2011 – Page 200 – Guyana Times International

Guyana eyeing local, Caribbean markets for bottled coconut water

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

As Guyana seeks to make its coconut industry competitive regionally and globally, efforts are being focused on updating technology, making innovative investments, and instituting market-led developments with a keen eye on the potential for bottled coconut water products. On Monday, farmers, investors and exporters met agricultural officials to discuss these activities, especially the establishment of a multi-million-dollar coconut water bottling plant at Hope, East Coast Demerara. Jamaica is currently taking the lead with bottled coconut water in the Caribbean, and is already exporting its products to the USA and Canada. …

IDB loan is welcome

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The US$30 million loan received from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) by the government of Guyana to construct the four-lane highway from Providence to Diamond and to install a new city sewerage system is much welcome. Congestion is increasing daily, and very little is being done to address this. The expansion works to the existing four-lane highway will help; nevertheless, plans to build the arterial road from Timehri heading all the way to the East Coast Demerara must move ahead. It is through more road networks that congestion…

Article designed to create mischief

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, It would be a rather strange day if the Kaieteur News is not up to its traditional roles of sensationalising and making mischief, its two reasons for existence. Its latest example of the latter culture, a column captioned “UNASUR detention triggers man’s death”, is another signpost of its deliberate policy of daily misrepresentation of a government that it faults for every conceivable issue, even for the sun not shining! This latest piece is an example of gross misrepresentation, spite and grudge, especially against the background of the nation…

Delighted that contempt of court is now a criminal offence

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, As a Guyanese who always complies with the laws of this country, and as one who honours the laws of the land in every respect, especially edicts of the court, such as court orders, also known as injunctions, I find it most heartening that His Excellency, President Bharrat Jagdeo, has assented to the bill which now criminalizes contempt of court. Too many people have been making a mockery of injunctions, thinking these are jokes; and despite having an order of the court issued against them, they continue in…

Going around in circles on climate change is not an option

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Fifteen thousand delegates descended on Cancun, conferred, and left with an agreement that will not save the world from the effects of climate change, though it rescued the negotiating process. That we should be relieved is testament to the soft bigotry of low expectations on what once was billed as the greatest moral challenge of our time. Britain’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, described the summit as a “turning point”. He also said that, in addition to the turning points of Kyoto, Bali…

Rethinking aid

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Rich and emerging market nations have agreed to put up US$49.3 billion to top-up a World Bank fund to aid the world’s poorest countries. World Bank president Robert Zoellick said the commitments marked an 18 per cent increase from the last time the International Development Association (IDA) was replenished, in 2007. Furthermore, this increase in the fund was made possible in part because some major developing countries stepped up with pledges. Although it was not stated how much the individual countries contributed, China was expected to contribute more, especially since…

Global Hardware’s pipes get GNBS certification

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Global Hardware Incorporated on Friday became the fifth company to be certified by the Product Certification Scheme of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards for its polypropylene pipes. At a short ceremony at the company’s head office, the Bureau of Standards presented a certificate as proof of the company’s compliance with national standards. Public Relations Officer of the bureau, Lloyd David, explained that Global Hardware is also the third manufacturer of pipes to meet this standard. The other companies registered with Product Certification Scheme are Guyana Thermoplastic Limited (Toolsie Persaud)…

Mercosur to scrap tariff exemptions, services barriers

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

– to adopt investment guarantees, common licence plate President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday participated in the closing of the social forum of the XL Mercosur summit in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, and subsequently attended a state dinner hosted by Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. The Guyanese leader will participate in the plenary session today. The South American trade bloc launched a plan on Thursday, December 16th, to adopt common trade, investment and immigration policies to help underpin unprecedented economic growth in the region, Reuters reported. Under the plan,…

Govt to fund G$720M payout to sugar workers

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Sugar workers countrywide will receive a five per cent one-off payment retroactive to January 2010, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced on Wednesday. At a meeting with scores of sugar workers at the International Conference Centre, Jagdeo disclosed that this payout will cost the government some $G720 million. This announcement was met with resounding applause. “If we achieve the target (298- 303,000 tonnes of sugar) next year, the five per cent becomes permanent with whatever increases you’ll receive next year,” he revealed. The president believes that the target outlined is achievable. He…

Digicel says new telecoms law long overdue

January 4, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Guyana, Gregory Dean, has noted that, while the company has no fears of a liberalised communications sector, the sloth in getting legislation enacted to break the current monopoly could hamper Digicel’s expansion plans. Dean made the announcement at the year-in-review press conference held at the company’s Kingston headquarters on Tuesday, December 21st. “We’ve always said from the beginning that, in terms of major investments, at some point, it will come in the business where legislation becomes a bottleneck to our further development; and that’s why…