News

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan and Bank of Guyana Governor Dr Gobind Ganga yesterday insisted that there is no sluggishness in the economy, while saying that the numbers show the economy is doing well and is projected to do even better by year end.

A reduction in the current 16% Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate is not possible before the next budget, according to Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who says that although the Tax Reform Committee (TRC) has made such a recommendation, government has sought guidance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure that the right decision is made.

Kempton Glenn and Robin Holder, the two men who police say were caught during an escape bid after robbing an Atlantic Ville resident whom they had trailed home from a bank, were yesterday charged and remanded to prison.

The police were yesterday granted an additional 72 hours to keep the husband of Babita Sarjou and his alleged accomplice in custody and her relatives have positively identified her belongings.

Treatment of over five persons with Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS), the rare neurological disorder said to be associated with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in some countries, is taxing the resources at George-town Public Hospital Cor-poration (GPHC), according to Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton.

The Mayor and City Council said yesterday that it was working towards seeing Edward B Beharry and Company Limited receive the necessary approvals to launch its Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday commended the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force for its recent successes in solving crimes and suggested that Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum be promoted.

The Government of Guyana is looking to secure funding from the Islamic Development Bank in a number of areas and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a country mission team, Minister of Finance Minister Winston Jordan said yesterday.

Harvard-bound Guyanese scholar Kelly Hyles has embarked on a mission to spread motivation to Guyanese students as they carve their own paths to success.

With the help of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a labour force survey that determine the official unemployment rate will begin in January 2017, Chief Statistician Lennox Benjamin says.

The rehabilitation of Carifesta Avenue that will see it upgraded to facilitate more traffic is expected to be finished by the end of July.

A New York-based child care worker was yesterday fined $140,000 after she admitted to attempting to smuggle birds out of the country.

Attorney Gaumattie Singh has been charged with dangerous driving after she allegedly caused a three-vehicle collision.

A mother of eight has been searching desperately for her missing child, who was last seen on Monday last.

The reclusive pensioner whose bloated body was discovered at his East Canje Village home, died as a result of a heart attack.

Oudit Chinapen, who allegedly caused the accident that resulted in the driver for the Speaker of the National Assembly losing his left arm, yesterday faced two charges and was released on $20,000 bail after pleading not guilty.

Taxi driver Seon Greene, who is on trial for causing the death of cyclist Mohammed Khan by dangerous driving, told a court yesterday that it was the deceased who hit his vehicle and not the other way around.

The defective koker that had resulted in the flooding of the Little Diamond community is now working and the new door and upgrades to the sluice are expected to be installed soon.

Defence attorney Adrian Thompson yesterday asked Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul to find Premnauth Samaroo, Anthony David and Nicholas Narine innocent in the robbery of Justice Nicola Pierre and her family, while arguing that they had not been properly identified.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Bombs killed nearly 150 people and wounded at least 200 in Jableh and Tartous on Syria’s Mediterranean coast yesterday in the government-controlled territory that hosts Russian military bases, monitors and state media said.