News – Page 657 – Guyana Times International

House clears estimates for several ministries

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

The National Assembly on Wednesday evening cleared the estimates for several ministries and departments, although the Alliance For Change (AFC) voted against an allocation of over Gy$ 18 million for the provision of security services to the Housing and Water Ministry. Fireworks were expected in the House on Wednesday, following the opposition’s postures during the debate, but for most part, government ministers were able to provide satisfactory answers to inquiring opposition parliamentarians. Also the contentious issue of contract workers, which the AFC had highlighted in a motion, also did not…

Felix to Rohee: ‘Search my house’

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Pushpa Balgobin Former Police Commissioner Winston Felix has accused Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee of witch hunting, and denied having in his possession a radio of the Guyana Police Force. Rohee last Sunday was quoted in a Government Information Agency (GINA) release as saying that Felix still has in his possession government’s property in the form of a radio that is tuned to the police frequency. He noted that Felix is not authorised to have the equipment. “Minister Rohee indicated that necessary actions will be taken against Felix should…

Jagdeo proposes one Caribbean visa to spur tourism

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Samuel Sukhnandan Guyana’s former President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged tourism officials to whip some of the Caribbean governments out of their sleep in an effort to help promote a stronger global push to fight climate change. He also called for a revamp of immigration policies to designate a single visa for entry to the region as it would make travel easier for residents of large developing countries, which are crucial to sustaining tourism in the future. Jagdeo, who delivered the keynote address to the ongoing Caribbean Tourism Organisation conference…

Regional countries agree on policy objectives for agriculture

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries say they have reached a consensus on policy objectives for agriculture that would allow for improved food and nutrition security. Caricom agriculture ministers recently met with their counterparts from Latin America in Argentina at the 32nd Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) regional conference. A statement issued by the FAO Monday said that the Caribbean countries say the new policy objective would result in a transformation of the sector towards market oriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound production of agriculture products, as well as increased production, productivity…

Manickchand, Ally square off on education delivery

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Pushpa Balgobin Education Minister Priya Manickchand and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Amna Ally locked horns on Monday on the budgetary allocation for the education sector. Ally told the House that the 2012 budget was a reinforcement of “figures with no meaning”, recounting that Gy$ 24.3 billion have been spent on the National Strategic Plan (NSP), Gy$ 919 million spent on producing trained teachers by 2013 and Gy$ 769 million spent on the University of Guyana, but there has been no real development. She called on Manickchand…

EU-funded project in Rupununi nears completion

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

The European Union and the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development are currently collaborating on a sustainable tourism development and fisheries management project in the North Rupununi area. The EU is providing 90 per cent of the funds for this euro 300,000 project, which began in December 2009 and will end in June 2012. The remaining funds have been contributed by Iwokrama. According to a release from the EU, the head of the European Union Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecký, was accompanied by officials from Iwokrama on…

Regional CEOs call for greater integration among Western nations

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Chief executive officers of the Americas have called for greater cooperation among Western Hemisphere nations on matters ranging from trade and investment to education, science and technology and security, in order to boost prosperity from Canada to Chile. At the end of a one-day conference last week held ahead of the Sixth Summit of the Americas, Presidents Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and Barack Obama of the United States participated in a roundtable discussion in front of an audience that included more than 700 top executives…

Fighting for their jobs

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

– Hundreds protest AFC’s budget cuts proposal By Bhisham Mohamed Several government ministers on Wednesday joined hundreds of public servants on the picket line remonstrating against the Alliance For Change-sponsored motion to cut billions of dollars in spending from the national budget by targeting contract employees who the party say are earning super salaries. The workers assembled at the Housing and Water Ministry on Brickdam and marched to the Parliament Building where they stood for a few hours, displaying placards before dispersing. The peaceful protest was led by Housing and…

West Bank man killed in car crash

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

A drinking spree at Joe Vieira Park during the Slingerz Family’s “Easter Jam” proved deadly for the De Jesus family, as one of the sons were killed in a car accident on Tuesday around 00: 30h. Dead is Adam De Jesus, 26, of 38 Goed Fortuin Public Road, West Bank Demerara. He was an employee attached to the El Dorado Mining Company. According to information received, Adam was heading to Vreed-en-Hoop to drop off a friend when the accident occurred. De Jesus was reportedly driving his Honda motor car at…

Arson suspected in Regent St blaze – fire dept

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Fire Service is working on the theory that the fire which destroyed several businesses on Regent Street two weeks ago was deliberately set, a senior official in the department told Guyana Times International on Wednesday. The affected businesses were housed in a building owned by the Jaigobins’ family. The building was at the time at the centre of a property dispute before the High Court. According to a source close to the Jaigobins’ family, a judge was expected to pronounce on the case later this week. Sources close…