Guyana News

Twenty-seven hospitals and health centres on Thursday received brush cutters from the Local Government Ministry as part of a nationwide clean-up exercise.

As is customary, all members of the Joint Services, in addition to receiving their five percent increase, will also benefit from a one-month tax-free Christmas bonus.

The police today said that at about 0830h. today, Rajiv Singh, 21 years, a clerk attached to a city store, was about to enter a commercial bank on Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown, with a carton box containing $17.2M, when he was held up by two men armed with handguns.

The police say they are investigating a fatal accident that occurred at about 0005h today  December 20, 2013, on the Liliendaal Railway Embankment and which resulted in the death of Osnah Jordan, 39 years, of Industry, ECD.

The United States Embassy yesterday announced that the $300M Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project will continue with or without government’s participation, while denying the Donald Ramotar administration’s claim that it had no input.

The Ministry of Public Works was yesterday robbed of over $7M when employees returning from the bank were pounced on by two men who were staking out its Kingston office.

The body of a man of East Indian descent was found in the vicinity of the Ruby Koker, West Bank Demerara, yesterday afternoon with suspected gunshot wounds, police say.

By Dacia Whaul Sections of five communities in Agricola; Princes, Victor and Norton streets in Lodge; Alexander Village; Ramp Road, Riverview and First to Sixth streets, Cummings Lodge have been targeted in a Ministry of Local Government clean-up programme for Georgetown, which started last week Wednesday.

  The Police Force last evening said  that permission has been given to the Guyana Public Service Union to hold a march around the streets of Georgetown today, Friday December 20, 2013, commencing at 1100h.

A construction worker was shot dead at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara on Wednesday evening, minutes after a heated argument with his neighbour and his family is alleging that he was killed by a group of neighbourhood police.

The National Assembly last night took the decision to defer the second reading of the Procurement (Amendment) Bill for up to six months so as to give time for the parties to reach agreement on a number of points including the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

While acknowledging the country’s fiscal progress over the years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Government to ensure that hydro power remains financially and economically viable as a means of more stable and reliable energy and to address the remaining gaps in the anti-money laundering regime.

Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud says that 32 applications were received in 2010 for Prospecting Permits (Medium Scale) in the New River Triangle but none was granted.

The contract for the construction of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded US$24 million Sheriff Street- Mandela Avenue Expansion Project is likely to be tendered by August next year.

The Bureau of Statistics has implemented a new web-based information portal that allows users to access and share up-to-date human development national statistics that play a key role in planning and policy making.

Aniki Jones was yesterday charged with the murder of his fiancé’s ex, who went to his home to confront him with fatal results.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds yesterday informed the National Assembly that the government has no current plans to establish a parliamentary committee to specifically address border issues.

While the Ministry of Labour has been unable to establish actual unemployment levels in Guyana, Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul says that whatever unemployment levels exist is a result of persons not possessing the skill sets that are in high demand.

Information on actions and procedures put in place by the government in the wake of a visit to Eteringbang by members of the Venezuela opposition is restricted, Prime Minister Sam Hinds told the National Assembly yesterday.

A key outcome of a recently completed three-day training workshop was the recommendation from participants that Guyana should accede to the Nagoya Protocol, an international legal instrument which covers access to genetic resources and fair and equitable benefit sharing.