By Jarryl BryanAs Bartica prepares for its township status, Region Seven Democratic Council (RDC) Chairman,Wholesale NFL China Jerseys, Gordon Bradford,China NFL Jerseys, has laid out his expectations for improving the way of life in Bartica.A street in BarticaBradford said that among the changes he expects is the ways and means of revenue collection, a Miss Bartica Township pageant and more investments from entrepreneurs.The Official Gazette (Extraordinary) published on October 21, 2015, identified the three new towns as Bartica, Region Seven; Mabaruma, Region One; and Lethem, Region Nine. The towns,Jerseys From China, in keeping with regulations will also have their own Mayors, Deputy Mayors, and Town Councillors.Bartica, a community located up the Essequibo River, has been growing in recent years as a result of a gold rush to the hinterlands. It has a thriving waterfront, power and police stations,Cheap NFL Jerseys Stitched, schools and nightlife. Therefore,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the attraction of Bartica as a tourist stopover has long been touted. It is one of the main gateways also to hinterland communities.“One of the things that we will be proposing is that a percentage of royalties collected, be it from mining or logging, should go to the development of the township (proposal),” Bradford explained.“All of our revenue and royalties go to (Central Government) and then at the Regional level we budget and it is presented to the various Ministries in Central Government.”“At present it’s only rates, taxes and market fees that are collected,China NFL Jerseys,” Bradford said. “But we hope to extend further than that. If there is mining or any economic activity based in an Indigenous community a percentage (of returns from resources) is given to the community and then GGMC also.”Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford with several Barticians and army paratroopers.“We are looking for more revenue. More than half the gold that goes to the Guyana Gold Board is from this Region,” Bradford said. “So if we can get, maybe a two or three percent of (gold royalty) it will go a far way to helping to push development.”Bradford added that the building to house the Bartica Gold Board has already been constructed. It is expected to be functional by year end. The Chairman also noted that as these new developments come on stream, more representations and suggestions to the Central Government would be made.He also made it clear that tourism would take centre stage, with many Barticians expected to come home in their numbers. Bradford lauded the waterfront investment by miner Chunilall Babolall – a palatial resort. He called on other business-minded individuals to invest in Bartica.“Definitely we will see Bartica on the move. We also hope to have a Miss Bartica township pageant, separate from the Bartica regatta.”The three new towns will be added to six others across the country – Corriverton, Rose Hall and New Amsterdam in Berbice; Georgetown; Linden, Region Ten; and Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.The establishment of the new townships has been top of the agenda for the David Granger administration since it took office back in May after winning the General and Regional Elections.As part of the plans, the new Government wants to hold Local Government Elections in the first half of next year, giving more autonomy to the community leaders.Already, the administration has merged the Ministry of Housing and Water with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to form the Ministry of Communities.Earlier this week, Minister Ronald Bulkan, while addressing a capacity building workshop for Municipalities and Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), disclosed that focus will not only be placed on providing institutional strengthening, but also on ensuring that the Councils’ revenue bases are sufficient to allow for their financial independence and their general autonomy in the management of their affairs.Bulkan had noted that attention to the Councils’ financial status is a critical component in the administration’s strategic agenda of decentralizing democratic engagement.According to the recent statement from the Government, it had been noted that the Ministry of Communities will be looking more closely at the question as to “where do our Councils get their revenues from, to enable them to have the capacity to be equipped, to effectively discharge their responsibilities.”It is understood that focus will therefore be placed on the major sources of revenue for the Councils – the proceeds that are collected from rates and that are payable by property owners within their jurisdiction. Step

–?? ?Industry in dire straits, requires drastic remedies – Nigel Hughes ?By Gary EleazarIf it is a case where the best talent required to rescue the ailing Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) cannot be located locally,NFL Jerseys China, then resorting to overseas personnel cannot be ruled out.This is the opinion of newly-elected Chairman of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, who has weighed in with his personal view on the recent Parliamentary revelation by Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy as it relates to arrangements in place for GuySuCo’s Board Chairman.Alliance for Change (AFC) Chairman Nigel HughesThe information was made available to Parliament as a result of a request by Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine,Wholesale Adidas Hockey Jerseys, who holds the shadow Agriculture portfolio for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).Dr. Ramsammy had informed the House that GuySuCo buys a return ticket every month for its Chairman, Dr Rajendra Singh, who is based in New Jersey. The Agriculture Minister said that Dr. Singh is flown into Guyana every month, on an economy class ticket, and his hotel accommodation and other expenses are met by GuySuCo.Hughes, in weighing in on the matter, opined that “GuySuCo is in such dire straits, if it is that the Chairman can only be recruited from overseas and has to be flown in on a monthly basis, then justification would be evident in the performance of the industry”.Hughes stressed that the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the cash-strapped entity has to be operating within specific guidelines and deadlines. He said that the company is at a point where practicing fiscal responsibility and bringing back the company to economic viability has to be of utmost importance.Unaware of all the factors that have led to the recruitment of and arrangements for? Dr Singh, Hughes noted that he would be unable to say if it is exorbitant or not.At the time of the revelation by Dr Ramsammy in parliament last Thursday,Cheap Jerseys For Sale, Opposition Parliamentarian Volda Lawrence had sought to inquire whether there are qualified persons residing in Guyana who could do the job,Wholesale Football Jerseys, stressing that Dr. Singh has been on the board for many years.As such Ramsammy retorted that President Donald Ramotar is slated to name a new board to oversee the operations of GuySuCo by the end of the year.The Corporation’s biggest headache is the Skeldon Estate, which was commissioned in August 2009 at a cost of US$181 million, but has failed to live up to expectations.Originally,Cheap China Jerseys, GuySuCo had put US$70 million into the project, according to Minister Ramsammy.Now, the Corporation is looking to spend US$8 million to fix various faults at the estate.Opposition parties had called for the board of GuySuCo to be replaced with professionals so the industry could be better managed.

– Opposition Leader Opposition Leader David Granger said that the matter of public safety does not rest solely with the people of Guyana; it is a matter for those who were appointed to ensure the safety of Guyanese. Granger was responding in an invited comment to this newspaper on the advice given by Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell when he met with members of the West Coast Demerara community of Meter-Meer-Zorg, following a spate of criminal activities that took place there within a matter of days.Brumell had urged the residents not to hide and remain fearful,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, but to defend their families and the merchandise that they had worked so hard to attain. He urged too that licensed firearm holders should also look out for their neighbours, adding that reports can be made against licensed firearm holders who might refuse to intervene in a matter despite their neighbour being in danger.Opposition Leader David GrangerGranger told Kaieteur News that he is not keen on the idea of citizens putting themselves in harm’s way. The Opposition Leader said that there are many mechanisms that the government refuses to put in place to manage the escalation of crime and to strengthen the agencies tasked with fighting it.He said that,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, “Public security has become a serious problem over the years because the People Progressive Party’s (PPP) administration does not show any interest in reforming the Guyana Police Force along the lines that it has been advised. We’ve had about a dozen interventions by the British government and which cumulated to the security reform action plan which the Guyana government refuses to implement. We’ve had a security situation where the National Drugs Strategy master plan has not been implemented.”Granger continued that another intervention was a report of the Disciplined Forces Commission; but that too has not been implemented. “The government refuses to take reasonable steps to prevent crime and that is why it is so rampant. So the matter raised by the Commissioner of Police completely misses the mark because what is needed is proper Ministerial direction,Jerseys China, the implementation of proper security sector reform plans, the implementation of drugs strategy master plan, the retraining of police officers,Wholesale Jerseys, and the re-equipping of the Police Force.”Granger said that unless the government takes meaningful steps towards ensuring the safety of citizens, security will always be a matter of grave concern.A little over two weeks ago,Wholesale China Jerseys, the son of a high ranking member of the Central Islamic Organisation Guyana (CIOG) was gunned down by a gang of criminals during a robbery at his home at Meten-Meer-Zorg. A few days later, persons believed to be from the said gang of criminals were involved in a shootout with policemen,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, resulting in the death of one of the gang members. They were allegedly planning another robbery in the community. The gang was however said to be dismantled and several persons are currently before the court charged with murder.This turn of events had left the usually quiet, farming community in a state of shock and overwhelming fear; to which the Top Cop felt he should make an appearance to tell community members personally that they were once again safe and the police had not abandoned them.But apart from that assurance, the Top Cop told the West Coast residents they should fight back and that they should “take back their communities from these criminals.”