Doctors and nurses at Skeldon Hospital staged a sit-in and refused to see patients. Their drastic action came as a result of shortages of drugs and lack of basic equipment for them to carry out their duties. Since they had no tools to down, the staff at the Accident and Emergency Unit simply refused to see patients who turned up at the facility.
Read MoreMonth: January 2019
Govt collects over $1B in environmental tax
…no concrete plans outlined for usage of fund The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has managed to rake in close to $1.2 billion in environmental taxes as of the end of last year, ever since its implementation on February 1, 2017. This is according to Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, who told this newspaper that companies are generally compliant with this relatively new tax.
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: DECEMBER – Govt to establish Tobacco Council in 2019
Serious steps will be taken to prosecute individuals and businesses that do not adhere to laws related to the Tobacco Control Bill which sets out tough fines for violators. Health Minister Volda Lawrence has announced that the Government is currently fine tuning the terms-of-reference (ToR) for the establishment of a Tobacco Council in Guyana. The Minister said that the document is still being crafted but is expected to be presented to Cabinet for approval before the end of this year. The Council could be established as soon as January 2019.…
Read MoreYolander Persaud reflects on 2018
– focuses on what 2019 holds By Timothy Jaikarran Already creating history in the nation of Guyana, Attorney-at-Law and Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) Vice President Yolander Persaud has been reflecting on her successful 2018 season as well as focusing upon 2019 and what it holds for her. Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Persaud stated that her year has been rather eventful, since she has now become one of the first Guyanese women to be elected to serve on a Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) Commission. At the 89th Chess Congress…
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: JUNE – PPP questions mysterious deaths of 4 GGMC workers
…claims deaths may be linked to mercury poisoning The parliamentary Opposition has raised questions over the recent deaths of four Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) staffers; a matter that has seemingly been shrouded in an information blackout. In a statement issued, the party expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased staffers, whose names were given as Dwayne De Jonge (ranger), Latchman Chiti (surveyor), Leroy Green (carpenter) and Clement Profit (lab technician). According to the PPP Party, all four men were documented to have been affected by mercury poisoning…
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: APRIL – Govt admits economic growth lowest in 5 years
On the heels of a report by Guyana Times, the Government has admitted that Guyana’s macro-economic outlook for 2017 turned out to be worse than projected, with a 2.1 growth rate being recorded. Finance Minister Winston Jordan made this admission during a press conference at his Ministry. Revealing that the 2017 end of year economic report has been completed, he linked the dismal figures to sectors including sugar. “The economy did not perform as robust as we expected during last year,” the Minister admitted. “Even at the half year we…
Read MoreExxonMobil makes another major oil find in Guyana
In what was described as its second biggest single oil reservoir find to date in Guyana’s waters, ExxonMobil has announced the discovery of 230 feet of high quality oil in its Ranger-1 well within the Stabroek Block, early January. The company has stated that the well was at the time being drilled by the Stena Carron drillship. Work on the Ranger-1 well had started last November and it was drilled to over 6,000 feet before Exxon made its discovery. The well is 60 miles North West of the Liza phase…
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: JUNE – Govt announces plans to build 2 more roundabouts
…Kitty round about open Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, officially opened the Kitty roundabout, and plans were announced to construct two more of the structures, which will help to ease traffic congestion and wastage of time. The Minister also announced that he expected a waterfront project to be completed by 2019, which will accompany the Kitty roundabout as a tourist destination in the country. According to Patterson, the two planned structures are scheduled to be erected at the Timehri junction, East Bank Demerara and at the corner of Mandela Avenue…
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: APRIL – Govt launches scathing attacks against Indigenous leaders
The Government of Guyana accused the country’s independent National Toshaos Council (NTC) of disrespecting President David Granger as it launched a scathing attack on several vocal Indigenous representatives who were not towing the line but exposing serious malpractices of the current A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government. In a scathing attack on the NTC and its Vice President, Lennox Shuman, the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry accused the Council of being confrontational, demanding and disrespectful in their writings to President David Granger. The Ministry said it has observed a…
Read MoreYEAR IN REVIEW: SEPTEMBER – Over 4000 teachers on country-wide strike
Thousands of students decked out in their new uniforms, bags and shoes were on the first day of the school term greeted with the absence of teachers, and in some cases closed school doors and padlocked gates, as they made their way to school for the beginning of the new school year. This was the scene at many public schools, even as the Education Ministry continues to face the full wrath of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), whose members gathered in their hundreds outside the Education Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown office…
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