Dear Editor, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, in commenting on the results of the May-June 2015 CSEC exams, and in an apparent reference to the number of subjects written by the two students of SVN (Guyana Times, 8/17/2015), expressed his belief that students are able to cope with “that number of subjects” because the “intensity” of the curriculum has been diluted. Coming to the first of the Minister’s concern, are our students really writing too many subjects? Before we can adequately answer this question, we would need to know what…
Read MoreYear: 2015
Govt should refrain from interfering in the work of State media
Dear Editor, I have been following the discussion of the roles and responsibilities of the State-owned media in Guyana especially against the backdrop of the Chronicle headline issue and the reported but denied decision of the Prime Minister to have the headlines in each day’s edition of the newspaper monitored by a political functionary. Let me at the outset say that if the reports of the Prime Minister’s decision are accurate then this is a sad day for democracy and press freedom in Guyana. I am aware of the reported…
Read MoreCorruption is a “cultural thing” – Guyana’s Top Cop
The “I Paid a Bribe” programme has been dismissed as completely useless by Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, who said it did absolutely nothing to aid in the reduction of corruption among Guyana Police Force (GPF) ranks. The programme, an Internet initiative consisting of a website where citizens reported bribery, was launched by former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee as a means to clamp down on bribery in the Police Force and other Government agencies. However, during an interview with Guyana Times International on Tuesday, the Police Commissioner declared that the…
Read MoreAnother overseas visitor robbed at knifepoint
Moments after executing a brazen daylight robbery on an overseas-based Guyanese and her ailing mother, three young men were arrested. The robbery occurred about 11:00h at Lancaster Street, Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara. According to information received, the three young men invaded the property of Mona Kewall and relieved her of close to Gy$500,000 and other items. The men then fled, but the quick response from residents and Police led to their apprehension and positive identification as the perpetrators. A relative of the victims told Guyana Times International that the…
Read MoreEfforts being made to restore Guyana’s beauty
– Gy$36M allocated to National Task Force Commission In an effort to restore the country to its former glory by showcasing Guyana’s natural beauty and resources diverse in its forestry, rivers, soil type, minerals and numerous waterfalls, the recently established National Task Force Commission (NTFC) has begun works under its “Project Restore Guyana” initiative. The NTFC has been awarded thirty-six million dollars by Cabinet for a six-month duration until the other budget is presented in 2016, where funding should be continued throughout the next five years. Though the NTFC is…
Read MoreThe Berbice Bridge: Life, liberty and property
When John Locke laid down the foundations of what is now the “liberal state”, he proposed that the right to “life, liberty and property” is sacrosanct against the depredations of the Leviathan when in control of men of narrow vision. Thomas Jefferson substituted “the pursuit of happiness” for “property” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, not because he disagreed with Locke, but because he considered the two terms coterminous. How could one “pursue happiness” when mired in poverty? From the 18th century to the present, if there has been one…
Read MoreUS offers support to Guyana’s energy sector
Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Energy Diplomacy of the US State Department Bureau of Energy Resources’ (ENR), Robin Dunnigan, met with Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson to discuss possible areas of collaboration for the development of the energy sector in Guyana. The meeting, which took place on Wednesday, September 02 at the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Boardroom on Brickdam, included Minister Patterson, Advisor on Sustainable Development at the Department, Clayton Hall, Senior Energy Advisor at the US State Department, Daniel…
Read MoreKaieteur tours suspended
…search intensifies for missing woman The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force have taken control of the search-and-rescue operations underway for Laleta Sivanand who disappeared during a tour on Tuesday at the Kaieteur National Park. The search reportedly commenced early Wednesday morning, but up to late that evening, the woman had not been found. According to an official at the Ministry of the Presidency, the search will continue until the woman is found. From all reports received, the woman was reportedly seen crying on her journey to the…
Read MorePPP/C slams Top Cop for “politically skewed” statements on crime
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Wednesday called on Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud to remain independent and to remember his oath as the Party roasted him for what it described as politically skewed statements made on the issue of crime during a recent exclusive interview with Guyana Times International. The Party is completely flabbergasted by claims made by the Police Commissioner that crime is driven and influenced by the “political opposition”, given the fact that when its Party was in Office, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) never found it necessary…
Read MoreBerbice Bridge Tolls: Shareholders never received a penny on Gy$400M investment
– but still subsidised Bridge for 8 years In all the eight years of operation of the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI), the common shareholders have never received a single dollar in dividends on their Gy$400 million investment. The alleged “inequity and injustice” being bandied around that the shareholders are cashing in on hefty sums while the poor is suffering is entirely false. Presidential Adviser on Sustainable Development, Dr Clive Thomas told another media entity that the contractual agreement between the Government of Guyana and the BBCI is “outrageous, ruthless…
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