Year: 2020

Exploring Adha Pradesh : South India’s Wonder

TIMES INT'L

By Rupa Seenaraine Authentic South Indian culture is an unforgettable experience for persons with Indian roots or just tourists, and Andhra Pradesh provides an introduction to the culture like no other. Last week, the journey to the motherland India began with a general overview of the land and the feel of the city life, primarily in Delhi where the historic sites are surrounded by billboards and skyscrapers. However, a trip to this southern state brings indescribable peace. With the partner State, Andhra Pradesh, our Know India Programme participants would have…

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Sachi General Store fire ruled as arson – Fire Chief

TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Fire Service has determined that the cause of the fire, which destroyed the Sachi General Store on Regent Street, Georgetown, on Monday, was arson. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told Guyana Times International on Tuesday that arson was ruled as the origin during their investigation. Meanwhile, it is suspected that welding torches were used to break into the building, since they were discovered at the scene along with some other tools. It is believed that the steel grillwork was cut and pried open. It was reported that the fire…

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PPP wants restoration of cash transfers for families; while APNU/AFC wants feasibility studies

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The 2020 General and Regional Elections battle of manifesto ideas clearly differentiates the two main parties. The PPP/C is focused on what it can do to support families with a conditional cash transfer programme, with or without oil money. APNU/AFC has no plans for a conditional cash transfer programme, unless it is with oil money and only after feasibility studies. It has come down to simply this: the PPP wants restoration of cash transfers for families; APNU/AFC wants feasibility studies. Cash grants for schoolchildren are something families already…

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Fiddling…

TIMES INT'L

…by another name Just when some might’ve thought that with less than two weeks to go with the elections, the “obstacle course” that most aptly describes the process following the NCM might’ve petered out. But up comes this latest bombshell from the GECOM Secretariat which has thrown the entire voting system into a tizzy. How can GECOM at the 11th hour – when the cock has already crowed twice – now inform the populace that they’ve decided to “consolidate” the Polling Places into only “official” governmental buildings – and in…

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Funds from First Oil to be credited to special account

TIMES INT'L

The Ministry of Finance has compiled and released its first report on the Government’s management of the oil sector since first oil started in December, revealing among other things that no revenues were earned by the Government for that month. Rather, the report states that all petroleum from December will go towards profit oil, of which the Government will be entitled to half. Moreover, the amount will be credited into a special account called an under/over lift account. The report also goes on to explain why no oil was lifted.…

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Exxon says more than half of total workforce are Guyanese

TIMES INT'L

ExxonMobil on Wednesday said that it has nearly 1900 Guyanese supporting the company’s activities and has spent some G$45.7 billion in Guyana since 2015. According to the company, the G$45.7B was spent with hundreds of local vendors, adding that in 2019 alone, more than G$24 billion was spent directly on more than 700 Guyanese vendors providing goods and services ranging from food to engineering. The oil giant stated that 74 per cent increase in expenditure compared to G$14 billion spent with Guyanese vendors in 2018. “Concurrently, the number of Guyanese…

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Sod turned for unnamed hotels at Ogle less than 10 days before polls

TIMES INT'L

Less than 10 days away from General and Regional Elections in Guyana, the incumbent coalition administration rushed a sod-turning event for the construction of two more hotels, despite the investors still in negotiations with the potential brand partners. The sod-turning ceremony was held on Wednesday at Plantation Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where approximately 21 acres of prime real estate lands have been sold to Caribbean Marketing Enterprise Inc (CMEI) – a local company formed by a group of foreign investors – to construct two “international flagship” hotels. While there…

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Guyanese will answer the ‘US$55B question’ on March 2, 2020

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The use of the term ‘bridging deed’ for what is essentially a new petroleum prospecting license was initially puzzling until I examined the laws governing the sector. The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act provides that: Section 21 (2): A petroleum prospecting license shall not be granted to an applicant in respect of a block which is, at the time the application for the grant of the license is made, comprised in a license already granted. Section 24 (1): Subject to this Act, a person who holds a petroleum…

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Guyana lifts first million barrels of profit oil

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Director, Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, on Monday, travelled to the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel to witness the transfer of Guyana’s first million-barrel lift of crude onto the oil tanker Cap Philippe, which was chartered by Shell Western Supply and Trading Limited, the Ministry of the Presidency has reported. In an invited comment, while on the vessel, Dr. Bynoe iterated that this is a significant moment in Guyana’s history and noted that this first lift is part of the country’s profit oil allocation. He…

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Guyana finally has a Local Content Policy

TIMES INT'L

After growing pressure from the Opposition and civil society groups, Guyana finally has a Local Content Policy (LCP) in place to help guide the operations of the oil and gas sector, and more so to ensure that Guyanese benefit from the sector. Many were hoping that a robust LCP would have been finalised before oil production commenced last December but the government rejected two early drafts that were prepared by a Caribbean expert in favor of the present one drafted by a British source and which left the country unprepared…

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