Month: June 2017

In light of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) touting the possible closure of the Uitvlugt Estate over the fact that workers from Wales are refusing to work at the West Coast Demerara facility, sugar workers are being asked to remain vigilant. This call was made by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference earlier last week. Government had merged the operations of the two West Demerara estates after closing the Wales Estate last year. It had noted that the Uitvlugt Estate is being upgraded to increase its production from…

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By Vahnu Manikchand The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has clamped down on a billion-dollar scam whereby heavy-duty vehicles were being imported and not registered. According to Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, the main focus now is recovering the taxes that were not paid. It was reported that the State has been losing billions annually over excavators and other heavy-duty machinery and equipment that were not registered. Statia said the “players” involved would be called in and told what would be required of them going forward as well as to get those…

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By Samuel Sukhnandan Teachers have, for almost one and a half years, been waiting on Government to finalise with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) an agreement in regard to increases in salaries and other benefits; and they are still waiting. The last multi-year agreement between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) came to an end in 2015, and the GTU has since been working to finalise a new agreement. GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, told Guyana Times International on Sunday that the MoE informed the…

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– UK professor Although the Government is making efforts to ensure that the necessary mechanisms are put in place to assist the country to reap the full benefits of the emerging oil and gas sector, a university professor has warned that Guyana could encounter the ‘resource curse’ if stringent measures are not taken. In order to avoid such a curse, Guyana must implement a robust legal and institutional infrastructure, which is strong and specialised for the oil and gas industry, and one that will make sure that the environmental situation…

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…despite rhetoric from Govt – Ramkarran Despite the rhetoric from Government in regard to combating corruption, and notwithstanding the laws that have been passed empowering institutions like the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) to act, corruption still remains entrenched in Guyana. Much more needs to be done, according to former Speaker of the House, Ralph Ramkarran, SC, who in his latest missive has said Guyana is about to experience a massive increase in its resources — a reference to the burgeoning oil industry, which is expected to commence commercial production…

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As Independence celebrations got underway at D’Urban Park on Thursday evening, it was evident the parliamentary Opposition had boycotted the event. According to a source close to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the decision to boycott the celebration was not taken lightly; but rather one reason for the decision to boycott was the controversy and lack of transparency surrounding the money used on the location. Sources indicate the Opposition boycotted the event due to the controversies swirling around the Government. “Apart from the money spent in the past, the Government…

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A new housing development could be built on the edge of Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Lethem Mayor Carlton Beckles recently revealed that the municipality planned to develop a 2000-haouse lot housing development on a site which is about six miles away from Lethem. The project, which is being pursued by the Lethem municipality, was pitched to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Beckles said. “Now that I sit on the Central Housing and Planning Authority Board, I started a process of advocating for the Government’s housing…

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By Samuel Sukhnandan Government has not ruled out building an oil refinery in Guyana, although an overseas oil and gas industry expert has warned that establishing such a facility in the country would be unprofitable. Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told Guyana Times International in an interview that the Government was still open to receiving suggestions from persons in the Private Sector. “I think what we are interested in hearing from now, is someone who can put up a good model, to show that perhaps a smaller refinery that will…

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