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By Latoya Giles Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon has said that he would have to seek permission from the US Embassy to divulge the details of the project that Guyana rejected from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project.Luncheon was at the time addressing questions as to why the government had pulled out of the 2012 project. According to Luncheon, some time in the latter half of 2012, the US Embassy on behalf of USAID had engaged the government in support for an agreement on a USAID project for Guyana.Luncheon explained that the project is the one Cabinet ultimately rejected in October,Tanner Glass Rangers Jersey, 2013.He said that the design for that project had generated considerable comments at the level of Cabinet.It was explained that conventionally, when such projects are being developed,Jarred Tinordi Canadiens Jersey, both parties sit across the table and discuss it maturely. This time around this did not happen.The Cabinet Secretary said that it was unfortunate that the project did not occur. He said what the administration was confronted with in the latter part of 2012 and what they were dealing with in 2013 was impressing on their developmental partner USAID that the abandonment of convention,Mike Gartner Jersey, meeting and talking on the project was unacceptable.“I don’t want to get into the merits or demerits of the proposed activity on the project. Essentially the design,Meliton Hernandez Mexico Jersey, activity and merits consideration along those lines, the Cabinet said that they were not moving ahead and that they were unprepared and they contacted their counter parts,” Luncheon said.He said too that the project proposal presented to Guyana did not reflect bilateral input of the Government of Guyana and USAID,Sean Davis Steelers Jersey, and on that basis considerable reservations were expressed by the administration.He explained that the design was considered by Cabinet and both project and design were rejected.“The project that habitually and conventionally is an engagement between Guyana and its development partner,Brooks Robinson Orioles Jersey, USAID,Matt Niskanen Capitals Jersey, this one in 2012 departed from that convention…Firstly, we were presented with an agreement to sign over which we had zero contribution.”Luncheon said that when they officially got the design, “there was considerable objection, as far as the administration was concerned. This design would have never ever been provided for in any bilateral relationship,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, as a consequence it was rejected.”Dr. Luncheon added that the design allowed for the involvement of the USAID in the national life and politics of Guyana.The US$13.1M bilateral agreement was to advance development in health,Jonathan Drouin Team North America Jersey, economic growth and democracy and governance. |
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