The Week in Review

Security ‘Smallie’ makes dramatic escape from Mazaruni Prison: Mark Royden Williams called ‘Smallie’ last Friday escaped from the Mazaruni Prison, a maximum security facility, following an exchange of gunfire with prison officers.

Oil & Gas Govt intent to appeal Exxon insurance ruling shows it as uncaring – TIGI: Local anti-corruption body Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) has said that going against its own citizens in appealing the ruling requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce the liability clause in the permits issued to Exxon-Mobil Guyana, shows a government that doesn’t care and reeks of political opportunistic behaviour.

Court Exxon ‘reviewing’ court ruling on insurance: ExxonMobil says it is reviewing last Wednesday’s court ruling by Justice Sandil Kissoon, which found the company in breach of its insurance obligations for its first oil project Liza 1, a decision that can have major ramifications.

Security President orders that intelligence agency bill be taken to select committee: President Irfaan Ali las Friday night said that he had ordered that a bill for a national intelligence agency be taken to a select committee of Parliament for full deliberations.

Crime Two in custody over murder of Crabwood Creek woman: Two men suspected to be part of the gang that was ordered to kidnap a 36-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a clump of bushes at East Canje Berbice on April 21st have since been arrested for questioning.

Business Not involved in any `scampish’ business – Nazar Mohamed: Declaring that he is not involved in any `scampish’ business, businessman Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed has secured the Washington DC public relations and lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers [BGR], to investigate why he has been blocked for more than a decade from securing a US non-immigrant visa.

Border World Court rules against Venezuela’s preliminary objection on border case: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last Thursday ruled in Guyana’s favour that its case before it seeking to affirm the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award settling the boundaries between it and Venezuela is admissible; and that the United Kingdom has no place in the proceedings as Caracas has sought to argue.

Economy Ram pummels gov’t over management of economy: Focusing on the foreign exchange controversy, commentator and chartered accountant Christopher Ram has pounded the government over the management of the economy and has called for the exclusion of non-bank cambios and for more banking licences to foster increased competition.

Politics No shared governance without trust: Shared governance at the executive level would come if Guyana’s citizenry calls for it during the constitutional reform process but at the moment the PPP/C cannot trust the main opposition on supporting its holistic developmental policies, the party’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo on March 23rd said, repeating a position he has previously enunciated.

Procurement Gov’t insists e-governance contract is legal:  Insisting that the contract was legal but not addressing key issues and concerns surrounding the US$34 million e-governance deal, government last week launched an attack on civil society group, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).

Contract Gov’t seals US$34m e-ID card deal: Arising out of its request for assistance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2021, the Government of Guyana yesterday inked a US$34 million contract with German-headquartered company, Veridos, for the production and rollout of an electronic citizenship card that consolidates the data of the holder, providing for easier access to public and private sector services. 

Elections Next general elections due Nov or Dec 2025 – Jagdeo: Guyana’s next general elections will be held in November or December 2025 owing to the five-month impasse that followed the 2020 polls.

Transparency Guyana suspended from EITI: Guyana has been suspended from the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for failure to submit a report for 2020, sources tell Stabroek News.

June 12 is new date for Local Government Elections: Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall on February 15th informed GECOM  that June 12, 2023, has been selected as the date for the long overdue Local Government Elections (LGE).

Fire Parika market complex gutted by fire: A massive fire on Saturday (February 11th) gutted the entire Parika Marketing Complex located on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE) along with other stalls which were on the road side, leaving dozens of  vendors counting their losses.

Celebrity Letitia Wright conferred with honorary PhD, key to the city: Guyana-born British actress, Letitia Wright, popularly known for her role in the Black Panther movie, ‘Wakanda Forever’, was last Wednesday conferred with a Honorary Doctorate, Honoris Causa, by the University of Guyana (UG).

Tragedy Two women drown at Feather Beach: Two Region Two families are mourning the deaths of two mothers who drowned last at Feather Beach in Region Two.

  Economy Budget set at $781.9b: Boasting that it is a budget for all Guyanese and one for “now and the future”, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh last Monday presented a whopping $781.9 billion budget – some 41.4% more than the $552.9 billion budget last year.

Fire Fire destroys Christ Church Secondary: A fire of unknown origin gutted the Christ Church Secondary School on Camp and Middle streets last Thursday afternoon, just days after combustion in a lab had to be quelled.

Oil and gas Deal inked for US$759m gas to energy plants: In what will be the country’s most expensive public sector project ever, the contract to build the US$759 million, 300 MW combined-cycle power plant and a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WCD), was on Tuesday inked between Guyana and US companies CH4/Lindsayca.