Daily Archive: Monday, January 21, 2008

(This is one of a series of fortnightly columns from Guy-anese in the diaspora and others with an interest in issues related to Guyana and the Caribbean) In the last week, a diverse group that included civil society organizations, trade unions, artists and academics, endorsed a statement expressing concern over the Economic Partnership Agreement that Cariforum (CARICOM member states and the Dominican Republic) initialled with the European Community in December.

With cricket in the air, we asked persons to comment on who should be the captain of the West Indies team Chris Gayle or Ramnaresh Sarwan?

Thursday’s lockout of the media from the annual officer’s conference of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was another in a series of ominous signs for the fourth estate epitomized by the government’s assault on press freedom via the withdrawal of state advertisements from this newspaper.

Guyana’s Golden Jaguars went down to Grenada 2-1 in their second international warm up match after squandering several scoring chances at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground yesterday.

Fifteen-year-old table tennis star Nigel Bryan continued from where he left off last year to snatch two divisional titles in the Guyana Table Tennis Association/National Sports Commission junior tournament sponsored by the West Indies sports complex which ended yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Presidents of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA)Affeeze Khan and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K.

Dear Editor, I note, with some surprise, a letter headlined: `Too many acting appointment in schools’ that appeared on page 9 of the Sunday Stabroek of January 20 without any indication that it had been sent or was being sent to the Teaching Service Commission for a comment.

Dear Editor, On behalf of the Association of Guyanese Writers and Artists, I wish to congratulate Professor David Dabydeen for winning the “Caribbean Nobel Prize”, ANSA/Sabga Award for Excellence in Arts and Letters, which earned him a Gold Medal and TT$500,000.

Dear Editor, I write on behalf of the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the AFC.

Dear Editor, I ask the Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Kumar Singh to remember the 35,000 pensioners in his Budget 2008.

Dear Editor, GNBS moves to regularise testing in the rice industry is welcome news for rice farmers because some rice millers are ripping off the farmers with moisture and dockage for a bag of padi.

Dear Editor, All complaints regarding serious charges of torture, corruption and other illegal actions involving government authorities should be conducted by independent investigators assigned to an equally independent oversight body.

Dear Editor, There is one thing the newspapers do and that is to allow Tom and Dick and Harrylall to state their complaints.

Dear Editor, Ranks that work with the special constabulary are not properly paid.

Dear Editor, I am very much concerned with what the power company GPL has embarked upon under the disguise of restructuring.

Dear Editor, I have been an employee with the power company for over twenty years.

Dear Editor, Since the PPP/C took office in 1992 the only thing they can say is “

Dear Editor, After reading your article headlined “President favours truth commission to examine 50s and 60s” (SN, Jan.

Three officers attached to the army’s Military Criminal Investigation Department (MCID) who allegedly tortured several soldiers during interrogation over a missing AK 47 rifle will likely be stripped of their rank, well-placed sources in the military said yesterday.

In a historic sitting last week the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held a hearing by way of teleconferencing involving Guyanese attorneys in Guyana while the Court was convened in Trinidad.

Vending on the seawall along the Rupert Craig Highway particularly on Sunday evenings is causing deterioration of the embankment and the works ministry will soon take steps to prevent further damage.

Prominent rice farmer and miller Beni Sankar is of the view that had the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) carefully monitored the stocks for consumption, rice prices would not have escalated to over $6,000 per bag – a rise of over 100 per cent in a year.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has asked the Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon to look into the non-appointment of an Ombudsman over the last two years.

Although receiving a report almost two months ago, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack has not decided whether Local Government Minister, Kellawan Lall appropriately used his firearm during the rum shop brawl last year.

In the Caribbean-EU Econo-mic Partnership Agreement (EPA), for a period of two years leading up to full duty-free and quota-free access, CARIFORUM rice exporting countries will be given quotas of 187,000 tonnes for 2008 and 250,000 tonnes for 2009.

Government last year spent $20M on schools and to provide accommodation for teachers that would preclude the need for travelling long distances, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Government’s $650M National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) will be thoroughly reviewed in March to evaluate aspects that have been implemented and those that require immediate attention, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

The GMC says establishing an agro-processors association (AA) would improve product quality, uniformity and competitive pricing of produce, all integral to the growth of the industry.

The Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) says that last year 308,209 persons were treated at the New Amsterdam, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Mibicuri hospitals, including patients who benefited from special clinics, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.