Daily Archive: Friday, July 24, 2015

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is committed to continuing its support to the National Assembly especially in the areas of improving Governance.

The winners in the first drawing of the TRINCHLORO Clean & White SURE CASH promotion today collected their prize money of US$100 each in a simple ceremony held at ANSA McAL Trading Ltd Head Office, Beterverwagting, ECD.

(Jamaica Gleaner) When the new school year starts in September, fourth-form students will have to contend with new syllabi for five subjects they will sit in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

The Ministry of Education and Digicel (Guyana) Ltd., are working together to repair the Kingston Practical Instruction Centre located in Kingston.

Four hundred thirty three persons, mostly young women graduated from the vocational skills training programmes of the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) Programme.

As the Ministry moves ahead with the  reintroduction  of music into schools, the Minister of Education, Dr.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan today met with members of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to discuss this year’s national budget, the Government Information Agency (GINA) announced this afternoon.

A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency follows: When the Guyana Public Service Union celebrated its 92nd anniversary on Monday 8thJune 2015, H.E.

The APNU+AF​C government is moving to change the composition of the four Parliamentary sectoral committees in its favour.

Amid rising concerns over the rice industry with the looming end of a lucrative Venezuelan deal, President David Granger is on Monday expected to address paddy farmers and rice millers on the way forward.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Ministry of Finance and Planning has confirmed that the Government has reached an agreement on a deal with Venezuela to repurchase billions of dollars it owed for oil under the PetroCaribe arrangement.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Bravo brothers, Darren and Dwayne, produced career-bests in regional Twenty20, to propel Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel to a convincing 27-run victory over Jamaica Tallawahs, in the first semi-final of the Caribbean Premier League here last night.

After months of silence, ex-Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday denied that he threatened slain political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing or was involved in his murder even as he distanced himself from a former bodyguard who has been arrested in connection with the probe.

Guyana’s last hope of medalling at this year’s ongoing Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, Winston George placed sixth in the final of the Men’s 400m event last night.

The inaugural Second Ground Entertainment ‘ballers in the summer’ three-day knockout street football tourney will commence today at the Pouderoyen Tarmac in the West Demerara region with eight fixtures.

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Steve Merai is confident that the police will clear his name in the wake of allegations being made by self-confessed death squad member Shawn Hinds linking him to the execution of political activist and journalist Ronald Waddell.

Against the backdrop of patently futile measures on the part of the regional airline industry to reduce losses and increase market share, a study undertaken by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)—the outcomes of which were made public in May—is advocating a raft of corrective measures that seek to halt the sustained slide of the industry.

ASUNCION, (Reuters) – The United States has sent Paraguay an extradition request for Nicolas Leoz, the former president of South America’s soccer confederation, who was arrested on suspicion of racketeering in a corruption probe, Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Twin brothers Ricardo and Renaldo Ram, 20, are now dead after an accident on Tuesday along the Harlem Public Road, West Coast Demerara.

A number of employees were relieved of their duties with immediate effect yesterday at the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) head offices in Queenstown, George-town.

SANTA CRUZ, Jamaica, CMC – Opener Tevin Imlach stroked an unbeaten half-century as Guyana rebounded from an opening round loss to beat Trinidad and Tobago by three wickets here yesterday.

Months prior to the May 11 general elections which saw APNU/AFC coalition assume office President David Granger, in his capacity as leader of the opposition coalition had taken his campaign to the diaspora, asserting his belief that it was to that constituency that a new political administration would have to look to recruit much of the skills necessary to plan and execute a national development programme.

The APNU/AFC administration and specifically Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon owe the public an explanation over what appears to have been an attempt last week to improperly walk a $572 million payment to Guyana Pharmaceutical Cor-poration (GPC) through the system based on a contract awarded to that company by the former Cabinet several weeks before the May 11 general elections.

Guyana continued their unbeaten run in the boy’s team tourney of the 33rd Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) championship, downing hosts Barbados by a 4-1 margin yesterday in the Land of the Flying Fish.

Faculty members of the University of Guyana were yesterday provided with nine research grants, totalling US$248,522, by the Ministry of Education.

Surinamese beverage company RUDISA International NV has agreed to accept US$6.22M from the award made to it by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) over an environmental tax that was imposed by Guyana.

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – Windward Islands won their second straight game of the Regional Under-19 Championship, crushing hosts Jamaica by 128 runs at Chedwin Park here yesterday.

By Marilyn Collins Street-vended food is ubiquitous in every country, popular with local consumers and even attractive to tourists, Guyana is no different to anywhere else in this regard.

Presidential Advisor on National Security, Brigadier Edward Collins has seen the need for more resources to the police in Berbice including vehicles and radio sets.

In addition to seeking a way forward in the impasse with the Guyana Government which has seen West Indies matches being pulled from this country, President of the WICB, Dave Cameron, on Wednesday evening addressed several other problematic issues.

By Valrie Grant This week, members of our team are in San Diego, California to join more than 16,000 participants from 120 countries around the world at the 2015 Esri User Conference (Esri UC).

Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association Dr Peter deGroot says that a meeting has been requested with Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge to update stakeholders in the industry on the impact the current border controversy with Venezuela will have on rice exports.

In continuing their preparation for the impending CFU Olympic Qualifiers, the Lady Jaguars Senior setup will face off with three-time defending Digicel Secondary School Football champs Christianburg/Wismar today from 15:00hrs.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Wednesday said that the government will not pay the US$500,000 claim presented by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) unless the organisation produces a written agreement it had with the previous administration.

While the paradigms of a relationship between the new political administration and the local private sector are yet to take definitive shape, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Norman McLean earlier this week at a forum at the Pegasus Hotel, pledged the business community’s “unreserved support” for the administration’s national development programme though he was quick to add that the private sector intended to hold the government’s feet to the fire.

Guyana is one of four Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations that are among 29 countries listed by a UK-based organization as being at risk of government external debt crises.

(Reuters) – South Africa made a sedate start to their second innings after conceding a 78-run first innings lead to a spirited Bangladesh on day three of the opening test at Chittagong yesterday.

As part of its 176th Anniversary Celebrations and in keeping with its Community Outreach Programme, the Guyana Police Force with support from various organisations will be holding a Medical Outreach on the West Coast of Berbice on Sunday July 26, 2015, commencing 0930h.

Dear Editor,   For some years I have been responding to invitations to the public from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consider the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of Pharsalus Gold Inc.

Suriname is now better positioned to improve the effectiveness of its implementation of both the CSME and the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) on account of two agreements signed earlier this month with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The police have been able to locate two eyewitnesses to the suspected hit and run that resulted in the death of Dustin Crawford at Eccles on Thursday, Traffic Chief Ian Amsterdam has confirmed.

(Reuters) – South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee for nudging Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal during their opening test at Chittagong, the International Cricket Coucil (ICC) said yesterday.

Dear Editor,   The recent fire at Robb and Camp Streets has reinforced the necessity for having workable fire hydrants in the city and its environs.

Retired director of the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department Marilyn Collins has said that if Guyana is to increase its global market share in agricultural products, serious attention must be paid to significantly raising the standards of our research and testing facilities associated with ensuring that our food exports reach the increasingly high standards that are being demanded by the major importing countries.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) is advising businesses and residents in low lying areas to take necessary precautions, including moving furniture, equipment and valuable resources to higher ground and placing of sandbags, a release from the NEOC said yesterday.

TORONTO, (Reuters) – Andre De Grasse introduced himself as Canada’s next great sprinting hope on Wednesday, powering his way to Pan American Games 100 metres gold.

ST JEAN DE MAURIENNE, France, (Reuters) – Romain Bardet gave France a second win in this year’s Tour de France as he showed his amazing descending skills to clinch the 18th stage yesterday.

United Nations Development Pro-gramme’s (UNDP) Assistant Administrator and Director for the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jessica Faieta, discussed areas of cooperation with Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman during a courtesy call yesterday, at his Brickdam office.

Dear Editor,   The TV news channels were replete with depressing scenes of a most dilapidated Bourda Market – leaking from the roof, and flooding at the floor ‒ while a host of vendors complained about the prolonged lack of maintenance and repairs; of the threat of waterborne disease; of the stench of large amounts of garbage; of the loss of revenue and customers; and of still having to pay the statutory rental.

Still considerably deni-ed the vast majority of the amenities that make for what one might call ‘a good living,’ the district of Moruca, a sub-region of Region One (Barima/ Waini) is currently staging its eleventh Moruca Expo.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., (Reuters) – A planet believed to be remarkably similar to Earth has been discovered orbiting a distant sun-like star, bolstering hopes of finding life elsewhere in the universe, U.S.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England will play three tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October and November this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday.

Yesterday, a delegation from the City Council including Town Clerk Royston King, Acting Mayor Ranwell Jordan, and Junior Garrett, member of the Council’s Finance committee, met with Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and senior officers responsible for works to discuss the dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf.

Dear Editor, A few weeks ago your newspaper carried a letter from me in which I wrote that the police need to partner with former criminals to aid in the reduction of the current crime rate and also solve old crimes.

Dear Editor, Guyanese have a way of saying that ‘every skin-teeth na laugh’, meaning that we should be careful not to interpret every smile as a gesture of approval.

ASUNCION, (Reuters) – The United States has sent Paraguay an extradition request for Nicolas Leoz, the former president of South America’s soccer confederation, who was arrested on suspicion of racketeering in a corruption probe, Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Residents of De Willem, West Coast Demerara are desperate for their road to be fixed as it is almost impassable especially during the rainy weather.

The quality of hospitality and entertainment afforded in Georgetown and its outskirts has improved markedly in recent years.

Dear Editor,   I refer to the letter from Mr Joe Persaud titled, ‘Why only Dutch engineers?’

(Reuters) – A 58-year-old gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, last evening, killing two people and injuring seven others before taking his own life, police said.

Arya’s Fresh Cut is a small scale, home-grown agro processing venture that aims to invade local supermarkets and open air markets with affordable and convenient choices in vegetables.

Kick ‘em Jenny, an active submarine volcano approximately 8km off the north coast of Grenada has triggered an orange alert level in parts of the Caribbean after significant seismic activity.

(Jamaica Gleaner) ATLANTA, Georgia: The Georgia Dome gave the Reggae Boyz a standing ovation.

Dear Editor,   I am not a political person since I am not affiliated to any political party and never had any such ambitions.

MEDAWACHCHIYA, Sri Lanka, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – S ri Lanka plans to store and use a billion cubic metres of rainwater per year, which would otherwise drain into the sea, in an ambitious effort to boost irrigation and power production.

Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday July 23, 2015Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

One thing I noticed immediately when I first moved back to Guyana several years ago was how loud the place was.

GENEVA, (Reuters) – A United Nations watchdog urged Canada yesterday to investigate alleged human rights abuses by its mining companies abroad and launch an inquiry into the high number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Leg-spinner Amit Mishra was recalled to the Indian test team yesterday, joining a formidable slow-ball attack for the three-match series in Sri Lanka next month.

Dear Editor,   The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Kaieteur News of Thursday, July 23, under the caption ‘Remigrant loses vehicle to carjackers, calls for justice.’

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 625’s trading results showed consideration of $4,353,953 from 177,616 shares traded in 15 transactions as compared to session 624’s trading results, which showed consideration of $1,484,945 from 1,463 shares traded in 2 transactions.

What better manner in which to begin my own Emancipation Mini-series of columns than to quote from President David Arthur Granger – the historian?

It is perhaps a moot point as to whether it was the best of wisdom for President David Granger to have attended the Mercosur summit in Brazil last week.

Business Cartoons

Since the disclosure in the Friday July 10 issue of this newspaper to the effect that there will be no GuyExpo this year, we have spoken with quite a few vendors who customarily offer items of food, clothing, ornaments and costume jewellery for sale at the event.

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – An independent Mexican commission said yesterday it found serious flaws in an investigation into the apparent massacre of 43 students last year, dealing a fresh blow to President Enrique Pena Nieto over a scandal that has battered his administration.