– exposes their betrayal of the Guyanese people

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

It was high drama in the National Assembly on Friday night when Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo unleashed a thunderous

Former President and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

verbal attack on the Government; exposing various elements of untrustworthiness, lack of transparency and its inclination for corruption already evident after only three months of governing the nation. Jagdeo also brought attention to the Government’s tarnished track record of backpedalling on most of its promises it made to the Guyanese people; a clear and ominous sign that the coalition Administration has no coherent vision for the country, the former President said. Focusing on the many broken promises in the Cummingsburg Accord- the binding agreement which brought the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change together, Jagdeo explained that a Government that cannot even be faithful to its own partners, simply cannot possibly be faithful to the people of the country. “The key thing is trust; do people trust the new Government? Let’s look at the creditworthiness of the new Government. The Cummingsburg Accord says the Prime Minister (Moses Nagamootoo) should have responsibility for domestic affairs and chairing the Cabinet; recommending ministerial appointments and providing the organisational structures for Ministries for approval of the President (David Granger); appointing Heads of Agencies and Constitutional Commissions; and domestic security.

President David Granger

I don’t need to tell you what the reality is,” Jagdeo ridiculed. The reality is, he elaborated is that Prime Minister Nagamootoo’s responsibility in Government has been diminished to being in charge of the information sector; his portfolio is the National Communications Network, the Government Information Agency and the Chronicle Newspaper, Jagdeo noted. “If you can’t be faithful to your partner, if this Government cannot be faithful to their partner in government, how are they going to fulfil the promises to the people of this country,” he posited. More interestingly, Jagdeo pointed out that the Prime Minister is going to cost taxpayers some $90 million a year, while the other Vice Presidents will cost them some $60 million a year. With them earning these exorbitant figures, their pensions, should they retire now, will equal the pension the former President is receiving. “I served this country for 12 years…as President and my pension is a pint of what the others get. Frankly speaking, three months the Prime Minister serves the country and his pension, if he retires today, will be close to mine, almost I think, bigger than mine and guess what portfolio he has. I had to manage the entire country as President; he has a portfolio that Kwame McCoy had from our side. There must be some justice in this world,” Jagdeo challenged, pointedly referring to all those who ever so often criticise him for receiving a comfortable pension. Jagdeo also highlighted that the Government, after accusing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration of pocketing too high salaries, were guilty of considering the possibility of raising theirs, in less than a year in Executive Office.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

“Then they say they were not even considering it and I perfectly understand if that is true. So will the Minister of Finance give us the assurance that Ministers are not going to get an increase above that of public servants in the five years of them being in office,” the Parliamentarian challenged. The Government has become completely notorious for continuously backtracking on its promises and forever changing its mind of policies and strategies it has initially implemented, Jagdeo highlighted. “When we pointed out that the increases for public servants were paltry in this budget, the Honourable Mr Harmon said the wages are temporary so we are waiting on the final payments to the public servants since the Honourable Member Joe Harmon said that the increases given in this budget are temporary,” he listed. Then, Jagdeo highlighted that the Government backpedalled again with regards to the firing of the 1972 Community Support Officers (CSOs) in the hinterland; after having Ministers justifying the firing, they are now claiming that they did not do the firing but rather, the PPP/C did. On this topic, Jagdeo chastised the Government for depriving those vulnerable people of a decent job which allowed them to provide food and other essentials for their families, noting that the Administration clearly does not care about the wellbeing for all of Guyana. He also pointed out that the Government, after receiving heavy criticisms from various sectors about the selection of members on the State Boards, they are now “backpedalling” and the Board’s composition may very well be changed. He also mentioned the Cheddi Jagan Airport Expansion Project, noting that this is another prime example of the Government not having a clear vision for Guyana. “The airport project they said they were against, now they are for and then they were against and suddenly I saw they were for again.” Moreover, Jagdeo said the recent declarations by the Finance Minister, which claimed that Guyana is bankrupt, could do severe harm to the economy as it will deter investments from investing in Guyana.

“Let me tell you, do not underestimate what that signals, when you say something like that what it means to the rest of the world. If investors hear you are bankrupted as a country, they will start thinking well the Government will raise taxes, if the insurance companies will start pushing the premium up, the cost of loans and interest rates go up. One little statement of that nature can make a huge difference and this country is not bankrupted by any stretch of the imagination,” he posited. Jagdeo also made reference to statements from Business Minister Dominic Gaskin regarding having a change in the framework in order to attract reputable investors. “Is he saying ExxonMobil is not reputable…CGX Energy is not reputable…Guyana Goldfields is not reputable,” he asked, noting that the framework of the country under the PPP/C was already attracting reputable investments. At the end of his presentation the Government side was clearly reeling from the facts that Former President and now Opposition Leader Jagdeo was able to marshal against their claims made earlier. Because the Government insisted on violating Parliamentary norms and conventions and preventing Jagdeo from being the penultimate speaker, the PPP/C walked out of the National Assembly after his presentation.

Pamela Kendall

Out-of-control crime rate…

– block roads after businesswoman succumbs to bandit’s bullet

Residents of Number 45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday afternoon staged a bold protest calling for the resignation of Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan following an incident which saw a businesswoman from the area being gunned down by bandits.

The residents said they were saddened by the situation and the lack of adequate Police patrols in the area.

As a means of exhibiting the level of their dissatisfaction, the residents used an old tree and several old tyres to block a section of the road, allowing only one lane of traffic.

One protester shouted, “We don’t need no Police, leh we live in war.”

Another concerned and frustrated protester stated that the situation has become overbearing, since very little was being done.

Residents of Number 45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday afternoon protesting the high crime rate

According to him, bandits have been causing havoc in their community, with innocent people losing their lives at the hands of these fearless perpetrators.  He questioned why the perpetrators were targeting their community regularly.

The Sookchand family also turned out to protest the senseless killing of their relative Pamela Kendall.

One family member said “this is sad, it is overbearing”, stressing that they were hardworking people who were mostly rice, livestock and cash crop farmers.

Another resident cried out, “Me is a member in this community here and is every night, every night something happening; this na right at all, we fed up”. Every night abay deh in fear hay. We can’t rest in peace.”

The residents are claiming that the armed perpetrators use the backlands as a means of escape in all of the robberies that were committed recently. They are questioning whether or not something would be done as the situation has grown to a point of major concern, putting all the residents in fear.

“We want Ramjattan gone. He is sheer talks….abbi a suffer night and day while he lock up tight in his office….dat can’t right…abbi right not fuh vote for dem…Granger should kick he out from dah position,” another irate resident related.

Others who were present said that they were appalled at the lack of concern shown by the new Government as far as fighting crime was concerned.

“Ramjattan and Seelall send SWAT and SWAT ain’t doing squat to help abbi poor people,” some of the protesters said.

Growing public intolerance

Their calls come as public intolerance for crime reaches its highest peak in the year, with many political commentators and politicians calling for Minister Ramjattan’s removal because of his inability to get on top of the situation although he has been in office for well over three months now.

Only on Thursday, the Minister was at the centre of another scandal when he sought to make a nexus between the firing of the Community Support Officers (CSOs) and the hike in the crime rate, insinuating that Amerindians were responsible for the hike, and in the process evoking high drama in the Parliament as the PPP/C sternly objected to the racist and discriminatory sentiments expressed by Ramjattan.

The Minister has also said that his crime-fighting strategy will incorporate the use of “dogs” and “horses” among other measures which have seen him being ridiculed by the public.

Police intervene

Meanwhile, Police met with the residents after clearing the road. It was agreed during the meeting that the Community Policing Group (CPG) will come out in full numbers as from Friday evening.

 Police related that they have arrested two persons in connection with the shooting to death of the woman on Thursday evening.

According to the Police in a release, they are conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of 57-year-old Kendall, who was shot to her head.

Investigations have revealed that Kendall was in the kitchen area of her house, with the door open, when the armed perpetrator entered and shot her during a suspected robbery attempt.

She was taken to the Skeldon Hospital where she succumbed while receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, Police are to further question the dead woman’s husband, Deoram Soohand. He had provided an initial statement to Police of the incident.

Following the shooting incident on Thursday evening, Soohand said he and his wife had just returned home and he headed straight for the bathroom. He said as his wife was about to close the door a lone gunman entered the house and demanded cash and jewellery. The woman started to scream and immediately ran out of the house as a gunshot went off.

The incident occurred about 18:30h. At the time of the incident, there was a blackout in the community.

Reports are that Kendall ran to her brother’s house situated about 100 metres away but collapsed on the step. She was picked up by her nephews who then realised that she was bleeding. She was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital.

Kendall leaves to mourn a husband and three children.

This is the fourth time the family has been attacked.

There are reports that also on Thursday evening, armed bandits were seen under a house at Number 47 Village, two villages away from where Kendall was shot.

On August 4, eight heavily armed bandits chain sawed their way into the home where Minister Ramjattan was born and raised at Number 48 Village. When Police responded they came under fire and had their vehicle shot at.

Leader of the Opposition and former President Bharrat Jagdeo

“Coolie Bully” racist slur

 …demands Nagamootoo resigns

 “Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo cannot excuse himself – he insulted not only the Leader of the Opposition, he insulted all Guyanese East Indians and East Indians everywhere. Calling former President Bharrat Jagdeo a “coolie bully” is not only derogatory to Jagdeo, but is deeply injurious to all East Indians and is a fatal blow to the efforts of many to promote unity of Guyanese people.” This is according to former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy in the wake of the comment made by the Prime Minister on Friday during the Budget debate.

He said even as the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) continued to “self-righteously proclaim that they want a unified nation and they are willing to work for unity, Moses Nagamootoo exposes the racist slant of APNU/AFC. In case anyone thinks I am going overboard and I am being too sensitive, imagine someone from the PPP/C calling any of the prominent African Guyanese leaders in APNU/AFC a “****** bully”. There will be such an outrage and vigorous calls for him or her to be charged for racist remarks. The call for that person’s resignation from Parliament would blare on all TV stations and radio stations and would occupy the headlines of all our newspapers.”

Former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Incidentally, the Guyana Human Right Association is quiet, Dr Ramsammy added. “Transparency International is in a fog and is on a hiatus from Guyana’s politics. Commentators like Christopher Ram and others are selectively deaf and dumb. The diplomats of ABC countries will argue this is a personal matter and they have no right to interfere in a sovereign country’s national politics.”

The truth is if there is any decency in this Administration, the former Health Minister said, Nagamootoo will be asked to resign. “This does not stop me from demanding that Nagamootoo resigns his position in Parliament,” he continued.

“To make this outrage even more preposterous is that he used the floor of the Parliament to insult the majority ethnic group of our country. For those East Indians who voted for APNU/AFC, they must register their disgust and let Nagamootoo know that he cannot get away with this racist vulgarity.”

Dr Ramsammy said the matter was even more troubling because Nagamootoo on the campaign trail in New York shortly before the 2015 elections denied he was a Guyanese East Indian. He insisted that he was a Guyanese, even as people like “David Granger and others at the same meeting refused to similarly deny their African origins and insist they too are simply Guyanese”. The former Minister alleged that “they are saying that Guyana has no place for East Indians. Their position is that East Indians must reject their East Indian identification if they want to fit into the fabric of a Guyanese society. African Guyanese do not have the same obligation”. Dr Ramsammy named Nagamootoo as the chief architect of this “heinous proposition”.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Proud of culture

He said he immediately rejected that “terrible” suggestion then and remained resolute that as a proud East Indian he was as Guyanese as Nagamootoo or any APNU/AFC member. He added that he proudly served his country as a Guyanese citizen, but was never ashamed nor felt any need to cast his culture and ethnicity aside. “As strong as I feel and as proud as I am as an East Indian, I have always been 100 per cent Guyanese. I was a part of the PPP/C and I remain part of the PPP/C and one of the reasons is that Cheddi Jagan and the PPP always remained resolute in that no one had to cast aside his or her ethnicity and culture in order to be a 100% Guyanese.”

Dr Ramsammy called on former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and other lawyers to immediately institute charges against Nagamootoo for racism and for him to be debarred from Parliament.

He added that the Speaker of the National Assembly failed to implement the laws that prevent any MP from using racist language in our Parliament. “Now the PPP/C must call on the Speaker to take action against Mr Nagamootoo and Mr Nagamootoo must be taken before the Committee of Privileges for abusing the privileges that Parliament bestow on him. He has brought disrepute to the hallowed halls of our Parliament.”

Dr Ramsammy stressed that the “odious” behaviour of Nagamootoo in Parliament cannot be allowed to slide, particularly in the circumstances that exist in Guyana today. He charged that APNU/AFC has selectively fired large numbers of persons because they are associated with the PPP/C and most of them are East Indians.”

The charges of ethnic cleansing against this Administration have been loud and the evidence against this Administration for being unfair towards East Indians is compelling,” he added.

He said the comment demonstrates “the underlying ethnic tension that presently exists in Guyana”. “He demonstrated that APNU/AFC does not care what East Indians think. Guyana is their kingdom and they will do whatever they want,” Dr Ramsammy alleged.

He said the coalition railroaded its way into Parliament, sought to restrict debate on the 2015 budget and has broken all established norms in the running of Government.

The former Minister said Governance Minister Raphael Trotman emphatically admitted that “they now have their hands on the “kingdom”. In saying that the PPP/C needs to reconcile themselves with the fact that the “kingdom” is no longer in the PPP’s hands, he exposed how APNU/AFC sees Guyana and their role as government. It is a fiefdom and they will rule this fiefdom as they see fit”.

“But the PPP never saw our role in Government as being emperors and we never saw Guyana as our “kingdom”. We never thought that Guyana was a fiefdom for anyone. We saw Guyana as a nation made up of people of different ethnicities and culture, different religion and different political persuasion. We tried to govern a country where all citizens can see themselves as equal.

Clearly this Government is portraying itself by words and deeds that they govern Guyana differently. We may all be Guyanese citizens, but we are not all equal under APNU/AFC. The lead person for APNU/AFC in Parliament has again affirmed this position…. More than 200,000 Guyanese voters cry shame on Nagamootoo,” Dr Ramsammy concluded.

The move by the Government to reduce the time for the PPP Opposition to scrutinise the Budget, line by line, from seven days to three days has been criticised by even commentators considered friendly to the APNU/AFC Government. What made the change even more egregious was that in the last Parliament, when the now Government was in opposition with a majority, they had changed the schedule for their budget scrutiny to seven days. If it was good for themselves in opposition, why is it suddenly now “bad”? The excuse offered that they need the four days to “get going” cannot hold water.

Whatever the real motives, the effect of the action to truncate examination of the Government spending more than $200B will have a chilling effect on the institutionalisation of democracy in Guyana. The PNC Government had rejected the notion of an effective Opposition by dubbing the latter as the “Minority Party” even as they declared the “paramountcy” of the governing “majority” party over the Government.

Back at the beginning of the millennium, when the PNCR had bludgeoned the PPP Government to the table, they insisted on the importance of an Opposition scrutinisingGovernmental operations. Subsequent constitutional changes instituted four Sectoral Committees to perform that function from an operational standpoint. The Budget-scrutiny process, was also strengthened by creating an Office of the Opposition staffed to assist the Opposition in this process, much as the staff of the various Ministries do for the Government.

It is now clear that combined with the move to deny Governmentspeakers’ time-extensions to make presentations while routinely granting them for the Government’s speakers, violates the democratic maxim – auditor et alters pars – “the other side must be heard”. The concatenation of this stifling of the Opposition in Parliament with the mass firings of individuals identified as “PPP supporters” in the Public Service and replacing them with loyalists of the APNU/AFC coalition, further signals the return of the old PNC “party paramountcy”.

Many of the firings, after all, were done by fiat of Ministers, rather than going through the administrative procedures established to ensure justice and due process. The cleansing, whether “ethnic” or “political”, has gone beyond quasi-autonomous agencies and has percolated into Governmental corporations such as GuySuCo and GPL. Even though the previous Government had been trenchantly criticised by the newGovernment when in Opposition, they imposed the same 5% increase on Public Servants without consultation with the trade unions. To rub salt into the wound, the increase took effect only from July 1st rather than Jan 1st as was customary under the PPP.

What makes the actions of the Government even more alarming to a democratic culture is that they are diametrically opposed to the statements of the major partner in the coalition on the need for a “more inclusive” Government for Guyana given the fractured nature of the society. The insistence of the PPP for more “trust” to be developed between APNU and the PPP before they would sign on to discussions of power sharing, now appear very prudent given the peripheralisation of the AFC from any real power and authority in the Government.

The largest partner in the APNU is the PNC and both the WPA and to a lesser extent the AFC has been at odds with that partner in the decision making process after they won the elections. The WPA went on record to point out that they could not even secure a meeting to articulate their concerns about strategy. The Cummingsburg Accord between the APNU and the AFC has been so clearly violated that no further comment is necessary.

As is inevitable with the development of party paramountcy, even within the PNC there has been a centralisation of power to a core of ex-army officials. Citizens of all political persuasions must insist that the drift from democratic norms to party paramountcy be halted forthwith.

…and the Indian “N” word

Your Eyewitness was shocked – but not surprised – that Moses Nagamootoo, Vice President and Prime Minister of Guyana used the racially offensive term “Coolie” to describe former President BharratJagdeo. And of all places – the National Assembly of Guyana. But US President Barrack Obama did say, “you can put lipstick on a pig…but it’s still a pig”, no?

Nagamootoo always presented an image of crassness and crudeness and even as he hurled accusations of the same at Jagdeo, his Neanderthal intonations and hate-contorted face made it clear he was projecting his tortured inner demons. Here in the 21st century, with the charges of ethnic and racial discriminations flying furiously in our country – and the same beamed in from the U.S. daily, – what kind of man would descend into such despicable gutter language?

A man who could boast in the same hallowed halls of Parliament, that he yelled at his grandson, “shut yuh so-and-so mouth!!”. That’s who. A man who could gratuitously inform a New York audience that, honoured by the Global Organisation of People’s of Indian Origin, he told them, “I am not an Indian”. That’s who. A man who is so lacking in self esteem that he projects his self hate on the group he came out of. That’s who.

Nagamootoo tried to share blame for the use of the odious term “Coolie” by noting that it had been used by Joey Jagan, who was in the visitor’s gallery as he spewed his hatred at Jagdeo. It was true that DrJagan’s prodigal son had uttered the words “Coolie Bully” to Jagdeo during the last elections. But most folks dismiss Joey Jagan with a rueful shake of the head and a muttered “Da chap head na good”! What’s Nagamootoo’s excuse?

Well, he could always say he was singing for his supper! Guyanese know that with even neutral observers like Clairmont Lye condemning the ethnic discriminatory actions of the APNU/AFC government, it’s two Indians -Nagamootoo and Ramjattan who’ve been tasked to rebut. But it’s more than that. Nagamootoo (and Ramjattan) are so filled with self-hate that they hope their Uncle Tom’s behaviour will redeem their lost psyches.

Then there’s what Nietzsche described with the French term, “ressentiment”. “The man of ressentiment is neither upright nor naive nor honest and straightforward with himself. His soul squints; his spirit loves hiding places, secret paths and back doors…he understands how to keep silent, how not to forget, how to wait.”

The “Coolie” slur is only the beginning: the ressentiment of Nagamootoo will continue to boil over. Beware!!

…and obsessive comparison with others

For the man of low self-esteem and self hate like Nagamootoo, he’ll constantly be comparing himself with those around him…as he constantly looks for “slights and put downs” – which sadly are all mostly in his own fevered mind. Take his “explanation” as to why he insisted that he get a raise – which is not ACTUALLY a 100% raise so it’s OK!!

The man (OK…your Eyewitness knows he’s taking liberties with the term!!) actually had the temerity to announce that he just wanted $100 (doesn’t matter is its U.S. or GY) more than the AG!!!

Can you believe it? This is straight from the psychiatrist’s couch! Why does his salary have to be greater than the AG’s. Why does this irk him so? HE IS PM and VP!!

And for a man with no self esteem, the salary discrepancy eats away at his mental equilibrium like a canker.

Nagamootoo’s one sick dude!

…and pitiful self denial

And why was Nagamootoo so pi55ed at Jagdeo? Well that’s his default state since Jagdeo accepted to return to Parliament as Opposition Leader. How’s you feel, dear reader, to see the fella who bitched slapped you senseless for a decade right in front of you!!

OUCH!!

The newly-elected A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government’s deadline for the implementation of its laudable 100-day plan expired at the break of dawn today.

Many of the promises contained within that plan, which was used to muster up political support ahead of the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, remain unfulfilled.

Regardless of the “A” Grade that the new Government has given itself, it has failed miserably in the eyes of the populace as far as honouring these simple yet complex election goodies promises to the masses.

On Friday last, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo attempted desperately with the support of several Government Members of Parliament to mislead the National Assembly by alleging that his Government has fulfilled the mandate and spirit of the 100-day plan.

Surely, the Prime Minister knows that a promise is not completed until it is actually done and fully implemented within the agreed upon or promised timeframe. Any fulfilment of promises outside of this agreed-upon timeframe means that the original promise was modified with the consent of those who should have benefited and the agreement was remodelled. This is not the case.

At the moment of the expiration of the 100 days, the Value Added Tax nor Berbice River Bridge tolls have not been reduced. The new Government while in Opposition campaigned heavily on these issues and they should have been effected within the first 100 days without any excuses.

There were no “significant” increases for public servants on the traditional payroll. What workers got, in fact, was a five per cent increase, while those below the minimum wage which account for less than 15 per cent of the entire public sector benefited from “moderate increases” as a result of the hike in the minimum wage. While Government gave Old Age Pensioners a meagre $4000 more, it removed their ability to benefit from millions of dollars in subsidies for water and electricity.

Linden still does not have its television station and there is no establishment of “passport and birth certificate licensing offices in Berbice, Essequibo and Linden”. A makeshift facility was put in place so persons could receive their documents but not process them.

No date for Local Government Elections has been set and the new Government seems confused as to when these elections could be practically held. This is the most criminal breach of the plan given the positions adopted by the Government when it was in Opposition. There is no procurement Commission nor was constitutional reform delivered. No conference for women was held in reality nor was there a national youth council meeting. There has been no liberalisation of the Telecommunications and Information Communication Technology Sectors. There is no long-term economic development plan put forward by the new Government for the full realisation of the country’s vast potential.

The Government has failed the people and must be held accountable for the non-implementation of this plan and the Cummingsburg Accord regardless of the recent publicity stunt pulled and led by Messrs Harmon and Nagamootoo.

While the Government has not managed to completely accomplish its 100-day plan, it has managed to fire thousands of workers from the public service and within Government’s employ. Many of them coincidentally or not have been East Indians and Amerindians who supported the PPP/C.

The Government over the first 100 days managed to pull out a birthday bash and inauguration for the new President which amounted to millions of dollars as well. Over this same period, it managed to purchase a $22 million vehicle for the new Prime Minister and pay for partially or entirely the trips of several of its Ministers abroad for political and other forms of business.

It has also failed to address the crime and security needs of the masses, as scores were murdered, robbed or died as a result of road accidents during its first 100 days. Ironically, the President’s, PM’s, and Vice Presidents’ security details were enhanced and extensive repairs were made to their roads and residence within that time frame.

Perhaps even more criminal was the Government’s hypocrisy in delivering a PPP-derived budget to the populace which featured butchered, cut and pasted policies within a questionable legislative and economic framework to the Parliament.

The next 100 days await the public and given the trend, no one should hold their breath hoping for a fresh approach or paradigm shift.

Out-of-control crime spirals

Armed bandits rob, terrorise family

A Crabwood Creek, Berbice family was left traumatised on Sunday after five gunmen invaded their home and carted off an undisclosed sum of money and jewellery.

According to information received, the five armed men gained entry into the home of Krishnadatt Jettoo of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne through a window in the lower flat of the building which they pierced open. After gaining entry, they reportedly went to the upper flat of the house.

Guyana Times understands that upon hearing footsteps in the house about 02:30h, Jettoo and his wife thought it was one of their children. As they got up to check, they were reportedly confronted by the bandits who held them at gunpoint and demanded cash and jewellery.

The couple were reluctant to cooperate at first, but the gunmen reportedly threatened to kill Jettoo. As two of the men held them at gunpoint, the others ransacked the home where they found a quantity of US and Guyanese currency. They also found a quantity of jewellery. It was not clear where the children were at the time of the robbery.

The men then tied the couple up and ordered them not to raise an alarm as they made good their escape. A Police rank disclosed that the men escaped in a white Carina 212 motor car, according to reports. The men, based on information received, are known to law enforcement. The Police have since visited the home of the owner of the car, but he was not at home.

The investigation continues. Criminal activity continues to surge in Guyana. On Friday morning, three armed men invaded the home of Georgetown Town Clerk Royston King and carted off an undisclosed sum of money, mobile phone and other items. As Police responded to the scene, three men who were travelling on foot in the area at the time were arrested and were assisting with the investigation.

At the time of their apprehension, one of the men had a mobile phone similar to the one that was taken from King’s home. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

…should intervene to boost sector; stimulate economy – former Housing Minister

Private developers’ investment is driven by confidence in the economy and the Government’s approach towards the

Former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali

housing sector, but from all indications; it appears as though the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration has no real direction in which it wants to take this sector – ultimately the country. This is according to former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali who has been observing with much alarm the current inactivity with respect to housing policies – most of which is to be blamed upon Government’s tepid general approach to the sector and lack of support projects to stimulate investment. “In my view, the policy approach to housing is not only regressive but lazy. The housing sector has to be driven by dynamic leadership,” Ali pointed out, hoping that Government immediately corrects its mistakes. Firstly, the former Minister advised that Government needs to shake off its slothful and uninspiring approach to the sector. “There is no excitement,” he highlighted, noting that private developers will not be attracted to a market that has not potential to grow. “The market has to be stimulated, vibrant and generally project positive outlook in terms of future value (FV) and net present value (NPV). For there to be a meeting of interest between the Government and Private Sector, the Government has to be seen as aggressive,” Ali explained. Secondly, he pointed out that Budget 2015 makes no provision for new infrastructural projects that would stimulate expenditure in the sector. Further, Ali reminded that the five alternative bypasses linking Diamond to Eccles have been shelved, noting that this is another flawed action by the Government which signals its disinterest in the housing sector. Thirdly, Ali recognised that there is not a single strategic approach in catalysing the potential of linking transformative infrastructure with housing. He said the Government has built up so much negativity around these projects that they have now virtually eroded the injective benefit it has for the economy. “An example of this was the marketing of Silica City as a spinoff of the New Airport and a transshipment hub that the Lethem Georgetown road link will create. A second example is the inability of the Government to reconcile with the vision of investing in the housing infrastructure for the new Ogle/ Cummings Lodge Area. So in essence, we will be building that new road link but delaying the supportive or secondary infrastructure that has the greatest potential to drive Private Sector activity,” the former Minister stated. Moreover, Ali admitted that the agreements with private investors must be adhered to but highlighted that if the Government’s negative approach is eroding confidence in the sector then more exposure in spending by the Private Sector can create greater national problems. He noted that most private developers operate on large over drafts or loans therefore if liquidity is used up in still assets or non productive assets then not only are the private investors but also the financial institutions exposed.

The Guyanese economy has been on a downward spiral since the May 11 Election period, but unlike the recurrent trend, this “quasi” decline is prolonging, without any prospects of amelioration in the near future. Most analysts expect the downturn to become a full-blown decline, which is defined as two successive quarters of declining growth. We have completed one quarter. While those in the business sector expect some level of slowdown during the elections as it has always been in the country due to the heavy tensions that reign, what was not expected is this status quo where the economy seems to be hovering at a standstill. It appears as though this current administration either does not have the necessary expertise to chart a course for steady economic growth and development, or doesn’t have economic growth as a priority. Observers have wondered about who exactly is advising the Government in economic matters and they seem more interested in witch hunting. In the first case, then it could have handled the Venezuela Guyana border controversy with much more tact and diplomacy, in order to avoid the loss of Guyana’s main rice export market. Now, the rice industry is stagnating, as the new harvest of rice farmers literally has no foreign export market. In addition, the $23 billion promised by the Government to relieve the industry has now led to a confession that the money was for “shipping rice” – much to the frustration of the beleaguered rice farmers. On the Essequibo Coast for instance, where the main means of subsistence remains rice farming, the extent of the damage on the rice industry would be felt by hundreds of families who would be unable to obtain their regular income from crops. One large farmer was said to have committed suicide. The level of investments in the country is also at a high risk of collapsing. For instance in the gold mining sector, the world price of gold remains low, and the future of the industry remains uncertain due to the anaemic nature of reforms proposed by Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman. The promise to limit the investments of companies in the mining sector so that small scale, local investors may benefit, might be perceived to be hostile to national and international companies which are interested in large scale mining. There is also the question on whether or not small scale investments could compensate for the possible losses in the economy by the limitation of big companies. In the case of foreign investments, bilateral relations with habitual business partners might take a toll. In the area of green investments, and despite the Government’s promise of “a good life in a green economy”, to date there has been little or no sign of interest in pursuing Guyana’s biggest green initiative, the Low Carbon Development Strategy.  Insofar as the LCDS stands, the Amaila Hydro Electric Project has been abandoned, representing the potential loss of US$80 million, almost half of the US$190 million of the revenues earned to date. Amerindians were the direct beneficiaries of a substantial amount of LCDS revenues, and stand to lose should the Government chose not to renew the agreement with Norway. Another instance where the economy is felt at the lower levels of society, is the decrease in consummation and investment by Guyanese, many of whom have lost their jobs, are affected by slow business, are compelled to leave the country due to escalating crimes or are simply unwilling to invest. The result is that the economy, though at this point it is affected by unfavourable Government policies, is also hindered by a lack of local direct and indirect investments, and a general reduction of consumerism. It is highly likely that speculations and projections of a dismal economy would force consumers to save rather than to spend, reducing the flow of capital in the country and stymying the habitual 3 to 5% growth Guyana has enjoyed for the past 5 years. Au finale, while the positioning of the country in the race for regional development might most likely be reconfigured, Guyanese, who had grown accustomed to steady economic development and who, through their investments and evolution had learnt to rely on positive Government policies which contributed to a favourable socioeconomic framework for development, are the ones who will feel the negative effects of a stagnating economy the most. When investors, foreign and local alike, would have lost the necessary trust fostered over two decades with the Government of Guyana, it is highly unlikely that demoralised Guyanese alone would be able to lift up the economy.