Politicised racial divide hinders development-UK High Commissioner
British High Commissioner to Guyana, Fraser Wheeler says this country has a “politicized racial divide” which strains its development and that from a donor perspective all political and civil society players need to find some form of accommodation. The country’s political history is known, Wheeler said, pointing out that when he arrived here just before [...]
Independent Party ready to take over City Hall – Benschop
- join opposition coalition for national elections Leader of the Independent Party, Mark Benschop has defined his political strategy as building a new grassroots movement across the country which will charge into the next general elections either with a combined opposition and or as a single party keen on securing parliamentary seats. Benschop said he [...]
Chefs carve up fashionable food in model search culinary art challenge
Sonia Noel’s fashion franchise, Guyana Model Search and its spin-offs have grown into calendar events here and she believes it has something to do with the increasing focus on local initiatives such as going green and pushing the country’s food campaign. In just over two years, which is one year after Model Search was launched, [...]
Single mothers to tap up to $250,000 under WOW loan scheme
Single parent women who are interested in starting a small business can now access a micro-loan at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) with the launch of the Women of Worth (WOW) programme yesterday, which aims at financial empowerment. The WOW programme is being executed through the Ministry of Human Services and Social [...]
How Alisha Ousman’s stand halted the obliteration of Barakara Falls
Alisha Ousman feels the tourism industry sat quietly by and allowed BK International to openly discuss tearing down Barakara Falls, “no one seemed to care,” she said. But she was prepared to fight the company even if it meant standing up alone. Ousman had no idea how she was going to take on BK; a [...]
‘Broken’ criminal justice system denying prisoners their rights –Justice George
The criminal justice system is accountable to prisoners awaiting High Court trials, Justice Roxane George said yesterday, and she declared that the time has come to fix what is broken in the system because citizens cannot continue to languish in prison for years. The lack of state resources to comprehensively reform the system is noted, [...]
No info, no phantom probe – Teixeira
Commissions of inquiry which have been set up in this country in the past have all been independent according to Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira, and she also declared there would be no probe into the infamous phantom squad if no information or evidence is provided. “Who be independent, who would you suggest?” Teixeira [...]
How rap music’s poetry frees Floyd
Floyd Christie picked up an Eminem cassette a few years ago, around the time cassettes were still ‘in’, and decided rap was the sort of outlet he needed to “feel free”. He was barely in his teens at the time, but had figured out music was his escape. What Enimem was rapping about was not [...]
BK has to restore falls rapidly – GGMC
-no penalty to be applied Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Com-mission (GGMC) William Woolford yesterday said no penalty is likely to be imposed on BK International for its destructive activities in the Barakara Falls area, but the company is expected to remedy the situation within the shortest period of time. BK International was [...]
BK ordered to cease quarry operations near Barakara Falls
– says it will undo damage, restore site Having visited the area and conducted its investigation, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday ordered BK International to cease all quarry operations in the Barakara Falls area, halting plans by the company to blast the falls site. BK International Public Relations Representative Kit Nascimento confirmed [...]
Barakara Falls threat… Region Seven council had denied lease application by resort owner
The Regional Council at Bartica, which reportedly has oversight for the Barakara Falls area, a few years ago turned down an application for a lease by businessman Jad Rahaman, who was seeking to maintain and protect the area. Efforts to contact regional officials yesterday for a comment proved futile. Barakara Falls is currently under threat [...]
Quarry operations threaten Barakara Falls
Barakara Falls, a tourist attraction on the Mazaruni River, are under threat from quarry operations in the environs according to tour operators, who are calling on the company responsible to protect the area before it is destroyed entirely. Operators reported that some damage has been done to the area surrounding the falls due to operations [...]
House passes new sexual offences bill
-MPs urged to raise awareness about reforms Sexual legislation reform was unanimously passed in the National Assembly yesterday, almost three years after countrywide consultations on the laws, which were previously criticised for being archaic and failing to protect victims. The legislation offers a comprehensive overhaul of the laws and includes a string of new offences [...]
‘Exorcism’ was physical, maintains grandmother
-health ministry probe launched The grandmother of Sangeeta Persaud, the 14-year-old who died after an ‘exorcism’ last month, is maintaining that the girl was prodded, squeezed and palmed during the ceremony, while Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy has said an investigation of the case is underway. According to Chaitranie Ramotar, on March 28, she watched [...]
Renowned architect Alfred France passes away
Guyanese architect Alfred France, whose work ranked among the most respected in the country, died three weeks ago in Canada following a period of illness. He was 87 years old. France was a pioneer in the profession and had initially started his career at the Public Works Department in the 1940s as a draftsman. His [...]