOR BY THE ACT HAD STILL NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THE PAC RECOMMENDED THAT THE ISSUE BE RESOLVED.
The PAC expressed concern of possible collusion between contractors and officials at certain agencies and recommended that:
1. Accounting officers should ensure that there are proper systems for the verification of works to be done and that ministries needed to ensure independent verification.
2. Not only contractors should be held accountable for sums overpaid but also the officer who certified the payment of such sums and
3. The Accounting officer should inform the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board of the names of the contractors and the amount overpaid with a view of preventing those contractors who were requested to repay overpaid amounts and failed to do so from obtaining future jobs or to assist in the recovery of over paid amounts from subsequent contracts.
4. Accounting officers should employ a mechanism within their building/engineering departments to improve the verification f projects to ensure accountability

MORE TO COME !!!

Overseas vote

2010-02-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

The filing of a Constitutional Motion maybe the next step to blocking Local and General Elections and securing an extension in the Presidential office for another two years. We have been reliability informed that two overseas based Guyanese are preparing to file this motion through some lawyers in the local courts. This motion seeks to have challenge the lack of system for overseas voting and among their arguments would be that they have been disenfranchised by lack of such a system.

The chief culprits behind this act?

1.The man who recently wrote an article in the Mirror about overseas based Guyanese need to vote is the one touted to be drafting the legal arguments.

2. The man who has been saying that he will never agree to a third term but whose emoluments have increased significantly and will continue to do so in the up coming years.

3. The power drunk visitor to Guyana who has been denying that he will stay in that office.

The repercussions ?

Well the Guyana Elections Commission will have to stall its programme for the holding of Local Government Elections until the Court matter has been heard.

It will also in the mean time to have start registration of overseas based Guyanese.

The Country will have to wait until that process is over before Local and General Elections could proceed.

Given our court system and the back log who knows when this matter will be heard !

TheTaylors - a true story

2010-02-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

It has been more than two years since an American Couple and their son was chased out of the Rupununi. The scenario of a morning…while at their abode in Yupukari in the Rupununi, an armed vanload of police arrives and asked them to accompany them to Lethem. They could not pack but were told to walk with passports. But they did not stop in Lethem, they were driven all the way to the City and to the Immigration Department where they were told its to either ‘leave or be deported’
But what was the reason for this act?

Many Government officials have posited a number of reasons, most of these were never uttered in the public domain but were spoken under their breaths when they were asked about the Taylors.

Among they reasons were that Peter Taylor was working with the CIA, they couple were spies, they couple were anti-government and the last but not least was that they were pumping money into a village that was anti-government. A public comment posted on their website www.rupununi learners.org was another reason for the government’s attention. That comment which was taken from the Poverty Reduction Strategy Report spoke of Amerindians being deprived of certain essential services but was later removed from the site after a meeting with government officials.

Initially Peter Taylor came in 2005 to study Black Caimans where he then set up set up the Caiman Research Field Station. He was later joined by his wife Alice.
But with the arrival of Alice Taylor it was evident that the small Amerindian Village with about 500 people had little to do. Her plan was to encourage the development of new jobs, tourism and education.

Her activism overseas won the Community school libraries, internet free libraries and saw the establishment of a non-profit organization Yupukari Crafters which was set up to create jobs and sustain development.

But while Peter’s study was flourishing with information on Black Caimans it may have been Alice’s ‘philanthropy actions’ that may have brought the government’s attention to them.

Her downfall in trying to help the village could lie in some statements she made while doing an interview with the New Canaan Advertiser.

In that interview Alice said that she felt the need to improve education in the village the moment she walked into classrooms. She said that for the exception of a blackboard and some tables, the classroom had only one text book and the children only had one small exam booklet for the year’s duration and pens because the government did not supply pencil sharpeners. She said also that the textbooks, lessons and exams were still in English when the primary language of village including teachers was Macushi.

The most explosive statement some said it when Alice said that she ‘hopes to help the Amerindians become self-sufficient and politically active in their own country’
To date little is being said about the Taylors or their contribution to Yupukari. While the Rupununi Foundation and Rupununi Learners Corporation continue to do work locally the Taylors are said to be blacklisted from entering the country. There is information that Caiman House Field Station work has continued but under the watchful eye of the government who sent the Tourism Minister there some time ago to check on the operations.

Appeals to for the Taylors’ return to Guyana and to help continue with several of the projects fell on deaf ears. These appeals sent as far as the Head of State and the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues. There are recordings of the Minister meeting a group of Amerindians from the village where she verbally abused them asking them why they encouraged the Taylors in the village and asking them if they know what embarrassment they have brought the government. There is also a reported encounter with the President at his home, State House. It was reported that after several attempts to visit the President at his office the small group led by the Village Toshao was forced to show up at State House. There the Head of State greeted them but when they told them they were from Yupukari his demeanor changed and he asked them to leave. He later asked for the Toshao (who knows little English) to meet him and the Minister of Amerindian Affairs but little is known about that meeting.

Caiman House still operates but with minimal activities and under the watchful eye of the government. Books and other school supplies shipped to the Taylors for the village is still in containers at a wharf.

Those persons who accompany Jagdeo

2010-02-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Who are the people that accompany Jagdeo on his trips?

1) Brassing Blackoutman a) Brassin Blackoutman went on trips. He is the head of NICIL. This is the only entity that receives money from various sources without any accounting or reporting to treasury, Finance or parliament. More than 24 Billion $ have been paid into NICIL.How much has been paid over to the consolidated fund?

b) We wonder if hen is affiliated in anyway with the brassington that is associated with the russian mafia. See this link for this scoop http://www.madcowprod.com/08062009.htm. if we assume that the above is false, the further disclosure is needed: Who really owns the island in Essequibo and how was it acquired? Who sold/leased it to whom and what transparent process was followed?

2) Gerrymandering Goveya. Now the bigger owner of prime, previously-government-owned properties.

3) Ed Buyer: The best and most recent recipient of prime property.

4) Dr. Queensman of the Atlantic. This may well be the biggest beneficiary of government property, legal gifts and prepaid contracts.
a) The owner of a television station and newspaper, soon to be owner of a cable network compliments of GoG. Soon to be telecoms owner, of-course non-commercial.

Closing question: what is the link between the russian mafia, the surinamese elections, Chavez and Jagdeo? (Hint: 45million USD).

AFC is Wrong on Jagdeo's trippps

2010-02-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

The AFC is totally out of whack in its assessment of the cost of Jagdeo's tripps overseas. We aree going to analyze the cost benefit of these trips as follows:

According to the AFC release the trippps' cost are accumulated at $1Billion.

Let is add 10% interest over avg 2-and-a-half yrs, that brings us to 1.25billion.
Lets add 10% opportunity cost (money usable elsewhere)and 500% loss (being out of office and not assenting to laws or other work in a timely fashion.

Total = $7 BILLION

Now, lets add his gains on the trips like per diem (if any), salary received during this time, the excess staff accompanying his (their salaries etc), total now is approx $10 billion.

How much did he TRY to write off this last trip? Was it 50mil USD? That is approx $10billion G$....

Some further questions:
1) Who pays for the private sector and personal friends that accompany Jagdeo on his trips? This latest trip to Russia included the Queens Atlantic owner.
2) Who approves the persons that accompany jagdeo?
3) Who costs the private accomplishment of these individuals on these tripps?

More to come later.

More on Trippps & Deals

2010-02-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

The recent three trips of the President is clouded in conspiracy.

On one hand Jagdeo announced his own cable which initially was supposed to be non-commercial but is now touted as "the cable that will bring prices down" therefore clearly commercial.(J)

Then, the likelihood that Quack or Brassman will have the management contract for the cable - link this to Brassman's trip to Iran.(W)

Then, the making of a third telephone operator - link this to the Qai Doctor trip to Russia. (B)

It seems like there is a clear plan emerging for telecommunications in Guyana that will be owned by the triumvirate (JBW).

Finally in this post we see that the Qai doctor is to do cable TV soon starting in berbice. Is this based on the e-governance brazilian-venezuelean-surinamese-russian cable that will be non-commercially giving him the connection to do his thing across country?

Trips and Deals

2010-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Numerous letters have been written to the press on Jagdeo trippps. Not many writers are aware of the people that have accompanied Jadgeo on his trippps especially the more recent ones.

1) The trippp to Iran was with the Blackout Brassman, whose brother will work with the GoG to set up the e-governance system in Guyana.

2) The trippp to Surinam: the secret meetings to map out communications strategies that would link venezuela's Chavez with Bouterse in Surinam with the Russians.

3) Finally the trippp to Russia to iron out the financing of the commmunicaiton deal with Bourterse, Chavez and the Russians.

4) This trippp to Russia - who accompanied the president? None other than the owner of the Queens Atlantic. This is the guy on whose behalf the Government changed Guyana's laws to facilitate his business. Guess what other businessman went to Russia with them?

Is there more to these Iran, Surinam, Russia trips? Are we all missing something here?

The Green Green Grass of Home - Part III

2010-02-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

From the miners' articles on the subject matter, we find that the monies paid for licensing etc is almost equivalent to the amount that Guyana is getting from Norway.

In the meantime, we also find that the president has granted mining concessions to his officers of the Government. The shady Lumumber deal smacks of the usual arrogance the so-called head of state has for laws of the country as he shares out concessions to his favorite boys.

In the meantime, we also wonder about the three concessions that the bent minister's wife is supposedly to have and to have signed documents for. This latest development is a clear case of more corruption on the part of the 'concessionaire'

The Green Green Grass of Home - Part II

2010-02-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

Continuing from the previous Article, we use the “Seeing REDD” by Tom Griffiths of the Forest Peoples Programme:

1)March 2008: investment firm Canopy Capital and Global Canopy Programme (GCP) signed a preliminary agreement with the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. Under this deal, Canopy Capital will help finance the rainforest protected area for 5 years in return for ‘ownership’ of forest ecosystem services and a claim in any future profits.

2)The new saleable asset would involve carbon values and possibly rainfall, water storage, soil conservation, biodiversity, climate buffer and watershed values.

3) Canopy Capital aims to try and establish a best-practice model, protocol and standards for global profit-driven market-based payments for forest Ecosystem Services (ESS) and to create a stepping stone to a national scheme in Guyana and ultimately a global market in environmental services.

4)At this stage, Canopy Capital is exploring options for marketing ecosystem services through an ‘Ecosystem Service Certificate’ attached to a 10-year tradable bond.

5)The company advises that interest from such bonds could help pay for the maintenance of the Iwokrama forest.

6)Canopy Capital has a commitment to measure and value forest ecosystem services and to develop a financial and legal instrument to market ecosystem services. If this is achieved and sales of services are possible, then the investment company will have a major stake in any financial returns. How benefits would be shared between Canopy Capital, Iwokrama and local communities is not clear as the CC-IIC agreement remains confidential.

WEAK CONSULTATION
1) Canopy Capital and its legal advisers admit that the deal was not adequately discussed with the implicated communities but just discussed and agreed with the Board of Iwokrama, which has one community representative.

2)The community of Fairview that has titled lands within the Reserve was not consulted directly and communities that use the reserve and have never surrendered their ancestral ownership over the area were not directly involved.

3)Asked about why the deal had been shrouded in secrecy, Canopy Capital and Iwokrama advise that for reasons of ‘commercial confidentiality’ it was not possible to broadcast the issue before the deal was done and for this reason also the agreement remains confidential.

The Green Green Grass of Home - Part I

2010-02-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

The Green Green Grass of Home: our Guyana's forests have been sold, politicized and raped. This Green Baby is being ripped apart by the careless and selfish actions of the Government of Guyana.

In this series we present the summaries of various articles presented by different writers on the subject.

This is an extract from REDD-Monitor, 3rd December 2008
1) Iwokrama scheme was originally set up in 1996, at a time when Guyana’s President Cheddi Jagan was keen to prop up his country’s flagging international credibility.

2) It was intended as a visionary and self-sustaining new scheme to balance conservation with sustainable rainforest use and provide world-class facilities for scientific research.

3) The economics of the scheme were never sound. Having built a large centre and employed numerous staff, it has always relied heavily on support from donors and, increasingly, the revenue from logging operations, which have now been allocated across half the area’s 370,000 hectares. By 2007, the scheme was effectively out of cash, and in search of new forms of income.

4) In 2008, Canopy Capital, in the form of Hylton Murray-Philipson, a former banker, and Andrew Mitchell, a rainforest canopy scientist and founder of the Global Canopy Programme. Canopy Capital contracted with the government of Guyana to ‘buy’ the ‘ecosystem services’ of the area, for an as-yet undisclosed sum.

5) Murray-Philipson and Mitchell have also been close advisors to the Rainforest Project of Prince Charles, who has been Royal Patron of the Iwokrama project since 2001.

7) Murray-Philipson said in an interview with Mongabay.com,“If you can’t make something work in Guyana, I’m not sure you are going to ever make it work anywhere.”

8)There may be more truth to this than he realises. On the basis of what has happened at Iwokrama so far, the precedent for these kinds of projects in terms of transparency, respect for indigenous rights, and consultation, is not very promising.

Belated Happy New Year

2010-02-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Belated happpy new year to all!

Let's march on to a better Guyana.