KINGSTON - The Bank of Guyana, one day ahead of its 50th anniversary celebrations, collaborated with the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), and yesterday unveiled two revenue stamps, which immediately started circulation.
The two revenue stamps valuing $80 and $150 respectively were made available from today at selected post offices countrywide.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, delivering brief remarks, at a simple ceremony, held to recognise the occasion, indicated that the achievement is laudable, because of the extensive work done by the Bank over the years, especially in regulating fiscal and monetary policies in Guyana.
She added that the GPOC joined the Bank in celebrating a partnership, which exists with other institutions in the public space. This started from the housing of the British Caribbean Currency Board’s Office to current inter-party services, such as banking, bulk postage and the granting of several licences, such as the money order licence.
“The key in this economy is service, and as service providers, we must forge effective and lasting partnerships built on trust, integrity, and reciprocity. The service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in most economies, and we must all ensure that we provide services of quality,” Minister Ferguson explained.
The GPOC has been touting the expansion of its range of services to include e-commerce and integrated financial services, especially for rural and riverain areas. It is in this regard that the Bank will be a key partner in assisting with the realisation of these aspirations, the Minister pointed out.
“No doubt, the Bank of Guyana will create the enabling framework for the delivery of such services, ensuring the right oversight, as we lay the pillars of economic resilience in Guyana. And this is a task to which we must be committed, both as providers and consumers of services. There must be of necessity, a level playing field, and the Guyana Post Office is willing to leverage its vast network of branches, to support the Bank of Guyana, in providing the leadership to ensure financial stability in Guyana,” Ferguson said.
Dr. Gobind Ganga, Governor of the Bank, in delivering brief remarks, said that event commemorated the second stamp, since the establishment of the Bank, and is one of many planned to observe the institution’s 50th anniversary.
The stamps were chosen with the theme of “Promoting Financial Development for Guyana’s Prosperity” as this captures the past, the present and the future roles of the Bank, in fostering monetary and financial stability, not only for the welfare of the people, but for sustainable growth and development of the country.
“The cover shows the stamps and building of the Bank, which is an iconic landmark in Georgetown, since it was opened in 1966. The stamps and cover serve not only as treasured pieces of the Bank’s history in its contribution to Guyana’s development, but also as a testimony, as an institution that reflects the tenacity of an independent people,” Ganga explained.
Abdul Hassan, GPOC Post Master General (ag), congratulated the bank on its golden jubilee, stating that the attainment of 50 years is a significant milestone, and the commemorative stamps form the perfect souvenir to mark the anniversary .
“ These stamps are treated internationally as valuables, a case in point is the British Guiana one-cent stamp, printed locally, issued in 1856, and which is one of the world’s most expensive and rarest stamps, sold last year at an auction for approximately US$9M, this stamp follows the same pattern,” Hassan outlined. He was referring to the British Guiana 1 cent Magenta stamp.
KINGSTON - The National Task Force, on addressing Guyana’s restoration to a land of great attractiveness and prosperity, wants repairs to the main public road, East Bank Essequibo and a ‘proper market’ at Parika/Hydronie, to be among projects implemented in Region Three, under Phase One of the initiative.
This is according to Head of the National Task Force Secretariat, Dr. Sewnauth Punalall.
Dr. Punalall told the Government Information Agency that these were among seven projects that were absorbed, when a team (including himself and Region Three Assistant to the Prime Minister, Hari Deokinanan) visited the Region on Saturday. The visit was in line with determining what needed to be done in the region, and it spanned Canal Number Two Polder to St Lawrence, East Bank Essequibo.
According to Dr. Punalall, the team noticed that the highway from Hubu to Morashee was in a deplorable condition. He said that there is a length of approximately ten miles that is in urgent need of repair, and approximately 8000 families are currently being adversely affected by this. These families, he noted, are involved in economic activities, including livestock rearing, cash crop cultivation, and saw milling and logging operations.
The team also observed that the area was in dire need of regular water supply. Dr. Punalall said that residents told the visiting team, that they receive water only between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. daily, and that the pressure is so low, that they have to pump directly from the supply line and fill their storage tanks for use later. To this end, it was explained that most homes had to invest in water storage tanks, and harvest rain water.
Then there was the issue of the dilapidated main culvert, draining into the Hubu main drainage canal. According to Dr. Punalall, this culvert collapsed more than two years ago, and as a result, whenever it rains, the area is flooded. He said that at the moment, there is a makeshift wooden bridge over this culvert, allowing for unsure, but necessary crossing.
Other projects addressed during the visit included the run-down bridge at St. Lawrence, East Bank Essequibo, the degraded Canal Number One and Two Public Roads, and the Parika/Hydronie makeshift market.
According to Dr. Punalall, the wooden bridge at St Lawrence was built more than 30 years ago, and was repaired once, through self-help efforts by farmers. He said that it has been several years since no heavy - duty machine can cross this bridge. Beyond this bridge are large acreages of abandoned rice cultivation, he noted.
Parika/Hydronie market is a fairly large one with more than 500 makeshift stalls, and Dr. Punalall noted that the market is roughly built, unsightly and disjointed. He said that a proper market building, preferably a double flat structure, should be considered.
Project Restore Guyana, which will address national drainage, solid waste management, and the removal of derelict vehicles, traffic management, sustainable countrywide renewal, and welfare management of the homeless and addicted, and the mentally challenged, are some of the projects in the regions to be rolled out in three phases.
The first phase will run until May 2016, and will address critical interventions within the regions, as submitted by proposals from the region’s administration and the Task Force.
Dr. Punalall explained that the observations made in Region Three will be crafted in a plan for Phase One implementation, but projects overall will be determined by Cabinet.
KINGSTON - The current administration has plans to significantly boost the infrastructural transport network in Region Three, Essequibo Islands/West Demerara. These plans are intended to provide better access for farmers, and those in the mining industry.
Geoffrey Vaughn, Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Works Services Group, indicated that the feasibility studies for the Del Conte road project will soon be completed, after which works will be done.
“This is one of the roads that came on stream (and) which would add towards the mining industry, and persons using it as one of the alternative routes in getting to those areas such as Bartica,” Vaughn explained.
This road project fits completely into the entire National Transport Network, as it provides a complete ring in the current transport network.
“You can ring around the East Bank Road, get into the highway to Linden, get from Linden into Lethem and other mining industries, then you come in from the other end, which is East Bank Essequibo, and you can also access and meet to Linden… you’re looking at a complete link now, so it makes things either better for some persons who may be coming from the Essequibo Coast, Leguan, Wakenaam and those areas and who may want to get into the mining industry, and instead of having to use the longer route, you can actually drive across, and then use your necessary alternative transportation to get into the hinterland,” Vaughn explained.
This project forms part of the administration’s overall plan, which is to ensure accessibility around the economic activities in Guyana.
The Del Conte road begins at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, and goes all the way down the East Bank Essequibo area into Goshen. For persons to get from Goshen to Bartica, a boat may have to be used; however, the Ministry is exploring a number of options, including the building of a bridge network across the Essequibo River.
“The feasibility studies are ongoing, and we are expecting that as soon as that feasibility study is wrapped up, we will be able to make some decisions in terms of whether or not we use a bridge, or go with a steamer service or pontoon, whichever way works in terms of economic feasibility,” Vaughn outlined.
The completed feasibility study will guide the administration as regards which alignment serves best for the construction of the road, as one currently exists, which runs parallel to the Essequibo River.
The road network runs through the Parika farmlands, and farmers do utilise the river in some areas, to transport their produce to the markets. With the road, mobility and produce movement will be made much easier.
“Coming out of the East Bank Essequibo, there is quite a lot of farming in terms of provision, cash crops, and other produce, that come out from those areas that would also benefit, because some of the farmers may use the river, and with the road coming into being now, it’s obvious it becomes a little easier for them to determine whether or not the alternative routes of using the road is better than using the river, so it gives them choices now,” Vaughn indicated.
It was also pointed out that the current state of the road does not permit persons to drive directly from Parika to Goshen, as some parts are impassable, and other parts are mere trails.
Further, plans are being reviewed for the bridging of the Essequibo Islands, as this will allow Leguan to be connected to Wakenaam and the Essequibo. (GINA)
KINGSTON - Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordan, MP, Governor of the Bank of Guyana Mr. Gobind Ganga, Post Master General (ag), Mr. Abdul Hassan, Directors, Managers and Staff of the Bank of Guyana, Ladies & Gentlemen of the Media, Invited Guests, a pleasant good morning.
We are here to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Bank of Guyana. This achievement is laudable because of the extensive work the bank has to do in regulating fiscal and monetary policy in Guyana. But we are here to celebrate the partnerships that continue to exist between the Bank and other institutions in the public space, especially the Guyana Post Office Corporation. This history started from the housing of the British Caribbean Currency Board’s Office to current inter-party services such as banking, bulk postage and the granting of several licenses such as our Money Order License.
The GPOC is pleased to be associated with the Launch of this Commemorative Stamp on this 50thAnniversary. This is not the first time such a collaboration was done since the GPOC has been associated with another such Launch in the past.
We thank the Bank of Guyana for its great support to the GPOC and we endeavor to work with them to deliver new and improved services in the future. As most persons are aware, the GPOC is expanding its range of services to include e-commerce and integrated financial services, especially for the rural and riverain area. And No doubt, the Bank of Guyana will be a key partner in realizing these aspirations.
The key in this economy is service and as service providers we must forge effective and lasting partnerships build on trust, integrity, and reciprocity. The service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in most economies and we must all ensure that we provide services of quality.
No longer are we isolated operators, but must connect our people, goods and services to cost effective delivery. And the Guyana Post Office stands ready, willing and able to lead this charge.
No doubt the Bank of Guyana will create the enabling framework for the delivery of such services, ensuring the right oversight as we lay the pillars of economic resilience in Guyana. And this is a task to which we must be committed, both as providers and consumers of services. There must be of necessity a level playing field and the Guyana Post Office is willing to leverage its vast network of branches to support the Bank of Guyana in providing the leadership to ensure financial stability in Guyana.
So this Launch is not just the Launch of a stamp, but the continuity of a partnership that was forged many years ago.
We salute our sister organization on this signal achievement and wish the Bank of Guyana all the best in the future.
I thank you.
KINGSTON - A high level team of Government Ministers including Public Security Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan, Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Business Minister Dominic Gaskin on Friday last met with Bay Street investors at Fasken Martineau, a major Toronto law firm where they discussed proposals and opportunities for a variety of projects mainly in mining, investment financing and alternative energy.
The team is in Toronto to meet with both Canadian and diaspora investors interested in doing business with Guyana.
The Ministers are accompanied by Kibbyann Chester-Harding and Shawn Doris from GO Invest, Kenneth Jordan from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Kiran Mattai from the Guyana Energy Board.
They were joined at the Riverstoen Golf Club in Brampton by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for an all-day investment forum with more than 26 diaspora owned companies eager to invest in Guyana.(Kaieteur News)
KINGSTON - A batch of 50 persons - contractors, engineers, lecturers and instructors commenced a National Electrical Code (NEC) training workshop today at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Georgetown. The programme comes under the aegis of the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. (HECI) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and is aimed at training 100 electrical personnel overall on the essentials of the NEC.
The NEC which the new government intends to implement is a United States of America set of necessary criteria for construction, installation, repair, up-grade and other electrical works. The workshop will be held over two weeks.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, at the opening ceremony, said that whilst many examples can be cited and which pinpoint the unquantifiable losses due to fires of electrical origin, what stands paramount is the adherence to the same rules, and following the same set of standards which are delineated in the NEC.
“We cannot allow that state of play to continue…We have to standardise our approaches… We must adhere to the one code that governs us all. The NEC is structured in such a way that it gives the requisite guidance for all aspects of our operations, whether we are contractors, engineers, lecturers, or instructors. We must hold each other’s feet to the fire of compliance, to ensure that other people don’t get burnt,” Minister Ferguson explained.
She added that compliance to these standards are ultra-critical, as without it, lives will be lost, properties destroyed, livelihood decimated, and generations of hard work literally brought to naught.
“We can’t allow that… we are all in this together, to ensure that all critical elements of this code are meticulously adhered to... This is my charge to you… Let us set a Key Performance Indicator for the electricity sector that seeks to reduce electrically related fires by at least 75%. Let us strive to set up achievable service levels that evolve around it ensuring that all home and office installations be verified for compliance with the new code within the next year,” Minister Ferguson charged.
The Electricity Sector Reform Act of 1999 establishes the provisions, which led to the gazetting of the NEC, under the Electricity Sector (Technical Standards) Regulations 2008, made under the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999.
However, the bringing into force of the code was delayed to allow reasonable time for familiarising by contractors. With its enactment, the necessary action will soon be taken to table the code into effect. (GINA)
KINGSTON - Residents of Old Road, Ugandi Park and GEC Scheme, Cummings Lodge, have welcomed the desilting of drainage channels in their area.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s National Taskforce for the effective functioning of Guyana’s drainage and irrigation system is at present in the area, clearing several internal drainage channels.
When the Government Information Agency (GINA) visited the area yesterday, October 10, the Ministry’s excavators were seen desilting the Old Road Canals. Residents who came out to witness the exercise were thankful to the relevant authorities for embarking on the exercise, which will minimise flooding in the area during the rainy season.
“What is happening here today, is long overdue, because as soon as it rains, we are under water,” a resident of the GEC Scheme, Ugandi Park area, Sylvester Shim told GINA. Shim, who has been living the area for the past 26 years, said the community is very thankful, and has already resolved to play its part by working to set up a committee to guide the maintenance of the drainage.
Ronald Persaud, who has been a resident in the area for 22 years, noted that the drainage channel had not been cleared for about 13 years. “Since 2002, they dig here slightly. We had no drainage, no road in this area. We were left abandon for the past 13 years.” “Now that we have a change of government, I am hoping that things can change, for the better, for the people of this community,” he added.
Community Coordinator for the Drainage and Cleanup exercise for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Neilson McKenzie explained that desilting is being done initially at the request of residents. He said, however, bringing relief to the area ties into the overall work plan, of improving the drainage of Georgetown. “This is on the extreme boundary of Georgetown, and this is one of the key areas in support of what the Mayor and City Council is doing, and the more overall plan for drainage and desilting in Georgetown to alleviate the issue of flooding,” he explained.
He told GINA that the kind of intervention being done in Cummings Lodge is to ensure that all the surrounding canals are significantly desilted, so that the community and surrounding areas are better off in terms of flooding during the rainy season.
In addition to cleaning the Old Road Canal and the internal drains, the Task Force will also be doing some remedial works on Old Road itself. McKenzie explained that the aim is to clean straight up to the 40- foot access canal, which leads into Liliendaal. This access canal drains all of the communities in the area, including Industry, Bel Air and Cummings lodge. This canal is being cleaned by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
“What we are attempting to do is to recreate the network of drainage, so that the level of adequacy could be improved, and to ensure that water moves smoothly without major restriction into that main canal,” McKenzie explained.
KINGSTON - The Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. (HECI), Ministry of Public Infrastructure, will be training 100 individuals on the essentials of the National Electrical Code (NEC), a USA standard for construction, installation, repair, upgrade and other electrical works, over a two-week period, October 12 – 23, 2015.
According to Mr. Horace Williams, Chief Executive Officer, HECI, an expert associated with the National Fire Protection Association, USA, will facilitate the training sessions which will be held at the Regency Hotel, Hadfield Street.
Mr. Williams explained: “We are adopting the NEC as the standard in Guyana for all electrical works. The NEC was gazette in 2008, under the Electricity Sector (Technical Standards) Regulations 2008, made under the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999.
However, the bringing into force of the Code was delayed to allow reasonable time for familiarizing by contractors. The Government is of the view that the time is now here, and expects shortly to pass the necessary instrument to bring the Code into effect.”
This training, which follows two prior sessions, will conclude Government’s sensitization programme for the introduction of the NEC, and will be done in two batches of 50 persons comprising electrical contractors, engineers, lecturers and instructors.
Upon completion, participants will receive a National Fire Protection Association Inc. certificate and a 2014 NEC Handbook.
Minister within the Ministry, Annette Ferguson, will deliver the opening remarks on Monday, October 12.
KINGSTON - Works are moving quickly on Motor Vessel Lady Northcote, which docked in September for much needed rehabilitation works. The ferry plies the Georgetown – Port Kaituma, Region One route.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson and team, on Thursday, visited the vessel at the E.C. Vieira Dockyard; E.C. Vieira is the contracting firm doing the rehabilitation works. The visit allowed the team to meet with the contractor, who updated the members on the status of the ongoing repair works.
Marcelene Merchant, General Manager of Transport and Harbours Department, stated that “Wasted steel is being cropped and replaced on top of the wheel house deck above the captain’s cabin on the sun deck, passengers’ deck, main deck, bow deck, the exterior of the hull, the bow and stern above the waterline, six toilet areas, and all cabins...,” Merchant explained.
She added that whilst all vent pipes are currently being re-manufactured, repairs are ongoing on the derrick (the ship’s lifting device) and all pertaining mechanisms along with the installation of Cummins engine to drive dynamo.
Additionally, the beds and bunks are being constructed and prepared for installation on the new wood decking for the passenger deck.
Rehabilitation works for Lady Northcote were projected at a value of $70M, by the contracting firm. However, the administration still intends, on a long-term basis, to acquire a new vessel to ply the North West route.
KINGSTON - The Administration continues to make significant strides, demonstrating its seriousness about implementing renewable energy sources, as a cheaper alternative for electrification purposes.
Cabinet made the newest move recently after it gave the Ministry of Public Infrastructure the authority to proceed with further negotiations with Guyana Windfarm Inc., on a proposal submitted to provide 26 megawatts of wind energy to the grid.
This revelation was made by Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson at a press conference, held this afternoon in his Wights Lane boardroom.
Minister Patterson stated that “Cabinet has given its no objection to examine the proposal in detail, to ensure that it will meet the required criteria, commence discussions between them (Guyana Windfarm Inc.), and GPL, and arrive with an agreement, if possible, to be entered immediately afterwards.”
He added that the proposal outlined a 12 cents per kilowatt hour fee, and the investor has submitted documentations, stating that it has procured all the necessary financing to implement the project. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will now proceed with due diligence with regard to the proposal, with a view of concretizing the deals.
The Administration, since it took office, has touted the implementation of renewable energy sources, to power four proposed new towns; these are Bartica, Lethem, Mabaruma and Linden. Bartica has been identified to be the first green town, utilizing renewable energy sources for electricity purposes.
