By letter dated April 19, 2012, addressed to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, Mr. Henry Green, DSM, has offered to retire as the Commissioner of Police of Guyana.

His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President of the Republic of Guyana has accepted his offer with immediate effect.

The Office of the President (OP) has reacted to the latest act of misinformation by Kaieteur News that air transport studies are being organised and created by OP, urging that the newspaper produce the evidence to support its claims.
OP in a statement stated that the newspaper also maligns the effort behind the construction of the new airport facility at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). “This is the level to which the Kaieteur News has fallen,” OP said.
The Administration has rejected the claims absolutely and in their entirety stating that at no time has the PPP/C administration used public funds to commission a feasibility study in establishing a National Airline in Guyana.
“Cabinet has never been approached and has never issued approval for the use of public funds for such a study. Furthermore, at no time has the PPPC administration sought to incorporate a National Airline nor to establish such an airline as a national flagship carrier,” the statement reads.
OP asserts as equally ridiculous, the claim that the airway expansion at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) was an effort to obtain a new category from the FAA in the United States of America.
“The records would show that CJIA had that original category and lost it due to human capacity constraints. It was not any reconstruction or rehabilitation of the airport that is needed to restore the loss category.”
The administration calls on Kaieteur News, “to produce the evidence, to make public the documents they claim that show that this administration was involved in their ridiculous claims.”
The Guyana Government is moving ahead with plans to construct a modern airport of international standards. The new 14,000 square meter building will include multiple terminals, and an extended runway.
Government budgeted $4.5B in the 2012 National Budget to cover the cost of the project.

THE annual conference of the National Toshaus Council opens tomorrow at the Guyana International Convention Centre, and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic extends a warm welcome to all Amerindian leaders from across Guyana who will be participating in the caucus.
The party, in a release, says it also recognizes the role and participation of the Indigenous Peoples Commission which was established by the PPP/C Government to further empower the Amerindian people of this nation.
“Over 185 leaders, community and district development officers along with other regional and national representatives are scheduled to participate at this forum which assesses the progress made by our indigenous people over the past year and establishes new plans for the coming year with the technical and financial assistance from Government.
“It is a fact that prior to 1992 our Indigenous population was on the decline. Today, with the plans and programmes implemented by this Government, it is one of the fastest growing segments of our diverse population.”
Mention was made of the significant improvements in land, water and air transport, as well Amerindians also having access to improved health and education facilities, adding, that from its inception, the PPP/C government had committed itself to improving the quality of life of the Amerindian peoples.
In the main, the administration has sought to ensure food security through the opening up of new agricultural lands providing agricultural implements including tractors to villages and seed materials to the communities.
The administration has also increased access to education, health and safe water in the interior areas, by investing heavily in these areas. The results can be seen by the growing number of interior students on government scholarships locally and internationally, it was noted.
Alluding to the year 2010, the party in its release said, more than 32 solar pumps were installed in the Amerindian communities. The PPP/C’s commitment to the well-being of the Amerindian communities was recently demonstrated in its swift action to flood victims in the Rupununi.

The party noted that on July, 18, last, its General Secretary, Donald Ramotar and Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, were in Region 8 where the Agriculture Minister in one of its regular outreaches helped the villages with planting materials and technical advice.
Ramotar, who is also the presidential candidate of the party used the opportunity to call on all Guyanese, particularly those most likely to be affected in the hinterland regions to ensure they are registered by the Guyana Elections Commission once they are qualified, so as to ensure their names are on the final voters’ list.
GECOM recently announced that it will re-open the period for Claims and Objections for 10 days, beginning tomorrow.
Speaking with the villagers, Mr. Ramotar stated that his party thinks it is important as this is the main weapon people have in their hands to determine whom they want to govern them and as such he was surprised that the opposition did not want to give them that opportunity.
He concluded by urging all those who have birth certificates, including those who recently uplifted theirs to take advantage of this period to get registered once they are over the age of 18 or will reach this age on or before September 30 2011. “GECOM will soon make the announcement on the re-opening of its offices and mobile centres to cater especially for hinterland communities such as Region 8 and I want to encourage those who are qualified to not miss this important opportunity”.
Regional and General elections are constitutionally due by December 28 2011 and the Guyana Elections Commission has expressed confidence that it will be in a position to inform the Head of State that it is ready for the polls, well in advance of this date, the release reminded.

The Government of Guyana (GoG) rejects the continued misrepresentation of the Kaieteur News of the various government projects and initiatives which seek to transform the country. The latest being the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Guyana and Ansa Mcal Group on the exploring the possibility of ethanol production in Guyana.

The Government of Guyana has recognized the importance of energy security and took the initiative of hosting the Caribbean’s first forum on expanding Bio Energy Opportunities in the Caribbean of August 2007. This forum resulted in the Inter American Development Bank partnering with the GoG through a technical cooperation to expand Bio Energy Opportunities in Guyana.

In July 2010, the GoG through public tendering awarded a contract to NUMARK Associates Inc. of the United States for the Service Consultancy to expand Bio Energy Opportunities in Guyana.  As part of the Terms of Reference, NUMARK was tasked with compiling a list of potential Bio Energy Investors who may be interested in investing in Guyana.

Based on the NUMARK’s report and the proposals received from investors, ANSA McAl was selected after their proposal was scrutinized by technical experts in the field of Bio Energy, which was subsequently approved and signed on September 30, 2011 and witnessed by representatives of the Government and ANSA McAL.

To suggest this was a secret deal is not only misleading but a gross misrepresentation of the reality and part of the continued campaign to cast aspersions on the PPP/C Government.

It must be recalled that similar accusations were made in relation to the impending project to modernize and expand the airport, the plan to construct the Marriot Hotel and the on-going One Laptop per Family project. In all of these cases, the accusation of lack of transparency was refuted. All of these projects were developed through a public procurement process. The Government challenges any publication or political group to show where these projects were done in secret and not consistent with our various laws and regulations.

February 25, 2012