Daily Archive: Friday, December 29, 2017

Articles published on Friday, December 29, 2017

Minister of State Joseph Harmon at the rostrum speaking at yesterday’s unveiling of the ExxonMobil petroleum agreement. Seated at the head table from left are Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman and ExxonMobil’s country head, Rod Henson. (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Gov’t unveils Exxon pact

-questions remain More than a year after a new petroleum agreement  was signed with ExxonMobil for works in the offshore Stabroek Block and a US$18M signature bonus received in secret, government yesterday released the contract in a blaze of publicity with both partners saying it was the best in the circumstances.

Skeldon Energy Inc terminating contracts

As the upheaval in the sugar industry continues, the Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) has served notice that all existing contracts will be terminated effective December 31, 2017 “in order to consolidate the recruitment of some severed GuySuCo workers and staff”.

Lennox Cornette

NCN CEO Cornette resigns

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Communications Network (NCN), Lennox Cornette, who tendered his resignation on Wednesday, has told Stabroek News that he is not aware that the board was dissatisfied with his performance.

West Indies batsman Roston Chase…eyeing big runs next year.

Focussed Chase unfazed by bouncer strategy

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies batsman Roston Chase says New Zealand’s strategy of short-pitched bowling in the recent Test series had not been a major issue for him but believes he can still improve significantly in that area of his game.

 Director of the GAFDD,                        Minister of Public  Marlan Cole

Food and Drug Dep’t closer to meeting stringent US food safety requirement

The Government Analyst-Food & Drugs Department (GA-FDD) of the Ministry of Public Health has taken a major step in the direction of meeting the laboratory testing standards necessary to satisfy the safety requirements of the United States’ Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the 2010 legal standards benchmark for the importation of foods into that country, the Department’s Director, Marlan Cole told Stabroek Business in an interview earlier this week. 

The GAFDD frowns upon the seemingly same product labelled in different languages. Sone consumers don’t seem to mind

Staving off illegal imported foods, drugs, priorities for GAFDD in 2018

Protecting local consumers from the threats posed by the infiltration of imported foods and drugs which could do great harm to the nation as a whole remains one of the highest priorities of the Government Analyst Food & Drugs Department (GAFDD), and at a time when there are strong elements of criminality in the manufacture and trade in foods and drugs the Department is deserving of the full support of government, the business community and the country as a whole, GAFDD Director Marlan Cole has told the Stabroek Business. 

Dominic Gaskin

Brazil officials due here January for talks with gov’t on large scale agri projects

What is widely felt to have been inexplicable sloth on the part of successive political administrations in taking advantage of the potential for deeper bilateral economic and trade cooperation with neighbouring Brazil could be at an end if the recent pronouncement here in Georgetown of a likely imminent and significant investment-related move here by South America’s largest country materializes.

Can and should the ethnic divide be changed?

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter penned by Mr Craig Sylvester captioned, ‘The PPP no longer represents the interests of its supporters’ (SN, Dec 28), in which Mr Sylvester boldly offers to provide PPP supporters with a platform upon which they can succeed in making themselves a political force in 2020.

The Tortuga Rum Cake

No breakthrough for black cake on international market

Good, old-fashioned Guyanese black cake may be a hot item on the local menu at Christmas time, though it may be well worth the while for business-minded cake-makers to check out the progress that Tortuga International is making with rum-based cakes, whose sales in the region are estimated around US$18 million. 

Civil defence body issues flood advisory

In light of expected heavy and continuous rainfall across the country, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is advising the public that there is a high risk of water accumulations and/or flooding in low-lying areas and those with poor drainage.

Apple apologizes after outcry over slowed iPhones

(Reuters) – Facing lawsuits and consumer outrage after it said it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, Apple Inc is slashing prices for battery replacements and will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good.

Kitco Market Data

Gold Prices for the three-day period ending Thursday December 28, 2017Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Market prices

The New Guyana Marketing Corporation has agreed to provide us with the above information which we will publish on a weekly basis subject to receipt.

Rain dampens England’s hopes of Ashes win

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Rain dampened England’s hopes of victory in the fourth Ashes test last night, with Australia 103 for two in their second innings at tea, at the end of a weather-hit session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Prosecution was wrong

Dear Editor, An abuse of power was very much evident when a traffic constable (name and number supplied) who is attached to Suddie station in Region 2 instituted 4 charges separately by way of summons against myself and my nephew for offences that were never committed.

The Guyana Police Force

As the year 2017 winds to a close, the tragic loss of life through violent crime and road accidents continues to cast a spotlight on the Guyana Police Force (GPF), exposing its failure at fulfilling its mandate to protect and to serve the Guyanese populace.

Stock market updates

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 753’s trading results showed consideration of $3,546,225 from 24,080 shares traded in 6 transactions as compared to session 752’s trading results which showed consideration of $14,440,200 from 17,098 shares traded in 8 transactions. 

Strengthening Guyana/Brazil economic relations

It would be entirely fair to say that successive political administrations in Guyana have, over time, continually squandered what, unquestionably, have been glaring opportunities to take advantage of the fact that Brazil, by far this continent’s largest country with the biggest economy, shares a border with us.