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Hurricane Beryl causes major setback to CARICOM’s plans to reduce food import bill – Pres. Ali Jul 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali, during a live statement on Sunday, said that Hurricane Beryl has caused a major set-back for the Region’s plan to reduce its food import bill by 25% by 2025. President of Guyana, Hon. Mohamed Irfaan Ali In 2022, the heads of Government of CARICOM committed to reducing the Region’s large food import bill by 25% by 2025. The Guyanese president is tasked with the responsibility of agriculture and food security in CARICOM and is spearheading the initiative. The goal is to be achieved through the implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy, which prioritizes the production of crops and products that are imported heavily in the Region. Beryl, an eventual category five hurricane, made landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island and has since moved through several islands in the Region, causing severe damage along its path, particularly to the agricultural infrastructure. The hurricane has severely impacted the islands of Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados and according to Ali, those countries were all showing great improvement in their agricultural sectors and were on target to achieve the 25% by 2025 goal. “[The initial assessment] is heart wrenching because of the tremendous investment, the tremendous policy commitment and budget support that was placed in the agricultural sector since 2020, investment in infrastructure, water system, technology, crop variety, farm support, farm-to-market infrastructure,” Ali said before adding  “many of these countries would have lost all of this investment,” Ali underscored too, that “not only is the initial investment or cost of damage concerning to him as lead head on agriculture, but also the long term investment cost to rebuild the infrastructure and to find resources, to recapitalize the farmers” Despite the setback, Ali related that measures will be taken to assist the affected islands.  Some of the plans include mobilizing regional resources to assist governments and farmers in rebuilding their respective agricultural sectors. “There are some thoughts and some initial ideas that I’ve already shared with some colleagues and also the chair of the Ministerial Task Force for agriculture to see how we can quickly mobilize the necessary stakeholders and resources to address this tremendous setback that our 25% by 2025 action plan has been hit with by Beryl,” he explained. The Guyanese president also plans to contact several international bodies for assistance to handle the issues Beryl has posed to food security and the agricultural industry in the Region. “I’m also deeply concerned and will be making the necessary calls in relation to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), ECA (European Commission of Agriculture), and other institutions … To help our farmers and to work with the region, because for sure, there are some changes in the methodology and changes in the approach to food production that we’ll have to take into consideration in this build-back phase,” Ali said. Related Similar Articles

‘We trust our union’- teachers on GTU decision to alter period for negotiation of salaries Jul 08, 2024 News Teachers had taken to the streets during the strike calling for better pay Kaieteur News – A number of teachers across the scope of Guyana have voiced their surprise at the outcome of the conciliation process with the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) but have stated that they trust the Union in whatever action it decides to take. On Friday the Education Ministry announced the conciliation talks have come to an end and they had conceded to an agreement between the ministry and the GTU that the multi-year agreement will go from 2024 onwards instead of the most recent GTU proposal of 2019-2023. The decision came after some 70 days of strike led by the GTU CA. As a result, this publication reached out to a few teachers to have their view on the situation. Abiva Cort, at teacher at Presidents College said that, “My professional view is that most of the membership would have been on different zoom calls and it was settled that the agreement will go ahead and we have to accept the fact that we cannot strike indefinitely.” The teacher however said that he feels that, “If government is put in our position they cannot live on what we are struggling to live on.” Miss Chantelle [only name given] agreed with the GTU saying that, “If they are trying to come to an agreement, I don’t see why we cannot return to our post, however I do not think that teachers should return back to work, if the GTU and the ministry cannot come to a common ground, by the end of the week.” She stressed that there was no point in having teachers prepare a classroom if they would not be in use of it, as the government seems to be pushing for E-learning to be introduced as soon as possible. The teacher lamented, “Additionally there is no point in preparing a classroom you are not going to use and the government is blatantly saying they do not care about teachers since they are introducing E-schooling they can easily use the few teachers who are willing to sit back and accept.” Randy Mingo who has been vocal from day one of the strike explained that he spoke with the [union rep] when they signed to call off the strike. Mingo noted “They were saying that even if the government foregoes the previous years they were looking at, the proposal that they are putting into the 2024-2026 proposal is going to be somewhat huge enough to compensate for those years…That’s my understanding what I gathered from them.” “At this moment I am just waiting to see where we go from here with this. They are saying that the negotiation is going to start immediately, at this moment I don’t know what to think,” He stated. Martin Samaroo, another vocal teacher from Essequibo told this publication that to his “understanding this is a negotiation process, so I trust the union 100% because they have a track record of doing things the right way.” Samaroo “ In addition to that we should remember that since the process is going to begin, official negotiations on the next 2024-2026 the proposal that GTU is going to submit to them for the benefit and discussion of benefits for teachers.” He is of the view that the new proposal is “going to include a lot of the demands that would not have been met in the 2019-2023 agreement but it is going to be in the 2024 agreement. The reason, why I can say that is because if the process fails at that time we can go to another step, and if it reaches to arbitration you might find teachers’ salaries even doubled with a fair understanding of how the arbitration process goes.” Hence, the educator said he has no qualms whatsoever with the GTU agreeing to have them done afresh and to include some of the demands that they would have been making from 2019-2023. Related Similar Articles

Power outage updates will be provided in real time from control center-Jagdeo Jul 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – In the near future after all the upgrade works are completed on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) grid, the wait for reports from the outstations on outages will be eliminated. The updates are expected to be provided in real time and this will enable staff to be immediately dispatched to the area affected. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo During his weekly press conference at the Freedom House on Robb Street last Thursday the Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo said that, “We are upgrading the whole system, and these would be smart grids. On the line itself, you have a fibre-optic cable that will be connected to the control centre.” The VP explained that with the new control center at Eccles, “you won’t need to get a report when a blackout takes place anywhere else. In real-time, you can know from the control centre at Eccles…wherever in the country…or on the inter-connected grid, if you have a power outage, you can dispatch people immediately.” Additionally, the center will also enable remote disconnections. It was recently reported that the GPL intends to spend approximately $200 million to upgrade the national grid. The Vice President was at the time speaking at a press conference held at the Office of the President. He was asked to provide an update on the additional 30MW of power the government intends to acquire in a similar arrangement with the Turkish Powership – Karpowership – contracted by the government to supply Guyana with some 36 megawatts of electricity for two years. “So the existing system now we have to look at that with all that new power in the place, (that) we have grid stability to transmit and distribute the power. So they have come up and they have gone to tender for about $200M of work to upgrade the grid, put in more transformers, change out the lines and stuff like that,” Jagdeo said. The Vice President explained that the updating of the national grid will ensure that the country has a more stable distribution system. Related Similar Articles

House to debate motion to empower PAC to summon witnesses for examination of public spending Jul 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The National Assembly is set to debate a critical motion, which aims to enhance the authority of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira The motion, presented by A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira, who is also the Chairperson of the PAC, seeks to grant the committee the power to summon witnesses, a capacity it currently lacks. The PAC is a key parliamentary body responsible for examining how public funds are utilized by the government and its various entities. Established under the Constitution of Guyana and guided by the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, the PAC scrutinizes accounts showing the appropriation of funds granted by the House for public expenditure. It also reviews reports from the Auditor General, ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. The committee’s oversight extends to all central and local government bodies, state-controlled entities, and projects financed by foreign loans or grants, making it a crucial mechanism for maintaining fiscal discipline and preventing misuse of public funds. The motion titled “Authority of the Public Accounts Committee to summon witnesses” seeks to have the PAC be deemed as a legislative body, in accordance to the Legislative Bodies (Evidence) Act, Chapter 2 of 2012. The Act stipulates that a “legislative body” meaning-the Cabinet, any Special Select Committee of the National Assembly or any Committee of the National Assembly are empowered by resolution of the Assembly to summon witnesses. With the support of the Government of Guyana (GoG), the motion will be passed and the PAC will be empowered to summon witnesses when examining the spending of public funds. Figueira underscored the necessity of the motion, citing challenges the PAC faces.  “The Committee for the purpose of examining the accounts of entities is required to invite persons to produce books, plans, or documents, to aid in the work of the Committee,” he said. However, he noted, “on occasions, some persons are reluctant to appear before the Committee, thus affecting the work of the Committee.” The lack of summoning authority, he argued, hampers the committee’s effectiveness in scrutinizing the use of public funds. The proposed resolution seeks to officially recognize the PAC as a legislative body under the Legislative Bodies (Evidence) Act, thus empowering it to summon individuals and require the production of relevant books, plans, or documents to aid in its investigations. “The Public Accounts Committee has observed that it is not deemed a legislative body as defined in the Legislative Bodies (Evidence) Act, Chapter 2 of 2012 and is not empowered to summon persons to appear before the Committee… [The] Committee is desirous of summoning persons to appear before the Committee to explain the use of Public Funds during their tenure,” Figueira noted. If passed, this motion would significantly strengthen parliamentary oversight and the PAC’s ability to ensure accountability in the use of public funds. Related Similar Articles

Thieves break into Selector Carl’s car and cart off with Macbooks, IPad and other items Jul 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Popular 96.1 FM radio D.J. Carl Alexander Primo known as Selector Carl was left at his wits end on Sunday after thieves broke into his vehicle while he was attending a funeral service and stole several items valued at an estimated $502,000. The back passenger window that was broken Primo told Kaieteur News that he locked his car with the items inside and parked on Middle Street, between Carmichael and Waterloo Streets, Georgetown and went to attend his father-in-law’s funeral. He said that he later sent somebody to the car to collect the iPad to stream the funeral, when they discovered that the back passenger window on the left of the vehicle was broken and the items were missing.  An alarm was raised and Primo later discovered the items were missing when he went to the vehicle.  He said that this was at around 13:20hrs. The items are three MacBooks, an iPad and a focusrite interface. The DJ told this publication that the stolen items are estimated at approximately $502,000. A distressed Primo said, “…All my work gone there.” A police report was filed and investigations are ongoing. Related Similar Articles

West Indies upbeat ahead of England test Jul 08, 2024 Sports West Indies’ Kavem Hodge cuts off the back foot against the First Class County Select XI at Beckenham (Alamy Live News) Kaieteur Sports – Alick Athanaze and Joshua Da Silva warmed up for higher intensity battles in the coming weeks with unbeaten half-centuries that were the highlights for West Indies before the opening match on their Tour of England against the First-Class Counties Select XI ended in a draw on July 5. Athanaze was not out on 66 and Da Silva was not out on 51 when West Indies declared their second innings on 196 for five at the rescheduled tea break on the rain-spoilt final day of the three-day match at the Kent County Cricket Ground. The Counties Select XI were 30 for two in their second innings when stumps were drawn in the match for the final time after they were set an improbable target of 163 to win in the final session of play. Uncapped pacer Jeremiah Louis, who replaced injured Kemar Roach in the West Indies squad for the tour, then got opener Harry Singh caught behind for a 12-ball duck, and Johann Layne, a member of the Cricket West Indies Academy squad returning to the Caribbean from their Tour of Ireland, got Jamal Richards caught behind for six before the two teams decided it was futile to continue. “Barring a bit of adverse weather, we have managed to get a lot of solid cricket played over the last three days, so we are generally happy with what has happened on the tour so far,” West Indies assistant coach, Jimmy Adams told CWI Media. “What we would have wanted to get from the time spent out in the middle, we have gotten. The weather has been kind to us, we know that it could get a little bit rough (in England), but all in all, we are very happy with what the weather has allowed and the facilities we have been given, and what the guys have been able to produce.” West Indies now head to the British capital of London, where they will continue preparations ahead of the first Test against hosts England, starting on July 10 at the so-called home of the sport, Lord’s. “I think it is important that they (the batsmen) get as much ‘live’ practice as they can in conditions that a lot of them are not familiar with,” Adams added. “I would say that irrespective of anywhere they have travelled outside of the Caribbean, a lot of them have not toured England before – some have – but a lot of the batters haven’t, so (this tour match) was an opportunity for them to get as acquainted with conditions as possible before they run into the international opposition, and I think they have done it pretty well.” Earlier, Athanaze and Da Silva shared 91 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket after there was no play before lunch with the visitors set to continue from their overnight total of 57 for two. Opener Mikyle Louis made 28 and was one of three wickets that the West Indies lost in the span of half-hour when play started 2-1/2 hours later than scheduled because of adverse weather, and they were 105 for five. But Athanaze led the resistance for the Caribbean side during two-and-a-half hours at the crease in which time he struck 11 fours from 99 balls, and Da Silva struck half-dozen fours from 69 balls in an hour-and-a-half. Athanaze reached his 50 from 62 balls when he clipped pacer Jamal Richards through backward square leg for a single. Da Silva arrived at the landmark from 68 balls when he pulled off-spinner Farham Ahmed, younger brother of England teenaged leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, through mid-wicket for his final boundary before the declaration came during the rescheduled tea break. Adams said the Caribbean side will be looking to build on the knowledge they gained from the tour match and draw on their experience from this past January of winning a Test in Australia for the first time in almost three decades to offer a competitive front to England. “It’s a really good group in terms of their ability and their willingness to learn,” he said. “Some of them went to Australia a few months back and they showed this capacity to learn very quickly, and I am hoping that this continues. “As a coach you cannot ask for more. They work hard, they learn quickly, and what we can do is to give them a little heads up about what to expect both in terms of conditions and knowledge about the opposition.” Adams said: “We want to build on it (the win in Australia). I can’t speak to what is happening outside of the team or around, but from a team perspective, it was a great fillip for us. Certainly, when you have a young group, you are keen to bed down a lot of things. “Some of them are early in their careers, and results like that can help the teaching process because it reinforces and moves things from theory to reality. It then means that, maybe, instead of having to teach, you can remind because they have been there and nothing really is a substitute for having been in a battle and come out on the other side intact, so hopefully we can add to that going forward.” The second Test of the series starts on July 18 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, and the third Test starts on July 26 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. (Beckenham) Related Similar Articles

Ram’s magical 151 leads WDCA to 217-run win over UDCA Jul 08, 2024 Sports Kaieteur Sports – West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) surged to a commanding 217-run win over Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) as action continued in the latest round of DCB U17 cricket at Everest. National youth opener Parmeshwar Ram dazzled with 151 Ram, the national youth opener, racked up a breathtaking, boundary-filled 151 and bagged three wickets to cap off a brilliant match. Batsman Arvin Sukanand scored 46 runs as he helped steady WDCA’s batting, along with Udesh Seetaram wrapped up a good game with 33 runs as WDCA posted 271-6 in 35 overs. A brilliant spell of seam from Shahid Haniff yielded 4 wickets as UDCA were mowed down for a paltry 54 in 28.1 overs. Action continued over the weekend with more rounds.     Related Similar Articles