Dear Editor, I am an avid follower of West Indies cricket and cannot help noticing the drastic decline in the levels of performance of our players. Guyana has always been a top producer of outstanding West Indian cricketers. When the glory days of West Indies cricket and its players are talked about, names such as Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Alvin Kallicharran, Colin Croft, Roger Harper, Clive Lloyd and Farouk Bacchus, to name a few, are proudly mentioned. All of these men went on to become superstars in their own right.…
Read MoreYear: 2011
Berbicians welcome the private hospital
Dear Editor, I am very excited with the news that, finally, the private hospital complex in Berbice will be commissioned in a couple of months’ time. Although there is the public hospital in New Amsterdam, there is need for that private institution so, like in Demerara, the people in Berbice could have choices. However, while it is good to have this private institution in the area, staff will have to play a very important role in its everyday functioning, as accommodation is not all that is necessary. There must be…
Read MoreThis is a reasonable package for teachers
Dear Editor, I read in your newspaper that a new benefits package has been agreed for teachers. And I was excited to find out what it entails, because I really think our teachers deserve much more than what they were getting. And from what I learnt, I have to say that the package is a reasonable one. Firstly, there is a five per cent retroactive increase in salaries, and this increase would cover five years, starting from this year (2011). Even though five per cent would not mean a lot…
Read MoreSpecial squad being considered to hunt down pirates
Fisheries stakeholders have recommended a menu of measures to combat piracy, and one of them is setting up a special squad to hunt down and prosecute the sea bandits, who have stepped up their attacks in recent times. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who has oversight of the fisheries sector, summoned a special meeting of the Fisheries Advisory Committee on June 15 to discuss issues regarding the safety of fisher folk at sea. Among other things, the meeting noted the recent escape of convicted pirate Kevin “Long Hair” Narine. Fishermen in…
Read MoreThe LCDS and the tourism industry
There is no doubt that Guyana’s tourism industry has taken off. And while there is much work to be done, the news is spreading and we are being talked about as one of the most attractive and unique new tourist destinations. Unlike our Caribbean counterparts that offer the typical sun, sand and sea tourism, Guyana has a different type of tourism product with our irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty; pristine Amazonian rainforests, immense waterfalls, amazing wildlife, and a rich cultural heritage. Tourists going to other parts of…
Read MoreUnpaid city workers to intensify strike action
Hundreds of workers from all departments of the Mayor and City Council have still not been paid despite City Mayor Hamilton Green promising on June 21, that they would be paid on the following day and strike action seems imminent. Guyana Labour Union Organising Secretary Clarence Whitehead, said his union is waiting to ensure that workers are not paid before strike action is taken. He told this publication: “I don’t want to foresee the future, but we want to exhaust today; if by tomorrow nothing is done, we will close…
Read More‘I’m coming around to supporting Donald Ramotar’ – former PNCR MP
BY JANELLE PERSAUD A defector from the People’s National Congress Reform party says he is “coming around to backing” PPP presidential candidate Donald Ramotar in this year’s general elections. Joseph Hamilton, a former high-ranking member of the PNCR and a former Member of Parliament, told Guyana Times International in an interview on June 21 that, unless the PNCR embraces radical reforms, he would never return to its fold. Hamilton is among a large group of high-ranking PNCR members who had withdrawn from the party back in 2008 following an unsuccessful…
Read MoreLeaders urge global shift towards green growth
– call for enhanced cooperation to tackle climate change President Bharrat Jagdeo was among politicians, scholars and industry leaders who on June 20 touted a global shift towards green growth and called for enhanced cooperation to tackle the environmental challenges facing mankind. About 90 academics, businessmen and officials from 25 national governments and international institutions shared views at the first Global Green Growth Summit hosted by the Korean government and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Among them were OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria; the UN Economic and…
Read MoreBerbice school girl killed in smash-up
– brother critical BY MICHAEL ITWARU A nine-year-old girl is dead, and her younger brother is in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital, after a minivan slammed them while they were going home from school on Monday, June 20, at around 08:20h on the Cotton Tree public road, West Coast Berbice. The victim is Jasmattie Ramnauth. Her seven-year-old brother, Vayjai Ramnauth, sustained severe body injuries and a fractured leg; and is fighting for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The children were returning home after they were told…
Read MoreGovt says civil society unhappy with election preparations
Several stakeholders and members of civil society are concerned about the status of elections’ preparedness and continue to express dissatisfaction and outrage at the pace of distribution of identification cards and at the number of unregistered voters, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said on June 22. Dr Luncheon, also head of the Presidential Secretariat, said government continues to review on a regular basis preparation for general and regional elections. He noted that the issue of acquiring source documents from the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) in order to register is also…
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