Economy
Budget set at $781.9b: Boasting that it is a budget for all Guyanese and one for “now and the future”, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh last Monday presented a whopping $781.9 billion budget – some 41.4% more than the $552.9 billion budget last year. The second budget to benefit from the country’s growing oil and gas revenues, Singh said that with continued “interventions and policies geared at building a resilient economy” the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow at a projected 25.1%, which puts Guyana among the top five fastest growing economies in 2023. It is expected that in 2023 that monetary policy will remain centred on keeping prices and exchange rates stable while ensuring that the economy is conducive for a sustainable expansion in lending to the private sector, and economic output. The inflation rate is expected to slow to 3.8% and this will be underlined by decelerating prices abroad, along with the maintenance of a suitable policy stance on the part of Government. While it was projected last year that the Gross Domestic Product would have grown by 47.5% Singh announced that instead it is estimated that the economy grew by 62.3% with the non-oil sectors contributing 11.5% up from the projected 7.7%. As has been his mantra for the last few years Singh, presenting the current Government’s fourth budget, said it is the largest budget ever even as he announced that alongside a transfer of $208.9b in oil proceeds to the Consolidated Fund this budget for the first time will benefit from the country’s carbon credits revenue. In a more than five-hour presentation that was peppered with political jabs including a reference to the late President Forbes Burnham’s equestrian skills at the Hope Estate, Singh said that the PPP/C government is delivering on the many promises it made. Two bottles of water, a glass and what was later revealed to be cough syrup were all part of Singh’s props as he spoke hour after hour and took time out to respond to the many heckles that came from the opposition side. He clarified at one point that the `swank’-like substance in the glass from which he sipped from regularly was not in fact water produced by the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) but an over-the-counter cough medication prescribed by a doctor. He later said he was having local honey diluted with water. The budget, which was presented under the theme ‘Improving Lives Today, Building Prosperity for Tomorrow’, according to Singh, strikes a “balance between addressing the pressing needs of today and the critical investments needed for tomorrow, ensuring that both are attended to”. “It is also a responsible Budget, cast within the context of a macroeconomic framework that recognises the risks we face both from the global economy as well as from the realities that confront a new and emerging resource-based economy,” Singh said of his 94-long page budget presentation.
Investment
Black entrepreneurs group meets Edghill on accessing contracts: As it endeavours to assist its over 300 members to attain the requisite compliances and so tap into procurement opportunities in both the public and private sectors, the Black Entrepreneurs Association (BEA) of Guyana will be meeting with a number of ministries and business organisations in the first quarter of this year. Already, the organisation has met with the Ministry of Public Works and says that after the debate and passage of the 2023 Budget, it plans to reach out to other ministries and agencies of government. “Yesterday [Thursday] we met with the Ministry of Public Works…we had a really good meeting with Minister [Juan] Edghill. Our 2022 goal was to help our members to be compliant and business ready, and working with our membership, so that they can venture out into getting contracts and partnerships and so forth,” BEA Executive and spokesperson, Melissa Varswyk, told Stabroek News in an interview. She explained that since the body’s formation in 2020, they have over 300 members and of those, over 85 per cent are compliant with regulatory requirements for their respective businesses, especially geared for the oil and gas services. “Our members have their NIS, they have their GRA, their bank accounts and business licences and things like that. A sizeable amount already have their Local Content Certificate.” The BEA currently has 300 registered members in Guyana and 300 in the UK chapter. When it met with President Irfaan Ali in 2021, the association highlighted that it is committed to creating a blueprint for black-owned businesses, which creates inter-generational wealth while transforming the business economy and community. After its formation, and realising that the main gripe of black-owned businesses was that they were not getting contracts, or were not able to form partnerships and get access to financing, the BEA set out its plan which prioritised equipping its members. The BEA has set down a number of overall goals and targets for the organisation and has further divided them into long and short term goals. “It is a continuous process but in 2021 we had training and workshops and so forth where we taught our membership various things. Help to equip them with the knowledge so that they can venture out to get contracts and partnerships and secure grants and so forth,” Varswyk explained. Holding hands with the many start-up, small- and medium-sized businesses, Varswyk said now that they are compliant, the body wants them to learn firsthand what is required from public and private sector bodies for procurement.
Oil & Gas
India has major interest in oil here –President: India has been asked to submit a written proposal outlining its interest in the oil and gas sector here, according to President Irfaan Ali.
“There has been a keen interest, consistently from India, to be a long-term purchaser of crude oil from Guyana. In addition to that interest, they have expressed also a keen desire to support us in the entire ecosystem around the oil and gas sector,” Ali told a press conference when asked by Stabroek News of New Delhi’s interest. “I said to the team that they should put in a proposal as to what exactly they are proposing, in terms of a long- term agreement, and that has to be examined technically. In a meeting with the Minister, the interest of exploring that government-to-government collaboration was very clear,” he added. Pointing out that the interest expressed was “nothing new” as “India has made it very clear that they have an interest in being one of the purchasers of Guyana’s oil,” Ali said that government cannot make a decision until they know directly and formally what it is that New Delhi expects. “The technical teams will work and see what proposals India would forward,” he said, as he listed other areas of collaboration. “It is not only in terms of lift. India’s interest is also to see how they can work with us and the entire ecosystem surrounding our oil and gas, whether it’s technology transfer, trading of our human resources, building capacity, in terms of the value-added services that is required for the oil and gas sector, purchasing of crude oil … or investment,” he said. During his recent visit to India, Ali met with Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Petroleum Minister. Following the meeting, Puri had tweeted: “Dis-cussed direct Government to Government cooperation across entire spectrum of oil & gas sector including increased long term offtake, participation in exploration & production activities in Guyana, technical cooperation in midstream & downstream sector & capacity building”. Ali explained that this country sought to galvanize interest from the Indian private sector so that they can participate in the upcoming auction of offshore blocks and government made clear to the Indian government, as it has with other nations, that they too can bid. “There was also a clear undertaking that the private sector of India wants to partake in that auction… we also encouraged the Government of India to have their agency participate directly in the auction because we would like to see as much people [as possible]. Every government interested and would like to participate in the auction, we would like see participate,” he stressed. And as he issued a public invitation for bidding at the auction, the President said that government hopes for maximum participation. “We are encouraging every single company. Let me say this very clear – Guyanese company, any company. You want to be part of the auction? Please come up. Any government in any part of the world, any company in any part of the world, you are free to be a part of the auction,” he emphasised. Last December, as he stressed the need to expeditiously move to develop the country’s oil and gas resources, Ali had announced the launch of the licensing round for 14 offshore oil blocks.
Fire investigation
Christ Church fire was arson – GFS concludes: A Guyana Fire Service (GFS) investigation has concluded that the blaze which gutted the Christ Church Secondary School on January 12th was an act of arson. “……The cause was determined…. It was maliciously set by person/s unknown,” Fire Chief (ag), Gregory Wickham told Stabroek News. In a press release afternoon, the GFS noted that there were several points of origin of the fire on January 12th. There had also been a suspicious combustion at a school lab on January 4th which required fire service intervention. “….Taken into consideration the time of the day that both fires occurred (16:29hrs [January 4th] and 17:22hrs [January 13th]) coupled with the fact that the second fire had several points of origin (seats), it is the determination of the Guyana Fire Service that the fire was maliciously set by a person or persons unknown”, the release said. According to the press release, investigators were able to determine the cause of the fire having ruled out that it was electrical in origin or as a result of another chemical reaction. “On the evening of the previous fire at the learning institute, which was ruled the result of a chemical reaction combustion, all chemicals were removed from the building. As such, there were no chemicals in the building at the time of the second fire, which rules out the possibility that it was another chemical reaction,” the GFS said. “Furthermore, the day after the first fire at the school, Christ Church Secondary was inspected and certified by the Government Electrical Inspectorate, which rules out the possibility of the second fire being electrical in origin,” it added. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has since taken over the investigation. It is unclear whether any arrest has yet been made. However, Police Commander of Region 4A, Simon McBean told Stabroek News that the investigation is ongoing.
Housing
Three housing schemes for Linden-Soesdyke area – President: The government will be establishing three housing schemes along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway to put an end to squatting in the area. President Irfaan Ali met with members of several communities along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway last Wednesday to discuss issues plaguing residents in the area. Ali told attendees at the meeting that the government will not be tolerating squatting and will be putting projects in place that will hopefully eradicate the practice. “We have a lot of illegal and new settlements emerging and they bring out their own challenges so one of the things we are going to do at the level of government [is] to identify a few areas where we are do some planned settlements to remove squatters along the highway,” Ali said. The President disclosed that three areas along the Highway will be identified by the end of the first quarter of this year for the development of housing schemes that will have all the necessary infrastructure and amenities. All squatters along the Highway will be relocated to those housing schemes. “We want to ensure that everyone has a better and improved standard of living,” he said. Some residents expressed disappointment at the planned relocation saying that they like their current place of abode but the President told them that there is a need for compromise as squatting is illegal. He assured that the government will assist persons with kitchen gardens or farms with replanting or rebuilding. However, he noted that more comprehensive consultations will be done to figure out the logistics and to create a path forward. He subsequently asked attendees if they are in favour of relocating to the housing schemes and the majority said yes. “Let us work together to bring some planned development that will get all the necessary facilities. I would advise to hold off on any construction. We will have a technical meeting and then decide how to move forward,” he said. According to Ali, the housing schemes should be completed within the next three years.
Maritime
John Fernandes signs US$4m crane loan with IDB: John Fernandes Limited (JFL) will soon be reaping the benefits of a mobile harbour crane (MHC) at its port facility in Georgetown. A release last week from the Ministry of Finance informed that JFL had signed a US$4 million corporate loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-Invest for the procurement of a mobile harbour crane (MHC) for use at its port facility. IDB Invest is the private sector arm of the IDB. Its aim is to advance economic development and improve lives by encouraging the growth of the private sector. It offers an array of investment opportunities and provides its clients with customized financing solutions and expert advice, tailored to their specific industry and market. The signing was overseen by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh during a virtual ceremony. Once the MHC is in operation, JFL will benefit from an increase in the quantity of international cargo handled at its ports. The IDB pointed out that currently, all port operations in Guyana rely on crane vessels for loading and discharging containers and these are less efficient and have less cargo handling capacity than an MHC. As such, by incorporating the services of an MHC, JFL would be able to service gearless vessels that can carry a substantially greater amount of cargo and do so more efficiently due to the MHC’s ability to load and discharge containers at a higher rate. Further, not only will the MHC support increased cargo handling capacity from the current 33,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (“TEUs”) containers per year to 100,000 TEUs per year, but it will also improve the port infrastructure in Guyana and contribute to timely and efficient handling of rising international commerce in the country. In his remarks during the ceremony, Singh thanked IDB-Invest for showing commitment in investing in this private sector project which not only allows for development of port facilities generally in the country but is also a sign that the financial institution “is showing serious interest in quickly and aggressively assisting in Guyana’s development in more ways than one.” The minister referred to a similar loan agreement with IDB-Invest signed in October at the same cost with Muneshwers Limited for the procurement of Guyana’s first mobile crane. He commended both John Fernandes’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Philip Fernandes and the IDB Group’s Country Representative, Guyana (Acting) Lorena Solorzano Salazar for the fast pace at which the agreement was finalised. JFL and Muneshwers are currently the only two port facilities in Guyana that will have a MHC.
Crime
Taxi driver’s family traumatized and in shock over execution: The family of the late Delon Josiah, who was murdered at his Perseverance East Bank Demerara home on the evening of January 14th , is still in shock and traumatized over his execution. Stabroek News visited Josiah’s home and his wife, Nicosc McDonald Josiah, who remains deeply traumatized over the incident has packed to move out since ‘the place is not deemed safe for her’, a family member related. It is alleged that two men jumped the fence to gain access to the house. According to the family member, “the thing happen in front ah one of de child, she still deh traumatize. The mat that he bleed out pon on the ground the blood thick suh, he bleed out so by time the ambulance come here he is a dead man.”37 year-old Delon Josiah, a taxi driver at 007 taxi service, resided at lot 625 Perseverance East Bank Demerara and was the father of three children. According to the police report, Josiah was sleeping inside a bedroom, while his wife, Nicosc McDonald Josiah, was at the front door with a female friend when two armed men confronted them. They led Nicosc and friend inside, searching for Delon. One of the men opened the bedroom door where Delon was with both opening fire on him. They made good their escape in an eastern direction from the yard.
In the courts
Killers of Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris can apply for parole after 20 years – CCJ: The CCJ last week set aside the Guyana Court of Appeal’s sentence of 50 years imprisonment for brothers Orwin and Cleon Hinds who in 2015 were convicted of the 2011 murder of Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris and instead imposed the mandatory sentence of life in prison with eligibility for parole after 20 years, inclusive of the time spent on remand. Delivering the decision, which came months after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed an appeal by the brothers against their conviction was Justice Denys Barrow. “This Court found that a sentencing court has no power to impose a sentence that is intended to be more severe than life imprisonment which is the maximum sentence,” Justice Barrow noted in the ruling. He said the court found that a sentence of life imprisonment for such a murder is the maximum sentence. Secondly, that it carries with it a statutory entitlement to be considered for eligibility of parole and thirdly that the eligibility arises after a period of 20 years in Guyana or such later period that a court may fix. Fourthly it was pointed out that a court has no power to impose a sentence of 50 years imprisonment or any determinate period that would exceed the sentence fixed by the Criminal Law Offences Act. In this case, it was stated that setting a minimum period that must be served before there could be eligibility for parole was a mandatory obligation which the Court of Appeal did not fulfill. The court noted that the murder by the two men fell into the class of the worst murders under Section 101 the Criminal Law Offences Act which are far more violative of the society’s peace and order and they are subject to the special sentencing regime set out in Section 100 A1A of the Act. That section provides that a convicted person shall be sentenced to death or imprisonment for life. And where a sentence of life is imposed the section states that the court could specify a period which the person should serve before becoming eligible for parole. However, the court pointed out that in the case of the gravest murders the period should be not less than 20 years and in the case of other murders not less than 15 years. The judge noted that the questions about whether the section creates a mandatory sentence and if it does whether such a sentence is constitutionally compliant were not raised and therefore the court did pronounce on this. The brothers through their lawyer Arudranauth Gossai argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law by failing to present “the sentence prescribed by Section 100 A(1) a of the Criminal Law Offences Act”. Counsel’s view was that Alleyne v R established that a sentence of life imprisonment amounted to a term of years of imprisonment and the thinking was that, since life in the context of that case was held to be a term of twenty-five years, the sentencing court ought to have imposed that sentence. The court, however, stated that it must be remembered that life imprisonment means being imprisoned for life and the convicted person has no right to be released. The fact that the parole system can result in a convicted person being released and not dying in prison did not alter that duration of life in prison.
Estranged husband, other man plead guilty to murdering Babita Sarjou: Twelve years after Babita Sarjou was murdered and buried in a shallow grave, her ex-husband and another man last Monday admitted to the crime and are now awaiting sentencing. Anand Narine and his co-accused, Darrol Compton called ‘Yankee’, 35, had initially denied the murder charge when they appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall in the High Court in Demerara yesterday morning. However, following a change of plea they admitted that on November 4, 2010, they murdered Sarjou. Justice Morris-Ramlall has deferred sentencing to Monday, February 6th. Narine is being represented by attorney Siand Dhurjon while Compton is being represented by attorney Nigel Hughes. The State is being represented by Prosecutor Muntaz Ali. On the eve of Diwali, November 4, 2010, Sarjou had left her Timehri home, having informed her family that after work she was going to view the annual motorcade with her estranged husband and their then four-year-old son. She had promised she would be back home at around 9 that night. She was never seen or heard from again. Her estranged husband, Narine, had faced intense scrutiny over her disappearance as there was a history of domestic violence in the relationship, which was evidenced by several reports made at the Kitty Police Station and the Timehri Police Station. Narine was also charged with the offence of exposing pictures of Sarjou to the public with a view to corrupt public morals after photographs in which the woman appeared half-naked were displayed around her place of employment in 2010. In 2016, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had reopened the investigation into Sarjou’s disappearance and the police had made a major breakthrough in the case after the questioning of Narine and his accomplice. Sarjou’s skeletal remains were unearthed at Narine’s Campbellville residence on May 22, 2016. Sarjou’s relatives later positively identified a pair of slippers, attire and undergarments that were found with the remains as her belongings and samples were taken for DNA testing. Months later, DNA tests confirmed that the remains which were found were indeed those of Sarjou.
Crime
Black Bush couple murdered during robbery, house torched: A Yakusari, Black Bush Polder couple was murdered on the evening of January 16th during a robbery after they recognised the perpetrators and their house was later set on fire. Subnauth Budraj, also known as “Bull boy”, 67, and Sarasuatie Budraj, also known as “Seeta”, 60, both of Yakusari South, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne were found murdered in their house just around 4.15 am on the day of the incident. The suspects were said to have worked with Subnauth in his rice field and were there last Monday afternoon at his shop drinking. They later returned to rob the couple and Subnauth was said to have dealt one of them a chop. The suspect went to the Mibicuri Hospital for treatment and staff there alerted the police after the man declined to say how he sustained the injury. Commander of Region Six, Shivpersaud Bacchus yesterday confirmed that the two prime suspects were arrested. According to Bacchus, several persons were initially held for questioning which aided their investigation. Stabroek News was told, that the first suspect, a 22-year-old, also from Yakusari, was first arrested and eventually confessed to police that he and the second suspect, 27, had invaded the couple’s house to rob them. Based on the suspect’s confession, the couple recognized the men resulting in them panicking and murdering Subnauth and his wife. After the two were killed, the suspects then turned on a gas bottle and lit several papers around it in an effort to start a fire to destroy evidence. Commander Bacchus confirmed, that police have since retrieved some of the stolen items from the 22-year old’s house. Stabroek News was told that police ventured to the location where they found jewellery belonging to the deceased with his name, cash and phone cards. The couple operated a shop and liquor store at the location and also sold beverages wholesale.
