Year: 2012

Govt to unveil national budget next Friday

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The 2012 National Budget will be presented to the National Assembly next Friday, March 30, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said. The budget is constitutionally due before the end of the first quarter. Dr Singh had recently assured the media that preparatory works for the budget presentation are well advanced, while noting that the process is an extremely lengthy one that begun some six months ago. Last year’s Gy$161.4 billion budget, the largest in the country’s history, was presented on January 17, 2011 under the theme, “Together building tomorrow’s Guyana…

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Infant killed during parents drunking brawl

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A two-month-old baby boy is dead following an altercation between his parents at their Lot 24 Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home. Dead is Andy Hunte, who reportedly died from lacerations to the head. The child’s father (name unknown) reportedly took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The man is currently on the run. According to Hunte’s 38-year-old mother (name unknown), she and the father of the child had an altercation after she asked him to buy milk and ‘porridge stuff’ for…

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HIV affected persons becoming complacent – NAPS

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Dr Shanti Singh

The level of complacency amongst Guyanese affected by HIV has risen over the past few years, according to the director of National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr Shanti Singh. Dr Singh made those remarks on Monday at the Health Ministry/ UNAIDS launch of the fourth draft of the Country’s Progress Report for the 2010-2011 Stakeholders’ Consensus Meeting held at Cara Lodge, Georgetown. Dr Singh said her agency is aware that people are being tested, but they are being “complacent” when it comes to getting treatment at the various centres set…

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GECOM ‘seriously concerned’ about APNU’s SoPs findings

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From left to Right APNU’s executive member Lance Carberry,

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says it is seriously concerned about the findings of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) verification of Statements of Polls for last year’s general and regional elections. The commission promised that the matter will be extensively considered even as it awaits a report on the party’s findings. The APNU on Monday released its findings following the verification of the SoPs, saying there were instances of malpractice, misconduct, illegibility of documents and forgery. The party also questioned the integrity of the results declared and gazetted…

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Man charged for killing fiancée

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The accused being escorted by police ranks

David Johnson was on Tuesday, March 20, charged for murdering his fiancée and then dumping her body in a drain at Nismes, West Bank Demerara. The 23-year-old appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court and was slapped with the charge of murder by Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs-Marcus. He was not required to plea to the charge which stated that between March 15 and 17 at Nismes River View, West Bank Demerara, he murdered his girlfriend Leonaka Natasha Johnson, 20, also called “Tasha”. Johnson, who was unrepresented, told the court that he resides…

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Minorities in Ontario praise govt’s efforts in promoting diversity

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By North American Correspondent Guyanese and other minorities in Ontario have showered praises on the Government of Ontario for promoting diversity in the province.  Some 100,000 Guyanese are settled in the province. Ontario has been named as Canada’s best diversity employer for the fifth consecutive year. It is not known how many Guyanese are employed in government posts in Ontario, but it is believed that the government (of the province) has employed more Guyanese and immigrant groups than any other province in the country. A publication titled “Canada’s Top 100…

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Poachers and Poseurs

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Poachers FITUG came out swinging against the AFC’s cynical and transparent moves to exploit the problems in the sugar industry. It’s high time that they did. And all who care about creating a stable Guyana should join in their condemnation. As FITUG pointed out, our politics gestated in the sugar industry. This was because the contradiction between capital/ imperialism and labour were most stark during the colonial period. But Cheddi Jagan kept his promise to sugar workers – even if Burnham turned his back on them – and in 1997…

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Gy$ 49M of mining royalties turned over to Amerindians

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Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud

The Amerindian Affairs Ministry on Monday received a cheque totalling over Gy$ 49 million in royalties from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) through the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, the money accounts for 20 per cent of the royalties from mining activities paid to the GGMC for the period 2006 to 2011 by small and medium-scale miners in hinterland communities, among which are Isseneru, Warrow, Jawalla, Chinese Landing and Campbelltown. The transfer is in keeping with the 2006 Amerindian…

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Govt to ensure REDjet passengers not left stranded

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The Tourism Ministry has been in constant dialogue since last Friday with REDjet to ensure that Guyana is kept abreast of the developments taking place within the company. Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said on Monday his ministry will ensure that all Guyanese passengers are taken care of and not left stranded. The Barbados-based airline announced late Friday, March 16, it was suspending all flights from Saturday until further notice. After 10 months in the air, the move is a bid to protect its long-term interests, the company said. Minister…

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Govt electricity investment in Mahdia a blessing to residents

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Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Ganga Persaud at the meeting with

When the government invested Gy $150M in the establishment of the Mahdia Power and Light (MPL) in October 2011, which it heavily subsidises, it was with the objective of creating economic opportunities and a better life for residents of the Region Eight mining district.  Now five months after, the residents are very appreciative of this investment which has indeed created improvements and has enhanced developments in the community. This was conveyed to Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud when he visited the entity over the weekend and met with the company’s…

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