Dear Editor, From reports appearing in several sections of the media, our Union, and more so thousands of jobless sugar workers, learnt that President David Granger reportedly said, according to a section of the media that “…payment of severance to thousands of ex- sugar workers is drawing funding away from services”. We found the President’s remarks most unfortunate, and we see it as yet another means to find a scapegoat for his Administration’s failure to deliver on its promises and commitments. Added to that, it serves to remind us about…
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Coretta McDonald made an honest statement regarding teachers’ salary under PPP Govt
Dear Editor, When Ms Coretta McDonald made that bold statement that life for teachers under the PPP/C was better, she was making an honest confession statement on the state of the teachers’ request for a better salary and emoluments. She was being true to her conscience, as all leaders should be. Ms McDonald is not a “politician,” she is a trade unionist who is fighting for her workers’ cause, and as such is compelled to speak the truth. To speak the truth, such individuals like McDonald automatically become a target…
Read MoreGECOM must act with impartiality
Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is correctly being bombarded internationally and on the local front with respect to the unclear approach used to select temporary and permanent staff. This in addition to President Granger’s recent disclosure that the tried and proved ‘Carter Formula’ has lost its relevance is a conjured assassination plot on democracy and the freedoms of all Guyanese. The endless criticisms have been justified and merited, especially from the perspective of the apparent lack of concern being displayed by the leaders of the organisation. These have…
Read MoreAfter all the campaign promises, the AFC has failed its supporters
Dear Editors, When the APNU/AFC coalition won the general elections of May 2015, the country had voted for, and had high hopes for change. Even Guyanese who did not vote in the elections gave the new Government their support, and a chance to prove themselves. However, as events unfolded, and the new Government settled into office, slowly, the people of this country began to realise that a hoax had been played on us. The range of condemnation and accusations that were levelled against the PPP/C turned out to be hype,…
Read MoreGuyana Govt lacks political will to save sugar industry
Dear Editor, The Skeldon Estate is much touted to be a dismal failure engineered by the PPP Government, and has been used ad lib by many politicians as the proverbial ‘whipping boy’. This is done until now, whenever GuySuCo is being discussed. However, the CoI commissioned by this Government gave detailed capital expenditures which can transform the entire GuySuCo, making it viable and profitable by 2020. This is the same argument proposed by the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Jagdeo, who has said that the G$30 billion syndicated loan can…
Read MoreThe PM’s statement is an insult to Guyanese
Dear Editor, Responding to the suggestion by Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, that Guyana should ask for an international agency to take over the running of the local government elections, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said an “international agency running local elections would be an insult to Guyana”. Really, Mr Nagamootoo? While I certainly do not support Mr Jagdeo’s idea, the Prime Minister’s statement is the real insult – an insult to the intelligence of the people of this country. Where was Mr Nagamootoo when, in 2015, at the last…
Read MoreAPNU/AFC’s double standards exposed
Dear Editor, In responding to the striking teachers’ demands for salary increases, Junior Minister of Social Protection, Keith Scott, said the teachers are “selfish and uncaring”. This statement exposes not only the anti-working class character of the APNU/AFC regime, but also that regime’s unadulterated double standards and hypocrisy. When the regime awarded its ministers a huge increase in salary, claiming that they could not be expected to live on their already high salaries by Guyanese standards, was that not an act that was “selfish and uncaring”? It was a slap…
Read MoreCPL has earned and deserves the support of all stakeholders; including Government
Dear Editor, Although no formal study has been done on the effect of the CPL games on the economy, there is no disputing that the matches have been giving a wallop to the overall economy. And as such, there should be bidding for more matches to be played in Guyana. Aside from the Providence stadium, consideration should be given to playing one match in the ancient county of Berbice (Albion), to give a spurt to that county’s economy. Albion did, at one time, host first class cricket as well as…
Read MoreScores of citizens from other CARICOM countries will flock Guyana
Dear Editor, As a young Guyanese, I have always heard of the callous and second class treatment of Guyanese in other CARICOM countries; namely, Trinidad and Barbados, which are two of the four major architects of the CARICOM Agreement with Guyana and Jamaica. Guyanese have complained for years of the difficulty of travelling to these countries, and the greater difficulty of obtaining work agreements (contrary to the CARICOM Single Market Agreement); and many other abuses, including severe ill-treatment and harassment in these territories. Let us not forget the mass kicking…
Read MoreGuyanese Public Servants live on meager income while Ministers live large
Dear Editor, With America and the United Kingdom having vested interests in Guyana, for strategic geopolitical reasons and as a former colony respectively, these countries, particularly the United Kingdom, must be shaking their heads at what continues to obtain in Guyana in our political and economic affairs. Not only they, but Guyanese can very probably attest for themselves that granting Guyana independence in 1966 was premature; because while there was no doubt a need to curtail the extraction of our wealth while we were a colony as a means of…
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