Dear Editor, The nation awaits the response from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in relation to the findings of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) verification of Statements of Polls for last year’s general and regional elections. In the first place, APNU should not have had the cause to engage in such an undertaking as this causes unnecessary distractions to the society. By now we should have been engaged in helping the authorities fix the problems in society, not dealing with the conduct of an election that went five…
Read MoreCategory: Letters
NGOs making
Dear Editor, There are many organisations in Guyana which are making a positive difference in the lives of many citizens. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in particular have been at the forefront and are working alongside government on various projects, both at the community and the national levels, and what we see today are exceptional results in various fields, such as poverty reduction, HIV/ AIDS, literacy, and agriculture among others. I believe that it would be good to highlight such achievements from time to time to give publicity to these groups and…
Read MoreThe story of Manohar Aich
Dear Editor, The daily Guyana Times newspaper carried a very interesting story on Manohar Aich who won the 1952 Mr Universe Championship and became a very influential figure in India and beyond. I say this was a very interesting story because Mr Aich has just celebrated his 100th birthday, and from all indications, is living a very happy and healthy life. But how was he able to reach that mark and yet still remain as healthy? He credits his longevity to a healthy lifestyle in which he minimises stress and…
Read MoreMore research needed to better guide policymakers and activists
Dear Editor, Statistics show that Guyana was able to reduce the HIV/ AIDS figures. One could even go as far to say that we are winning the battle against the dreaded disease. But I believe that this progress has led to complacency at every level of dealing with the disease, and what is even worse is that even those who are infected do not seem to care much about taking the relevant treatment and to maintain a healthy lifestyle, etc. A few weeks ago we were told by no other…
Read MoreOther issues at the BRICS summit
Dear Editor, Thanks for a well informed, thoughtful editorial “BRICS Bank” (GT March 30) – one of the suggestions the leaders of the five countries agreed to further investigate over the next year and hopefully implement at the Russian summit in 2012. The idea of a BRICS bank to promote development in the Third World is most welcomed especially for certain projects that poor nations cannot get funding for at multilateral institutions. The bank, as the leaders stated, will not be a competitor to the World Bank and the IMF.…
Read MoreA very wise move – others should follow
Dear Editor, What a relief! The Bank of Baroda Guyana Incorporation, responded to the calls from the business community, on the East Coast of Demerara, and now, after some wait, it has happened – There is a spanking new Gy$ 50 million sub-branch, at Lot 30 Tract ‘A’ Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. Right off the bat – Mon Repos is a very busy spot in Guyana. So the move for the bank’s branch is most welcomed. Still, in Guyana, when it comes to monetary transaction, there is a kind…
Read MoreAmerindian communities should be encouraged to access these funds
Dear Editor, I am very pleased that the indigenous peoples of Guyana are getting back what belongs to them. It is no longer a case that indigenous peoples are taken lightly; their affairs have been given much recognition by the state and they can see themselves benefiting from the national pie equally. Recently, the Amerindian Affairs Ministry was given a cheque totalling over Gy$ 49 million in royalties from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) through the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry. This money accounts for 20 per…
Read MoreWe are blessed to have witnessed the life and times of Dr. Cheddi Berret Jagan
Dear Editor, Every so often, but certainly not regularly, the world is blessed with the unique opportunity of witnessing the life and times of leaders, of champions, of heroes, of greatness. In Ancient Greece, the Macedonians had Alexander the Great. Russians had Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Indians had Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi. Americans had George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And in Guyana, Guyanese were blessed with the occasion to be led by their founding-father, Dr. Cheddi Berret Jagan. To say that these individuals and the several similarly situated others are one-in-a-million, is…
Read MoreAnother Guyanese icon
Dear Editor, It is always a great joy, reading about the achievements, recognition etc. of Guyanese, who have left the country a long time back. The most recent example of this is the case of the Guyanese-Canadian, Dr Budhendranauth Doobay, who was among 60 Canadians honoured by the governor general of Canada, for their contributions to improving community life. The number ‘60’ is significant – it is now 60 years since Queen Elizabeth ascended to the British throne, and so the Canadian government decided to honour 60 outstanding Canadians, for…
Read MoreCould we request similar help from the U.S. as Jamaica has done?
Dear Editor, I learnt that Jamaica is set to get assistance in dealing with organised crime from prosecutors in the United States, and I am wondering if Guyana cannot make a similar request from that country to help us in crime fighting. It is expected that the U.S will send prosecutors to Jamaica to assist the relevant ministries in prosecuting and bringing those who commit crimes to justice. That assistance falls within the partnership between the United States and the Caribbean through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative designed to combat…
Read More