Daily Archive: Friday, December 28, 2007

I suppose it had to happen. My personal limitations? Or choices and preferences?

A mother of five who pleaded guilty to a charge of trafficking in narcotics yesterday burst into tears when Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle sentenced her to three years jail together with a $10, 000 fine.

A female prisoner who was being escorted to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday made a mad dash for freedom after the vehicle she was in collided with another on High Street.

Three persons accused of killing a man by setting him afire last year were yesterday committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs yesterday committed Seon Collier called ‘Picture Boy’ to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Chandrapaul Persaud at his Non Pareil home last year September.

Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Providence Magistrate’s Court yesterday adjourned the Buddy’s fuel trial to allow the defence to respond to the prosecution’s submission to amend the charge.

With all the rather more urgent issues President Jagdeo had to deal with on his return from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in Kampala, Uganda, last month, he might be forgiven for not briefing the nation on the wider official and informal discussions taking place there about the future composition and leadership of the Commonwealth.

Traditional ‘late shopping’ took on a new dimension this Christmas as hundreds of urban shoppers poured into the city on Christmas Day to conclude what the business community says was, up until Christmas Eve day, a lacklustre commercial season.

The amount of money owing to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in employee contributions has now exceeded the $500M mark and a senior NIS official has told Stabroek Business that the Scheme is making “little headway’ in collecting the amounts due to it through the Magistrate’s Courts.

One of the notable features of the private sector during 2007 was its virtual silence on issues concerning the business sector and the economy as a whole.

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The Main Big Lime has now established itself as a kind of seasonal institution – an integral part of the Christmas calendar.

A city businessman has told Stabroek Business that what was offered at this year’s Boxing Day Main Big Lime was “less than what might have been expected” given the tremendous public support which the event received.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is implementing the manifest module of TRIPS as part of its continued effort to improve clearance times for goods imported while ensuring transparency.

Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, in his feature address at the graduation exercise held for youths at the Essequibo Technical Institute, encouraged the private sector “to join hands and provide a better pay package so that Guyana can retain youths that have been trained.”

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone N

Notes 1 – Interim results 2 – Prospective EPS: earnings per share for 12 months period to the date the latest financials have been prepared.

WITH the phenomenal Shivnarine Chanderpaul inevitably to the fore and the energised fast bowlers – and fielders – following in his wake, the West Indies continued to make a mockery of their depressed status at St.George’s

It was dubbed a ‘Day at the Races’ and the event truly lived up to its name with some exciting finishes as the Kennard Memorial Turf Club held its Demerara Distillers Limited El Dorado Day at the Races on Boxing Day.

Two new faces have been included in the Guyana national team which will contest the three away matches in the Regional Carib Beer four-day cricket tournament set to commence on January 4 2008.

Dear Editor, I refer to the Sunday Stabroek article of February 11, captioned ‘Mrs Jagan calls for reversal of ads decision.’

Dear Editor, I was pleased to see the letters from Messrs Charles and Peters (SN, 27.12.07) as it seemed the Lall incident would soon be forgotten, as presumably that was the wish of the PPP/C and government.

Dear Editor, The Christmas Day edition of the state-run Guyana Chronicle had as its lead story the PPP General Secretary’s announced intention of running for the presidency in 2011, but after clicking on the “read more” tool, there was nothing more to read.

Dear Editor, Ms Lurlene Nestor’s call for People’s National Congress (PNC) Founder-Leader, Forbes Burnham, who was also Guyana’s first Executive President, to be equally honoured by the National Assembly as was late Independence Fighter and Democracy Liberator, Dr Cheddi Jagan shows that the PNC Reform stands a divided party under current leader, Robert Corbin.

Dear Editor, I wish to express my gratitude to Region 3 Chairman, Mr Faerber, for his effort to improve our living conditions.

Dear Editor, The Essequibo Alliance, which is an NGO in partnership with Educare and Partners of America has successfully completed the first term of their School Attendance Programme (SAP) at the CV Nunes Primary School, Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

Dear Editor, So Donald Ramotar in response to a question in a recent press conference concerning Kellawan Lall, said that the party had very high standards and had disciplined its members in the past, though not for one incident.

Dear Editor, On Christmas Day I was travelling along the junction turn-off from DSL into the four-way lane on the East Bank to visit a friend when I noticed a dead horse by the grass.

Dear Editor, I spent the Christmas holidays in Bangkok, Thailand. A Buddhist Thai Christmas is not very different from the non-religious celebration of Hindus and Muslims in Guyana.

Dear Editor, Can GPL provide clear statements on what its financial position is likely to be in 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years’ time if the price of oil hovers around the US$100 per barrel mark for the next three years.

Dear Editor, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar’s comment in response to the shenanigans of one of its own, that the PPP is not a party that would kill people for the first mistake they make, is facetious, sanctimonious, and utterly mind-boggling.

Dear Editor, President Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP and Opposition Leader Robert Corbin continue to shield the trigger-happy Kellawan Lall.

The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday issued a flood alert for the upper reaches of the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks and when Stabroek News visited the areas some farms had already been submerged.

Gunmen operating out of Agricola seriously wounded a popular Linden businessman in a daring robbery yesterday afternoon as he was making his way into the East Bank Demerara village.

Christmas Eve fun for two senior officials attached to the Skeldon Sugar Moderniza-tion Project (SSMP) turned out to be a nightmare after they were beaten and robbed of a camera by armed bandits around 11 pm.

Two armed bandits yesterday afternoon stormed a Mandela Avenue internet caf

Transport Minister, Robeson Benn yesterday received a copy of the report from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on its investigation into the torched aircraft found at an illegal airstrip at Orealla two weeks ago but there are no immediate clues as to where the plane came from and who owns it.

Boxing Day ended tragically for an East La Penitence family when a seven-year-old died under the wheels of his father’s canter truck while the vehicle was reversing into their yard.

The bill paving the way for the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) to proceed with the House to House registration exercise was yesterday passed in the National Assembly despite reservations by the opposition that a part of it may threaten the independence of the commission.

Education awareness about substance abuse will now be added to the curriculum at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre, in the wake of a recent incident where students were found with illicit drugs, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony said at a Christmas fete at the centre.

Surveillance cameras will soon monitor internal operations at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) as it moves to stop drug trafficking through postal packages.

The ruling PPP and the opposition PNCR yesterday condemned the assassination of Pakistan’s former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto.

The transition from old transmission lines to new lines is the cause of residents of some parts of the city experiencing low water pressure and this should be resolved by mid-January, according to the Guyana Water Inc (GWI).

The Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday sent an official message to its counterpart in Pakistan conveying the condolences of the government and people of Guyana on the tragic death of that country’s former prime minister and opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto.