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Cabinet/community consultations |
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Last month, the Guyanese public was provided with an opportunity to present their own views on the very serious matter of escalating prices of food commodities. It was expected that the Cabinet inter-ministerial group would engage in “follow-up” engagements in at least some of the communities, but it was decided to curtail the consultations.
Mr Editor, a number of suggestions pertinent to the “grow more food” initiative:
1. Those already existent certified farmers should be provided with firm assurances that the operations and activities would not be undermined.
2. An evaluation should be carried out of all the small fish processors who produce salted and smoked trout, bangamarie and snapper with a view to these persons benefiting from the drive for increased productivity.
3. NARI should provide information as to the most appropriate chemicals and agri0inputs that should be utilized in instances where cultivation is envisaged in partially concreted yards or surrounds.
Eddi Rodney.
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Post-trauma classroom training |
The workshop that was held at the Ocean View Convention Centre to train teachers to become first responders for children affected by traumatic situations is a good initiative taken by various organizations.
This type of training will benefit teachers intellectually and should be intensified throughout Guyana in all schools.
Often, there are children who are abused at home or they might encounter a bad experience of some sort, or a health problem, which affects their behaviour pattern in the classroom. Teachers who do not have the basic experience will not recognize these signals, which sometimes get them annoyed and angry. Thus, they will try to use their own form of discipline, which will cause other problems involving parents’ intervention, which can also become dangerous.
There are affected children in every school; teachers should equip themselves to deal with the situation.
Afrose Ali. |
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GPL needs to improve billing procedures |
Someone in authority needs to do a thorough investigation at the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) at Vreed-en-Hoop on the West Coast of Demerara. On many occasions, customers’ electricity has been disconnected without them being informed even though they have already paid their bills.
These people overestimate and over-bill. If you’re not at home they cut off your lights and upon investigating to clarify why they have disconnected you without any reason, workers at the office say that you have to be at home to show them your bill. If a person have to work for his/ her daily bread how can they be at home at the said time if they are not aware that their lights are going to be disconnected? Further you have to pay a re-connection fee plus a huge bill. I think this is discourteous and unmannerly.
The accounts department is not functioning and someone is not performing their duties properly. Before they send out people to disconnect, they should check their records and provide correct persons’ names and addresses.
This type of discrepancy inconveniences customers. When all our items are spoilt we have to discard it. Who will compensate for the losses?
However, even though you clarify your lights are disconnected wrongfully; they take two or three days to reconnect.
The workers at GPL need to get their act together so they will not create unnecessary problems.
Nadine Baksh. |
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| Barbaric act |
Those person/s who severed Mr Kalamadeen’s head from his body is/are callous; they are disposed to inflict suffering. Not finding the head to lay to rest with the body is both distressing and disgusting. It’s inhuman; I can’t imagine which human being would want to commit such a barbaric act. I was sick to the stomach when I saw on the news “headless body found”, only to discover later that it was Kalamadeen’s.
Even if he was involved in discrepancies, no one has the right to murder anyone in that manner “separate the head from the body.” What will happen if the head is found after the body is buried?
Citizens need to look out for each other; the police can’t be on the spot all the time.
This type of horrendous murder needs utmost investigation. It is a most barbaric act.
Subrina Ishmael. |
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Single parent assistance most welcome |
The announcement of the $100M fund for single parents is a most welcome initiative that will further decrease poverty in Guyana.
I know that there are many single parents out there who find it a daily struggle to provide for their children and try their best to get them an education. Sometimes this is not possible, since these children are forced to leave school and find jobs to help out at home. I remember hanging out one night with a few friends on Sheriff Street and at about 12:30am, a little boy, not more than nine years old, rode up on a bicycle asking us if we wanted to buy black pudding and souse. Upon questioning him as to why he was on the streets so late, he said his mother works nights as a guard and his father simply disappeared a few years ago, so he was forced to supplement his family’s income by selling on the streets.
The government’s move to assist all single parents must be supported by all Guyanese and I hope that all those who are entitled to benefit under this scheme, especially the women, will use the most of this opportunity.
Michelle Bacchus. |
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