Prime Minister appoints new State media Board of Directors

Sep 16, 2015 News

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– as some $200 million still owed to NCN

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has named new Boards of Directors for both the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL), which oversees the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.
With the installation of these boards, Nagamootoo, who also has the responsibility for public information, noted that there will be major policy reforms for both state owned entities.

“Guyana is a plural state and we have opposing views. Therefore I would expect, as I said before when I met the staff of the Guyana Chronicles, that the newspaper would carry those opposing views. Not in an irresponsible manner, to use the newspaper to degrade someone you don’t like as a ‘jackass’ and revel in glory and satisfaction that that was one of the better headlines in a state owned newspaper,” Nagamootoo said.
“The board will have to guide the management of the newspaper on issues and policies that make the newspaper national, inclusive and acceptable,” the Prime Minister charged the board.
The board members were presented with their instruments of appointments at a simple ceremony yesterday, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC).
The board members for NCN are; Bishwa Panday (Chairman), Mark Archer, Dr. Paloma Mohamed, Margret Lawerence, Kojo McPherson, Dhanwanti Sukhdeo, Carolyn Walcott, Imran khan and Colin Thompson.
For GNNL, the board members are; Jean LaRose (Chair), Karen Davis,  Imran khan, Scherazade Isoof –Khan, Ruel Johnson, Bert Wilkinson, Tabitha Sarbabo, Patricia Wolford and Sohan Poonai.
The Prime Minister reminded the members of the board that they are now the representatives of the shareholders, who are the people of Guyana.
He alluded to the fact that Imran Khan, Director of Public Information appears on both boards. The Prime Minister explained that Khan will represent him and the interests of the Government. He also emphasized that the NCN and GNNL are both owned by the “state.”
The Chronicle, which is the primary source of income of the GNNL, has been “one of the most abused newspapers”,  according to the Prime Minister, “reducing it to the state of a political rag expressing only the views of a particular political party”.
Therefore, he pointed out that, there is a credibility issue that the members of the boards will have to confront. The board was urged to guide the managers of the newspapers on issues and policies that make the newspaper “national, inclusive and acceptable, one that has wholesome information, entertainment, sports and cultural bits and pieces that may satisfy the needs of Guyana”.
Nagamootoo also charged the paper to lift its standards in a competitive market and also touched on the discomfort that workers face when it rains and urged the board to look at bettering the working conditions of the staff.
“It is there in the market. While it is a state paper, it has to be able to fend for itself. It has to be able to sell goods that are (marketable) and at the same time make profits to keep it viable and provide minimum human standards for its employees,” she said.
Noting that at one time employees were allowed to have shares in the company amounting to 10-20%, the Prime Minister charged the board to investigate whether employees have been paid dividends.
“It ought to have made money, and if it did not then someone has to answer why not,” Nagamootoo said.
The Prime Minister also announced that his office has engaged a funding agency which is willing to assist in constructing a new building for the Guyana Chronicle.
With regards to the NCN, the Prime Minister said that it had fallen on hard times. However, Nagamootoo noted that this television station has tremendous potential, and called on the board members to harness this and recover several hundreds of millions of dollars that is owed to the company.
“We needyou, I need you, Guyana needs you, and President David Granger needs you to lift the NCN, to ensure that they have reach, to ensure that they have programmes that reflect the realities in Guyana. The aim will be to take radio to the North West, the Rupununi and as far as the Pakaraimas,” he said.
Nagamootoo also made it clear that the company will not be doing business with anyone who has outstanding monies for it. He believes that both boards have capable persons who have the ability to turn the state media around.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has already been cited for owing NCN millions of dollars, following the 2015 General and Regional elections. Demands have already been made that the money be paid.

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