Difficulties with accessing birth certificates, public assistance and transportation were among the issues affecting their communities which toshaos brought to the fore yesterday when their national council meeting continued at the convention centre at Liliendaal.
The open discussions were held between the village leaders and the heads of sector agencies and various government ministries including Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir and Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand. Arms and ammunition as well as the need for police outposts in remote communities were also discussed.
Birth certificates
Toshao of Riversview in Region Eight, Medina Pollard told the gathering that many persons in the village are still awaiting their birth certificates after the required application forms had been sent to the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) for some time now. She said she had been personally assisting villagers in filling new and late application forms but cited the requirements from the GRO as being too detailed. She said some of the applicants are old and did not have the required documents such as clinic cards. Other toshaos also raised the issue with Stabroek News including Derek Williams, leader of Kamana Village in Region Eight, who related that something tangible needs to be put in place to address the problem.
Administrative head of the GRO Dawn Little told yesterday’s gathering that her department has been working in tandem with the Ministry of Health and the Amerindian Affairs Ministry to address the problem since around 2002. She said the two ministries would forward completed application forms to the GRO, which are returned to residents in hinterland communities. She said the requirements for late registration applicants are more stringent adding that in the past the unit had been depending on applicants to produce baptism certificates which made the process easier. She said that records from hinterland communities have not been reaching the GRO, adding that health workers occasionally leave records in some communities. She said that if the Amerindian Affairs Ministry made a more concerted effort it would also assist in solving the problem.
Public assistance
As regards public assistance, Pollard said that a mother in her community recently passed away and left six children with their father, who is being assisted by neigbours to nurture the children. She said the children once received public assistance through the Ministry of Human Services but this has since been discontinued.
Manickchand responded that the administration is taking on a new approach where children are concerned. She said the ministry will address the matter adding that it is currently spreading its services to cover all ten administrative regions.
She said that disbursement of public assistance is governed by the laws of Guyana in which applicants are required to apply through a local board of guardians, made up of persons from the community.
She added that, according to the law, the allocation of public assistance is reviewed each year in the months of January and July which will determine whether someone remains eligible. She said the government is doing its utmost to reduce poverty, noting that if the same group of persons receives public assistance yearly, then others would be unable to receive same.
Manickchand said the ministry also plans to have residential social services officers installed in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. She said the problem the ministry had with implementing this initiative was accommodation.
Ammo, arms, horses
and mules
Toshao of Kamarang Lorna Edwards also raised a few concerns which set yesterday’s proceedings abuzz. Edwards said the geographical location of her village makes access to neighbouring Venezuela and Brazil easy, adding that her village has good relations with border villages in those two countries. In this regard, with her question directed to Rohee, she asked whether it would be possible to “step across” to neighbouring Venezuela to purchase ammunition for her licensed firearm. She said at the moment it is very difficult to travel from her community to the coastland and it would be much cheaper to travel over the border to buy ammunition “from Chavez”. She said that the cost of the airfare to and from the area to the coastland ranges between $27,000 and $39,000 one way, with some domestic airlines charging, in terms of bodyweight, $235 per pound. Noting that “there are all sorts of fancy guns in George-town”, she also asked whether the issue of joint licences could be addressed adding that in some instances such as in a father/son situation, the son could take responsibility for the firearm.
Toshao of Karasabai in Region Nine Elvis Edwards asked whether the Home Affairs Ministry could not provide some means of transportation for police officers stationed in nearby villages. He said this would greatly assist his community since at the moment villagers have to trek several miles to the nearest police station.
Addressing the issue, Rohee said one has to be imaginative. “What happened to the horses and mules?” he asked. As a few murmurs emanated from those present, Rohee quickly stated that it did not mean that some communities would not be provided with vehicles to assist the police and community policing groups (CPG) in those villages. As regards ammunition being sourced from neighbouring countries, Rohee said there is a process which has to be followed. Noting that this issue was raised at the last National Toshao Council meeting, Rohee said that anyone who wants to import ammunition into the country has to obtain permission from the Commerce and Home Affairs ministries. He said many firearms end up in Georgetown through a variety of avenues including being imported illegally or taken from licensed firearm holders when criminal activities, such as robberies, are committed.
In response to issues relating to villagers being harassed by police officers in sections of Region Eight as well as allegations of corrupt practices involving lawmen, Rohee noted that the government does not condone corruption where getting things done are concerned. He said the best way to get things done is to go through the legitimate process, stating that he knows that persons who are involved in such corrupt practices will have to face the consequences for their actions.
Earlier yesterday, open discussions were held with other agencies and ministries including Foreign Affairs, Public Works and Commu-nication, Youth Sport and Culture and the Guyana Geo-logy and Mines Commission.
