… seeks lawyers’ interventionAs drama continues over an alleged illegal land sale in Lamaha Gardens, that now has Chief Co-operative Development Officer, Kareem Abdul-Jabar in hot water,Adidas Hockey Jerseys Cheap, the state agent has requested seven days to respond to the allegations. He says that he needs to seek legal advice.This has thus been granted according to sources; adding to the two days that Jabar was initially given by the Public Service Commission (PSC).An insider at the Ministry of Labour said that Jabar requested from the PSC one week to answer charges that he illegally sold a plot of land at Lot 42 Durbana Square.According to the source the Co- operative officer who has been sent on administrative leave to facilitate investigations into the matter, is discussing his next move with lawyers as he is supposed to go before the PSC to relate his part played in the sale of the Lamaha Gardens community property.The officer’s seven days will be up by Tuesday next week and a response is expected for the PSC. According to senior officials, it is likely that if found culpable, Jabar could face disciplinary measures at the administrative level.Jabar is said to be responsible for the dissolution of Co-operative Societies,Cheap NBA Store, once they do not meet the required criteria. It was with this power that the co –op officer said he dissolved the Civil Service Association (CSA); the co-operative responsible for the land,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, and later selling the property to a private businessman.Concerned parties however claimed corruption in the land sale since they said that no one was informed of the sale,NFL Jerseys Cheap, that it was conducted within one month, that the CSA was illegally dissolved and that the land was sold way below market price. Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) made claims for the property after residents in the community also cited that the land belonged to the public service.The information is that during the early 1960s when Lamaha Gardens was being developed into a high end residential area for public servants, the land now sold was designated for a community recreation ground. At that time, the CSA was responsible for the property while the residents maintained it.The CSA is now GPSU, and the land was initially under the CSA co-operative. The Chief Co-operative officer reportedly dissolved the co-op claiming that less than seven members existed. The community was however able to produce more than 15 members that held original land titles for property under the CSA; making the co- op valid.In addition, GPSU claimed that the land is public service property since the entity is the successor of the CSA, and as at November 2011, GPSU was owing tax on the property to City Hall.The concerned parties charged that the land was sold illegally, “to a businessman with high connections.” They said that 5500 sq ft of land in the upscale area is sold for approximately $30M-$35M?but the now controversial property, estimated at six times that size, was reportedly sold for $25M. They also said that it was during the Christmas season last year that the land was sold; within a one month period which is highly irregular.None of the community members or the co-op members was ever contacted. GPSU said despite writing the authorities on the land sale,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the property was sold without a correspondence being sent to the public service.The land sale caused much commotion from residents, causing President Donald Ramotar to intervene and demand that an investigation be launched into the matter. The result of the probe by Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul highlighted irregularities in the transaction.According to the report, several agency policies and procedures were breached, while the bank account where the land money was placed in the liquidator’s name,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, is also said to be unethical.

The country’s water provider, GWI, wants an overhaul of its tariff structure that could put $1.7 billion more its coffers, but its new Chief Executive Shaik Baksh was found wanting when called to explain why, recently.The new tariff structure aims to ensure that all water consumers pay their fair share and would help to dig the utility out of the financial pit it is in. The new tariff structure, which creates new categories of billing, does not necessarily mean that consumers will pay more for water; in some cases consumers may actually end up paying less.GWI CEO Shaik Baksh at the PUC hearing Friday.The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has to approve the new tariffs and met with Baksh and other senior executives of the board yesterday asking them to justify the need for the new tariff structure. But Baksh was forced to return to his office without a clear indication that the new tariff structure would be approved.Baksh and his team are expected to return with the answers to outstanding questions from the PUC.After the hearing, Baksh refused to answer questions from Kaieteur News regarding the financial state of the entity.He could not definitely say how many consumers the utility has and admitted, after prompting by PUC Chair Justice Prem Persaud that the database is in a mess.Baksh said that the utility has 184,000 consumers,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, but was later forced into admission that that figured seemed exorbitant.“We have to clean up the database,” Baksh stated. Justice Persaud said that it was unfair to the public that the utility cannot get its information correct.With regard to unmetered customers in hinterland areas such as Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Matthews Ridge,China Jerseys, Mahdia, Lethem and Ituni, GWI said that “due to economic reasons” it would not be practical to bill customers through the general system of billing, which means that there will be some level of cross-subsidization by customers on the coastland.Justice Persaud wanted to know the amount of money that is used in running the water systems in these areas, so it could be known how much consumers on the coast are subsiding hinterland operations.Baksh attempted to gloss over the question,Wholesale MLB Jerseys 2018, saying that the operational costs of GWI does not make a distinction between hinterland costs and coastland costs.Justice Persaud insisted that consumers, some of whom are struggling “to pay through their nose”, should know how much it costs to produce water in the hinterland and how much it costs on the coast.Stumped on the response of Justice Persaud, Baksh was told by the chairman of GWI, Ramesh Dookhoo, that expenses are in fact isolated, and Baksh then undertook to provide the information to the Commission.GWI is asking for approval of a consolidated tariff regime that allows for the establishment of a definitive methodology for categorizing customers; differentiation between treated and non-treated water;? billing of unmetered customers at a rate that is closer to the costs of their average consumption; rates for the various Tariff Bands for the supply of Water; approve the Rates for the various Tariff Bands for Sewerage Services; the introduction of ‘Security Deposit’ for new subscribers and customers who would have had their services disconnected for non-payment;? and ancillary service charges, such as a penalty if meters are damaged.For this year, GWI is projecting loss at $3.4 billion. If the new tariff structure is approved, GWI could halve the amount of its losses.Currently, operating costs amount to $2.5 billion, and its fuel bill is another $2.4 billion.Electricity charges, which account for more than 60 per cent of GWI operating costs, burn up the revenue collected by the utility. Baksh said that GWI is attempting to cut the electricity bill, by, among other things, resizing pumps. He told the Commission that current monthly savings from these energy saving initiatives add up to $12 million.The utility is seeking consideration from the PUC for the introduction of an automatic review of the water rates based on changes in electricity rates.The proposed formula for such increase is annual cost of electricity divided by total costs multiplied by the percentage of the increase in fuel/electricity. This will be applicable in the absence of a direct Tariff increase approved by the PUC once there is increase in Electricity Tariffs.Baksh is contending that GWI is looking to make metering more attractive to customers. According to GWI,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, more than half of the water it sends out through the pipes is not paid for.The CEO said that expanding metering is the surest way to ensure that everyone who uses water pays, and pays the fair amount.Baksh said that the utility is attempting t