Guyana News

Changes proposed for the Value-Added Tax (VAT) system are necessary to strengthen a revenue source which had been weakened by the excessive granting of tax exemptions, waivers and concessions under the former People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said yesterday.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday laced into government’s proposed 2017 budget, charging that it shows no vision for investments and job creation and places an enormous tax burden on Guyana’s citizenry.

Having inherited a sugar industry shackled on a “death bed” by $85 billion in debt, a bailout became necessary to keep sugar workers employed despite the strain on other sectors and the treasury, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said yesterday, as he rubbished claims by the opposition PPP/C that government was ‘killing sugar.’

Public servants have been granted a $25,000 Christmas bonus by the government, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan announced yesterday, while declaring that it will help “ease the journey to the good life.”

In an unprecedented move, the private sector and the two trade union umbrella bodies have appealed to the government and parliamentary opposition for urgent dialogue on areas of concern in the proposed 2017 national budget.

The Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Roman Catholic Church has called on President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to engage and agree on a programme of healing to counter the brokenness in Guyana.

President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Eon Caesar has died.

Darshan Babulall, the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed 11-year-old Simon Kendall at Number 46 Village, Corentyne on Thursday afternoon, was yesterday charged with causing his death and remanded to prison.

As the search continues for missing Prospect resident Shawnette Savory, investigators yesterday began excavating a Belle West, Canal Number Two property for her body but with no results.

Exactly two years after gunmen stormed the Sterling Products Limited compound at Providence, East Bank Demerara and shot and killed security guard Wilfred Stewart, a fourth suspect was arrested in connection with the crime.

Speaker Barton Scotland’s expected pronouncement on the drug bond controversy that erupted on Thursday night in the National Assembly was deferred yesterday after opposition members failed to return to the parliamentary chambers.

Declaring that the security sector is “worse off,” PPP/C MP Clement Rohee yesterday called on Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan to say whether he is losing the war on crime.

With small- and medium-scale gold miners delivering 67% of the total gold production, Guyana has seen a record declaration of 641, 668 ounces for 2016, which is 16.6% above the target.

Villagers of the Upper Corentyne area turned out in their numbers at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court yesterday in a show of support for the relatives of murdered Number 70 Village carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt.

Five policemen, who were accused of robbing miners of a quantity of raw gold, have been freed of the charges due to insufficient evidence.

In a stand against corruption, the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) staged a march from the Umana Yana to the Public Buildings yesterday.

Following his re-election, Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland is promising to continue championing the town’s development.

The General Register Office (GRO) will soon begin creating a digitised database of records of birth dating back to 1896.

A youth was yesterday sentenced to 36 months in jail after he admitted to stealing a schoolboy’s cellphone.

An Alberttown man was on Thursday sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing 20 five-gallon bottles of water and a tarpaulin.