guyanatimesgy.com
SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022
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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com
Do we need more resource extractors in Guyana? Dear Editor, I noticed, with some annoyance and disappointment in my heart, the Government of Guyana is proceeding with bringing in two major world gold mining operators into Guyana. Despite objections and the concerns of most Guyanese that more gold mining companies are coming to Guyana, it is observed that two world class gold mining companies would commence operating, in the very near future, in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). I just want to draw to the attention of the country’s Government that we, the people, voted and appointed them to manage our resources, our affairs, law enforcement, defence, and our ‘One Guyana’ policy. The Government needs to understand that we, the people, are the bosses of this country, and they are the servants. We have a right to protest, and we, the people, have a right to “fire” them if they do not do what is good for Guyana and
for the people of Guyana, particularly for our future generations. I know a time will come when the future generations would applaud and sing heroic songs of this current administration in power, or they would cuss and buse and make mockery of the leaders of this generation. It would appear to me that this Government wants to become exceptionally rich, with cash reserves overnight, by selling out our minerals/natural resources: oil + oil + more oil + plenty, plenty oil = all oil gone. For what? Coloured paper money that will raise our standard of living for a while? Plus VP Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has been warning us about excessive money in the system and country causing excessive inflation!!! Well, Excellency President Dr. Irfaan Ali, VP Dr. Jagdeo, Hon. Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Hon. Min of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat etc. The same equa-
tion above for oil goes for gold. Okay, I understand we get 5% plus 3% royalty of extracted declared gold! What mechanism do we have in place to prevent the smuggling of extracted gold by these gold mining companies, though they might be termed as world-class? We know Omai Gold Mines had their own airstrip and planes, so I appeal to you all, just wonder and ponder on the reality. These companies have a way of bringing in the chefs and hotel management for places like Marriott International: to feed, wine and dine the expats. The monies that are calculated from us partially pay for their lifestyles. I wish to advise the Government to study Aruba, where the Spanish extracted every iota of dust of gold out of that nation and left it bare, without anything for the future generations. Thank God they cannot take the sand, the sea or the wind, which finances Aruba at this juncture in its civilisation.
Guyana Goldfields: this is a nasty case of evil conspiracies of a Canadian corporation, only hungry for wealth. They brought in a few tents, a few pieces of equipment, they spent a few dollars to train female drivers in Santa Mission to prove their corporate generosity. They did some drilling, extracted gold, then they complained that they were not making money, and as the typical capitalist trying to eat every single dollar by sucking the wealth out of nation/nations, they sold to a Chinese company. I personally do not have any problems with China, but reports have it that it was one of those Chinese companies that are not really positive for the development and partnership in a country. They sold for US$200,000,000 (two hundred million USD), paid not a single dollar in taxes to the Guyanese nation, but ended up paying taxes in Canada, and we lose.
An urgent appeal for intervention at the Parika Marketing Centre
Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in disgust and frustration over the current situation at the Parika Marketing Centre. I am a businessman who operates a gold business in the market, and, for several years now, I am operating at a loss, and I believe this is partly due to the actions of the persons who are responsible for the administration of the Marketing Centre, and Region 3 as a whole. The market has been in a deplorable state for some years now, and several persons who own stalls were forced to close their businesses. The authorities are allowing persons to ply their trade on the road, to the detriment of the persons who operate inside the market. This has resulted in several persons going out of business over the years. The authorities promised they would rebuild the market and bring back some order in its operation. It is now some ten months since they started the works to fix the market, and, to date, only some posts and frame of the roof have been constructed. The roofs of several stalls are leaking, and the market is like a ghost town, as shoppers are not coming in due to persons occupying the roadways. We have complained to several Government Ministers who have visited the marketing centre, and even though they have promised to rectify the problem, no action has been taken so far. Representatives of the Government in this region have forgotten why they have been elected to office. They have become complacent, and I am asking the higher authorities in Government to intervene and bring the situation under control. I am making an impassioned appeal to President Irfaan Ali, who seems to have
to visit the Parika Marketing Centre for some years now. Please, Mr President, businesses are suffering, and we are hoping that a solution could be found soon. Yours truly, Robin Salim Stallholder
The current state of the market after ten months of construction (photo by Robin Salim)
the interest of the people at heart, to come and listen to the business persons in the market, and to find a solution to the problem. The President
has been very proactive to solve the problems of persons in various communities across Guyana, but he has not been afforded the opportunity
Sunday, July 17, 2022
06:00 (Sign on) Jewanram Rel. Hour 07:00 Cartoons 08:00 Shekinah Ministry 08:30 Evening News (RB) 09:30 Fast n Loud S7 E8 10:30 Cartoons 11:00 D. Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Prime Series - Blippi’s Educational Adventures for Kids 12:00 Dharmic Ki Awaz 12:30 Movie - Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) 14:00 Movie - Getting Even with Dad (1994) 16:00 Movie - Pegasus: Pony with a Broken Wing (2019) 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Wheel of Fortune 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 Lucifer S2 E14 20:00 Those People 21:00 Riverdale S3 E7 22:00 Arrow S3 E10 23:00 Heartstopper S1 E6 23:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway? S14 E16 00:00 Sign off
The laws of this country for these investors must make it clear that if they sell their companies, the Government/ people of Guyana must get a 50% cut in the sale of that company. There are foreign companies only set to eke out the wealth of our country and our people, they don’t care a damn about us. I, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan, hereby demand that this Government begin to put things in place that no foreign corporation can sell out its business without us getting a fair share of the taxes for our people and our country. So, Barrick Gold is coming to suck the juice out of our people and our nation, as are Alicanto Minerals, which obviously only care about themselves. I am appealing to the Government that, as we have oil, and monies are coming on a regular basis, and more will come into the future, also as we expect to go to a million
barrels of oil per day in a few years, plus we want to control inflation, we should let Guyana rest, especially in the fear of inflation. Government officials, peoples of Guyana: whenever they drill for gold, they destroy the environment! They destroy the ancestral lands of the Indigenous peoples, who are the original owners, but were decimated by conquerors, and even enslaved at one time. These lands truly belong to the Amerindians/Indigenous peoples of this country, and by extension the people of Guyana. It is also known, as you see with oil, Guyanese are usually ill-treated! Guyanese are fed worse and less quality food, and Guyanese are paid less than expat workers. I am prepared to protest with any organisation or institution that is not political on this issue. Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr
Tangled web being weaved just keeps getting worse Dear Editor, Even with all the video and other evidence available following the brouhaha in Parliament with the blatant removal of the Mace, the Opposition remains adamant and steadfast in its position it wasn’t us. This stance can be likened to, and is similar to, the 2020 Elections’ aftermath which was witnessed,
and the attempts to steal democracy with all the evidence, and still they persist in saying: “We won, and the elections were rigged by the then Opposition”. The tangled web being weaved just keeps getting worse. Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed
