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President Bharrat Jagdeo and President of the CDB Professor Compton Bourne at the conclusion of the CDB Board of Governors 35th Annual Meeting.

Guyana hosts successful CDB Meeting
- members express pleasure at arrangements

The Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) concluded on Thursday at Le Meridien, Pegasus,in Georgetown.
At the closing ceremony, outgoing chairman of the Board of Governors, Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo, said statements made by the Governors over the two-day meeting provided a better understanding of the situation in their respective countries and their views of the CDB. He said this will serve as a guide to the bank in its planning so that the institution can be more effective in its planning and implementation of programmes. He pointed out that Guyana's relation with the CDB has seen growth and development.
He congratulated President of the CDB Professor Compton Bourne for the leadership qualities he provided to the Bank. He also thanked the past contributors to the Special Development Fund (SDF) and expressed hope that the negotiations for the replenishment of the Fund will be treated with urgency.
The Bank's President, Dr Compton Bourne, addressed Guyana's participation at the meeting and the issues raised by this country in the closing remarks.
He stated that Guyana along with Colombia and Jamaica drew attention to the adverse effect that increasing crime and violence were having on the investment climate and on the rate of economic growth in several borrowing member countries. He said the Bank fully supports the call for the development of strategies that address training and education which improve the prospects of youths at risk.
Guyana and CARICOM emphasized the need to operationalise the Bank's Private Sector Strategy. "In this regard, we are in discussion with other development partners with a view to increasing the modalities for assisting this sector and the micro-finance sub-sector," Bourne said. He also acknowledged the support by the Governors for the reintroduction of project cycle management training which is now imminent and who also offered their support for an expanded role of the Bank in technical assistance and policy advice.
Guyana, along with other members of the Bank, also spoke about the impact of changes brought about by developments in the international trading environment which have resulted in severe fiscal and debt management problems in many of the Region's borrowing member countries.
"Consistent with previous interventions in Dominica, Grenada and Jamaica, the Bank will provide similar assistance to countries in 'fiscal distress' within the context of a well formulated and coordinated macro-economic framework," Bourne pledged, adding, "By assisting its borrowing member countries to transition for fiscal health, CDB demonstrates its true franchise value."
According to the CDB President, "the meeting in Guyana has been a success and a pleasure."
The CDB is committed to the harmonized economic growth and development of member countries in the Caribbean and promoting economic cooperation and integration among the countries, having special and urgent regard to the needs of the less developed countries in the Region.
The chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the CDB now goes to Jamaica which will host the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Board.

Emergency drainage works soon to be completed
-Task Force

Emergency works on the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and the drainage systems in Regions Three, Four and Five have been substantially completed, according to head of the Task Force, Ravi Narine.
He said that in Region Three, the Boerasirie Conservancy, from Leonora to Namrick, has been raised. Outfalls have been cleared while desilting of canals is also ongoing to allow for free flow of excess water during the May/June rainfall.
General repairs to a sluice at Parika and rehabilitation to revetments at Vergenoegen and Barnwell are ongoing. He said there are also other works currently ongoing at various locations in Region Three.
Digging of the Cunha and Shanks canals have been completed. Work on the head regulator at the Cunha canal is completed and the outfall work is ongoing. The Kofi head regulator is 90 percent completed. Mr Narine noted that there is an occupied building on the reserve at the Kofi sluice and the occupant has agreed to remove to allow for the continuation of rehabilitation work.
Narine said the Kofi navigation canal structure is soon to be completed, as the clearing process is between 90 to 95 percent completed. The Beehive sluice, East Coast Demerara is 90 percent completed, Beterverwagting 75 percent completed and Buxton is 80 percent completed. Hope and Belfield sluices are fully completed. The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has undertaken some of the remedial works which are almost completed.
Meanwhile, emergency works in Region Five are almost completed. Those works include the desilting of canals and repairs to sluices.
Funding for the emergency works was provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Department Fund for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Caribbean Development Bank. The total amount expended to date is $800M.
All remedial works have to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, they also have to be declared acceptable by the donor agencies representative Robert Goodyear and the Task Force, before payment is effected.
Narine explained that residents, along with the NDC, have to work together to ensure all drains in housing areas are kept free of garbage and silt to allow for free flow of excess water into the main drainage canals. He said that currently, there are three pumps working at Good Hope. Other mobile pumps have been deployed to Plaisance, Lusignan, Buxton, Belfield, Beehive, Mahaica and Cane Grove, all on the East Coast Demerara.
Officials of the National Drainage and Irrigation Board are deployed to the pump stations to monitor their operations on a daily basis.
The Task Force is currently preparing for the medium rehabilitation of the drainage systems.
In relation to the heavy rainfall experienced over the last two days, Narine said the drainage systems adequately coped with it.

Major sea defence works for Regions Two & Three

A multi-million dollar sea defence project to be funded by the European Union (EU) is currently engaging Cabinet's attention.
The US$18M project, according to Project Manager of EU funded Sea Defence works, Newburn Amsterdam, would entail the construction of sea defence structures in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara).
This project is a component of the eighth programme funded by the EU at a cost of EUROS 19M.
The ninth European Union (EU) sea defence programme, "Institutional Capacity Building on Guyana Sea Defences" (ICBA) is expected to start in July, after the feasibility studies which are scheduled to commence shortly, are completed.
This component of ICBA would be executed at a cost of EUROS 20M. The programme includes a series of research and presentations based on the integrity of the country's sea defence structures and the construction of sea defence in areas yet to be identified.
Guyana has over the years benefited from a number of EU funded projects.
Meanwhile, Project Manger, Emergency Works Department of Guyana Sea Defence, Mrs. Agnes Dalrymple said sea defence works at Ruimzeight and Le Destin, Region three are 60 percent completed.
The project at Ruimzeight is valued at approximately $102M, while the latter at Le Destin is $101M. Both include the construction of 200 metres of "rip-rap" structures, which started late last month.

Independence Anniversary Programme

Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, Gail Teixeira, will on Monday, May 23 open an exhibition to commence the 39th anniversary of Guyana's Independence under the theme "The Struggle for Guyana's Independence and the Emergence of a New Nation" at the Guyana National Museum.
This exhibition has become an annual event of the National Archives aimed at educating the public on the struggle for Guyana's Independence. It will run for a period of two weeks concluding on June 4th, 2005.
In addition, a lecture on "Constitutional Issues surrounding Independence" by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Ralph Ramkarran, will be held on June 1 at the Guyana National Museum at 5:00 pm.
These events form a part of the entire 39th Independence celebration programme which will include the National Steel Pan Competition on May 21-22 at the National Cultural Centre, the National Masquerade Competition on May 22 at Leguan Island in Region Three, the Flag Raising Ceremony and Cultural Programme on May 25 at the National Park and the Independence Costume Parade & Jump up on May 26 which will start at the Botanical Gardens at 3:30 pm and end at the National Park.

Progress on BEAMS projects satisfactory

Four schools in the city currently being rehabilitated under the Ministry of Education's Basic Education Access Management Support (BEAMS) project were on Thursday inspected by Social Development Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Julio Norori.
The Tutorial High, Lodge Secondary, North Ruimveldt Multilateral and Charlestown Secondary Schools are four of the six schools undergoing rehabilitation or extension under the first phase of BEAMS. The two remaining schools are Bladen Hall Multilateral on the East Coast Demerara and Aurora Secondary School in Region Two.
Observing that some of the construction work on the schools was delayed due to the January flood, the IDB specialist said that he was pleased with the work nevertheless.
At Tutorial High on Woolford Avenue, Construction Manager of BEAMS, Raymond Hoo explained to Norori that construction of the classrooms is expected to be completed by September while the Administrative block should be finished by December this year. The cost of rehabilitating the school is approximately $138M.
Hoo pointed out too that because the flood affected the school, raising the school's floor had to be considered.
Rehabilitation of the Lodge Secondary School is a one-year contract and is to be completed by October. The project was also delayed for six weeks because of the flood. When construction is completed, about 1,000 students will be accommodated at the school.
The IDB specialist was told that since the Charlestown Secondary School will be completed earlier than the others, additional construction workers would be available to be added to the 35 workers presently on the worksite at Lodge. This would speed up the construction process for that school.
At the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School, work was in progress and completion of that job will amount to approximately $134.6 M. Civil Works Manager of BEAMS, Sheik Kadir, said that an additional $25.5 M was also used for the removal of asbestos from the school. This was done separately and began around mid-2004, according to Kadir, while the actual rehabilitation of the building began November last. It is expected to be completed by the end of November this year.
The school usually accommodates about 1,080 students.
Meanwhile, extension of the Charlestown Secondary is ongoing and completion of that project will ensure students benefiting from new science laboratories, chemistry and biology sections, Home Economics and an Administrative section. The school accommodates 600 students, and the extension is slated for completion by the end of September this year at a cost of $60.1M.
The IDB, in collaboration with Government is funding the BEAMS projects.

Government receive praise from rice farmers

The first batch of rice farmers to receive flood relief grants for loss of crops or damage following the January flood, due to heavy rainfall and the overtopping of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), were high in praise for Government's assistance. A large number of rice farmers turned out on Tuesday last at the Guyana Rice Development Board's (GRDB) Research Unit, Burma, Mahaicony, to receive their cheques and seed paddy from Head of the Recovery Planning and Implementation Secretariat, Robeson Benn, who was accompanied by officials from the Secretariat.
The devastation suffered by rice farmers was in some cases total, and hundreds of families whose livelihood depend on rice were adversely affected by this disaster of unprecedented scale in Guyana's recent history.
Most of these farmers were eager to get back in the fields and resume salvaging their livelihood.
"The flood came and took everything...this was my only source of income...my family was really affected," indicated Minchie Goberdan, a rice farmer who lost her entire crop. She was thankful because she will now be able to continue loan payments to the bank. She had acquired a loan for purchasing farming equipment and fertilizers.
Farmers in Region 5, (Mahaica/Berbice) have begun to receive an across the board payment of $25,000 for overhead expenses, along with $10,000 and one bag of seed paddy, per acre of crop lost.
Emile Wilson, another rice farmer, was very optimistic about the prospect of starting over. "I am eager to go back to the field, the seed paddy will give me a good start, and I know I will pick up from there." Wilson said he lost almost everything in the flood.
"When the rains came and flood the land, I lost about ten acres of cultivated land, then the dam (Conservancy) overflowed...that finished me off... If I didn't get this assistance from the Government, all would've been lost," indicated rice farmer, Jailall Singh.
Government has recognized the significance of the rice industry to the local economy and its importance to the livelihood of thousands of rural farmers and their families. As such, it has over the years continued to place tremendous efforts in developing it. Some $12M was spent on the establishment of a laboratory and drying-floor while a further $7.4M was spent on a mechanical dryer.
In 2004, the value of rice exports increased by 21.6 percent over the previous year's earning of US455.1M.
With this flood relief assistance, it is anticipated that the next rice crop will produce its normal high yield and Guyana would be able to fulfill its export market requirements.
Due to the loss of household and personal effects and the destruction of businesses, primarily in the agricultural sector, Government established the Recovery, Planning and Implementation Secretariat, which has since undertaken several initiatives to assist those affected by the flood.

Higher Education Director for Ministry

Cabinet has given approval for the Ministry of Education to hire a Director of Higher Education, according to a release from the Ministry.
The candidate will be responsible for the strategic planning and development of Higher Education research and will have advisory powers throughout the tertiary education sector.
In addition, the Director will advise on the funding for all tertiary level institutions.
Other responsibilities will include coordinating the functions of the University of Guyana and the Cyril Potter College of Education, the Guyana School of Agriculture, all Government Technical Institutions and the National Accreditation Council.
The release stated that the Director will also advice the Minister of Education on education policies, practices and procedures; development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the national work programme.
In addition to coordinating the preparation and reviewing the annual work plan and budget for the sub sectors, facilitating efficient management and coordinating the delivery of higher education implementation, the candidate is expected to establish and maintain linkages with the Private sector, the community at large and donor agencies for the implementation of higher education. He will advice on funding for all tertiary level institutions and make proposals for such investment through strategic development and quality assurance
The Director will report to the Minister of Education and will have a similar status to that of the Chief Education Officer.

National Assembly in Session

General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party, Donald Ramotar, requested the National Assembly, when it met on Thursday, to adopt the Report of the Special Select Committee on the increase in Geographical Constituencies Seats.
On December 16, 2004, the National Assembly approved Resolution No. 54 concerning the establishment of a Special select Committee to recommend to it whether the 25 seats provided for by Section 11 of the Representation of the People Act (Chap 1:03) should be increased, and if so, by how many.
The Resolution made note that Section 11 of the Representation Act was amended to provide that Guyana be divided into ten geographical constituencies for the purpose of electing members of the National Assembly from each geographical constituency.
It also noted that the Act also provides that the ten geographical constituencies shall elect 25 members for Region 3, seven for Region 4, two for Region 5, three for Region 6, two for Region 7, one for Region 8, one for Region 9 and two for Region 10.