Dear Editor,
As a citizen of this country, and one who was a beauty Ambassador of Guyana for several years, I wish to express my view on the above caption. I love my country Guyana, and I love to see that we have infrastructure created for happiness, safety, security and convenience.
Of course, I know that no institution can ever be perfect, and so I am writing on the above to give a serious recommendation to the administrators of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri to please consider what I am saying, and implement it quickly. This implementation could save a lot of heartaches, as someone whom I know well had a very unfortunate experience, and suffered as a consequence.
I recall that when I was passing through the United Kingdom on my way to represent my country in the Miss Universe Pageant in Malaysia, an address book was dropped in London at the Heathrow Airport. I realised when I was in Malaysia that this address book had to have gone missing in London at the Heathrow. And upon my return to the Heathrow Airport, I made some inquiries, and was sent for a long walk in the massive airport to a Secure Small Room, where my address book was well secured.
As a result of my loved one’s experience recently at the CJIA Timehri, I decided to check Trinidad; Barbados; JFK, New York; Miami International; Orlando International; just to verify whether they all have “Lost and Found”. And yes, I found that they all have Lost and Found. Upon enquiring about Guyana, they do not have Lost and Found. Imagine, this was quite a surprise to find that, at our airport, the administrators of the airport did not think of the necessity of having a Lost and Found.
Someone dear and near to me dropped their passport at CJIA. It would appear now in the Customs Department. The passport was found at CJIA and taken and kept at the Immigration Department. It was kept at the Immigration Department from the 20th December, 2022 to 30th January, 2023. The name on the passport is that of an especially popular gentleman in this country. The Immigration Department should not be a Lost and Found, but If the Lost and Found should be operated out of the Immigration Department, that should be established. It should be properly documented, with proper recording system. I repeat for emphasis, that there is no Lost and Found at the CJIA airport.
On 30th January 2023, someone realized that no one had called this popular gentleman about his passport, misplacement of which had caused that gentleman tremendous distress and confusion. The point is that the passport is now located. It is confirmed that CJIA does not have a Lost and Found.
The distress was unnecessary; if they had a Lost and Found at CJIA, it would have been recorded into that system. The staffers there would know to go and check their records quickly. They would know that they have a passport that was misplaced, or items that are misplaced, and that the passport or other items need to get to its/their owner/s immediately, especially if contact addresses and telephone numbers of the owner/s of the items are available.
It is normal for these kinds of losses by accidents to happen. The fact that our airports in our country and points of exit and entry at border access in our country have no Lost and Found does not speak well of our country as a tourist and commercial destination. There needs to be one established at the earliest opportunity at all points of entry and exit.
I hope authorities that govern the airports and border crossings would listen to my guidance to establish this important Lost and Found facility at various points of entry and exit into our country.
Sincerely,
Katherina Roshana
