Daily Archive: Friday, June 10, 2016

Articles published on Friday, June 10, 2016

The Camp Street prison

Inmates mostly to blame for March 3 Camp St jail deaths

-says ‘cancer’ of overcrowding must be tackled -cites testimony of ‘indescribably harsh’ prison conditions   The Prison Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has concluded that the prisoners were mostly to blame for the deaths of 17 inmates at the Camp Street prison on March 3 and it has urged the formation of a committee to focus on reducing the overcrowding in the prison system where at least 60% of the population are on remand.

Astrolobe's Suratu Phillips who made the presentation to City Hall.

City nixes Astrolobe for parking meters project

Having sent conflicting signals, City Hall last night announced that Astrolobe Technologies will not be considered for the parking meters project as it “lacks both the human and technological competencies to install and manage parking meters in the city of Georgetown.”

More ministerial advisors?

The opposition PPP yesterday accused government of not naming all the ministerial advisors it has employed and said that they hope the error, deliberate or otherwise, is corrected soon.

THAG wants standalone minister for tourism

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) says it is astonished at government’s reported plan to shift the tourism portfolio  to the Minister of Business and  it charged that APNU+AFC’s manifesto commitments remain “largely undelivered”.

INTERPOL training for four

Cabinet has granted its no-objection for  four  representatives from within the Ministry of Public Security to attend a training session hosted by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

Muneshwer’s Wharf

Georgetown Chamber’s agenda driving membership growth

At a time when local business houses are not averse to openly frowning on what they say is the underperformance of business support organizations (BSOs) the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) says it believes its agenda is moving ever closer to meeting some of the critical needs of the business community.

Police still looking for key grenade suspect

The police yesterday continued their hunt for an individual who it is believed played a key role in last week’s grenade lobbing incident outside of Kaieteur News even as close to a dozen suspects and the vehicle suspected to have been used by the perpetrators remain in custody.

Public/private sector dialogue and the economy

Several months after we raised the issue of the seemingly long-postponed public/private sector ‘summit’ there has been no definitive word from either side as to whether or when the two will meet though the former chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Major General (ret’d) Norman McLean did say in a letter to this newspaper that the meeting will take place.

Carvil Duncan GPL larceny charges amende

Two months after solo charges of larceny and conspiracy to commit a multi-million dollar larceny were levelled against former Guyana Power and Light (GPL) director Carvil Duncan, he appeared before a city court yesterday, where the charges were amended.

Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes crossing the Konwaruk  River on her way to the backdam

Tackling bad roads, vulnerable bridges and risky waterways key to bettering conditions in gold mining- Broomes

The Facebook picture of Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment Simona Broomes balanced delicately in the middle of a decidedly vulnerable looking paddleboat, her hands extended on both sides, holding on to whatever she is able to grip as a boatman gingerly paddles her across the Konwaruk River, does much to communicate the risks that inhere in working in the mining sector.

Where’s the money?

The city constabulary has begun investigations into the whereabouts of $8 million gifted to the Global Friendships Foundation from the Chinese Embassy to aid in the restoration and enhancement of George-town.

New Amsterdam Hospital is going downhill

Dear Editor, New Amsterdam Hospital is drastically going downhill: dogs and cats have become visitors since the stench is inviting; patients have to fork out monies to buy basic medications; some patients who cannot afford to buy will have to await the arrival of drugs; x-ray films have now become a luxury and the operating theatre also seems to be joining the show once in a while.

It is the knowledge, skill and experience of the players which matter most

Dear Editor, There is no doubt in my mind, fortified by wide, relevant and substantial experience, that “meritocracy is the way to go” as GHK Lall writes (‘Meritocracy is the way’ SN, June 8) if we are to achieve unduly unbiased, effective recruitment and promotion of staff without playing the tit-for-tat or revolving political/racial games which many of the commentators and critics of my earlier letter against “social engineering” of this nodal human resource management function seem to be advocating.

Brazil police say Samarco ignored risk of dam collapse

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Brazil’s federal police yesterday accused mining company Samarco, a joint venture between Vale SA and BHP Billiton, of willful misconduct in relation to a deadly dam burst last November, saying the company had ignored clear signs the dam was at risk of collapsing.

U.S. House passes Puerto Rico debt relief bill

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Following months of internal wrangling, the U.S. House of Representatives, yesterday passed legislation creating a federal control board to help Puerto Rico cope with crippling debt that is wreaking havoc throughout the island’s economy.

  Finished Steel Pro products

Ivor Bunbury’s Steel Pro furniture business competing in a tough market

Orders for $3 million worth of his company’s fabricated steel furniture resulting from his appearance at this year’s GuyExpo may not amount to a major breakthrough for his business, but it is sufficient to persuade Ivor Bunbury that Steel Pro, his 33 Victoria Road Plaisance furniture-making enterprise can still hold its own in a challenging business environment.

Crane collision

Crane collision: A head-on collision involving a car, HC 407 and a minibus, BPP 700 at Crane, West Coast Demerara yesterday morning resulted in several persons being injured and rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Muhammad Ali

The funeral takes place today of the former, three-time world heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, the self-proclaimed and for many, ‘The Greatest of all Time’, in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.