KINGSTON - Hon. Ferguson has a wealth of experience in Management.
Prior to her Ministerial appointment, she worked assiduously as a Field Support Officer, USAID (Admin), as was instrumental in strengthening Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) and Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) in resources policies and practices.
She was involved, for many years, advocating social issues, with specific focus on life counseling, HIV/AIDS support, adolescence guidance and counseling and domestic disputes.
She also collaborated and facilitated coordination with NGOs, FBOs and Community Based organizations with a bias for social issues, inclusive of children, education, health and family.
Further, during her tenure as the Properties Manager of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) – 2004 to 2008 - Ms. Ferguson, among her many duties managed and advised Management in relation to the Corporation’s real properties, managed projects undertaken by the Corporation, evaluated, awarded and supervised contracts, designed job specifications for contractors, prepared monthly reports for Management and prepared the Corporation’s yearly budget and Bills of Quantities.
As such, Ms. Ferguson has acquired a unique set of skills which includes Strategic Planning, Proposal and Report writing, Project Management and Events Co-ordination.
She is currently pursuing a Law Degree at the University of London, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (Credit) and a B. Sc in Public Management from the University of Guyana.
Other academic accomplishments include: Diplomas from the University of Guyana in Social Work, Public Management and Postgraduate Diploma in Administration (ed.); Certificate in Project Management from UG/Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution, UG/Clark Atlanta University.
KINGSTON - With a population of 5.4 million people, a land area of 716 sq km(smaller than Region 4) and no known natural resources, Singapore when it gained its independence from Great Britain in 1963 and from Malaysia in 1965, displayed all the propensities of a failed state.
However, through strong visionary leadership, good governance and a highly skilled and dedicated labour force, Singapore has been transformed into the “envy of the world,” in less than 50 years.
For a country whose only resource is its people, Singapore’s leveraging of its human capital to become a model of sustainable development is truly amazing. Guyana can learn a lot from the Singaporean experiences. And Singapore is willing to share.
Every year, Singapore reaches out to developing nations by providing hundreds of fellowship awards to public officials at mid to senior level management through the Singapore Cooperation Program (SCP). Their goal is to be a good global citizen by sharing all their experiences and challenges, technologies and know-how to inspire the current and future leaders of the developing world and bring about change. To date more than 90,000 public officials from more than 100 countries including Guyana have benefitted from the SCP.
From Concept Plan to Development Plan
Singapore has a world renowned sustainable transport system. The planning process began about 50 years ago with a Concept Plan – a strategic and long term plan for the utilization of its very limited land resource in a way that future generations could benefit. The Concept Plan was further developed into a more detailed 30 year Master Plan which is revised every 5 years to cater for changes that previous versions of the development plan could not foresee.
A Land Transport Master Plan was developed to support the National Land Use Master Plan as Singapore regards transport as a critical pillar for economic development. The vision of the land transport master plan was simple - A people-centered land transport system and the mission - connecting people and place, enhancing travel experience.
Today 64% of all peak hour journeys in Singapore are made on public transport and the future goal is for this number to increase to 75% by 2030.
Singapore’s Public Transport System
The efficiency and reliability of Singapore’s public transport system was not a process of natural evolution. Rather, the Land Transport Authority of the Ministry of Transport has spread headed the development process complemented by a host of transport policies geared at discouraging personal vehicle ownership so as to maximize the patronage of public transport.
The Authority places emphasis on communicating policies and receiving feedback as part of the review process to keep the people centered vision alive. Singapore’s urban transport model has been so effective that cities like London and Stockholm, and in Estonia and South Korea have adapted some aspects.
What Guyana can learn from Singapore?
Since Georgetown, like many developing cities around the world, is plagued by traffic congestion and inadequate transport infrastructure, the lessons learnt from Singapore could help Guyana achieve the breakthrough needed to address its urban transportation problems. With less than 400,000 inhabitants in metropolitan Georgetown, a sustainable urban transportation system is certainly achievable with policies that are all-inclusive and people-centered.
With a much smaller population and land space 10 times that of Singapore, sustainable transportation could be achieved with less resources but more will power. There are a few vital steps to take on the road to sustainable transportation.
Step one would involve a diagnostic assessment of transport needs and available services (demand and supply). Relevant considerations such as: review of Guyana’s land use policies, survey of trip patterns and travel demands, access to services, freight transport, retail and recreational needs, funding sources, inter alia.
Step two would entail comprehensive national and community based consultations, to facilitate the crafting of a national transport policy and a land use re-development plan.
Step three should address implementation of the plan and include the regulatory framework (A Urban Transport Authority) and building the necessary infrastructure such as bus terminals, sheds, lay-bys, sidewalks, pedestrian overpasses, reorganization of bus routes, migration from minibuses to mid and large public buses for the provision of a safe, reliable and clean public transport service.
With commitment and all-inclusive people centered policies, Guyana can develop a reliable, efficient and safe urban transport system comparable to that of Singapore and other global cities. By Patrick Thompson
KINGSTON - The establishment of a multi-disciplinary task force, which will include members of civil society, has been approved by Cabinet to aid the City’s transformation under the new government and completely turn the drainage situation around.
This was announced by Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, on June 3, 2015 during a press conference at his Ministry’s Boardroom, Wight’s Lane, Kingston, Georgetown.
The task force, for which the Minister is to begin working on its terms of reference, is expected to begin work after two weeks.
It is intended to address the city’s drainage, traffic management, and urban rehabilitation, and will comprise three aspects; focus on the drainage system in the city, traffic management and other general rehabilitative works. The first area of priority is that of drainage.
The task force is expected to present a holistic plan for the further renewal of Georgetown and serve as a realistic long - term solution to the drainage situation in the capital city.
Despite its approval, discussion between the Minister and the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) is still pending, as this will allow him to review the legal aspects of the works in accordance with the various Acts.
Minister Patterson also outlined that he is examining the option of having the city mapped in order to get a clearer picture of the drainage alignment so that better results can be produced after the force concludes its rehabilitative works.
The Minister also noted that some hard, social and political decisions would have to be made in the near feature, with regards to some possible relocation of houses along the East Coast Demerara that may have been built in very low lying areas and are subjected to more consequences of flooding as a result of even a small amount of heavy rainfall.
Further, the Minister desires to have a Website and a Facebook page created to allow more input from civil society in the works that will be done.
KINGSTON - Engineer of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Walter Willis today, June 2 reported that water has receded from most of the areas of Georgetown which were inundated following heavy rainfall on Sunday.
Willis noted that three pumps have been repaired and were put into operation on Monday; one on Sussex Street, another at John Fernandes Ltd, repaired by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and the third at Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt.
Willis also pointed out that all sluices are operating with the exception of the one at Lamaha Street which is being repaired, and a privately owned one at Meadow Bank South, as they are completely blocked.
The engineer observed that all the other 11 sluices are working and discharging flood water, and were only closed for a while when the tide turned back and necessitated this action.
In clearing flood water from other areas, Willis noted that for Queenstown, a pump was used to move water over Irving Street from Queenstown into the Vlissingen Road Canal. This pump was being operated by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and it is responsible for most of the water receding. He noted that whilst the pump has ceased operations for now, it is on standby if the weather changes.
To help residents in the Princes Street area, another pump is being installed at the upper end of the street as there is still some water in that area.
He added that there were still some parts of Albouystown under water today, due to the level of the tide. Willis pointed to the six hours of drainage from 7.30hrs.
Draining continued in the upper North and South Ruimveldt areas which were also affected.Head of the NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth concurred with Willis’ update noting that the pump at the Lamaha Canal has been dismantled and is in the workshop undergoing repairs. He added that this pump is expected to be reinstalled tomorrow.
Wordsworth added too that the NDIA has begun work on the Cummings Canal and excavators are working in Middleton Street.
Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, following his inspection of several key drainage structures in the city on Monday, deemed the neglect of the pumps and outfalls as criminal. This assessment has revealed the shocking state of the drainage system, including the fact that several of the city’s pumps have been down for a while and that the outfall sluices were heavily silted.
Chief Engineer (acting) Ron Eastman explained that six pumps were down for in excess of one year for reasons including mechanical, to facilitate repairs to the discharge pipes and for engine related issues.
Minister Patterson said that at present sourcing funds directly from the Ministries of Infrastructure or Agriculture, for the interventions cannot be done. They are hamstrung by the one-twelfth of current expenditure restriction on both of the ministries, due to not having a budget.
Several other areas were also affected by the flood including the East Coast, West Coast and West Bank following the several hours of rainfall. Pumps belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation were used to assist in pumping out flood water.
Water was discharged through the Cunha, Kofi, and Land of Canaan outfalls while the East Demerara Water Conservancy is being closely monitored since the rise in water level.
KINGSTON - Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson today, June 3, 2015 reported that Cabinet has released $75M from the Emergency Fund for desilitng and land clearing in an attempt to reduce flooding and for draining water out of the city.
The Minister made this announcement during a press conference at the Ministry’s office in Wight’s Lane, where he gave an update on the flooding that occurred on May 31.
The press conference was hosted by the Minister and included Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings, the Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green, City Engineer Walter Willis, and Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth.
Minister Patterson reported that as of this morning, all areas have seen the water receding considerably. However, within Georgetown, and low lying areas on the East Coast there is still some amount of water. In Black Bush Polder and the Mahaica/Mahaicony areas there is still some water whilst in all other areas the flood water has been discharged.
He pointed out that all six pumps are working, even though the one at Lamaha Street was set to undergo some minor repairs today. For the Cummings Canal, the clearing and desilting are currently being done by the NDIA, whilst the City Council is clearing areas towards Muneshwers Limited on Water Street. All the outfalls are expected to be cleared within four to six weeks.
Cabinet approves $75M
The Minister announced that Cabinet has given approval for $75M which will go towards, mainly desilting and clearing of drainage structures. The Kingston, Lamaha Street, Sussex Street and Meadow Bank South outfalls are to be desilted.
The inland clearing will include “the drainage tunnel under the Transport and Harbours building in Kingston, east to Lamaha Street, the drainage tunnel from Muneshwers boundary going east to Avenue of the Republic, the concrete channel leading up to the pump station at John Fernandes, and the channel leading up to the Toolsie Persaud area, the Minister explained.
He added that the sum will also facilitate repairs to some revetments and will cover an emergency crew, to be set up to clear blockages in and around the city’s internal drains, which are under culverts and bridges. The crew will comprise teams from the City Council, the Force Account Unit from the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Communities. Minister Patterson explained that a coordinator will be appointed to effect the smooth running of the crew, mainly ensuring that there be no wasting of time.
A hot line will also be set up for persons in the city to call and report blockages in their areas, and which the crew members will respond to as quickly as possible.
The Minister made it quite clear that the present undertaking is not the solution to the drainage problem, but “it is an attempt for the next four to six weeks to ensure that should there be another period of high rainfall, the time taken for it to reduce the flooding or getting the water out of the city would be reduced.”
KINGSTON - As the country braces itself for high rainfall during the next 72 hours, Government has put into effect short term solutions to alleviate flooding in sections of Georgetown and lower East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Earlier today May 31, 2015, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder met with key stakeholders from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s - Work Services Group (WSG) and Force Account Unit (FAU), to strategize options in an effort to remedy the situation.
With immediate effect the FAU will undertake the excavation works to clear blockages at Riverview, East Bank Demerara. In addition, the department will render assistance to the M&CC to repair the northern gate of the La Penitence koker.
During the meeting, the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, revealed that only two of their six pumps- which are used to drain water off of the land when the sluice gates are closed- were functional. It was agreed that FAU will repair the Sussex Street pump, which is expected to be operational by this evening.
Further, it was discussed that NDIA will conduct conditional assessment on the remaining three pumps, with a view of having them repaired and functional within the next 24-36 hours.
Ministers Patterson and Holder are expected to meet again tomorrow, June 1, 2015 to review the progress made thus far.
KINGSTON - Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson on Thursday, May 28, 2015 inspected the temporary structures built to facilitate traffic flow in two critical sections along the Lethem road.
The culverts in these two sections -Miles 1 and 12 - from Annai heading towards Lethem were eroded and had collapsed under the recent heavy rainfall in the area.
During his observation and assessment of the structures, Hon. Patterson reiterated the need for more resilient structures to withstand the weather and traffic. To this end, he has given his approval to construct robust structures in the two sections.
Work is scheduled to begin in another four weeks.
TIMEHRI - The Management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has undertaken to submit a comprehensive report of the Airport’s expansion project to the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson, by Friday June 5, 2015.
This document will afford the Minister an opportunity to familiarize himself with the project before discussing it at Cabinet.
Hon. David Patterson toured the site on May 29, 2015 and was briefed on the US $150M project including, the design of the new terminal building and the relocation of individuals occupying CJIA’s lands.
Following the tour and presentation, the Minister told officaCJIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir; Officials of Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); and Engineers from the Ministry and CJIA that the information provided to him “was a lot to contemplate.”
According to Minister Patterson, his Government has no issue with the extension of the runway, but tangible justifications must be provided for the construction of a new terminal building since it “hinges on the final cost of the project.”
Ruminating on the concern of persons occupying CJIA’s land, relocation options were suggested, including the establishment of a housing scheme at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway. However, the Minister intimated that the concern has to be addressed as a social issue and charged the stakeholders to arrive at an acceptable solution, since the approval of the expansion project will be hinged on a successful resolution of this matter.
The airport expansion project was conceptualized under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration and a contract was inked with China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) in 2011.
Key components of the expansion project include: The extension of the runway from 7,500 to 10,800 feet – to accommodate the BOEING 747-400 aircraft; Doubling of Aircraft Position from four to eight; installation of eight Passenger Boarding Bridges; and the fortification of the CCTV system with approximately 300 cameras.
TIMEHRI - He made headlines in March during the opening of a US multi-million dollar company in Providence, and received accolades from the former President, Donald Ramotar, who described him as the quintessential Ambassador.
Despite this, Wazeed Manjoor remains a humble Taxi Driver based at the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
What’s interesting to note is that Manjoor’s professionalism and accommodating attitude enabled a significant investment in Guyana. His assistance to Alejandra Romero, a Qualfon Executive, in 2004 paved the way for a US $4M Call Centre Campus constructed in Providence, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) which was opened on March 27, 2015. The company will employ over 3,000 Guyanese.
“To be honest I was surprised at the recognition I received. I saw a young woman who could not access any cash because we had no ATM then. I offered to take her to her destination knowing that there was a possibility I may not have been paid. My thought was this could have been a relative of mine in another country,” Mr. Manjoor told CJIA’s Public Relations Officer (PRO). “What I did for her, is something I would do for anyone.”
However, his deed was highly appreciated. Apart from an established friendship, the 59 year-old fondly called ‘Waja’ has secured an exclusive contract with the company.
Being a familiar face at CJIA since 1980, Manjoor’s first few years were challenging since “he was a new kid on the block.” But over time, his reputation has preceded him with a number of international companies seeking his services.
“The secret to getting clients is quite simple – a smile. That has been my motto from the inception. Passengers may disembark an aircraft irritable. A friendly face and a good conversation can change all that,” the veteran driver explained.
A comfortable journey to his client (s) destination is also top on Mr. Manjoor’s list. He currently uses a 19 seater Pitbull equipped with maps, an assortment of tablets, bottled water and locally manufactured candies. “I ensure I replenish when the stocks go down,” he continued with a laugh. “But seriously, I take pride in what I do. It’s a service we pledged the management of the CJIA to provide at the highest level. It is a pledge I will always upkeep.”
Manjoor felt a sense of pride when His Excellency the President called him a true Ambassador. He believes that all Guyanese must play a part in the tourism/hospitality sector.
“It is a known fact that Guyanese are hospitable. We just have to keep up that momentum,” he posited.
The father of two has no immediate plans to retire, since he is blessed with good health.
“I don’t drink or smoke. I can safely say I am a very disciplined individual who takes his job seriously,” Manjoor disclosed.
As he continues to ply his trade every day, Manjoor is pleased with the progress made at CJIA, and is supportive of the CJIA expansion project.
“The number of passengers that pass through the airport has increased and I personally think that a new airport will position Guyana in a positive light,” he added.
For his fellow colleagues, Manjoor is of the view that being polite, considerate, mannerly, and being a good listener are the key ingredients of being a successful CJIA’s Taxi Driver.
KINGSTON - David Patterson was born on May 4, 1967 in Georgetown and received his early education at St. Gabriel Primary School and St. Stanislaus College.
He studied at the Greenwich University (UK) and graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying. He is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Real Estate Appraiser and Project Manager.
Hon. Patterson has over 25 years’ experience of providing quantity surveying, project management and appraisal services to both public and private sector clients in the United Kingdom, Guyana and the Caribbean.
He is a member of the Royal Institutions of Chartered Surveyors, and the Architecture and Surveying Institute.
He is a member of the AFC and served as a Member of Parliament (2006-2011), and as the party’s General Secretary from 2012 to 2015.
Other positions held by Mr. Patterson include: Past president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, Past President of the Georgetown Dominoes Association and Past President of the Rotary Club of Demerara.
He is a Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary Foundation).
