Category: Politics

Caricom states are to benefit from US$ 130 million in financial assistance from the United States to deal with crime and security in the region. This was revealed by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar last Sunday in an interview with the Trinidad Guardian, following the conclusion of the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. PM Persad-Bissessar, who has lead responsibility for security within Caricom’s quasi- Cabinet, and other Caribbean leaders met with U.S. President Barack Obama for one hour on Saturday evening. She said she was…

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Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was more worker-friendly, as he defended the administration’s social sector spending and increases to public servants over the years. In his budget debate presentation, Dr Gopaul focused on the history of the working class from 1984 to the current period. Dr Gopaul responded to the issue raised by opposition members of Parliament that pensions and workers’ salaries should have seen more increases. He observed that when demands are made for increased benefits and salaries, the issue must be…

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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) shadow foreign minister, Deborah Backer said government must, as a matter of high priority, deal decisively with the backtrack operations between Guyana and Suriname. She said that the difficulty in the task would be great, but “do it we must, because by turning a Nelson’s Eye towards these operations is to erase a part of our eastern border”. The backtrack crossing at Corriverton has been a source of much distress to security officials in Guyana, but government two years ago refused Suriname’s invitation to…

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Making his first speech in the National Assembly, youthful Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Trevor Williams called out the government on what he claimed was its lack of accountability on the education of the youth in Guyana. Williams said that a large percentage of youth are underrepresented in Guyana’s political sphere. Williams spoke last Friday during the budget debate. He stated that Guyana must “chart a better course and ensure that this government delivers value for money”. He said that there has been much talk about teacher…

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Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Eula Marcello is calling for a beefing up of security and an increase in pay for nurses at the Mahdia District Hospital. During the budget debates last week, Marcello who represents Region Eight, said the infrastructural works in the region for the health sector was very welcome, but she painted a sad story of the nurses who worked at the Mahdia District Hospital. Marcello said that nurses go beyond the call of duty, treating persons at all hours of the night with…

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The National Assembly on Wednesday evening cleared the estimates for several ministries and departments, although the Alliance For Change (AFC) voted against an allocation of over Gy$ 18 million for the provision of security services to the Housing and Water Ministry. Fireworks were expected in the House on Wednesday, following the opposition’s postures during the debate, but for most part, government ministers were able to provide satisfactory answers to inquiring opposition parliamentarians. Also the contentious issue of contract workers, which the AFC had highlighted in a motion, also did not…

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By Pushpa Balgobin  Education Minister Priya Manickchand and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Amna Ally locked horns on Monday on the budgetary allocation for the education sector. Ally told the House that the 2012 budget was a reinforcement of “figures with no meaning”, recounting that Gy$ 24.3 billion have been spent on the National Strategic Plan (NSP), Gy$ 919 million spent on producing trained teachers by 2013 and Gy$ 769 million spent on the University of Guyana, but there has been no real development. She called on Manickchand…

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– Hundreds protest AFC’s budget cuts proposal By Bhisham Mohamed Several government ministers on Wednesday joined hundreds of public servants on the picket line remonstrating against the Alliance For Change-sponsored motion to cut billions of dollars in spending from the national budget by targeting contract employees who the party say are earning super salaries. The workers assembled at the Housing and Water Ministry on Brickdam and marched to the Parliament Building where they stood for a few hours, displaying placards before dispersing. The peaceful protest was led by Housing and…

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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Vanessa Kissoon on Tuesday flayed the government for not addressing the lack of job opportunities for young people in Linden. According to Kissoon, the health sector in the mining town is also inefficient. Kissoon, one of two APNU MPs representing Region 10, made the comments during her contribution to this year’s budget debate on Tuesday. She said the proposed budget represents “hardship and stress” for residents. Kissoon said the debates provide an opportunity for the government and the combined opposition…

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