Daily Archive: Friday, February 10, 2017

President David Granger described Chinese investment in Guyana as vibrant at the launch of the New Thriving Restaurant at Providence, last evening. 

President David Granger, First Lady Sandra Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mrs Sita Nagamootoo, former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds, Ministers of Government, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, Members of the Opposition and Members of the Private Sector among others attended the opening of the New Thriving Restaurant located at the Amazonia Mall in Providence today.

ISLAMABAD,  (Reuters) – Pakistan has banned cinemas nationwide from screening an Indian blockbuster movie starring a famous Pakistani actress, a censor official said on Tuesday, the latest media clampdown after last year’s spike in tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Fresh from a legal setback to his travel ban, U.S.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo today repeated his call for the Mayor and City Council to discard the controversial parking meter project in its entirety.

Smart City Solutions (SCS) Managing Director of Business Development, Amir Oren, and    Managing Director of Operations,  Simon Moshelle, today condemned “in the strongest possible terms, an utterly obscene and despicable statement issued by Mr.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) says it is deeply distressed at the violence which broke out in Dominica following a public meeting on Tuesday 7 February.

(Guyana Revenue Authority) Motorists who may have been baffled or perturbed by the requirement to pay additional fees when renewing motor vehicle licences should take note of the following: The 2016 Budget provided for an increase in motor vehicle licences and other fees effective March 14, 2016, under the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act Cap: 51:02, relating to motor vehicle licences and other fees including Registration, Transfers, Certificate of Fitness, Driver’s Test of Competence, General Dealers Licence etc.

BEIJING/WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump changed tack and agreed to honour the “one China” policy during a phone call with China’s leader Xi Jinping, a major diplomatic boost for Beijing which brooks no criticism of its claim to self-ruled Taiwan.

The New Building Society (NBS) has mounted a legal challenge against the city’s metered parking by-laws, which it says are illegal and a judge has since ordered Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan to show why his decision to approve the by-laws should not be quashed.

Carl Parker, the Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region 9, was yesterday charged with sexual assault.

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall says that circulars from the Bank of Guyana (BOG) on February 2nd to cambios fixing the spread between buying and selling rates is ultra vires of the law.

  A second demonstration against the city’s metered parking project saw a swell of support yesterday and although government, through consultation with the Mayor & City Council and Smart City Solutions, has committed to ensuring lower parking fees, protesters made clear that a reduction is not enough.

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan says he is disheartened by findings in the 2016 Household Drug Survey which found among other things that alcohol binge drinking is as high as 64.2% in males and 46.3% in females.

Seven persons have been held in connection with the murder of Danian Jagdeo, the phone card vendor who was shot during a robbery on Wednesday at Adventure, Corentyne, according to ‘B’ Division Commander Ian Amsterdam.

The police in Berbice are probing whether Leilawatie Mohamed, also known as ‘Aunty Leila,’ who was shot dead on Tuesday when men invaded her Tain Settlement, Corentyne home, may have been the victim of a `hit’.

Win by 8 wickets,  Hetmyer misses 100 CAVE HILL, Barbados,CMC – Guyana Jaguars wrapped up a disappointing preliminary round campaign in the Regional Super50 by brushing aside ICC Americas by eight wickets, in their final Group B outing here Thursday.

Grove Hi-Tech , Northern Rangers draw 1-1 Abject defending coupled with second half offensive profligacy, allowed Western Tigers to overcome a 0-2 deficit and defeat Uitvlugt 3-2, when the 2nd Annual Petra Organization/Limacol Football Championship continued on Wednesday.

A man was yesterday remanded to prison by a city magistrate after being charged with murder.

Dear Editor, Last Wednesday I participated in the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean’s   (AACCLA) Outlook on the Americas Conference at the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida, which brought together government ministers, private sector and non-governmental organization representatives to discuss trade, investment, commercial and other development issues in the Americas.

Dear Editor, The current parking meter situation has revealed seemingly deep fractures in the organizational structures and processes involved with making Georgetown more livable and sustainable.

The Bank of Guyana (BOG) and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) reached an agreement yesterday that will allow the bank’s employees to park around the periphery of the Church Street and Avenue of the Republic building.

Ravens clawed their way past Eagles 110-47 in the Open division when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) ‘League of the Champions’ continued on Wednesday.

As the two-week ultimatum given by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) for a meeting with President David Granger to discuss taxes and other issues approaches an end, a well-placed mining administration official has told Stabroek Business that there is real concern over the association’s threatened cessation in gold production in the event that the effort to meet with the President does not bear fruit.

With state policy placing increasing emphasis on mining site safety and an environmentally responsible regime of mining practices in the country’s gold mining sector the work of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s (GGMC) Mining School is assuming an increasingly central position in ensuring the integrity of the sector, its Administrator John Applewhite-Hercules has told the Stabroek Business.

Dear Editor, I attended the open session hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Guyana on February 7 at the Marriott hotel.

(Reuters) – An insatiable Virat Kohli smashed his 16th test century and Murali Vijay registered his ninth to steer India to a commanding 356 for three against Bangladesh on the opening day of a one-off test in Hyderabad on Thursday.

The opposition’s interpretation of the constitutional criteria for nominees to fill the vacancy of Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) and the supporting case law will be carefully examined before another meeting is held on the issue, according to Attorney-General Basil Williams SC.

A report, ‘GNIC pays $148M outstanding debt to NICIL, published in the February 8th, 2017 edition of Stabroek News incorrectly stated that GNIC has so far paid $148M to NICIL.

By Karen Abrams, MBA Co-Founder, STEMGuyana   In a past life, I was responsible for network operations for the third largest internet service provider (ISP) in the United States. At

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – All-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall says the hard work on his batting is now paying dividends, after he hit a classy half-century to steer Leeward Islands Hurricanes to a pulsating four-wicket win over Windward Islands Volcanoes here Wednesday night.

We have had complaints from writers who sent letters only to Stabroek News for publication and which we did carry, about these subsequently appearing in Kaieteur News.

A Nigerian man, accused of attempting to defraud two stores of items totaling over $1 million, was yesterday remanded to prison.

Dear Editor, I refer to a letter written by Mr Clinton Conway captioned ‘The possibility of  “ghosting” police stats exists’ (SN, February 9), where he makes the assertion that the “disbanded Police Strategic Management Unit” designed and implemented the mission statement of the Guyana Police Force. 

(This is the seventh of an eight-part series on changes to labour employment in the future, causes of this upheaval, and some possible measures to mitigate their disruptive effects.

(Reuters) – Azhar Ali has stepped down as Pakistan’s one-day captain following the team’s heavy defeat in Australia with wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed taking over the job, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday.

With an emphasis placed on youth development, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) officially launched the Scotiabank Academy Training Centers (ATC) yesterday at the Umana Yana, High Street.

Dear Editor, I am totally disappointed with the manner in which bids are evaluated at the level of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

New President of the Guyana Chapter of the Women Entrepreneurs Network of the Caribbean (WENC) Junette Stuart has told Stabroek Business that she will be seeking to broaden the base of the organization to take account of aspiring women in business who operate outside of Georgetown and its environs.

A bill intended to improve the welfare of animals in Guyana was yesterday sent for further consideration by a parliamentary select committee.

By Valrie Grant Entrepreneur Managing Director, GeoTechVision Chairperson, Small Business Council   Many regional business owners are giving serious consideration to the trends for medium and small enterprises in 2017 and beyond.

Dear Editor, The importance of education cannot be stressed enough. We know that education is the key to the future, the key to success and the key to this country’s growth.

LONDON,(Reuters) – British Cycling chairman Bob Howden has stepped down but will remain president, the organisation said on Thursday.

Faisal Moore, who was implicated by a co-accused as the shooter in the death of Glen Xavier during a robbery, had told police that it was another man, whom he only identified as “Burnham,” who was responsible for the murder, according to a caution statement admitted into evidence at his trial yesterday.

If the outcomes of the recent meeting of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) are anything to go by, the region’s tourist industry may stand to benefit from the ongoing immigration fallout between Mexico and the new United States administration.

Dear Editor, For the past three days in this land of many waters the residents of Chateau Margot are again experiencing a situation where we are not getting any water from the taps.

The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is making progress with its investigation into the allocation of lands at ‘Pradoville 2’ to cabinet members of the former administration and their close associates, financial investigations expert Dr Sam Sittlington said on Wednesday.

An Agricola, East Bank Demerara family of five lost its home to a fire yesterday afternoon.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua,CMC – Controversial West Indies Cricket Board president, Dave Cameron is set to be returned unopposed when the embattled organization stages its Annual General Meeting next month.

The tournament coordinators, the Petra Organization presented the competing schools yesterday with the official fixtures and a football ahead of the start of 5th Annual Milo U18 Football Championship.In

The University of Guyana (UG) will host its inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference from July 23-28, 2017 under the theme ‘Dreaming Diaspora Engagement, Doing Diaspora Engagement’.

Dear Editor, I have noticed the response of the Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams in the Chronicle newspaper, to the piece I wrote in relation to issues in the ministry which he heads. 

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump suffered a legal blow yesterday when a federal appeals court refused to reinstate a temporary travel ban he had ordered on people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Throwing a spotlight on emerging local business ventures has become one of the editorial preoccupations of the Stabroek Business.

BEIJING/WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has broken the ice with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a letter that said he looked forward to working with him to develop relations, although the pair haven’t spoken directly since Trump took office.

Dear Editor, In the 2015 elections, Mr Granger campaigned on creating jobs for young people. 

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Europe wants 16 places at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup finals, Aleksander Ceferin, the president of the continent’s soccer organisation UEFA, said on Thursday.

In an era when governments in the Caribbean are actively wooing foreign private investment without so much as an opposing murmur from the governed, opposition to takeover of state entities by either local or foreign private investors has the support of the most powerful trade union in Trinidad and Tobago.

A fire on Tuesday evening gutted a Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD) apartment building leaving four persons homeless and millions in losses.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,CMC – A charged-up Jamaica Scorpions dealt the seemingly invincible Barbados Pride their first loss of the Regional Super50, when they inflicted a sobering 74-run defeat on the tournament favourites at Kensington Oval here Thursday.

BERAGAMA, Sri Lanka, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – T hese days, Vimalabudhi Thero, head monk at the Beragama village Buddhist temple, is consumed more by worldly concerns than matters of the soul.

The proprietors of True Value Pharmacy at Charity, Essequibo Coast are counting their losses after their business place was broken into on Wednesday night.

Dear Editor, We have an obligation to the youths to fulfil their dreams and aspirations, but how can we do it when the executive of the Bartica Football Association (BFA) and Guyana Football Federation (GFF) believe football is a talk show or a soap opera.

Stock market updates

Dear Editor, The Guyana Peace Council (GPC) joins with the international community in condemning the appropriation of privately-owned Palestinian lands for the purpose of Jewish settlements.

A new executive will be in the driver’s seat steering the affairs of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) for the 2017/2018 season.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – India said yesterday it had applied to Britain to extradite Vijay Mallya to face trial after the liquor and aviation tycoon was charged with conspiracy and fraud over a loan to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

VITORIA, Brazil, (Reuters) – More than 100 people have been reported killed during a six-day strike by police in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, as hundreds of troops patrolled streets attempting to keep order with schools and businesses closed and public transport frozen.

We have none – Gittens By BERT WILKINSON GUYANA Manufacturers’ Association (GMA) President Mr.

Dear Editor, I survey the local landscape, and rediscover the dismal predictability of life in this fabled realm. 

Tahseen Sayed Khan is the new Country Director for Caribbean countries, the World Bank announced yesterday.

From its inception the announcement last year regarding the imminent introduction of parking meters had always been met with a public response that reflected as a priority concern the issue of affordability.

Believe me friends: it is not laziness that drove me to recycle most of the following sentiments which were first penned in this column four years ago.

The opening group stage night in the 3rd Annual Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ West Demerara/East Bank Demerara zone kicks-off tonight at the Pouderoyen Tarmac.

STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) – Eight countries have joined an initiative to raise millions of dollars to replace shortfalls caused by President Donald Trump’s ban on U.S.-funded

As part of Vice-Chancellor (VC) Ivelaw Griffith’s efforts to stimulate and support research and scholarship at   the University of Guyana (UG), the VC’S Research Fund was recently established with $1 million from private fundraising and the UG Press is to be established as an imprint of Ian Randle Publishers (IRP).

Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday February 09, 2017

Last month the press reported that the British government had issued a call encouraging persons over 50 years old to take up apprenticeships, and offered incentives to businesses which got onboard with the initiative.

  CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has delayed and canceled crude deliveries to commercial partners in recent months, according to documents seen by Reuters, a further sign of the steady production decline of the country’s top export.