Guyana/Indonesia sign reciprocal trade agreement
Georgetown, GINA, February 1, 2008
Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Dr Henry Jeffrey and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Guyana, Suprijanto Muhadi on Wednesday signed an agreement on the promotion and protection of investments in the two countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony Ambassador Muhadi said that the agreement paves the way for concrete activities between businessmen of the two countries. Workshops will be held later this year to bring businessmen together to learn about the potentials for investments available to them.
He lamented that there was no direct trade between Indonesia and the region largely because the region is considered to be too distant to be competitive with the exports from Latin America and Brazil. This small start is expected to see reciprocal access to the Indonesian markets.
Minister Jeffrey said he was pleased that this agreement for which negotiations commenced in 2004 had been completed.
He alluded to the vast experience Indonesia had in wood and forestry products, stating that Guyana with it large forestry reserve could benefit greatly from that country’s expertise.
He noted that this agreement comes at a time when Guyana has just signed onto the European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and is due to start trade negotiations with the Canadians.
The agreement offers protection from the expropriation of investment, and offers ‘national treatment’ to investors.
It will see the two countries sharing the same benefits as with the European Union. Guyana will have to find ways to take advantage of the access to the large Indonesian market.
Extending from the South East Indian Archipelago and located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands of which 6000 are inhabited. They gained independence from the Dutch in August 1945.
Guyana and Indonesia developed diplomatic relations in 1999.
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Largest global private sector firm exploring investment in Guyana
- energy, water, agro- processing main areas
Georgetown, GINA, February 1, 2008
Government's efforts to maintain an enabling environment to attract more investments have gained the interest of the world’s largest private sector firms; General Electric (GE) of the United States of America which is exploring the possibility of investing in Guyana.
A team from the company that was in Guyana recently met several government agencies in the areas of energy, water, agro-processing and mining among others.
Chief Executive Officer for the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva said that this is a good indication of the investment climate in Guyana and noted that it will encourage other companies to become interested.
"It will make a major impression to other foreign companies. If the largest corporation is looking at Guyana in a serious way…it's a way of getting other companies to look at us... We are very happy that a team has visited Guyana to explore business and investment opportunities," Da Silva said.
"They make some of the best turbines in the world, water, electricity turbines. They are also involved in facilitating trade from a country and linking it with energy and water development. It's an interesting programme they have."
The company also held meetings with Go-Invest, the Office of the Prime Minister, Guyana Power and Light Company, Rusal Bauxite Company, CGX of Canada, the Guyana Rice Development Board, Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited and the Guyana Sugar Corporation.
Government believes that if the company invests in Guyana there will be substantial, replacement and upgrading of the entire infrastructure in the energy and water sectors.
"The latest technology and methods that would make it efficient, effective and when we say efficient, we mean cost-efficient as well to run those sectors... So GE's biggest contribution will be in terms of technology innovation," Da Silva asserted.
Government is optimistic that before year-end an agreement will be signed.
"This team has to go back and report to its headquarters in New York and after that they will visit again this year before September to further developed these... We are hoping that by the last quarter of this year some kind of agreement would be developed that will identify two or three areas for us to work with them on," Da Silva said.
GE has an annual sales turnover of US $173B a year.
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Disrupting children’s schooling callous, cowardly – Education Minister
Georgetown, GINA, February 1, 2008
Education Minister Shaik Baksh today described as callous and cowardly the strategy of some persons to drive fear in the population by disrupting the schooling of children.
He was at the time addressing the media on the calls that were received at city schools over the past two days threatening to harm students.
Baksh said that yesterday a call was received at Queen’s College stating that the Ministers’ children attending that school would be abducted. The Chairman of the School’s Board and the Head Teacher immediately contacted him with that information and it was conveyed to the relevant authority.
Today the Ministry was informed that calls were reported to have been received at St. Roses and St Agnes schools issuing similar threats. A call was received at the Ministry that a bomb was planted at the St Joseph’s High school while a call was made to the St Winefride’s school informing them that gunmen were on the way to the school. This led to classes at these schools being disrupted.
Reports of these calls were made to the Police and Fire Service which responded promptly. They checked and cleared the schools so that classes could resume.
The Minister of Home Affairs has been informed of this development and has promised to do all in his power to ensure the safety of teachers and student.
Commencing Monday there will be mobile patrols around school areas while additional security will be placed at city schools. No reports have been received from schools on the East Coast and East Bank Demerara.
The Education Minister said that they will be working through the school system to speak to the students about the measures to be taken to ensure their personal safety.
Additionally a team from the Ministry visited the affected schools to lend support the schools’ administration.
Meanwhile the chairman of the St Roses High School Board has requested that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company provide any information that would help to trace the origin of the calls.
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Science, technology being used to drive agricultural development
Georgetown, GINA, February 01, 2008.
As further efforts are being made to boost the agricultural sector, there is heightened interest in the use of science and technology as a cross-cutting tool to improve efficiency, quality and productivity.
During the opening of the Science Fair at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus today, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud noted that greater invention in science and technology is vital to a broad range of global development which includes agricultural advancement.
The activity, held under the theme ‘Guyana’s potential can only be attained thru scientific intervention on the part of all’ took place at the Johns Science Centre in Region Six. Students from various schools in the county participated in the event that featured several displays of various research and experimental projects.
Minister Persaud addresses students at the Science Fair
Reference was made to genetic improvements, better soil management, larger and faster equipment and new knowledge about animal nutrition, which have all contributed to increased food production in Guyana, the region and the world.
“Today’s high-tech, high-yield, intensive agriculture was born out of increased scientific intervention. Even though, we have not advanced like the industrial countries, Guyana’s agriculture continues to benefit from science and technology,” Minister Persaud said.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation through science and technology has reduced its dependency on pesticides and is increasingly promoting biological control while a programme has started with focus on integrated management of aquatic weeds. In addition, chemical analyses are done at the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) to characterise the physical and chemical properties of the soils in Guyana. This is to determine major and minor plant nutrients, total exchangeable bases and exchangeable acidity, which will lead to better understanding of the optimum usage of the soils in various areas of the country.  Minister Persaud being briefed on one of the displays at the Science Fair
The role of genetic improvement in development of the fruit industry was highlighted since it was under this intervention that scientists manipulated the genetic base of materials to produce new and improved fruit species which ultimately impact significantly on production and quality. The importance of science and technology in improved drainage and irrigation to deal with climate change, which has resulted in increased sea levels and unusual weather patterns, was also highlighted.
Students were urged to explore career opportunities in science and technology which plays a crucial role in continued and further national development. 
A section of the gathering at the Science Fair opening.
Director of the UG Berbice Campus, Dr. Parsram Thakur noted that the fair is part of efforts to promote science and technology among students since it has been recognised that very few persons are pursuing studies in this area. There are plans to involve farmers in the tutoring process since science plays an integral role in their activities.
Another action by Government to expose farmers to science and technology includes the establishment of six Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres across the country where they could access necessary production and marketing information.
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