Human Services Ministry to render assistance to Lusignan families
Georgetown, GINA, February 5, 2008
A special team set up by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, today visited Lusignan to render assistance to families of the 11 victims who were gunned down on January 26.
The team is comprised of Social Welfare Officers and is led by Director of Social Services Shyam Doonauth.
Director of Social Services, Shyam Doodnauth and welfare officers speaking to family members of one of the slain victims.
During its visit to Lusignan today, the team assessed the families’ standing in order to provide financial and material assistance as well as counselling.
Welfare officers interacted with the families and collected relevant information so as to plan their interventions. Children of other houses were also evaluated by the Officers.
Doodnauth said that evaluations are necessary because the needs may vary in different families. He noted that a list will be compiled with the names of the families and the assistance requested.
Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Social Workers speaking with a child of Lusignan.
TOP
National Commission on Law, Order meets on security matters
Georgetown, GINA, February 5, 2008
Members of the National Commission on Law and Order (NCLO) today met to discuss security related matters in wake of the recent crime related issues unfolding.
Chairman of the Committee and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee during the meeting which was convened in the Ministry of Home Affairs boardroom said the meeting is mainly for the members to discuss the developments that have occurred over the last week.
“As you are aware certain serious developments on the crime front have occurred in our country over the past week. After speaking with members I have concluded that the exigencies of the situation warrant the convening of a special meeting and then we will decide what actions we will take,” Minister Rohee said.
The NCLO is mandated to review and make recommendations to treat with the high crime rate and violence which would foster wider public confidence and support.
Minister Rohee meets members of the National Commission on Law and Order
The commission is an advisory body which is charged with reviewing laws, policies, and administrative measures which have an impact on law and order in Guyana.
The multi-stakeholder Commission comprises representatives from religious organisations, government agencies, political parties, non-governmental organisations and civil society.
The Commission was set-up in response to a commitment made by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in 2001.
Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago established similar Commissions. Guyana’s NCLO was established on November 25, 2005.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and CPG members
Meanwhile, Minister Rohee earlier in the day met with Executives of the Community Policing Groups (CPGs) primarily from the East Coast of Demerara to discuss their expansion. Provisions for training were also discussed.
The groups later met with President Bharrat Jagdeo who promised to provide more assistance to enhance the work of the groups.
Government has been supporting the groups with resources in the form of boats, vehicles and motor-cycles among other items.
There are 192 CPGs with 3,051 members across the country, formed on a voluntary basis and spanning the ten administrative regions.
TOP
Improved road network in more communities
Georgetown, GINA, February 05, 2008.
The administration’s vision for a core infrastructural network is gradually being realised as more investments are being made to construct, upgrade and repair roadways in various communities including Greenfield, East Coast Demerara.
At present, approximately $15M is being spent to upgrade a road at North Greenfield that was previously a mud path. The works, which started during last year, is nearing completion and is being undertaken through the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.
This development will benefit hundreds of residents in the area and is part of Government’s ongoing programme to improve infrastructure in all communities through which significant investments are being made.
Approximately $7.5M was recently spent to upgrade about 4000 feet of roadway to a Double Bituminous Surface Treatment (DBST) at Courbane Park, Annandale while an additional $17M is being utilised to re-construct another road at neighbouring Lusignan. This project includes improving 2000 feet of road to a DBST surface starting with excavation works.
Previous road improvement along the East Coast Demerara done through the Public Works Ministry has been undertaken in areas such as Cummings Lodge, Industry, Ogle, Plaisance, Mon Repos and Buxton.
Last year, approximately $1.9B was spent through the Public Works Ministry to upgrade, construct and rehabilitate various roads under the categories of miscellaneous, urban and infrastructural development programmes.
Repairs were done to roadways at East Canje, Glasgow in East Bank Berbice and Ogle main access road. A major culvert was replaced along the West Bank Demerara public road, while another is in the process of being installed. Additionally, several other roads in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six, Eight and Nine were upgraded.
Overall, 24 miles of roadway were rehabilitated, five culverts and two bridges constructed and five miles of road lighting installed along Mandela Avenue and the Railway Embankment.
This year, more investments will be made to continue the road improvement programme which targets areas such as Hague Backdam, West Coast Demerara, West Canje and Stanleytown, Berbice roadways among others.
The Best Old Road at Vreed-en-Hoop will also be upgraded while repairs will be carried out to the Soesdyke/Linden highway.
Rehabilitation of the Bartica/Issano road is another major project to be implemented in 2008 while there will be greater focus on maintenance of interior roads through a special unit set up within the Ministry. Construction of one mile of paved roadway in Mahdia is also planned.
These are ongoing efforts by Government to ensure improved access in all communities through which several projects have been undertaken in various areas.
TOP
Heightened focus on boosting export capabilities
Georgetown, GINA, February 05, 2008.
More focus is being placed on enhancing export capabilities to ensure that farmers, producers, agro-processors, exporters and others are better positioned to realise the opportunities that exist for agricultural products in the Caribbean and further afield.
In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation in Agriculture (IICA) have organised a three-day workshop, which opened today at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
The activity targets more than 100 participants with representatives from agencies within the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Manufacturers and Service Association and the Linden Economic Advancement Programme.
Other participants are from various private sector entities such as Sterling Products, DIDCO Trading Company, Tandy’s Manufacturing and Ricks and Sari Agro Industries.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, while addressing the opening ceremony today, noted the activity’s importance in helping the agricultural sector to take on a more agri-business format with heightened focus on the export thrust.
He pointed out that Guyana has attained food security level and although, food is being exported, there is need to intensify such activities to ensure continued economic and social growth.
It was noted that the domestic market cannot support sustenance of agricultural and other industries and the need for production and manufacturing to be more export-driven was highlighted.
Participants were urged to focus in this direction to meet the Caribbean’s increasing food demand. It was noted that many of these States are looking to Guyana to meet their food needs and this creates an excellent opportunity especially since there is arable land, water and human capabilities to take up the challenge.
Reference was made to Government’s efforts to support stakeholders in this process through which more initiatives are underway. During this year, two major projects will come on stream with focus on agricultural diversification and export development and on enhancing the capability of farmers and rural producers.
In addition, the modern $89M storage and packaging centre at Parika, upgrading of the main pack-house at Sophia and establishment of similar facilities at Charity and Number 43 Village, Corentyne, are other activities that are aimed at boosting exports.
The workshop is designed to equip participants with technical skills and abilities relating to the legal requirements for exporting food products to the United States market. It will also provide an overview of several US federal agencies which are responsible for the enforcement of those requirements and will examine the current trends, opportunities and challenges in the US market for agricultural fresh and processed products.
Others who addressed the opening of the workshop were IICA’s Resident Representative Ignatius Jean and General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Nizam Hassan.
TOP
Further efforts to deal with climate change
Georgetown, GINA, February 05, 2008.
Government’s commitment to ensuring that necessary measures are taken to help Guyana adapt and deal with the effects of climate change is heightening with the implementation of a Conservancy Adaptation Project.
This initiative, being undertaken with support from the Global Environmental Facility through the World Bank became effective last month. It targets necessary studies, surveys and models to identify possible mechanisms to expand storage capacity of the conservancy and caters for surveys and assessments of other areas prone to flooding, including Regions 3, 4 and 5.
Under the project, certain modern technology will be used for the first time in Guyana to provide computer-generated hydrologic base-line and model that will enable engineers to better plan conservancy adaptation and drainage and irrigation works based on definitive models rather than past experience and predictions.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said the models will allow for effective water management and will provide information to ensure flood control interventions are maximally utilised.
The designs for the civil works and technical specification for equipment to be used in the project have been completed. This is one of the many initiatives being pursued by the administration to ensure that areas affected by climate change are constantly strengthened.
Over the years, significant attention has been given to the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) to enhance its effectiveness. The purchase of equipment such as long-boom excavators and pontoons, heightening of embankment and opening-up of additional waterways are among some of the activities undertaken at the conservancy.
In addition, investments have targeted construction of an intake structure at Enmore along the conservancy and scour protection at the Kofi outlet, East Bank Demerara.
Considerations are also being given to the establishment of an additional outlet for possible discharge into the Demerara River or the Atlantic Ocean. Several proposals prepared by engineers are currently being explored. This project is estimated to cost approximately US$5M.
The EDWC was developed in 1880 to channel several water sources, for a more efficient storage and distribution system from the Lama and Maduni rivers’ catchments. Its principal users are the sugar-cane, rice and cash-crop farmers of the East Coast and East Bank Demerara and Georgetown.
It was formed between the Mahaica and Demerara rivers by damming the flow of the Lama and Maduni rivers approximately 28 and 31 miles respectively up the Mahaica River from the coast.
TOP
|
