PRESS  BRIEFING

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

AGENDA  

• CONTRACTS  

CONTRACTS

Cabinet at its meeting held on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, offered its No-objection to the award of the following contracts:

SECTOR	ACTIVITY	VALUE
HOUSING	Construction of roads, drains and structures at Block 22, Wismar, Region 10	G$150,590,412.00
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT	Strengthening Procurement Administration - Guyana Public Sector Technical Assistance Credit	US$332,250.00

 

              CEREMONIAL OPENING OF THE CARICOM HEADQUARTERS BUILDING

On Saturday, February 19, 2005, the CARICOM Headquarters building would be commissioned by President Bharrat Jagdeo and officially opened. The ceremony would be attended by the Heads of Government of CARICOM, returning from their concluded  Intersessional held in Suriname. The building constructed by the Government of Guyana at a cost in excess of $1.5 B GYD would contain state of the art facilities and replace the many rented offices, including the Bank of Guyana, which housed the Secretariat, subsequent to the entry into force of the Treaty creating the Community. In that historic Treaty, the then Government of Guyana undertook to provide the newly created community with accommodation to house the Secretariat. On February 19, 2005, that undertaking will be honoured in its absolute sense, a building designed and built as the Headquarter of the Secretariat of the Community.

FLOOD DISASTER

Record levels of rainfall in January 2005 precipitated the worst flooding in Guyana’s history involving the coastal Regions.  Regions 3,4 and 5 were declared disaster areas with Region 4 being the brunt of the devastation.  The entire sequence of the Administration’s Disaster Response activities is well recorded and publicised.   The situation today has improved. Most of Georgetown has been drained indeed it was the first area to be completely drained. Flooding on the lowlying East Coast is resolving significantly.  The front lands 1 st depth lands on the East Coast are mostly free of water but large areas of back lands, 2 nd depth/savannah lands are under water.  The situation is Region 3 is similar.  The conservancies have withstood the challenges of sudden expansion in stored waters that came close to exceeding capacity.  Food, potable water and health delivery campaign have been successfully carried out involving coordination between the Administration, State/Government Bodies, the CDC, Joint Services and local and  international agencies/organisation.  The Administration would even at the risk of being premature, acknowledge all the support, national and otherwise that was provided in mounting a disaster response activity of such a scale and duration within so short a time frame.  Indeed, it is both noteworthy and commendable that such an extensive effort has been conducted for so long and so intensely.  The current tasks are to rid the remaining flooded areas of water, monitor and control the immediate aftermath particular health and to plan the recovery.

PRESIDENT LULA'S VISIT

President Lula da Silva of Brazil would begin his official visit to Guyana on February 15, 2005.  This visit coordinates with the February 16 - 18 inter-sessional of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government, to be held in Suriname at which President Lula will attend and address.  The future economic developments of Guyana and Brazil is intertwined under the current leadership in both countries, bilateral relationships have grown significantly. During his stay, President Lula is expected to address a full sitting of the National Assembly and be the guest of honour at a Luncheon at State House to be hosted by President Bharrat Jagdeo.