The joint bauxite committee set up under the dialogue process between President Jagdeo and PNC/R leader Desmond Hoyte is awaiting a response from Alcoa to a letter it has sent assuring Alcoa that access to the bauxite reserves at Kwakwani was not a problem but that it would like to have more information about its business plan.
Stabroek News
July 27, 2001
The committee is also awaiting the submission of a business plan from the Bermine Group of Employees which met with the negotiating team from the committee early this month. Stabroek News understands that representatives of the group and the unions met the strategic partner last week and should be responding to the committee shortly.
The joint bauxite committee was one of six appointed by President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC/R leader, Desmond Hoyte, to address some of the issues raised in their ongoing dialogue. Other areas for which committees have been established and deadlines set for the issue referred to them are the existing radio monopoly and non-partisan boards for the state media, depressed communities, border and mational security issues, local government reform, and land allocation and house lot distribution.
Earlier this month, Alcoa had expressed some unease with the procedure put in place by the negotiating committee set up to discuss the various proposals for the continued operation on a sustainable basis of the bauxite industry in Berbice. They said that they wanted a positive response to the main elements of their proposal for merging the Bermine operations at Kwakwani with its joint venture operations with the government at Aroaima.
They were invited to meet the negotiating committee earlier this month but they responded that their principals would not be available until after July 19.
Some of the elements of the Alcoa concept paper included converting a US$57 million debt owed to Alcoa by Aroaima into equity in a new company to be formed and the reduction over three years of the workforce at the two companies from 940 to 400 and the immediate closure of the Bermine operations at Everton. The members of this committee are Dr Clive Thomas and Robeson Benn (co-chairmen) Kim Kissoon, Odinga Lumumba, Ron Webster, Lance Carberry and Herman Rohlehr, with Claude Saul as the alternate for Rohlehr.
Another committee set up during the dialogue process is the one on radio monopoly and non-partisan boards. That committee should have submitted its report to the two leaders on June 30 but had its deadline extended to July 31. In the meantime, they had referred them to the amended Wireless Telegraphy regulations promulgated by Prime Minister Sam Hinds earlier this month. Their report, which included an approach to the regulations which Hoyte had argued should be held in abeyance until the committee completed its work, was submitted on July 23 but not in time for the two leaders to discuss it on that date. This committee is co-chaired by Minister Gail Teixeira and Deryck Bernard and the other members are Minister Clement Rohee, Sherwood Lowe, Dr Prem Misir, Enrico Woolford, Ron Case, Roysdale Forde, attorney-at-law, Dr Bheri Ramsarran, and Khemraj Ramjattan, attorney-at-law and PPP/C parliamentarian.
Because of concerns expressed by Hoyte that the promulgation of the regulations was inconsistent with the existence of the joint committee, it was agreed that the dialogue would be suspended until the issue of the regulations was resolved.
Hoyte has also expressed concerns about the Prime Minister's activities in the bauxite sector which is among his ministerial responsibilities. In a letter to an Austrian firm interested in the bauxite sector, the Prime Minister referred to the committee as being established to hear proposals. Hoyte asserts that the mandate of the committee is not restricted to just hearing proposals and that the Prime Minister's actions seem designed to undermine the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Stabroek News understands that the committee on depressed communities is still engaging the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) about the projects identified for Enterprise, East Coast Demerara and De Kenderen and Meten-Mer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara.
The electrification project identified for Enterprise is the provision of electiricity for 500 households at Block 12, Non Pariel; for a housing scheme and squatting area at De Kenderen; and for 800 households at Railway View and Ocean Garden, Meten-Meer-Zorg.
The issues being explored with GPL are the cost of the project and GPL's inability to undertake the work before January 2002.
The other priority projects identified for Buxton and DeKenderen are in progress. These include the rehabilitation of the drainage and irrigation system at Buxton, the clearing of 200 acres of new farm lands; the upgrading of the Jane Norma Rimple Road at De Kenderen, and the construction of three footbridges at Prem Nagar, to provide safe access to the nursery and primary schools, and a footbridge at Chateau Land.
Stabroek News understands that the committee is still to schedule visits to Berbice and Linden to assess the needs of the depressed communities in those areas. The members of the committee are Philip Allsopp and Philomena Sahoye-Shury (co-chairmen), Theo Earle, Clyde Roopchand, James McAllister, F. Jafarally, Bert Carter, Urmia Johnson, Harry Narine Nawbatt and Lumumba. Clement Corlette is the alternate for Urmia Johnson.
The committee on border and national security issues completed its work and has already submitted its report to President Jagdeo and Mr Hoyte. They have not discussed the report yet. The members of that committee were Ralph Ramkarran, SC and Brigadier David Granger, (co-chairmen), Dr Mark Kirton, Dr Roger Luncheon, Ronald Gajraj, Home Affairs Minister; Brigadier Michael Atherly, Chief-of-Staff, Guyana Defence Force; and Peter Ramsaroop. Raphael Trotman is the alternate for Ramsaroop.
According to Shaik Baksh one of the co-chairs of the committee on land distribution and house Lot allocation, the work of the committee has been disrupted by the fire which destroyed the building in which the housing ministry and the central housing and planning authority were housed. But he said that he expects the committee to be reconvened shortly.
The other co-chairman of the committee is Stanley Ming and the members are Joseph Hamilton, Myrna Peterkin, Andrew Bishop, Sahoye-Shury, and Ali Baksh, chairman, Regional Democratic Council, Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands).
Stabroek News understands that the committee on local government reform has been meeting regularly and has been reviewing the relevant legislation. The committee has a twelve-month timeframe for competing its work. The members are Local Government Minister Clinton Collymore and Vincent Alexander (co-chairs), Basil Williams, Pulandar Kandhi, permanent secretary, Local Government Ministry; Earle, LLewelyn John, and Khemraj Rai.