The highly-anticipated inaugural commercial flight by REDjet arrived Tuesday morning (May 10, 2011) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri from Barbados with 149 passengers on board. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prasad was among the welcoming party which greeted the excited visitors, including top REDjet officials; representative of the Barbadian Government, Public Relations Consultant with the Barbados Ministry of Tourism, Hugh Foster, and members of the Barbados media. Addressing the gathering assembled at the welcome ceremony, Minister Prashad lauded REDjet for the initiative. “Today is a…
Read MoreMonth: May 2011
Caricom satisfied with Guyana/ Venezuela relations
Caricom foreign ministers have expressed satisfaction with the maturing relationship between Guyana and Venezuela, despite a traditional row currently in a United Nations-facilitated Good Officer process. This is according to the communiqué issued at the 14th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) held in St Kitts and Nevis on May 4 and 5. “Ministers noted with satisfaction the continued growth, maturity and deepening of relations between the Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and expressed the view that this positive and sustained friendly…
Read MoreDrugs in agri produce harming Guyana’s image and economic livelihood of farmers – Persaud
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said on Tuesday, May 10, that the discovery of drugs in agricultural exports from Guyana is a “living nightmare” for the government, has many implications for Guyana’s image, and threatens the agriculture sector and the livelihoods of farmers. “Let me state that, for me, it is our living nightmare in terms of what it can do to harm the great possibility we have for agriculture exports, and including forestry,” Persaud said. He added that when a report of that nature arises, the ministry allows other stakeholder…
Read MoreHindus outraged over Goddess Lakshmi swimwear showcase
By Matie Singh Hindus on the international front are outraged at the blasphemous use of Lakshmi Maa by Australian fashion designer Lisa Burke in her Lisa Blue Swimwear Collection, which was displayed at the recently- concluded Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW), held in Sydney, Australia. The controversy began when models walked the ramp on May 4 in the swimwear featuring Lakshmi Maa, the Hindu goddess of fortune, leaving many Hindus furious over the insult. Burke’s Lisa Blue Swimwear claims to represent the girl of the future who can be sexy,…
Read MoreHinds urges regional cooperation on ICT development
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has called for closer collaboration among regional bodies in regard to devising strategies for maximising the benefits of information communication technology (ICT). He was at the time delivering the feature address at the national consultation on the draft Regional Digital Development Strategy, on Tuesday at the Regency Hotel in Georgetown. The consultation was aimed at making Caricom citizens aware of the draft strategy, and its relevance to advancing the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and other regional imperatives, while at the same time garnering feedback…
Read MoreMore effects of higher oil prices
Dear Editor, According to a Reuters report, it would seem as if we have to brace ourselves for some more rises in prices, as the hike on the world market for oil would dictate this. Ever since the beginning of the upheavals in the Middle East and parts of North Africa, we have been warned about rising prices. The Guyana government has, however, made several interventions in attempting to keep prices of consumer items at manageable levels. But while it might not be so difficult for us in Guyana to…
Read MoreAnother potential success story for Guyana
Dear Editor, Like sugar and rice, pineapple is beginning to stake its claim in Guyana; and it has every right to do so, as it is one of the most important fruit crops in the country, and is grown right across Guyana. I often hear that Guyana’s pineapples are the most delicious in the world. If this is so, then we should be able to take advantage of market possibilities and rake in a few extra dollars for the farmers themselves. I believe that, for us to get maximum benefit…
Read MoreJagdeo – more than a decade of achievements
Dear Editor, President Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that when he demits office later this year, he would do so with the satisfaction of having achieved a lot for Guyanese. In actual fact, the president is being modest, quite modest. Those achievements are nothing short of staggering. Mr Jagdeo assumed office at a time of great turmoil in Guyana. That was the time when those who wanted “slow fiaah, mo fiaah” were rampant on the streets of Georgetown; when indeed a dangerous spectre was haunting the land. The young president came…
Read MoreGuyana featured in National Geographic Traveler magazine
Guyana is once again in the international spotlight for its unique tourism product. The country has been featured in an article entitled “50 tours of a lifetime” in the National Geographic Traveler magazine. In the April edition, “Destination Guyana” was featured among the best tours in Central and South America, the Tourism Ministry said in a release. The focus of the piece on Guyana was the 16-day trip offered by Wilderness Explorers, which introduces visitors to “the rich culture and pristine environment of Guyana” in places like Surama, Rewa, Nappi,…
Read MoreAgri gains
In the last week, there was a confluence of three events that signalled a rise in the agricultural profile of our country. These were the commissioning of the GuySuCo Packaging Plant at Enmore; the signing of a third mega-contract for rice and paddy with Venezuela; and (with somewhat less fanfare, but no less significance) the harvesting of rice and beans in the Rupununi. These are important advances, particularly against the background of the rising food insecurity that is plaguing large swathes of the world. Sugar remains a linchpin of our…
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