PRESS BRIEFING
Wednesday, 07 April 2004

AGENDA

1. CONTRACTS

2. CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENTS

3. POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY:
CONSULTATION OF PROGRESS REPORT

4. CUBAN SCHOLARSHIP`

CUBAN SCHOLARSHIP

Preparation have started for the processing of awards of scholarship for the Guyana Cuba Special Scholarship programme.

This is the 3rd year of the Special Programme agreed to by Presidents Jagdeo and Castro during his State visit to Cuba in 2002.

The first batch of Guyanese students (124) left in 2002.

The second batch of Guyanese students (100) left in 2003.

The application date for this third batch closed recently and over 200 students have submitted applications, of whom about half have expressed desire to study medicine and the other half expressing to study interest in Agriculture Science, Natural Science and Technical Science.

Interviews for shortlisting would commence by Monday, April 19, 2004, so as to conclude Guyana’s preparation by the end of May 2004.

The Cuban academic year commences on October 1, 2004, and student are expected in Cuba by the last week in September 2004.

POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY: CONSULTATION OF PROGRESS REPORT

The Public Consultation on the 2002 - 2003 Progress Report saw four (4) County Conferences held on April 2 - 3, 2004.

As planned, conferences were held in Berbice, Essequibo and two (2) Demerara (Georgetown and Linden).

The conferences were well attended and there was broad participation of the various interest groups with the counties.

The participants provided comments and criticisms of the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy in their communities and also made contributions in the context of the draft report.

The process of review of the draft Report is ongoing with activities related to collecting and compiling responses.

There would be another Conference held in Region 1 to complete the planned schedule.

CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENTS
The Office of the President has noted the most recent statements by the Leader of the PNCR on the future of the Constructive Engagements.

The Office of the President in rejecting Mr. Robert Corbin’s effort to belittle the achievements of the Dialogue recognises that there is still unfinished business.

Like Mr. Hoyte, Mr. Corbin had to find a reason to justify the PNCR intransigence.

The Death Squad issue provided such an excuse according to which unless an inquiry was held prior to which the Minister made to resign, the Constructive Engagement would be aborted.
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The Government’s principled position on an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct of the Minister was deemed unacceptable by the PNCR.

In the same breath, Mr. Corbin invites and encourages other social forces to be a part of the process of National Dialogue, with the governing PPP/C, most of whom are already engaged in fulfilling roles arising from implementation of the Agreements made in the Communiqué.

Disciplined Forces, Parliamentary Political Parties, organised labour, the Religious Bodies, the private Sector, Local Democratic organs, NGOs and CBOs have been and are
involved in myriads of ways in the process of the Constructive Engagement.

What Mr. Corbin offers is more tricks, to raise the tension, organise more anti-government sentiments and ignore/deny responsibilities for the consequences.

The Office of the President calls on the PNCR to response to the real needs of the Guyanese people and cease their intransigence.