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FM
Former Member

Duty-free vehicles for 16 school heads

November 18, 2015 By Rabindra Rooplall

 

SIXTEEN headteachers will now benefit from duty-free concessions to purchase vehicles, and the Finance Ministry is currently processing more than 30 names to receive this facility, according to the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) General Secretary Coretta McDonald. GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald At a press conference held yesterday at the GTU headquarters on Woolford Avenue, McDonald said, “Approval has been given, and very soon, they [teachers] will be driving their cars along the streets of Georgetown, Essequibo, Berbice, Linden, Bartica and other places.” Among those teachers are: Kamal Persaud, Kathlene Armstrong, Magna Bethune, Zailmoon Samad, Gwenette Sam, Bernadette Lewis, Chandradee Kanhai, Paul La Cruz, Susan Rhius, Vernell Razack-Giles, Deborah Greenidge-Hinds, Juliet Mattis, Avril Lake, Georgieanai Lewis, Paulette Merell and Beverly Henry. To qualify for duty-free concession, a teacher must have been a headteacher for at least three years, and have at least five years of employment before retirement. McDonald said the outstanding list has been going back and forth, but has finally received approval from the relevant authorities. “We are still awaiting final approval for a final 30 to complete this, but we are hoping [that], pretty soon, in some days ahead, we will be able to receive these names.” She said there are other head teachers who are awaiting their duty-free concessions, and said that theirs was not as tedious as the present set of 45. She admonished the Education Ministry and the relevant agencies and officials who would be dealing with the duty-free concessions and approvals not to make the process seem cumbersome, since the process can entirely be finalised in two weeks. “We should be able to finish this whole business of duty-free when we submit names in a matter of two weeks, because GTU has information on our teachers, the Education Ministry’s Personnel Department has the same information we do, so we should not have that long-drawn-out period,” McDonald said, adding: “It is sometimes very frustrating and fatiguing when headteachers have to be going back and forth and going here and there; so we are asking to sit together as partners, and complete the list at one end, so when we send off to the other end, which is the Ministry of the Presidency, that we would be able to cut back on the time it usually takes to have the duty-free concession issue dealt with.” The Guyana Teachers Union has, over the years, submitted several lists of the names of teachers who have qualified for a one-off duty-free concession. The union has, since 2009, been behind the Education Ministry to obtain duty-free concessions for eligible head teachers who have been within the teaching profession for over 30 years. Teacher Samad, the head teacher of the Leonora Primary School, said she was “ecstatic” at the news, since she has been waiting since 2009. “God is always in charge! I was looking out for this for a long time, since 2009. But, you know, God is in charge and the time is right,” she said.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Not on the salary Burnham was paying teachers.

K
Originally Posted by kp:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Not on the salary Burnham was paying teachers.

You would be lucky to have Cassava flour Bread and fry breadfruit.

Nehru
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by kp:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Not on the salary Burnham was paying teachers.

You would be lucky to have Cassava flour Bread and fry breadfruit.

but u had the highest standard of education that is who went to school sorry u miss out  

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by kp:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Not on the salary Burnham was paying teachers.

You would be lucky to have Cassava flour Bread and fry breadfruit.

but u had the highest standard of education that is who went to school sorry u miss out  

So it is fair to conclude you used to pick up Cow Dhit ah Pasture and duab Bottom Houses

Nehru
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by kp:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by kp:

Can't afford a salary increase, but allow you to purchase duty cars so you can do taxi service to supplement your income. Full time hire car drivers, part time teachers.

Could you have afforded a car when you were teaching?

Not on the salary Burnham was paying teachers.

You would be lucky to have Cassava flour Bread and fry breadfruit.

but u had the highest standard of education that is who went to school sorry u miss out  

So it is fair to conclude you used to pick up Cow Dhit ah Pasture and duab Bottom Houses

there is more cow shit at freedum house that is how i duab bottom house i grab rohee and wipe him on the ground 

FM

Zailmoon Samad, headteacher of the Leonora Primary School, with four of her five students who secured a place at Queen’s College this year. Teacher Samad is among 16 headteachers who have been approved to benefit from duty-free concessions

Zailmoon Samad, headteacher of the Leonora Primary School, with four of her five students who secured a place at Queen’s College this year. Teacher Samad is among 16 headteachers who have been approved to benefit from duty-free concessions. [GUYANA CHRONICLE PIC]

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Zailmoon Samad, headteacher of the Leonora Primary School, with four of her five students who secured a place at Queen’s College this year. Teacher Samad is among 16 headteachers who have been approved to benefit from duty-free concessions

Zailmoon Samad, headteacher of the Leonora Primary School, with four of her five students who secured a place at Queen’s College this year. Teacher Samad is among 16 headteachers who have been approved to benefit from duty-free concessions. [GUYANA CHRONICLE PIC]

My villager will drive a car soon,good for her i have known

her riding a bicycle to work.

Django
Last edited by Django
Originally Posted by BGurd_See:

Why reward only 16? Why not duty free car for every teacher?

It should be for EVERY Head Master/ Mistress BUT the PNC want to control so they can give to their supporters and a dew others to try and fool people.  SAME OLD PNC!!!

Nehru
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by BGurd_See:

Why reward only 16? Why not duty free car for every teacher?

It should be for EVERY Head Master/ Mistress BUT the PNC want to control so they can give to their supporters and a dew others to try and fool people.  SAME OLD PNC!!!

You are correct, they are using this as a political reward system. This approach to reward only 16 reeks of cronyism. 

FM
Originally Posted by BGurd_See:

Why reward only 16? Why not duty free car for every teacher?

BG_S, as of 1998 there were 9,495 teachers according to the PPP govt's national development strategy report.

Assuming that the total number is more or less the same today, that would be a big demand for duty free cars.

And thousands of public servants will demand the same facility.

Whatever criteria is used to grant teachers duty free concession for cars, the most important thing is to ensure no discrimination.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by BGurd_See:

Why reward only 16? Why not duty free car for every teacher?

BG_S, as of 1998 there were 9,495 teachers according to the PPP govt's national development strategy report.

Assuming that the total number is more or less the same today, that would be a big demand for duty free cars.

And thousands of public servants will demand the same facility.

Whatever criteria is used to grant teachers duty free concession for cars, the most important thing is to ensure no discrimination.

How about all headmasters. Any attempt to restrict the number based on intangible rules will be open to corruption. 

FM
Originally Posted by Nehru:
Originally Posted by BGurd_See:

Why reward only 16? Why not duty free car for every teacher?

It should be for EVERY Head Master/ Mistress BUT the PNC want to control so they can give to their supporters and a dew others to try and fool people.  SAME OLD PNC!!!

u so accustom to nothing when some thing good happen u have to question  it 

FM

It's a generous way of bribery to keep teachers from running to foreign countries. This government is so incompetent that while they maintain good teachers by gift giving, our youths are busted every day with cocaine to make a living. This cause US customs to ban fresh pepper and pepper sauce from entering New York. The PPP is out, so who is responsible for jalil coke in the poke?

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by cain:

Why is this being done, is it the norm?

The rationale is to keep trained and experienced teachers in Guyana, to dissuade them from emigrating.

It is great to offer Duty Free Vehicle purchase to 16 teachers, but this is not FREE cars for 16 teachers, they still have to come up with millions of Guyana dollars to buy the vehicles, at a time when the cost of living is sky rocketing. Almost all the teachers are female, how many of them have driver license , would the Government also give them license .The schools and school children needs more attention, they need better internet service, computers, photocopiers,fax machines,and most of all better security. Duty Free Vehicles don't make better education.

K

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