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Reg. 7 REO fails to account for 98 unauthorised occupants of government quarters at PAC meeting Oct 16, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Regional Executive Officer (REO) Kerwin Ward on Monday failed to account for 98 unauthorised occupants of government quarters when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday. Region Seven’s Regional Executive Officer (REO), Kerwin Ward During the 66th Meeting of the PAC Ward was confronted with serious questions regarding the management of government housing in Region Seven. The inquiry follows an alarming audit that revealed a significant number of unauthorized occupants in government quarters. The meeting, chaired by Jermaine Figueira at the Parliament Buildings, highlighted findings from the Auditor General’s report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. According to the report, out of 124 government quarters under Regional Administration’s control, only nine occupants were paying rent, while three were entitled to rent-free accommodation. The status of the remaining 98 occupants remained undocumented, raising concerns about eligibility and rent collection. PAC member Ganesh Mahipaul, along with other members including Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira and Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, expressed frustration over the ongoing issue of unauthorized occupancy, which has persisted from 2019 to 2023 without resolution. “Government quarters are not for people in terms of status; it is primarily in terms of needs,” Mahipaul emphasized, underscoring the importance of adherence to established rules regarding occupancy. In response to questions about the current occupancy status of the government quarters, REO Ward acknowledged that he would need time to compile the necessary information. Mahipaul pressed further, asking for a list detailing the occupants’ status from 2019, including how many were entitled to rent-free accommodation. Unfortunately, Ward could not provide the statistics at the time. He however mentioned that most of the persons occupying the government quarters are teachers. Mahipaul further challenged Ward on the lack of action taken to address the findings of the 2019 audit. “What measures did you take after the memorandum was sent out in 2018 to ensure compliance?” he asked, to which Ward admitted that no substantial measures had been implemented. In defence of the situation, Ward explained, “We did an assessment of those occupying the buildings to determine who is entitled to rent-free housing, but we face challenges as some teachers are from outside the region.” However, he conceded that the lack of documentation for these claims hampered efforts to enforce proper occupancy guidelines. Mahipaul revealed that the state spent over $2 million on maintenance for living quarters in 2019 alone, raising the pressing question of how the government would recoup these costs if unauthorized occupants refuse to pay rent. “The state is expending huge sums of money, in 2019 the state paid $2.1 million for the maintenance for the engineers living quarters, maintenance of red own living quarters $1.460 million and this is just maintenance,” the PAC member stated. In response to the REO’s statement about the majority of occupants being teachers, Teixeira Minister said, “In 2019, only three people were paying rent, so saying that the majority of occupants are teachers doesn’t directly address the issues raised in the Auditor General’s report.” The minister demanded clarity on the situation, noting that not all teachers would qualify for free housing based on the established criteria. Additionally, Minister Edghill spoke of the financial implications of the mismanagement, noting that the ministry incurs significant costs for maintenance and utilities of these buildings. “A comprehensive property register is necessary to determine the expenses we are incurring,” he asserted. The session also underscored the absence of formal agreements for those living rent-free. The PAC Chair questioned the procedures that permitted such arrangements, prompting Mahipaul to reiterate that occupancy should be based on need, not status. With the REO failing to provide satisfactory answers, the PAC chairman directed Ward to submit a complete report of the assessment, including the names of occupants and their eligibility status, within two weeks. Related Similar Articles

Case against Exxon, Ramps Logistics over inflated invoice further adjourned Oct 16, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The court case involving ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and its former broker, Ramps Logistics Guyana Incorporated was further adjourned when it was called on Tuesday. The matter is set to return to trial on November 11, 2024. The matter pertains to a US$12.1 billion invoice submitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). Exxon and Ramps are facing similar charges related to a declaration made in November 2023, when Ramps, acting on behalf of Exxon, reported oil well equipment valued at US$4,467,662 but declared to Customs a staggering value of US$12,192,103,923.91. The two companies made their last court appearance on September 26, 2024, before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The case was initially submitted to Senior Magistrate Leron Daly but was transferred to McGusty due to Daly’s illness. During the proceedings, Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, representing Exxon, requested a further adjournment for special reasons, which the prosecution agreed to. Consequently, Magistrate McGusty extended the trial date until Senior Magistrate Daly is expected to return. Representatives from EMGL and Ramps Logistics made their first court appearance on May 10, 2024, after being summoned by the GRA. Steve Gentry, a manager at EMGL, and Mariska Jordan, a manager at Ramps Logistics, appeared before Senior Magistrate Daly where they were informed of their individual charges. The allegations surfaced in late April when it was revealed that Ramps, contracted by Exxon to import oil well equipment, had allegedly submitted an inflated invoice, prompting an investigation by the GRA. Gentry has pleaded not guilty to charges stating that on November 16, 2023, he caused Exxon to submit a false declaration to the GRA, reporting the equipment’s value at US$12,192,103,923.91. Similarly, Jordan denied the charges against her, which allege that Ramps made an untrue declaration for the same value. The significant discrepancy had raised concerns, particularly as it could impact oil profits if approved. Under the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between Guyana and the Exxon-led consortium for the Stabroek Block, Exxon is allowed to deduct 75% of revenues for cost recovery, with the remaining 25% shared as profit—12.5% to Guyana and an additional 2% royalty. Related Similar Articles

Sweeting books historic spot at Paddy Power Darts World Cup as Fitzgerald finish second Oct 16, 2024 Sports Kaieteur Sports – Guyanese darts veteran Sudesh Fitzgerald exited in the semifinals of Qualifier #4 during the recent Championship of Darts Latin and Caribbean (CDLC) Tour in Santiago, Chile. Fitzgerald fell 6-3 to Guillermo Soto in the second semifinal on the final day, after a runner up finish in Qualifier #3, where he lost 6-1 to Rashad Sweeting. Bahamian Rashad Sweeting. (CDLC photo) Bahamian Rashad Sweeting secured his spot in the CDLC through the Order of Merit, having won two of the four events held in 2024. The CDLC season kicked off in July in Jamaica, with Sweeting and Guyana’s Norman Madhoo each claiming a title. Sweeting solidified his position at the top during the final weekend in Santiago on October 5-6. He clinched victory in Event #3 on Saturday by defeating Fitzgerald 6-1, marking his second title win of the year. However, the next day, Costa Rica’s Soto staged an impressive comeback from a 5-3 deficit to beat Sweeting, securing his first CDLC title. Veteran Darts player, Sudesh Fitzgerald receives a honourary award in Chile. Meanwhile, the final standings shows Fitzgerald, Soto, and Madhoo are separated by just two points, while Sweeting held a comfortable 16-point lead at the top as he prepares for his next challenge in December. Sweeting is now set to make history at the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship as the first player from the Bahamas to compete in the sport’s premier event. However, despite of his second place and semi final finish at the CDLC final events in Chile, Guyana’s star athlete Sudesh Fitzgerald has opted to retire from the sport indefinitely, claiming that local association has become more inactive in their player-competition policy dealing and lack of transparency. “My decision to retire came as a result of the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) have become more like a private association and doesn’t have players interest at heart,” Fitzgerald shared with Kaieteur News. “They have failed us in every possible way, I would love to continue playing but unfortunately I am forced to end my career here,” he explained. Reflecting on his many years representing the Golden Arrowhead, Fitzgerald said, “I will continue to promote darts as much as I can. I will continue to support my Club (Foreign Link Darts Club) and continue to find new ways to help the club/team members develop into better players.” Fitzgerald said, he is tired of the unfair treatment of players and club by the local association and thinks it will serve his best interest to step aside from the sport he loves. Sudesh Fitzgerald is expected to enjoy a bit of pool and probably join archery as a way to enjoy his retirement. Related Similar Articles

‘Guyanese teachers are among the best in the world’ – CEO of One Comms Oct 16, 2024 News  – announces new ONE Special Teacher plan Members of One Communications’ mangement team and members of the Guyana Teachers’ Union Kaieteur News – President of ATNI and CEO of One Communications, Damian Blackburn, has partnered with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) to improve access to mobile data for teachers across the country. Recently, during separate breakfast events hosted in Regions3, 4 & 10, to commemorate Teachers’ Week, Blackburn spoke of his admiration for Guyanese teachers while announcing that One Comms will reduce the cost of data for teachers by 50%. One Communications CEO Damian Blackburn and GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald flank a GTU member at One Special Teacher event “Guyanese teachers are the very best at what they do, they are the heart of the teaching profession not only in Guyana, but, in the Caribbean and they do amazing work. We believe it is an industry that we need to support, it is at the core of our vision,” Blackburn is quoted in a press release as saying. In celebration of Teachers Week, One Communications introduced the One Special Teacher Plan, offering the nation’s educators 75 GBs of data and unlimited minutes at half the regular monthly charge. This initiative underscores the company’s deep appreciation for the pivotal role teachers play in shaping the minds and social realities of future generations. “We understand that teachers are the foundation of our communities. You are not just educators—you are mentors, role models, and guides shaping the future by investing in the lives of your students,” Blackburn told teachers. Signing up for the One Special Teacher Plan is simple: teachers are only required to provide proof of employment and a valid ID. Additionally, in a move to ensure greater convenience for the GTU and its members, Blackburn announced that Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) is now facilitating the payment of teachers’ membership dues to the union. “We are thrilled to support the Guyana Teachers Union with a seamless digital solution that allows teachers to pay their dues easily and securely. This is positive development.” General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta McDonald, expressed gratitude for the continued support and partnership between GTU and One Communications. “The theme for this World Teachers’ Day, ‘Valuing Teachers’ Voices Towards a New Social Contract for Education,’ resonates deeply with us. We know that One Communications value our voices and we are extremely grateful for this partnership. We applaud the efforts of Mr. Damian Blackburn and his team.” The breakfast events brought together educators and stakeholders to celebrate their contributions.  It provided an opportunity to thank teachers for their dedication and to present them with tokens of appreciation. Related Similar Articles

The $200,000 cash grant, who holds the cash? Oct 16, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, The highly anticipated $200,000 Cash Grant per household was announced, and soon there will be the disbursement of same. Now, before we get into the disbursement part of it, we must first have to define what a household means, a household is defined as; a family or group of people living together, it is a social unit under one roof, all the people living in your house, including servants and others who live in your house. Now, that explanation was not helpful especially when it comes to the disbursement of money, persons become edgy when money is to be given out, and the question is asked, in whose hands should that money go? Should it go into the hands of the husband, or the wife or to all the adult members of that household? Now these are some of the questions persons are tempted to ask, mark you well, every adult wants to get a grab of the dough. That is why some opine why didn’t the government grant every adult that cash grant, or greater still, why didn’t government give the cash to every child who should be the real beneficiaries of a cash grant; they need it more than any other. However, it still comes back to the point who actually handles the cash when the disbursement is made, who should be “The coordinator” of the cash grant? Then, there are those who make up a number in a household, that is, several adults who as in the local vernacular “Cook their own pot,” these are persons who cook for themselves, but who also share expenses in the house such as the rent (If they are renters) food costs, utility payments among other things, should these be given a separate individual grant? In my book for those who “cook their own pot,” finding themselves in a household, I say continue in the same vein as is customary, “share the proceeds equitably.” Government cannot get into those squabbles, that is a matter for those who live in that household, it is a cash grant to one of the members of that household and not to every individual in the household. These are some of the micro-management factors that they have to iron out before the cash is handed out to them. What I do know is that there would always be those who would grumble and complain, they would hit the media to tell their sad story that they were sidelined, and it is all the Government’s fault. This cuts across party, race and religion, all are involved. But I love to stick to The Biblical Account of Jesus when he was here on earth, that Divine Man did not fulfil all the needs of the world. He did try his best to address the needs of the people, but his best was not good enough for those of his followers, they wanted more. To think of it, they finally killed him, those very same people killed him, yes, one week after he fed them with loaves and fishes. I rest my case! Respectfully submittedNeil Adams Related Similar Articles

The PPP does not like feasibility studies Oct 16, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, I refer to a letter published in the KN of 6th October 2024 by one F.A. Harry who no one seem to know, captioned “GuySuCo will always respond to genuine questions and concerns of the citizens” or some such drivel.  What I am going to write today is the truth and when compared with the lies, libels and defamation published by the KN and Harry, I am issuing a warning, this letter has sought to damage my reputation, and I have already spoken to a lawyer about it. As far as my taking a huge salary and achieving nothing as written by Harry, let me say that the only feasibility study the PPP ever received on superimposing shrimp aquaculture in our sugar cane cultivation system to re-employ approximately 4 persons per hectare, was done by me. And it took almost two years. I’m going to deal further with this below. 2.The first of the numerous battles I fought at GuySuCo early in 2021 as Vice Chairman, was to block a $2 billion swindle to purchase 20 Game articulated tractors which cost almost double what the John Deere tractors we were then using. These tractors were being promoted by the then CEO, who never worked in the sugar industry. This matter went all the way up to the President who allowed a compromised for two of these tractors to be bought for trial. Editor, everyone involved, the technical team of GuySuCo, the NDIA and the Ministry of Agriculture were agreeing to buy a tractor which they agreed was less powerful than the DEERE, used more fuel, but could not plough, and costed substantially more, in the trial which was conducted, I who was the main person objecting to buying this tractor, was not invited to see the trial, the representatives from John Deere were also not invited but not only were the game people invited, they sent their own operator from the USA. Thirdly also early in 2021, the new CEO of GuySuCo wanted to promote two of his cronies who would support his hairbrained schemes to be Executive Directors, and I refused to accept their promotion and got the board to put them to act instead. In less than one and a half years, they were both removed from acting since their performance was poor at best. Fourth as chairman of the production subcommittee, I alerted the board to the acidity of the GuySuCo field soils, and that it was a very real possibility that as much as a 30% of the drop in the GuySuCo yields could be caused by such high acidity, which over time has deteriorated to a pH of 4.5 to 5. At such high acidic levels, the fertilizer we are putting would not be available to the cane. I even got Dr. Homenauth, a soils expert then head of NARI to support my claim. GuySuCo seriously lacks technical competence, the current director of agriculture, a position which in the past was occupied by highly technical people like Dr. Harry Evans, is a person who holds no known agricultural qualification. The introduction of fish farming in cages was an initiate introduced by me. But has not evolved in any significant way as an industry after 4 years, since they were not deployed as I had intended, to benefit all fishermen in Guyana. These cages could have in time established a huge fish farming industry in the main rivers of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo by using the fishermen and their boats, to help to secure the fish pens from thieves and to take the feed daily to the cages, since they were having problems to make a living in our over fished waters. I showed how GuySuCo can benefit from drones by achieving another 10 to 15% increase in production using them to apply ripeners at 10 times less cost than using airplanes. Editor, I went to these people prepared to soar with eagles but found myself in the middle of a flock of turkeys! Harry lied and defamed me by claiming that I did not go to work at MOA, I was a consultant at MOA, I was never offered a desk there, I did however attend and participate in every meeting or consultation, I was ever asked to attend. I also wrote exhaustively on all aspects on which I was consulting, and frankly I am quite sure that no one read any of them, they were more concerned with what was in it for them personally, than what was in it for the people of Guyana. I also have emails to everyone including the president complaining of the lack of the monthly meetings we were supposed to have, to aim aquaculture in the right direction. I also visited and wrote the blueprint for the president of how the Brackish water shrimp project can be improved in east Berbice. and 300 million was approved on my recommendations. The entire thing fell apart when the Minister, a former cane cutter from Skeldon, kept countermanding my recommendations to place the projects in East Berbice instead of the area where my researches mandated them to be. I wanted to place the Feed manufacturing and the salt water hatchery at Onverwagt, ECD where there were existing facilities and other assets already in place, but Mustahpa wanted it to be done at Tarlagy and other areas in East Berbice for whatever his reasons were. I also had sourced the entire structure for the salt water hatchery from India in a completely non-corrosive building for a salt water environment for around US $60,000 which could be used as our estimate for invited bids, but the NDIA engineers without consulting me on any aspect of the requirements for a structure which has never been built in Guyana, a complete corrosion proof building, offered a proposal for an 80 plus million. I did not agree. Finally, the feasibility I conducted on my own time, was based on using the established unique Guyana sugar cane field layout which is a perfect system of canals and 10-acre fields, which could be easily flooded. This way, a 1000-hectare aquafarm on the East Coast could employ at least 4000 people who were former employees of LBI/ Enmore. The feasibility was done visualizing somewhere between Ogle to almost Mahaica as the area of preference, since it 1. It had the sugar cane layout, 2. it was close to the Atlantic and salt water, since the prawns require to be grown in at least 8000 PPM of salt, and 3. could supply work to the displaced sugar workers. The Minister and all the people he employs who are supposed to inform him, were completely oblivious to the fact that the proximity of saltwater and the sugar cane layout were nonnegotiable requirements of the project I did, since he and his staff read nothing, and they wasted months offering us useless lands in East Berbice, for whatever reason, and which were too far from the coast to be practical since the salt content was very low, then they informed the President that we are being difficult and obstructive and were delaying the operation. But the last straw came when the Minister directed me to buy the feed [the largest expenditure in fish farming and could account for over 75% of total cost] from a local entity which had no existing facilities for feed manufacturing I decided that it was impossible to remail quiet. As soon as my 3-year contract expired in 2024, I resigned from that incompetence and corruption. Today, four years after taking office, whatever aquaculture is going on is uneconomical, since they never built a floating or otherwise fish feed mill. And are lost in a sea of corruption and inefficiency. They may be growing fish and shrimp, but it could never be economical. What they paid me was less than what the MOA is apparently paying to wash the minister’s car at MOA according to Paul Slowe. As far as the Director General of the MOA is concerned, I watched in total disbelief to him rushing to spend the taxpayers’ money, simply because it was allocated by the budget, without any regard or any of the care and caution which I saw in my vast experience at Bookers, GuySuCo and the CBU where I was a director, where every cent had to be spent very carefully. This DG is so careful to protect himself, that his texts disappear from your cell phone after 24 hours. Where there is smoke, editor, there is fire! The PPP does not like feasibility studies editor, it just upsets their massively corrupt agenda. Tony Vieira Related Similar Articles

By Circles Robinson HAVANA TIMES – The judging of our 13th Photo Contest is underway.  We started with 159 pictures and here are the 70...