Month: August 2017

CPL gives major boost to Guyana’s tourism sector

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…as City hotels report massive increase in bookings The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket tournament could be described as a gift that keeps on giving as several hotels in Guyana’s capital city; Georgetown are reporting a massive increase in bookings this week. This revelation has signaled that the local economy is slated to attain an additional boost due to the increases. The Guyana Times International understands that both large and smaller establishments are booked for this weekend as thousands of Guyanese witness home team, the Guyana Amazon Warriors take…

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High-level meetings with Exxon in Texas were of policy nature – Trotman

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Recent discussions between government ministers and ExxonMobil officials are of a policy nature, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying in an interview recently. Minister Trotman assured there is no secrecy in meeting with Exxon, who along with Hess and CNOOC Nexen will produce Guyana’s oil. Guyana is a 50 percent partner with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC Nexen for the development of the off-shore Stabroek Block in which oil has been discovered. On August 10-11 Minister Trotman, along with Ministers…

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President confirms police promotions halted for investigations

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… says Govt not seeking to trample on constitutional rights The directive given by President David Granger that the Police Service Commission (PSC) halts the promotion of senior Police Officers was to allow for a thorough investigation to be carried out into a number of complaints. President Granger made it clear that his Government has no intention of trampling on the constitutional rights of the Police Commission, but wants that whatever is done presents a positive image of the Police Force. He said his office has received a number of…

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Granger snubs concerns raised by local, int’l stakeholders

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Broadcast Bill President David Granger has maintained Government’s stance on the controversial Broadcast Bill and has called on those who criticise the move to see that the objective is towards the benefit of all Guyanese. The Parliamentary Opposition recently said that it was prepared to challenge the Bill in court, however, the Head of State has called on critics, to fully understand the reasons behind Government moving in that direction. According to him, it is Government’s objective to ensure that every Guyanese, whether they live on the coastland or the…

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No need for another prison CoI, says Ramkarran

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With a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the prison system done only last year, as well as a number of reports and plans for reform completed over the years, it is the political will to enact prison reform that is needed from the Government, instead of another expensive CoI. This is according to former House Speaker and veteran political activist, Ralph Ramkarran, commenting on the Government’s decision to launch another CoI in wake of the recent fire that gutted the Camp Street Prison and preceded two of the worst jail…

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Gold earnings decline by G$400M

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As is required under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, the 2017 Mid-Year Financial Report, detailing the performance of the economy for the first half of fiscal year 2017, was on Friday last presented to the National Assembly by Finance Minister Winston Jordan. Its contents have revealed that the country’s export earnings continue to decline, with gold now joining the list of commodities on the decline. Minister Jordan has had to again revise downwards his overall projection for national growth. He reports that despite the “historically early budget, the required…

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Power company records G$17B in revenue for first half of 2017

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Despite the frequent power outages and poor service that plague consumers, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) managed to improve its revenue collection by raking in G$17 billion in the first half of 2017. The whopping sum represents an increase from G$14.7 billion for the same period in 2016. According to the 2017 mid-year report released by Government, the increase in revenue is as a result of more timely payments. The report also details that expenditure increased from G$9.3 billion in the first half of 2016 to G$12.6 billion in…

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Aruba Airlines begins servicing Guyanese market

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Aruba Airlines on Sunday made its inaugural flight to Guyana, with some 150 passengers on board, marking the beginning of its service in the Guyanese market. Roraima Group of Companies is handling the airline from this end and was very instrumental in the application process. According to Roraima CEO, Captain Gerry Gouveia, the airline would be operating the Guyana route, flying three times weekly, but he noted that they are still in the probation phase. He added that they would officially launch the service in a few days. Aruba Airlines…

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Suspect in murder of 16-yr-old captured in Suriname

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…to face court soon Guyana Police on Thursday have clarified that the 25-year-old- Ryan Singh- who allegedly slit his girlfriend’s throat almost three weeks ago, was arrested in Suriname and not Springlands, Berbice as was previously reported. “The fact is that Ryan Singh was arrested by Police Authorities in Nickerie, Suriname and handed over to Local Authorities [in Guyana] and this was initiated at the level of the Crime Chief of the Guyana Police Force,” a police press statement said. The statement also disclosed that the error came about because…

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Speaker blocks questions on house rentals for ministers

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In a surprise decision, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, has disallowed a list of questions from the Opposition on Friday. These questions, had they been presented, sought information on the rental of buildings for government ministers. The Opposition, in presenting the questions, noted that the issue is pertinent in the wake of recent revelations that a house was being rented for Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, for G$500,000 a month.In addition, these payments were being made from the Parliamentary Office, and were outside of the…

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