2015 – Page 25 – Guyana Times International

Public servants’ annual leave: “Use it or lose it” – Minister Harmon

July 24, 2015 TIMES INT'L

Public servants are being urged to take their leave when it is due or it will be forfeited. This was the message from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon as he explained to media operatives Wednesday morning at his office, that the Government was faced with many challenges in this regard. “We are saying, as a general statement as from 2015 going forward, that when you are entitled to your leave, you have to take it in the year. If you don’t use it, you are going to lose it,” he…

Sattaur’s job under review – Harmon

July 24, 2015 TIMES INT'L

Government is currently reviewing the operations of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as part of its approach to shake up State entities and weed out alleged corrupt officials. Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, told reporters that GRA’s Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur’s job is currently under review and when the time comes to make a decision on the need for his services in the future, then the Government will do so and the information will be made available to the public. Currently, audits are…

Nandlall denies any involvement in Crum-Ewing’s murder

July 24, 2015 TIMES INT'L

– distances self from former bodyguard implicated Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall at a press conference on Thursday admitted to hiring a man currently in police custody for the Courtney Crum-Ewing murder as his personal bodyguard, but said he fired the man four days later after being informed that he was giving out information about his whereabouts. Nandlall insisted that the man, Rajput Narine, who is a former CANU officer and an employee of the Guyana Revenue Authority was hired on March 15, several days after the political activist was…

Earth Tremor rattles Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

A late morning earth tremor rattled several parts of Guyana on Thursday even as the nation’s capital city is tackling flooding. Areas across Georgetown, the West Bank of Demerara and as far as the West Coast of Berbice experienced the earth tremor around 11:21 am. Workers in several tall buildings rushed out of their offices and onto the roadways as the tremor in Georgetown had some buildings swaying. Hundreds of persons rushed to their Facebook and social media pages to recount the experience. The island of Barbados also experienced two…

Govt, Opposition differ on interpretation of Former Presidents Benefits Bill

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

By Alexis Rodney The David Granger Administration has confirmed that it intended to cap the benefits enjoyed by all former office holders and their families following the passage of the controversial Former Presidents’ (Benefits and Facilities) Bill in the National Assembly which was piloted by Attorney General Basil Williams. However, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is maintain that the Bill is unconstitutional in its current form. Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman on Wednesday confirmed that the Bill would therefore affect the benefits enjoyed by former Presidents Donald Ramotar, Bharrat Jagdeo…

Education Minister promises equity in education delivery

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

The Education Ministry on Friday presented awards to the top performers at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). The award ceremony was held at the Princess Hotel and was well attended by parents, teachers, Regional Education Officers, and senior functionaries of the Ministry. The simple ceremony celebrated the achievements of the students and also brought recognition to the hard work of the parents and teachers for bringing students to this point in their lives. Chief Education Officer Olato Sam, in his opening remarks, encouraged parents to continue to support…

US open to rice trade with Guyana – Hunt

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Guyana Bryan Hunte said the rice sector in the United States (US) is most “certainly opened to Guyanese rice exporters , and that the Embassy would be willing to facilitate in the process, should anyone become interested. Guyanese rice farmers and millers alike have already begun expressing grave concerns over the future of the rice sector, as bouts of uncertainty continue to hang over the largest market for rice and paddy – Venezuela. The oil rich nation, had accounted for around 60…

Government and Rice

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

Rice was one of the bright spots in our agriculture sector, which at one point constituted almost one-third of our GNP. While it is expected that as we develop, agriculture might contribute a smaller percentage of our output as we move into manufacturing and services, in a world transfixed by “food security”, we have to guard against throwing out the baby with the bath water because of the marketing challenge posed by Venezuela’s cancellation of their rice-for-oil deal. Continued success lies in the private sector shouldering their responsibilities under a…

Granger to lobby support in Brazil over Venezuela claim

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

…extends hand of friendship to Maduro By Devina Samaroo President David Granger on Wednesday extended a hand of friendship to his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro although maintaining that the countries’ ongoing border controversy must be settled once and for all. Granger has left Guyana on Thursday for Brazil to attend a meeting of the Union of South American Nations and is expected to continue the lobby against Venezuela to withdraw a decree that claims Guyana’s maritime space off the Essequibo Coast. “I continue to offer the hand of friendship to…

Massive flood relief efforts being coordinated

July 17, 2015 TIMES INT'L

– Govt announces temporary shelters for affected communities The Government has announced that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is coordinating flood relief efforts and together with the Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, is assessing the need for temporary shelters in affected communities. In a statement on Thursday morning, the government also announced that the Ministry of Social Protection has been mandated by Cabinet to ensure the safety and well-being of residents of senior citizen homes and other vulnerable citizens that fall within the purview of that Ministry. “Cabinet met…