Favourable inflation rate for first quarter of
2010
The Guyana Bureau of Statistics on June 22 issued
a report announcing that for the first quarter of 2010 the economy
recorded an overall inflation rate of 0.5 per cent for the period
December 2009 to March 2010.
According to the Bureau, two major factors
contributed to the low level of inflation at the end of the first
quarter. These included the movement of the food sub-index and the state
of fuel prices.
The report stated that for the first three months,
food sub-index was very moderate at overall 1.3 percent despite the
drought conditions that obtained in the early months of this year.
However, there were declines in prices in some of the heavier-weighted
categories, particularly the vegetable products category which declined
in price by as much as -12.5percent over the first
quarter.
Prices for milk and milk products declined by -5.1
percent, oils and fats by -4.0 percent, and cereal and cereal products
by -0.8 percent. On the other hand, price increases were recorded in
some other categories with the largest price movements recorded for
pulse and pulse products which increased for the quarter by 17.0
percent.
Imported condiments and spices fuelled an increase
of 14.9 percent and the price index for fruit and fruit products
increased for the quarter by 16.2 percent. Additionally, the prices of
meat, fish and eggs also increased by 8.3 percent during the first
quarter of the year.
The market reaction to shortages of high
consumption items as bananas, cherries, oranges, dry-coconuts and limes
as a result of the drought conditions, which triggered the increases, is
expected to reverse once weather conditions become favourable.
Fuel prices had a marginal effect on the movements
of two directly influenced sub-indices, namely housing and transport and
communication. The movements in fuel prices were countervailed by the
-9.2 percent decline in the price of the communication sub-index,
gasoline, as consumers continued to benefit from the robust competition
in the communications market.
The report concluded that the inflation target for
2010, announced by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh in his budget
speech in February, was set at 4.0 percent. Both in the context of this
year’s inflation target and in contrast to last year’s first quarter
inflation rate of 0.4 percent, the inflation rate for the first quarter
of 2010 thus far, has been favourable.
Large scale corn production planned for Guyana
Stemming from the fact that it is sometimes
difficult to obtain feed and other supplies for feeding livestock,
Guyana is about to enter into large scale corn cultivation. This was
revealed by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud on July 2 when he met
with stakeholders of the poultry industry.
It is hoped that this venture would ensure the
future of feed supply in the country and contribute to the supplies
being adequate for feed producers.
Minister Persaud stated that there are several
farmers who will be taking up corn cultivation, and experts from
Brazil
are expected in
Guyana
this month. The Brazilians will work with the local farmers to develop
large scale corn cultivation.
The
Soesdyke-Linden Highway
has been earmarked for corn cultivation, and according to the Minister,
a group of farmers there will start planting in excess of 100 acres alongside the
highway itself. He said the venture will bring more local reliance to
the industry and will make
Guyana
less exposed to difficulties.
Currently, all inputs for the livestock industry
are imported, and this exposes it to the effects of international supply
and price fluctuations.
Boosting pineapple production in Mainstay/Whyaka
The Mainstay/Whyaka, in Region Two, is one of the
most progressive Amerindian communities in the country owing to
partnerships with the government and private enterprise. One of its main
economic activities is the cultivation of organic pineapples which are
marketed to Amazon Caribbean Guyana Ltd. (AMCAR).
Owing to the recent drought conditions which
affected the country, production of pineapples in large quantities was
affected and as such to find a feasible solution for the company, which
processes local pineapples into chunks for export to the European market
with the utilisation of local labour, and villagers the Ministries of
Agriculture and Amerindian Affairs intervened.
As a result of discussions between the two parties
at a meeting held in mid-June at Mainstay/Whyaka, Minister of
Agriculture Robert Persaud announced that the Ministry of Agriculture
will pay to clear one acre of land for each farmer on the premise that
they will clear another since the current lands are not high yielding.
This, he indicated, will increase the quantity of
pineapples being supplied to AMCAR since the company expressed that it
needed more pineapples to boost its production. AMCAR has been
partnering with the community since 2003.
The minister said that the government would be
ready to support the community in dealing with the effects of climate
change primarily when drought-like conditions arise as in the past
months.
The Ministry of Agriculture has since been working
with the community to garner what support is needed in terms of planting
materials, and setting up an orchard to diversify the activities of the
area. This initiative will help in promoting food security and
generating income.
Labour Minister dares US to provide child labour
evidence
Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir on June 29
challenged the United States government to produce
evidence of child labour in
Guyana, and to provide proof that they
removed 984 children from exploitative situations in
Guyana.
Nadir was responding to
United States’ Ambassador, Luis C. de
Baca who claimed that he (Nadir) was not the subject minister at the
time when the US-sponsored project “Combating Exploitive Child Labour
through Education” was signed.
“I have noticed in response to my colleague
Minister Manickchand, Ambassador C. de Baca has condescendingly
dismissed my call for the US to produce the evidence of child labour
here, saying I was not the Minister,” Minister Nadir remarked.
He noted that both Minister of Education Shaik
Baksh and himself served as the relevant Ministers during the life of
the project called “EDUCARE”.
The TIP 2010 report states that the US Department
of Labour withdrew 984 children from employment in logging, saw-milling,
fishing, hazardous farming, factory work, mining, and freight handling
from 2005 to 2009.
Minister Nadir questioned why after four years of
being on the ground, EDUCARE failed to mention to either the education
or labour ministries that they had found instances of child labour.
“I again vehemently deny that there was any
project in Guyana that ever removed over 984
children from exploitative child labour or prevented 2,000 plus from
entering such. I am absolutely certain that the project which the Hon.
Ambassador is referring to, did not – absolutely did not – achieve this
super-human feat,” the Labour Minister maintained.
He stressed that the final report was “falsified
and fabricated” by the contractors of the US Department of Labour, who
were hired to execute the project.
Minister Nadir pointed out that the Ambassador may
be finding it difficult, because of his position, to exercise a modicum
of humility and accept that the US
administration was duped by the EDUCARE principals.
He further stated that government is confident and
adamant that the report is factually inaccurate, intellectually
dishonest and those responsible have blatantly defrauded US taxpayers.
US TIP 2010 Report inaccurate, says National
Toshaos Council
The National Toshaos Council (NTC) on June 22
refuted claims made in the United States State Department Report on
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2010 which indicates that Amerindian women
and children are forced into prostitution and child labour.
The council stated that it is unhappy with the
contents of the report since it is unaware of any widespread incidences
of TIP, let alone forced prostitution among Amerindian women and
children.
It also highlighted that the council is supportive
of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ focal point on HIV/AIDS programme
which encompasses other social issues such as alcohol and drug abuse,
child abuse and domestic violence and education on the possible risks of
TIP.
Hundreds of residents inclusive of women in
North Pakaraimas, North and South
Rupununi, Upper Mazaruni,
and Regions One and Six have benefited from the programme, NTC stated.
“The awareness programme is the correct approach
in empowering our hinterland residents who include Amerindians, so that
they make right life choices and avoid any possible situation that can
lead to abuse,” the NTC said.
It further noted that the US TIP Report 2010
omitted the TIP specific awareness efforts made by the government which
constitute efforts to mitigate Guyanese being entrapped in any of the
situations to which the report alluded.
The practice of children accompanying adults to
farms and other work related environment which are usually located miles
away from home during out of school periods cannot be deemed child
labour since it is a tradition in Amerindian families, the council
noted.
NTC affirmed that
Guyana
is never known to be a source country where children or women are
confined into a situation of modern day slavery. The body deemed that
the report was inaccurate and created a distorted image of the situation
of indigenous women and children in
Guyana.
“We object to the insinuations conveyed in the
report and find it inexplicable that the report does not even speak to
the issue of the progress that Amerindians have made in this country,”
NTC stated.
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50% of Region 6 works programme completed
Region 6, East Berbice/Corentyne, has seen just
about 50 percent of its 2010 works programme completed, while the
current programme continues to move apace.
Under the capital programme this year, 11 roads
will be built across the region. There will also be the construction of
a new nursery school at Port Mourant and the rehabilitation of the
New Amsterdam Multilateral
School and the Corentyne Comprehensive High School
at Port Mourant.
The July/ August vacation will see the
rehabilitation of more than 15 schools in the Region.
In the region’s health sector, the plan is to
extend the drug bond at New Amsterdam to enable the region to have a greater
supply of medicine for the hospital. The Baracara health centre up the Canje
River
will be rehabilitated to cater for the presence of a resident Medex.
In addition, more than $31 million will be spent on the
maintenance of health centres and other infrastructure for health
services in the region.
In drainage and irrigation, for 2010 alone, $101
million has been earmarked.
There are plans to
empolder the Mara area, East Bank Berbice, and construct a new sluice
there. Already underway is the plan to construct new concrete bridges in
all the cultivation areas to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery
in those areas. Black Bush Polder, Crabwood Creek and the No. 52 -72
areas will benefit from these projects.
Promises fulfilled to
Abary
River farmers
Abary farmers and residents have expressed
satisfaction with the swift response of the Ministry of Agriculture and
its agencies following a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture at
Abary to discuss agricultural support.
During discussion with farmers at the meeting held
on June 9, 2010 several
concerns were raised, including repairs to
the Onverwagt all weather road and bridge which are ongoing much to the
satisfaction of farmers/residents of Abary Creek.
Farmers have also benefited from works being
undertaken by an excavator to empolder homesteads in Abary Creek due to
the vulnerability of the area to flooding. In addition, resulting from
the interaction with the minister, a meeting was arranged with cattle
farmers and the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss cattle rustling and
other security concerns affecting farmers.
Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture have made
several follow up visits to Abary and other surrounding communities to
address farmers’ concerns.
ACP-EU Council join forces on Climate Change and
MDGs
Member states during the Joint African, Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) Group and the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers
(Joint ACP-EU Council) 35th Meeting in Burkina Faso on June 21 to 22,
called for “urgent and cooperative action underpinned by the principles
of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”
to address climate change while emphasising the urgency with regards to
the disbursement of the fast start financing.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn
Rodrigues-Birkett represented Guyana at the
Council meeting which also called for the prioritising of new and
additional resources, necessary for financing adaptation for the most
vulnerable developing countries.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
climate change formed the basis of the joint declarations by member
states which emerged at the conclusion of the two-day session.
The
declarations will aid in further strengthening the Council’s common
position while enhancing its visibility and voice at the upcoming United
Nations High Level Meeting of the MDGs in New York in September and the UNFCC
Conference on Climate Change in
Cancun,
Mexico later
this year.
The joint Council acknowledged climate change to
be a "crucial global challenge, threatening the attainment of the MDGs."
Guyana accedes to Cartagena Convention
Guyana
has acceded to the Cartagena Convention and its three Protocols. The
Convention addresses water and airborne pollution, land-based pollution
of the marine environment and sea bed exploitation. The area of
application of the Convention is essentially the
Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and contiguous areas of states that share
the Atlantic Ocean as their sea coast.
The three Protocols to which Guyana has acceded deal with combating oil
spills in the wider Caribbean region, combating pollution from
land-based sources and activities and pollution concerning protected
areas and wildlife in the wider Caribbean Sea.
The Convention was adopted in
Cartagena,
Colombia, on March 24, 1983 and entered
into force on
October 11, 1986, for the legal implementation of the action
plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme.
Guyana
welcomes 9th Chinese medical team
The Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public
Hospital Corporation, on June 14, welcomed the ninth Chinese medical
brigade at a ceremony at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre in
Georgetown. The opportunity was also used to bid
farewell to the members of the eight brigade who have completed their
two-year tour of duty.
Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Minster within the Ministry of
Health, said that China has always
managed to fulfil its promises in a timely fashion, even in the face of
tough internal challenges. He pointed out that China has enjoyed a long
relationship with the Caribbean and
more particularly
Guyana, and that events such as these
celebrate this partnership.
The Minister recognized as stellar, the
contributions made by the outgoing team, in both
Linden and
Georgetown. Advancements
made in laparoscopy and plastic surgery as two major achievements in
this regard.
The incoming 15 member brigade of doctors will be
spread across the hospitals at Charity,
Linden
and Georgetown.
Among this new group of doctors is an obstetrician/gynaecologist, a
radiologist, a pathologist and a plastic surgeon.
The first brigade of Chinese doctors arrived in
1993. Each batch completes a tour of two years.
Persons with Disability Bill approved
The Persons with Disability Bill, which was tabled
in the National Assembly on November 19, 2009 was on
June 10 passed subsequent to the adoption of the report of a
Parliamentary Special Select Committee. The Bill which seeks to lay out
the rights of persons with disabilities in relation to equal opportunity
for employment and protects against discrimination on the grounds of
disability, was unanimously supported by all members of the House.
The Bill also provides for the welfare and
rehabilitation, registration, and the establishment of a national
commission of persons with disabilities.
One of the changes involves the help of public and
private media, particularly electronic media. Health Minister Dr. Leslie
Ramsammy explained that televised newscast will be now be expected to
put mechanisms in place so that the hearing impaired will be able to
follow the news.
Government accelerates Amerindian land titling
process
Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai on
June 5 demonstrated the government’s commitment to accelerate the
process of titling and demarcating Amerindian lands, during a visit to
Rivers’ View in Region 7 to commence the investigative phase of the
process.
The minister, accompanied by a team of officials
from the Guyana Lands
and Surveys Commission, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana
Forestry Commission and other personnel, held a meeting with community
leaders and residents aimed at hastening the land titling application
process.
The meeting was informed of the land titling and
demarcation procedure as legislated in the 2006 Amerindian Act. The Act
serves to conduct the process of requesting titling, demarcation and
extension of Amerindian lands which they occupy and use. It also
provides an important mechanism in community decisions based on
participation of all residents.
Minister Sukhai described the process as a
progressive step from which the Amerindian communities both in the
hinterland and coastal areas have been benefiting.
She explained that although some Amerindian
communities do not yet own the land which they occupy because they do
not possess the necessary documentation to this effect, the government
has ensured that those communities are registered once they have a
population of more than 150 and have been established for more than 25
years. This proves that the government recognises the occupation of the
lands that Amerindians have used and continue to use.
There are 96 titled Amerindian villages spread
across the 10 administrative regions of
Guyana. Sixty villages were demarcated
by the end of 2008, while an additional three were demarcated in 2009.
Six of these titled villages do not require demarcation since they have
natural boundaries. Of the remaining 28 villages, demarcation was
completed during 2009 in Isseneru (Region 7), and Massara and Parikwarunau Villages, Region 9.
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News Briefs
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Single parents, particularly women
now have the opportunity to improve their status and make a significant
contribution to economic development in society under the micro-credit scheme.
The scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Services and Social
Security in partnership with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.
Loans range from $100,000 to $250,000 and will attract interest at the
rate of six percent per annum with a maximum repayment period of 24 months. The
applicant must be between the age of 18 and 60 years, earning fewer than $40,000
per month and must be registered with the Ministry’s Security Single Parent
Registry.
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A new synthetic athletics track will
soon be constructed at Uitvlugt, Region Three, which will help to develop the
region, as well as encourage athletes to have facilities to practice for
competitions. The track will be constructed to meet international standards, in
order to be certified by the International Athletics Federation.
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A modern state-of-the-art veterinary
laboratory will be constructed at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, as part of
Government’s plan to enhance, detect and respond to diseases that can affect the
livestock sector. The veterinary laboratory will help to restore the entire Mon
Repos stretch as the epicentre of agriculture research. It will also allow for
the certification for export, since
Guyana
hopes to become a major exporter of meat products to supply the
Caribbean region.
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The Department of Education in Region
Three (West
Demerara-Essequibo
Islands) recently launched
the first phase of its annual work study programme at the
West
Demerara
Secondary School. The
first phase commenced on June 28 and will end on July 30; while the second phase
will run from August 3 to September
3. A total of 75 students drawn from secondary
schools in the region will be benefiting from the programme which will be
executed at various agencies across
West Demerara.
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The Ministry of Culture, Youth and
Sport will be hosting its annual summer camps for students during the August
holidays. The programme is scheduled to commence on July 12 and conclude on
August 27. The camps will be set up in all 10 administrative regions and youths
from around the country will have the opportunity to engage in constructive
activities during the holidays. The Ministry will focus on five thematic areas:
education, parenthood/ family life, employment, health and leadership/civic
education. The camps will cater for persons between 12-17 years and will feature
art and craft, tours to historical sites, hiking, health and environmental
education, fitness, music and dance.
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The government is exploring the
option of providing free transportation to some schools as early as September as
part of an initiative aimed at ensuring more children attend school, not only
punctually but regularly. Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir announced this plan
on June 23. Currently, the government initiative provides free uniforms to every
school-aged child and meals to many children in various parts of the country.
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A new rehabilitation centre was
commissioned in June 23 at the Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre. The clinic there is
expected to cater to the thousands of residents in Region 5 and its environs. In
addition to the new rehabilitation centre, the Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre
offers clinics in chronic diseases and eye care. There are 24 medical personnel,
among them Cuban doctors, stationed there as part of the Guyana/Cuba
collaboration initiative.
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Vice President, Head of Latin
America/Caribbean Program of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Robert Troya, on
June 21 commended
Guyana for its
proposal for growth and development based on the Low Carbon Development Strategy
(LCDS). He acknowledged that a low carbon economy is one that not many countries
are willing to take on as a development strategy. He was at the time addressing
the members of the Regional Steering Committee of the Guianas Sustainable
Natural Resources Management Project, at a meeting at the Grand Coastal Inn,
East Coast Demerara.
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The Ministry of Home Affairs on June
21 awarded over 50 multi-million dollar contracts for the execution of
rehabilitative works under its 2010 current and capital projects for the Guyana
Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service. The
contracts that were signed will see the rehabilitation of several police
stations, prisons, living quarters for ranks, fences, and the construction of
the Mahaica Fire Station at the cost of $13 million.
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The government over the years has
been accelerating the development of Amerindians through partnering with various
organisations and the communities. One of the most recent products of
partnerships was the Princeville Community Development, Mainstay/Whyaka, Region
Two, where Government collaborated with Food for the Poor Inc and Roetheli Lil’
Red Foundation to provide housing, commerce, education and water and sanitation.
The project saw the construction of 65 houses and sanitary blocks and one
trading store. In addition, the
Lake
Mainstay
Primary School was rehabilitated and extended to
house the nursery school and head-teacher’s office.
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The National Vocational Training
Centre, known as the Open Doors Centre for persons with disabilities, on June 24
held it annual open day activity to promote the work of its students. The
mission of the centre is part a of holistic approach undertaken by the
administration to strengthen rehabilitation services in Guyana, while providing
persons with disabilities the opportunity to be trained with a life skill so
that he/she too can become marketable and be integrated into society. The
centre offers a range of courses to disabled persons including electronics,
electrical installation, information technology, garment construction, carpentry
and joinery. Since the establishment of the institution in 2000, hundreds of
persons with disabilities have been trained with a life skill and have been able
to contribute to the manpower of the country and economic productivity.
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The movie taken from the Guyanese
play “Til I find a Place” premiered at the National Cultural Centre
on the evening of June 23 amidst high hopes about
Guyana finding its place in the
movie industry. The movie was screened after remarks by Prime Minister Samuel
Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, Director Mahadeo
Shivraj, writer Ronald Hollingsworth and promoter Neaz Subhan. The movie
presents profound social commentary, through drama and comedy, capturing all the
elements of social problems and interpersonal relationships in the Guyanese
society.
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The
Mabaruma
Regional
Hospital in Region One has
upgraded its service to benefit the people in the region. The hospital is fully
equipped with surgical theatre, laboratory, baby incubator and other necessities
with a staff complement of 62, including two Medex and a resident doctor. A
full-time pharmacist and two additional doctors (a gynaecologist and physician)
are expected to join the team by September. Since its rehabilitation recently,
the hospital has been providing a range of services including maternal child
health, tuberculosis and malaria clinics. It has all the equipment to perform
major surgeries, but is awaiting the deployment of expertise.
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Guyana’s first Olympic size swimming
will be completed shortly as the prefabricated pool which was manufactured by
internationally well-known Myrtha Pools from Italy, has arrived in the country.
The pool will be constructed at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. The pool site
will consist of a pump house, pavilion and dressing rooms which are being
constructed by CARES Engineering Company. In addition, a grass mound will be
constructed to facilitate approximately 800 people. Swimming classes will be
held, and qualified coaches and instructors will be provided.
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Secondary school teachers
specialising in the teaching of English Language and Mathematics, on June 17
graduated from the Ministry of Education’s non-graduate certificate course at
the National Centre for Educational Resource Development. This initiative
facilitates the upgrade of the teachers’ qualifications making them more
equipped to effectively deliver their respective subjects.
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The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs on
June 17 handed over $14 million worth of equipment to Toshaos of Regions One and
Nine as part of Government’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of its
indigenous people living in remote communities. The equipment includes a $6.25
million John Deere tractor with a 60-tonne trailer which was given to Katoonarib
village, Region Nine, and a Toyota minibus to Karaburi, Region One, valued $2
million. In addition, 170 fifteen-watt solar panels were also purchased at a
cost of $5.95 million, under the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme
(UAEP). Thirty-five of the panels will be given to Tiger Pond, 25 to
Paipang, 65 to Katoonarib and 45 to Parikwarunau, all villages in Region Nine.
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