Mark McGowan

A year after the Trinidad Central Bank engineered a bailout for the CL Financial Conglomerate, the circumstances of which precipitated the collapse of several of its subsidiaries including Clico (Guyana), several local policyholders, former employees and agents of the company are still feeling the squeeze.

Some members of the New Building Society (NBS) are questioning the motive behind its decision to raise interest rates for loans above $8 million from 6.95% to 9.95% per annum.

-ministerial powers turn off opposition A bill which will see the establishment of a Guyana Livestock Development Authority was last evening passed by the National Assembly despite concerns by the opposition parties that the bill permits the unnecessary intervention of the Agriculture Minister.

Guyana is likely to benefit from funds assigned at the recent Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, since it is categorized as one of the “most vulnerable countries” in the world, President Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed yesterday.

With funds from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) presumably in the pipeline, government has moved to commence preparatory work on the site identified for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Power (AFHEP) project.

Although Guyana is no longer a “least-developed country”, government officials are optimistic that it can benefit from some of the US$100b per annum that the US and others plan to mobilize by 2020 to help these countries counteract the impact of climate change.

In 2007, in the midst of the scourge of criminality which gripped the community of Buxton, the musical group Buxton Fusion was formed. 

The government is seeking to have the National Assembly approve over $4.6 billion in supplementary provisions for current and capital expenditure including $50 million for the climate change office and the low carbon development strategy At Thursday’s Parliamentary sitting, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh tabled Financial Papers No.3 /2009 and No.

A bill for assistance from other countries in crime matters will enable the government to seek information on the drug cases against Roger Khan, David Clarke and others, PNCR-1G MP Debra Backer asserted yesterday.

– criminalises unauthorized communication with inmates In spite of some concerns raised by GAP/ROAR MP Everall Franklin, the National Assembly on Thursday passed the Prison (Amendment) Bill 2009 in an attempt to modernize the prison service.

-planning high stakes poker match Construction of a US$2M casino at the Princess Hotel is currently ongoing and the owners are seeking to have the facility opened early next year.

Opposition parties yesterday flayed President Bharrat Jagdeo’s announcement that he has ordered the police to conduct an investigation into the recent torture of a 15-year-old murder suspect, saying it lacked credibility and that an independent and detailed probe was needed.

Following Thursday’s deadlock in the conciliation proceedings between GuySuCo and GAWU both entities are now awaiting the start of the arbitration process, even as a significant number of employees represented by the union yesterday downed their tools as part of a national strike.

Even as investigations are continuing into the two recent infernos on Regent Street, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle says that more evidence is emerging that suggests that the second of these fires was deliberately set.

Despite strong objections from the Alliance For Change (AFC), the National Assembly on Thursday evening passed amendments to the Rice Factories Act – a move described by government members as an effort to safeguard the interests of rice farmers.

Music is special to David Dewar, the popular singer and music teacher.

Household Plus, other businesses razed -water a big problem For the second time in ten days, a fire swept through a section of Regent Street destroying three buildings which housed four businesses, leaving dozens jobless and consuming millions in stock.

GuySuCo warns of grim financial positionA crippling strike hit the sugar industry yesterday after the main union GAWU called out its members over stalled wage talks and GuySuCo is warning that its financial position is grim and in other jurisdictions estates would have already been closed and workers laid off.

The origin of the Friday fire which completely destroyed three buildings and badly damaged another on Regent Street, has left businessmen, employees and residents who have been affected seeking answers from the Guyana Power and Light Company.

From next year, Guyanese and overseas investors will be able to benefit from “unlimited and inexpensive” bandwidth when GT&T’s second fibre optic cable becomes operational, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of GT&T Yog Mahadeo says.