Year: 2011

GAWU, GuySuCo agree on formula for API

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– union urges deeper thinking on new management for Skeldon factory The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) reached agreement on Monday on the formula applicable to award Annual Production Incentive (API) for this year. For production equivalent to 31,200 tonnes of sugar, a day’s pay will be awarded as API to qualified workers. Thus the corporation’s revised target of 282,712 tonnes enables workers to receive not less than 9.06 days’ pay. The year’s production, which stands at 146,712 tonnes of sugar as…

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Work on Gy$130M Diamond/Grove Primary School underway

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The Education Ministry, in keeping with the trust to increase access to education at the community level, is constructing a Gy$130 million primary school within the new Diamond/ Grove Housing Scheme. Construction on the multi-million-dollar building began in July, and is expected to be completed before beginning of the next academic year. The building, when completed, will house some 1,000 students. It will be outfitted with 24 regular classrooms, a master classroom, library, an information technology centre with Internet connection, a kitchenette and sanitary blocks. Education Minister Shaik Baksh, on…

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What will happen with persons not registered after many warnings?

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Dear Editor, I read the statement from the Guyana Elections Commission to the effect that the old ID cards will be decommissioned by November 1 this year. I know that there were several warnings from the commission about the importance of people getting registered. I believe that the importance of registering goes beyond getting the opportunity to vote in general elections. It also means possessing new ID cards which would be needed to transact all official business. I would also like to ask what would be the position of those…

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Four-lane highway would ease the traffic congestion on our roadways

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Dear Editor, Safety on our roadways has been a very topical issue for some time now. And as a result, many citizens have expressed varying views, such as the need for the roads to be widened, and flyovers be built to accommodate the large number of vehicles on our roadways. While the second suggestion seems disastrous, the government has heeded the first, as contracts have already been awarded to widen parts of the roadways into four lanes at Timehri and on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). I live in…

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Guyana is ever improving

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Dear Editor, It is with great joy that I received the news that Guyana’s ‘Economy grew by 5.9 per cent at half year’ and that ‘Robust growth (is) expected to continue’ for the rest of the year. The joy that I have in this announcement (I am sure) is shared by many Guyanese. So I cannot help but pen this short letter. This is because, due to the horrible legacy of an onerous debt bequeathed by the PNCR on this generation, most of Guyana’s revenue was swallowed up in efforts…

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The Thought Police

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In George Orwell’s book “1984”, we hear of the “Thought Police”: those who would control not only the words and deeds of citizens, but their very thoughts. It appears that, in Guyana, we have in our midst some who are bent on pushing us in this direction. Ironically, this Thought Police brigade sits in the very institution that is supposed to combat ideological straitjacketing and thought regimentation – the media and the media association. At a second level of irony, in the book “1984”, it was the government – “Big…

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Guyana seeks extension of continental shelf

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The Guyana government has laid claim to a wedge of the continental shelf off its coast. Trinidad, Barbados and Suriname has also laid claim to the area. Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett made the disclosures on Wednesday, stating that Guyana has already consulted with these states on the claim. She revealed that all submissions made to the commission by the individual countries with regards to the limit have overlapped. “Guyana has made a submission containing all the relevant data with respect to Guyana’s claim to an extended continental shelf pursuant…

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No evidence provided on Greene’s alleged drug ties – Jagdeo

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President Bharrat Jagdeo, on Friday, September 2, said no evidence was supplied to him by embassy officials in Guyana to dissuade him from appointing Henry Greene as police commissioner, despite claims being made against the top cop of profiting from the drug trade. The Guyanese head of state also said that Western diplomats had wanted to influence his appointment of a police commissioner following the retirement of Winston Felix, something which he would not countenance. In recently released cables by Wikileaks, it was noted that the U.S. government had indicated…

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Guyana, Japan sign US$3.8M grant for rehab of EDWC

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US$3.8 million grant agreement for rehabilitation works under phase 2 of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) project was signed on Tuesday, September 6 by Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Japanese Ambassador Tatsuaki Iwata. The signing was done at the ministry’s South Road office. The contract will see the implementation of civil works to complement existing works which were undertaken during phase one of the project, a Government Information Agency (GINA) report has said. Eight excavators and two pontoons were procured under the initial phase. Also witnessing the signing…

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Appreciation Day for President Jagdeo set for September 16

TIMES INT'L

Friday, September 16, 2011 has been dedicated as a Day of Appreciation for His Excellency Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Guyanese from all walks of life, along with friends of Guyana will come together in one accord on this day to celebrate the achievements of President Jagdeo. Setting new precedent, the appreciation comes while the President is still in Office. It should be remembered that it was President Jagdeo who signed into law changes to the Constitution limiting the term of office for the Head…

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