Wanted Bulletin - Shafdar Ali

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Belated happpy new year to all!

Let's march on to a better Guyana.

Notes of a journeyman - What would Cheddie say?

Our external public debt increased 11% from June 08 to june 09.

Cheddie Jagan would have said that this "barefaced" government is "impoverishing" this country and our future generations! Children are indebted before they are born.

King Sugar

King Sugar - GuySuCo and the Nation Part I

Excerpt from Sasenarine Singh's letter to Kaieteur News: (Direct Quote)


Reality check No. 1:- 2010 will remain a tough year for GuySuCo.

Let us accept that the best brains in sugar such as Dr. Gopaul’s were integral in designing the TP and thus we must accept this plan has merit in its contribution to the industry. However, does the plan cater for the following which I encourage any journalist to ask Mr. Hanoman the next time he is interviewed?

1. Are there adequate planning systems in place to optimise sugar cane cultivation using selective mechanisation? Mechanisation must be intensified in this industry as more and more of the off-springs of the cane cutter either migrate to other types of work or migrate out of Guyana. How much of the cane is harvested mechanically today and what is the plan for the next 12 months and by when 50% of the cane will be reaped mechanically?

2. Is the mix of cropping and grinding optimally matched? Are there enough cane available in the estates (save and except Skeldon) at the right time to feed the sugar factories? After the Chinese have sorted the teething issues at Skeldon, there is still an overwhelming concern that there are inadequate cane in the ground to feed the new factory. Does the TP cater for a timeline by which this anomaly is sorted and what immediate actions are in train to realise this objective? The Government can take actions such as providing partial bank guarantee in order for the private cane-farmers to secure the required resources to accelerate development and planting of the land. Is this action actively being taken? How much of the newly developed land is now planted?

3. Is the production chain well synchronised? Operations on an estate involve soil tillage, bed preparation, planting, herbicides application, fertiliser application, harvesting, loading, transporting and milling. Does the planning process identify early kinks in the production chain and thus allow for measures to be taken to resolve the issue in a timely manner to ensure that the milling process is not adversely affected?

4. Are there adequate utilisations of their owner-managed machinery? Should this process drive increased levels of equipment leasing (tractors etc) rather than owning? Essentially GuySuCo must own some of its equipment but there is scope for greater leasing of equipment whereby cash resources will only be used when equipment are engaged in productive income earning activities.

5. Is there active engage the workers to get their buy-in of the plans of the industry? GAWU most certainly is not fully on board and quite justifiable so. GAWU firmly believes that the management has under-performed resulting in this state of affairs. However at this critical junction in the industry’s future GAWU has to “give a little”, but when one reads in the national press that an Engineer is costing the industry over $2 million a month, there are no incentives for GAWU to give anything. The industrial relations aspect must be rebuilt since it appears that the employees no longer trust the employer. The sugar union should be brought to the table, along with their skilled accountant (thank you Yog) to assess the cash flow projections for 2010 with full evidence of each figure. The union must be advised of the strategies to increase revenue and reduce cost and what action the management will commit to, if there are significant adverse variances.

6. Is there adequate accountability in the industry? The term of employment for Heads of Estate and other Top Management Officers must be changed to contractual employees with clear performance benchmarks inserted into their contracts. For example, the Skeldon Estate will meet a target of X by 2010 and if not, these are the consequences, if there is no clear justification. No one should be sacred in the industry any more; it should be run like a business if it is to survive.

I said almost a year ago that sugar is Guyana’s blood stream and the haemorrhaging of the industry has to be stopped as it is intrinsically linked to the nation’s future. The evidence reveals that GuySuCo continues to suffer from poor decision making, improperly targeted resources, a mismatch of skills, under-performance of the operating systems and adverse weather. Of all these issues, GuySuCo’s biggest failure is its inability to strike a balance between rewarding hard labour/innovation on the Estates and executives protecting their turf. Weather disruptions can rapidly worsen an already poor financial situation as a result of poor leadership (I am not blaming Mr. Hanoman here; this is more directed at Booker-Tate Management and the previous local management many of whom are still in the system). Unfortunately, the weather was part of the problem, but the weather was not the main problem. It management duh!

Management has to come clean with the workers and slash waste and extravagance at all levels. The culture of investing in world class agronomical practices at all time must be embraced as well as listening to the workers. The industry itself is a reservoir of innovative ideas, but few of these bottom-up ideas see the light of day. Workers are best placed to know what would work best in their local situation but they get neither the resources nor support for their ideas to better the industry.

I think a start was made with the TP but the realities on the ground to date demonstrate that all is still not well at GuySuCo. The onus is on the Board of Directors to find out why the productivity, profitability and prosperity of the industry is not improving.

The management Guru Peter Druker said “Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are, where they need to improve, and where they lack knowledge or information”.

He further stated that “Executives owe it to the organisation and to their fellow workers not to tolerate nonperforming individuals in important jobs.” I trust that members of the Board of Director at GuySuCo are students of Peter Druker.

Merry Christmas to all

What will the PPP be like in 3 years?

The following is pure hypothetical and assumes that Jagdeo is "persuaded" to go for a 3rd term:
1. People cannot call on a person who is unwilling. Assume(?) Jagdeo KNOWS and LEADS the call for his 3rd term.
2. Has carefully manipulated and silenced all potential opposition (both in and out of the PPP).

We have seen that anyone or any company who dare to ‘bad-talk’ Jagdeo, will suffer. For example Navin Chanderpal criticized the 3rd term thingy at Wugar-workers’ Providence Stadium. He was fired.

For the companies, “suddenly” GRA holds up their imports, GRA initiates audits, GRA investigates their VAT books. Then, GPL will 'discover' a dirty connection. Any legal matter languishing in the courts will be suddenly brought forward for hearing. NOW, we are NOT saying that Jagdeo does all of this, it MAY be just an act of God.

However, such companies are also ridiculed and criticized by the HOS.

For some individuals, eg. Geri Goo: at the initial independent thought, the HOS lashes out at him….. Suddenly Geri gets selected for ownership of prime properties. Soon, Geri is seen as his back-pocket. Geri now sits in every committee to guide the private sector into acquiescence and praiseful comments of the almighty.

Ministers and political wannnabees: they are carefully selected and placed in boards and committees and reminded that they are there by the Grace of the big one. Careful comments coupled with careful ridicule ensure that sooner than later they are followers. Those that follow and praise are allocated large budgets, like MOA. Those that prove to be a challenge will be given tasks to fail. They will be given a small budget, a large task and allocated the persons to work with - failure, ridicule, downsize, silence. And if this does not work, set up rumors and email about families etc. Silence. Dead.

So, the PPP is carefully taken care of.

Let’s turn to PPP internal

Congress is manipulated, the executive committee is ‘selected’. The current ExCo members are: Ali Baksh, Komal Chand, Navin Chanderpaul, Clinton Collymore, Bharrat Jaadeo, Roger Luncheon, Zulficar Mohamed, Haripersaud Nokta, Reepu Persaud, Robert Persaud, Ulric Ramanah, Ralph Ramkarran, Clement Rohee, Gail Teixeira, Donald Ramoutar.

Of the above list the only persons that can stand up to Jagdeo would be Komal Chand and MAYBE Navin Chanderpaul, but he’s jobless.

The aspirations of Donald Ramoutar will be shattered. The once mighty and well-liked Gail is reduced to an underling of Jagdeo. We theorize that under Jagdeo’s 3rd term, Gail will become the General Secretary to the party. In addition, Airfan and other Jagdeoites will become more entrenched within the PPP - and more powerful. Rohee will continue to float, Frank will be frustrated, Ralph is history, Moses will retire soon, Navin will shut up.

The wise old heads like Feroze will soon stop emerging from their homes, their minds stuck in the glorious dreams of yesteryear and their freedom of speech removed.
Komal Chand will eventually retire – and like Cheddi, Janet and a host of past greats – he will leave disillusioned and disheartened at what has become of the people he helped to train and grow.

So, for the next three years, we see the content of the exco changing as well as the GS of the party.

To be continued……………..

.....announces the Discovery of a new Element

Our Laboratory has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 - 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each re-organization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.

This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Jagdeo’s intent on Sugar becomes crystallized

The situation at Guysuco gets worse with each passing day. Today the Corporation announced that it may not be able to pay wages this week.

The timing is excellent since a decision is expected from the tribunal in the next week. So this forces their hand.

We wish to opine that the Jagdeo Government is purposely cheating the sugar workers. This industry will close down because of the pitiable economics of the economist Jagdeo:

The PPP Government took 40 MILLION USD in land from the company WITHOUT PAYING A CENT. Those lands were supposed to be sold to raise funds for the company’s new factory.

This jagdeo government seized the lands – the company then had to take bread from the workers’ mouths to fund the new factory and now they can’t find money to pay the wages. Yet the CEO earns double-digit millions per month!

This is the "working class" President that heads Caricom, that tours the world at the sugar workers expense to sell carbon credits. At home they cannot honor their debts, 1000 children will starve next week for a meal and 20,000 workers will develop stress, heart and hypertension problems as they consider their next helpless move.

Yes, a third term! To dig the graves!

Come on economist, pay back the workers the 40 million USD that was stolen from them!

Digicel's copyristmas

Christmas in the air. Digicel telecoms giant has announced it disappointing, puny copyristmas promotion.

Are we mistaken or is the Digicel Christmas program an replica of last year's GT&T promotion..... Lets see:
- They have an on-screen counter.... same as GT&T had last year? Same counters, same approach, same thing.... just packaged a little different. Wonderful copying Digicel! This is disappointing and disgusting! AND the most embarassing thing is that when they (Live on TV) call THEIR OWN SUBSCRIBERS the call goes to voice mail IMMEDIATELY. That is the experience everyday - 50% of the calls I place goes to voice mail!

On top of it all, the entire cash giveaways sounds just like..... GT&T's cash booth promotion last year!!!

Come on digicel, get better. your copyristmas sucks!
Until I see better, I am going blue!

Land share property sale

Information at hand is that the original ‘winner’ of the Duke Street property bid WAS a (PPP) boy from Essequibo who is a dealer in gold and diamonds. His was the highest bid. But we have to assume that the gold was not spreading plus, the bid went in vertically, not horizontally, therefore the property goes to Geri.

On another related matter, the other Promised Land, that huge block at East Coast has been handed to the Edy-do-it-yourself-Buyer.

Jagdeo’s triPPPs part trois

Jagdeo’s triPPPs part trois

(first part was here)

Jagdeo’s trippps are well known – well not really. The trippps are so frequent that no one nowadays really know when he is in country or not. It would be interesting to see the countries that are most frequented by Jagdeo.

It also seems like other ministers can only go on trippps when Jageo is himself on another trippp.

We are not against the President’s trippps. However, we make these observations:
1) The trippps (ab)use our money. Therefore he is accountable to us for the trips. Where he goes, for what purposes and total expense per trip must be disclosed fully for each trip.
2) We the taxpayers fund these trips fully! We need to know the names of those who accompany Jagdeo on these trippps?
3) What is the total number of days that jagdeo has traveled and spent outside of Guyana?
4) Finally, let us compare the answer of the above question on how many days he has spent travelling outside of Guyana to how many days he has spent walking the streets or visiting the farmers or visiting the troubled people of Guyana – whose money he uses for his touring?

I guess that last question may be deemed silly since it is not election time - or no massacre took place, so no need to "walk-about" in Guyana to see its people and to be their at-home president?

Corruption - Those who doubt

We wish to theorize that:

There is absolutely no corruption in Guyana.

Our beloved President does not own any dual properties. He does not lie and is not interested in a 3rd term (please ignore the billboards and ads). He is the representation of all that is Guyana. The embellished words of ethics and honesty could never be better uttered by anyone as good as he does it.

Fact 1: (at least sounds good on paper): Our president is the honest, ethical and dedicated person - on which strength he will win the popular vote to run Guyana for the next term.

Fact 2: Our dear president literally run (and fly) everything in Guyana. He is the President, part-time minister of information, part-time minister of finance, part-time minister of tourism, part-time minister of telecommunications, part-time chief name-caller, part-time Frequency minister, part-time sleazeball-watching, part-time gossip-spreader and most-time tourist.

Conclusion:
If this proves that the president is ethical and honest and everything else.
If he also hold all the portfolio of jobs as described above.
THEREFORE he does everything - no one else does anything.

THEREFORE there is no corruption in Guyana.

Property sales, Guyana for sale – to Geri

Property sales, Guyana for sale – to Geri

Geri Govi is the new ViOdit.

In the past, Viodit “purchased” land in all parts of Guyana making him one of the major land owners in Guyana. Today the PPP is trying its best to take away his land. For example, ViOdit “owned” the land aback of the Blairmont cultivation.

The PPPites – mainly of the jags, want to ensure that he is stripped of that land. So they take it away….. then they got another sucker to buy equipment by offering him the contract to develop the land for GuySuCo…..now that ‘development’ is abandoned.

Objective met…. Land taken away from ViOdit, claimed by GuySuCo….GuySuCo takes bread out of the workers mouth to initiate this contract to develop the land, then abandons it…..

Let’s turn to Geri. He has been like a biblical chief. He has been promised land! Blackoutman repairs the lodge then sells to geri…now geri wants the land next door and the sale is ‘set up’. He cant win the tender so is given the contract based on 'plans'. Congrats geri.

One day this government will change. The cycle will repeat. Then, Geri’s land will be taken away.

Air-fan's bauble

Airman's been going around mouthing off about people who sell and buy the houselots that he allocated. He mouthed about how it's all illegal and the JPs are involved etc etc.

Our question:
Doesn't airman own another house in Turkeyen? How did he buy this that was allocated to GuySuCo workers... yeh yeh yeh, we know. That one was ok to buy because the owner sold. How much did you buy it for?

Maybe we are wrong (that is why we ask). Does airman own multiple properties?

Shame on Guyana Times - SHAME on Dr Ramroop

Thus far we have not commented on Guyana Times. We all know the fantastic handouts that they got from the President.

While they did get all the help from the GoG, they have, in our view kept up a clean front in terms of reporting and bias - although (of course) they do bias heavily toward some ministers (Bert, Fan, etc).

However, following yesterday's (November 11) publication of a ghost writer's letter, we say SHAME ON YOU to Dr. Ramroop and the entire Times' staff.

Our position is that if you hate Freddie then hate away - but stay off from people's family. Guyana Times hit below the belt (to Jadgo's sleezeball) - they insulted Freddie's wife. No way Mr. Ramroop, that is GUTTER journalism. One question though - shouldn't we fire ThaSilva for keeping incompetent people in his employment?

Stereo-typing and homophobia - by the President?

Stereo-typing and homophobia by the President
Nov 6, 2009: Georgetown, Guyana

Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo (part time president, part-time minister of information, part-time minister of finance, part-time minister of tourism, part-time minister of telecommunications, part-time chief name-caller, part-time Frequency minister, part-time sleazeball-watching, part-time gossip-spreader and most-time tourist), made public his public distaste for male-to-male affection.

The president basically said that the Kaieteur News should not employ anyone that was a “man-kisser” (man-kisser - the actual words used by the president).

Is this homophobia? – maybe not. The president will say he was misunderstood.

So we ask: what is wrong with being a man-kisser? We kiss our dad, brothers, sons….. maybe we are misunderstanding him again.

BUT then, we CANNOT understand him – he holds so much positions including
- marriage-faker (not fakir)- pronounces on marriage and domestic abuse,
- ballwatcher (HE said sleezeball, not us)….
- gerrymanddering - that is leading gerry all over the place (If the presi stops, gerry bumps into him).
- corruptishon - leading a team of corrupt people (see sacred cows article below)
- ghosthider - hiding ghosts like Daly yet saying that KN has ghostwriters.

We will continue to analyse with awe the multiple disciplines, the multitasking and the multifaceted work being done by this multi-personality.