News – Page 740 – Guyana Times International

US$ 1.2M aquaculture ranch commissioned in Berbice

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors, and it is being positioned to reduce marine fishing. As part of its Fisher Folk Day activities, the Agriculture Ministry chose to highlight this aspect of the sector by commissioning the Onverwagt Aqua Ranch in West Berbice. Aquaculture replaces marine fishing and offers healthy, farm grown fishes for consumption. Complete with a hatchery and 25 acres of irrigation reservoirs; 24 one-acre tilapia ponds, six four-acre shrimp ponds, and a seven acre tailings reservoir, the Onverwagt Aqua Ranch can produce up to 60…

Gy$60M pump station commissioned at Cane Grove

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Cane Grove pump station which has been rehabilitated to the tune of Gy$60 million was recommissioned on June 24 amidst praise by farmers who in the past had suffered losses due to adverse flooding. The project, funded by government with support from the Inter-American Development Bank, was executed under the Agriculture Support Services Project. Prior to the rehabilitation, the pump was non-functional and could not manage the amount of water that strained the system during the La Niña floods early this year. The project is currently 92 per cent…

UG gets US$10M World Bank loan for low-carbon studies

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The World Bank’s executive board on Thursday approved a loan of US$10 million to finance the University of Guyana’s Science and Technology Support Project. An estimated 6,300 students and faculty will benefit from this project, which will strengthen science and technology tertiary education in order to advance Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). “By supporting the university’s faculty and students, this project will prepare today’s researchers and students to have the practical knowledge and skills to meet the needs of tomorrow’s low- carbon economic and social development,” said Education Minister…

Protected Areas Bill introduced in National Assembly

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Government is seeking to protect and conserve Guyana’s natural heritage, as well as create a national system of protected areas. This will be made possible through the passage of the Protected Areas Act 2011, which had its first reading in the National Assembly on June 23. The bill, which will also provide for the maintenance of ecosystem services, including climate regulation, was introduced by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud. According to the explanatory memorandum, the bill establishes the Protected Areas Commission, which is to be governed by a board of directors…

U. S. commits US$77M to security initiative

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on June 22 that her country was committing US$77 million to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in the next fiscal year. Clinton was speaking at a high level meeting between foreign ministers of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Dominican Republic and the United States, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Clinton declared that it was important to look critically at the initiative in order to see what was or was not working; to improve information sharing; institutionalise formal measures to coordinate maritime…

Consumer Affairs Bill passed

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The National Assembly in Guyana passed the Consumer Affairs Bill without amendments, on June 23, even as it passed through a special select committee. But the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is accusing the government of refusing to make any amendments to the bill. PNCR Member of Parliament Mervyn Williams said that in the interest of Guyanese who are made to use public transportation, his party sought to intervene on this issue, seeking that provisions be made in the newly-passed bill to protect citizens from exploitation. He expressed…

Digicel partners with U. S. in fostering Caribbean business links

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Irish mobile phone company Digicel has announced its partnership with the U. S. Department of State to support the Caribbean IdEA Marketplace (CIM). Aimed at fostering collaboration between local and global Caribbean diaspora entrepreneurs, the business competition platform will encourage participants to develop and expand innovative projects that will generate employment and economic growth, Digicel said in a release. According to the phone company, initial focus countries include The Bahamas, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The objectives of the initiative are: to bring about…

PPP/C expresses concerns about unregistered voters

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

People’s Progressive Party presidential candidate Donald Ramotar, on June 24, said his party is seeking to have the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) open an avenue for unregistered persons to become registered. Ramotar joined his political opponents in highlighting the importance of registering citizens who were not registered because of lack of source documents. Speaking at a media briefing at the party’s headquarters, Freedom House, Ramotar said an examination of several hinterland communities has indicated that several persons were not registered because of the lack of source documents. The party has…

Local companies lauded for contribution to HIV/ AIDS fight

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBCHA) on June 24 recognised the contributions made by the private sector in response to HIV/ AIDS in the workplace over the years at its fifth Annual Awards Ceremony held at the Pegasus Hotel. Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in his address to the gathering, stated that the national pursuit against HIV/AIDS has seen strong support from the business community, uniting in the cause of saving lives and allowing people to explore opportunities that life has to offer. The Guyana Business Coalition was born…

“They will not make a difference, and we will never join their coalition” – AFC

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Alliance For Change launched a massive attack on the value and worth of the recently formed and announced “A Partnership For National Unity” (APNU) coalition, stating that it will not make a difference in the political climate here, nor will it manage to attract more electoral support at the upcoming general and regional elections. Speaking during an interview with Guyana Times International, Alliance For Change presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan stated that the coalition is “weak and a disguise to fool Guyanese into believing that the PNCR has changed and…