U.S. to re-look setting up of permanent DEA office here
- Shannon
President Jagdeo hails ‘excellent’ existing bilateral cooperation between Guyana/U.S.
By Neil Marks
TOP U.S. diplomat Thomas Shannon yesterday admitted that the United States has to “step up” cooperation with Guyana in the fight against drugs and illegal arms since the U.S. shares responsibility for the problems facing this country and other Caribbean nations.
Shannon acknowledged that the U.S. is the principal market for drugs trafficked out of Guyana, and said he was taking back for discussion to Washington D.C., another request by President Bharrat Jagdeo for the U.S. to have a permanent presence of its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) here.
He said, too, that the illegal arms used in the drug trade and other crimes, flows from the U.S.
Shannon, who serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Affairs within the U.S Department of State, visited Guyana along with Commander of the U.S Army’s Southern Command, Admiral James Stavridis.
Admiral Stavridis held discussions yesterday with Army chief-of-staff Commodore Gary Best.
In the absence of both sound data and more robust DEA involvement, the U.S. will not augment resources for investigation and interdiction in Guyana, the U.S government had stated in its 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR).
Instead, the U.S. government said it will continue to channel future assistance to initiatives that demonstrate success in treating substance abusers.
With Shannon’s visit and a promise to re-look the issue, the Guyanese head of state expressed optimism.
“I hope it (DEA permanent presence here) materializes sometime soon,” President Jagdeo said at a press conference he shared with Shannon at the Presidential Complex, New Garden Street, Georgetown.
The 2008 INCSR pointed to “weak border controls and limited resources for law enforcement allow drug traffickers to move shipments via river, air, and land without meaningful resistance."
The report pointed out Guyana as a transit country for cocaine, noting that “vast expanse of unpopulated forest and savannahs offers ample cover for drug traffickers and smugglers.”
However, the report did point out successes, namely the 2007 seizure of 167 kilogrammes (kgs) of cocaine, representing a three-time increase over the previous year’s interdictions.
President Jagdeo said that drug trafficking was linked to the criminal environment and once again committed to doing “whatever” for “however long” to get those behind the two recent massacres which claimed 23 lives.
Mr. Jagdeo said that some crimes can be reduced and prevented, such as by providing (skills) training and economic support for vulnerable communities “to keep young people away from the crutches of criminality”.
But he said the recent crimes, “terrorism”, did not come out of poverty, but just to “spread fear into the society.”
“EXCELLENT COOPERATION”
Shannon and Stavridis’ visit were premised on the improvement of bilateral cooperation between Guyana and the U.S and President Jagdeo hailed the existing cooperation as “excellent.”
The President praised in particular two initiatives – President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Reduction (PEPFAR) and the Threshold Program funding to help the government reduce its fiscal deficit by improving its ability to collect revenue and better manage its budget, and in helping to develop a more favourable environment for businesses.
PEPFAR was introduced to Guyana in 2004 and has so far dispersed over US$100M in varying programmes here, including helping 18 non-government organisations, head of PEPFAR here, Ms. Julia Roberts told the Chronicle yesterday.
Among the hallmarks of PEPFAR projects in Guyana is the construction of a US$5M multi-reference laboratory going up in the Georgetown Hospital compound. Another flagship project is the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, Roberts added.
Mr. Jagdeo reiterated that PEPFAR was a “visionary” thinking on the part of President George Bush and said the programme is “making a huge difference here in Guyana.”
Touching on the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Threshold Programme, which is designed to assist countries that are on the “threshold” of eligibility for larger grant assistance known as “Compact”, President Jagdeo said Guyana was pleased to qualify because of meeting the 16 of the 17 indicators.
Guyana is currently benefiting from a two-year US$6.7M grant to improve its fiscal policy indicator to qualify for the larger grant assistance.
The programme is designed to help countries meet three criteria: ruling justly, investing in people, and economic freedom to become eligible for a compact - a larger financial assistance programme of the MCC.
Specifically, the grant is helping the Government to implement the new Value Added Tax (VAT) system and develop ways to assist and educate taxpayers, while at the same time helping the government better plan and control spending.
The grant will also help reduce the number of days and costs associated with starting a business by modernizing and streamlining the process to register businesses.
President Jagdeo told the visiting U.S. diplomat that efforts to reduce Guyana’s fiscal deficit falls within the confines of the government’s rebuilding programme.
In an obvious reference to the Guyana Trade and Investment Support Services Project (GTIS), President Jagdeo thanked the U.S. government for helping to rebuild the private sector and make it the driving force for economic growth.
He said government was “grateful” for the programme which helps to build capacity of various enterprises, including finding markets for produce, “in helping people directly.”
Pre-feasibility studies for Linden/Lethem roadway underway
GOVERNMENT’S commitment to develop the Guyana/Brazil road linkage by improving the Linden/Lethem route is being further pursued with implementation of a pre-feasibility study, which started earlier this month.
The study, being carried out by Mott Mc Donald Limited of the United Kingdom in association with a local consultancy firm, CEMCO Incorporated, is being undertaken by Government with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
At present, the consultants are in the process of conducting a condition survey to determine the state of the roadway while earlier meetings were held with officials of the Region Nine Administration and other stakeholders in the Lethem community.
In addition, the consultants have met with the Brazilian Ambassador and residents of Annai, North Rupununi.
Two local engineers from the Works Services Group (WSG) and an economist are involved in the pre-feasibility study.
The Technical Cooperation (TC) between Government and the IDB is intended to support improvement of the transportation link (Georgetown-Lethem) between Guyana’s north and south regions.
This will enhance regional integration and accessibility to facilitate trade and cultural exchanges.
The first phase of the TC targets preparation of the pre-feasibility study that will present a set of alternatives to be analyzed in Phase II (feasibility studies).
The TC was signed in August 2007 by Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh and IDB’s Country Representative Sergio Varas-Olea.
The Guyana/Brazil linkage, being strengthened with the completion of the Takutu river bridge, is expected to increase national income and improve living standards since it will contribute to expansion of markets, increase competitiveness of Guyana’s products and provide more jobs.
The linkage will provide full integration with the countries of the Guianese Shield Hub since it crosses the proposed East-West transport network connecting Venezuela with Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
A feasibility study was carried out in 1989 with funding from the European Union (EU) and in 1994, the Government of Guyana commissioned an environmental impact assessment. A second feasibility study was done in 2000.
President Bharrat Jagdeo on September 28, 2006 outlined the administration’s goal to accelerate development through integrated linkages that include the Guyana/Brazil highway over the next five years.
Over the years, the administration invested significant amount of resources to maintain and upgrade the Linden/Lethem roadway. Approximately US$1.2M was spent during 2006 while an additional US$500,000 was expended in 2007 to continue the project.
Other activities have been undertaken by Government to support the Guyana/Brazil linkage including drafting of a land-use plan for areas along the Linden/Lethem corridor. (GINA)
Ramphal's call to ‘stop’ Europe's EPAs
‘It is time that the EU be stopped in its anti-development drive through these EPAs…’ - Sir Shridath Ramphal
By Rickey Singh in Bridgetown
SIR SHRIDATH Ramphal yesterday made a strong plea to the European Union (EU) for "greater equity" in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) being negotiated with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and, specifically, the one to be signed this coming June with the Caribbean Community and Dominican Republic.
Ramphal, first head of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and a key Caribbean player in the launch of the Lome Convention in 1975, that laid the basis for future relations between the EU and ACP, said the EU seems bent on "reversing the trend" that had been a core feature of cooperation in successive Lome and Cotonou Agreements.
The former Commonwealth Secretary General and Chairman of The West Indian Commission, was at the time addressing a meeting at the Olof Palme International Centre in Stockholm, Sweden on the "four independent international commissions of the 1980s and 1990s”, all of which he was a member.
The Commissions were headed, respectively, by Germany's Willy Brandt; Sweden's Olof Palme; Norway's Gro Harlem Bruntdland, and one jointly chaired by Sweden's Ingvar Carlson and Guyana's Ramphal.
The former Guyana Foreign Minister and Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, told his audience that "equity" had always been a "strong emphasis" for developing countries in reshaping of the International Order. The EU had set a good example by its own involvement in the trade and economic arrangement forged with the ACP in the Lome and successor Cotonou Agreements.
Now, however, contends Ramphal, the 27-member EU was exerting undue pressure, in negotiations by the European Commission (the Union's executive arm), into negotiating EPAs that were "inimical to the very existence of the ACP group as well as the prospects for sustainable development of the poorest countries..."
"It is time that the EU be stopped in its anti-development drive through these EPAs", declared Ramphal, adding that "this can only be done now with the active intervention of enlightened Europeans" - in the tradition of the outstanding leadership provided by Willie Brandt, Gro Bruntland, Olof Palme and Ingvar Carlson.
Earlier this month, on March 11, Barbados' former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, in delivering a public lecture sponsored by the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus) on "The Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM and the Building of a Post-Colonial Economy in the Caribbean", praised Ramphal's pioneering roles for the creation of the ACP and the subsequent inauguration of the first Lome Convention.
But Arthur had concluded his lengthy assessment of the EPA negotiations by stressing the value of the accord initialled last December between the Caribbean and European negotiators:
The EPA, he said, "is not a perfect instrument, it is good enough to assist in our aims in building a post-colonial economy by greatly facilitating our responsibility away from primary commodity producers and the exporter of a limited range of rudimentary services...”
"It also provides the benchmarks", Arthur argues, "that can now be used in negotiating modern, mature economic relationships, first with Canada and also with the USA..."
Tomb of Bacchus brothers broken into
THE tomb of the Bacchus brothers (George and Shaffie), who were mysteriously killed in 2004, was broken into Tuesday but the motive is unclear.
Police accompanied by officials and staff members of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) were summoned to the La Repentir Cemetery after they received a report of the incident.
Deputy Mayor, Mr. Robert Williams told the Guyana Chronicle that the tomb of both Shaffie and George Bacchus were broken into and the casket and remains were left on the ground.
It is unclear what the perpetrators were looking for but they managed to lift out the casket with the remains still inside and left it on the ground and hurriedly left the scene.
The Bacchus’ family tomb consists of four tombs, two of which are empty and sealed.
He added that the report was made by a journalist who went into the cemetery to do a story of a man who is living in an abandoned structure with his two children.
According to Sexton of the Le Repentir Cemetery, Mr. Lalldeo Rampersaud, he was informed that about 15:00 h on Tuesday a security guard attached to the City Council, Wilfred Sage reported that he saw three men who arrived at the cemetery on a horse drawn cart.
He explained that when the trio began breaking into the tomb he fled the scene and made a report to the Constabulary Office.
Mr. Rampersaud pointed out that the security guard was subjected to physical abuse recently and he feared the same and escaped.
Shaffie Bacchus, 45, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting outside his Lot 76 Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown home on January 5, 2004 by a group of men in a white car.
His brother, George Bacchus, 51, who was fingered as the central figure in the controversy over a death squad blamed for the execution of known and dangerous criminals was also executed shortly after.
George Bacchus, popularly known as ‘Bombalay’ the self-confessed so called Death Squad informant was shot and killed in his bed on June 24, 2004.
The brothers were both interred side by side in the Le Repentir Cemetery in a family tomb specially erected for them by relatives after their death. (Michel Outridge)
Stabroek News should provide information on Phantom gangs
-- Home Affairs Minister
MINISTER of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has lashed out at the Stabroek News for its recent article which infers that so-called “phantom gangs” may have re-emerged.
Minister Rohee said the article’s intent is clearly to mislead readers and must be seen as an unfortunate development in the media fraternity since the role of the media is to provide information and not misinformation.
The Home Affairs Minister called on the newspaper to provide the Police with such information to which they have reported since, according to him, the government/security forces have no such information.
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ȁWe are not going to allow this psychological warfare to succeed. We will not allow this rumour mill fed by the criminal elements to discourage economic and social activities, and we will also work as hard as we can to ensure that this tension is alleviated in the country’ – Minister Clement Rohee
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“If the Stabroek News has information that this is indeed so, then they must hand this information to the Police to alleviate speculations to a headline story in a newspaper that claims to have credibility…We don’t have any information of any credible nature that there is any re-emerging of phantom gangs in Guyana.”
The Stabroek News article “doesn’t seem to be based on factual evidence”, Rohee added.
In its March 25 edition, the Stabroek News carried an article which inferred the possibility of the return of the “phantom gang”, citing the recent killings of Marcyn King -- sister of Guyana’s most wanted, Rondell “Fine Man” Rawlins, and Charlestown resident, George Barton.
The article stated, “This country must now brace itself for more killings as it would appear that the phantom squad is back; two death-squad-type murders in the city in recent weeks have pointed to this”.
Meanwhile, the Minister also touched on the recent cancellation of the last day’s activity of the Rodeo in Lethem due to rumours that gunmen were going to attack persons at the event.
Rohee said such rumours have several objectives which include a psychological warfare, creating tension, affecting economic and social activities and distracting the Joint Services in their mission to capture criminal gangs.
Government, along with the security forces will not allow this to happen, the minister assured.
&We are not going to allow this psychological warfare to succeed. We will not allow this rumour mill fed by the criminal elements to discourage economic and social activities, and we will also work as hard as we can to ensure that this tension is alleviated in the country,” the minister asserted.
Minister Rohee also warned that anyone who is found to be engaging in public mischief of this type will face the full force of the law. (GINA)
