Daily Archive: Monday, March 17, 2008

Still in intense pain and wondering why she was targeted, Petra Ming in the open ward at the Georgetown Hospital has gotten no word from the police as to who her assailants were.

A suspected thief, who reportedly attacked police ranks while they attempted to arrest him, is in custody after being shot in his right hand yesterday.

Patrons deemed the annual Region Four Science, Mathematics and Technology fair a success at Thursday’s closing as participants prepare for the national fair slated for Linden.

President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday expressed his gratitude at receiving the high honour of the Pushkin Medal, and speaking Russian, he thanked Ambassador Pavel Sergiev and the people of Russia.

Corlette motion seeks break from gov’t ban With the government’s ads boycott of Stabroek News extending to the regions, Chairman of Region Four, Clement Corlette is to present a motion to its statutory meeting tomorrow calling for it to take control of its advertising decisions.

Efforts are being made to develop new varieties of rice that will ensure high productivity in response to Guyana’s current climate conditions.

Mothers in agony over missing sons but chasing every lead Khobindi Sanichara spends every agonizing day waiting, hoping and praying for her only child to return home.

Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh says that Government’s decision to place airstrips at Leguan and Wakenaam is justified since those two islands in the Essequibo River have fairly large populations and the infrastructure was needed for further development.

Guyana leads the Latin America and Caribbean region in remittances receipts as a percentage of GDP with US$424M constituting 43 per cent of GDP being received in 2007, says a report by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Following the doubling in prices last year, the rice price has again increased and a number of factors are said to be responsible for this including the high cost of fertiliser and fuel and the demand for paddy brought on by international market forces.

No useful ballistic info likely – source One week after an unidentified gunman killed Marcyn King, the sister of the country’s most wanted man, police are yet to conduct any ballistic test on two warheads recovered from her body.

-crew in custody Four members of a fishing crew are in police custody following the disappearance of another crewmember during a fishing trip.

Rajendra Rampersaud, the former Chairman of the National Insurance Reform Committee says that the proposed increase in the pensionable age to 65 is based on a number of factors and is not cast in stone.

Dear Editor, Since Independence, the theme of racism/ethnicity has dominated our national dialogue and our common culture.

Dear Editor, A now familiar state of “normalcy” graces Guyana. The inklings of a soft peace abound in a number of forums.

Dear Editor, The People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) is clearly entrenched in using destabilizing tactics in relation to security matters in this country.

Dear Editor, The Jagdeo Administra-tion’s facilitated convergence of parliamentary representatives and civil society’s stakeholders, which resulted in last Wednesday’s setting up of a parliamentary standing committee on national security with ministerial representation, should be treated as the final effort by non-government participants to resolve longstanding worrisome issues.

Dear Editor, I hope the political parties, Critchlow Labour College , trade unions, the media, and other stakeholder bodies will continue to demand that the government engage in equitable distribution of the State’s resources.

Young Achievers and Stewartville recorded identical 2-0 wins over Beavers and Meten-Meer-Zorg respectively when the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) West Side Cup Easter round robin competition continued at the Den Amstel ground on Friday evening.

Christopher Holder outsprinted John Charles of Linden to win the feature event of the sixth annual Diamond Mineral Water cycle programme organized by national cycle coach Hassan Mohammed and held at the inner circuit of the National Park on Saturday.

Former Guyana left-handed opening batsman Azeemul Haniff struck form over the weekend to lead Clico Preysal to a draw against Alescon Comets in the Eastern Credit Union league in Trinidad .

Philip Squires proved too strong for Anthony Downes in the men’s singles final while Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan secured victory over an injured Carol Humphrey to win the ladies’ singles title when the curtains came down on the Banks DIH sponsored `Plus Energy’ Lawn Tennis championships Saturday evening at the Le Meridien Pegasus Courts.

The second meeting of the national stakeholders with President Jagdeo at the Office of the President on March 12 produced the following agreements: i) Establish as a matter of urgency a new parliamentary standing sectoral committee on national security; ii) Expedite the appointment of the six constitutional commissions “which are key features of the governance framework within 90 days”; iii) Activate the parliamentary constitutional reform committee; iv) Ensure the effective participation of civil society in these parliamentary processes; v) Explore a mechanism for the continuation of the national stakeholders forum.

65 as the pensionable age Do you support the proposal by the reform committee that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pensionable age be raised from 60 to 65 years?

(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) Making the Case for a Living Income Red Thread To mark International Women’s Day, this week’s column draws on a Red Thread leaflet, which makes the case for higher old age pensions and public assistance.