| President Jagdeo for inaugural South American/Arab summit
Georgetown, GINA, May 7, 2005
President Bharrat Jagdeo will soon be attending the first summit of South American and Arab leaders, in Brasilia, Brazil, which is being held at the initiative of Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Heads of South American and Arab countries are expected to attend this
inaugural summit aimed at fostering closer ties between the two regions.
Issues high on the agenda for discussion include political dialogue and
economic cooperation.
Guyana’s Head of State is scheduled to have a number of bilateral meetings with several of his counterparts.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rudy Insanally, Public Service Minister, Jennifer Westford, and representatives of the Private Sector will accompany President Jagdeo.
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South Africa honours Guyana’s hero
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Donald Ramoutar receiving the Order of the Companions or Tambo in Gold award bestowed on late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan from South Africa’s Chancellor of Awards while President Thabo Mbeki looks on.
Georgetown, GINA Saturday, May 07, 2005
The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Gold, the highest award bestowed on foreigners by South Africans, was officially handed over to the widow of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan, Mrs. Janet Jagan at Freedom House today.
The award was bestowed posthumously on Dr. Jagan by South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki for his exceptional contribution to the struggle against racial oppression and colonial exploitation and was received by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Donald Ramoutar on behalf of Mrs. Jagan who was unable to make the journey.
Mrs. Jagan said, “I am happy because finally Cheddi (Jagan) is ranked where he belonged all along.” She said that she is pleased to accept the outstanding award for Guyana’s hero.
Mr. Ramoutar received the award at a grand national awards ceremony in Pretoria, on South Africa’s Freedom Day April 27, in commemoration of the first democratic elections held in that country.
He said that Dr. Jagan has been a fighter for democracy and the end of colonialism and saw the struggle in Guyana as linked to struggles in the international community. The award also recognised Dr. Jagan as a leading advocate against apartheid in South Africa.
The elements of the award include a walking stick entwined with a golden snake, which represents the support and solidarity given to South Africa, a neck badge and a miniature and lapel rosette. The award is given for friendship shown to South Africa and is an order of peace, co-operation and an active expression of solidarity and support.
Mr. Ramoutar said he was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who came up to him and honoured the memory of the late President while he was in South Africa.
The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo is named after the longest serving African National Congress (ANC) President Oliver R. Tambo and is credited as playing a major role in the growth and development of the international movement of solidarity against racism and apartheid. Dr. Jagan became close friends with Oliver Tambo during his lifetime.
Chairing the proceedings, Information Liaison to the President Robert Persaud, who is also an executive member of the PPP/C, said that the award is also a reminder of the strong historical relationship between the People’s Progressive Party and the ANC. He recalled the struggles of the PPP and the ANC to gain freedom for their peoples.
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Ahmed Sukarno of Indonesia and Diallo Telli Boubacar of New Guinea were the other recipients of the award.
The following is the text of the citation of the award:
ORDER OF THE COMPANIONS OF O. R. TAMBO IN GOLD
AWARDED TO' CHEDDI JAGAN
FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION
TO THE: STRUGGLE AGAINST RACIAL OPPRESSION
AND COLONIAL EXPLOITATION
Dr. Cheddi .Jagan was born on a sugar plantation, Port Mourant, on March 22, 1918 to parents who were indentured labourers from Uttar Pradesh, India. He attended secondary school in the capital, Georgetown. Between 1936 - 1942 he attended Howard University, Washington D.C., Northwestern University Dental School and the Central YMCA College where he obtained a B.Sc. In 1943 he married Janet Rosenberg. They had two children.
Jagan returned home in 1943 and quickly immersed himself in politics as the social conditions of especially the majority African and Indian population deteriorated. In 1946 he formed the Political Affairs Committee, the aim of which was the formation of a political party. He scaled down his dental practice and in 1947 contested and won a seat in the Legislature, where, almost single handedly, he took on the colonial authorities. .
In 1950 he formed the People's Progressive Party whose main goal was independence from colonial rule. To that end a massive national campaign was launched. In 1953, he surprised the British by winning the national elections, the first ever under adult suffrage. He became Minister of Agriculture and leader of the Assembly. His pro-worker programme infuriated the British who labelled him a communist, suspended the Constitution, sent in British troops and deposed Jagan and his colleagues. In 1954 he was jailed for breaking a restriction order.
In spite of the shenanigans of the British which engineered a split in the PPP, Jagan won the 1957 and 1961 elections and became the country’s first Premier. His government embarked on an aggressive social programme in health, education and housing, making land available to farmers and bringing about improved labour laws.
Between 1962-1964 opposition forces with covert and overt support by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency fomented political and ethnic strife in an effort to overthrow the government. The British opposed independence under the Jagan government and openly sided with the opposition and again sent in troops. Jagan, although he won the highest number of votes in the 1964 elections, did not gain a majority and two opposition parties formed a coalition government.
Jagan became opposition leader and for twenty-eight years struggled against the government which continued in power through successive rigged elections and attacks on human rights. His long struggle for a return to democracy bore fruit when in 1992 he was elected President of the Republic. He continued his people-oriented development and internationally advocated a new world dispensation of peace and co-operation.
In the Caribbean and South America, Dr. Jagan was a leading advocate against apartheid in South Africa, becoming close friends with O. R. Tambo and Usuf Dadoo.
Cheddi Jagan will be remembered for his committed opposition to oppression and exploitation.
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Complete flood recovery package for small farmers and small businesses
Georgetown, GINA, May 7, 2005
The Recovery Planning and Implementation Secretariat, will be issuing relief grants for small agricultural and small businesses affected by the January, 2005 floods.
Head of the Secretariat Mr. Robeson Benn, in a release said claims by small agricultural farmers and small businessmen are subject to initial and continuing verification to establish their fairness and accuracy.
The total agricultural relief grant to be distributed is G$ 239M.
The small agriculture package, which excludes rice farmers is as follows:
Below $10,000 - the amount of loss:
Between $10,000 to $25,000 - $15,000
Between $25,000 to $50,000 - $25,000
Between $100,000 to $200,000 - $30,000
Between $200,000 to $500,000. - $35,000
Above $500,000 and to a maximum of $5,000,000, grants of $50,000 will be paid.
Farmers in the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks, who suffered losses up to a maximum of $25,000, will receive as follows:
$0 to $25,000 - $25,000
$25,000 to $50,000 - $30,000
$50,000 to $100,000 -$35,000
$100,000 to $200,000 - $40,000
$200,000 to $500,000 - $45,000
Above $500,000 to a maximum of $5,000,000, grants of $60,000 will be paid.
Small broiler farmers who are signed on to a CHF poultry project will have the project amount deducted from any grant they may wish to claim under the small agricultural relief package.
Small businesses package is as follows:
Claimants in the range $0 to $99,000 will receive 30% of losses suffered. For those who claim losses in the range $100,000-$500,000, a 20% grant will be paid while claims above $500,000 to $10,000,000 will benefit from an amount representing 10% of losses claimed.
The total sum of the small business Relief grants is $39,000,000.
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Regularisation of Goed Fortuin squatter settlement begins
Georgetown, GINA, 07 May, 2005.
The Ministry of Housing and Water today began distribution of allocation letters for house lot to residents of Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and approved occupancy for a number of them.
At the distribution centre, Minister of Housing and Water, Shaik Baksh told the beneficiaries that the sub-division plan has been completed and caters for infrastructural works, improved drainage and irrigation systems, electricity and potable water supply.
Some 135 persons will be allocated house lots in the area. The Ministry also approved occupancy for 120 beneficiaries. Minister Baksh said it took 10 years, during which the Ministry of Housing and Water worked assiduously, to resolve most of the issues affecting the regularisation process. The area had first to be placed under the land registry system for the process to move forward.
The Minister urged residents to be cooperative, as works which are initiated are to improve the deplorable conditions under which they live.
Engineers are expected to visit the area shortly to conduct surveys. Infrastructural works should commence before the end of May.
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Media and Task Force inspect major works completed at EDWC
Georgetown, GINA, May 7, 2005
Members of the Drainage and Irrigation Task Force along with media representatives today inspected works completed on the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC).
Head of the Task Force, Ravi Naraine said the major emergency works have been completed due to quick response by contractors in mobilizing their equipment. Mr. Naraine had earlier said that the works would be completed by May 15.
Liaison between the donor agencies and the Task Force, Robert Goodyear who was also on site, said he is impressed with the works carried out, noting also that the contractors have been working assiduously to meet the deadline. Some of the emergency works included digging of several new canals leading to the Kofi, Shanks and Cunha sluices. The rehabilitation of kokers is also ongoing and these are expected to be operational by next week.
The new canals were dug to facilitate the heavy flow of rainfall coming from the high lands into the conservancy. Most of the excess water will be drained through the five-door sluice at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. At present, the water level in the Conservancy is at 55 GD.
A committee has also been set up to monitor the water in the Conservancy on a daily basis, and is tasked with reporting rainfall information to the Task Force to determine which structure will be used to drain excess water.
Major works will start on the EDWC after the May/June rains. The Canadian International Development Agency will be providing $300M for flood recovery efforts and under this grant the EDWC Dam will be strengthened.
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HIV/AIDS awareness in prisons
Georgetown, GINA, 07 May, 2005.
More than twenty-five prisoners of the Georgetown Prison today graduated from a one-month HIV/AIDS awareness course hosted by NEMISIS Development Association in collaboration with the Guyana Prison Service.
Officer-in-Charge, Georgetown Prison, Charles Collin encouraged participants to educate their dorm mates and spread the message of the seriousness of HIV/AIDS. He also urged the inmates that even when they leave the prison they must still share the knowledge with people, since it is their duty to ensure that the society do not succumb to the deadly HIV/AIDS.
Each participant was presented with a certificate. The course is the second of its kind and it is expected to be hosted at other locations.
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Improved water supply for Belle West residents
Georgetown , GINA, 07 May 2005.
Approximately, $5M is being expended to rehabilitate a well at Clay Brick road and this would provide potable water to more than 4000 households of Belle West, Canal No. 2, West Bank Demerara.
During his visit to the area on March 12, Minister of Housing and Water, Shaik Baksh inspected the non-functional well and promised residents to rehabilitate it.
The well was inspected by a team of technical personnel from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to determine the possibility and cost for rehabilitating the well. Laboratory testing of the water was also conducted to ensure that it is safe.
Minister Baksh said installation of electricity to aid the operation of the well would be executed by the Guyana Power and Light Company while other works would be carried out by GWI.
It is expected that the rehabilitation works would be undertaken within the next three weeks.
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President inspects pump at Lusignan
President Bharrat Jagdeo inspects pump at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, along with Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), and Chief Executive Officer of the Drainage and Irrigation Board, Ravi Narain
Georgetown, GINA, May 7, 2005
President Bharrat Jagdeo visited Lusignan, East Coast Demerara today to inspect a heavy duty water pump which is being used to pump water from the Lusignan foreshore into the Atlantic Ocean.
The pump was operating at full capacity when the Head of State arrived, and villagers came out to express their appreciation for the efforts being made to avoid flooding during the anticipated May/June rainfall.
The President indicated the need for residents to desist from dumping garbage in drains and canals, which hinder the free flow of water, leading to widespread flooding.
The pump, which has the capacity to pump 1000 cubic feet of water per second, was flown in from Miami, by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), Michael Boast, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Board, Ravi Naraine, were part of the Presidential team that visited Lusignan.
The pump is currently servicing the Lusignan/Good Hope areas along the East Coast Demerara.
The devastating floods which occurred in January/February this year has caused widespread concern among Guyanese who are apprehensive about the imminent May/June rainfall.
Due to the lost of household belongings and the destruction of businesses, primarily in the agricultural sector, Government set up a Recovery Planning and Implementation Secretariat, which has since undertaken several initiatives to assist those affected by the floods.
Mr. Naraine today took a media team on an inspection tour of the East Coast Demerara Conservancy.
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