- overseas bank refuse to lend money

The state-owned sugar company is finding major difficulty in obtaining short-term financing.
Yesterday, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), currently facing a series of strikes across the country, announced that it owes $8B in short-term debt.
In fact, GuySuCo disclosed that it is unable to get working capital from a foreign bank, affecting the payment of Annual Production Incentives (API) to workers, which is the main reason for the strike.

GuySuCo has announced it is facing severe financial cash problems with an overseas bank unwilling to lend any money to bridge a shortage on working capital.

Moreover, the corporation is lagging way behind in its payments to creditors, which amounts to $3.2B. Local banks are owed $4.1B and advances from customers total around $700M.
“This is a significant amount owing and the Corporation is finding it very difficult to source additional short-term financing to meet its working capital requirements,” GuySuCo said in a statement.
The financial state of the company could only be reversed with increased sugar production and the sale of sugar. This option also appears problematic since sugar production for the year is way below expectation. The corporation did not say how far below expectations the production was.
Even though the strike has reduced GuySuCo’s productive days and resulted in the destruction of cane, adding to its financial challenges, the company said it would be paying production incentives to workers on March 16th.
Meanwhile, workers operating at Wales Sugar Estate have resumed duties in anticipation of their payments. Workers of Blairmont Estate and a section of Rose Hall Estate continue to strike.
In the past, similar strikes have been cited as one of the main reasons for GuySuCo’s low sugar production.
Last year, the company production was 237,000 tonnes, way below the 300,000 tonnes initially projected. This year’s projection has been set at 268,000 tonnes of sugar.

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…pipeline to Jagdeo’s  mansion blamed for pole collapse

Several villages between Le Ressouvenir and Cummings Lodge, East Coast

The suspended pole at the Sparendaam Public Road with wire lying across the road.

Demerara, were without electricity for close to three hours yesterday after a power pole fell, sending wires across the Sparendaam Public Road.
The pole was merely suspended by electrical wires from other surrounding poles as it hung several feet from the ground. This had several electrical wires lying across the road forcing traffic ranks to divert a long build up of traffic onto the railway line.
A representative from the power company, Delwey Perry, who spoke with this publication, said that upon after receiving the call, the emergency crew immediately shut down power supply to the area and its environs.
Upon arriving at the scene, Perry said they launched an inspection and it was found that the pole fell as a result of weakened soil at the base.
When this publication arrived on the scene around 01:30 hours, Perry and his crew were still awaiting back up. Perry explained that the affected areas would have been out of power for a while since another pole would have had to be replanted.
The pole collapse did not go down well with residents who said that the situation was a disaster in the making for a while now.
One man, Gary Beckles, who operates a food stall a few feet away from the pole,

The build up of traffic being diverted off of the East Coast Demerara corridor.

said a contractor had recently dug up an area mere inches away from the base of the pole.
“Late last year these people come and dig up this place laying pipes to run water fuh de President in he housing scheme (former President Bharrat Jagdeo), then another set come dig up saying they starting four-lane road.”
Beckles questioned if it’s not common knowledge for any contractor to know that constant digging around a utility pole would eventually weaken the soil.
The man said that yesterday was just one of many such to come as work continues along East Coast Demerara with the four-lane highway.
Similar views were expressed by another resident. Rudolph Wills, who told this publication that contractors should pay keen attention to the works of their colleagues and show consideration for other works.
“The road people came, they dig around the same area, then GWI come, dig back the same area to do their work and all the time they weakening these poles,” Wills lamented.
At the time the pole collapsed there were no vehicles in the vicinity. The police were forced to divert both east and westbound traffic to the Railway Embankment, causing congestion at various points along the embankment.

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…still to be gazetted-Greenidge

While there are those that laud the creation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,

Carl Greenidge

there are those that criticize the expansion of Government.
Others question the legality of the operations of this new entity.
Former Finance Minister in the People’s National Congress Government, Carl Greenidge, said that he is yet to see the new Ministry officially gazetted.
Greenidge believes that all of the monies being spent by the new Ministry can be considered illegal.
According to Greenidge, what is even more reprehensible is the fact that the Minister is even instructing entities outside of his purview to undertake expenditure.
Greenidge was referring to a request by Persaud to have the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) expend monies from its revenues to purchase an elephant for the Zoological Park.
Greenidge said that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is proposing to request of the Government (and we are at one with the Alliance For Change on this) to have all of the agencies such as the GGMC which are semi-autonomous in nature and manage their own revenue to be brought under the purview of the Consolidated Fund.
He explained that these agencies are supposed to manage revenue in trust for the state but given the manner in which the entities have been operating Greenidge is pushing for them to be brought back under the purview of the Consolidated Fund.
“We have seen that these things have been extensively abused….It is not only a NICIL (National Industrial and Commercial Investment Ltd) problem or a rogue official.”
Greenidge said the fact that the Minister happens to be assigned two different Ministries does not give him the power to simply take money from one operating entity and use it for another, let alone instructing the entity itself to be making purchases that do not fall

Robert Persaud

within his competence and for which the articles of association and the article establishing the entity stipulates.
Greenidge did warn that it is the board of the GGMC which is ultimately responsible “so if the board is foolish enough to respond to an illegal demand by the Minister they will be held accountable.”
“So what you see taking place in NICIL in the past is not peculiar to NICIL, it is a phenomenon of the PPP operation under the presidency especially under (Bharrat) Jagdeo.”
He explained that one worry that the opposition has as it relates to public pronouncements is the fact that “between Messrs Persaud and (Dr Leslie) Ramsammy, for example, you hear a number of public pronouncements which clearly are inconsistent with the law and the regulations.”
Greenidge reminded that, “I have not seen the new Ministry gazetted and without that happening no monies should be spent by anybody purporting to run or have oversight over these Ministries.”
The former Finance Minister said that the issue at heart is but a part of the problem plaguing Guyana. “What is the President doing just allowing Ministers to run riot irrespective of the law? So there is in all the points of tension that have arisen in recent times between the opposition and the government, the question of legality.”
Greenidge said that regardless of whatever positive statements are being made by President Donald Ramotar, “his ministers don’t seem to recognize that we are under a new dispensation and under the new dispensation granted by the electorate we have a mandate to bring the activities of the executive as the legislature properly under the law.”
The agencies that fall under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment includes: the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Gold Board, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana Wildlife, the National Parks Commission and the Protected Areas Commission.

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Police in the interior are investigating two more murders that have occurred on Monday.
One of the murders involves a Guyanese called “Tall Man” while the other is that of a Brazilian.
Police yesterday said that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Raimundo Gomes Da Silva, 41, which occurred at about 03: 00 hours on Monday at Black Water, Potaro.
Information was sketchy, but initial investigations have revealed that Da Silva and another Brazilian man were imbibing alcohol at a shop in the area during which both men left and went outside.
Da Silva was subsequently seen with blood on his clothing and is suspected to have been stabbed to his chest. He was rushed to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The suspect is reported to have fled the scene on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV).
And around 18:00 hours the same day, “Tall Man” and another man were involved in an argument at Konawaruk Backdam, during which he was chopped to his neck and other parts of his body. He too was pronounced dead at the Mahdia Hospital.
In this instance also, the suspect has not yet been arrested.

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- Diesel-run Caterpillar engines unsuitable, more expensive

Two new Chinese-built ferries that will ply the Parika/Supenaam route are likely to

cost Guyanese taxpayers millions of dollars more to operate and maintain than the older class Makouria vessels, officials have said.
It is now more than likely government will have to subsidize the operations.
The two vessels, Sabanto and Kanawan, arrived late December as a “gift” from the Chinese Government and are said to worth around US$14M ($2.8B).
However, assuming that the vessels operate on a 30-day basis, it could cost as much as $50M to run them.
While figures of how much the older vessels cost to run were unavailable, officials said that it will be millions more for the new ones.
Each vessel has three decks and can hold up to 800 persons, 44 cars, and 20 lorries and can travel at a test speed of 12.5 knots. They come equipped with standard Caterpillar engines.
Personnel are currently being trained to work on the ferries while modifications

One of the two new Chinese ferries, the Kanawan, shortly after its arrival in Guyana in late December.

are being done to the Parika and Supenaam stellings in the Region Three area.
According to officials knowledgeable of the ferries’ test runs, while Caterpillar engines are dependable, they cost more using diesel as against the cheaper Bunker C fuel utilized by the older turbo-driven vessels like the Malali which are scheduled to be placed on other routes.
“In all likelihood, Government will have to subsidize the running of these two vessels as Transport and Harbours Department is unlikely to recover costs from its daily operations.”
The ferries will continue to provide a crucial link between Essequibo Coast, Region Two, and the city. Rice and cash crop farmers are heavily dependent on the vessels to transport their produce. They also provide a link to Wakenaam and Leguan, two islands in the Essequibo River.
Kaieteur News was told the Lister, Wartsila and even Blackstone engines would have been more suitable and cheaper to the Guyana condition.
It is about 19 nautical miles between Parika and Supenaam.
“Because of the high consumption rate of these Caterpillar engines, maintenance would have to be high in order to prevent problems and reduce breakdowns. This would obviously add to the costs with adequate spares for a year advisable.”
On average, it could cost $550,000 for each vessel to make two return trips to Parika. This adds up to around $16.5M monthly per vessel. However, this figure does not include the cost of running the generators on board the vessels which could tally up another $8M each, pushing the cost to operate both vessels to the $50M mark per month.
Another factor that could see the vessels underperforming is the fact that the heavy siltation of the Essequibo channels could reduce speed and would force management to lessen on the load, to avoid running aground.
The older ferries will continue to operate in Essequibo. Some will be deployed to Bartica, Wakenaam and possibly to the Berbice River.

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Fingers are being pointed at a senior police officer on the Essequibo Coast, after he reportedly drove his vehicle over a retired headmaster, killing him instantly on Monday last.
Kaieteur News understands that the victim, whose name was given as “Johnny”, is a well-known alcoholic in the area.
He worked with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in November.
Reports are that the Police Sergeant identified as “English”, was driving his vehicle around 19:15 hrs when the incident occurred.
He was said to be exiting the Charity Nursery School Street when he made a left turn leading him to the Charity Public Road. According to a police source, the Sergeant stated that there were a number of parked vehicles on the road and these posed as “problems for him”, but he continued along the said route. He abruptly stopped driving when he felt an impact.
Reportedly, the Sergeant exited his vehicle and discovered that he had driven over the body of a man. Some public-spirited persons assisted the officer in transporting “Johnny” to the Suddie Hospital where medical staff confirmed him dead on arrival.
Kaieteur News was told by a very senior officer that investigations are in full swing since the matter is being treated “like any other” and that “normal investigative initiatives” are being applied. An eyewitness said that the man was lying at the corner of the road when the police officer drove his vehicle over him. Meanwhile, the officer is contending that the man was lying on the roadway.
Additional reports are that the deceased’s families have severed ties with him for a number of years due to his alcoholic tendencies and when they were told of his death they did not “make a fuss.” This newspaper also understands that the Sergeant in question was recently adjudged as the “Best Cop” for Region Two.

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With Mashramani nigh upon us and a welter of musical concerts becoming permanent fixtures of our landscape, it might be time to revisit the vexed question of the possible effects some of this music might have on our youths. There are two concerns, not necessarily unconnected, raised about some of the music – that it is ‘vulgar’ and that it encourages violent behaviour in youths.
Over the last few decades in which we have witnessed the steady and seemingly inexorable rise of youth violence, it has been accompanied by forms of music that glorify and encourage the trend. In the US, we have ‘Gangsta Rap’, from Jamaica, Dancehall morphed through various increasingly violent variations to the current ‘Gaza’ and ‘Gully’ nihilism. And while comparatively innocuous and presently wallowing in self-inflicted violence (mainly rum drinking), Trinidadian Chutney shows definite signs of joining the genre of violence-provoking music. And they all end up in Guyana where our youths just lap them up and, it appears, heed the encouragement of the lyrics.
While there might be those that will protest that, “It’s only music”, from the dawn of civilization it has been acknowledged that music is one of the most potent forms of communication among humans – and even some animals. The reach of music is universal and appears to reach deep into the human psyche. While as far back as the 17th century it was asserted that “Musick hath Charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak”, there has been ample evidence that it can just as effectively accomplish the reverse effect. It is not for naught that there is the genre of “marital music”. There is no disputing that music affects us emotionally and psychologically and can powerfully influence our behaviour.
The genres mentioned above, explicitly encourage a wide range of antisocial behaviour, criminality and violence – especially against females. The language deployed encourages the use of weapons and homophobic attacks. They glorify such behaviour and because the artistes that spew the most outrageous lyrics – such as Kartel and Movado – are able to live in “style”, they become role models for their impressionable, young audiences. Buju Banton’s conviction in Florida on drug trafficking charges is not atypical of the lifestyle promoted by the new wave music. In Jamaica, and we have no reason that it has not spread to Guyana, partisans of ‘Gaza’ and ‘Gully’ routinely erupt into pitched battles against each other.
The music is also socially destructive because it consistently pushes negative stereotypes – especially about the poor and the powerless that the artistes purport to speak for. While these artistes claim that they are merely reflecting a reality that exists – in the end it is a very selective depiction of that reality. Poor communities are not all about wife beating, rum drinking and rumbling with weapons. By reinforcing the negative stereotypes, the music normalises their acceptance within the group that most need a vision of a way out.
We would like to propose that the Ministry of Culture look at the effects of the violence-inducing music on our young people and begin to take some action. We might have to look at some form of censorship of the more pernicious lyrics. We all accept the moral legitimacy of the government legislating and imposing sanctions against hate speech and invidious racially negative stereotyping.
There is an identically analogous situation with the music we are discussing. The government has a duty to act when public morality is being corroded but especially so when it affects the most vulnerable of our society – the young.
There is, of course, the danger of governmental censorship spilling over into more insidious forms of statist control. But we have to weigh the possibility of that danger against the clear and present cancer that is eating away the future of our society – our youths. We once had censorship over movies without suffering any appreciable harm. We cannot do worse with the music of violence. Let’s start this Republic Day.

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Government–the thing we love to hate so much but without which we can do very little… at least in Guyana.
We love to loathe government, to criticize, to demand things from it, and even to become attached to it to the point of extreme dependence. When the government in our estimation fails us, the persons that make up the government are set upon, ridiculed, scandalized and in some instances demonized. If some members of the public had their way, the government would be subject to Jedwood justice.
The problem is not the government or too much government or too inefficient government. The problem is with the people. If tomorrow, government were to be miniaturized, the country would come to a standstill because for all the self-righteous drivel that is heaped upon the authorities, life without government, however imperfect and flawed it is, would be reduced to misery.
The people simply cannot do with enough government. They would love nothing more than for Guyana to find oil so that the monies can be found to fork out more of their own personal responsibilities to the government.
The problem is not inefficient government because there are far more inefficient forces outside of government.
The public, however, loves to flog the government. The public expects the government and the officers to be perfect but the very judges of that perfection are no more perfect than those who they wish to criticize.
Very little slack is cut for the government and whenever some problems are highlighted, these are magnified out of proportion.
Take for example, the report of the Auditor General. Now this is a very important report in any country because without it there would be no accountability and very limited transparency. So it is something good that there are regular and timely submissions of the reports of the audit office.
There were, of course, for many years, accusations that in the past no reports were published. This was made into something of political anthem by the government when criticizing the opposition.
Now we are hearing that those accusations may not be accurate because somebody has a list indicating that the reports were submitted.
Well, somebody having a list does not clear up anything. Does it? And the media seems quite content to let the matter rest there. All it will take is for some reporter to ask the Auditor General, both the present and the past, to confirm that the reports which were said never to have been tabled were in fact tabled.
That is all it will take along with a determination as to whether the reports said to have been tabled were unqualified or qualified.
That should settle the issue as to which administration was more accountable than which.
But that is asking too much of our journalists. They are quite happy to uncritically regurgitate extracts from the recently tabled report of the Auditor General and highlight those deficiencies to a public with an appetite for absorbing these deficiencies and converting them into claims of massive corruption.
I am yet to see a country in which there are no deficiencies in public accounting. I am yet to see the country in which the accounting officers do not point out a number of things which need to be put right.
But in Guyana with our penchant for mauling the government, the mere fact that some ledger may have penciled notations is now the basis for casting suspicion over the accounting process.
There will always be problems in accounting procedures and while this does not mean that these problems should not be rectified, the existence of such problems should not be always construed as evidence of corruption.
The fact also that certain accounts which were supposed to be closed were closed does not mean that the funds in those accounts have disappeared. What these things point to is the need for improvement in the ways certain things are managed and there is not likely ever to be an auditor’s report in which no recommendations for improvements are made.
People should also not get worked up about there being losses due to expired drugs. There is no health system in the world in which there are no such losses. The government purchases drugs and these drugs are kept in a bond until required to be used. Not all will be used and in budgeting, these things have to be catered for just like in a home where you may always buy a little extra of something in case there is an additional need.
In every system therefore there will be some redundancies. The danger of under stocking is far greater than a small degree of overstocking. And the sum of thirty odd million in expired drugs should not be frightening development in a country that purchases billions of dollars in medical drugs each year.
Allowances have to be made for such losses.
However, efforts should be made to have greater inventory controls and improved systems based on what the Auditor General reports. And in those cases where there is suspicion of criminal wrongdoing, the police should be called in.
The reports of the Auditor General are really intended to allow for improvements in public and not merely to be used by politicians and the public to grind their political axes.
And if tomorrow, somebody were to suggest that we do away with the government or limit its role, there will be demonstrations and protest calling for a repeal of this suggestion. When it comes to the governments, we cannot live with them nor can we live without them.

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When de Skeldon sugar factory start fuh operate it had teething problems. Every time dem boys talk, all Rob-Bert use to seh is that it got teething problems. Well de teething problems over. All de teeth get pull out or dem fall out.
If was a man de guru woulda tell he to tek a bath. He can’t tell that to a factory. That is what he whisper to Dr. Rat when he give he something. Dr. Rat tell de guru how people treating he bad. De guru tell he to tek a bath. He claim how he gun go in he shower. De guru tell he that he got to go to de seawalls.
That is how Dr. Rat nearly swim de Demerara River. When he go to de seawalls de tide was out – far out—suh he turn back and head to de Georgetown stelling. De same guru had to stop he.
Dem boys seh that he got to tek a bath in de Santa complex. Dem boys gun flood it fuh he. And he really got to tek that bath. De Plaisance people blaming he fuh a pole that fall down wid all dem electric wires.
Dem claim how de water people dig near de pole fuh run de pipeline to he mansion and that weaken de pole. And this happen soon after de guru give he a gift. Last year Dr. Rat give de guru a gift too suh de man come back this year.
Is sheer gift sharing. Money sharing too. After last year is nuff money share out and de Auditor General find out and talk. Dem boys seh that de people trying to hide de money. Dem hide money in business, in fancy house and other things.
Some of dem got money that can bail out GuySuCo. In fact, if dem didn’t tek so much, GuySuCo woulda mek a profit. Now dem tek out so much that GuySuCo operating at a loss. De sugar workers know, though. And that is why dem striking fuh more money. Dem want de leaders fuh go in dem bank account.
Talk half. Lef half.

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