Parliamentary
Over $31b in extra spending approved by Parliament: The government on July 20th granted approval for $26,532,000,000 in supplementary provisions by the National Assembly to cover projects such as the replication of the Hope drainage canal in regions five and six and other sea defence projects. The sum was encompassed in Financial Paper No. 2 presented by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. Singh yesterday moved a motion that Financial Paper No. 2/2023 – Supplementary Estimates (Capital) totaling $26,532,000,000 for the period ending 2023-12-31 be accepted. APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Volda Lawrence questioned what were the broad objectives for the use of the funds, projects which will be funded by the amount which was being sought by the government, an estimated duration of the projects and to identify new projects and ongoing projects which may have financial support from other entities. She also asked, “Whether these projects have been included in the PSIP (Public Sector Investment Programme) and the Capital Projects profile?” Singh in response noted that the broad objects of the projects to be financed from the sale of the proceeds of the carbon credits “are the objectives that are outlined in the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030.” He also pointed to climate adaptation infrastructure given the challenges that the country faces with climate change. Elaborating on projects which are to be implemented, Singh said that there will be a significant investment in sea defences, “reinforcement and expansion of our sea defence infrastructure will be a critical component of this” along with drainage and irrigation infrastructure. He stressed, that the establishment of the Hope drainage canal led to a significant strengthening of the drainage and irrigation capabilities particularly on the East Coast of Demerara with support to Georgetown, hence the plan to replicate it in regions five and six. “In addition to sea defences, two major initiatives under this programme will be the replication of the Hope Canal infrastructure, one in Region Five and one in Region Six.”
International
Guyana to await notification from US regarding Mohameds – Jagdeo: Guyana will await notification from the United States government on its posture regarding investigations into businessmen Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed and his son, Azruddin, but dismissed claims that the duo had influenced any of its business decisions or contract awards. “As the Reuters story said, there has been no official, the Government of Guyana has not been officially informed of any investigations into the Mohameds or what the charges are or what the allegations are at this stage; no official notification,” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo July 20th told a press conference. “Secondly, I have noticed in the same story that when asked for a comment, every US agency declined to comment on the story. So the Government of Guyana will act on this matter when the US engages it officially, if it engages the Government of Guyana. Right now, we have a story in Reuters with some allegations. It is in this vein Jagdeo said, that government would not postulate on what it would do if sanctions were imposed because of the Mohameds’ US$300 million investment in a new shorebase at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara. “If the US were to impose sanctions, then the government would have to assess how it deals with those sanctions and, of course, take steps to protect the interests of Guyana. Guyana! That’s our primary concern. We are elected to… protect the interests of this country,” he emphasised. A Reuters special report stated that the Mohameds were being investigated for gold smuggling and drug trafficking. Reuters also disclosed that US government officials repeatedly warned ExxonMobil to avoid doing business with two mining magnates in Guyana, both of whom it said are currently the subject of a US investigation on suspicions of money laundering, drug trafficking, and gold smuggling, according to five persons with knowledge of the matter, and two intelligence reports seen by the news agency.
Education
GTU says gov’t not acting in good faith on teachers package: General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald is of the opinion that the Government is using delay tactics to eventually award a unilateral across-the-board increase rather than what the union would have bargained for. This comment came just after President Irfaan Ali, when asked about the negotiations with the Union over wages, salary and other benefits, noted that he will be embarking on countrywide consultations with teachers. In response, McDonald told the Sunday Stabroek that the GTU sees this as a ruse to implement an across-the-board increase. “It is all a waste of time, and this is what this Government is good at. They are good at being very deceptive by posting pictures on Facebook and others to show, oh, the GTU is engaged in negotiations, it’s just a waste of time because all that we have been able to look at is nothing cementing what we have looked at. So, we keep going in circles all the time and every time we meet something about the figure is not right. It’s a go and a come and go and come. This is saying to me that this Government is just stalling the entire process to wait for November, early December and then to dish out again to the nation’s teachers an across-the-board increase. We have gone nowhere with those negotiations”, McDonald lamented. The GTU and the government would routinely engage each other on wages, benefits and salaries. Multi-year deals have also been on the agenda. No agreement has been signed between the union and any government since 2018. Instead, public servants are given increases, which means teachers would also get an increase. This government and its predecessor have been accused of continuing to ignore collective bargaining despite asserting that International Labour Organisation conventions are being complied with. In 2018 under the APNU-AFC government, teachers across Guyana were able to benefit from a multi-year agreement that would have taken some time to construct. However, fast forward and the issues remain stagnated under the PPP/C government, which has not signed a multi-year agreement with the GTU since taking office.
Diaspora
Skills needed but diaspora has to be realistic on salaries – Edghill: Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill has told the Guyanese diaspora that while there is a need for skilled persons to boost the economy, they must come with the understanding that the salaries won’t be the same. Edghill was last week speaking at the Multi-Stakeholders Meeting on Guyana’s Labour Needs hosted by The Diaspora Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal, Georgetown. The aim of the discussion was to understand how the diaspora could contribute to Guyana’s transformative development. The Ministry wants to do this by effectively engaging the Guyanese diaspora and recruiting skills which are needed in both the public and private sectors. It was for this reason that the minister was named as one of the main speakers at the forum where he indicated that there must be some level of compromise between the contribution to national development and salaries. “The bottom line particularly when you are discussing with the diaspora, is the cost to compensate for what takes place in a country where you are domiciled. People are all asking for consultancies where they can go to super level salaries. So, there is a disconnect there. So, I would like today’s discussion while we highlight what is needed and what needs to be recruited and the rest of it, we need to discuss that kind of operation in the context of being salaried or paid in Guyana and being paid as you are in foreign, where the exchange rates put you in at a significant advantage.” Edghill told his audience that right now the exact number of skills needed is not known to the government but shortages keep popping up everywhere. He explained that from time to time, the government is forced to import labour by granting work permits for skills as low as a driver and even the hospitality sector. He noted too that while this is so, there is a need for more persons who are skilled, equipped and trained well.
Drugs
CANU seized 677 kgs of drugs in first half of year: The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) seized 677.4 kgs of narcotics in the first half of this year, sharply below last year’s figure of 2,107 kgs for the same period. According to a report released last week by CANU, 662 kgs of cannabis was seized from January to June this year. The comparable figure for last year was 2, 045 kgs. This year, 14.8 kgs of cocaine was seized while for the first six months last year, 61 kgs was intercepted. The agency said that it handled 30 cases this year and secured 27 convictions. CANU said that it also seized four firearms and a total of 1,087 rounds of ammunition. It said that it also placed great emphasis on demand reduction and institutional strengthening, working with various agencies and undertaking School Drug prevention sensitizations throughout the country. CANU said that there was also a focus on international cooperation, liaising with international and regional bodies.
Crime
Police probing Timehri labourer killing at Soesdyke junction: The police are investigating the killing of Yoel Valenzuela, 40, a labourer who resided at Timehri, East Bank Demerara. It is suspected that he was murdered last Sunday around 04:30 hrs at the Linden-Soesdyke Highway Junction by three men, one of whom has since been arrested. According to a police press release, investigations have so far revealed that on Saturday at about 20:00 hrs, Yoel Valenzuela; his son John Valenzuela, 17; cousin Ameria Campo, 34; and John Campo, 21, all of Timehri were at Ragu Sports Bar at Soesdyke imbibing alcohol. At some point, the police said, one of the three suspects, who are known to the witnesses, approached Yoel Valenzuela and started arguing with him. John Valenzuela then confronted the suspect, and during an argument, pushed him and cuffed him to his mouth. All three of the men then confronted the Valenzuelas and the rest of their group, who ran out of the bar with the suspects in pursuit, the police said.The police were told that Yoel Valenzuela ran south along the Soesdyke Public Road and then turned along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway at the junction, followed by the suspects. His son and cousins kept running further south along the Soesdyke Public Road, chased by other friends of the prime suspect. Around 05:30 hrs, a 32-year-old self-employed man of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, went to urinate and came upon a lifeless body. He then made a report to the police. The release said crime scene investigators examined the body, later identified as Yoel Valenzuela, and found wounds above the left ear and right side of the back. There were blood stains in the area where the body was found. The man was formally pronounced dead at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, Diamond. Meanwhile, the release said, the police are looking for the other suspects as investigations continue.
