… assistance promised from NetherlandsMinister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, yesterday announced that Government is awaiting the approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a technical team from the Netherlands to support Guyana’s National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) task force.At the weekly press briefing at the Office of the Presidency, the Minister noted that several preliminary reports of the drainage system situation in Guyana will be provided to him within six months.He said that the reports will provide information dating back to the “British Guiana days” as a means of truly understanding Guyana’s drainage system and solving the flood situation once and for all.Patterson said that six months would be good enough time for this report to be provided simply because the Ministry is not only projecting what exists, but it also wants to deal with the situation by crafting for it, a long term solution.He said that provisions to resolve the flooding situation will be made for approximately 20 years which they are preparing.? The Public Infrastructure Minister noted that the work of this magnitude cannot be done in a day or a week but over time.As for the Task Force which will also be part of crafting the long term solution to the flooding situation in Guyana, Patterson revealed that heading the team is retired Major General Joe Singh. He said Government has also invited other persons to be part of the Task Force.These include Charles Sohan,China NFL Jerseys, Malcolm Ali, Stanley Ming,Wholesale China Jerseys, Joseph Holder and Dr. David Singh, along with representatives from other agencies.He said that Task Force will also be going around the country conducting its own assessments.Patterson said,Cheap NFL Jerseys Stitched, too, that his Ministry also has plans for extensive rehabilitation for many roads which will be added to the annual budget. He said, too, that once the financing is approved, his Ministry plans to construct roads which have not been done before.He said that for those persons who never envisioned having proper roadways in their communities, they will certainly benefit from such a plan.Minister Patterson stated that they will continue to clean drains and repair roads which are on the same agenda, but deemed the problem much bigger than that.Six different agencies are said to be looking at drainage systems in the city which the Ministry wants to take a holistic approach to solve.Civil Defence Commission Director,Nike Vapor Max Plus Triple Black, Colonel (Ret’d) Chabilal Ramsarup, also gave the media an update on the flood situation.Col Ramsarup reminded that last Wednesday, Guyana saw a record breaking 8.3 inches of rainfall which was deemed unusual by the City’s Mayor, Mr. Hamilton Green, which left several regions under water. He said that because of this, Patterson asked that he activate the NEOC task force.Since then, he said several assessments on the situation in and around Georgetown were done. He added that the NEOC has been working around the clock to restore to normalcy.He added, “All the Regions, except Regions Three and Four,Cheap Jerseys, reported that their situation is manageable, manageable meaning that their own resources in the Region can handle the situation without us having to intervene.”He said that for Regions Three and Four, the water remained on the ground for about four days according to data received from reports given to the NEOC.As for Region Four, he said that they were forced to open shelters in the hardest hit areas in Georgetown; especially the community of Albouystown and to date those shelters still remain operational.Three hot meals a day are currently being provided to shelters according to Col Ramsarup. He said that food supplies from Food for the Poor were donated to assist in this cause.“We have started to distribute stuff to persons which includes food, some clothing,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, some of those were distributed in Albouystown,” Col Ramsarup said.He also added, “We are recommending that the water situation remain as is when we visited Albouystown. Sanitation kits, personal hygiene kits were received from Food for the Poor, we will also be distributing, as well as the shoes and clothing that we received.”NEOC will be going to all the Regions to assess the positions of the drainage system with the various organisations such as the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to make presentations in their various capacities.The Netherlands Technical team and the NEOC task force will be supported by an Administrative secretariat which has been established and has been working for the pa

Government has named consumer advocate, Leonard Craig, to chair the all important Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA).Craig is known for taking on telecommunication companies like GTT and Digicel,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, and has represented himself before the Public Utilities Commission.The announcement was made yesterday by Minister of State,Jerseys From China, Joseph Harmon, while he was hosting Government’s weekly post Cabinet briefings.GNBA is the regulatory body tasked with overseeing the operations of radio and televisions stations in Guyana. Established three years ago, the body was under immediate pressure after news came out that former President,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Bharrat Jagdeo, before ending his two terms in office in 2011,Cheap Jerseys Online, approved several radio and cable television licences for mainly friends and his party members.In so doing, he sidelined applications from several prominent media houses including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News,Wholesale Football Jerseys, Capitol News,NFL Jerseys From China, HBTV Channel Nine and CNS Channel Six.Craig would replace Bibi Shadick, the former Chairperson, and Member of Parliament for People’s Progressive Party/Civic while they were in Government.The new administration had committed to reviewing those radio licences and correct some of the loopholes in the country’s broadcasting laws.? Harmon also disclosed, yesterday, that the administration has nominated Amerindian activist, Jean La Rose, as Chairperson for the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), the publisher of Guyana Chronicle. She has been described as an untiring advocate for indigenous rights and environmental integrity.She is currently Programme Administrator of the Amerindian People’s Association (APA).La Rose is an indigenous Arawak who was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002 for her struggles to halt mining in their territories, to secure inhabitants full rights to traditional lands, and to save Guyana’s forests.The state-owned newspaper has been racking up heavy losses in recent years. Then the coalition government accused past management of political bias.There have been sweeping changes at the Chronicle with former Editor-in-Chief of Guyana Times, Nigel Williams, as the new chief, in place of Mark Ramotar.President David Granger has demanded professionalism there. At the National Communications Network (NCN), the state-owned entity that manages a network of television and radio stations, insurance executive, Bishwa Panday is to head the Board of Directors. Panday was a member of the Chronicle Board of Directors and a long time cricketing executive. The naming of the new Chairpersons would follow sweeping changes also at several other state boards.