Dear Editor, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds recently reminded residents of what he described as a bad period of shortages, low wages, poor electricity supply and high inflation which prevailed during the late 1970s up to the early 1990s. These were the conditions that the current government met when it gained power. Guyana is still undergoing repair. The damage that was done for almost three decades has left some bad cultural traits. One thing that I still hate is this bad approach to work. I recall one day sometime in the…
Read MoreYear: 2013
Guyana is a land throbbing with positive energy
Dear Editor, The “I Believe Campaign” seeks to reach out to every Guyanese beyond political, ethnic and religious barriers. Despite the crime, at every level, Guyana is a very peaceful country. There is a rich mix of people in every area – schools, teams, markets and businesses. We get along really well. I went to quite a few of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games and what I saw was very revealing – everybody manifested a spirit of congeniality. I sat next to a Digicel employee who is from a…
Read MoreLocal govt youth programme progressing smoothly
The US$150,000 Youth Empowerment Inclusion and Reconciliation Programme (YEIRP) is progressing smoothly, Local Government Ministry Permanent Secretary Collin Croal reported last Friday. From Monday, 17 of the 30 youths from Regions Two to Six and 10 commenced their three-month work attachment at various entities within their respective regions. Croal explained that the remaining 13 youth leaders are already employed, so there was no need for a work attachment. He told media operatives that the selected youths have been trained in keeping with the objectives of the programme, which seeks to…
Read MoreA solid foundation
By Anu Dev “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” – Albert Camus I’ve been in school for the past 15 years of my life and having been in school for so long, I have a fair idea of what different types of teachers could be like. Some go about their jobs like they truly love what they’re doing, others seem to go through the day like teaching is an obligation. But no matter what their teaching attitudes or stance, we learn a lot from…
Read MoreSWAT team to be up by August 2014
Guyana’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit will be in full operation by August of next year, U.S.-based security and justice reform consultancy firm The Emergence Group (TEG) Director, Ambassador Dennis Hays said. He was at the time addressing media operatives at the signing ceremony for finalisation of the SWAT contract between the TEG high-level team and the Home Affairs Ministry in the ministry’s boardroom on Monday evening. “At the end of the year, we should have started the training ceremony and by next summer, Guyana will have a fully…
Read MoreAvon moving to provide free breast cancer screening
The Avon Community Help Fund (ACHF) is offering free mammograms to women during this month; the foundation is also moving to provide this service free of cost throughout the year to aid in the early detection of breast cancer. This is because mammograms are usually costly, and ACHF wants to bear the expenses for persons who may be suffering from the disease and cannot afford to have the screening done. ACHF Chairman Mignon Bowen made these comments at a simple presentation ceremony on Monday when Digicel Guyana presented a cheque…
Read MoreSmall miners will not be affected by mercury ban
The phasing out and eventual banning of mercury, which is expected to take effect in 2022, will not have a severe impact on small miners and their operations. This is according to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud. The government, through the Natural Resources Ministry, recently signed onto the Minamata Convention on mercury, a new international pact to control mercury emissions and gradually phase out its use. Prior to the signing, local small miners had been nervous about plans to ban the dangerous chemical, stating that there is no…
Read MoreGovt rejects miners’ tax break proposal on imported fuel
The proposed five percent excise tax on imported fuel put forward by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) was overturned by government, according to the body’s president, Patrick Harding. In August, GGDMA met with President Donald Ramotar, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, and requested several concessions, including the tax break on fuel imported from legitimate Caribbean companies. Fuel accounts for 25-30 percent of miners’ production costs, at a time when gold prices continue to fluctuate, coupled with high prices for…
Read MoreGSL directors Mohan “Glenn” Lall, Tony Yassin skim off Gy$602M
–– NIS, 1561 shareholders get nothing –– owe 354 million in taxes When Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) was privatised in 2000, Mohan Lall, also known as Glenn Lall, and Tony Yassin of Royal Investments Inc (RII), acquired 70 percent, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) had 10 percent, and employees and other small shareholders collectively owned the remaining 20 percent of the company. For the next decade, the company refused to hold annual general meetings, did not issue annual reports and simply declared every year that, since they did not make…
Read MoreGuyana committing lands to help fight hunger
Guyana has joined in the worldwide quest to eradicate hunger, with the commitment of land for the production of food, and has called on other countries to do the same. During his address at an event to mark World Food Day on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy noted that with increased food production, one must face the challenge of employing biofuels to counteract the effects and depletion of fossil fuels. Biofuels are used as an alternative to fossil fuels, to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions emanated from the…
Read More