Daily Archive: Friday, January 26, 2007

This nation, such as it strives to be or become, indeed the whole world of nations, cry out for serious commentary, intense, informed analyses based on the study of the humanities, the philosophies and other rigid academic disciplines which human history has evolved for itself – and profound thought and conclusions which some other prolific writers seem capable of offering us.

Citizens Bank Managing Director Alan Parris has said in his 2006 annual report that despite the challenges which the bank has had to confront “both within the banking industry and generally in the country” 2006 had marked the tenth successive year that the bank saw growth in its assets.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) says it welcomes the recent fixing of floor and ceiling rates for cellular services by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) since the new range of rates provides the company with more flexibility to provide cost-saving options to its customers.

For all the various challenges that confront Banks DIH Ltd the company continues to exude an aura of confidence and optimism that ought to serve as a source of encouragement to local entrepreneurs in a society where doing business can be fraught with difficulties.

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In the wake of the ongoing controversy governing the staging of the Linden Town Week 2007 Stabroek Business has learnt that the Interim Management Com-mittee of the Linden Mayor and Town Council will assume overall management responsibility for the running of the Town Week programme but that various private organizations will be invited to submit bids to finance and run individual events comprising the programme.

Banks Barbados Head Brewer Steven Gittens has told Stabroek Business that his technical role in supporting the brewing exercise prior to last Friday’s launch by the local company of the new energy drink Plus Energy breaks new ground in a long history of cooperation between the two companies.

With Cricket World Cup coming in a few months, our businesses customer service will be tested for the first time by the international community on a large scale.

The new multi-million dollar Toolsie Persaud hardware complex will open its doors to the public next Monday marking yet another major investment by one of the country’s best-known and most durable business establishments.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone N

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A tough task awaits the National Sports Commission panel which will deliberate today to select the winners for the 2006 National Sports Awards.

Eleven corporate Communications Specialists are convening in Guyana this weekend to fine tune their efforts and synchronise their strategies for the last lap of Cricket World Cup (CWC) promotional schedule.

Thirty coaches from Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice are currently participating in the Guyana Cricket Board’s Level One, four-day coaching programme which began yesterday at the National Gymnasium.

New holder of the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association Association (CABA) referee/judge badge Ramona Agard has set her sights on becoming the first female Guyanese International Box-ing Association (AIBA) referee/judge.

Eight matches are scheduled to be contested this week-end in the Georgetown Cricket Association under-19 40-over competition to be played today, tomorrow and Sunday.

The Annual Mayor’s Cup Football tournament which was scheduled to kick-off today at the GFC ground has been rescheduled for a February 2 start.

The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) will be holding their Annual General Meeting and elections this Saturday from 14:00 hrs at the White Castle Fish Shop at Hadfield and John Streets.

A splendid all-round performance by Shameer Fazal propelled Diamond to a seven-wicket victory over defending champions Tucber Park in the second national semi-final of the Republic Bank under-15 national semi-final at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda, yesterday.

A tough battle is expected tonight when Everest Sports Club takes on Floodlights XI in exciting Twenty20 action at the Camp Road ground.

The Guyana Amateur Swimming Associ-ation’s (GASA) inter-club meet which was scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday at Castellani Pool, will now be staged at Colgrain Pool as Castellani Pool is unavailable.

Dear Editor, A recent published account in the newspaper (Power Company asks homeowners for notice of increased demand for CWC, SN: 2007.01.12) puts GPL’s capacity at 88 MW (peak power demand of 77 MW plus surplus or reserve capacity of 11 MW).

Dear Editor, In your response to the letter titled “The constituency system creates more independent MPs” (07.01.24), you leave out some very important information.

Dear Editor, I am a poor widow and mother of five children.

Dear Editor, I am glad that at least one person has raised a concern that I have about what appears to be part of a much wider scheme by some set of persons in Guyana.

Dear Editor, It is heartening to see the clean-up happening in GT.

Dear Editor, I must congratulate members of the Guyana Police Force for their efforts to recapture the nine escapees from the Mazaruni Prison.

Dear Editor, It is shameful that some teachers and schools are still trying to exploit children and their parents by illegally imposing such things as contingency fees and charging for other things such as for entry to schools or for sitting examinations.

Dear Editor, I am in a state of disarray like, I suspect, many people I know, as well as those I don’t know.

Dear Editor, I have followed the debates in the newspapers on the merits and demerits of casino gaming in Guyana.

Dear Editor, Recently a very observant Guyanese, Mr Patrick Jackson, brought to the nation’s attention that a ship was being loaded apparently without any customs’ supervision in his letter captioned “Which timber exporters had cargo on the Rong Cheng” (06.12.27).

Dear Editor, It is conceded that the job of an editor is to edit.

Meats, toothpaste, local clothing, eggs and soap powder are among 40 more items that are to be VAT zero-rated, President Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed yesterday.

President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said the axing of GINA ads to Stabroek News was purely a business decision made by the agency and that the government would advertise in two of the country’s dailies – the state-owned Chronicle, the privately-owned newspaper, the Kaieteur News, and some newspapers that are published once a week.

Two men appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with stealing over $1.8M from CCS on Camp Street last weekend.

The body of a Herstelling resident was found lying on the public road in the village early yesterday with bruises about the upper body.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that Friday, February 2 is Budget Day.

The body of a Parika farmer was discovered in his home on Wednesday afternoon bearing marks of violence.

The PPP has condemned Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Clarissa Riehl for disallowing an intervention by Prime Minister Sam Hinds at Tuesday’s sitting of National Assembly to close debate on a PNCR-1G motion criticizing the PPP/C Government’s plans for the design and construction of the Berbice Bridge.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) says it found a high incidence of meter tampering in several West Coast Demerara communities in its first foray into the area this year.

Beginning this month, Guyana will be one of six CARICOM countries that will be provided with narcotics and explosives trace detection technology by the Canadian government through the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Over 760 children will benefit from a $32.9 million grant, which is aimed at assisting children who fall victim to child labour and ensuring that they receive a sound education.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is recruiting social workers countrywide in order to boost its services.

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) on Wednesday expressed concern that the administration of President Bharrat Jagdeo has in its view “joined the list of governments that manipulate placement of advertising to punish critical or independent new media.”

The main opposition party, the PNCR, yesterday accused the PPP/C government of continuing with what it called “its communist manifestations” by its “vicious attack” on Stabroek News and subsequently withdrawing advertisements from the widely circulated newspaper.

There has been a notable increase in acute diarrhoeal disease and vomiting (gastroenteritis) in several areas along the coast and especially in the Canje, Berbice area which the Ministry of Health says it is concerned about.

A Customs officer who allegedly took $110,000 from a US-bound passenger who wanted to smuggle a number of protected birds out of Guyana, appeared yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on two charges.

Nearly one year after he was killed, the police are yet to find the persons who pumped 13 bullets into the body of Ronald Waddell.

Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, yesterday said that he would be sending some of his officers into the secondary school where a student was found with a quantity of marijuana and it was discovered that a gang was peddling drugs and stolen items.

Local representatives of Caricom and the UN yesterday convened a meeting aimed at facilitating a more responsive programme of cooperation between the two institutions.

The Region Seven Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has approved committees for the mining, transportation, agriculture and tourism sectors.

Three companies are providing an $18M support package to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for this year’s Mashramani activities.

The Rice Factories Amendment Bill would force millers who are out of favour or are deemed non-supporters of the PPP/C to stop their business operations while new persons entering the industry would find partisan political agendas at work.

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is advising all customers of Agriculture Road, Triumph that a boil order is in effect for water used for food preparation and for personal consumption.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud on Tuesday commissioned a sanitary block at the Rose Hall Community Centre.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues met with Waini, Region One residents to discuss the process of obtaining land titles for these communities.

An 11-year-old student of the New Amsterdam (NA) Primary School in Chapel Street had to be hospitalized and given oxygen after she was badly beaten by another student last Friday.

A mysterious fire yesterday destroyed a small part of a newspaper vendor’s residence in Sophia.

The body of a man was found on the Pomeroon River bank on Wednesday shortly after a boat he operated was spotted drifting in the river.

President Bharrat Jagdeo says that he is in no hurry to appoint acting commissioner Henry Greene as the substantive Police Commissioner and announced that from February 1 former New York Police Commissioner, Bernard Kerik will be contracted to provide security advice to him and the Minister of Home Affairs.

Bosai Minerals Group Ltd and Canadian firm IAMGOLD will have to wait until mid February to get an answer from the government on a proposed US$46M deal to sell IAMGOLD’s 70% stake in Omai Bauxite Mining Inc (OBMI) and Omai Services Inc to Bosai.

An interfaith service is the Deputy Regional Executive Officer’s (DREO) and the mash committee’s choice of a perfect start for the Region Two events preceding Mashramani 2007 In an interview, DREO Carl Parker said that the event cannot be a one-man show and as a result his committee includes members of the business community, the department of education, the police force, the fire service, the New Opportunity Corps, officers of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the general public.