Thandeka Percival

Concerns raised by Auditor-General (AG) Deodat Sharma about the manner in which the administration of George-town spent a $300 million government subvention has led the Ministry of Communities to launch an audit into the city’s spending of these funds.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan says Town Clerk Royston King “acted outside of his authority” when he directed the removal of vendors from Robb Street, Bourda without the approval of the City Council and the Mayor’s subsequent defence of his action was not in keeping with the law.

Although Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine maintains that negotiations on wages increases are still ongoing with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the ministry has already instructed that differentiated increases, ranging from 10% to 1%, be paid to teachers from next month.

After spending her weekend listening to the complaints from vendors living in her constituency, city councillor Andrea Marks staged a silent protest during yesterday’s statutory council meeting to bring attention to their plight.

The dangers of eating expired food might be open to debate, but selling it isn’t.

It was with her eyes set on securing scholarships to study overseas that this year’s unofficial top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) student Fatima Karim sat 20 subjects at this year’s examinations.

Fatima Karim of St Rose’s High School and Kayshav Tiwari of Queen’s College each secured 19 Grade One passes at this year’s Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, according to results announced by the Ministry of Education yesterday.

It’s 3.30 in the afternoon and vendor Omica Douglas is making her second sale for the day.

With the controversial parking meter contract instigating fractures within the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), President David Granger yesterday reminded city councillors that they are accountable to the citizens who voted them into office.

Waste management is taking up over 50% of the revenues of the Beterverwagting /Triumph Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and councillors who were elected at historic local government polls are now confronting problems which have led to frustration with one already contemplating resignation.

The Ministry of Communities is prepared to provide each Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) with a $4 million subvention to assist in the execution of their capital works initiatives provided that they are able to submit an appropriate work programme, Minister Ronald Bulkan says.

Georgetown’s newly-minted Chief Citizen Patricia Chase-Green says widening the city’s revenue base is among her immediate priorities as is ensuring that the newly-elected councillors consult with their constituencies to address their needs as part of the capital’s development.

(Part 1) “Everyone knows about Buxton, yet few people know Buxton,” this was the lament of the former village councillor Owen McGarrell when he spoke with the World Beyond Georgetown.

Preliminary results from yesterday’s historic local government polls show that the governing APNU+AFC coalition was sweeping the contests in Georgetown and Bartica.

Beginning yesterday, vendors who ply their trade along the Merriman Mall will have to pay $1,500 per day to the city to continue to do so.

At tomorrow’s Local Government Elections, the residents of Linden have a variety of choices on both sections of the ballot.

The APNU+AFC coalition is facing criticism for fielding a candidate who has been repeatedly charged—although not convicted—for child molestation at Friday’s local government polls.

Christina Edwards, a daughter of the Rupununi, felt so strongly about representing her community at this Friday’s polls that she resigned from her post as Discount and Securities Officer at the Republic Bank at Lethem.

Local government expert Vincent Alexander says independent councillors and a functioning Local Government Commission will be crucial for establishing accountability and autonomy in the local government bodies that will be elected at the impending polls.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday said the six-week adjournment of the National Assembly could have been avoided if the opposition had chosen to nominate a candidate to be Deputy Speaker.