Dear Editor, David Granger is experiencing great difficulty in finding his mark at the leadership level. After about a month at the top, he is still struggling to get off the mark. In the meantime, Robert Corbin is dominating the party headlines. More than that, Corbin has basically indicated that he is in control. Granger has to take the back seat, a rather ignominious place for the man who is supposed to be leading. Mr Granger has three specific problems, all of which must be dealt with immediately if he…
Read MoreYear: 2011
Ramotar all the way
Dear Editor, At last it has happened! Donald Ramotar has been selected by the People’s Progressive Party to lead the party at the upcoming elections, due later this year. The PPP could not have chosen a better person to be its presidential candidate, and there is no question of Ramotar’s ability to discharge the duties of the office to the satisfaction of the entire electorate. I believe that he has already walked half that journey, having been at the helm of the largest political party in the country as its…
Read MoreRevolutionising education delivery through technology
The progress of a nation can be no swifter than its progress in education; and in this regard, significant efforts are being made by the authorities in Guyana to realise this vision. This is evident in the huge budgetary allocation to the education sector, which accounts for the largest slice of the national budget. It is evident the administration realises that, in order to develop the minds and abilities of the citizenry to fulfill their dreams and be positive contributors to society and national development, a modern, high-quality education system…
Read MoreA man of the people
As we reported on April 5th in our daily edition, after great speculation and a widening, democratic process of presidential candidate selection, the PPP’s Central Committee unanimously chose their general secretary, economist Donald Ramotar, to be their standard bearer in the general elections, scheduled for later this year. Ramotar is no newcomer to the Guyanese political scene. He joined the PPP in 1967 at the age of 17; and as an employee of the party’s commercial venture, GIMPEX, in Georgetown, he would have been in the thick of politics by…
Read MoreStart- up of oil refinery could be lengthy process – official
Guyana’s potential commercial oil reserves have caught the attention of a group of companies willing to invest at least US$ 75 million to set up the first oil refinery here over the next 18 months to three years. However, officials have cautioned that the startup of such a project could take a long time. The initiative will see the establishment of modular mini refineries in a joint effort by three U.S. – based companies: Prime Energy, Chemex, and Kuai Energy Systems. The mini refineries would create jobs for Guyanese in…
Read MoreRamotar to lead PPP at 2011 poll – gets unanimous nod after other contenders withdraw
By Janelle Persaud In a dramatic turn of events on April 04th, three persons contending for the presidential candidacy of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) withdrew their challenge and threw their support behind party general secretary Donald Ramotar, causing him to be unanimously selected to lead that party in this year’s general elections. The party stalwart, in an invited comment after being selected, said he was humbled at the outcome of Monday’s meeting. “I am happy that the central committee has expressed such confidence in me,” he expressed. He also…
Read MoreUS$1M educational TV channel launched
By Janelle Persaud The highly-touted Educational Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) has been officially launched, and students along the coast of Guyana are now able to view programmes aired on Channel 29/Cable 80 as of Saturday, April 2nd. The initiative, which cost the government close to US$1million, is expected to be rolled out nationwide by July. Addressing a gathering of educators, students and members of the diplomatic corps in the auditorium of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Education Minister Shaik Baksh said the launching of the station represents…
Read MoreNorway releases another US$40M in forest funds
By Janelle Persaud and Jasmaine Payne Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim, has announced that his country will immediately make available to Guyana the second tranche of US$40 million under the existing climate deal, while assuring that the strictest standards of transparency will be applied. Solheim, who arrived in Guyana on March 31, on a two-day visit, was speaking at an event at the State House in Georgetown. This is the second payment under the Guyana-Norway partnership, which could see Guyana benefitting from some US$250 million over…
Read MoreU.S. appoints ambassador to Guyana
The United States has appointed Dr Brent Hardt, as its new ambassador to Guyana, the U.S. Department of State announced Wednesday. Hardt, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Chargé d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Hardt previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas and at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See. Prior to that, he served as Team Leader for NATO Policy in the Office of European…
Read MoreGuyanese family in U.S. immigration limbo after death of husband
The long wait for a green card has left the family of one immigrant teacher in a precarious position, because he died before his green card was approved. Vernon Innis was a college professor in Guyana when the U.S. Department of Education came calling, and he left his homeland, in 2003, to teach Math in an American city school. He knew getting a green card would mean permanent residency for his whole family – but that hope evaporated when Innis died of an aneurysm in 2008, still waiting for his…
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