Month: November 2013

The Bank of Guyana on Friday officially launched the Gy$ 5000 note, in keeping with its Currency Reform programme. The note will come into circulation on December 9.The face of the note carries the map of Guyana with its natural resources, while the reverse portrays the national bird and the rainforest. It measures 156 mm x 65mm (similar to existing notes) with the main colours being magenta and green. The Bank of Guyana’s deputy governor, Dr Gobind Ganga said leading up to the circulation date, an awareness campaign will be…

The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is spearheading several energy audits on government buildings to determine their levels of electricity consumption and tailor conservation practices that can be adopted. Head of the GEA Mahender Sharma said that audits have been conducted on over 30 buildings and made reference to the agency’s strategic plan that speaks specifically to such undertakings. Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) will be undertaking a similar programme with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), targeting private businesses. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who spoke about…

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH& PA) is spending a grand total of Gy$ 5.8 billion on the East Bank Demerara for this year, with Gy$ 3.8 billion on ongoing projects and another Gy$ 1.5 billion on projects that are at the tender stage. Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali, at the penultimate One Stop Shop last Friday, told the media that the ongoing projects are: Providence Phase Three, that encompasses an investment of Gy$ 731 million for 558 new lots; Farm where Gy$ 1.4 billion will be spent…

Junior Agriculture Minister Ali Baksh is calling on Region Six residents to stop the indiscriminate dumping of garbage in waterways. Speaking at a recent project inspection tour in the region, Baksh said the dumping of solid waste has led to widespread flooding in the region, not only in agricultural communities, but also in residential areas. Six mini excavators have been sent to Region Six to assist with the clearing of community drains. Currently, the machines are deployed at Tain, Bloomfield, Rose Hall Town and Albion and work has already been…

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has described the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) opposition to Cabinet’s role in the awarding of public contracts as “incongruous and wrong both in principle and constitutionality”. The political opposition, in particular the AFC, has been calling for the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which will see the removal of Cabinet’s role in the procurement process. “This is heresy both administratively and constitutionally, and we are saying that this incongruous position cannot obtain,”…

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL   Fort Valley State University President, Dr Ivelaw Griffith said if the University of Guyana (UG) is to progress, it must work towards delivering a more credible programme while ensuring its economic viability. Griffith made the comments while addressing the university’s 47th convocation exercise at the Turkeyen Campus on Saturday. “For the University of Guyana to have a salutary ‘tomorrow’ that goes beyond crisis management survival and that avoids its leaders being practitioners of the science of muddling through, I see the necessity for the following three…

– Komal Samaroo to assume chairmanship of DDL Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Chairman, Dr Yesu Persaud has retired after close to five decades of unwavering dedication to the company. The revelation was made by DDL Director Rudy Collins at the Pegasus Hotel on Saturday. Dr Persaud, 85, has served DDL for more than 48 years. His retirement will take effect on December 31, paving the way for Komal Samaroo to assume the chairmanship of the company. In delivering his final address as DDL chairman, the iconic businessman spoke about salvaging…

President Donald Ramotar updated heads of government on the work of the Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) during the just-concluded Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka. The IIC is an international not-for-profit organisation, governed by an international board of trustees and managed by a professional team of around 70 permanent staff in Georgetown and at the Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre at Kurupukari, Region Eight. The IIC’s patron is the Prince of Wales. The centre was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the government of Guyana…