President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said he was unaware of reports that Canada has trimmed Guyana from the list of countries that will receive international bilateral assistance.
At a news conference yesterday, Jagdeo said he would check a statement issued on Monday by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which did not include Guyana in a list of the 20 countries it planned to focus on as it looked to make its international assistance “more focused, more effective and more accountable.” CIDA is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. It has a mandate to support sustainable development in developing countries.
Beverley Oda
The decision could likely affect CIDA-run programmes for governance, literacy (the Guyana Basic Education Teacher Training Programme), gender equality (the Caribbean Gender Equality Programme) and health (HIV/AIDS programme). In the area of governance, CIDA’s bilateral programme in Guyana has been working to make government more transparent and accountable—giving voluntary groups, the private sector, and the public a stronger voice in decision making at all levels. In addition, CIDA has funded some NGOs, including Youth Challenge.
CIDA said the government of Canada would be concentrating resources, focusing programming and improving coordination in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Bank/Gaza and the Caribbean – though it did not define which countries in the region. In 2005, the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin promised to target aid to 25 countries which specifically included Guyana.
“Our government promised to make Canada’s international assistance more effective,” the release quoted Minister of International Cooperation, Beverley Oda as saying. “While continuing to provide assistance to the people in greatest need, focusing our bilateral assistance will make our aid dollars go further and make a greater difference for those we help.”
Guyana is among a dozen countries, including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Nicaragua and eight African nations which have been cut from the list, while Colombia, Peru and Sudan are among those that have been added. The announcement has come just a little under a week since Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett met with Minister of State of the Americas, Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Canada Peter Kent on a number of issues, including bilateral relations. Kent also paid a courtesy call on President Jagdeo but it is unclear whether the bilateral assistance was addressed.
Canada’s bilateral assistance represents approximately 53 percent of Canada’s total aid budget. With 80 percent of Canada’s bilateral assistance being focused on 20 countries and improving how Canada works in other bilateral partner countries, Canadians will see better results and more resources getting to those in need, the release said.
Meanwhile, CIDA’s multilateral programmes will continue to support international efforts such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Canadian-led Initiatives to Save a Million Lives, the UN’s World Food Programme and others. Its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will continue to respond to those who are impacted by natural disasters or humanitarian crisis. These programmes will not be affected by the changes to bilateral aid, the release said.
A major step towards greater effectiveness had already been made last year when Oda announced that Canada had fully untied its Food Aid and announced that CIDA’s development aid funding would be fully untied by 2012-13.
Untying aid allows for faster response times during crises, reduces transportation costs and above all makes Canada’s aid dollars go further by purchasing goods where they are cheapest, the release said.
These measures come in addition to an increased CIDA staff presence in the field that will allow both for better planning and increased accountability to improve evaluation and reporting mechanisms. Canada will continue to work towards even greater focus and effectiveness to its aid agenda.
Listen up folks, before those development haters fall over themselves like they did yesterday to try and criticise the government when the news broke, we have to consider the possibility that because of recent economic advances and achievements in Guyana, this was a reason for taking Guyana off the list. In other words, Guyana is now doing fine, so (as the Canadian government may say)we can give it to those countries “IN GREATEST NEED” as Ms. Oda says above. While we may bemoan our being taken off the list -we in Guyana can always use the money–the fact is that the donor countries may use an economic development yardstick as to whether to give money or not–and even trading concessions. As the President said, the decision has to be evaluated against the background of our overall relations with Canada stil be good and healthy….
Dear God, Reddy you live in oblivion paradise, your head is so far stuck that it is impossible to see reality from so deep and so far (Barbados). People from the previous administration used to say the same things, finding excuses for every horrid thing that was allowed to befall this nation. People were told all is well and wool was placed over the eyes of every Guyanese. Everyone who descent were called haters and trators and were silenced. Do you hear the similarity in what you have been saying. Now the shoe is on the other foot and guess what? The more things change the more they remain the same.
For your information, I see buildings going up but people are still homeless. I see supermarkets all over the place but people are still hungry. I see vehicles driving the streets but people still have to struggle to get to their destinations. Smoke billowing from fatcories and people are still unemployed. Now you tell me, are we not in GREAT NEED?
BTW, I am not a DEVELOPMENT HATER, I love my country and I want the best for it, thats the reason I am not in Barbados.
John Smith
Bro…take a look at the top of sn page.you might find something called regional news and world news…read and blog on those too…
Reddy you might be on to something…..yuh right…
Reddy seems to be clueless when it comes to diplomatic affairs. A country stopping a program without informing you is a clear signal that that country has given up on you after repeated warnings done in public and behind the scene. It is important to note that Canada did not have even the decency to tell the president. My guess is that all the recent public reports issued by various bodies were telling the government something but rather than study the reports Jagdeo chose to blast them. I am sure the U.S will take similar actions since these countries look to the same source for guidance in areas such as these.
My suggestion to Jagdeo is to do more listening and less talking. And that doesn’t mean he has to obey everything but rather open himself upo to persuasion and try to persuade when he believe he is right. I hope this lesson will set him and Guyana on a new path
Guyanma doing fine but you live in Barbados.Move back na
Ha ha ha Reddy ha ha ow oo ho please you got me laughing,look…tell me something man,have you ever thought of being a stand up comic? Think about it…you getting more and more jokey everyday…this one beat all,ha ha!!!
well, Reddy is in Barbados, and evileyes cannot see things straight. What about the fact that lots of drugs are carried into Canada from Guyana. Maybe the Canadian Government patience is weighing thin with the Government limited or no actions here.
Reddy this is the best comment you’ve ever made, i think i’ll nominate you for the prestigious Albert Einstein award.
mr reddy this development has led guyanese going to bardados in drove. please spread the good news so the may leave and return to the ever progressing guyana. and by the way let the person that the bajan found living in kennel to come home he can get a better place to live.
Evileyes,
I read all news, if you are trying to tell me that the region and the world are suffering the same fate as Guyana, then tell your ‘partner in denial’ (Reddy), not to make things look like Guyana is much better than all those other countries whose begging bowls have not been turned down.
A plaster for every sore does not mean the sore is healed, it is still festering under the plaster. Reddy has one for ever sore the government has inflicted on the nation. Like I said the coin has turned and there is yet another tail, PNC had it and now PPP has it, there is no head hence no eyes to see evil or ears to hear it. The same way PNC saw no bad when they were in power the same way the PPP sees none. I’ll be happy the day Reddy or Evileys says the President is wrong when he is and PNC supporters say the president did a great job when he does. Maybe I should not hold my breath.
John Smith
nah im not talking about what you talking about..i just want you to open the eyes of you an most anti govt bloggers to let yall see that crimes and corruption are a part of life the world over..the biggest corruprion happens in US but those with their little american flag are afraid to blog about their beloved country out of fear they migh be targeted by their most democratic country..dont they call guyana govt dictator? so why fear their own country? and for you to see what happens in your region too..crimes and corruption everywhere bro..dont make it look like you and those want guyana to be pristene..
jamar and the same thing leading Bajans to the states canada and britain..even one bajan went to sophia in guyana to live..
You cannot spend da money any how you want and expect to still be on the list.Read what they said Jagdeo ? ACCOUNTABLE
There we go again – in denial. Guyana is off the list. When aid is given, you have to use it responsibly and allow for transparency. The USA is next and I would not be surprised if they eventually close that Embassy there. No one trusts anyone in Guyana- family members who sponsor their relatives and have to do DNA – the doctor in Guyana can only take the sample but everything comes back to the US for testing. Most of the paper work processing is done here. That is why they do not want bank statements etc – forged.
Hard, difficult economic times has fallen on the G-7 Countries and the President of Guyana is hiding in the shadows of Guyana refusing to tell the Guyanese people the truth about what is to come.
“The financial restructuring of the G-7″. visibility and transparency….we can only hold you up for so long….
Pilot, you are off course and will land on dry land where there is no runway. Reddy, you are a realist and rightly so.
get the report and then comment. regards
Reddy an rs.dasai are stuck in a prism that says,believe what thy master preaches, when he says jump,don’t ask why ?, but ask how high. the two of you are total wrecks.
I have GPS in the A320 i fly no such thing as off course Pal.lol I wish you and your Prez well.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Bank/Gaza and the Caribbean.
ehehehe all ah we Guyanese who live and wok in Canada gat to feel good now that we wok here pay tax here and watch our tax dollars going to the most corrupt countries in the world.Next its the US and UK..ehehehehehe…
OUR dollars could have been helping GUYANA, SINCE THERE IS NO CORRUPTION AND THE BEST OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY THERE!!! Wonder why NOT??? EHEHEHEHEHEEEEE!!! You know what evil? I am sad that the people who need Canadian aid and investment the MOST are suffering because of…… FIGURE THAT OUT!!!
Despite the fact that the flag says otherwise, I live and work in Canada and am very grateful my tax $ are NOT going to Guyana.
Give some one else a chance to possibly do something positive with the aid. We can’t keep pouring money into Guyana with no positive result.
Why do you think that Canada recognise Guyanese’(tax) money,your money is nothing compared to what Canada gets from some of the countries listed!!
Sarkar dont worry coz pretty soon your tax dollars might be going to the the US for the millions on food stamp who in turn sell it for drugs…
Let’s see, they recently halted plans for bauxite production, sugar production is down and out, crops affected by last rainy season, by the time they are ready to produce oil its demands will be replaced with clean energy technology, now Canada is cutting assistance; I guess its up to dem drug lards to stimulate the GDP but even dem running out of tricks to push de coke. Guyana’s future na look good at all.
This is not a unilateral decision ,but a bilateral decision in which both the BJ adminstration and Canada are going to make it tough on immigrants to leave Guyana , Canada has already airmarked 850 guyanese to be sent back home and the US will follow soon , this is the BJ way of curtailing the exodus of guyanese,it finally has to come this , since the braindrain and the shortage of labour force is killing the economy .
What jobs are there to keep the brain and labour??? How many of the ‘brains’ are being hired by this government?? Where are the foreign investments? What few foreign investments there are: How many Guyanese were hired?? The fields are being flooded season after season. Where will the ‘labour’ be employed?? Recall this government threatened to hire FOREIGN Air Traffic Controllers!!
Front Page Kaieteur News…CANADA PROMISES NO AID CUTS, Will not close Embassy,,,I am wondering if SN has the facts right???
Moderator’s note: The information in the SN report was gleaned from an official CIDA press release.
Did anyone of you bothered to look at where the aid is going, “governance, literacy (the Guyana Basic Education Teacher Training Programme), gender equality (the Caribbean Gender Equality Programme) and health (HIV/AIDS programme).” The money is not going into any productive sector, it is money going down the drain, it is not producting one job!! Good riddence. Guyanese must lean to stand on there own feet, too much of begging, begging from other countries, begging from Family, begging from Friends. We are a nation of beggars!!! When I was in Guyana I never beg for anything and I can safely say in the US I never either. Get off your lazy bum and work, catch fish, plant a garden, work two jobs if one cannot pay enough. Just do something with your lives. That is what Americans do, they work and worked very hard. Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. Each and every Guyanese should pin that quote in their house.
Durbie stop talking crap, not all americans have two jobs, they are alot of them not working and are on the dole, and some are on unemployment, so tell the story straight.
This is what you get Juggy, Have you ever heard the term dont bite the hand dat feed yuh?
Keep chasitising the Canadians for sending back people to Guyana who commit crimes in their country and accepting refugees from Guyana. Keep it up man, and while you are at it don’t do anything to stem the tide of drugs going from here to Canada and the US. Legalize the damn thing here.