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Families mourn trio of crash victims
By Priya Nauth
AN atmosphere of deep mourning, denial and uncertainty blanketed the homes of the three persons who were killed after a horrific smash-up Monday night on the Bee Hive Public Road, East Coast Demerara.

The tragedy occurred when a sand truck attempting to avoid stray cows on the Bee Hive Public Road, crashed into minibus BJJ 1601 transporting passengers from Georgetown to Mahaica.

As a result of the impact, the owner and driver of the bus, Desmond Datterdeen called ‘Brother’, 40; passengers Mohamed Akbar Mohammad, called ‘Akbar’, 54, - an employee of the Woodlands Hospital in Georgetown and of Helena Number Two; and Marissa Assaye, 26, of 20 Hand-el-veldt, also Mahaica, all lost their lives.

Death for the three was instantaneous.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited their homes yesterday, the families were making preparations for the wake and some of the relatives were inconsolable while still trying to accept their losses.

At the home of Datterdeen, his wife Sheron, 38, trying to control her tears, said that her husband was at home all day Monday but left around 17:50 h to work on the bus as usual.

She said this was the last time she saw her husband of 20 years. He was a former teacher at the Bygeval Secondary School and has been driving the bus for over three years.

One of his daughters, Natasha, recalled that she saw her father alive for the last time before he left to go to work and described him as an intelligent, creative person who loved children.

The family is awaiting the arrival of relatives from overseas for the funeral.

Mohammad’s nephew said his uncle, who has never married, has been a working at the Woodlands Hospital canteen as a supervisor for over 14 years.

Relatives remembered Mohammad as a very good person in the community, whom they looked up to.

They are also awaiting relatives who are overseas for the funeral.

At the home of Assaye, her aunt Andra Carmichael said that the family received the news about her death via a telephone call from a friend.

She said her niece has been a Grade III school teacher at the Gibson Primary School in Unity, for over nine years and is the mother of a four-month-old baby girl.

“She was a live-wire, always lively,” one relative described Assaye.

Assaye is expected to be buried on Wednesday.

Survivors of the accident said that the minibus was heading to Unity around 19:30 h and as it was travelling along the Bee Hive Public Road, it collided with a truck trying to avoid hitting stray animals on the road.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene of the accident, residents who recalled hearing the loud impact and rushing out of their homes, said they found the truck submerged in a nearby trench while the bus which had toppled several times, ended up several feet away from the point of impact.

Public spirited citizens had assisted in getting the injured into vehicles and they were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

One resident complained: “It is the cows on the road…they should keep them off the road”.

Meanwhile, a police release said investigations revealed that the driver of motor lorry GGG 6513 was proceeding towards Georgetown while the minibus was on its way to Mahaica and it was reported that the driver of the lorry swerved from some cows on the roadway, colliding with the minibus.

Thirteen other passengers of the minibus received injuries and were taken to the hospital where five of them were admitted. The others were treated and sent away.

Those admitted are Abiola Seraphin, 37, of Cane Grove; Jacqueline Wood, 27, and Rawle Wood, 25, of Goed Intent, Mahaica; Julian Wilson, 34, of Belmont, Mahaica; and Tamika Hermonstine of Cane Grove.

Up to press time, the driver of the lorry was in police custody assisting with investigations.

Police said that to date this year, there have been 26 road fatalities, compared to 61 for the same period in 2007.

Jamaican woman busted with cocaine in dartboard jailed
- sentenced to four years imprisonment
By Telesha Persaud
ONE of the three Jamaicans busted with cocaine in a dartboard, at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, last week Friday, was yesterday sentenced to four years imprisonment.

Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton, before whom the trio appeared, also fined Mitchelle McKenzie $860,400, the value of the narcotic in Guyana.

The Court ordered, as well that, the prisoner, 28, of Nigrel Post Office, Westmoreland, be deported at the expiration of her sentence.

She had pleaded guilty to having trafficked 956 grammes of the drug by attempting to export it but her two alleged accomplices, Dwayne Oneil Morris, 28, an entertainer and sign artist, of Paradise Norwood, Montego Bay and Gaston Samuels, 38, of Lot 64 Johnstown, Lucea Hanover, also in Jamaica, pleaded not guilty to different charges.

Particulars of one offence said, between April 15 and 26, Morris aided and abetted Samuels to export the same amount of cocaine.

Samuels denied that, on April 24, at Lot 136 Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, he trafficked in a narcotic by giving the cocaine to McKenzie.

Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah successfully objected to bail for Morris and Samuels on the ground that they are not Guyanese and their cases were put off to July 22.

He said McKenzie, who claimed she is a clothes vendor, entered Guyana and stayed at an apartment building in Alberttown.

According to Massiah, she was returning to Jamaica via Barbados, when she checked in a suitcase that was searched by a CANU rank while she was processing her travel documents.

During that search, a box containing the dartboard was found to contain the illegal substance.

Massiah said, after being told of the offence, the woman admitted knowledge and control of the cocaine.

Attorney-at-law Mr. Euclin Gomes, who represented all the Jamaicans, said McKenzie left behind a two-year-old child and is now four months pregnant.

The lawyer said she came to Guyana because of the social and economic pressures she was enduring in her homeland as a single parent.

Gomes said the convict claimed that, if it was possible for her to re-live the moment, she would not have participated in that unlawful act.

My country is very beautiful and special. Why is she coming to disrespect my country? Magistrate Octave-Hamilton asked.

GBTI agrees with President Jagdeo…
Guyana can benefit from rising food prices crisis
By Neil Marks
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo declared Monday that, while the food import bill for the Caribbean might have doubled, it presents Guyana with a $6 billion opportunity.

Speaking at the sod turning ceremony for the new Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Head Office building, in Kingston, Georgetown, he pointed out that this country “can make a lot of money” from the rising food prices by moving to eat up longing markets, like the Caribbean.

His remarks were made one day after a visit to the Essequibo Coast, where he mentioned the aggressive campaign to get farmers to increase production and occupy more land and said Government will facilitate the capacity for those willing to cultivate an additional 5,000 acres but are without the money to develop drainage and irrigation.

Mr. Jagdeo told the audience at the GBTI function, among them representatives of other leading financial institutions, that the Private Sector needs to go out and be “a little bit more innovative” in taking charge of the huge chance that has presented itself in the context of rising food prices.

Chief Executive Officer of GBTI, Mr. Radhakrishna Sharma agreed that, within the context of rising food prices, agricultural output is being positioned as a critical wealth enabling factor for some countries and Guyana could be one of those.

He said: “Guyana is ideally positioned to be able to draw upon its natural and human advantages in the traditional and non-traditional agricultural goods sector – our available land and water resources – and benefit in the same way oil producers are profiting from rising fuel prices.

“All we need to do is apply forward thinking and dynamism, employ innovation, utilise proven large scale farming techniques and engage in some value addition to the primary product that can yield maximum benefits.”

Sharma observed that the growing trend in international food prices that started in 2007, has continued and even accelerated in 2008 and, at the same time, gold prices have risen as investors turn to that commodity to cushion weaknesses in the financial markets.

He said, in addressing critical challenges, it is up to all stakeholders to seek out every viable avenue for providing the base from which the growth and development of the country can benefit.

Sharma explained that an economy is grown through investment in areas of comparative and competitive advantages and Guyana’s historical position has been an agricultural goods producer.

As such, the country’s source of strength potentially lies in capitalising on its natural advantages in that field and developing and implementing positive and pro-active approaches, he added.

“With the ongoing initiatives in land use management and planning, issuance of leases, drainage and irrigation, offering of technical advice and services to farmers and appropriate regulations, the agriculture sector in Guyana is poised for takeoff in the short to medium term,” Sharma acknowledged.

PPP concern
Meanwhile, the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) expressed deep concern over the “negative impact” of rising food prices on the nation.

“In a short period, the prices of many staples have shot up, creating difficulties for lower income families,” PPP General Secretary, Mr. Donald Ramotar remarked at a press conference at his Robb Street, Freedom House headquarters, also in Georgetown.

But he noted that the Government has been taking steps to cushion the effects of the increases triggered from outside.

“The Government has removed all duties and taxes from diesel fuel, (which is) mainly used in production. Duties on gasolene have also been slashed almost to the bone. Investments are being made in GPL (Guyana Power and Light Company) to ensure that only heady fuel oil is used to generate power, thus keeping price for consumers down,” Ramotar stated.

He said the struggle to reverse the rise in prices has to be an international effort, as it is connected to global issues.

Ramotar said countries that hoard fuel must put an end to the practice, particularly at this time when that commodity is the main driver of the crisis.

“Guyanese working people and their trade unions should engage their brothers and sisters in all countries to create a united front against the greed of those who are profiting from the misery of the poor,” he advocated.

PPP complains of sloth at GECOM Head Office
By Neil Marks
THE ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday complained about the pace of the house-to-house registration exercise, and particularly about the work being done at the head office of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in Kingston, Georgetown.

With the time that GECOM is taking to edit and encode the information from the field, Ramotar said it is clear that the six month time-frame for completing the entire process will not be enough.

In the editing department, Ramotar said GECOM has 65 members of staff, and it is understood that one member of staff has only been editing information for about 13 persons per day. The PPP made this conclusion after examining the fact that in 96 days (from January 9 to April 13) only 78, 684 edits took place.

“We believe that this is absolutely (unacceptable),” Ramotar said at a press conference at his party’s Freedom House headquarters.

Ramotar painted an even grimmer situation regarding the encoding process. In this department, the PPP claims, GECOM has 100 workers, but so far only 38, 331 transactions took place in the 87 days since the process started on January 18.

This means that the encoders were doing 441 transactions per day, or in other words, each encoder was doing less than five transactions per day.

“Clearly, at this rate GECOM will not be ready to hold Local Government elections this year or even next year…GECOM may be ready in time for the general elections in 2011,” Ramotar said..

“The (PPP) finds this situation totally unacceptable. Taking into consideration the amount of resources that is being put into GECOM, the Guyanese people have a right to expect much better from this institution,” he added.

However, the party has more concerns about the registration process.

At mid-April, the projected number of persons remaining to be registered was 252, 132, and these fall in areas where the cases are more complicated, Mr. Ramotar said.

He noted that from houses visited, some 34, 891 persons did not have birth certificates, while another 4, 117 had incorrect documents.

In addition, many persons who have been registered in the past using baptism certificates or another method that GECOM had agreed to are now refusing to be registered because it will mean that they would have to undergo a name change. Mr. Ramotar said these include women who are divorced, and these amount to 1, 713.

The PPP is urging GECOM to take measures now to improve its work, “so that we can have Local Government elections this year.”

The registration exercise started on January 7 and GECOM has set an end date of July 4.

The imperative to conduct House-to-House Registration was born out of the need for the creation of an indisputable National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB) which could be used as the basis for the preparation of Electoral Lists that would be commonly accepted by all stakeholders as being unblemished.

At an April 09 press conference, GECOM said it is aware that there would be many persons who might

(i) not currently be in possession of their birth certificates and other supporting source documents,

(ii) have never been registered at birth in hinterland areas

(iii) have expired passports and

(iv) have been using names other than those under which their births were registered. 

The Commission said, in a meeting it had with key agencies, it was assured that the responsible government Ministries and the General Register Office are working assiduously towards registering the births of all persons who are now not registered.

GECOM said it was further assured by the Registrar General that there are simple procedures in place for persons to apply for birth certificates and to register unregistered births.

GECOM was guaranteed that such applications would be speedily processed. 

The Commission said it is aware that there are many persons who have been using names other than those on their birth certificates to conduct personal and business transactions.

In this regard, “we are informed that the process is neither difficult nor expensive for a person who might have been using an assumed name (other than that under which his/her birth was registered) to obtain a Deed Poll to effect the desired name change,” GECOM stated.

21 years imprisonment each for three gun robbers
By Jeune Bailey Van-Keric
THREE men, who went on a robbery rampage, were each sentenced to 21 years imprisonment, after they pleaded guilty to a series of offences last week Wednesday.

Magistrate Chandra Sohan, inflicted the custodial penalties on them at Albion Court, Corentyne.

Wayne Winter, of Lot 61 Albert Street, Corriverton, Wilfred Sandy, of Number 51, Corentyne, also in Berbice and Gavin Foster, of Lot 28 Ujaama Housing Scheme, La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara, were convicted on joint charges of robbery under arms committed on Kampta Rambarran, Azad Taki and Chandishwar Persaud, on April 21, at Number 48 and Hogstye, respectively, both Corentyne, Berbice villages.

The magistrate imposed a five year sentence on each count of the three robbery charges, but ordered that they run concurrently. In addition, the convicts got individual three year jail terms for illegal possession of a .38 ‘Taurus’ revolver and four matching rounds, that would follow consecutively.

Police Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh, prosecuting, said the prisoners hired PKK 75 from a car rental service and proceeded to Number 48 where they held Rambarran, a 71-year-old shopkeeper, at gunpoint and robbed him and his wife of $10,000.

Subsequently, the trio went to Hogstye, about a mile away, where Winter, pretending to be a customer as Taki was closing his shop, hit the unsuspecting man on his head and relieved him of $167,000.

Meantime, Foster held a gun on pump attendant Persaud and stole phone cards and cash amounting to $53,000 from him.

They were all proceeding along the Corentyne Highway, with Sandy driving, when they were apprehended by Police at a roadblock in the vicinity of the Albion Station where their booty was recovered from them.

Winter and Foster, expressing regret for what they did, said they were out to have fun in the ‘Ancient County’ but were short of money.

Prosecutor Karimbaksh had asked the Court to take into consideration the seriousness of the crime and impose maximum sentences.
NEWS

PYARG expands award programme
SOME 34 young adults over the weekend from several communities were certified after completion of training as unit leaders under the President’s Youth Award: Republic of Guyana (PYARG) Programme.

During a graduation ceremony held at Carifesta Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue last Sunday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, disclosed that the PYARG has expanded its programme to train young persons to become unit leaders within their communities.

“The PYARG unit leaders will coordinate youths within their communities to become part of the programme. Youths have been trained in a number of areas to develop their self-esteem and leadership skill,” Dr. Anthony noted.

He said that other areas of training under the programme include HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, peer educating and edutainment.

“This is an ongoing and comprehensive programme which young people should get involved in,” the minister urged.

According to PYARG’s Executive Officer, Alfred King, the award can only be accessed through unit leaders.

He said that it is expected that all unit leaders who have been trained and exposed to the concepts and operational principles of the award can return to their respective communities and regions to impart their knowledge and skills effectively so that more young persons can become involved.

 “We want to make the award a programme of choice in Guyana for young people and want to assure them that once they become involved it will make a difference in their lives.”

 He added that communities will benefit directly from the training of unit leaders as a result of the availability of competent leaders to promote, mobilise, train and work with young people through the award programme.

“Individuals who are self-involved will be engaged in a number of activities that will enhance their life skills which will allow them to lead a more positive and productive life,” King said.

The PYARG programme, the brain child of President Bharrat Jagdeo, was launched in October 1998 and to date thousands of youths have participated in activities, which target youths between 14 to 25 years.  The focus of the programme is to encourage participation from every region to undertake training in expeditions, development of skills, community service and physical recreation. (GINA)

GAPSO elects Gaskin as its new president
THE Guyana Association of Private Security Organisations (GAPSO) recently elected a new management committee along with a new president of the association.

According to a press release from the organisation, a meeting was held in March and the GAPSO elected Mr. Gregory Delmar Gaskin, as Executive Chairman of COPS (Guyana) Ltd. as its new President for a term of two years.

Gregory Gaskin is a retired GDF Lieutenant Colonel and is also a practicing Attorney at Law and a partner in the law firm of Moore, Harmon, Sobers and Gaskin.

In a vision statement circulated to and by the members of GAPSO, the new president has outlined several measures aimed at broadening the involvement of members in the decision making of the Association, as well as providing for the education and standardized training to security officers within the industry.

The new Chief Executive Officer further envisions re-establishing close working relationships with the Guyana Police Force and other Disciplined Services, whereby the extensive network of private security sites may be used as sources of information and intelligence gathering for the disciplined forces.

Gaskin takes over the helm of GAPSO from Mr. Roshan Khan of RK’s Security. The other members of the new committee are Lt. Col. Randy Storm, (Banks DIH), Mr. Dougall Kirkpatrick (PGS) Major Roddy King (MMC), Mr. Terrence McKenzie (FMS) and Mr. Maurice Amres (GEB).

GAPSO has some 17 members consisting of private contracting companies and in-house security services. It represents approximately 4,500 security officers and security consultants. One of the objectives of the new executive will be to expand the membership base of the association so as to make it truly representative as an umbrella body and self-regulating authority for the security industry.

Minister Sukhai, World Bank representatives visit Santa Mission/Aratak  
MINISTER of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Pauline Sukhai, accompanied by representatives of the World Bank, including the Director for the Caribbean Country Management Unit, Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Ms. Yvonne Tsikata, and the Country Representative, Miguel Mercado-Diaz, recently visited Santa Mission/Aratak to get first-hand knowledge of the situation in the community.

Commenting on the visit Ms. Sukhai said: “We have achieved our objectives in that our main focus was meeting with the community and finding out from them what are the challenges and what are some of the positive developments in their community.

Ms. Tsikata posited that the World Bank in addition to working with governments and the private sector also works with communities.

“I really want to listen to you… and see how the World Bank can work with you in the future,” she implored residents.

Santa Mission/Aratak residents stressed the need for the development of the agricultural sector in their community, noting that while the resources are available the need for technical assistance is required.

“We have the land; agriculture is a priority for us; let’s get self-sufficient first and then go to the world market,” Deputy Toshao, Reynold Samuels said.

Tsikata noted the attention the residents are paying to the agricultural sector. “I know that this is an area that your government has made priority… We see right now the effects of rising food prices… This problem is not unique to Guyana but all over the world, so this emphasis on agriculture is timely and crucial,” she said.  

Other concerns raised included the lack of job opportunities, migration and need for a permanent Medex in the area and more medical supplies.

The area is facilitated by a Health Clinic, a permanent health worker, and a Medex who visits once a month. However, in emergencies medical care has to be sought on the coastland.

Residents were, however, very positive in their attitude towards the development of the area’s tourism potential, noting that they are planning to capitalise on the Carifesta events that will be held in August.

During the peak season that lasts from June to October, an average of two to three groups visit the community, on their way to the nearby Arrowpoint and Timberhead Resorts.

Ms. Sukhai noted that the areas mentioned by the residents for the development are issues that the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and other partners will work towards supporting to ensure Amerindian development.

The World Bank is currently designing a new Assistant Strategy for Guyana that will last for three years.

Ms. Tsikata posited that similar community-based projects have been done in countries like Brazil, Jamaica and Haiti.

She encouraged the residents to express their priorities and the World Bank will work with them to achieve the goals, in what is referred to as Community Driven Development (CDD).         

The Santa Mission/Aratak community now boasts a newly built primary school which will be commissioned in June with only minor works remaining. The school which was built at a cost of $18M will accommodate over 200 students.

The population of the community is about 400, of whom 120 are primary and nursery school students.

The main economic activities include farming, logging and handicraft.

The minister assured residents that there will be no disruption to the programmes planned for this year.

“I will carry on the plans which have been in progress, as it used to be, because it is in keeping with the national development plans of our country. It is in keeping with our policies to reduce poverty and in keeping with the government’s approach towards Amerindian development,” she said. (GINA)

President urges Essequibo farmers to expand agriculture production
- Government mulls further subsidy of flour to cushion prices
WITH food shortages increasing across the globe and prices escalating worldwide, President Bharrat Jagdeo last Sunday met Essequibo farmers at Aurora to discuss which lands in that county are not in use and are available for agricultural expansion.

At the forum, interested groups were asked about what they would need to start the process and what would be their preferred form of government assistance in that regard.

Essequibo, Guyana’s largest county and with vast lands, is one of the areas under consideration by the government to push the production of more agricultural crops to contain the shortages being experienced in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Farmers were told that with the US$3 billion dollars food market in the region which could reach about US $6B due to rising food prices, they could capitalise on the market, earn more, as well as assist Guyana in fulfilling its agriculture responsibility to the region.

The Guyanese leader told farmers that now is the time to take up the challenge, an issue which he had brought up at the CARICOM level several times before but, which was not taken seriously as most CARICOM countries were focused on other initiatives such as tourism. The President outlined some of the problems facing countries and alluded to riots in these countries as a result.

Flour, an essential food commodity continues to increase on the world market and the Head of State explained that government is trying to assist Guyanese more in this area, although the commodity has already been zero-rated. “For the last shipment of wheat flour, flour mill dealers met with us. Because of the high cost they wanted to increase the price by 34 percent. They then went down to 25 percent. We (Government) are looking to subsidise this so that it (the price) would not increase,” he said.

The President also pointed out that flour prices will continue to increase unless the US changes some of its policies.

He announced that soon people may see the price of clothing also increasing as millions of acres of land in places used to plant cotton have been decreased as well.

“We have to make sure in this region that we focus on food security,” the President emphasised. On this note and following suggestions by the farmers, he said that government would be willing to assist those who are interested in joining in the process and they can repay the administration following production. The farmers were in agreement with this proposal. It was decided that government would assist the groups by ensuring drainage and irrigation is taken care of, access roads to farming areas are constructed and, the land for cultivation are empoldered.

With 5,000 acres of land decided upon to start with the President directed Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, who was also present at the meeting, to ensure that soil tests and studies are carried out before he meets the farmers again in another month.

After meeting farmers, the Head of State moved to other areas to inspect drainage structures and projects, following which he proceeded to Charity for a live interview with RCA TV where he outlined Government’s agriculture initiative and encouraged more farmers to get on board. (GINA)

GFS acquires hydraulic platform in drive to modernise
By Nathalene DeFreitas
THE Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received a much needed boost to its capacity with the receipt, Monday, of a hydraulic platform for the first time, among acquisitions valued $40.3M.

Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, did the formal handing over to Fire Chief Lawrence David, in the National Park, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Rohee acknowledged that the GFS has been faced with many challenges associated with the discharge of its statutory duties and, as a professional institution, it is seeking to position itself where it can mitigate them and, with support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, has embarked on a strategic plan over the period 2008 through 2012.

He said the aim is to upgrade the GFS capability, so that its ranks will be able to adequately and effectively respond whenever called upon to carry out their responsibilities.

According to him, in the past three years, a total of $183M was spent on appliances and other equipment necessary to support fire prevention activities and he met with Chief Fire Officer David to ascertain whether the GFS has all that is necessary for the ranks to be appropriately attired and equipped in order to efficiently execute their duties.

He was told that the GFS is not completely there, but is on the way there and was informed that the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as well as ranks of the other Joint Services, including the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), are not fully geared to taken on the challenges of modern times.

New stations
However, the fact of the matter is that the equipping stage has begun, Rohee said, revealing that $73M were expended to construct new fire stations at Linden and Bartica.

In this regard, he said it is a clear indication of the Government’s willingness to invest in maintaining an effective fire protection service.

Rohee declared: “The Guyana Fire Service, in my view, is fully cognisant that, even as its facilities and equipment are upgraded, so must the human resources and the capacity of the human resources be constantly upgraded.”

Towards that objective, the Government has made provision for ranks of the GFS to go abroad for training, as that would give them the opportunity to acquire modern technical skills in the field of fire engineering, too.

Rohee said it is expected that the new acquisitions will be put into effective use to provide service to the people.

He sincerely hoped that proper care would be taken of them and he implored David and his team to be sure that the equipment are used to bring relief and comfort to the people of Guyana on a continuous basis.

Rohee also exhorted the GFS to stringently and diligently execute its duties with a high degree of professionalism.

Mr. David admitted that their effective response is dependent, to a large extent, on the quality and quantity of appliances available.

Strategy
He said, over the last two years, the GFS has embraced a strategy to ensure it maintains an adequate number of appliances.

David reiterated that, in responding to a fire, there is hardly a hesitant feeling for a firefighter when there is the knowledge that the available equipment are capable of getting the job done.

“Certainly, with this in mind, confidence on the overall is at the optimum level and impacts positively on performances during incidents,” he said, adding he has no doubt that the plan, which is to ensure that the GFS is adequately equipped, has played a significant role in the reduction of fire losses during 2007.

The Fire Chief reported that, in 2006, buildings affected by fire numbered 2,067 while, in 2007, the number was reduced to 212, or to 20.5 per cent.

During 2006, fire rendered 478 persons homeless and, in 2007, the number was 389, approximately 18.6 per cent less. Resulting deaths in 2006 were 21 and, in 2007, a reduction by 38 per cent accounted for 13, David disclosed.

He said he feels strongly that the trend will continue with the additions to their fleet, especially the first hydraulic platform.

David said the appliances will assist in boosting the GFS, as they will be extremely useful for any emergency operation, whether due to fire or not.

He explained that the hydraulic platform will provide a maximum height of 100 feet above ground and, with the continuous increase of “sky level” buildings in Georgetown, the GFS is now better placed to deal with emergencies at such levels.

Black Bush Polder minibus operators strike over roads
By Jeune Bailey Van-Keric
MINIBUS operators plying the Black Bush Polder/Rose Hall route, at Corentyne, Berbice, staged a strike on Monday to protest the state of roads in the agriculture based community.

Drivers, numbering about 20 and representing the majority of the protesters, parked their vehicles in the vicinity of Lesbeholden Primary School and called on the Government to address their concern.

The disgruntled group said they usually make four trips daily but the potholes along the way are causing them to travel at a much slower pace and reduce their journeys to three per day. 

One of the drivers, Nandallal Megnauth said, at the end of the day, after allowing for expenses, he is left with between $3,000 and $4,000 and is now unable to employ a conductor.

In such a situation, he said he has converted his vehicle to a 12-seater, for which he is not required to have a conductor.

According to Megnauth, the cost of repairs has increased and, last week, he had to pay $3,800 each for two tyres.

Another owner/driver, Arthur Williams told the Guyana Chronicle it is no longer profitable to operate in Black Bush, given the current condition of the roadway which needs urgent attention.

Private and hire cars from outside Black Bush, which complemented the service offered by the few buses which operated Monday, minimised the impact of the minibus protest.

However, scores of people, including schoolchildren had to walk for miles from Johanna, Mibicuri and Yakusari, to the other polders in Black Bush.

Last week Wednesday, Minister Transport and Hydraulics, Mr. Robeson Benn and officials of the Regional Administration of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) inspected several roads in the ‘Ancient County’, including in Black Bush and residents claimed promises were made to effect improvement.

Regional Chairman, Zulficar Mustapha, said the Regional Administration will rehabilitate and maintain the internal roads this year but the main access road into Black Bush is not one of them.

He said that road will be repaired by the Public Works Ministry after it completes a current project that includes the main access in East Canje, within the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Mustapha said his officials are expected to visit Black Bush today.

‘Grow More’ campaign extended to workers
By Tajeram Mohabir
MINISTER of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, yesterday extended the ‘Grow More’ campaign to workers with the donation of a quantity of seeds and planting materials to President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions in Guyana (FITUG), Mr. Carvil Duncan.

Delivering remarks at a ceremony in his ministry’s board room at Regent Street and Vlissengen Road, Mr. Persaud said that the initiative is another intervention by government to control the upward spiral of local food prices.

Last Friday, the private sector came on board the countrywide campaign launched over two months ago.

Mr. Persaud stressed that the pre-Labour Day gesture is in recognition of the important role workers play in driving the wheels of production.

He urged Mr. Duncan to organise his workers into farming groups and to purchase agricultural inputs in bulk for resale to members in order to minimise the impact of rising food prices.

The minister promised to provide extension services support to the workers to promote their agricultural activities.

Mr. Duncan expressed gratitude to Minister Persaud for the initiative and pledged to get his workers on board the campaign.

The FITUG boss stressed that Guyana has the ability to once again become the bread basket of the Caribbean, and the ‘Grow More’ campaign is the ideal programme to realise this potential. The initiative promotes the cultivation of crops to ensure adequate local supplies and to expand regional exports.

On that note, the union official slammed dissidents who claim that the spiral in local food prices is due to the administration’s failure to arrest the situation. He emphasised that the spiral in food prices constitutes an international crisis and not one country has been spared.

Mr. Duncan also disclosed that he has had discussions with Laparkan to purchase certain food items in bulk, and soon these will be available to workers in the various communities at reduced prices.

Experts have blamed the global increase in food prices on the increasing oil cost, dwindling food reserves, the re-allocation of food products for bio-fuel production and the effects of climate change.

Government has made several interventions to arrest the situation, including the removal of VAT on basic food items and a waiver of the excise tax on diesel to keep farmers in business.

The ‘Grow More’ campaign involves the distribution of seeds, planting materials, chemicals and fertilizers to farmers and households across Guyana. It also includes:

* the distribution of fruit trees for new home owners;

* the enhancement of livestock, including pigs, sheep, goats and ducks;

* the implementation of a US$20.9M Agriculture Export Diversification programme designed to develop the beef, fruits, vegetables and aqua culture chains;

* the implementation of a US$6M Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Development programme to raise the incomes of poor rural farmers; and

* the provision of extension services and adequate drainage and irrigation to farmers.

We must always seriously guard our culture
- President Jagdeo tells mela participants
- congratulates IAC
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is urging all Guyanese to continue to practice their respective cultures and to inculcate it in the younger generation so that they would be able to learn about their ancestors and appreciate their hard work.

The Guyanese head of state made this pitch during his address to a large gathering at the Indian Arrival Committee’s (IAC’s) first in a series of melas this year at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground on Sunday evening.

He also congratulated the Indian Arrival Committee for the entity’s work at keeping the Indian culture alive and for ensuring that the event comes off each year so that Guyanese Indians can gather and reminisce and practice in song and dance, their culture.

In photo, President Jagdeo is seen during his address at the IAC mela in Essequibo on Sunday evening. (GINA photo)

STANDARDS CORNER
THE GNBS PRODUCT CERTIFICATION SCHEME
The Product Certification Scheme is a scheme through which manufacturers are granted permits to mark their products with the National Standards Mark providing, they are capable of conforming to the relevant Guyana Standards on a continuous basis.

Before certification can take its course, the following must be in place:

* Relevant Guyana Standards

* Available testing facilities

* Adequate quality control systems

There are three procedures to be followed for the granting of a permit under the GNBS Certification Scheme.

(1) Granting of Permit:
This procedure is suitable for clients applying for permits to use the Standards Mark and comprises application, preliminary inspection, audit and approval. At the application stage, the client completes an application form and submits it to the Bureau. If the application is successful, a preliminary inspection is conducted to determine the client’s capabilities of meeting the requirements of the scheme. The client is notified about deficiencies and upon correction, a final audit is conducted. The audit report is taken to the Certification Committee and then to National Standards Council for approval of permit.

2. Surveillance
After granting the permit, surveillance inspections are conducted on a quarterly basis to ensure ongoing conformity. In this procedure, the inspection is planned, conducted and reported. Follow-up inspections are done if major non-conformances are highlighted.

3. Renewal of Permit:
Usually, an expiry date is affixed to permits granted depending on the safety and health hazards associated with the product. This procedure is similar to the granting of Permits with the omission of the preliminary inspection stage.

For further information please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0064, 219-0065, 219-0066.
EDITORIAL

CARICOM's Deafening silence on Zimbabwe
THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY seems to be missing in action when it comes to speaking out against the man-made crisis in Zimbabwe where the dictatorial rule of a once highly admired freedom fighter, Robert Mugabe, has made life a nightmare for millions of Zimbabweans while their president insists on clinging to power--at all cost.

After a long deafening silence in the face of a worsening crisis in Zimbabwe, CARICOM governments had managed to come forward, a year ago, with a collective feeble expression of "concerns" over the deteriorating crisis situation in Zimbabwe and the wider humanitarian tragedies in Sudan's Darfur region.

There was no indication whether those "concerns" were ever officially communicated to the governments of those countries, the African Union or the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Then the silence resumed as if CARICOM governments, separately and collectively, had become numb to man's inhumanity to man as tragedies of varying scales continued to unfold in Zimbabwe and, in greater dimensions in Darfur.

The late William Demas was in the habit of reminding governments, civil society and regional institutions of CARICOM that our comparatively small size as a sub-region of the Western Hemisphere and the global community should never be an inhibiting factor in defence of the region's sovereignty, or in support of defined international human rights practices and democratic governance.

However, in the face of rising international outcries, including outstanding advocates for human rights and democracy, CARICOM governments seem to have expediently settled, in the case of Zimbabwe, for political shelter behind the leaders of the African Union, who appear more anxious to avoid displeasing Mugabe than in demonstrating concerns for the mass of suffering Zimbabweans.

Ruling regimes in Africa may have their own reasons for ignoring the fundamental problems in Zimbabwe while seeking to convey the impression that they are keeping busy trying to resolve the crisis that has resulted from Mugabe's gross misrule.

Foreign policy coordination has long been one of the major pillars of CARICOM. It is to be wondered what stimulus comes from the Community Secretariat, or whoever happens to be the rotating chairperson of COFCOR (Council for Foreign and Community Relations) for a CARICOM response to an international problem/challenge of relevance in our inter-dependent world?

Or, for that matter, what prevents ANY of our CARICOM Governments from exercising its own right to initiate a public statement on the human tragedies that result from gross abuse of political power that make a farce of the ideals of a democratic way of life to which our Community leaders claim to be committed?

As this editorial was being written, not only Zimbabweans at home and abroad but the international community in general were still awaiting on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to confirm the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections--held a month ago--and which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) insists it has won.

(Reprinted, courtesy Tuesday's Barbados Daily Nation)
FEATURES

IN-THE-COURTS

In Berbice Courts…
Security guard gets suspended jail sentence for shooting
A FORMER Guyana Employment Bureau (GEB) security guard, who fired a gun and caused Jean April grievous bodily harm, was given a suspended one year prison sentence on Monday.

But Magistrate Chandra Sohan, who imposed the penalty at New Amsterdam Court, warned Maxwell Jones, of Liverpool, Corentyne, also in Berbice, that, should he be convicted of any other offence over the next 12 months, the punishment would be enforced.

Jones, now employed as a cane harvester at Skeldon Estate, Corentyne, was attached to the security service on June 3, 2007, when he responded to a report at Lot 55 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam and discharged a bullet that struck the right arm of April, causing the latter to suffer injuries and be hospitalised.

$1M bail each for trio with suspected counterfeit
THREE of the four persons travelling in a motor car in which a quantity of suspected counterfeit United States (U.S.) currency was found on March 29, were each put on $1M bail on Monday.

Melshock Bazilio, 27, a clothes vendor of Lot 261 Blue Sakie Drive, South Ruimveldt, Mark Joseph also known as Mark Tyrell, 36, of Lot 335 East Street, Alberttown and Melanie Hamlington called Lisa, 25, of George Street, all Georgetown addresses, appeared before Magistrate Chandra Sohan at New Amsterdam Court.

At a previous appearance in Whim Court on April 2, the defendants, including Rehama Smart also known as Lilowattie Isfahamia, were convicted of illegal departure from Guyana and fined $25,000 each, with the alternative of six weeks imprisonment, which she chose to serve.

But on Monday, attorney-at-law Mr. Mursalene Bacchus unsuccessfully requested a reduction in the surety.

He also asked that the local currency taken from the defendants be returned but the Police said they were still conducting investigations and the request was denied.

The defendants had all left Guyana for Suriname via Springlands, Corentyne, without presenting themselves to an immigration officer.

Police said they went by the ‘back track’ (illegal migration) route and trafficked cannabis (marijuana) for U.S. money and the notes suspected to be fakes were allegedly found on Bazilio, Joseph and Hamlington who were remanded  to prison until May 9.

It was alleged that Bazilio had G$36,000, Joseph G$51,820 and US$2,500 and Hamlington had, concealed in her crotch, US$2,860.

Man charged with fraudulent conversion of scrap iron
TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Rakesh Bahadur, of Lot 28, West Canefield, East Canje, has been charged with fraudulent conversion.

He appeared before Magistrate Chandra Sohan at New Amsterdam Court, also in Berbice, on Monday and was granted $25,000 bail.

The self-employed man is alleged to have converted, to his own use and benefit, six tonnes of scrap iron, entrusted to him by Raj Ramnarine.

Police Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh, prosecuting, said the defendant was previously charged with a similar offence but the case was dismissed after he evaded apprehension.
Bahadur has to be back in Court on May 30.

Trinidadian fined $20,000 for threatening former friend
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Michael Jarvis, of Lot 24 Northeast La Penitence, yesterday pleaded guilty to using threatening language and was fined $20,000, with the alternative of six months imprisonment.

Particulars of the offence said, on April 28, at Castello Housing Scheme, also in Georgetown, the Trinidadian defendant threatened Simone Smith.

Police Inspector Denise Griffith, prosecuting, said the two were friends but the relationship was broken because of a male friend of Jarvis.

The Prosecutor said, since then, the virtual complainant threw remarks at Jarvis every time she saw him.

Jarvis claimed he is a sign artist with Pro Signs Inc., at Lot 121 Sheriff Street, also in the city, but Smith said the incident occurred when the defendant and his lover had a fight on her bridge while she was in her yard.

Smith said, fortunately, she escaped being chopped with a cutlass when Jarvis chased after her.

Minibus driver granted $80,000 bail on three charges
FORTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD minibus driver, Rhondel Jordan, of Lot 215 Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, was ordered to post a total of $80,000 bail yesterday on three traffic charges.

Before Acting