Daily Archive: Thursday, December 1, 2016

Guyana has agreed to a suggestion from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat to join with CARICOM member states to honour the late President of Cuba, Fidel Castroz, by having all National Flags flown at half-mast on Friday, December 2, 2016, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Venezuela will be suspended from the Mercosur regional trade bloc as early as Friday for failing to meet membership requirements, a Brazilian official said, in the latest blow to the oil-producing country during a deep political and economic crisis.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Legendary captain, Sir Vivian Richards, believes the recent sending home of Darren Bravo from the Tri-Nations Series is another indicator of the lack of progress in West Indies cricket.

A Brazilian national is in police custody assisting with the investigation into the alleged murder of his workmate, Kido Lewis, age unknown of Quataman Village, North Rupununi, whose body which bore multiple wounds, was discovered inside of a pit at Dukwari Backdam, Cuyuni River yesterday morning, the police say.

CASTRIES, St Lucia,  CMC – Caribbean Premier League organisers announced today that the Twenty20 showpiece had once again exceeded global viewership figures for the just concluded season, with a nearly 44 percent increase over the previous year.

First Lady Sandra Granger (right) with Barbadian singer Rihanna.  The occasion was the celebration of Barbados’ 50th independence anniversary in Bridgetown.

In its detailed analysis of budget 2017, chartered accounting firm Ram and McRae says the proposed budget measures if implemented will have a negative impact on the economy and growth.

(Trinidad Guardian)  Most of the human trafficking cases in T&T identified by the Ministry of National Security’s Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) have been related to sexual exploitation, Alana Wheeler, CTU’s director, said yesterday.

A 61-year-old woman is now dead and a number of other persons, including three foreigners  were injured yesterday morning following a three-vehicle collision along the Mahaicony Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

From Donald Duff in New York It seems that defending champion Magnus Carlsen knew all along what would be his modus operandi for yet another successful title defence.

Buxton United and Georgetown Football Club (GFC) secured lopsided wins when the Turbo Energy Drink sponsored Fruta Conquerors u19 Academy League continued yesterday.

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the EU-funded Seaport Cooperation Project (SEACOP) which aims at maritime trafficking and particularly the cocaine trade.

With only eight berths left for grabs in the group stage, the final elimination round in the 7th edition of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown Zone starts today at the Demerara Park Parking Lot in Industrial Site.

For USAID, November 28th marked the beginning of one five-year youth initiative aimed at reducing the involvement of Guyanese youth in crime and violence and the closing of another.

Sans Souci Primary suffered a 26-run loss at the hands of Essequibo Hogg Island in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Scotiabank Kiddy Progression One competition.

LA UNION, Colombia/ CHAPECO, Brazil, (Reuters) – The pilot of a plane that crashed in Colombia virtually wiping out a Brazilian soccer team had radioed he was running out of fuel and in an emergency, according to a recording of his final communications.

A former laboratory technician attached to the Guyana Gold Board, who was charged earlier this year with stealing $2.1 million in gold from his employer, had the charge against him dismissed yesterday.

Leader of the Opposition,  Bharrat Jagdeo has begun a series of consultations with civil society groups over the next Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Recently sacked Trinidad and Tobago head coach, Stephen Hart, says the national programme is badly in need of an administrative upgrade and believes any success the national side achieves will be as a result of “luck.”

2016 FactsGrowth in Real GDP of 2.6% compared with initial and revised targets of 4.4% and 4% respectively.

The cost for Demerara Bank Limited’s solar system is $57.3M instead of the $23M that was initially reported on Saturday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Rookie left-hander Isaiah Rajah believes his half-century on first class debut will do a lot for his confidence, as he seeks to carve out a successful career for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

The current balance projects a surplus of $1,631 million, a decrease of $976 million or 37.4% over revised 2016.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter from Attorney General Basil Williams in your edition of November 30 (‘The President cannot be compelled by the JSC’) in response to my recent article (‘On the warpath against the Constitution’, SN,  Novermber 20).

Following his sterling performance against the Windwards Volcanoes in the first ever Pink Ball Day/Night match of the 2016/17 Digicel Pro-fessional Cricket League (PCL) 4-Day tournament, Guyana Jaguars left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer endorsed sticking to the basics of bowling as his key to success.

Aggressive behaviour, physical abuse and lack of parental supervision are among the factors which lead youth to crime and violence, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said yesterday while calling for the creation of evidence-based initiatives to effectively deal with this problem.

Current Non-Interest Expenditure The National Budget comprises of a number of elements.

DHAKA, Bangladesh,  CMC – West Indies players Evin Lewis and Marlon Samuels both stroked half-centuries to power their respective franchises to victories in the Bangladesh Premier League here yesterday.

The Guyana Police Force yesterday officially opened the doors to the Seelall Persaud Fitness Centre with the objective of improving the health and well-being of its members.

Dear Editor, The Working Peoples Alliance Overseas Associates (WPAOA) fully endorse Dr David Hinds’ call for a public statement from Dr Rupert Roopnaraine on his affiliation and involvement with the controversial Homestretch Development Inc.

AUCKLAND, (Reuters) – Trent Boult is expected to be fit for New Zealand’s opening one-day international against Australia in Sydney on Sunday after the strike bowler missed the second test win over Pakistan due to knee discomfort.

In this section we consider the measures announced by the Minister, analyse them, evaluate their impact and discuss the extent to which they meet the economic benefits of the stakeholders Section 6 of the 2017 Budget Speech contains a staggering fifty seven paragraphs of Budget measures, some of which are regulatory rather than fiscal.

Sixty young people from across the Commonwealth, including Samantha Sheoprashad from Guyana, have been selected to receive a prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award.

Dear Editor, The Sunday Stabroek  of Nov 20 in ‘The world beyond Georgetown’ featured Mackenzie, and obviously I read it. 

The sore issue of contract employees in the public sector, following the change of governments in 2015, continues to attract interest.

The Guyana Agricultural & General Workers’ Union (GAWU) is disappointed that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) would not be paying the Annual Production Incentive (API) to workers’ this year.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Just as the IAAF is about to endorse wide-ranging changes to its governance aimed at making the organisation more ethical, transparent and accountable, world athletics’ governing body is being assailed by more claims of corruption.

Dear Editor, I am the father of three children ‒ two females and a male ‒ and the grandfather of a beautiful granddaughter; no one else but I have stood at the helm of my children’s upbringing.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Bonus points will be awarded in a radical shake-up of next year’s Six Nations as tournament organisers seek to encourage teams to adopt a more attacking style of play.

The APNU+AFC earned its razor-thin, one seat majority after the public and the electorate had become completely disenchanted with the corrupt practices of the PPP/C Government.

Dear Editor, I laud the Minister of Finance for his recently discovered and announced interest in the conservation of electricity and water, precious and scarce commodities both. 

A Sheet Anchor teenager was carjacked on Tuesday around 8 pm in the vicinity of Angoy’s Avenue and police in ‘B’ Division are currently searching for the car, PTT 6559, a new-model, button-start, white Fielder wagon.

Dear Editor, The Ministry of Education has been gallivanting around the country holding diagnostic tests and post mortems to determine the reason for the poor performance in Mathematics in our primary schools, especially at the last national Grade 6 Assessments.

A 33-year-old man who operates a Chinese restaurant and bar at Main and Chapel streets, New Amsterdam, was arrested yesterday after he allegedly beat a dog-food vendor with a piece of wood.

There is no question that the state of the laws inherited by Mr.

Dear Editor, As I listened attentively to the Minister of Finance on Monday, November 28, and heard him announce that water and light will attract a 14% VAT if the charges exceed a certain threshold, I felt a lancing pain as if I had received a deadly blow to my solar plexus.

Two men were brought before a city magistrate yesterday and remanded to prison after being read separate narcotics charges.

The UN Convention Against Corruption has served as the catalyst for international efforts against corrupt politicians and public officials who have robbed the coffers of their states to the tune of billions of dollars.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Pat Cummins’ international career has had more than its fair share of false starts due to injuries but captain Steve Smith hopes the upcoming one-day series against New Zealand will prove a launchpad for the Australia fast bowler to kick on.

WILMINGTON, Del.,  (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has several options for disentangling himself from his business empire when he takes office next year, but legal experts say the only way fully to avoid conflicts of interest would be to sell his global holdings.

The Hugh Desmond Hoyte Family Recreational Park in Rose Hall, Berbice was officially opened on Saturday.

MOHALI, India, (Reuters) – A functional lower order had previously been resigned to the realm of wishful thinking for India but recent results, especially in the series against England, suggest skipper Virat Kohli has finally acquired one.

Dear Editor, I am constrained to write on the attempted robbery at Hand in Hand Trust Corporation, Inc last Wednesday.

The decision by the Minister to practically eliminate the long list of zero-rated items, making most of them exempt, has raised some basic questions about Value-Added Tax.

VIENNA,  (Reuters) – OPEC agreed yesterday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted “a big hit” on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.

The Budget’s measures are substantial, revolutionary and are probably unprecedented. It is presented at a time when the Government is having to defend itself against accusations of corruption and cronyism.

Thousands of eager Guyanese turned out to greet Cuban president, Fidel Castro on his whirlwind trip to Guyana in September 1973, while Prime Minister Forbes Burnham mused that the United States could get rid of three troublesome Caribbean leaders in a master stroke by sabotaging the Soviet-made airliner carrying them to a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Formula One team bosses have voted Lewis Hamilton the sport’s best driver, despite the Briton losing his title to Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg, in an annual Autosport magazine poll.

With renewed focus on preventing HIV infection, the world observes World AIDS Day today under the theme ‘Hands up for #HIV prevention,’ which speaks to the very real need to continue and expand on HIV prevention education, especially among young people, the vulnerable and those at risk.

JOVELLANOS, Cuba,  (Reuters) – Feted by cheering Cubans, a funeral cortege carried the ashes of Fidel Castro out of Havana yesterday on a three-day journey to his final resting place in the east of the island where he launched the Cuban Revolution six decades ago.

THE state information agency GPCA yester­day reported the lightn­ing electricity strike had shut down the Kingston power plant and output had dropped from about 27 to around 12 megawatts.

Dear Editor, The proximate cause of the failings of the Georgetown City Council to maintain the Garden City image and the aesthetic of the city over the past three decades is rooted not in an inadequacy of resources; not in miserly subventions, but in the corruption, incompetence, arrogance and clear lack of political will to deliver by those at the helm at City Hall.

A 57-year-old man was remanded to prison yesterday after being read a charge of inflicting bodily harm on another individual.