Dear Editor, I read, with much alarm, the editorial in the Sunday edition of the Kaieteur News dated October 20 headlined “Kill them all?” I would like to think that it would be standard that a person writing an editorial would have researched the topic on which he chose to write and report accurately, with full unbiased, disclosure. Firstly, I am not a commissioner at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). I resigned. Secondly, I never held a position of the quasi head of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic. After volunteering…
Read MoreYear: 2013
Businesses invited to “Ad-A-Bench” in the National Park
Visitors to the National Park in Georgetown may have noticed the recent appearance of benches around the jogging trail. These seats are part of the “Ad-A-Bench” drive being spearheaded by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry’s Protected Areas Commission and Guyenterprise, with the aim of restoring public seating in the park. The new benches are designed to facilitate the placement of advertisements by sponsors, as well as provide much-needed public seating around the park. The drive is part of the Three Parks Initiative, which aims to rehabilitate and upgrade the…
Read MoreScholarships Part 1: Why CAPE is important
By Anu Dev It’s always disappointing when things aren’t allowed to reach their full potential. Like how we have all of those rivers in our interior flowing down precipices just looking pretty, when they could be used to generate hydroelectricity, providing our nation with a valuable renewable energy source. We spend our time squabbling about present cost instead of looking at opportunity cost. But even more disappointing, is when our most valuable resource – our human resource – isn’t allowed to reach its full potential. In Guyana, over the years…
Read MoreBill to be read for third time in parliament next week
– Govt completes committee’s work without opposition – Country granted new deadline, November 18 By Svetlana Marshall Government next week will be making its submission to the National Assembly on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill despite the lack of support by the opposition. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said owing to the delaying tactics employed by the opposition, the governing side moved to complete the work of the parliamentary special select committee reviewing the bill Tuesday night. Opposition support According…
Read MorePortuguese added to high school curriculum
Guyanese students will now learn to speak Portuguese at the secondary level, as the Education Ministry last Thursday officially added the language to the curriculum, with five pilot schools kicking off the initiative. The five schools which will commence Portuguese language training are: Queen’s College, the Bishops’ High School, St Stanislaus College, St Roses High School and St Joseph High School. Speaking at the launch at the Theatre Guild, Kingston, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said since Brazil and Guyana enjoy close relations, persons learning Portuguese will boost these relations further…
Read MoreToshaos rap govt, police on ammo, passports
Amerindian leaders on Tuesday flayed the government and the Guyana Police Force for delays in gun licences issuance and ammunition acquisition, the handling of domestic violence and having to travel to Georgetown to obtain a passport. These issues were raised during the ongoing National Toshaos Council conference at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), during a meeting with Home Affairs Ministry officials and police top brass, toshaos lamented that they often experience difficulties in accessing ammunition. In response, Police Commissioner…
Read MoreECLAC hosts regional workshop on energy in Guyana
Key stakeholders have benefitted from a three-day workshop held last week at Cara Lodge in Georgetown titled “Innovative and Regulatory Incentives for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Initiatives”. The workshop was conducted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). With representatives from Curacao, Guyana, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago in attendance, the workshop was part of an overarching sustainable energy project in the Caribbean under the theme…
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United Nations Day 2013
Water and agriculture In 1945, with the ratification of the UN Charter by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being. However, since 1948, October 24 has been celebrated as United Nations (UN) Day. The purpose of the United Nations is to bring all nations of the world together to work for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human dignity and the well-being of all people. It affords the opportunity for countries to balance…
Read MoreThe anti-money laundering bill
The recent call by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) for support of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Bill echoes the concerns raised by all stakeholders, including this publication, regarding the impact on Guyana’s economy should these vital pieces of legislation be delayed further. Guyana’s political stakeholders cannot afford at this time to play politics with this important legislation and it is incumbent upon civil society to continue to put pressure on our leaders to rise above partisan interests and pass the legislation as soon as…
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