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Former Member

GINA spends $250M to fund newspaper in NY

March 2, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under News

- McCoy, Subhan fingered in questionable deal with printery

Government Information Agency (GINA) launched a New York edition newspaper late last year under questionable circumstances. This has the Opposition APNU-AFC calling for a full investigation into the publication.

According to Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, his party has discovered another clear indication of how the ruling party continues to misuse public funds without oversight of the National Assembly.
The situation, he complained, is also creating an uneven playing field for the Opposition as the Government has access to millions of dollars in state resources which are being used indiscriminately for the upcoming May 11 Elections.
“We are condemning this newspaper “The Guyanese” which is being printed in New York. We are being told that GINA used, without Parliament’s approval, $250M to establish this publication. They are not carrying news. The paper is carrying propaganda from the ruling party.
“How fair is it that we are asking ordinary taxpayers to foot a newspaper that does not even represent them or paint the true picture of what goes on in Guyana?”
Ramjattan said that his party, during recent trips by officials to New York, has been attempting to find out the details.
“We have now gotten information that it is a printery out of New York.”
The official, whose party recently announced that it will be partnering with A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) for the May 11 Elections, is convinced that there is massive corruption involved also in the printing.
“We are being told that GINA is spending US$10,000 per fortnight to print 5,000 copies of a 32-page newspaper which is then given away free of cost. This is way too expensive when you compare what the other printers are charging. The publication, given its size and colour, could cost far less than US$2,000. So where is the rest of the money? Who is pocketing the rest?”
According to Ramjattan, the person who has been supplying his party with the details is scared to come forward.
“My understanding is that it is GINA’s Editor Shanta Goberdhan, Neaz Subhan the head, and Kwame McCoy from the Office of the President, who are disbursing the payments from Guyana.”
“I want to tell you that as soon as we win the Elections on May 11, this will be one of the first things we will investigate. You just cannot spend taxpayers’ monies to fund a newspaper and it (is) only carrying Government propaganda,” Ramjattan said.
He believed that the $250M pumped into the newspaper launching was also a way to channel monies from public funds to elections coffers of the People’s Progressive Party.
“They are probably gonna send it back to Guyana as part of the arrangement for the elections funding for the PPP.”
Ramjattan believes also that the Government deliberately timed the launching of the newspaper in October because Parliament was in recess and elections were imminent with its dissolution.
“We are convinced that this is a massive piece of corruption. The long arm of the law will be very evident after elections. We are also not unaware of the auditor’s report of the National Communications Network, which is owned by Government and which pointed to significant fraud.
“President Donald Ramotar has refused to release the details. This newspaper deal stinks to high heavens.”
GINA’s head, Subhan, on Saturday, refused to release details of the newspaper.
He would only say that the money is coming from GINA’s budget.
He did not want to discuss details of the printing but did confirm that the newspaper was started back in October and about 5,000 copies are being printed every fortnight.
The newspaper is prepared in Guyana, using materials from GINA with a point person collecting and distributing it in New York.

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Former Member

Quote "According to Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, his party has discovered another clear indication of how the ruling party continues to misuse public funds without oversight of the National Assembly.
The situation, he complained, is also creating an uneven playing field for the Opposition as the Government has access to millions of dollars in state resources which are being used indiscriminately for the upcoming May 11 Elections."unquote

3/2/154:37 PM

Former Member

this is the paper that is fooling cobra and nehru,its okay guys we will sue them for successfully brainwashing you

3/2/154:41 PM

Former Member

GINA dodges questions about cost of NY newspaper

March 3, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under News

“Some skulduggery going on” — KN Publisher

One day after questions were raised over millions of dollars being spent by the Government Information

Kwame McCoy

Agency (GINA) to produce a newspaper for circulation in New York, the state-owned entity remained silent on the cost.
Instead, GINA set about to deflect the issue by accusing Kaieteur News of telling lies.
Over the weekend, Leader of Alliance of Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, raised questions over the publication of “The Guyanese”, a fortnightly newspaper that is prepared by GINA.
Ramjattan said the taxpayers are made to pay for a newspaper that carries nothing but criticisms of the Opposition.
He also raised questions over spendings by GINA’s head, Neaz Subhan, and director, Kwame McCoy. This cost was put at almost $2M every fortnight for 5,000 copies of the newspaper printed in New York.
Ramjattan vowed to launch an investigation into reports that GINA and Government spent up to $250M to start up the newspaper.
Yesterday, GINA again refused to disclose costs. It insisted that the newspaper is a developmental-oriented one.
“GINA wishes to forthrightly state that such pronouncements are glaring examples of the Kaieteur News’ proclivity to engage in sensationalism, to deliberately misinform and to publish falsehoods.”
All GINA would say is that it rejects the Kaieteur News’ mischievous assertion with regards to the sum spent on “The Guyanese” newspaper, and is not unmindful of the numerous inaccuracies contained in the article in

GINA has danced around questions over the costs of printing a fortnightly newspaper in New York.

question.
“The Kaieteur News should be reminded that GINA has a mandate to provide information pertinent to Government’s programmes and policies to all Guyanese.
“Since its establishment, GINA has been producing literature, including local newspapers, for free distribution as part of its mandate. These publications remain in demand.”
GINA said that it was only last October that it launched a new developmental-oriented magazine, of the same name, “The Guyanese”.
“This in-flight magazine is produced with all Guyanese in mind, including those in the Diaspora.”
With regards to “The Guyanese” newspaper, GINA wishes to state that its production is within its mandate and funded from the agency’s budget.
Yesterday, Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, said that GINA’s statement is no surprise.
“It should also not surprise Guyana. It has become a norm that started way back under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. Instead of addressing the message, his policy was to attack the messenger.”
With regards to GINA’s statements that Kaieteur News is threatened by the new newspaper, Lall made it clear that there are no threats.
“The newspaper is hardly visible and poses no threat for the advertising dollar.
“The nation needs to know the costs. How much are they spending on the newspaper? They did not address that. It can be concluded that by sidestepping the issue, there is some skulduggery going on.”
Lall said that if Neaz Subhan can prove that GINA prints 5,000 copies, why not declare the cost?
Reacting to the success of the New York edition of Kaieteur News, GINA said that the diaspora has been subjected to lies, half-truths and innuendos published in the Kaieteur News.
The truth is that the New York edition contains the same news published in Guyana. The paper is the most sought after, and it has been in New York for 17 years and is the leading Caribbean newspaper.
“GINA also wishes to note that given the scandalous nature of the Kaieteur News’ article in question and the wanton attack on two government officials, it has sought the advice of its lawyers.”

3/3/155:02 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by asj:

Kwame knows that he dare not go into RH peddling such lies. And of course Kwame is too terrified of Brooklyn to even dare have his wrapping paper distributed.

Here is the deal. We can afford toilet paper in NYC, and don't like cheap newspapers, leaking with newsprint, to wrap our stuff when we move house.

FreeDUMB House is free to peddle all the lies that they wish. Its this arrogance that might well lead the APNU AFC beating them come May 11th.

3/3/156:11 PM