Author: TIMES INT'L

More than 660 hours of downtime at all of the three remaining factories in the sugar belt has resulted in the second crop production plummeting, a situation which the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said is a “major bugbear”. GAWU on Sunday said that the Albion Estate factory in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is experiencing its worse performance in the longest time. In fact, the Union noted that the problems at that location are so acute that the Corporation has lost some three weeks of operations during this…

…GECOM seeking clarity The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be doing an internal investigation after data returned from cross-matching overseas was unable to match some 60,000 names recorded during the halted House-to-House Registration. This was revealed at the conclusion of a statutory meeting on Tuesday. Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj said that these 60,000 persons are not necessarily new registrants since initial investigations found that a significant portion is already on the National Register of Registrants (NRR). “Based on the cross-matching information that we have received, the number of forms…

…local law enforcement officials engaged Guyanese law enforcement authorities have been contacted by the Spanish Police about a submarine that was discovered carrying thousands of tonnes of cocaine located off the coast of Aldan, in Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. It is believed that this vessel was made in Guyana but that the massive quantity of cocaine was shipped out of Colombia, with Europe as its destination. According to a senior law enforcement source, the Spanish authorities are still conducting investigations into the matter as they are working on re-floating the submarine…

…minibus driver, conductor caught on video endangering passengers’ lives   Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a minibus driver and conductor who were caught on video endangering the lives of their passengers. On Tuesday, a video posted on social media that went viral showed a minibus conductor opening the door of a moving vehicle and dancing while placing his body outside, gripping only the outer part of the doorway. In the process of this unflattering behaviour, passengers were seen cheering him on. Meanwhile, the driver of the bus…

…urges evaluation of oil & gas concessions granted to foreign companies   The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has called out the Government for its inaction and failure to adequately police the oil and gas sector, even as locals continue to be disadvantaged in favour of foreign companies. According to the GMSA, local content legislation that is enforceable and clearly defined is necessary. GMSA noted that such legislation must allow for the creation of local jobs, knowledge transfers, skills training, capacity building and internationally-accredited certification. “The GMSA strongly recommends…