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Second phase of NTPYE progressing
Having graduated 981 out-of-school youths and 13 single parents during the first phase of 2009, the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), executed under the Ministry of Labour, through the Board of Industrial Training, is currently carrying out the second phase.
For the second phase, 896 youths have already been placed, with 250 being parents. These new trainees have been placed in over 50 occupational areas. The NTPYE is a programme that was launched by President Bharrat Jagdeo in June 2005 with the aim of giving a second opportunity to youths and single parents to make something of their future.
Recently BIT held registration fairs at the City Mall and East La Penitence Market to sensitise the public to the opportunities that are being offered and the benefits associated with the programme.
Given the challenges being experienced today in securing employment opportunities, it is even more challenging in the absence of certain basic qualifications and skills. President Jagdeo initiated the programme after recognising that there was a high number of out-of-school youths.
Recently the Single Parents’ Training programme was launched at the Sunrise Development Group in Region Five. The Single Parents’ aspect of the BIT programme is a reflection of the Administration’s commitment to its manifesto which promised to provide skills training to single parents and other vulnerable groups.
The process for selection into the training programme came from the establishment of a single parent database, which has a register of about 18,000 countrywide. This register is used to select the most vulnerable of the single parents.
Another key area of training introduced is the heavy-duty equipment operators’ training. The idea behind this aspect came about as a result of a lack of trained operators and this training allows them to understand the technical aspects and acquire their licences before being on the job. The programme began in January with the first two batches of 40 youths who had to undergo 60 hours of life skills education, 40 hours of maintenance training (both theoretical and practical) and 180 hours of actual practice.
The NTPYE programme has a duration of six months and targets 1750 persons per year. (GINA)
Statistics Bureau commissions new system with UNICEF funding
By Vanessa Narine
THE Bureau of Statistics commissioned its ‘Guide to Guyana’s Information for Development (GuyD Info)’ system last Thursday.
At the function, the Bureau was urged, by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Resident Representative, Mr. Rudi Luchmann, to make optimal use of the technology and the opportunity that the 2010 Census will facilitate.
Speaking to a gathering of stakeholders, in Regency Suites Hotel Conference Room, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, he pointed out that the 2010 Census will be a major source of data.
“UNICEF is committed to assisting the Bureau to utilise this opportunity and, if used correctly, the GuyD Info system will help us achieve the MDGs,” he said, referring to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
GuyD Info is a general purpose database for the collation and presentation of primarily statistics on human development and it supports both standard and user defined indicators, making it adaptable to a country’s specific needs.
It is an adaptation from United Nations (UN) software, Development Information (Dev Info) and the present GuyD Info was built through partnerships with UNICEF, which provided the funding.
The system is not yet hosted on the Worldwide Web but is expected to be there soon where it could be accessed by interested persons.
The adaptation process began in 2007 when two Bureau of Statistics staffers returned from a workshop in Barbados that highlighted the specifics.
Partnership
From then, partnership with several stakeholders, including ministries, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat were built.
Presently on the GuyD Info is information from the 2002 Census, UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and more from different ministries.
With the commissioning, Guyana joins six other Caribbean countries that have adaptations of Dev Info and also marked the first Caribbean Statistics Day, themed ‘Better Statistics, Better Management, Better Development Outcomes’.
Luchmann said UNICEF is supporting the adaptation because, in order to fulfill the agency’s mandate of changing the world for children, there is a need for statistics on development.
He said, too, that, by assisting in the collection, analysis and dissemination of data, not only will UNICEF’s mandate be fulfilled, but advances will be made towards achieving the MDGs.
“We have to achieve the MDGs in equity and statistics will help, or the changes made will not be sustainable,” Luchmann said.
In that context, he pledged UNICEF’s continued support through national capacity building and technical assistance.
Luchmann disclosed that, at the end of 2007, at least 100 countries were using Dev Info system or adaptations of it.
But he said the work has just begun and advised that the quality of information reported is only as good as the data put in.
Important
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Mr. Nigel Dharamlall indicated that, across all sectors, it is important to collect, analyse and disseminate correct information.
However, he challenged the Bureau to ensure that a code of ethics is enforced when it comes to the use of the information.
“There are different sensitivities to the use of information,” Dharamlall said.
He said GuyD Info is a baseline against which Guyana can measure its work and accomplishments.
“The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs recognises the importance of information, primarily in our sector, where the use of information in the Amerindian demographic is important,” Dharamlall said.
He said the use of the GuyD Info system should be to facilitate strategic action, proper decision making and guided policy interventions.
The Chief Statistician, Mr. Lennox Benjamin, admitted that the activities were giving tangible recognition to the field of statistics.
Agri. Ministry signs $197M contract German company
…to push export diversification
By Tajeram Mohabir
GFA Consulting Group GmbH, a German-based company, yesterday inked a $197M contract with the Ministry of Agriculture for the provision of consultancy services to push the agriculture export diversification drive.
Under the three year project, GFA will provide consultancy services to the Private Sector Entrepreneurship into Agribusiness, component one of the Agriculture Export Diversification Programme (AEDP).
The company, which has prior work experience in Guyana, will support the execution of activities envisaged in the Private Sector Entrepreneurship into Agribusiness initiative.
It will also provide technical assistance for private investment participation in fruits and vegetables, livestock and aqua-culture activities.
The services to be provided are:
* the management of the fruits and vegetables, livestock and aquaculture agribusiness chains;
* the conducting of marketing research studies, identifying potential buyers in importing countries and facilitating business arrangements between these buyers and Guyanese exporters;
* the carrying out of technological missions;
* the provision of technical assistance for the prioritised agribusiness clusters;
* educating agencies on quality and best practices programmes;
* identifying and designing of research and development partnerships;
* facilitating the preparation and implementation of business plans for the selected clusters;
* facilitating the assessment through a panel-type mechanism of the agribusiness plans to be supported by the programme;
* proposing schemes for promoting access to financial resources by firms with the agribusiness cluster;
* the preparation of a communications and public awareness plan; and
* carrying out activities that will feed into the monitoring and evaluation system under the responsibility of the Government.
The project, which will be aided with 15 GFA experts, is financed through the AEDP, an initiative being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Speaking at the occasion convened at his Vlissengen Road ministry, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said the multi-million dollar deal will significantly aid local efforts in building a state-of-the-art model agriculture sector.
He said while the Government continues to support the development of the traditional export sectors, sugar and rice, it is also pushing ahead with plans to realise the full potential of the non-traditional areas of agriculture.
The consultancy project, the minister pointed out, will serve as the ideal mechanism to transform the non-traditional agriculture sector to the next level and he urged the full involvement of the private sector to ensure the objectives of the initiative are achieved.
The project, which was awarded through a thorough and competitive procurement process, also seeks to promote private investment and expansion of the private sector, he said.
He underlined too that the intention is to build a new private as well as a dynamic agriculture sector relevant to the 21st century and beyond.
Persaud told the contracted company that Guyana expects nothing less than the best as in the next 10 to 15 years it aims to become the export giant of fruits and vegetables, livestock and aquaculture in the region.
IDB Representative to Guyana, Mr. Marco Nicola, said the bank supports Guyana’s bold and innovative steps to modernise and improve the competitiveness of its agriculture sector.
He pointed out that under the programme, the GFA will work closely will the private sector to ensure improvement in production and delivery of quality produce and with the public sector to promote the dispensation of services at the desired level.
GFA Consulting Group GmbH Regional Director for the Caribbean and Latin America, Mr. Wolfgang Haupt, said his company looks forward to commence work on the project seven weeks from now.
The AEDP’s objective is to contribute to the increase of Guyana’s export growth rate which will in turn augment farmers’ income.
The purpose of the programme is to establish services and institutions for a sustainable increase in income from export of non-traditional agricultural output in the aquaculture, fruits and vegetables and livestock sub-sectors, and to enhance the protection of domestic consumers from illness, and domestic production from disease and contamination.
The main components of the programme are the Private Sector Entrepreneurship into Agribusiness, Agribusiness Export and Facilitation Services, Agriculture Health and Food Safety, and Drainage and Irrigation Rehabilitation.
Work begun on US$4M joint venture trans-shipment facility
By Joe Chapman
GUYANA National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) has announced that construction has begun on a US$4M trans-shipment facility at Christianburg, Linden.
The Chairman, Mr. Glen Khan made the announcement when the media was
taken on a tour of the site from which containers will move across the recently opened Takutu River Bridge and along the road from Brazil on barges and tugs to Georgetown and further afield.
With Khan were GNIC Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Clayton Williams; Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) International Project Manager, Ms. Kathleen Whalen; Major General (Ret’d) Norman McLean of Omai Gold Mines Limited (OGML), three Brazilian investors and Linden Chamber of Commerce President, Mr. Basil Jaipaul.
They, too, were entertained at a luncheon/media briefing in Barrow’s Restaurant and Lounge at Mackenzie, also in Linden, after the visit to the terminal.
Khan said they had gone to the Christianburg location to review progress made on the joint undertaking by LEAP, the Government of Guyana, the Linden community and GNIC.
He recalled that, when GNIC was acquired almost 14 years ago, a new vision was articulated and some of its traditional businesses needed to be examined and, more importantly, to plan for the future.
Khan said, in their articulation of the plans for GNIC, it was stated that its future would be rooted in transportation as it was one of the constraints to Guyana’s development was the absence of low cost transport.
He observed that “a lot of our transportation is done, primarily, by road, which is extremely expensive and there is very limited infrastructure within the interior of the country to provide a waterborne transport.”
Khan said: “In discussions with the LEAP team and with the advent of the Takutu Bridge, we embarked on looking at a programme to set up a trans-shipment container station where we felt that that would become a transit point for the movement of goods from Brazil to Guyana and onward movement into the Caribbean and beyond and also from outside sources and Guyana to Brazil and that is part and parcel of the reason behind the project.”
He said now the intention is to create a significant barging programme, not only to deal with the domestic needs of Guyana but the regional needs.
Looking ahead, Khan said: “We are talking about a two to three years time frame to get all this done. It is not going to happen tomorrow.”
The first phase will see, within the next six months, movement of some cargo at the facility where the Omai Wharf is and, subsequently, at the new GNIC Wharf which is being constructed.
“In the meantime, though, there would be worthwhile operations in which trucks could come, not necessarily container vehicles, but trucks can come with cargo and start an initial process using the current Omai wharf facility at Christianburg where there is established a relationship to utilise it, “ Khan offered.
He emphasised the point that the difference is economics as transport is primarily and considerably cheaper by water.
Khan posited that the two cheapest forms of transportation that have been developed throughout the world are water and rain.
Utilised
“Basically we have not effectively utilised our waterways for domestic transportation. You will find here that many of the companies that come in to do their own timber development end up having to do their own barging and they will tell you that that is not their focus. Their focus is to do timber not to do transportation but they have no choice because they don’t have an alternative.
“Our intention is to provide that solution for them,” he said.
Chairman of Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice), Mr. Mortimer Mingo expressed his contentment on behalf of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), saying: “We, certainly encourage inward investment. That, in itself, speaks towards addressing the economic buoyancy of the town and also the region.
“Even at the level of the RDC, where we have contractors doing developmental works, we embrace, we cajole, as much as possible, that, where the skills are available in Linden, that they be utilised rather than having them brought in to Linden,” he said.
Mingo said he is somewhat optimistic that GNIC would employ the relevant skills from Linden.
“I think any company, which wants to talk about the buoyancy in it, will want to utilise the skilled resources that are available locally and the question is what we do to encourage or, by encouraging inward investment, we are also speaking towards addressing the unemployment situation in Linden,” he said.
In that light, Mingo said he thought that, all along from the conceptual standpoint of this particular project, his involvement at the level of the Advisory Committee of LEAP, there was always the question of addressing the unemployment situation in Linden which has been one of the mandates of LEAP.
He said, while the RDC does not have the authority to compel people to employ, it is understood that, as a good corporate citizen who wants to exist in a very harmonious way, it would be in the very best interest to consider the employment of the locals.
Whalen indicated that LEAP has done a number of projects but there is no question that this is the most important project for the future of Linden.
Response
She said discussion in the national media has been about how Guyana prepares itself to deal with its relationship with Brazil economically and its response to the opening of the Takutu Bridge and the upgrading of the road.
“This project, I think, is the first concrete initiative by the Private Sector to do that. And I would very much like to congratulate GNIC for the foresight in doing this project.
“This project has taken a while but I know that LEAP discussions with GNIC began informally in 2005 and the programme had hoped to play a larger role than we will be able to, because of the timing,” Whalen said.
But she maintained that it is a major project being spearheaded internally by LEAP’s Business Development Unit Manager, Mr. Neil Fraser and his team,
LEAP engineer, Mr. Linden Sharpe (Jnr) is working very closely with the engineering personnel from of GNIC but Whalen spoke about the prospects of a bulk facility, deep water harbour and how Guyana welcomes Brazilians and maximises investment opportunities here.
Sharpe reported that the infrastructural work started in December last year and GNIC has done the land clearing at a cost of G$36M in the first phase but there is still another 2,700 feet to be cleared for the building of a wharf costing between G$40M and G$50M.
Williams reported that about 60 persons will secure direct employment at the facility where infrastructure work is being done presently but a lot of down stream employment will happen with the movement of cargo of vested interest parties in choosing the corridor for a transportation network.
He said one will see a snowballing impact in the Linden community, as a whole, in terms of hotels, restaurants and general transport.
Climate talks "in the balance"
LONDON (Reuters) - Prospects for a new U.N. climate pact in December remained in the balance after talks among big emitters yesterday but with signs of action by Brazil, India and Australia.
"It's more do-able today than yesterday," British energy and climate secretary Ed Miliband said at the close of a two-day meeting of 17 emitters that account for about 80 percent of world greenhouse gases.
"It remains in the balance in my view."
Todd Stern, Washington's climate envoy who co-hosted the meeting, echoed hopes of a deal despite sluggish progress in 190-nation talks meant to end with a new pact to fight global warming in Copenhagen in December.
"More progress needs to be made but we think that something can be done," he said.
Both he and Miliband said there was no "Plan B," for example to delay Copenhagen into 2010.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged world leaders to go to Copenhagen for the December 7-18 meeting, up to now intended as a gathering for environment ministers.
"Leaders must engage directly to break the impasse," he told the talks. "I've said I'll go to Copenhagen, and I'm encouraging them to make the same commitment."
Talks are bogged down in disputes between industrialized and developing countries over how to share out curbs on emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels. Just one week of formal talks remains before Copenhagen, in Barcelona in early November.
BALI TO COPENHAGEN
The U.N. talks launched in Bali, Indonesia, in 2007 are stuck on how big carbon cuts recession-hit rich countries should make by 2020 and how much they should pay developing countries to fight global warming.
Away from the meeting, Brazil, Australia and India took steps that could help inch toward a deal.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Brazil wanted to forge a common position among all Amazon basin countries for Copenhagen and was considering inviting presidents of all Amazon states to discuss the issue on November 26.
Brazil is considering freezing its total greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels.
In Canberra, Australian Climate Minister Penny Wong said the government would bring carbon trade legislation back to parliament on Thursday and will demand a vote on the controversial laws before the end of November.
The conservative opposition on Sunday demanded changes to the scheme, already rejected once by the upper house, to avert a second defeat that would give Prime Minister Kevin Rudd an excuse to call a possible snap election.
The government, which is ahead in opinion polls and could benefit from an election, wants to start carbon trading from July 2011, putting a price on greenhouse gas and helping curb emissions in one of world's highest per capita polluters.
And an Indian newspaper said Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh wanted New Delhi to accept curbs on the country's rising carbon emissions, dropping insistence that they should hinge on new finance and technology from rich nations.
"We should be pragmatic and constructive, not argumentative and polemical," The Times of India quoted Ramesh as writing in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
India, China and other big developing countries fear they will be hard hit by climate change and say it is in their national interest to limit the effects of more extreme droughts, floods, rising seas and melting glaciers that feed major rivers.
A big sticking point for Copenhagen is that the United States, the only industrialized country outside the current Kyoto Protocol for curbing emissions, is struggling to pass carbon-cutting laws by December.
"I don't want to speculate about what happens if it doesn't go all the way," Stern said.
And in Cape Town, South Africa pointed to one area of soaring emissions -- next year's soccer World Cup. Emissions would leap almost tenfold from a 2006 benchmark set by Germany, partly because air travel would be added to the count.
Recognising statistics importance…
CARICOM inaugurates online facilities for regional development
By Vanessa Narine
THE last Wednesday inauguration of four online facilities by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat has been hailed, by Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite.
She said it is a thrust towards greater advocacy for statistics that can ultimately redound to improvement in the quality and range of what is produced, disseminated and analysed.
Speaking at the ceremony, Applewhaite said there is need to improve the image and visibility of statistics in the Caribbean region and there is no doubt about the initiative evolving over time.
“The objective of Caribbean Statistics Day is to gain a greater profile for statistics across the Caribbean Community and its crucial role across a wide spectrum of activities – from daily decision-making by individuals, businesses and students to planning, policymaking, research and sampling and experimental activities of governments, academia, scientists and other users,” she said.
Caribbean Statistics Day was observed Thursday under the theme ‘Better Statistics, Better Management, Better Development Outcomes’.
For the first time, the Region recognised the importance of statistics to development and the CARICOM Secretariat organised a week of activities, that started Monday, to mark the day.
The four online facilities included a Statistics Help Desk, the Regional Trade Information System (TRADSYS), the CARICOM Census Online E-Portal (CCDP) and CARICOMInfo.
They are all hosted on the CARICOM website www.caricomstats.org
Essential role
According to Applewhaite, the science of statistics plays an essential role in the efficient management of economic, social and environmental issues, among others.
She said: “There is an essential role for statistics in decision-making, in formulation and monitoring of policies, in the assessment of development progress, in providing evidence for public debates and in analytical research on a wide range of issues. Effective and timely dissemination of high quality statistics would enable access by users for these stated purposes.”
The Statistics Help Desk serves, primarily, to assist the National Statistics Offices and other organisations in Member States in the production and dissemination of statistics.
At the end of the day the Help Desk aims to provide the decision makers of CARICOM with the information necessary to monitor and guide progress in the establishment and strengthening of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Funding for the setting up the Help Desk was provided by the European Union (EU), while the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded the facilitation of the TRADSYS component.
TRADSYS, based on user needs, can be used to generate summary and detailed information on CARCIOM Member States’ trade, which include imports, domestic exports, re-exports and total exports, with trading partners.
The development of the CCDP, financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), is an online warehouse designed to facilitate reporting and analysis of census data.
Census data
One of the primary objectives of the facility is to make available, to users, a portal that will promote the notion of self-servers in the access to census data.
The other online facility, CARICOMInfo, which got financing from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), provides access to indicators categorised by sectors, goals, themes and other data management schemes.
It is geared toward the development of sustainable statistical infrastructure within the CARICOM Secretariat, providing accurate, timely and reliable statistical information of a high quality and broad scope. It is expected that this will, in turn, facilitate analysis and dissemination of the data which will be used for effective decision making while, simultaneously, fostering a similar enabling environment for statistical development among CARICOM Member States.
However, even with the development of these facilities, Project Manager with Regional Statistics, Dr Philomena Harrison acknowledged that there will be limitations.
She said, to counter those limitations, much effort is being placed on capacity building.
“Across the board 3.3 million euros have been used to support development of statistics,” Harrison disclosed.
She expressed appreciation to all the partners that have collaborated with CARICOM to facilitate statistical development.
Harrison said the Secretariat is working on many fronts to not only build capacity but harmonise information across Member States.
She said to establish a timeline for the archive of information placed online, the Secretariat will be backtracking as far back as possible.
“We will go as far back as we can go given our resource limitations,” Harrison assured.
Regional template
She said efforts are being made to harmonise the data on a regional template to avoid the task of re-inputting data.
Harrison reiterated, though, that, despite limitations, every effort is focused on development of the four online facilities to advance the statistics as a key element to developing the Caribbean region.
Meanwhile, CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington, in his Caribbean Statistics Day address, highlighted the importance of statistics for the region.
“The statistics profile in our Region has been quite weak, especially bearing in mind that statistics are really at the very core of almost everything we do,” he admitted.
However, Mr. Carrington said the occasion provided another opportunity to sound a clarion call for more timely and accurate statistics to help policymakers, students, members of academia, the business community and other users to arrive at decisions based on facts.
“From trade to investments to social issues, such as health care and culture, statistics are of critical importance to development and are particularly crucial to developing States such as ours in the Caribbean,” he said.
He added that the collection, analysis and dissemination of data are of critical importance in this era of financial and economic challenges and in the establishment, performance and monitoring of the CSME.
“Emphasis on this vital area for assisting development should result not only in greater awareness but also recognition of the role of statistics as a tool for improving the lives of the citizens of our Community.”
Roxanne Daniels murder trial opens
Triangular love affair ended in tragedy
By George Barclay
A triangular love affair involving an estranged wife, her husband and his lover ended with Ayanna Hamilton being knifed to death and her husband’s lover, Roxanne Daniels, facing the capital charge.
The murder trial began yesterday before Justice Barrington Reynolds and a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes.
The trouble started on the night of January 6, 2008, when estranged wife Ayanna decided to pay her estranged husband a visit not expecting to find him in bed with his new love watching television.
Ayanna knocked at the door but Joseph Hamilton ignored her especially after hearing his wife shouting from the outside, ‘What this slut still doing here?-
Roxanne opened the door and according to Joseph Hamilton, “I heard a tumbling sound from outside and when I went outside I noticed that the two women were fighting on the platform.”
Hamilton said that he grabbed Roxanne and took her back to the bedroom, where she told him that she got cut on her left arm. But he related that Roxanne went back outside, unknown to him, and there was a scuffle between the women when Ayanna was stabbed to death.
Telling the jury about the facts of the case, Prosecutor Zamilla Alli told them in her opening address that evidence would be led to show that Ayanna Hamilton, the deceased in this matter, was the wife of Joseph Hamilton. They were married in 2005 and lived together at 14 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, along with Joseph’s sister, Voilette Hamilton, and her young son.
Sometime in October, 2007 the marriage broke up. The deceased, Ayanna Hamilton, moved out of 14 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, and proceeded to move in with her mother Dorie Pickett.
Joseph Hamilton started a relationship with the accused Roxanne Daniels. The accused would visit his home at 14 New Road and would spend some nights there. In the early part of January, 2008, Roxanne Daniels visited the home of Joseph Hamilton and remained there up until the 6th January, 2008. On the 6th of January, 2008 at about 10 p.m. while the accused and Joseph Hamilton were in bed watching television, there was a knocking at the back door and the accused Roxanne Daniels got up to see who was knocking and opened the back door.
It was Ayanna. Joseph, who had remained in the bedroom, then heard the voice of Ayanna Hamilton saying “What this slut still doing here?” He then heard scrambling sounds so he ran outside and met the accused Roxanne Daniels who told him that Ayanna cut her on her hand. Joseph then took the accused Roxanne Daniels into the bedroom. However, she did not remain in the bedroom.
It is the prosecution’s case that the accused proceeded to arm herself with a kitchen knife, and went after Ayanna Hamilton; and during that confrontation, Roxanne Daniels inflicted wounds to Ayanna Hamilton’s fingers, elbow, wrist, abdomen and a fatal wound to her chest.
However, from that confrontation, Roxanne Daniels, the accused, received no injuries.
She, who was called a slut, and who claims she was cut by Ayanna, decided to take matters in her own hands, which resulted in the death of Ayanna, the Prosecutor related in her opening address.
Three witnesses gave evidence for the prosecution yesterday, after which the matter was adjourned to today.
At emergency meeting…
Council decision postponed on replacing Town Clerk, Treasurer
AN EMERGENCY meeting of the City Council, called last Thursday to discuss the replacement of Town Clerk Beulah Williams and Treasurer Roderick Edinboro, was adjourned without a decision being taken.
Councillors were to consider recommendations on procedures and systems to be implemented to facilitate filling the vacancies with persons possessing appropriate skills.
However, at the start, Councillor Patricia Chase-Green observed there are procedures that must be followed.
“I am not aware that the Town Clerk and City Treasurer have officially been dismissed from the Council. I’m not aware that the Minister has dismissed these two officers. I cannot sit to replace officers who are still in the employ of the Council. I would like us to go step by step,” she stated.
But Deputy Mayor Robert Williams, presiding in the absence of Mayor Hamilton Green, pointed out that the intention was for them to ponder their course of action in light of them accepting the report of the Keith Burrowes headed Commission of Inquiry.
“We asked for an inquiry. We got the report of the inquiry. We have the recommendations of the Minister and the Inquiry. Do we ask the officers to resign? Do we discharge them? Do we terminate them? Do we refer them to the Minister who has the power to appoint and disappoint? That is what this meeting was intended to achieve,” Williams explained.
He said that information was included in the brief that was supposed to have been be circulated by the Acting Town Clerk Yonette Pluck.
However, Chase-Green and others complained that they were not in receipt of it and proposed that the meeting be rescheduled.
Pluck advised that, as it was an extraordinary meeting, it could have been called at any instance and did not necessarily require a 48-hour notice as Councillors were expecting.
Discussion on the issue was nevertheless postponed.
Chase-Green, during the exchanges before the postponement, declared she was not satisfied with the behaviour of certain senior officers of the Georgetown municipality.
She said Acting City Treasurer Andrew Meredith has proceeded on leave without taking care of the important issue of handing over.
According to her, Meredith sent the keys to the Treasurer’s Department, to Budget Manager Monica Irving, with Information Technology Department Head Waynewright Orderson.
Irresponsible
“It is total irresponsible behaviour by a very senior officer. If officers think they could just wake up a morning and decide that they could proceed immediately on leave and leave this council to the wills of whatever, where are we heading?” Chase-Green asked.
She said Meredith, at the last statutory meeting, committed to pay workers by last Friday and enquired: “Was that completed? Was that handed over? What happens if the workers take to the streets tomorrow, if they are not paid?”
Chase-Green charged that certain officers are allowed to do whatever they please whenever they so please and she took strong objection to the manner in which Meredith took his leave.
She said it was her hope that the Council will “see the light.”
“The officer acted irresponsibly. And, concerning such officers, it is the duty of the Council to take disciplinary action against them,” Chase-Green maintained.
Pluck pointed out that Meredith informed her that he was about to proceed on leave from Wednesday because of an emergency related to his health.
She said she received his application form on Tuesday but noted that another officer in the Treasurer’s Department was not briefed on the matter by Meredith.
Pluck confirmed that there was no handing over and a letter had to be sent to the bank stating that the Treasurer is out of the jurisdiction and that the Budget Manager will be carrying out his duties.
Councillor Ranwell Jordan wanted clarification about who signed Meredith’s leave form.
“Is it that he just walked off the job or was he granted leave based on persuasion and explanation?” he inquired.
Pluck replied that, although she received Meredith’s leave form on Tuesday, she did not sign it.
Jordan said the bottom line is that all measures should be put in place in order to ensure that there is no interference with the financial workings of the Council.
Williams concurred that Meredith should be required to give an explanation as to why he went on leave in such a manner.
Jacqueline Graham admitted to the Guyana Bar
JACQUELINE Graham was yesterday admitted to the Guyana Bar as competent to practice her profession in this country.
Her petition was presented to the court by her cousin Justice Donald Trotman, r’td., and Mr. Nigel Hughes, before Madame Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes, who admitted her to practice.
Mrs. Graham, at left, her husband Alex Graham and Madame Justice Gregory-Barnes, after the ceremony. |
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Mrs. Graham began reading for law in 2004 at the University of Guyana, and was the top performing student in the Department. She won the Chancellor’s Medal for the best graduating law student in 2007. She was also the best third year student and won jointly the Anne Blue 2005-2006 prize for the best second year student.
After graduating from the University of Guyana, Mrs. Graham commenced reading for the Legal Education Certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad where she again distinguished herself. On the 3rd October, 2009, she was awarded the Legal Education Certificate by the Council of Legal Education.
She graduated with honours. She was also awarded the Kissoon family prize and the Justice Mohamed prize for best performance in legal drafting, and the Cameron and Shepherd Prize for Best Performance by a Guyanese Student for both Year 1and 2 in Civil Procedure and Practice.
Mrs. Graham, who hails from Golden Grove, attended the Cove and John Secondary School where she wrote the CXC examinations. In 1992 she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of Guyana where she graduated with Distinction. Mrs. Graham also has a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Manchester. Her research thesis, “Impact of Rice Industry’s Collapse on Guyana’s Banking Sector 1995-2000” gained her a distinction.
After the oath was administered, Justice Gregory Barnes said of Mrs. Graham, “I also acknowledge your reach into other areas of experience. In particular, I know you are very computer savvy and very business savvy. These skills are sure to complement your legal skills and give you an edge in the competitive environment of practice.
After taking the oath, the new lawyer thanked the judge for her guidance and Justice Trotman and Mr. Hughes for presenting the petition.
She promised to live up to the high traditions of the Bar. “It is my intention to pursue excellence in my practice with vigour. With my background, knowledge, experience and firm belief and faith in God and Justice, I will endeavour to uphold the Rule of Law and the Independence of the judiciary.”
Mrs. Jacqueline Graham is the wife of Public Relations and Marketing Commissions Consultant, Alex Graham. She has one son, Corey Graham.
Brown: '50 days to save world'
(BBC News) The UK faces a "catastrophe" of floods, droughts and killer heatwaves if world leaders fail to agree a deal on climate change, the prime minister has warned.
Gordon Brown said negotiators had 50 days to save the world from global warming and break the "impasse".
He told the Major Economies Forum in London, which brings together 17 of the world's biggest greenhouse gas-emitting countries, there was "no plan B".
World delegations meet in Copenhagen in December for talks on a new treaty.
'Rising wave'
The United Nations (UN) summit will aim to establish a deal to replace the 1997 Kyoto treaty as its targets for reducing emissions only apply to a small number of countries and expire in 2012.
Mr Brown warned that negotiators were not reaching agreement quickly enough and said it was a "profound moment" for the world involving "momentous choice".
"In Britain we face the prospect of more frequent droughts and a rising wave of floods," he told delegates.
"The extraordinary summer heatwave of 2003 in Europe resulted in over 35,000 extra deaths.
Grim warning
"On current trends, such an event could become quite routine in Britain in just a few decades' time. And within the lifetime of our children and grandchildren the intense temperatures of 2003 could become the average temperature experienced throughout much of Europe."
The costs of failing to tackle the issue would be greater than the impact of both world wars and the Great Depression combined, the prime minister said.
The world would face more conflict fuelled by climate-induced migration if a deal was not agreed, he added.
He told the forum, on the second day of talks in the capital, that by 2080 an extra 1.8 billion people - a quarter of the world's current population - could lack sufficient water.
Mr Brown said: "If we do not reach a deal at this time, let us be in no doubt: once the damage from unchecked emissions growth is done, no retrospective global agreement, in some future period, can undo that choice.
"So we should never allow ourselves to lose sight of the catastrophe we face if present warming trends continue."
Agreement at Copenhagen "is possible", he concluded.
"But we must frankly face the plain fact that our negotiators are not getting to agreement quickly enough. So I believe that leaders must engage directly to break the impasse."
Environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth said Mr Brown had rightly identified the importance of securing a "strong and fair" climate deal.
Executive director Andy Atkins said the environmental and economic impacts of failing to tackle global warming would "dwarf anything seen before".
He said: "The next few weeks are crucial in determining the long-term future of the planet. The world must pull back from the brink and take urgent action to slash its emissions."
In recent days there have been a number of warnings that progress is stalling.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told Newsweek magazine "the prospects that states will actually agree to anything in Copenhagen are starting to look worse and worse".
The Major Economies Forum is not part of the formal UN process and so firm commitments are unlikely to come from the meeting.
It is seen instead as a gathering where countries can explore options and positions in a less pressured environment.
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