Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698070376698.pdf (Guyana)
10th Sitting April 1983 (Absent) (Absent – on Leave) (Absent) (Absent) (Absent) (Absent) (Absent – on Leave) (Absent) (Absent – on Leave) 2 (Absent – on Leave) (Absent) (Absent – on Leave) (Absent – on Leave) (Absent) 3 Minority Leader (Absent) (Absent) (Absent) (Absent) 4 subsequently was elected a tragic death.

Soon after school- feeding programme his own indefatigable untirine Amerindian welfare and development 5 6 1983-04-14 14:10 hrs (Cde.
Corbin continues) National Assembly 14:10 – 14:20 hrs His humility and sincerity were hallmarks of his character and despite his rise to political recognition in 1964 when his name first appeared on the list of candidates of the People's National Congress it was a fitting tribute and a consecration of his work in rural development and leadership that he entered the portals of this Assembly, a product of our democratised system of Local Government after the 1980 General Elections.
A representative of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 9 Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo.

He leaves to mourn, his wife, Juanita and twelve children.

On behalf of the Government and the People's National Congress and this Assembly, I wish to convey our sincere condolences in this hour of their bereavement.

Unfortunately his wife is a patient now at the Lethem hospital having sustained injuries in the same accident which claimed the life of her husband.
I also wish to extend sincere wishes for her successful and speedy recovery.

It is, therefore, because of his stirling contributing to his community, his people and the nation as well as this Assembly, that I now formally move this motion standing in my name that this National Assembly records it's deep regret at the death of Cde.
Abel Dorrick and pays tribute to his distinguished service which he rendered to Guyana and to its Parliament, and directs that this expression of sympathy be conveyed to his sorrowing widow and children.

The Chairman: The motion is proposed.

Cde.

Ram Karran.

Cde.

Ram Karran: I would like to join in expressing sympathy to the relatives of the late member and associate myself and my colleagues on the opposition to the motion of sympathy.

The Speaker: Mr. Abraham.


Mr. Abraham: Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself and my Party with the sentiments expressed a few moments ago by the hon.

Members Ram Karran and the Minister.

Abel was a very dear friend of mine.

Sir, even though we never saw eye to eye politically, many were the evenings when we were kept down into very heated arguments over politics, would eventually come down.
7 1983-04-14 14:10 – 14:20 hrs I remember the very best of times we shared and he was always a very dear friend.

Sir, he was one of the most hard working members of the People's National Congress.

I know this for a fact.

It was himself and Mr. Anthony Charles, Mr. Howard London who in the very early days stomped the whole of the Rupununi over rivers and creeks rainy season and dry season to promote the People's National Congress in the Rupununi.
One always remembers his very jovial and humorous attitude of life, never one to succumb to pessimism.

One cannot forget his very infectious laughter.

As Minister Corbin so truthfully said, he was a humble man in all his achievements.

Yupukari has lost its father, as he was known.

He was loved by his villagers and by people farther afield even the Nappi from where I came.
Sir, to his sorrowing widow, his children and to the members of the People's National Congress, I would like to convey our very deepest sympathy.

Question - That this National Assembly records its deep regret at the death of Cde.

Abel Dorrick, and pays tribute to the distinguished service which he rendered to Guyana and to its Parliament and directs that an expression of its sympathy be conveyed to his sorrowing widow and children.

Put.

The Speaker: I will ask comrades and hon.


Members to stand in silence for one minute.

[Members stood in silence for one minute.]

Motion carried.

BILLS – SECOND AND THIRD READINGS National Data Management Authority Bill 1983 A Bill intituled: "An Act to establish an Authority responsible for data processing and information systems in the Public Sector."

[The Vice-President, Economic Planning and Finance.]

The Speaker: Cde.

Hoyte.

The Vice-President, Economic Planning and Finance (Cde.
Hoyte): Cde.

Speaker, the rise of electronics data management technology has been one of the most remarkable development in modern times, and the widespread application of this phenomenon to management and governmental activities has been regarded as the single most important factor in influencing changes- fundamental changes – in the organization of government and business structure.

8 1983-04-14 14:10 – 14:20 hrs This rise in E.D.P.


technology has been accompanied by a widespread application of that technology to the tasks of management, research and planning.

This is because the tasks involved are those activities are now carried on on the basis of large flows of data and information which human beings just cannot cope with.

This mass of information has to be stored and retrieved.

It has to be analysed and it forms the basis of modern managerial decisions making.
So the Government agencies, private business, organizations, centres of learning such as universities, in the offices of profession, all tend today to have a common denominator, and that is the presence of a computer.

9 1983-04-14 14:20 hrs.

(Cde.


Hoyte Continues) National Assembly 14:20 – 14:30 hrs These developments have not escaped Guyana, for many public sector managers have over the years been utilizing computer hardware and software to assist them in managing their entities and in making complex business decisions and forecast which they are required to make if they are going to manage efficiently.
But this acquisition of electronic data processing technology has brought in its train many problems which require to be addressed by the Government.

There were three main problems which manifested themselves.

First, many of the agencies which acquired computers did not have the skills and the knowledge to assess the equipment which they were acquiring, and very often were influenced merely by the glib talk of the salesman.
So that hardware was acquired which was not suitable for the needs of the particular agency.

Secondly, a problem arose out of the first.

This was that several agencies acquired computer hardware which was incompatible one with the other so that the public sector as a whole did not get the maximum benefit from the fact that it had a number of electronic data processing machinery and equipment in the system.
The third problem was that since there was no single agency responsible for developing the skills necessary to use this new technology, those skills were developed in a very unsatisfactory and haphazard way.

Individual Corporations or agencies tended to do their own training and this was unsatisfactory because they did not have the necessary personnel or even if they did have people who could do the training, those people were involved in full-time activities in line management.
So there was a bit of confusion in this area, not the least of which was that people did not recognise the importance of this new skill and this was reflected in the remuneration which their own E.D.P.

personnel received.

Some of them were paid emoluments which were just a trifle better than those paid to unskilled persons.
There was a constant exodus from one agency to another and some of the trained people even left the country, carrying with them this important resource which the public sector had provided them with by means of the particular skills which were provided.

10 1983-04-14 14:20 – 14:30 hrs Against this background the Government, through administrative action, appointed a group of skilled and qualified people to an agency called the National Data management Authority.
But although we called it an Authority, it was an informal agency having no legal character.

This little group was mandated to keep an overview of the acquisition of computer hardware and software in the public sector, to sanction the acquisition of these items in a very way which would ensure that we were developing a structured and rational policy in this field.

Needless to say, some agencies did manage to slip by and to circumvent the Authority of the N.D.M.A.
But, by and large, over the years it has done quite a good job in correcting some of the problems which I have identified.

Because of the experience which has been gathered over the years by the N.D.M.A.

it is now considered expedient to do what was intended initially, that is, to put the Authority on a legal basis.

Hence this Bill.

The Bill as I remarked will confer legal status on the Authority, but it will also widen the scope of its operations and its responsibility.
Its main responsibility would be, of course, to ensure the development of data processing and information systems in a rational and orderly way.

But more than that, Cde.

Speaker, it will have the responsibility for planning the development of these systems, looking to the future, so that as technology changes – and technology in this area has been changing very rapidly – we will be able to respond and adapt ourselves very quickly in an intelligent and knowledgeable way.
But it is to have other responsibilities.

It retains its responsibility for keeping an overview of the acquisition of computer and related equipment its authority to sanction such acquisition, both hardware and software, and its duty to give advice to public section agencies which require such advice preparatory to acquiring electronic data processing equipment or changing such equipment.

It has the responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the performance of various E.D.P.
equipment and systems in the public sector.

It has responsibility for planning the development of such systems in our country and, most important of all, I think, it has a particular responsibility for the training and development of the skills which are necessary to support this technology.

This last responsibility is very important because, hitherto, there has been no agency which had the personnel, which had the knowledge, and the experience to undertake this work.
So now we will have a single agency with the responsibility and the capability for discharging this important function.

11 1983-04-14 14:20 – 14:30 hrs The Bill sets up a structure which is extremely simple.

There is, first of all, the National Data Management Authority which is going to keep what I may call the strategic policy overview to make sure that the systems are developing in a logical way and that E.D.P.
information systems and so on are being acquired and utilized and developed within the framework of broad national policy, then there will be an executive committee which will have the responsibility for managing a data center.

So that the N.D.M.A.

is not going to function in a vacuum.

It is not going to be just giving advice and talking to people.

It will be also managing and operating a data centre.

That data centre has already been established on the campus of the University of Guyana at Turkeyen.
There has been installed a large computer, IBM system 370, model 115 computer.

The centre has been staffed with highly skilled professional people and therefore it is ready to provide the services envisaged under the Bill.
Then there is going to be a technical and advisory panel which will draw upon the expertise of people in the country who are knowledgeable either about the technical aspects of electronic data processing equipment or who know what are the needs of businessmen, what are the needs of researchers, what are the needs of governmental and other agencies.

12 1983-04-14 14:30 – 14:40 hrs 14:30 hrs.

(Cde.

Hoyte Continues) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY I have been saying Cde.
Speaker, that the NDMA will keep an overview of the system and will attempt to plan for the public sector, but I would like to make two qualifications of that statement.

The first is that the public sector has been extensively defined by the Bill to include not only the governmental Ministries and public sector corporations but also local Democratic Organs, U.G.

and all institutions of education.


Co-op societies, agencies in which the Government has a controlling interest and any entity which the Ministry from time to time may designate as a public sector agency for the specific purpose of this statute.
The second qualification I want to make in this – that the Bill makes provision for the services of the Authority and the Data Centre to be available to the private sector, so that if private businessmen require the service of the centre for training of personnel or providing information or for other business purposes the Authority will be able to do that in terms of the law.
It will also be able to provide services to individual persons, non-Government agencies, and professional people who have some particular type of work to be done for which the computer will be suitable.

So Cde.

Speaker, this is a broad outline of the Bill.

We hope that when the Authority has been set up we would be able to gain a number of advantages not the least of which will be the collection of body of expertise and experience which will be available to us in a very important field of technology.
Cde.

Speaker, over the years….from people who have come from abroad, we have expert people here but they are scattered….there is a…..which we will be providing for our people who are skilled in this particular field to acquire that purpose of knowledge and experience so that they could provide…..and expect services not only of agencies and persons in Guyana but outside of Guyana.

These will be the services they will be providing and ….. because the ….
of NDMA is expected to be advancing and to provide them with resources from the skills which it will be importing and the services which it will be rendering.

With these remarks Cde.

Speaker, I commend this bill to members of the Assembly and ask that it be read a second time.

Question proposed, put and agreed to.

Bill read a Second time.

Assembly in Committee.

13 1983-04-14 14:40 hrs.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 14:40 – 14:50 hrs Bill considered and approved.

Assembly resumed.
Assembly resumed.

Bill reported without amendment, read the Third time and passed as printed.

The Speaker: Cde.

Minister of Home Affairs.

PRISON (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983 A Bill intituled: "An Act to amend the Prison Act."

[The Minister of Home Affairs] The Minister of Home Affairs (Cde.

Thomas): Cde.

Speaker, Cabinet in 1966, on the occasion of the country's attainment of Independence, developed a formula for the granting of bonus remission and amnesty to prisoners.
That formula was really part of a programme aimed at rehabilitating those who were convicted for a number of offences.

Incidentally, those prisoners who were convicted for offences ranging from predial larceny, robbery under arms, right through to those involved in the manufacture of ammunition, were not made to benefit from the allowance of a one-twelfth of the unserved sentence which would have accrued to the prisoner involved.
We have discovered since then the formula has worked to some degree because of other aspects of the programme, to wit the development of open prisons which some call "Prisons without walls."

Examples of those prisons can be seen at Lusignan, Melanie and Hope.
It was felt then – and we still feel so – that the intention must not be to reduce the sentence imposed by the Courts but to utilise part of the time spent in prison in a programme aimed at rehabilitating the prisoner and preparing him for life after he would have left prison.
Under those circumstances, we developed the formula so that at some point in time, once the prisoner is adjudged by the Prison Authorities as one who has shown some progress in terms of being able to come to grips with his own situation while in prison and to have participated in programmes of cultural nature among others, those are the people who will normally benefit.
What this Bill seeks to do is to amend section 33 of Chapter 11:01 to allow the Prison Authorities to monitor the activities of the prisoner while he enjoys that one-twelfth of his sentence given to him as bonus remission on the occasion of, say, the anniversary of our country's attainment of the status of Republic.

14 1983-04-14 14:40 – 14:50 hrs Those are some of the remarks I would like to make in introducing this small and simple amendment.
With those remarks I wish to ask that the Bill be read a Second time.

Question proposed.

Cde.

Reepu Daman Persaud: Cde.

Speaker, I have had a look at the Bill.


As I understand the Bill, if a prisoner is released on licence under the hand of the Minister – I hope my interpretation is right – and that prisoner, subsequent to the release, commits another offence, this Bill makes it incumbent or mandatory for the Court, in sentencing the prisoner for the subsequent offence, to make him serve first that period for which licence was granted him.
May I say at this point that we on this side of the House do support such a programme and such a policy.

We do not believe that people should be thrown into a dungeon and be forgotten.

Probably there is evidence in the Courts where the innocent have been sentenced.
That is what is believed and it might be genuinely believed, but the fact is that you may have people who do not like that kind of environment and you may have people who have certain skills and who use those skills even during those periods of imprisonment.

No doubt somebody would have been judging them.

I think it is a good provision within the statute, once that licence is used judiciously and prudently, to grant release.
If, after such a person has been released, he abuses the privilege of that licence, he abuses the opportunity to reform and to become a good citizen, to become a worthwhile person of the society and of the world and traverse subsequently a path of crime, I believe this particular amendment will act as a deterrent to those who are likely to abuse the opportunity that was given to them.
If a person commits a subsequent offence then he or she will have to serve that period for which licence has been granted first and then the sentence for the subsequent offence.

This is how the Bill looks to me.

The crime rate is very serious and alarming.

The Speaker: You don't support that proposition?

Cde.

Reepu Daman Persaud: What proposition?

The Speaker: Just what you have said.

Cde.

Reepu Daman Persaud: Yes, I very strongly support it.
As I said, the crime rate is very alarming and it is getting out of proportion.

15 1983-04-14 14:50 hrs.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 14:50 – 14:57 hrs Probably if the crime situation is viewed statistically one year against another year, you might find evidence that there might be a lesser number of crimes, but there is a new dimension of crime which is driving fear into the hearts of every citizen.
I suppose at some time or the other, or even now, it is necessary for this high forum to make a pronouncement of our concern, of our alarm and probably of our alertness to let those know – those who are bent on making our lives miserable for other people and creating conditions of insecurity where people and their family and their children cannot just sleep and rest and walk the road in peace – that this forum will be ever watchful and if it becomes necessary legislate, to take the necessary action for all the law enforcement institutions to move with greater speed and if they are moving already, to move with greater positivity and with greater speed to bring this kind of situation which is developing and growing out of proportion in our country to a halt.
Thus if at this point in time we see the necessity to make it law that if someone was pardoned and then he comes back that he will not only have to serve the time for the subsequent offence, but he must be called upon to serve the unexpired time for which he was pardoned.

I think that is a move in a good direction.


We are not unaware, sir, that prisoners have probably studied – people have studied the whole concept of penology within the framework of our own laws, and if one offence is committed, that person goes before the court and gets bail.
After bail is granted to that person, he knows that he is now licenced to commit more offences and he commits a series of offences and if the penalty would have been twelve months then that persons succeeds in serving several twelve months in one prison year period.
This also is an area that we will have to look at some time or the other in that we should not allow people to misuse, abuse or exploit what may be considered certain provisions of penalty formed probably or formulated with the best intention to use those areas to be a nuisance to other people in the community.

Freedom is something which has to be viewed very objectively.
The right of the citizens is a very important right as one must speak for the right of the prisoner, one also has to speak for the right of that person who has so lived and so conducted himself that he does not at any given stage of his life find himself in breach of the law.

That person lives so well he must be allowed the freedom to walk the streets and to live in peace.

16 1983-04-14 14:50 – 14:57 hrs I would like, Cde.
Speaker, in giving support to this measure, probably at the same time to see whether I can succeed in persuading the Minister to express his own view on the alarming crime situation because I think citizens – really I think I speak for the majority of the citizens in this country at this moment – express a view on the alarming state of crime in this country so that citizens can see that we are not sitting idly by here allowing inertia to take us over, but we are remaining ever watchful over this serious development of crime and particularly the new dimension of crime in this country.
Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read a Second time.

Assembly in Committee.

Bill considered and approved.

Assembly resumed.

Bill reported without Amendment, read the Third time and passed.

Resolved, "That this Assembly do now adjourn to a date to be fixed."

[The Vice-President, ADJOURNMENT Party and Sate Matters] Adjourned accordingly at 14:57 hrs.

17