Several Guyanese, including two notable promoters of the Indian culture, have expressed concern over a move by U.S. authorities to allegedly detain individuals for prolonged periods. Their concerns mounted after Bollywood superstar and actor, Shah Rukh Khan was detained for a 90-minute period by U.S. airport officials, allegedly because of his last name. Dr Vindhya Persaud, head of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha said while the U.S. has a right to enforce its laws, protect its citizens and its borders, its action in regards to Khan must be condemned. She…
Read MoreCategory: News
PPP/C working class friendly – Dr Gopaul
Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was more worker-friendly, as he defended the administration’s social sector spending and increases to public servants over the years. In his budget debate presentation, Dr Gopaul focused on the history of the working class from 1984 to the current period. Dr Gopaul responded to the issue raised by opposition members of Parliament that pensions and workers’ salaries should have seen more increases. He observed that when demands are made for increased benefits and salaries, the issue must be…
Read MoreBacker urges regularisation of Corriverton backtrack route
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) shadow foreign minister, Deborah Backer said government must, as a matter of high priority, deal decisively with the backtrack operations between Guyana and Suriname. She said that the difficulty in the task would be great, but “do it we must, because by turning a Nelson’s Eye towards these operations is to erase a part of our eastern border”. The backtrack crossing at Corriverton has been a source of much distress to security officials in Guyana, but government two years ago refused Suriname’s invitation to…
Read MoreSt Kitts-Nevis bats for REDjet
St Kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister Richard Skerritt is urging regional governments to help the Barbados-based low cost carrier, REDEjet, return to the skies. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has lead responsibility for air travel in the region Skerritt, who is also chairman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), told reporters in Guyana that there is a “pent-up” demand for air travel in the region, especially with the spiral cost for regional airlift. “You speak to Barbados and Guyana ministers which I have had…
Read MoreYoung MPs spar with govt over youth empowerment
Making his first speech in the National Assembly, youthful Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Trevor Williams called out the government on what he claimed was its lack of accountability on the education of the youth in Guyana. Williams said that a large percentage of youth are underrepresented in Guyana’s political sphere. Williams spoke last Friday during the budget debate. He stated that Guyana must “chart a better course and ensure that this government delivers value for money”. He said that there has been much talk about teacher…
Read MoreScenes from the opening of The CTO Conference in Georgetown, Guyana
Local, international journalists given tour of Essequibo
Several international, regional and local media operatives were given a tour of the mighty Essequibo River on Sunday, compliments of BK International. This was the first event to usher in the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s 13th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-13) that was held in Guyana from April 15 to 18. The journalists said they were amazed by the exotic nature and historic sites located in that part of the country. The one-day tour commenced at the Princess International Hotel and the media team were taken along the…
Read MoreAli plugs greater integration at tourism confab
By Svetlana Marshall Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali told delegates and other officials at the opening of the 13th Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-13) on Sunday evening at the Guyana International Conference Centre that there is need for greater integration to drive tourism. “In the Caribbean, tourism is too big to fail, and singularly, we are too small to compete, thus our goals and recommendations would be that we utilise our time and energies to move towards an integrated partnership plan.” Acknowledging the fact that a percentage of…
Read MoreCaribbean youth to benefit from novel job training alliance
A ground-breaking alliance between major corporations and the public sector will expand effective job training and placement models, reaching one million youths in Latin America and the Caribbean over the next decade. On Friday, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, and the International Youth Foundation (IYF), joined with five of the region’s leading employers: Walmart, Caterpillar, Microsoft, CEMEX, and Arcos Dorados/McDonald’s to launch a new partnership called New Employment Opportunities, or Nuevos Empleosy Oportunidades (NEO). These five companies together currently employ more…
Read MoreAFC urges more attention be paid to region 8
Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Eula Marcello is calling for a beefing up of security and an increase in pay for nurses at the Mahdia District Hospital. During the budget debates last week, Marcello who represents Region Eight, said the infrastructural works in the region for the health sector was very welcome, but she painted a sad story of the nurses who worked at the Mahdia District Hospital. Marcello said that nurses go beyond the call of duty, treating persons at all hours of the night with…
Read More