This is swinging on the grapevine.
The newly appointed GINA Director was caught with his pants down in his office on Homestretch Avenue. This happened yesterday, April 16, 2007. A female staff member was also in the room in the vicinity of the dropped pants. There are reports that this new Director is a huge fan of Internet Porn and specialises in the viewing of animal/human pornography. I am quite sure the GINA Director wants to get to the bottom, and behind the naked truth.
Hats off....er Pants off to the GINA Director
TATA
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Have a laugh!!!
Another day, another deadly plot by freelance Muslim radicals foiled. Oh, sorry. That’s the plot to blow up JFK airport I’m talking about. Many of you may barely remember given that it’s been over a week now and given the mainstream media’s lackadaisical coverage of it and given said media’s overwhelming wall-to-wall coverage of the far more compelling Paris Hilton saga.
Anyway, this latest plot, coming on the heels of the foiled Fort Dix Six plot, sounds like it would have been a real doozy had it come to fruition. The idea was to plant explosives on jet fuel arteries at John F. Kennedy International Airport, set off a chain reaction that would blow up all the many jet fuel holding tanks and obliterate the entire airport and everybody in it. It would have been one big orgy of flaming destruction and mass murder. Allahu akbar!
But as fate would have it, Russell Defreitas, the alleged plot originator, befriended an FBI informant and thus began the unraveling of another intended wanton act of jihad. Defreitas, by the way, is an American citizen originally from Guyana and a Muslim convert. He also happens to be a former JFK air cargo employee who knows the airport like the back of his hand. Also arrested were Abdul Kadir, a Muslim and former member of Parliament in Guyana, and Kareem Ibrahim, a citizen of Trinidad.
Trinidad? Guyana? What the heck is going on? I thought Trinidad was a place where the locals languorously while away the sultry hours entertaining loud-shirted tourists by playing steel drums and doing the limbo. But here’s an interesting factoid: Trinidad is the Caribbean’s leading producer and exporter of oil. Another interesting factoid: Trinidad has a small but significant Muslim population.
Hmm . . . Muslims, oil . . . Sounds like a sure-fire recipe for trouble. In fact, did you know that in 1990 a radical Islamic group known as Jamaat al Muslimeen staged a coup attempt in Trinidad during which the prime minister and others were taken hostage? Fortunately, the coup was unsuccessful, but it’s highly doubtful that Trinidad has seen the last of its Islam-related problems.
As for Guyana, it’s located on the northern coast of South America not far from the island of Trinidad. It has no oil, but guess what it does have. That’s right, Muslims, approximately 10 percent of the population. And as we have learned in recent times, wherever Muslims go in any significant numbers, trouble and/or jihad is almost certain to follow.
So, getting back to the JFK plot, it was a pretty big story and you’d think the New York Times would have been all over it like white on rice. But one day after the news came out, its coverage was buried on page 37, while featured on the front page was (surprise, surprise) yet another story about those poor Club Gitmo detainees.
Well, hey, the Times seemed to be saying, what’s all the fuss about? After all, JFK “was never in imminent danger because the plot was only in a preliminary phase and the conspirators had yet to lay out detailed plans or obtain financing or explosives.” And anyway, “safety shut-off valves would almost assuredly have prevented an exploding airport fuel tank from igniting all or even part of the network.” In other words, the whole thing was a crackpot scheme by a bunch of bumbling losers that was still in the planning stages and probably had a next to zero chance of ever being pulled off. So why get the public all worked up over nothing?
Well, what about the people’s cherished “right to know,” which the Times so often cites when publicizing information that damages the Bush administration and its fight against terrorism (see endless NYT stories about Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, secret Bush program to monitor terrorist financial transactions, etc., etc.)? Even if it’s true that this particular plot had little chance of succeeding — and we don’t know that for certain — it rates front page coverage because it provides profound evidence that the psychosis of radical Islam continues to spread around the globe with the ferocity of a biblical plague.
Even the Caribbean, which most of us thought of as an innocuous playground for vacationers, appears to be seriously infected.
If the New York Times’ standard for newsworthiness when it comes to terror plots is to be inextricably linked to their apparent plausibility, then to what back page would the 9/11 plot have been relegated had it been foiled ahead of time? Arabs in flight schools learning how to fly, but not to take off or land, were going to commandeer commercial airliners with box cutters? And they were going to take out both World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and possibly the White House or the Capitol? Come off it! This story belongs on the funny pages.
John Edwards recently said that the global war on terror was nothing more than a “bumper sticker” slogan used by Bush to justify everything from abuses at Abu Ghraib to the invasion of Iraq. The New York Times is in wholehearted agreement and believes that when it comes to foiled or alleged terror plots, it’s all inconsequential silliness and BushCo scaremongering. At least, it is until the next time thousands are slaughtered. Then, you can count on page one headlines screaming about intelligence failures and demanding to know why Bush didn‘t protect us.
Anyway, this latest plot, coming on the heels of the foiled Fort Dix Six plot, sounds like it would have been a real doozy had it come to fruition. The idea was to plant explosives on jet fuel arteries at John F. Kennedy International Airport, set off a chain reaction that would blow up all the many jet fuel holding tanks and obliterate the entire airport and everybody in it. It would have been one big orgy of flaming destruction and mass murder. Allahu akbar!
But as fate would have it, Russell Defreitas, the alleged plot originator, befriended an FBI informant and thus began the unraveling of another intended wanton act of jihad. Defreitas, by the way, is an American citizen originally from Guyana and a Muslim convert. He also happens to be a former JFK air cargo employee who knows the airport like the back of his hand. Also arrested were Abdul Kadir, a Muslim and former member of Parliament in Guyana, and Kareem Ibrahim, a citizen of Trinidad.
Trinidad? Guyana? What the heck is going on? I thought Trinidad was a place where the locals languorously while away the sultry hours entertaining loud-shirted tourists by playing steel drums and doing the limbo. But here’s an interesting factoid: Trinidad is the Caribbean’s leading producer and exporter of oil. Another interesting factoid: Trinidad has a small but significant Muslim population.
Hmm . . . Muslims, oil . . . Sounds like a sure-fire recipe for trouble. In fact, did you know that in 1990 a radical Islamic group known as Jamaat al Muslimeen staged a coup attempt in Trinidad during which the prime minister and others were taken hostage? Fortunately, the coup was unsuccessful, but it’s highly doubtful that Trinidad has seen the last of its Islam-related problems.
As for Guyana, it’s located on the northern coast of South America not far from the island of Trinidad. It has no oil, but guess what it does have. That’s right, Muslims, approximately 10 percent of the population. And as we have learned in recent times, wherever Muslims go in any significant numbers, trouble and/or jihad is almost certain to follow.
So, getting back to the JFK plot, it was a pretty big story and you’d think the New York Times would have been all over it like white on rice. But one day after the news came out, its coverage was buried on page 37, while featured on the front page was (surprise, surprise) yet another story about those poor Club Gitmo detainees.
Well, hey, the Times seemed to be saying, what’s all the fuss about? After all, JFK “was never in imminent danger because the plot was only in a preliminary phase and the conspirators had yet to lay out detailed plans or obtain financing or explosives.” And anyway, “safety shut-off valves would almost assuredly have prevented an exploding airport fuel tank from igniting all or even part of the network.” In other words, the whole thing was a crackpot scheme by a bunch of bumbling losers that was still in the planning stages and probably had a next to zero chance of ever being pulled off. So why get the public all worked up over nothing?
Well, what about the people’s cherished “right to know,” which the Times so often cites when publicizing information that damages the Bush administration and its fight against terrorism (see endless NYT stories about Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, secret Bush program to monitor terrorist financial transactions, etc., etc.)? Even if it’s true that this particular plot had little chance of succeeding — and we don’t know that for certain — it rates front page coverage because it provides profound evidence that the psychosis of radical Islam continues to spread around the globe with the ferocity of a biblical plague.
Even the Caribbean, which most of us thought of as an innocuous playground for vacationers, appears to be seriously infected.
If the New York Times’ standard for newsworthiness when it comes to terror plots is to be inextricably linked to their apparent plausibility, then to what back page would the 9/11 plot have been relegated had it been foiled ahead of time? Arabs in flight schools learning how to fly, but not to take off or land, were going to commandeer commercial airliners with box cutters? And they were going to take out both World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and possibly the White House or the Capitol? Come off it! This story belongs on the funny pages.
John Edwards recently said that the global war on terror was nothing more than a “bumper sticker” slogan used by Bush to justify everything from abuses at Abu Ghraib to the invasion of Iraq. The New York Times is in wholehearted agreement and believes that when it comes to foiled or alleged terror plots, it’s all inconsequential silliness and BushCo scaremongering. At least, it is until the next time thousands are slaughtered. Then, you can count on page one headlines screaming about intelligence failures and demanding to know why Bush didn‘t protect us.
Guyanese looked to be Bailed out
A judge denied bail for three suspects accused of plotting to bomb New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, ordering them to remain in jail until a hearing on a U.S. request for their extradition.The three men _ Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur _ smiled and waved to about 20 supporters and family members in the courtroom on Monday but did not speak. A son of Kadir said FBI agents had questioned relatives over the weekend.
Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicols said he was denying bail «given the nature and the seriousness of the offense, and ordered them to remain in jail until an Aug. 2 hearing on a U.S. extradition request.
The suspects, arrested this month in the twin-island Caribbean nation, are accused of participating in a Muslim terror cell that planned to blow up a jet fuel artery that runs through residential neighborhoods and feeds Kennedy airport.The alleged mastermind of the plot, U.S. citizen Russell Defreitas, 63, is a Guyana native who worked as a cargo handler at the airport until 1995.
He is in custody in New York.U.S. authorities claim the alleged plotters unsuccessfully sought support in Trinidad from Jamaat al Muslimeen, a radical Islamic group that staged a deadly coup attempt here in 1990.Rajiv Persad, an attorney for Kadir and Ibrahim, argued for their release on bail, noting they do not have criminal records and that Kadir served until last year as an opposition legislator in Guyana's parliament.
There is no evidence that these men would abscond, given that they are solid members of their communities,» Persad said.Defense attorneys said Kadir and Nur, who are from Guyana, have relatives in Trinidad they could stay with if granted bail. Ibrahim is from Trinidad.Relatives and acquaintances of the suspects have expressed skepticism that they would be capable of organizing an international plot.
We know that the allegations are all fabricated,» said Talibah Ali, a member of the mosque where Ibrahim is a Shiite cleric.But Israel Khan, an attorney who represented the U.S. government at the bail hearing, said, You cannot look at a person and say that he looks like a terrorist or not. They come in all fashions.
There is evidence of conversations of them plotting to carry out this offense,» he added.In court, Khan handed defense attorneys pictures that he said depicted Kadir and his family carrying semiautomatic weapons and handguns. He offered to show them to the judge, who replied, «I don't need to see them at this stage.
Over the weekend, agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation accompanied by local police interviewed two children of Abdul Kadir in Guyana, his son Salim Kadir told The Associated Press on Monday.
«We were questioned by about four FBI agents but we have nothing to hide,» he said, adding that documents were seized from the family's home, though he did not provide specifics.
Abdul Kadir, 55, a former mayor of Linden, Guyana, was taken off a plane in Trinidad and arrested as he prepared to fly to Iran through Venezuela to attend an international Islamic conference.
Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicols said he was denying bail «given the nature and the seriousness of the offense, and ordered them to remain in jail until an Aug. 2 hearing on a U.S. extradition request.
The suspects, arrested this month in the twin-island Caribbean nation, are accused of participating in a Muslim terror cell that planned to blow up a jet fuel artery that runs through residential neighborhoods and feeds Kennedy airport.The alleged mastermind of the plot, U.S. citizen Russell Defreitas, 63, is a Guyana native who worked as a cargo handler at the airport until 1995.
He is in custody in New York.U.S. authorities claim the alleged plotters unsuccessfully sought support in Trinidad from Jamaat al Muslimeen, a radical Islamic group that staged a deadly coup attempt here in 1990.Rajiv Persad, an attorney for Kadir and Ibrahim, argued for their release on bail, noting they do not have criminal records and that Kadir served until last year as an opposition legislator in Guyana's parliament.
There is no evidence that these men would abscond, given that they are solid members of their communities,» Persad said.Defense attorneys said Kadir and Nur, who are from Guyana, have relatives in Trinidad they could stay with if granted bail. Ibrahim is from Trinidad.Relatives and acquaintances of the suspects have expressed skepticism that they would be capable of organizing an international plot.
We know that the allegations are all fabricated,» said Talibah Ali, a member of the mosque where Ibrahim is a Shiite cleric.But Israel Khan, an attorney who represented the U.S. government at the bail hearing, said, You cannot look at a person and say that he looks like a terrorist or not. They come in all fashions.
There is evidence of conversations of them plotting to carry out this offense,» he added.In court, Khan handed defense attorneys pictures that he said depicted Kadir and his family carrying semiautomatic weapons and handguns. He offered to show them to the judge, who replied, «I don't need to see them at this stage.
Over the weekend, agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation accompanied by local police interviewed two children of Abdul Kadir in Guyana, his son Salim Kadir told The Associated Press on Monday.
«We were questioned by about four FBI agents but we have nothing to hide,» he said, adding that documents were seized from the family's home, though he did not provide specifics.
Abdul Kadir, 55, a former mayor of Linden, Guyana, was taken off a plane in Trinidad and arrested as he prepared to fly to Iran through Venezuela to attend an international Islamic conference.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Hats off to Sarwan
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 29 (Reuters)
Ramnaresh Sarwan has been appointed as the new captain of West Indies following the retirement of Brian Lara, Caribbean media reported on Sunday.
CMC Sport said that Sarwan had been given the job at a meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on Sunday.
The WICB were not immediately reachable for confirmation.
The 26-year-old right-handed batsmen from Guyana had been widely tipped to take the job for the upcoming tour of England. The first test is on May 17.
Sarwan, who was Lara's vice-captain, has played in 65 test matches and 124 one-day internationals.
Ramnaresh Sarwan has been appointed as the new captain of West Indies following the retirement of Brian Lara, Caribbean media reported on Sunday.
CMC Sport said that Sarwan had been given the job at a meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on Sunday.
The WICB were not immediately reachable for confirmation.
The 26-year-old right-handed batsmen from Guyana had been widely tipped to take the job for the upcoming tour of England. The first test is on May 17.
Sarwan, who was Lara's vice-captain, has played in 65 test matches and 124 one-day internationals.
Unethical Andrea!
Andrea is a sassy looking floor manager for NCN's Guyana Today show but she needs to be thought a lesson or two on etiquette or the dos and don'ts of being on television. She is used to being so much behind the scenes that now when she is allowed to be in front of the cameras she literally wants to gobble up all the attention.
Some nerve you have Andrea that you stick your spoon in every food of container at the Indian Trade Fair and then stick it in your mouth repeatedly. Container after container, the same spoon you stick in your mouth. Shameful and disgusting! These are the same containers of food that we will have to eat from if we turned up at the same stall you were advertising.
Couldn’t you just allow some one to take out a bit from each bowl and place it into a saucer of some sorts, than to have you just dipping one spoon in each container? Gee we wonder how much they pay you. You need to make a public apology sister.
This is what Guy TV has become. Schuuups!
Some nerve you have Andrea that you stick your spoon in every food of container at the Indian Trade Fair and then stick it in your mouth repeatedly. Container after container, the same spoon you stick in your mouth. Shameful and disgusting! These are the same containers of food that we will have to eat from if we turned up at the same stall you were advertising.
Couldn’t you just allow some one to take out a bit from each bowl and place it into a saucer of some sorts, than to have you just dipping one spoon in each container? Gee we wonder how much they pay you. You need to make a public apology sister.
This is what Guy TV has become. Schuuups!
Ole Higue!!!
Who ever said that Guyanese culture is not alive must be bloody dead by now. It came across to us as shocking and bizarre, that killing of a guyanese woman in Bare Root on Saturday for reasons best known to the creator.
Residents are clearly sying that the woman had to be killed because she appeared to be a blood sucking spirit , some sort of vampire. They call them Ole Higues in Guyana.
We don't know much about these evil spirits...But here is bit of history if your are ignorant like us.
Ole-Higue
Also known as "Fire Rass", she is the Guyanese equivalent of a vampire. Ole-Higue is always female. She sucks the blood of unsuspecting victims as they sleep. Her favorite victims are young children.
The Ole-Higue's distinguishing feature is the fact that during the day she lives among other Guyanese as a somewhat introverted and quietly old lady, maybe you know one… she possibly lives at the edge of your village.
At night this seemingly harmless old woman removes her skin, places it gently in a calabash and travel across the sky as a ball of fire heading to the home of her intended victim. To enter the home she shrinks herself and enters through the keyhole.
Guyanese believe that there are 3 ways to catch an Ole-Higue:
*To turn the key while she is trying to get through the key hole. As a result even today many Guyanese lock their doors and then turn their key to a horizontal position to allow an Ole-Higue to make it part way into the hole. The rustling of the key should wake the tenant who can then turn the key fully and crush the Ole-Higue. The next morning one should see a pile of bones on the doorstep.
*To find the skin of the Ole-Higue in the Calabash and put hot peppers in the skin, an Ole-Higue who tries to wear this skin will be burned by the pepper and then sing a well know song…Lawd skin yuh ing kno me?… why yuh bite me?
*Since the Ole-Higue is of Dutch and Afro-Guyanese heritage the Dutch side makes her miserly. The easiest way to catch her is to spill rice grains on the floor in front of your front door. As the Ole-Higue enters your house she will be compelled to count every rice grain.
A smart Guyanese will make sure there a large helping of rice on the floor and no bags in sight. As a result the Ole-Higue will have to pick up the grains with her right hand and place counted grains in her left hand.
As is to be expected her hands can only hold so many rice grains and it is only a matter of time before the grains begin to fall back to the ground and the process begins again. When the home owner awakes the next morning he/she should find a very tired and incredibly distressed Ole-Higue counting rice. At this point in time a smart Guyanese will beat the woman to death with a special anti-Ole-Higue broom.
Residents are clearly sying that the woman had to be killed because she appeared to be a blood sucking spirit , some sort of vampire. They call them Ole Higues in Guyana.
We don't know much about these evil spirits...But here is bit of history if your are ignorant like us.
Ole-Higue
Also known as "Fire Rass", she is the Guyanese equivalent of a vampire. Ole-Higue is always female. She sucks the blood of unsuspecting victims as they sleep. Her favorite victims are young children.
The Ole-Higue's distinguishing feature is the fact that during the day she lives among other Guyanese as a somewhat introverted and quietly old lady, maybe you know one… she possibly lives at the edge of your village.
At night this seemingly harmless old woman removes her skin, places it gently in a calabash and travel across the sky as a ball of fire heading to the home of her intended victim. To enter the home she shrinks herself and enters through the keyhole.
Guyanese believe that there are 3 ways to catch an Ole-Higue:
*To turn the key while she is trying to get through the key hole. As a result even today many Guyanese lock their doors and then turn their key to a horizontal position to allow an Ole-Higue to make it part way into the hole. The rustling of the key should wake the tenant who can then turn the key fully and crush the Ole-Higue. The next morning one should see a pile of bones on the doorstep.
*To find the skin of the Ole-Higue in the Calabash and put hot peppers in the skin, an Ole-Higue who tries to wear this skin will be burned by the pepper and then sing a well know song…Lawd skin yuh ing kno me?… why yuh bite me?
*Since the Ole-Higue is of Dutch and Afro-Guyanese heritage the Dutch side makes her miserly. The easiest way to catch her is to spill rice grains on the floor in front of your front door. As the Ole-Higue enters your house she will be compelled to count every rice grain.
A smart Guyanese will make sure there a large helping of rice on the floor and no bags in sight. As a result the Ole-Higue will have to pick up the grains with her right hand and place counted grains in her left hand.
As is to be expected her hands can only hold so many rice grains and it is only a matter of time before the grains begin to fall back to the ground and the process begins again. When the home owner awakes the next morning he/she should find a very tired and incredibly distressed Ole-Higue counting rice. At this point in time a smart Guyanese will beat the woman to death with a special anti-Ole-Higue broom.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
We're back!!!
We’re back and so is heeeh haaah, heeeh haaah.
It feels as if we have awoken in the middle of a movie by the horror master himself, Steven King. Like Morgan Freeman in Dream Catcher we have been plunged into a horrifying struggle with a creature from another world.
That creature is Guyana, one of the more picturesque places one would surely like to call home, but for most of the times, its hell on earth.
A good friend of ours would remind us regularly that God had plans for Guyana, but like his pastor would say, the man above works in mysterious ways, even those who claim to have a good relationship with the Supreme Being sometime marvel at his works.
Our Friend is head-strong in his belief that God has plans to make Guyana the hell’s pit.
He said look around, there is plenty space and more leaving, even the donkey that end up at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, Sharma said wants to leave.. But its more like Only a donkey would want to come here.
Now that’s another talking point.
We never wanted to put Guyana in disrepute as soon as we returned to the super highway.
Nonetheless, that donkey some of us saw at the CJIA, is now a popular beast, after many tourists who were in Guyana for cricket took photos of him, one appeared on KN’s front page today.
Its not that the donkey is trying to leave, but he is actually just landed and was waiting to be picked up like many overseas based Guyanese, who relatives sometimes leave stranded despite the little Uncle Sam dollar they send back.
But as one lady who sat two rows in front of us on our flight said, that donkey is part of the hospitable welcome at the CJIA. She said what struck her is that the darn beast just stood there and said nothing and, didn’t even offer her a garland.
Guyana’s Tourism is “Giddying Up.” And we are happy to be in Guyana and we will Giddy Up on this heeee heee heee blog.
It feels as if we have awoken in the middle of a movie by the horror master himself, Steven King. Like Morgan Freeman in Dream Catcher we have been plunged into a horrifying struggle with a creature from another world.That creature is Guyana, one of the more picturesque places one would surely like to call home, but for most of the times, its hell on earth.
A good friend of ours would remind us regularly that God had plans for Guyana, but like his pastor would say, the man above works in mysterious ways, even those who claim to have a good relationship with the Supreme Being sometime marvel at his works.
Our Friend is head-strong in his belief that God has plans to make Guyana the hell’s pit.
He said look around, there is plenty space and more leaving, even the donkey that end up at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, Sharma said wants to leave.. But its more like Only a donkey would want to come here.
Now that’s another talking point.
We never wanted to put Guyana in disrepute as soon as we returned to the super highway.
Nonetheless, that donkey some of us saw at the CJIA, is now a popular beast, after many tourists who were in Guyana for cricket took photos of him, one appeared on KN’s front page today.
Its not that the donkey is trying to leave, but he is actually just landed and was waiting to be picked up like many overseas based Guyanese, who relatives sometimes leave stranded despite the little Uncle Sam dollar they send back.
But as one lady who sat two rows in front of us on our flight said, that donkey is part of the hospitable welcome at the CJIA. She said what struck her is that the darn beast just stood there and said nothing and, didn’t even offer her a garland.
Guyana’s Tourism is “Giddying Up.” And we are happy to be in Guyana and we will Giddy Up on this heeee heee heee blog.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
All aboard!
Tell it as is...
We spoke before on what competition does for a country and it came to pass. The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company should have in its coffers enough money to spring an advertising blitz on new entrant Digicel. They should have, after all they raped the pockets of innocent Guyanese for years, reaping huge amounts of money.
Surely, one retired Major General, who now heads the GT&T operations must be hitting himself in the head for taking up the appointment when it was offered. Not only him, those sorry-ass entertainers which include Hits&Jams, Sterosonics, and the two divas of local music, Tamika and Celeste must also be drooling.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who once advertised for GT&T has now switched, partly because Digicel sponsors the West Indies team. For more than one reason, 'Ronnie' we know is happy. We spoke to him about it at the Digicel VIP Party which was held at the Pegasus. (More on that at a subsequent date).
The best that GT&T has done so far, is to play on the minds of those same innocent Guyanese by telling them that GT&T is a Guyanese company. Nonsense! GT&T is a subsidary of Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN), a US-based entity.
Instead of being honest with consumers, they continue to peddle lies in the media even though a full-page advertisement that mimic Digicel's countdown ad. According to Digicel folks, "They are here to stay."
Say goodbye to GT&T, Digicel has awoken a tired, hungry, giant size consumer population.
We spoke before on what competition does for a country and it came to pass. The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company should have in its coffers enough money to spring an advertising blitz on new entrant Digicel. They should have, after all they raped the pockets of innocent Guyanese for years, reaping huge amounts of money.
Surely, one retired Major General, who now heads the GT&T operations must be hitting himself in the head for taking up the appointment when it was offered. Not only him, those sorry-ass entertainers which include Hits&Jams, Sterosonics, and the two divas of local music, Tamika and Celeste must also be drooling.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who once advertised for GT&T has now switched, partly because Digicel sponsors the West Indies team. For more than one reason, 'Ronnie' we know is happy. We spoke to him about it at the Digicel VIP Party which was held at the Pegasus. (More on that at a subsequent date).
The best that GT&T has done so far, is to play on the minds of those same innocent Guyanese by telling them that GT&T is a Guyanese company. Nonsense! GT&T is a subsidary of Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN), a US-based entity.
GT&T has boasted of having more customers while at the same time neglecting to update their platform to effectively handle the high volumes of calls that accompany increased customers.
Instead of being honest with consumers, they continue to peddle lies in the media even though a full-page advertisement that mimic Digicel's countdown ad. According to Digicel folks, "They are here to stay."
Say goodbye to GT&T, Digicel has awoken a tired, hungry, giant size consumer population.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Press Freedom? #4
Reporters Without Borders condemns Guyana government
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
PARIS, France: Reporters Without Borders has condemned the Guyanese government's withdrawal of virtually all state advertising from the Stabroek News, the country's leading privately-owned daily, and its refusal to respond to the initiatives taken by the newspaper in response to this discriminatory measure.
"Governments must not allocate advertising to some news media as a reward, and withdraw it from others as a punishment - this is spelled out in the Chapultepec Declaration, which Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo himself signed," Reporters Without Borders said.
"Unfortunately, the government's silence in the face of the Stabroek News' legitimate demands suggests that the newspaper is being financially penalised because of its editorial positions," the press freedom organisation added.
"The government must provide an explanation and if it is slow to do so, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights should instruct it to provide one."The Stabroek News, which is critical of the Jagdeo government, said its earnings from state advertising (government announcements, ministerial press releases etc) had declined sharply since November, three months after Jagdeo's reelection as president.
The Guyana Press Association and the Stabroek News accused Nanda Gopaul, permanent secretary at the office of the president, of ordering the Government Information Agency (GINA) not to assign any more advertising to the newspaper.
The GINA subsequently confirmed that only Guyana Revenue Authority advertisements were henceforth to be placed with the Stabroek News.The newspaper's editor, David de Caires, said he never received any reply to his request for a meeting with GINA director Prem Misir.
De Caires wrote to Misir on 3 January claiming that the Stabroek News was being directly attacked "for political reasons," in violation of the March 1994 Chapultepec Declaration on freedom of information and expression, which Jagdeo signed.
Karen Persaud, the person in charge of advertising at GINA, told De Caires on 9 January that his request "has been taken into account but has not yet been examined by the department concerned." De Caires wrote back the next day complaining about this "unclear and unsatisfactory" reply.
He has heard nothing more since then.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
PARIS, France: Reporters Without Borders has condemned the Guyanese government's withdrawal of virtually all state advertising from the Stabroek News, the country's leading privately-owned daily, and its refusal to respond to the initiatives taken by the newspaper in response to this discriminatory measure.
"Governments must not allocate advertising to some news media as a reward, and withdraw it from others as a punishment - this is spelled out in the Chapultepec Declaration, which Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo himself signed," Reporters Without Borders said.
"Unfortunately, the government's silence in the face of the Stabroek News' legitimate demands suggests that the newspaper is being financially penalised because of its editorial positions," the press freedom organisation added.
"The government must provide an explanation and if it is slow to do so, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights should instruct it to provide one."The Stabroek News, which is critical of the Jagdeo government, said its earnings from state advertising (government announcements, ministerial press releases etc) had declined sharply since November, three months after Jagdeo's reelection as president.
The Guyana Press Association and the Stabroek News accused Nanda Gopaul, permanent secretary at the office of the president, of ordering the Government Information Agency (GINA) not to assign any more advertising to the newspaper.
The GINA subsequently confirmed that only Guyana Revenue Authority advertisements were henceforth to be placed with the Stabroek News.The newspaper's editor, David de Caires, said he never received any reply to his request for a meeting with GINA director Prem Misir.
De Caires wrote to Misir on 3 January claiming that the Stabroek News was being directly attacked "for political reasons," in violation of the March 1994 Chapultepec Declaration on freedom of information and expression, which Jagdeo signed.
Karen Persaud, the person in charge of advertising at GINA, told De Caires on 9 January that his request "has been taken into account but has not yet been examined by the department concerned." De Caires wrote back the next day complaining about this "unclear and unsatisfactory" reply.
He has heard nothing more since then.
Press Fredom ? # 3...Media vs. State
Information about the government’s decision to pull the plug on state advertising in the Stabroek News marks the dawn of a new era in Guyana’s history.
We have seen what has happened in many communist countries, where governments have sought to suppress media that dare to oppose its policies.
Fundamentally, a free press is important in a democracy, but as late the government has sought to chastise the Stabroek News, the only media house known for sound and solid reporting.
Reporters in Guyana have allowed the administration to run a mock of the profession, simply because of disunity that exists even at the Guyana Press Association (GPA).
The Guyana Chronicle and the Kaieteur News live tainted press lives. We have no apologies about that. Some reporters must be blamed also, since many of them are literally in bed with the politicians and can be called upon to report a good story about any of them.
With the exception of Stabroek News and Capitol News, no other media house has taken a stance on an issue without a hidden agenda. At one time the Kaieteur News appeared to be taken a firm position against pornographic pictures of young girls.
Though this is unacceptable, those in high society know why they went after the sons of a popular city business.
There are so many young girls and boys that have been terrorized by serving government ministers, yet no reporter has gone after these people.
Female ministers have trashed males, yet nothing has been reported.
The reporters attend their Christmas parties and yes, snack away at their media conferences.
The media has been bought, so the government is now moving to buy the only independent media house left, the Stabroek News.
Just take a look around and see what eventually happens when one refuses to say all good things about the Jagdeo government…
Roger Moore, gone!
Basil Bradshaw, tamed!
Mark Benschop, jailed!
Clem David, insignificant!
Final word!
We have seen what has happened in many communist countries, where governments have sought to suppress media that dare to oppose its policies.
Fundamentally, a free press is important in a democracy, but as late the government has sought to chastise the Stabroek News, the only media house known for sound and solid reporting.
Reporters in Guyana have allowed the administration to run a mock of the profession, simply because of disunity that exists even at the Guyana Press Association (GPA).
The Guyana Chronicle and the Kaieteur News live tainted press lives. We have no apologies about that. Some reporters must be blamed also, since many of them are literally in bed with the politicians and can be called upon to report a good story about any of them.
With the exception of Stabroek News and Capitol News, no other media house has taken a stance on an issue without a hidden agenda. At one time the Kaieteur News appeared to be taken a firm position against pornographic pictures of young girls.
Though this is unacceptable, those in high society know why they went after the sons of a popular city business.
There are so many young girls and boys that have been terrorized by serving government ministers, yet no reporter has gone after these people.
Female ministers have trashed males, yet nothing has been reported.
The reporters attend their Christmas parties and yes, snack away at their media conferences.
The media has been bought, so the government is now moving to buy the only independent media house left, the Stabroek News.
Just take a look around and see what eventually happens when one refuses to say all good things about the Jagdeo government…
Roger Moore, gone!
Basil Bradshaw, tamed!
Mark Benschop, jailed!
Clem David, insignificant!
Final word!
Press Freedom? #2
The Guyana Press Association (GPA) notes with deep concern the apparent decision by the Guyana Government to withdraw most advertisements from the privately-owned Stabroek News newspaper.
While, in the context of the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA) Declaration of Chapultepec; it appears that move could be regarded as a dastardly attack on press freedom; the GPA stands ready to play a meaningful role in having the matter resolved.
The GPA is always mindful of such instances whenever they emerge, having regard to pre-1992 when the then administration had severely curtailed access not only to the State Media by its critics but suffocated the importation of newsprint by newspapers that it had considered virtually enemies of the State.
In this context, we trust that there is no relationship between the alleged decision to cease the placement of most government advertisements in Stabroek News and criticisms by the Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo and the governing Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) in recent months.
The GPA states unequivocally that the occupants of the corridors of power and national decision-making are often under greater scrutiny by the media--the Fourth Estate-- but should not be punished or appear to be punished for it.
Again, having regard to our not so recent past as a country, the GPA is remains vigilant against cowardly acts by governments that seek to use State resources as a weapon against media that are critical of its policies, views and decisions on matters.
The GPA trusts that, as a signatory to the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA) Declaration of Chapultepec, the government would take every necessary step to revisit its position.
The GPA has already informed the umbrella Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM). The Stabroek News' statement and the GPA's initial reaction have been also communicated to Reporters San Frontiers (Reporters Without Borders). An executive meeting of the association would be held very shortly to decide on additional courses of action.
The GPA restates its position that it is prepared to play any meaningful role in acquiring a greater understanding of the government's decision while at the same time ensuring that the viability of the media is preserved and media-freedom is a hall-mark of our evolving democracy.
While, in the context of the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA) Declaration of Chapultepec; it appears that move could be regarded as a dastardly attack on press freedom; the GPA stands ready to play a meaningful role in having the matter resolved.
The GPA is always mindful of such instances whenever they emerge, having regard to pre-1992 when the then administration had severely curtailed access not only to the State Media by its critics but suffocated the importation of newsprint by newspapers that it had considered virtually enemies of the State.
In this context, we trust that there is no relationship between the alleged decision to cease the placement of most government advertisements in Stabroek News and criticisms by the Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo and the governing Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) in recent months.
The GPA states unequivocally that the occupants of the corridors of power and national decision-making are often under greater scrutiny by the media--the Fourth Estate-- but should not be punished or appear to be punished for it.
Again, having regard to our not so recent past as a country, the GPA is remains vigilant against cowardly acts by governments that seek to use State resources as a weapon against media that are critical of its policies, views and decisions on matters.
The GPA trusts that, as a signatory to the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA) Declaration of Chapultepec, the government would take every necessary step to revisit its position.
The GPA has already informed the umbrella Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM). The Stabroek News' statement and the GPA's initial reaction have been also communicated to Reporters San Frontiers (Reporters Without Borders). An executive meeting of the association would be held very shortly to decide on additional courses of action.
The GPA restates its position that it is prepared to play any meaningful role in acquiring a greater understanding of the government's decision while at the same time ensuring that the viability of the media is preserved and media-freedom is a hall-mark of our evolving democracy.
Press Freedom? #1
The Government Information Agency (GINA) has withdrawn advertisements from Stabroek News on the instructions of Dr Nanda Gopaul, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President.
David de Caires, Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News, said today that since the beginning of November 2006, the Advertising Manager Ms P. Cumbermack reported a significant reduction in the booking of advertisements from this agency which handles all the ads of government ministries. Indeed, she later advised that except for advertisements from the Guyana Revenue Authority dealing with the impending Value Added Tax no other bookings were being received from GINA.
Several efforts were made to contact Dr Prem Misir, the Director of GINA, to discuss this matter but he did not accept nor return any telephone calls.
On the 3rd January, 2007 de Caires wrote Dr Misir referring to the cessation of advertisements which had resulted directly from a political directive and stated that this was a direct attack on the newspaper for political reasons and was completely unacceptable. He noted that President Bharrat Jagdeo had signed the declaration of Chapultepec, a famous declaration of free press principles adopted by the Inter American Press Association in Mexico City on March 11, 1994. Clause 7 of that declaration states explicitly that “the granting or withdrawal of government advertising may not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists”.
De Caires requested Dr Misir to “urgently review this new discriminatory policy and that you let me have your written assurance that you will not persist with it.”
On the 9th January, 2007 , a reply was received from Ms Karen Persaud, Advertising Coordinator of the GINA Advertising Unit which referred to the letter and stated that “the issues raised have been acknowledged and have now been presented to the relevant department for review”. On the 10th January, 2007 , de Caires responded as follows: “Your statement that “the issues raised have been acknowledged and have now been presented to the relevant department for review” is unclear and unsatisfactory. We must assume it to mean that Dr Gopaul’s directive to cut off all ministry ads from our newspaper has been withdrawn and that we will now receive an appropriate proportion of these advertisements.
Since that day no ministry advertisements have been received from GINA though several have appeared in the other newspapers. It seems clear there has been no change in policy.
De Caires stated that this decision by the government to withdraw ads constituted an apparent reversal of its policy of respect for freedom of expression and constituted an attack on the free press. He expressed regret that this Government which had when in opposition suffered from restrictions on press freedom had seen it fit to behave in this manner.
He said copies of this release are being be sent to all the local media, the Caribbean newspapers and the International Press Institute, the Commonwealth Press Union and the Inter American Press Association, three organizations dedicated to the preservation of press freedom and of which Stabroek News is a member.
David de Caires, Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News, said today that since the beginning of November 2006, the Advertising Manager Ms P. Cumbermack reported a significant reduction in the booking of advertisements from this agency which handles all the ads of government ministries. Indeed, she later advised that except for advertisements from the Guyana Revenue Authority dealing with the impending Value Added Tax no other bookings were being received from GINA.
Several efforts were made to contact Dr Prem Misir, the Director of GINA, to discuss this matter but he did not accept nor return any telephone calls.
On the 3rd January, 2007 de Caires wrote Dr Misir referring to the cessation of advertisements which had resulted directly from a political directive and stated that this was a direct attack on the newspaper for political reasons and was completely unacceptable. He noted that President Bharrat Jagdeo had signed the declaration of Chapultepec, a famous declaration of free press principles adopted by the Inter American Press Association in Mexico City on March 11, 1994. Clause 7 of that declaration states explicitly that “the granting or withdrawal of government advertising may not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists”.
De Caires requested Dr Misir to “urgently review this new discriminatory policy and that you let me have your written assurance that you will not persist with it.”
On the 9th January, 2007 , a reply was received from Ms Karen Persaud, Advertising Coordinator of the GINA Advertising Unit which referred to the letter and stated that “the issues raised have been acknowledged and have now been presented to the relevant department for review”. On the 10th January, 2007 , de Caires responded as follows: “Your statement that “the issues raised have been acknowledged and have now been presented to the relevant department for review” is unclear and unsatisfactory. We must assume it to mean that Dr Gopaul’s directive to cut off all ministry ads from our newspaper has been withdrawn and that we will now receive an appropriate proportion of these advertisements.
Since that day no ministry advertisements have been received from GINA though several have appeared in the other newspapers. It seems clear there has been no change in policy.
De Caires stated that this decision by the government to withdraw ads constituted an apparent reversal of its policy of respect for freedom of expression and constituted an attack on the free press. He expressed regret that this Government which had when in opposition suffered from restrictions on press freedom had seen it fit to behave in this manner.
He said copies of this release are being be sent to all the local media, the Caribbean newspapers and the International Press Institute, the Commonwealth Press Union and the Inter American Press Association, three organizations dedicated to the preservation of press freedom and of which Stabroek News is a member.
VAT woes...
VAT…VAT…and more VAT.
Since January 2, Guyana has gone VAT crazy and consumers may soon run crazy with all those high prices attributed to the new tax system.
Puri has gone from $80 to $100. Most beverages now cost $20 more. So where is the much talked about and promised reduction in prices? Its somewhere out there, very invisible.
The Government and its “Tax pit bull”, Khursid Sattaur has lied to this nation, choosing instead to cast blame on unscrupulous businesses for the skyrocketing prices. It is true that Guyana, with one of the highest inflation rate in the Caribbean, also has the highest VAT rate of 16 %.
A weaken opposition, unions that have been bought and spineless Guyanese have allowed this administration to persists along this devious path.
CN Sharma seems to be the only one effectively opposing the entire façade. Opposition Leader Robert Corbin has become so insignificant that he has now forced to weigh-in on Sharma’s justice scale by joining a March organized by CN. The march on Saturday did little to drive home the point that Guyanese are vexed about VAT, but another March, this Thursday and Friday will test the strength of the PNCR-1G.
Sharma has shown his worth by using his television station to force the Tax pit bull to scurry down to CNS studios to rebut claims by Sharma about VAT.
Fact is the government said that VAT would replace eight existing Taxes. Instead it has replaced only six. Then they said that VAT will result in massive price reductions…The Mighty Rebel put it best when he said: “All of that was lie…pon de radio and television they telling lies.”
President Bharrat Jagdeo a week before the implementation of the new system announced that there will be some teething problems, but did not say that consumers would have been the ones left with those teeth marks.
Why did he wait so late to express concerns about the implementation of VAT, where were these concerns all the time.
The administration said that VAT was not designed to increase the administration’s coffers. Lie again. If this was true, why not extend the period of stock relief beyond December so that consumers would not have to pay double TAX. The fact is that businesses have to charge VAT, and no businessman in his right senses would remove a Tax that he has already paid from the mark-up price.
There are so many unanswered questions, yet the President seeks to play hide and seek.
Where is the captain of the ship, which has sprung a leak?
Hope he is not off to one of those casinos already?
Consumers are sinking…they are paying the price of a government that has failed to utilize the policing mechanisms in place to collect revenue and stop the smuggling of goods.
Total failure!
Since January 2, Guyana has gone VAT crazy and consumers may soon run crazy with all those high prices attributed to the new tax system.
Puri has gone from $80 to $100. Most beverages now cost $20 more. So where is the much talked about and promised reduction in prices? Its somewhere out there, very invisible.
The Government and its “Tax pit bull”, Khursid Sattaur has lied to this nation, choosing instead to cast blame on unscrupulous businesses for the skyrocketing prices. It is true that Guyana, with one of the highest inflation rate in the Caribbean, also has the highest VAT rate of 16 %.
A weaken opposition, unions that have been bought and spineless Guyanese have allowed this administration to persists along this devious path.
CN Sharma seems to be the only one effectively opposing the entire façade. Opposition Leader Robert Corbin has become so insignificant that he has now forced to weigh-in on Sharma’s justice scale by joining a March organized by CN. The march on Saturday did little to drive home the point that Guyanese are vexed about VAT, but another March, this Thursday and Friday will test the strength of the PNCR-1G.
Sharma has shown his worth by using his television station to force the Tax pit bull to scurry down to CNS studios to rebut claims by Sharma about VAT.
Fact is the government said that VAT would replace eight existing Taxes. Instead it has replaced only six. Then they said that VAT will result in massive price reductions…The Mighty Rebel put it best when he said: “All of that was lie…pon de radio and television they telling lies.”
President Bharrat Jagdeo a week before the implementation of the new system announced that there will be some teething problems, but did not say that consumers would have been the ones left with those teeth marks.
Why did he wait so late to express concerns about the implementation of VAT, where were these concerns all the time.
The administration said that VAT was not designed to increase the administration’s coffers. Lie again. If this was true, why not extend the period of stock relief beyond December so that consumers would not have to pay double TAX. The fact is that businesses have to charge VAT, and no businessman in his right senses would remove a Tax that he has already paid from the mark-up price.
There are so many unanswered questions, yet the President seeks to play hide and seek.
Where is the captain of the ship, which has sprung a leak?
Hope he is not off to one of those casinos already?
Consumers are sinking…they are paying the price of a government that has failed to utilize the policing mechanisms in place to collect revenue and stop the smuggling of goods.
Total failure!
Luncheon OK!
Reports suggest that Dr. Luncheon is resting comfortably at home.
However, the PPP/C point man on Local Government Reform, Clinton Collymore has fallen ill.
Who is next?
However, the PPP/C point man on Local Government Reform, Clinton Collymore has fallen ill.
Who is next?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Cat fight or VAT fight
Khurshid Sattaur VS. Gerry Gouveia over the implementation of the Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Any bets?
Dr. Luncheon "falls" ill
It is now 10:00 hrs in Guyana and word is that Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon has been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after having to seek urgent medical attention at a private hospital.
Luncheon, who had to be hospitalised in the United States for several weeks last year, was rushed t ot the private hospital this morning after he collapsed at home.
Officials say that the government henchman's condition was stabalised and he was later transferred to the GPHC where he is resting comfortably...
More details in a few.
Luncheon, who had to be hospitalised in the United States for several weeks last year, was rushed t ot the private hospital this morning after he collapsed at home.
Officials say that the government henchman's condition was stabalised and he was later transferred to the GPHC where he is resting comfortably...
More details in a few.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
2007??? Already???
Where will Guyana be at the end of 2007? That is the question of the day...mail your thoughts to: guyana360@gmail.com
Tonight we home sipping on Grey Goose and vodka and just happen to be flipping though television stations only to find President Bharrat Jagdeo and Robert Corbin, Opposition Leader, jostling for our attention.
Who you think grabbed our attention?
Corbin of course.
There was no need to listen to the President’s New Year’s address for the obvious reason…For a President he has a bunch of lazy speech writers who simply tap into his inauguration speech and extract some high points and then butter it up nicely.
Don’t just take our word for it, listen to the speech that was presented to the Parliament.
Corbin on the other hand was worth the pound of salt, for two main reasons; An Opposition Leader is expected to flip the shiny side of the rock to reveal the damp, dark truth about the entire unit. The second reason stemmed from the obvious fact that the PNCR-1G (1 more Greedy man in Parliament) lost ground at the 2006 elections and it would have been interesting to hear about the party’s future.
Corbin…
“Beneath the thin layer of window dressing that passes for normalcy lie tensions, uncertainties and a sense of anxiety as to where the winds of fortune will take us next.
Our people have long ceased to be distracted by frequent pronouncements about progress and development. Quite simply, they are far too preoccupied with the reality of their own difficult circumstances. Those circumstances make a mockery of the ceaseless declarations that Guyana is “going places’. The crisis that is afflicting our country cannot be wished away by colourful propaganda and elaborate “spin”. It is real for all to see.
Every Guyanese is aware that poverty and hard times persist, that crime and corruption have become uncontrollable cancers and that, as a people, we are divided. Every Guyanese is aware of the relentless flight of skills from our country and of the sense of frustration among our young people who cannot satisfy their aspirations. Every Guyanese is aware of that sense of apprehension about what lies ahead for our country. These concerns and anxieties cannot be glossed over by hollow-sounding pronouncements about progress. They hang like the proverbial sword of Damocles over our heads. As the late, great musical genius Bob Marley put it - “he, who feels it, knows it”. The façade of progress which the Government is seeking so desperately to sustain continues to be exposed for what it is – a mere chimera.”
On the party…
“I believe that it is fitting at this time that the People’s National Congress Reform provides its members and supporters with renewed expressions of our concern for issues that affect their lives and the lives of all of the people of this country. In the days, weeks and months ahead you will see greater evidence of a vigorous and constructive agenda in our approach to tackling our responsibilities with respect to representation of your issues and concerns.”
Tonight we home sipping on Grey Goose and vodka and just happen to be flipping though television stations only to find President Bharrat Jagdeo and Robert Corbin, Opposition Leader, jostling for our attention.
Who you think grabbed our attention?
Corbin of course.
There was no need to listen to the President’s New Year’s address for the obvious reason…For a President he has a bunch of lazy speech writers who simply tap into his inauguration speech and extract some high points and then butter it up nicely.
Don’t just take our word for it, listen to the speech that was presented to the Parliament.
Corbin on the other hand was worth the pound of salt, for two main reasons; An Opposition Leader is expected to flip the shiny side of the rock to reveal the damp, dark truth about the entire unit. The second reason stemmed from the obvious fact that the PNCR-1G (1 more Greedy man in Parliament) lost ground at the 2006 elections and it would have been interesting to hear about the party’s future.
Corbin…
“Beneath the thin layer of window dressing that passes for normalcy lie tensions, uncertainties and a sense of anxiety as to where the winds of fortune will take us next.
Our people have long ceased to be distracted by frequent pronouncements about progress and development. Quite simply, they are far too preoccupied with the reality of their own difficult circumstances. Those circumstances make a mockery of the ceaseless declarations that Guyana is “going places’. The crisis that is afflicting our country cannot be wished away by colourful propaganda and elaborate “spin”. It is real for all to see.
Every Guyanese is aware that poverty and hard times persist, that crime and corruption have become uncontrollable cancers and that, as a people, we are divided. Every Guyanese is aware of the relentless flight of skills from our country and of the sense of frustration among our young people who cannot satisfy their aspirations. Every Guyanese is aware of that sense of apprehension about what lies ahead for our country. These concerns and anxieties cannot be glossed over by hollow-sounding pronouncements about progress. They hang like the proverbial sword of Damocles over our heads. As the late, great musical genius Bob Marley put it - “he, who feels it, knows it”. The façade of progress which the Government is seeking so desperately to sustain continues to be exposed for what it is – a mere chimera.”
On the party…
“I believe that it is fitting at this time that the People’s National Congress Reform provides its members and supporters with renewed expressions of our concern for issues that affect their lives and the lives of all of the people of this country. In the days, weeks and months ahead you will see greater evidence of a vigorous and constructive agenda in our approach to tackling our responsibilities with respect to representation of your issues and concerns.”
Reflections!
Almost a year sine we at Guyana 360 entered the blogging spectrum and it seems as if it is yesterday. We have seen and heard a lot about Guyana and undoubtedly many of our readers still question the minds and hands behind it all.
And yes some of our critics have axed innocent Guyanese like our dormant friends over at the Demerara Light House who recently ridiculed a local journalist for running this blog and for associating with Freedom House.
For our readers, this blog is owned and controlled by three foreigners based in Guyana or islanders as Guyanese would say. We are backed by a team of contributors, who give of their time and energy which we appreciate.
During 2007, we intend to seek out more contributors and expand our base to other Caribbean nations. We have had some high points during last year, but similarly we have been stung by our share of bugbears.
Recently our business travels have taken us to various parts of the Caribbean and over the coming weeks, we intend to share our photographic experiences.
Running a blog is nothing easy, less of course you are Imran Khan (‘im Khan run nuff blogs), who runs multiple blogs and is one of the best local bloggers, probably second only to Guyana gal.
Happy 2007 to all...
And yes some of our critics have axed innocent Guyanese like our dormant friends over at the Demerara Light House who recently ridiculed a local journalist for running this blog and for associating with Freedom House.
For our readers, this blog is owned and controlled by three foreigners based in Guyana or islanders as Guyanese would say. We are backed by a team of contributors, who give of their time and energy which we appreciate.
During 2007, we intend to seek out more contributors and expand our base to other Caribbean nations. We have had some high points during last year, but similarly we have been stung by our share of bugbears.
Recently our business travels have taken us to various parts of the Caribbean and over the coming weeks, we intend to share our photographic experiences.
Running a blog is nothing easy, less of course you are Imran Khan (‘im Khan run nuff blogs), who runs multiple blogs and is one of the best local bloggers, probably second only to Guyana gal.
Happy 2007 to all...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Georgetown All-Ready Fuh-Cup
Remnants of a fridge left on the pave along High Street, Kingston.Some say the city will all be ready for Cricket World Cup, but we say that by next year the City will be "All-Ready Fuh-Cup.
Competition...
There should always be pulsating competition within our service industries, especially those that ordinary Guyanese rely on daily.
Here in Guyana not too many companies, local or foreign, brave the sometimes thorny consumer market to create the type of competition that can benefit consumers, especially in the areas of water, electricity and telephone. These are considered essential services.
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) basically supplies electricity to a large percentage of the populist. Then there is the monopoly on water supplied by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which is managed by the Irish firm, Severn Trent. And of course the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd. (GT&T) which enjoys a monopoly on the provision of land line telephone service.
The Government gave a commitment that after it penetrated GT&T’s monopoly on the provision of cellular service, it would pursue any possible course of action to sever the company’s monopoly as stipulated in an agreement signed with the then PNCR administration.
Now that the aggressive Caribbean mobile company Digicel has acquired Celstar, one can only imagine that consumers will be the greatest benefactor and not the Government.
Celstar was the Government’s straw to break the huge market share enjoyed by GT&T in the mobile industry but, that was not to be. Digicel is an aggressive company that has worked its way through the Caribbean and now seeks to march through the South American markets. They have shown in the last three years that they have the capacity to do so and will be tested by the Guyana market.
It is most welcoming to know that finally a company can challenge GT&T in some aspect of its service. But what about the other companies, those providing the essential services such as water and electricity? There has been no move by the Government to break those monopolies. Probably the answer lies in the fact that Government is a major shareholder at GPL and GWI.
However, GPL is not the only company that provides electricity to Guyanese. There are other companies that do so in the inland regions. The services offered by GPL and GWI are described as distasteful and unfriendly to consumers. The majority of consumers that receive bills from these two companies feel insure about the amounts they receive on their bills.
It is no wonder that GPL looses approximately US$50 Bln annually to electricity theft. The majority of consumers that opt to steal electricity are those who have been connected legally and not those who are living in low income housing areas which are yet to receive the service. This was a predestined thought before GPL announced recently that a survey showed that prominent businesses are stealing electricity despite having the service. Generally it is felt that GPL cannot be trusted and theories abound to support this fear.
The ordinary man could tell tales that GPL has over billed them at some period over the last six months. That is a common complaint by consumers who find it difficult to make ends meet. It is hard to imagine that in the technology and information age, GPL still gives a consumer an average bill based on a reading done every three to four months.
If averages were the way to go then charges could not be too far away from the charge prepared when the meter reading took place. Think again. GPL sometimes bills a pensioner for millions when that same pensioner would have received a bill the previous month for less than $20,000. GPL continues to fleece consumers, but the Government which should be safeguarding its citizens, turns a blind eye. Instead, the Government backed Power Company recently moved to disconnect the city council for millions of dollars it owed.
In the same vein the company owes the City Council millions of dollars too. Instead of arriving at an agreement, GPL disconnects the power as a tactic to bring pressure on those managing the affairs of the city. The Government believes that the City Council should be replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) and not through Local Government Elections.
Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall moved a Motion in the National Assembly last Thursday to postpone the elections for 2006. If the Government’s sinister plot to replace the Council was not clear enough, President Bharrat Jagdeo himself made it clear that the Government was taking over in managing the clean up exercise in the city for Cricket World Cup. This was another avenue to embarrass the council.
If that was not enough, the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) which is led by a man that joined the PPP/C ring is leading workers on a strike action. Some of those workers have called for an IMC.
The Government should know better. An IMC in Georgetown will never happen. Georgetown should become a competitive arena where political parties can present the best plan to the electorate and have them decide. If the Government feels that it could serve well then it should have no problem competing in a competitive election race for control of the capital.
Similarly, consumers should be given an opportunity to be faced with an array of choices when it comes to the provision of essential services.
GWI with is poor billing process and almost empty pipelines, GT&T’s slow rate of expansion of the landline service and GPL treacherous billing system would all be replaced if there was vibrant competition.
Evidence is there to be seen that competition prompts good changes for the consumer and for the company. One just needed to look at GT&T’s GSM system which was non-existent before Government announced Celstar’s entrance into the market.
The Government should seriously consider liberating the water and electricity sectors and maybe they will start using the phrase: “getting better all the time.”
Here in Guyana not too many companies, local or foreign, brave the sometimes thorny consumer market to create the type of competition that can benefit consumers, especially in the areas of water, electricity and telephone. These are considered essential services.
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) basically supplies electricity to a large percentage of the populist. Then there is the monopoly on water supplied by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which is managed by the Irish firm, Severn Trent. And of course the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd. (GT&T) which enjoys a monopoly on the provision of land line telephone service.
The Government gave a commitment that after it penetrated GT&T’s monopoly on the provision of cellular service, it would pursue any possible course of action to sever the company’s monopoly as stipulated in an agreement signed with the then PNCR administration.
Now that the aggressive Caribbean mobile company Digicel has acquired Celstar, one can only imagine that consumers will be the greatest benefactor and not the Government.
Celstar was the Government’s straw to break the huge market share enjoyed by GT&T in the mobile industry but, that was not to be. Digicel is an aggressive company that has worked its way through the Caribbean and now seeks to march through the South American markets. They have shown in the last three years that they have the capacity to do so and will be tested by the Guyana market.
It is most welcoming to know that finally a company can challenge GT&T in some aspect of its service. But what about the other companies, those providing the essential services such as water and electricity? There has been no move by the Government to break those monopolies. Probably the answer lies in the fact that Government is a major shareholder at GPL and GWI.
However, GPL is not the only company that provides electricity to Guyanese. There are other companies that do so in the inland regions. The services offered by GPL and GWI are described as distasteful and unfriendly to consumers. The majority of consumers that receive bills from these two companies feel insure about the amounts they receive on their bills.
It is no wonder that GPL looses approximately US$50 Bln annually to electricity theft. The majority of consumers that opt to steal electricity are those who have been connected legally and not those who are living in low income housing areas which are yet to receive the service. This was a predestined thought before GPL announced recently that a survey showed that prominent businesses are stealing electricity despite having the service. Generally it is felt that GPL cannot be trusted and theories abound to support this fear.
The ordinary man could tell tales that GPL has over billed them at some period over the last six months. That is a common complaint by consumers who find it difficult to make ends meet. It is hard to imagine that in the technology and information age, GPL still gives a consumer an average bill based on a reading done every three to four months.
If averages were the way to go then charges could not be too far away from the charge prepared when the meter reading took place. Think again. GPL sometimes bills a pensioner for millions when that same pensioner would have received a bill the previous month for less than $20,000. GPL continues to fleece consumers, but the Government which should be safeguarding its citizens, turns a blind eye. Instead, the Government backed Power Company recently moved to disconnect the city council for millions of dollars it owed.
In the same vein the company owes the City Council millions of dollars too. Instead of arriving at an agreement, GPL disconnects the power as a tactic to bring pressure on those managing the affairs of the city. The Government believes that the City Council should be replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) and not through Local Government Elections.
Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall moved a Motion in the National Assembly last Thursday to postpone the elections for 2006. If the Government’s sinister plot to replace the Council was not clear enough, President Bharrat Jagdeo himself made it clear that the Government was taking over in managing the clean up exercise in the city for Cricket World Cup. This was another avenue to embarrass the council.
If that was not enough, the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) which is led by a man that joined the PPP/C ring is leading workers on a strike action. Some of those workers have called for an IMC.
The Government should know better. An IMC in Georgetown will never happen. Georgetown should become a competitive arena where political parties can present the best plan to the electorate and have them decide. If the Government feels that it could serve well then it should have no problem competing in a competitive election race for control of the capital.
Similarly, consumers should be given an opportunity to be faced with an array of choices when it comes to the provision of essential services.
GWI with is poor billing process and almost empty pipelines, GT&T’s slow rate of expansion of the landline service and GPL treacherous billing system would all be replaced if there was vibrant competition.
Evidence is there to be seen that competition prompts good changes for the consumer and for the company. One just needed to look at GT&T’s GSM system which was non-existent before Government announced Celstar’s entrance into the market.
The Government should seriously consider liberating the water and electricity sectors and maybe they will start using the phrase: “getting better all the time.”
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