Category: Letters

Dear Editor, According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 370,000 children under the age of 15 have been newly-infected with HIV in 2009 through mother-to-child transmission. HIV/AIDS transmission from mother-to-child pre- and post-partum is, however, at a relatively stable rate in Guyana. In 2001, the National Aids Programme Secretariat and the Maternal Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and PAHO, launched the Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme in Guyana with only eight clinics at three hospital sites in Regions Four…

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Dear Editor, It is interesting to note that a particular newspaper is in overdrive to misrepresent perhaps one of the most innovative government initiatives in this part of the world – the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project. This outlet’s anti-government agenda stymies its vision preventing it like some politicians from seeing the impact this project will have on the lives of Guyanese. It continues to play up the procurement aspects of the project, failing to realise as has been mentioned over and over that transparency is a hallmark of…

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Dear Editor, Fluctuating oil prices, political instability and social unrest in some of the major oil producing countries in the world are some of the factors which favour the switch to hydropower in countries where this kind of facility is available. Guyana therefore becomes the ideal location for hydropower with all its waterfalls that caresses the country’s interior. Because we are dependent on petroleum products for our energy supplies, Guyana becomes susceptible to prices on the world market. When this happens, we as a nation must turn to alternative means…

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Dear Editor, A nation’s proper healthcare system is a prerequisite for any future development. But try as they may, many nations fall short of realising this very important prerequisite for advancing and developing their societies as a whole. Coming out of the colonial era, some Third World countries lack even certain basic facilities which are important for the promotion of a healthy nation. As a result of the absence of these healthcare facilities, especially in some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, communities are threatened even with the simplest…

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Dear Editor, I always believe that the schools are a home away from home for our children; they are supposed to be safe places. However, some schools have recently been used to carry out certain activities that are harmful to our children. Whenever I hear about the misdeeds of teachers, such as has happened at Fort Wellington Secondary School and at Saraswat Primary School, I get upset; because teachers are expected to be the students’ role models, but in the two cases mentioned above, they turned out to be their…

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Dear Editor, Just under one week after the country’s budget had been presented, the giant manufacturing company Banks/DIH Limited announced a massive Gy$3.2B investment scheme which will further accelerate growth in the company. We welcome the announcement, which was made by the company’s managing director and chairman, Mr Clifford Reis, while addressing the 55th annual general meeting of the entity. Banks/DIH, now a billion-dollar company, was born from a merger between Banks Breweries and D’Aguiar Bros (DIH) Ltd in 1969 with a share capital of Gy$4,140,000. We recognize that the…

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Dear Editor, President Bharrat Jagdeo’s legacy as a highly successful leader is assured. It is rather unfortunate that a newspaper chose to carry a one-sided assessment of this great man’s tenure as president. The article used a flurry of negative terms and did not provide concrete evidence to support its claims. Furthermore, it ignored the fundamental parameters that are universally used to assess a leader’s legacy. Guyana’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased significantly under Jagdeo’s leadership. GDP is a leading indicator of change in a country’s economic development. According…

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Dear Editor, Government must be commended for the numerous initiatives laid out in the 2011 National Budget. These will, no doubt, improve the lives of all Guyanese, including the working class, senior citizens, and the private sector. These initiatives include raising of the income tax threshold, increasing public assistance and old age pension payments, and lowering the rate of corporation tax. These should see an increase in disposable income among Guyanese, and a greater ability to invest and expand employment in the private sector. These benefits come against the backdrop…

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Dear Editor, Once again, the main opposition, PNC/R, has opted to act in a manner that is inconsistent with the national sentiment and the interest of a significant section of our society. PNC/R leader Robert Corbin’s decision to boycott the official launch of the International Year for People of African Descent speaks volumes of the party’s position on this very important observance. Despite being unhappy with government’s handling of the planning and organizing of this event, Corbin and the PNC/R cabal should have been sufficiently mature and farsighted to understand…

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Dear Editor, The voices of the critics, inclusive of the opposition political parties, have labelled the recently read 2011 budget an election budget. This term of description as applied is about a financial package that contains dollar and other incentives specifically tailored for vote catching. This accusation commenced soon after the date for the budget presentation had been announced. But first, let’s view some previous budgets. Budgets are outlays, and in themselves do not decide elections. Instead, it is the capacity to deliver on what they promise that determines their…

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