NEW members of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Sea Defence Board were yesterday challenged to tackle issues facing each sector, as members of both boards were officially installed to oversee their respective mandates.

The board members received their instruments of appointment in the boardroom of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure at Oranapai Towers, Wight’s Lane, Kingston.

The new 19-member Sea Defence Board will be chaired by engineer John Cush, who is returning to the position. Other members are Kenneth Jordon, Geoffrey Vaughn, Kevin Samad, Maithland Stewart, Imole McDonald, Beni Sankar, Abena Moore, Julius Faerber, Floyd Hendy, Arnold Adams, Dennis Deoroop, Khemraj Parsram, Omadat Persaud, Heidi Gilette, Freddy Flatts and Chabilall Ramsaroop.
One member of the parliamentary Opposition is to be named.

The GCAA’s new Board will be chaired by Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Lawrence “Larry” London. Other members of that board are GCAA Director General (ag) Chitrani Heeralall, Hugh Denbow, Duke Pollard, Rodwell Paul, Ramesh Ghir and Colonel Cargill Kyte.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Balram Balraj, is an ex-officio member of that board.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, while addressing the new Board members, explained that the Sea Defence Board comprises regional representatives, persons from the Agriculture Ministry, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Natural Resources sector, among other stakeholders. He said the parliamentary Opposition was written to name a member to sit on the Board, but that person is still to be named.

SEA DEFENCE ISSUES
Patterson expressed hope that the Government’s policy of zooming-in on the focal point of sea defence issues will be achieved by the new Board. He pointed out that there are persons or entities that have breached the regulated boundaries by erecting structures and blocking access to reserved spaces.

“Purely, we think it is to the safety of our country. We have to maintain a consistent policy,” Patterson said. In addition, he said he expected that the new Board will “state very emphatically if you agree or disagree” with proposals for erection of aspects of infrastructure encountered.

“What you find is that people are building more than 50 feet from the centre line of our structures, and there are erections — which I’m sure everyone would know — that are not in conformity,” he noted.

In brief remarks, Cush called for the setting up of a secretariat for the board. He said this would ease the day-to-day activities of the body. He also asked for identification cards for the members, including those who are based in the regions.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, said it will not be business as usual over at the GCAA. As minister with responsibility for the aviation body, she said, it has been seven months since the Government took office, and it has a fair idea of the volume of work which lies ahead. She said the new Government found the GCAA to be deficient as the country’s agency for ensuring Guyana’s compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices.

She said her vision is to see the civil aviation system modernised and transformed to match global standards, and she pledged to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure Guyana’s standards rise to at least 60 per cent of the required minimum.

Ferguson called on the new aviation board to address several areas. These include the provision of effective leadership and guidance to the authority, and transformation of the GCAA into a high performance organisation – one that is results-oriented and people-focused. She also called on the body to develop a succession framework, and to renew and develop strategic partnerships with stakeholders.

PROACTIVE BOARD
“The way I see it, with the amount of work that has to be done, it will not be business as usual. A proactive Board is needed, and so I am happy that I see people with aviation background and other skillsets on the Board to take it to another level,” Minister Ferguson added.

London expressed confidence in the new board, while Heeralall noted that the aviation industry is dynamic and has been demonstrating continued growth. She said that it is one of the main sectors which can improve the economic development of Guyana.

By Alva Solomon