Category: News

The proposed five percent excise tax on imported fuel put forward by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) was overturned by government, according to  the body’s president, Patrick Harding. In August, GGDMA met with President Donald Ramotar, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, and requested several concessions, including the tax break on fuel imported from legitimate Caribbean companies. Fuel accounts for 25-30 percent of miners’ production costs, at a time when gold prices continue to fluctuate, coupled with high prices for…

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Guyana has joined in the worldwide quest to eradicate hunger, with the commitment of land for the production of food, and has called on other countries to do the same. During his address at an event to mark World Food Day on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy noted that with increased food production, one must face the challenge of employing biofuels to counteract the effects and depletion of fossil fuels. Biofuels are used as an alternative to fossil fuels, to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions emanated from the…

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During interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the businessman who was arrested at Charity, Essequibo Coast on Wednesday, confessed that he was the target in the Mambo Bar shooting on Saturday evening. Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Guyana Times International that while the businessman told investigators he was the main target during the attack, he did not divulge the reason for people wanting him dead. Nevertheless, Persaud disclosed that the man was released on Friday and the police are continuing to hunt for the gunmen. This might be a…

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The voluntary medical team that spearheaded the first successful kidney transplant in Guyana and performed over 100 different types of surgeries is conducting its 17th tour of duty in Guyana. Joining the team of doctors, surgeons, physicians and nurses this year is Dr Rakesh Kumar, a professor and chair of the Department of Bio-Chemistry and Molecule Medicine from George Washington University. His visit to Guyana focuses specifically on the establishment of a Genome Centre in Guyana that can serve as a model for the promotion of personalised treatment for cancer.…

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Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett on Monday met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York to discuss the Good Offices process. During the meeting, it was agreed to reappoint Professor Norman Girvan as the secretary general’s personal representative in the process, at the joint request of the governments of Guyana and Venezuela. Professor Girvan was first appointed to the position in 2010, but his tenure came to an end in September. According to a release, the Good Offices process is charged with finding a solution to the…

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The Bank of Guyana, in collaboration with the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, last Friday launched two commemorative coins in honour of the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion and the 175th anniversary of Indian Immigration to Guyana. The ceremony took place at the Bank of Guyana with government ministers, bank stakeholders, and representatives of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) and the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT), among other dignitaries, in attendance. The 1763 Slave Revolt and the 1838 Indian Arrival are the names of the two commemorative coins.…

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The Health Ministry is working with the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) to train local medical professionals in paediatric cardiac surgery. A team from the charitable organisation located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, arrived in Guyana several days ago and over the course of the week, they have been thoroughly examining the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to determine whether the facility has the capacity to provide paediatric cardiac surgery. The team is headed by founder and medical director of ICHF, Dr William Novick. At a press briefing last Thursday, U.S.-based…

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Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali has slammed recent comments in the media linking the construction of the Marriott Hotel with that of the potential oil and gas industry in Guyana. Ali told this newspaper that he read a recent letter from a technician, which was published in the media and sought to link the two. The minister said “it is utter nonsense” and takes away from the real picture what the project is being developed for, which is to help boost Guyana’s tourism capacity and not specifically for the potential…

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Caribbean Airline Limited (CAL) Airport Manager Carl Stuart said CAL is still in the process of reviewing its airfares to offer customers more choices. “We have been reviewing fare status and we will be offering more choices and much more comparable fare than any other carriers that fly into this part of the region,” he added. Meanwhile Stuart said the recent move by the Trinidad and Tobago government to cut the airline’s fuel subvention will not affect the company’s operations. He expressed the view in a recent interview with Guyana…

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Guyana’s dairy, small ruminant industries are to receive a major boost through technical and other assistance from Canadian farmers. This is being realised through a government collaboration facilitated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). At a recent meeting in the boardroom of the Agriculture Ministry, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr Nicole Giles and a delegation of Canadian farmers met with Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy. The meeting saw the areas of cooperation drafted which will shape and form the initial cooperation among the two countries. State-of-the-art…

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