President Jagdeo hails ‘excellent’ existing bilateral cooperation between Guyana/U.S.
TOP U.S. diplomat Thomas Shannon yesterday admitted that the United States has to “step up” cooperation with Guyana in the fight against drugs and illegal arms since the U.S. shares responsibility for the problems facing this country and other Caribbean nations.

Shannon acknowledged that the U.S. is the principal market for drugs trafficked out of Guyana, and said he was taking back for discussion to Washington D.C., another request by President Bharrat Jagdeo for the U.S. to have a permanent presence of its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) here.

He said, too, that the illegal arms used in the drug trade and other crimes, flows from the U.S.

Shannon, who serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Affairs within the U.S Department of State, visited Guyana along with Commander of the U.S Army’s Southern Command, Admiral James Stavridis.

Admiral Stavridis held discussions yesterday with Army chief-of-staff Commodore Gary Best.

In the absence of both sound data and more robust DEA involvement, the U.S. will not augment resources for investigation and interdiction in Guyana, the U.S government had stated in its 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR).

Instead, the U.S. government said it will continue to channel future assistance to initiatives that demonstrate success in treating substance abusers.

With Shannon’s visit and a promise to re-look the issue, the Guyanese head of state expressed optimism.

“I hope it (DEA permanent presence here) materializes sometime soon,” President Jagdeo said at a press conference he shared with Shannon at the Presidential Complex, New Garden Street, Georgetown.

The 2008 INCSR pointed to “weak border controls and limited resources for law enforcement allow drug traffickers to move shipments via river, air, and land without meaningful resistance.”

The report pointed out Guyana as a transit country for cocaine, noting that “vast expanse of unpopulated forest and savannahs offers ample cover for drug traffickers and smugglers.”

However, the report did point out successes, namely the 2007 seizure of 167 kilogrammes (kgs) of cocaine, representing a three-time increase over the previous year’s interdictions.

President Jagdeo said that drug trafficking was linked to the criminal environment and once again committed to doing “whatever” for “however long” to get those behind the two recent massacres which claimed 23 lives.

Mr. Jagdeo said that some crimes can be reduced and prevented, such as by providing (skills) training and economic support for vulnerable communities “to keep young people away from the crutches of criminality”.

But he said the recent crimes, “terrorism”, did not come out of poverty, but just to “spread fear into the society.”

“EXCELLENT COOPERATION”
Shannon and Stavridis’ visit were premised on the improvement of bilateral cooperation between Guyana and the U.S and President Jagdeo hailed the existing cooperation as “excellent.”

The President praised in particular two initiatives – President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Reduction (PEPFAR) and the Threshold Program funding to help the government reduce its fiscal deficit by improving its ability to collect revenue and better manage its budget, and in helping to develop a more favourable environment for businesses.

PEPFAR was introduced to Guyana in 2004 and has so far dispersed over US$100M in varying programmes here, including helping 18 non-government organisations, head of PEPFAR here, Ms. Julia Roberts told the Chronicle yesterday.

Among the hallmarks of PEPFAR projects in Guyana is the construction of a US$5M multi-reference laboratory going up in the Georgetown Hospital compound. Another flagship project is the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, Roberts added.

Mr. Jagdeo reiterated that PEPFAR was a “visionary” thinking on the part of President George Bush and said the programme is “making a huge difference here in Guyana.”

Touching on the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Threshold Programme, which is designed to assist countries that are on the “threshold” of eligibility for larger grant assistance known as “Compact”, President Jagdeo said Guyana was pleased to qualify because of meeting the 16 of the 17 indicators.

Guyana is currently benefiting from a two-year US$6.7M grant to improve its fiscal policy indicator to qualify for the larger grant assistance.

The programme is designed to help countries meet three criteria: ruling justly, investing in people, and economic freedom to become eligible for a compact - a larger financial assistance programme of the MCC.

Specifically, the grant is helping the Government to implement the new Value Added Tax (VAT) system and develop ways to assist and educate taxpayers, while at the same time helping the government better plan and control spending.

The grant will also help reduce the number of days and costs associated with starting a business by modernizing and streamlining the process to register businesses.

President Jagdeo told the visiting U.S. diplomat that efforts to reduce Guyana’s fiscal deficit falls within the confines of the government’s rebuilding programme.

In an obvious reference to the Guyana Trade and Investment Support Services Project (GTIS), President Jagdeo thanked the U.S. government for helping to rebuild the private sector and make it the driving force for economic growth.

He said government was “grateful” for the programme which helps to build capacity of various enterprises, including finding markets for produce, “in helping people directly.”