TIMES INT'L

PAC Hearing: Region 10 Admin officials face heat over failure to provide adequate answers

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Even though Region 10 Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon walked with regional staff and his predecessor, they were unable to account for bypassing the lowest bidders for contracts and unprepared to answer questions leading to their expulsion from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Instances of the lowest bidders being rejected by the Region 10 administration were put under the microscope by the Committee. It is understood that the Regional Tender Board allegedly awarded millions of dollars in contracts to neither the lowest nor competitive bidders. According to former REO…

‘Constant excuses unacceptable’

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…Opposition Leader says of President’s 2 press conferences in 3 years Opposition Leader and former President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday asserted that President David Granger’s constant excuses to not host press conferences is a clear indication that he is “abdicating his responsibilities,” and this is clearly unacceptable. Jagdeo was at the time making this pronouncement based on Granger’s recent request that the media be “tolerant” of his low levels of engagement since the APNU/AFC Administration came into power three years ago. On Monday last, in defending why he has…

Govt’s refusal of higher Berbice bridge tolls could result in bankruptcy

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…company warns More than a decade after a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement allowed the construction of the Berbice River Bridge; the bridge company is now facing bankruptcy following Government’s decision to drop the toll and subsequent refusal to allow for an increased as per the initial agreement when the company was formed. This is according to Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) Chairman, Dr Surendra Persaud, during a press conference at the National Communications Network on Tuesday. Persaud is also Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which holds significant…

Conflicting reports over stabbing death of 15-yr-old boy at Soesdyke

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

A teenager was in the wee hours of Monday found dead in the vicinity of a wedding house at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD) with stab wounds to his body. Ricardo Singh, also called “Cardo”, of Lot 63 Avenue A & B, Diamond New Housing Scheme, EBD, was reportedly stabbed several times, including once to his abdomen. Based on reports received, the 15-year-old former Diamond Secondary School student and his friends left their respective homes on Sunday with the intention of “taking a lime” at the Linden-Soesdyke Highway Junction but…

A GRANDMOTHER’S STORY ‘I CAN’T KEEP BREAKING DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM’

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

“After they saw everything on the news and then the newspaper too, he know that his mother died. But I still sit him down and I talked to him and explain things to him. Now I have him with me and I have to be strong for him. I can’t breakdown every time I miss her because he will be affected too,” says Mala Mahabir. Mala’s 25-year-old stepdaughter, Simone Hackett, was brutally murdered by her reputed husband Clevaughn Hamilton on April 16, 2016 leaving behind their then three-year-old son Clevaughn…

Several unanswered questions about Govt’s renewable energy plans – Opposition Leader

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

With Government expressing goals such as 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, the parliamentary Opposition believes critical questions that would bring clarity on how Government intends to make Guyana’s energy mix work, are not being answered. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo recently zeroed in on solar energy plans for Guyana. He noted that one crucial question with the Government’s solar power initiatives involves using back-up energy generation. But he said Government is caught in a policy vacuum, hence specifics like these are not being addressed. “There is an entire policy…

Granger, Bouterse meet on security of fishermen

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…commit to agricultural trade, tourism, investment President David Granger has met his Surinamese counterpart, President Desi Bouterse, on the sidelines of the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, to review the changing situation in the Caribbean and South America. According to President Granger, the opportunity was taken to discuss matters of mutual concern. “Whenever we meet, we try to speak. Unfortunately, because of various reasons, I have been travelling quite a lot, and we have not been able to have our regular meeting; so…

Mechanic who caught fire while discharging fuel succumbs

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The mechanic who caught fire in the Frenchman Hill area, Upper Essequibo River Road, some two weeks ago while attempting to discharge fuel from a tanker has succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Shawhinshaw Ally, called “Imty”, 35, of Plot H22 Left Bank Tabatinga Drive, Lethem, reportedly caught fire on June 23. Guyana Times International understands that on June 23, Ally, along with a porter called “Jerry”, left Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and was heading for Lethem. However, upon arrival at the Frenchman Trail, it was discovered that the…

STEM provides many opportunities for students in Guyana

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

This Saturday, STEM Guyana held its annual robotics exhibition at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Since its formation in 2016, STEM Guyana has turned heads, perhaps most notably when Guyana’s first robotics team surged to a respectable tenth place (out of 165 teams) at the Global Robotics Challenge. STEM education in Guyana, I believe, has a far way to go. I remember being in high school and entering numerous science fairs and seeing the same projects recycled over and over winning the prizes every year. There was very little innovation,…

Guyana’s First Lady urges youths to embrace technology at robotics exhibition

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 TIMES INT'L

First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger, last Saturday attended the Second Annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Robotics Exhibition hosted by STEM Guyana in collaboration with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) Company. The event was held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue. The First Lady, in her remarks at the opening ceremony, emphasised the importance of STEM and expressed the hope of having robotic teams from every region in Guyana participating at this event next year. “If you want to be relevant in the 21st Century…you…