Developmental works to start at Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme later this year - President Jagdeo assures
Georgetown, GINA, March 27, 2005
The much anticipated development works at Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme, a former squatter settlement, will begin later this year.
This assurance was given to residents today when President Bharrat Jagdeo met them after distributing kites to children in the area.
The President told residents of the developmental programme, which was announced last year for works in Sophia and Cummings Lodge.
This programme entails road and drainage works and electrification of parts of Sophia. It is being funded through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. The contract has been awarded and preparatory works have started.
However, the President explained that electrification of Cummings Lodge and the other parts of Sophia will be funded through a loan Government is negotiating with the European Union. The loan was already approved, but Government has some concerns about the designs, as suggested by the consultant and these are being discussed at present so that the project can be funded, he told the gathering at Cummings Lodge.
Government has already paid $1.2M or US$6M to the Guyana Power and Light Company for the electrification programme to begin.
According to President Jagdeo, GPL has already placed the order for the equipment, including transformers for the expansion programme and these are expected to arrive within two months. The cost to supply electricity to each household is estimated at $60,000 and while Government is subsidizing $50,000, residents are asked to pay $10,000 per household.
Residents raised several queries about Government’s assistance to them following the recent flood and President Jagdeo noted that every affected household will be given the $10,000 grant. He said that a cheque will be written in one person’s name for a household. Responding to queries, the President explained that not every family in the affected household will be given a grant and if there is more than one family in the same flat, they will have to share the grant. If persons with two-storey houses can prove they had tenants, then they may be given two grants.
“It may not be the fairest system of assistance in the world, but it’s as close as we can get to ensuring fair distribution of the assistance,” he said, adding that some may have lost more than others, but this assistance is not compensation.
On the issue of assistance for the productive sector, several persons said they missed the assessment that was conducted at the Ogle Community Centre. The President told them to visit other existing centres and explain their absence and to their claims.
Many of them said they were confused about what’s in the Government’s recovery package for them after viewing some newscasts. The Head of State urged them not to be sidelined or distracted by persons with political motives, who purposely sow confusion by distorting the content of the package.
Residents has several other concerns, including high water bills even though they do not receive water through the taps. The President advised that “as long as you are not receiving water, do not pay the bill.”
Responding to the other concerns raised by residents, President Jagdeo undertook to return to the community within two weeks to address these. That meeting will include officials from the Ministry to Housing and Water and GPL. The date and time are to be finalised.
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President spreads Easter joy to Children
Georgetown, GINA, March 27, 2005
Joy was brought to the faces of children living in several Georgetown communities today, when President Bharrat Jagdeo made visits to distribute kites, as part of the Easter celebrations.
West End, one of President Jagdeo’s neighbouring communities to the west, was his first stop.
The President arrived amid shouts and cheers from the children who had gathered to await his arrival. One child, nine-year-old Devon said, “ I feel happy to receive this kite, and would like to say thank you to the President.” Residents who had gathered from as early as ten o’clock to await the arrival of the President expressed similar sentiments. Ms. Lynette Stevens, a mother of five, expressed gratitude to the President, noting that, “the cost for one kite is so high that all my children would’ve had to share one kite.”
The President’s next stop was ‘C’ Field Sophia where an even larger crowd greeted him at the community’s Health Centre Children from all across the community converged on the Health Center as news of the President’s arrival circulated. One excited ten-year-old who had just collected his kite, complete with tail and polythene twine, could be seen attempting to put his kite in the air outside the Health Centre’s compound. Another joyful eleven-year-old was eager to thank the President for visiting Sophia, and said, “I can’t wait to fly my kite this afternoon and the whole day tomorrow.”
The welcome President Jagdeo received when he arrived in the Cummings Lodge squatting area, his last stop for the day, was no less enthusiastic. Hundreds of children came out to receive their kites and some had to be lifted by their parents in order to gain access to the President, who was sharing the kites from a resident’s yard.
The residents of Cummings Lodge squatting area expressed their gratitude to President Jagdeo and a vote of thanks was given before his departure.
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Court action holds up Sophia regularization
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President to return to address residents’ woes
A Court action filed by a group of Sophia residents has stalled the regularization process in parts of the area, thereby putting a halt to developmental works.
President Bharrat Jagdeo explained this at length to residents when he met them today at the ‘C’ Field Sophia, after he distributed kites to children in the area.
Several residents requested that the President explaned to why ‘D’ Field Sophia has not been regulariased, even after the Ministry of Housing and Water had showed them a plan for the area’s development.
“The Court action stopped everything. There is a court action by some residents of ‘D’ Field, preventing them (the Ministry of Housing) from completing the regularization process,” the President said.
During a visit to Sophia in December last, the President said he met the group of persons who filed the court action and they agreed to settle the matter with the Ministry of Housing.
“Until they lift it (the injunction) or the court rules, the Ministry cannot act,” but the group has not lifted the injunction. Many residents claim that they are unaware of the matter. To this end, President Jagdeo agreed to return to the ‘D’ Field for a meeting with residents and officials from the Ministry of Housing and Water.
Meanwhile, the President observed that the developmental programme, which was announced last year for works in Sophia and Cummings Lodge, has started.
This programme entails road and drainage works and electrification of parts of Sophia. It is being funded through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. The contract has been awarded and preparatory works have started.
Resident noted that this only includes Field ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. President Jagdeo agreed and explained that Fields ‘D’ and ‘E’ will be developed through a loan from the European Union.
The loan has been approved, but Government has some concerns about the designs, as suggested by the consultant and these are being discussed at present so that the project can be funded. He explained that the consultant suggested that a street be built after every three rows of houses and alleys be used to access these houses. The Government of Guyana has objected, as this is not suitable for housing in Guyana.
“We are discussing this with the EU and when the discussion is completed, we will go out to tender and then award the contract for the works. The programme was also delayed by the recent flood, but it will start this year,” the President assured Sophia residents.
Government has already paid $1.2B or US$6M to the Guyana Power and Light Company for the electrification programme to begin.
According to President Jagdeo, GPL has already placed the order for the equipment, including transformers for the expansion programme and these are expected to arrive within two months. The cost to supply electricity to each household is estimated at $60,000 and while Government is subsidizing $50,000, residents are asked to pay $10,000 per household. Many residents say they cannot afford this and President Jagdeo said Government will have to examine the matter to see if it can help such persons, not only in Sophia, but other parts of the country.
GPL has to expand its programme to supply electricity to 12,000 additional households this year and another 30,000 later on, under the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme. The programme will see GPL contracting private persons to execute the task in a timely manner.
It is GPL’s policy not to electrify unregularised areas, as well as areas where persons do not have their transports as yet.
Many persons in Sophia are in the latter group. President Jagdeo said this will have to be worked out with the Ministry and GPL, but strongly urged persons to pay off monies owing for their lots. The cost of a house $58,000, which can be paid in installments.
“There is a huge benefit to getting a title. At the end this belongs to you. So even if you have to make a little effort to pay off for it, please try. When the area gets roads, light and water fully, the price for lots will go up tremendously. You can sell or leave it for your children, but we will find out if we can find a special solution for Sophia and other parts of the country,” the President told the large gathering at Sophia.
The President was questioned about why Government is only now providing the money for developmental works in the area. President Jagdeo explained that the country could not have afforded it on its revenues collected. Hence, a loan had to be negotiated with the IDB and the EU and these negotiations take a long time, in some cases about four years.
Government inherited a foreign debt of more than US$2B, half of which had either been repaid or written off. Some 94 per cent of the country’s revenue was also used for debt servicing and now that has been reduced to 20 per cent, freeing up resources to spend on development. Also, because the country has been replaced on the track of economic viability, it is now credit worthy and hence, can get funding for developmental works.
“We have brought this country from bankruptcy to economic viability…there was no money left for development,” he told residents, adding that the revenues of this country still cannot fund much development works, rather it has to borrow, but on consessional terms.
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Easter Regatta 2K5 - keeping the fun and frolic alive
Georgetown, GINA Sunday, March 27, 2005
The Bartica Regatta 2005 was a resounding success. Thousands of people from around Guyana, the Caribbean and wider a field flocked to what is touted to be the hub of Region 7’s tourism industry.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds attended the Regatta and said that Region 7 has the potential for the development of water-based tourism. He noted that boat racing, river trips and yachting are some of the key niche markets that could be broken into.
The Prime Minister said that Guyanese need to recognise the importance of tourism to Guyana. He said that tourists have two concerns and those are personal safety and public health.
Prime Minister Hinds said that the people of Guyana must become sensitised to what their role is in a developing tourist industry.
He was happy to note that Guyana has overcome the flood and there is no lasting damage to the tourism industry.
Mrs. Yvonne Hinds, the Prime Minister’s wife said that this year’s events are much better organised and the coordinators just need to keep working at it to develop the Regatta.
As legend has it, the Regatta emerged out of friendly speed boat racing at the water front by locals and visitors to the area. Today, it has grown into a major event on the Easter weekend calendar with several competitions including a pageant marking the event.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce said $500,000 has been shelled out by Government, to provide resources for the clean-up and beautification of Bartica. The Government subsidy also funded the local promotion of the activity, sponsored the cash prizes and trophies for some of the bigger races and a live outside broadcast by the National Communications Network.
Central Government has refurbished the main pavilion at the Regatta site.
Executive Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Indira Ananjit said that it is quite heartening to note that despite the travel advisories issued in major tourist markets as a result of the flood that Regatta was well supported by foreign tourists.
She said that the success of this regatta will only give it more prominence. Ms. Ananjit was even more pleased with the 8 yacht owners who participated in the event and provided a picturesque background for the races. The yachts have been in Guyana for several weeks now.
She said that the Government and private sector collaboration to take advantage of the March events to encourage tourists to return to Guyana is going well. Ms. Ananjit noted that Government/ private sector relations in the sector are at an all time high. She said that this is important since these two groups cannot effectively promote the industry without the other.
Secretary of the coordinating committee Elizabeth Moonsammy said that the Regatta is the major event for Bartica’s tourism industry and problems of sponsorship from the local community and accommodation in Bartica must be overcome.
Barticians recognise the importance of the Regatta to the development of the community and feel that it has a lot to offer tourists.
Miss Bartica Regatta 2004 Sonjie Marslowe who is a resident of Bartica said that she participated fully in the implementation of the Regatta since she recognises the role it plays in the development of Bartica.
She said, “Without the Regatta, Guyanese would not even know that Bartica exists”.
Several tourists said that they enjoyed the atmosphere, the hospitality of the people of Bartica and the exciting boat races.
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