Massy opens megastore in Guyana

Trinidad-based Massy Stores on Wednesday opened the doors of its megastore in Guyana at MovieTowne, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. The structure offers over 34,000 square feet of retail space with items ranging “from luggage to lettuce” according to the Chairman of Integrated Retail Business Unit, David Affonso. He said the idea is to offer customers a wide array of items, not limited to food stocks. On this note, he explained that luggage, car accessories, camping equipment, electrical fixtures, generators, televisions, microwaves and even refrigerators are a few of the items…

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Man freed of 2014 rape charges

A 12-member mixed High Court jury on Tuesday unanimously returned a not guilty verdict against 36-year-old Nandram Ganesh, who was accused on two counts of rape when his trial commenced before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court. The indictment against Ganesh detailed that during January 2014 and April 28, 2014, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 26-year-old woman without her consent. The now free man had pleaded not guilty to the charges at the commencement of his trial last week. Ganesh was…

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River’s View comes alive with cultural Heritage celebrations

The Indigenous community of River’s View has taken pride in being the first in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to host the Heritage month celebrations. Scores of residents and officials ventured to the riverine location on Tuesday, to indulge in the cultural activities presented by the community. The activities were in keeping with the theme of the observance, ‘Maintaining our traditional practices while promoting a Green Economy’. Upon entering the community by boat, patrons were greeted to an atmosphere of Indigenous music, food, drinks, cultural presentations, including songs and dance, as…

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Something smells…

…on immigrants This fella Heath-Retemeyer, CEO of SARA, is something else. First of all, he interjects himself into a (claimed) ‘question and answer’ session with “Haitians and Africans”, along with Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix at the Critchlow Labour Institute, and then accuses others who raised concerns of being “xenophobic and racist”!! The question that arises, of course, is what’s his locus standi?? One government official said the man was there in his “private capacity”. Well, that may be so…but what exactly is that “capacity” that allows him to answer…

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Guyana Govt touts earlier-than-expected oil production

…following arrival of FPSO With the arrival of the Liza Destiny Floating Production and Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel, both Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Director of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, have talked up the possibility of earlier-than-expected oil production. During a reception held at the Marriott hotel to commemorate the FPSO’s arrival, Jordan was asked for a timeframe for first oil. In response, the Minister hinted at the possibility that ExxonMobil could begin pumping this year instead of the first quarter of 2020. “I haven’t heard any…

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REO confronts PPP protesters in front of Region 2 RDC

…as protesters demand his resignation One day after Police in Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), questioned Regional Executive Officer, Dennis Jaikarran over an assault report filed against him, members of the Women Progressive Organisation (WPO) were joined by several persons, condemning the alleged act. On Wednesday, the WPO, the women’s arm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), along with a number of other persons joined the protest action while condemning the alleged assault against the region’s Vice Chair, Nandranie Coonjah. Reports are Coonjah had closed the main door to the…

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‘Guyana nowhere closer to elections’ – Opposition Commissioner

Following yet another meeting on Tuesday, Opposition-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioners contended that their time was spent on further fruitless discussions, with no decision as to the way forward being made. Immediately after Tuesday’s statutory meeting, Opposition-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj gave some insight into what was discussed. According to Gunraj, the production of identification (ID) cards was placed on the agenda. However, he said that these proposals could delay elections by months. “Wasted day… we are nowhere closer to the decisions of holding elections. We sat down and dealt…

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Guyanese woman who suffered massive stroke dies in Queens fire

A Dundee, Mahaicony woman, who suffered a massive stroke, died in a fire at her Queens, New York home late Tuesday, the ABC New York news has reported. Firefighters were called to the building on 219th Street in Queens Village as the flames quickly spread, and cell phone video showed the intense flames shortly after 11 p.m. Authorities say 63-year-old Azmin Jaomin, a former security guard who recently suffered a stroke and lived in the home with the help of a home health aid, was found dead after the fire…

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Guyana Embassy in US signs MoU with Diaspora body to enhance cooperation

On August 29, 2019, Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States Dr. Riyad Insanally and President of the United Guyanese Diaspora Global Network, Corp. (UGDGN) Mr. Wayne Forde, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Embassy of Guyana in Washington, DC. According to a release from the Embassy, the primary aim of this MoU is to enhance cooperation between the Embassy and UGDGN, an umbrella body for Guyanese Diaspora organisations in the USA, aimed at strengthening engagement between the Government of Guyana and the Guyanese Diaspora. In his remarks, Ambassador Insanally…

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The Natural Resources Fund is structurally flawed

Dear Editor, As ‘first oil’ rapidly approaches, Guyanese are without the comfort of an acceptable Sovereign Wealth Fund to manage our revenues from oil. I posed the question to President David Granger in 2016, asking that the President address the nation to inform us all of exactly what type of SWF his administration would be setting up; where it would be based; who would administer it; who would have oversight; what laws would govern it, and what type of investments it would be limited to making (S.N. July 5, 2016).…

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