KINGSTON - The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) wishes to express its growing concern over erroneous claims published in the Guyana Times, this time in the newspaper’s December 4, 2015 edition, under the headline “Students forced to pay to use Berbice water taxies (sic)”.
In the article, it is claimed that schoolchildren and nurses – groups that are covered under the Government subsidy and which are not required to pay fares – are being forced to pay to travel with the water taxis. According to the article, this information was relayed by Region Six Chairman, David Armogan.
According to the article, “On a daily basis, a total of 300 children cross the river from Rosignol to New Amsterdam to attend school.” The article further stated that the names of each of the 300 schoolchildren were collected from the Region Six Department of Education. However, the article said, “the information only resulted in a one month free pass.”
When contacted by MPI, Mr. Armogan confirmed that he did indeed speak with the Guyana Times. However, Mr. Armogan shared that the “schoolchildren” he received complaints from were from the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, a post high school institution. He said that the complaints were less than a dozen. Mr. Armogan further indicated that he did not receive any confirmation that those at the secondary level and below were being forced to pay the fare. This information, he added, was relayed to the Guyana Times.
MPI wishes to stress that the Government subsidy covers schoolchildren up to the secondary level. Those above the secondary level are considered adults and are therefore required to pay the water taxi fare.
At no time during the Guyana Times article was it indicated that those who were required to pay fares were outside of the Government subsidy. Instead, the impression given was that young students, who are covered under the Government subsidy, were nonetheless being forced to pay.
In regards to the article’s claim that nurses were also being forced to pay, MPI has checked with its management and has also found this claim to be false.
The Ministry therefore views the Guyana Times article as an intentional act to malign it and ultimately the Guyana Government. MPI is disappointed with Guyana Times’ continued peddling of malicious misinformation and is staunchly calling for a retraction of the article in question.
MPI would like to emphasise that the sole purpose of the Berbice water taxi service is to provide relief to the Berbice public.
