The President is Minister of the Environment

BY Staff
Published: October 1, 2008 in Letters

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article in the Kaieteur News of Sunday, September 28, 2008 in the Freddie Kissoon column on ‘The EPA, micro-management and the EPA.’ and would like to correct some misinformation contained in the said article.

Contrary to what is stated in the article, the President is the Minister of the Environment and it is unfortunate and surprising that Mr Freddie Kissoon has failed to recognize this. As Minister of the Environment, the President is entitled to engage the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in discussions regarding its functioning. Section 8, Part III of the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996 explicitly states that “The Minister may give directions for the organization of the Agency to enable it to discharge its functions under this Act, including the size of the establishment, the employment of staff and the terms thereof, the provision of equipment and funds and the Agency shall comply with such directions.”

In Section 4(1) (m) (n), Part II of the said act, the functions of the agency are clearly stipulated and include the need for the agency to advise the minister on “the criteria and thresholds of activity for specifying what may amount to a significant effect on the environment” and on “matters of general policy relating to the protection, conservation and care of the environment and the impact of development.” These legislative requirements necessitate interaction of the minister with staff of the agency. The meeting of the staff of the agency with the President, as subject Minister of the Environment, was therefore perfectly legitimate and should by no means be construed as micro-management. I wish to state categorically that the President is absolutely not engaged in micro-managing the EP A.

There is no opportunity for micro-management in the functioning of the agency, given its nature, structure and operations. The agency is governed, as provided for under the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996, by a Board of Directors which oversees its operations, including approval of budgets, workplans, programmes, environmental policies, provision of guidance on matters related to the protection of the environment, proposition of environmental laws and regulations to the minister, etc. In addition, there is an Environmental Assessment Board which is provided for under the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996 and which functions with independence in its deliberations, recommendations and advice to the management of the agency.

The agency is well-structured with an Executive Director serving as Chief Executive Officer and directors for each of four divisions for the programme areas of Environmental Management, Natural Resources Management, Education, Information and Training and Administration and Finance. The mandate of the agency is discharged in accordance with its legislation, prescribed and established principles, rules, systems, processes and procedures and public participation in its decision-making in critical areas. Having regard to the specific, detailed and necessary requirements with which the agency must comply and the mechanisms for doing so, the issue of micro-management does not feature.

Anyone who would wish to be apprised of the role and functioning of the agency and matters related thereto could visit the agency’s website at www.epaguyana.org for informative documentation.

Yours faithfully,
Doorga Persaud
Executive Director
Environmental Protection Agency

Comments

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21 Comments

SurMot says:

October 1, 2008 at 6:23 am

IS GUYANA A COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP STATE ???

Bharrat Jagdeo, is the President of Guyana !
Bharrat Jagdeo, is the Minister of State and Information !
Bharrat Jagdeo, is the Minister of Environment and international co-ordinator !
Bharrat Jagdeo, is the Minister of Security (Commander of Chief of the army)
Bharrat Jagdeo, is the Minister of National Development and Sustainable Growth !

Oh my gosh !, what else are you Bharrat Jagdeo ?

Where Guyana is heading with all of these daily CRIMES, while people are starving in Guyana, millions of $$$ are spending elsewhere, CARIFESTA ; the new HOTEL at Kingston, the new highway to the Suriname-Guyana ferry (while there is already an existing highway leading to the ferry : Corriverton-Crabwood onward).

Skeldon sugar estate, is currently a white elefant and soon would be followed is the Berbice Harbour Bridge.

Come on Jagdeo, your People Perishing Party’s government is failing, while you are dictatoring the country all by yourself.

Reply
- gtbeat says:
  
  October 1, 2008 at 5:14 pm
  
  Thank goodness we don’t have that marijuana smoking Euro-liberal nonsense you practice over there.I think the AMERICAN armed forces need to liberate europe once more or maybe the Russians need to invade.
- bbuckman says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 1:24 am
  
  a lack of constitutional law 112
- Pepie says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 9:16 am
  
  Now with that list I hope everyone now believes that there exist an Elected Dictatorship in Guyana. I think Freddie got them here. Ravi Dev could you tell us why the President holds so many post within his own government because you are one of those individual who doesn’t believe there exist a dictatorship of any sort? And to Mr. Doorga Persaud, please think before you reply to articles in the news papers because you have now open a can of worms for you and this governing Administration.
- badlall says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 5:23 pm
  
  No wonder Moses Nagamottoo can’t get a minista wuk there is no vacancy.
badlall says:

October 1, 2008 at 6:31 am

This President is the Minister of EVERYTHING in Guyana.

Reply
- evileyes says:
  
  October 1, 2008 at 4:48 pm
  
  De President is President of Presidents too and dont you forget dat ehehehehe
Andy says:

October 1, 2008 at 8:00 am

Add Minister of Communications to his portfoilo, because he made his decision to suspend CN Sharma’s TV license while usurping this role.

I recall PM Sam Hinds, then Commincations Minister, showing up with the NFMU Manager at a certain person’s home to seize a transmitting unit after the person refused to comply with a cease and desist order. So Hinds was always the Communications Minister.

When was Jagdeo officially sworn in as Communications Minister?

As it now stands, Jagdeo can assume any minister’s role and make any decision and not be sued or indicted on criminal charges, because the Constitution protects the PRESIDENT, which he also is.

Guyana is one screwed up little backward country with every man fighting for himself. Thanks to Janet Jagan and the PPP cabal at Freedom House for this madness, folks!

Reply
- Evan Thomas says:
  
  October 1, 2008 at 2:32 pm
  
  Come on man Janet Jagan and the folks at Freedom House are as innocent as a new born baby here. The culprits are the PNC, and Ramphal now seems to be forgiven by Jagdeo since the constitution serve dastardly purposes utmost. The single person truly responsible for the abuse of Guyanese and Guyana’ s constitutional institutions by Jagdeo is HUGH DESMOND HOYTE. With the stroke of a pen he could have changed the constitution; he had more that 66% of the Parliament during his reign and what he did, nothing. So spare Janet and the PPP this one, please.
Raj of Richmond Hill says:

October 1, 2008 at 9:56 am

Surmot, Badlall, Andy;

You fellahs should take a pause and reflect: Where is the merit and reasonableness in your comments? Are you going to mock at anything and everything. C’mon be honest with yourselves, hasn’t this govt. done some good things?

Aren’t you abusing this facility offered by the StabroekNews?

Reply
- SurMot says:
  
  October 1, 2008 at 2:12 pm
  
  We thank SN very much for this facilities, where our voices can be heard loud and clearly, in a so-called democrocy state.
  Let reality be reality. What development are you talking about, may be only Berbice, Essequibo and Demerara does not exist on Bharrat Jagdeo Guyana.
  Come on let us face the facts, if you care.
- badlall says:
  
  October 1, 2008 at 6:28 pm
  
  Name another country in the world where a President has taken lock stock and barrel of so many ministries. Well maybe North Korea. I am waiting to hear from Freddie on this one. eh eh eh eh.
- Nubia says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 8:26 am
  
  Raj - each to their own opinion - particularly as one of the things you might proclaim the government has done is promoted freedom of speech! Wouldn’t you agree? Or would you rather no comments re this issue which to my ignorant political mind seems suspect - WHY should the President be minister to so many offices? You seem spell bound my friend.
- drumup_change says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 10:47 am
  
  …….from wood to water ……the only development that this government brought to guyana was drugs, crime and poverty…….look at guyana today let face it compare to guyana twenty years ago…..there was corruption, the was crime but guyanese walk with pride everywhere they went……..this is indeed the last of the ppp…..a party that was founded for the people it now against the people…..greed!!…..we await the out of …….. rk trial…..
Davi,V George. says:

October 1, 2008 at 8:19 pm

Who says so?Environment on what? Where is it? I never heard such baloney.

Reply
YesRasta says:

October 1, 2008 at 8:29 pm

Let’s not forget to mention that he is a Financial Expert. Recently Mr.Bharrat Jagdeo said that most people in the accounting profession are financially Illiterate and recently made a stupid comment on the Auditor General Report for the year 2006 that money in the bank accounts are not real cash.

Reply
bbuckman says:

October 2, 2008 at 1:23 am

Freddie’s has divulged his limits in the areas of constitional law in the article. What Freddie did not understand, is the ministers of the government are agents of the president, they act in his name. Any area of government that does not exercise by a minister is reserved for the president,

Reply
- Nubia says:
  
  October 2, 2008 at 8:28 am
  
  and that could be all of them? Which means what exactly?
bbuckman says:

October 2, 2008 at 1:25 am

in us too

Reply
bbuckman says:

October 2, 2008 at 1:27 am

it not ramphal but shahabudin that wrote the constitution and many of forbes speech

Reply
drumup_change says:

October 2, 2008 at 10:38 am

…….with all that list he can’t predic the weather……..

Reply