The decision of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to drastically slash polling places for the upcoming General and Regional Elections is being described as a bad one, one which the Elections Secretariat will now have to review. This is according to Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, who confirmed that following a statutory meeting on Tuesday, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, has agreed to look into the concerns raised over the issue. “What this has resulted in in some areas is concentration of polling stations in one location. Concentration…
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Revenues earned from oil will be used to strengthen traditional sectors
…Ali tells thousands at Bath rally PPP/C’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali on Sunday said that the revenues Guyana will earn from its budding oil and gas industry will have to be used to strengthen other traditional economic sectors such as agriculture. He was emphasising what has been described as the “Dutch Disease” which has stagnated growth in other petroleum-producing countries that neglected other sectors. Addressing thousands of supporters during a massive rally at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, Ali gave a bravura performance as he succinctly outlined plans of…
Read MoreBlairmont Estate workers down tools for pay hike
Operations at Blairmont Estate came to a standstill on Wednesday after workers took protest action over the meagre pay hike proposed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The workers, according to the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), contended that any pay increase ought to be retroactive to January last year. The workers pointed out that the discussions between the GAWU and the GuySuCo originated from the Union’s 2019 claims. It is apposite to note that agreements arising out of discussions on non-wage matters, which also comprised the Union’s claims, saw…
Read MoreWarden jailed for smuggling ganja into Camp Street Prison
A prison warden, who was caught with cannabis in a bag at the Camp Street Prison, Georgetown in June 2019 was on Monday jailed for three years after sufficient evidence was found against him when the trial concluded at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The ruling was handed down by Magistrate Rondel Weever against Cleon Webster. Webster, 22, of Golden Grove, West Coast Berbice, initially denied the charge when it was read to him during his first court appearance. The charge stated that on June 14, 2019, at Camp Street Prison,…
Read MoreGuyana now equipped to test for coronavirus
By Jarryl Bryan With help from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Guyana is now one of the few Caribbean countries equipped to test for the coronavirus at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) compound. This was confirmed by PAHO representative, Dr William Adu-Krow when asked by this publication on Wednesday on the sidelines of the commissioning of refurbished quarters for GPHC staff. According to Adu-Krow, a PAHO Virology specialist arrived in Guyana on Monday and has since brought staff in the local…
Read MoreCarter Center assesses status of Guyana’s electoral preparations
In a detailed press release, the Carter Center has commented on the country’s electoral preparations and has made recommendations for wide distribution of tabulation procedures. See full statement: Introduction The Carter Center first became involved in Guyana in the early 1990s at the invitation of President Desmond Hoyte and since then has been dedicated to the advancement of democracy in the country. These elections will be the fifth that The Carter Center has observed in Guyana since 1992, reflecting an ongoing commitment to the consolidation of democracy and a desire…
Read MoreNo funds to prosecute defaulters, says Chairman of Integrity Commission
It has been just over a month since the Integrity Commission published a list of public officials who failed to declare their assets in 2019. Under the laws of Guyana, they are required to declare their assets to the Commission by June 30 each year and as such, if any public officer fails to comply with the Commission, they can be fined G$25,000 and imprisonment for a period of not less than six months. However, Integrity Commission Chairman Kumar Doraisami, in an exclusive with Guyana Times International on Tuesday, stated…
Read MoreG$143M modern waterfront project at Supenaam open to public
Following Bartica, Supenaam has recently become the second community to have a modern waterfront development project built under the Coalition Government. According to the Department of Public Information, this was disclosed by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson on the National Communications Network (NCN) programme CONTEXT. To ensure effective oversight for activities at the Supenaam waterfront, Minister Patterson noted, “we have established a management committee that comprises of persons within the NDC, the RDC and the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Communities.” Paving works on the road leading to the…
Read MoreCaricom leaders end summit on positive note
Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders have ended their two-day intersessional summit here, agreeing on a number of initiatives ranging from holding a conference on crime in Trinidad and Tobago to pushing forward the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of people across the 15-member regional grouping. Host prime minister and Caricom Chairman Mia Mottley told the end of summit news conference that the leaders had been able, during their deliberations, to “continue to advance the work of the region to the benefit of Caribbean people.…
Read MorePhillips promises Disciplined Services ‘better life’ if PPP is returned to power
Prime Ministerial Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, has sent strong assurances to members of the Disciplined Services of a better life and retirement benefits, should the Party return to office come March 2. Phillips, who would have served with distinction as Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and later Coordinator of the Joint Services until his retirement in 2016, gave a detailed address on the plans set aside specifically for those who are serving Guyana in the law enforcement field. According to him, his…
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