Chairman of the Demerara Bank Ltd; Dr. Yesu Persaud,Cheap Jerseys, yesterday made no bones about the need for Ministers to perform to their best, in order for Guyana to raise its status and become respected once more.Dr. Yesu PersaudHe made these remarks at the commissioning of the Seventh Demerara Bank Ltd branch,NFL Jerseys Outlet, yesterday. This branch is located on Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets.? Persaud noted that he travels a great deal and when he does, little attention is paid to Guyana. This situation must change with a new Government in place.“I would like to see that change, by (Guyana) gaining the respect of the world at large, especially the financial world,Cheap NFL Jerseys, because without the financial world nothing happens.”“All the government ministers must be doing their best and nothing but their best, in terms of performance,” Persaud said. “Performance is what we need in a country like Guyana.”“People have not been performing to their best. And if we can get this to be the order of the day, there is no need for this country to be poor. We’re a country rich in resources. But resources don’t develop themselves. They need people and technology.”Once these advances are pursued, Persaud noted, Guyana would become respected again.Persaud also advocated for more efforts to be made to attract people with special expertise back to Guyana. Over the years Guyana has been flagged for its high rate of ‘brain drain’, that is individuals acquiring a university education and then leaving the country in droves.“Ask them to come in as immigrants. Every country in the world does that. If we do the right things this place can be booming again within five years.”Persaud also drew references to Chile, noting that the Spanish speaking country was once in turmoil under (Augustus) Pinochet. However, he noted that the country transformed itself using its agricultural resources and was now exporting worldwide.“We can do it, we must do it. We are supposed to have a country well endowed. Otherwise future generations will look down at us. Third World countries are moving up into being first world countries. We can learn from them.”President David Granger, who also addressed during his address at the ceremony noted that Guyana is indeed an agriculture-based economy. He said that in Guyana the agricultural and manufacturing sectors need investment to become more diversified and competitive. He also stated that the establishment of a development bank in order to boost the development of the agricultural sector is being considered.There was one such institution, The Guyana Agriculture and Industrial Development Bank (GAIBANK), which was established in 1973 as a means of providing credit facilities for those involved in Agriculture on a development basis.It was a state-owned development bank catering for the Agricultural and Industrial sectors,cheap nfl jerseys, with grants and loans from the international community providing it’s funding.? It was also intended to fill the financing needs of farmers which were not being met by the commercial banks.GAIBANK, Guyana’s only development bank at the time, was rendered defunct by the then Dr. Cheddi Jagan administration in 1995 when,Wholesale Jerseys, in a bid to redress financial difficulties and recover its loan portfolio which was lagging behind, GAIBANK was merged with the Guyana National Co-Operative Bank (GNCB).While those in the agricultural sector have called on the Government to do just this, Government had seemingly taken a step back from its establishment.“Commercial banks must also shed their over-cautiousness towards investment in agriculture,Cheap Jerseys From China, infrastructure and manufacturing enterprises and projects,” he said. “Our plan includes creating a green economy by the generation of electricity from renewable sources. It includes reducing poverty through investment in increasing farm production and agro-processing. ““It includes expanding our infrastructure with the establishment of aerodromes, bridges, highways and stellings.? Investment in infrastructure will allow the commercial banks to diversify their portfolio and to reduce portfolio volatility,” Granger said.

By Neil MarksIn 2007, more than two million condoms were brought into Guyana.Who is using them? Are they being used?“They aren’t being used as balloons for sure,” Nazim Hussain quips. He is the Community Mobilisation Coordinator at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) in Georgetown, and goes across the country meeting with – and distributing condoms – to different groups, be they commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, and youths.He also works with religious leaders, helping last year with the process that led to the creation of the HIV and Faith Coalition.As far as Hussain knows the condoms bought and distributed by NAPS through various Non Governmental Organisations and the private sector are being used.“The kids don’t want to talk about abstinence, they want condoms!” Hussain declared. “They are having sex and they want condoms to have sex; the condoms are being used.”The debate about the use of condoms and its effectiveness in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic was resurrected last week when Pope Benedict XVI suggested that the distribution of condoms increases the problem.The some 13,000 HIV professionals who make up the International AIDS Society (IAS) made no bones about saying that the Pope’s comments were “ignorant” and “irresponsible.” In fact,NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic, President of the Society, Julio Montaner, went as far as to say that the Pope’s statement was “dangerous.”Reuben del Prado, who heads the Joint UNAIDS Programme in Guyana and Suriname, agrees with Montaner. But he goes further, suggesting that the Pope Benedict and the church should mind on their own business.“The church is not to interfere in the business of condoms; their business is to deal with faith and the spirit.”He argued that everything that happens in HIV has to be based on evidence. “Bring the evidence,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping,” he asks of those who suggest that condoms perpetuate sexual activity and thus exposes many more to the risk of contracting HIV.“If you carry an umbrella, you are not calling rain; you carry it for protection,” del Prado offered, saying that condoms don’t encourage sexual activity, but serve as protection against HIV for those who are having sex or contemplating sex.He admits that in Guyana the church does not talk much about condoms, “there are hardly any outbursts.” However, when the Pope made his comments last Tuesday,NFL Jerseys Cheap, UNAIDS in Guyana rushed to issue a statement in support of combination HIV prevention,Cheap Jerseys From China, including condom use towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, mindful of the effect it could have on the country’s 60,000 Catholics.With more than 7400 new HIV infections each day the world cannot stop the AIDS epidemic without stopping new HIV infections, UNAIDS stated, saying that countries must know their epidemic and tailor their response to it.In Guyana,Cheap Jerseys From China, the fight against HIV has managed to get the support of religious leaders from the predominant religions in Guyana, namely Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. While they might not out rightly advocate for the use of condoms, they do not discourage its use.The IAS, whose president Julio Montaner is quoted above, noted that while the historic stance of the Roman Catholic Church against contraception use is widely known, Pope Benedict’s predecessor John Paul II never spoke out publicly against the use of condoms to prevent HIV infection.“There is not a shred of evidence to suggest that condoms can increase HIV transmission – absolutely the contrary,Jerseys NFL Wholesale,” said Dr. Montaner. “Male and female condoms, used correctly and consistently, can reduce the risk of sexual transmission of HIV by 80-90 percent.”Montaner argued that while condoms are not the only solution to combating HIV, they are a critical, cheap and cost-effective element of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention.“Instead of spreading ignorance, the Pope should use his global position of leadership to encourage young people, who are our future, to protect themselves and others from HIV infection using all the tools we have at our disposal, including condoms.“His remarks are insulting to the tireless efforts of committed scientific, public health and human rights leaders around the world to protect the poorest of the poor from HIV infection,” Montaner declared.The larger UNAIDS body, together with the United Nations Population Fund and the World Health organization were also alarmed at the Pope’s statement, pointing out that the male latex condom is the single, most efficient, available technology to reduce the sexu