Year: 2012

The journey across the kala pani

TIMES INT'L

Frightful shipwreck of coolies; two hundred and sixty lives lost (From the Friend of India, August 31, 1865) If any other argument were wanted to prove the necessity of the Indian government giving earnest attention to the coolie emigration trade, it is to be found in the tale of horrors with which Calcutta has been occupied during the past week. On Sunday, August 19, the American built ship, Eagle Speed, [with] Captain Brinsden [in command], left Port Canning with 497 coolies for Demerara. Of these, 300 were men, 93 women,…

Read More

A history of exclusion and domination

TIMES INT'L

Background We can begin to appreciate the pivotal role of the Police Force – which is today the most visible and ubiquitous symbol of the state – when we consider that this institution typically, has the sole authority to use force against the citizens of a country. The Indians that were brought to Guyana starting in 1838 have a history that is almost coterminous with that of the GPF, which was founded in 1839. Both events were in response to the abolition of slavery in 1834, and just a decade…

Read More

NICIL’s accounts could withstand scrutiny – Winston Brassington

TIMES INT'L

  –more than Gy$20B in dividends paid into Consolidated Fund in past 20 years In a shocking twist in the controversy about the financial status of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), its executive director Winston Brassington on Friday, May 11, disclosed that as of March month-end, the entity had Gy$ 700 million in its coffers, pouring cold water on the Alliance For Change’s guesstimate of Gy$ 50 billion. This figure represents all of the government holding company’s monies, including those being held in an escrow account, but…

Read More

Govt meets with Region Six residents to explain budget cuts

TIMES INT'L

Region Six Chairman David Armogan said the Gy$ 20 billion that the combined opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) “butchered” from the 2012 National Budget will have a direct impact on the region. Speaking at a recent meeting with residents of East Canje, Armogan said students are among those who will be affected, notably those who are preparing to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). “You know NCN since last year has been running a channel called the Learning Channel, in…

Read More

Procurement commission to be up in weeks – Foreign Minister

TIMES INT'L

The Public Procurement Commission is to be established by the end of June 2012, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told the National Assembly a few days ago. The minister was at the time commending members of the opposition for rising in support of a government motion for the ratification of the Cariforum-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The establishment of a procurement entity is a requirement of the EPA to which Guyana signed on to in October 2008. Minister Rodrigues-Birkett noted that the Procurement Commission has been the subject of…

Read More

Grandstanding

TIMES INT'L

The puerility of the opposition was on display for all to see last Thursday in Parliament. Carl ‘Barry’ Greenidge, fighting desperately to raise his profile for his upcoming battle for leadership of the PNC, brought a raft of motions. Now before motions can be placed on the Order Paper of Parliament, they have to be vetted by the Speaker and the clerk to ensure they are in order. They were allowed to pass. Unbiased Speaker? Ha!! Government spokespersons immediately informed all and sundry that the motions were flawed – fatally…

Read More

Carl now into “Stand-up Comedy!”

TIMES INT'L

Somehow, despite de serious implication of de happenings in Parliament, humour coming out steady. It ain’t only gat fuh do with de “presentation” of a certain MP who daddy own a TV station. People does call de MP “presentation”, “Stand Up Comedy” and he father show, “Comedy Non Stop”. People seh is another example of de “chip not being far from de block” and point out that de “comedy” is fuh “stress relief!” Is de same way Carl doing he own version of “comedy” fuh help relieve de tension in…

Read More

Local companies aiding illegal mining – Minister Persaud

TIMES INT'L

The prevalence of illegal mining in Guyana is being facilitated by several local companies in Guyana, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud told a media briefing on Tuesday. Persaud’s comments came at a press briefing held in observance of the 30th anniversary of the Guyana Gold Board. “Persons who have prospecting licences, both medium-scale and large-scale are fully aware that under our laws you cannot mine on those areas; they are there for the purpose of exploration. And yet these individuals would sign a document giving permission to non-nationals,…

Read More

AFC, APNU conspired to strangle ERC – PPP/C

TIMES INT'L

The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) last Friday accused the parliamentary opposition of conspiring to “strangle” the work of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), noting that it is extremely concerned with the fact that the ERC’s budget was cut to Gy$ 1 during consideration of the 2012 budget. The party said it views the move by the opposition parliamentary parties to use their one-seat majority to cut the ERC’s budget as “unprovoked and malicious”. “This action must be exposed for what it really is; a vicious act to prevent a…

Read More

Discourses

TIMES INT'L

Contention is inseparable from creating knowledge. It is not contention we should try to avoid, but discourses that attempt to suppress contention – Joyce Appleby One of the positive innovations of CXC after becoming our official examination institution was to insist that “communication studies” and “Caribbean studies” be compulsory if a student wanted to write our version of Advanced Level – CAPE. As a ‘science student’ I’d always been a bit sceptical of the narrow focus of some in the field. I wasn’t comfortable with looking at the world through…

Read More