2011 – Page 135 – Guyana Times International

Caricom supports regional candidate for top UN post

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have expressed firm support for a regional candidate for the presidency of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Coordinating Director of the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation, Tyrone Sutherland, will be seeking election as president of the world body, at its sixteenth World Congress, in Geneva, Switzerland in May this year. WMO is the UN specialised agency that coordinates global activity in weather, water, climate, and related aspects of the environment. According to the Caricom Secretariat, the congress will decide on the scientific and technical programmes…

Govt concerned about new non-national health policy in B/dos

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana government has expressed concern over a new policy in Barbados which bars non-nationals from accessing government healthcare, except in cases of emergency or public threat. Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told Guyana Times International on April 07th that she was informed of this decision via a recent publication in the media, but the information has not yet been confirmed. However, she stated, it is a serious concern for the Guyana government, since Guyanese will naturally be affected. “There are Guyanese there who may not have permanent resident status,…

Guyana’s mangrove restoration project lauded at Caribbean forum

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) held a Caribbean Regional Climate Change Conference in Belize late last month, during which Guyana’s Mangrove Restoration Programme was lauded by some of the delegates. According to a release, the GCCA, funded by the European Union (EU), comprises a national and regional component. The GCCA is funding programmes in Guyana, Belize and Jamaica under its national programme component, and is about to sign an agreement with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to actualise the Caribbean Forum (Cariforum) regional component. The conference drew…

PNCR hosts special women’s convention

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Women are being urged to position themselves as leaders as time draws near for the upcoming national and regional elections. This was the message of presidential candidate for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) David Granger, who delivered the feature remarks at the party’s National Congress of Women, the women’s arm of the PNCR, held on Saturday, April 09th. The special women’s convention was held under the theme “Mobilising and Empowering Women for Governance” at Congress Place, Sophia, Georgetown. Granger stated that women must be on equal footing with men,…

Region’s growth prospects improved despite risks

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that while the growth prospects for Latin America and the Caribbean looks good, there remains “significant risk” of overheating economies in the region. In the latest edition of its World Economic Outlook, the Washington-based financial institution said the region’s economies are expected to grow 4.2 per cent in 2012, on par with overall 4.5 per cent global next year. The latest IMF prospects show improvements of 0.4 percentage points for this year and 0.1 percentage points for next year, with respect to the previous…

GECOM will produce widely accepted voters’ list – Surujbally

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Dr Steve Surujbally says he is confident that the electoral body will deliver a credible voters’ list that would be accepted by all political parties. Surujbally made the comment while speaking with this newspaper during a recent interview. In previous elections, the integrity of the voters’ list was questioned. “Read my lips, I have no concerns or fears whatsoever that this list will be widely supported and elections this year will be more superlative than those held in 2006,” the elections chairman declared. Surujbally…

Freddie Kissoon’s hypocrisy is astonishing

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor Freddie Kissoon continues to spew his untruths daily to the people of Guyana. His double-standard cannot be overlooked, as he continuously chastises the Jagdeo administration for theirs, and urges Guyanese to judge with him the shortcomings of the current government. Kissoon has no moral decency. It seems his only concern is seeing his name in print and hearing it uttered from other people’s mouths. Craving this attention, it seems that he needs it desperately in order to survive his day and be able to write the next day’s…

Amaila Falls hydro project is good for Guyana

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, I read in your newspaper that the construction of the Amaila hydro project would start before year’s end; I must say this is great news, considering the heavy criticisms the government received for this project. Personally, I support anything that is environmentally friendly; hence, this project sparked my interest from the very beginning, and I am quite sure many other Guyanese feel the same way. So, when some persons were expressing negative views regarding the government’s motive for this project, I was not that bothered, because I know…

More leaders should join the call for love and unity

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Last Sunday evening, April 03rd, was the evening when another chapter in the history of this country was written; and might I dare say, an important one at that, too. For all Guyanese, it should be a historic moment, for it was when Guyana’s chief executive, President Bharrat Jagdeo, and Alliance For Change Leader Rafael Trotman joined hands and urged unity and God’s blessings for Guyana. The occasion was the mega Gospel concert at the National Park, which featured recording artiste William Mc Dowell from the United States,…

Jagdeo pledges Gy$20M to revive arts and crafts industry

April 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Arts and craft is a dying trade in Guyana, with the teaching of basic craft skills being ignored in the education system and professionals struggling to earn a reasonable livelihood. These issues were addressed by President Bharrat Jagdeo at a meeting with members of the Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association (GACPA) on April 07th at the International Convention Centre. After listening to the many problems besetting the industry, the president pledged Gy$10 million to set up a matching grants fund for craftspeople, who have limited access to financing from…