News – Page 755 – Guyana Times International

Amerindian villages countrywide to benefit from Gy$320M presidential grant

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Amerindian villages countrywide have until July to submit proposals on income-generating projects for their communities, in order to benefit from a Gy$320 million presidential grant covering the years 2010 and 2011. President Bharrat Jagdeo made this announcement recently while meeting toshaos from across Region Nine at the St Ignatius Secondary School. “I want you all to go back to your communities and have a discussion about which project you want to fund. Most communities will have about Gy$2 million, and the smaller ones about Gy$ 1 million,” President Jagdeo said.…

Bartica Regatta attracted thousands

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Organisers of the annual Bartica Regatta have turned what was once a one-day boat racing activity into a two-day event which now attracts thousands of locals and tourists. This year was no different, as thousands flocked the Bartica beach to witness the most anticipated event on the calendar of activities for 2011 regatta. On Sunday, April 24th, in sweltering heat, people from all walks of life, decked out in their colourful outfits and with umbrellas, food baskets and their little flags to wave in support of their favourite racers, turned…

PPP/C slams PNCR statements about Amerindian development in Guyana

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

– debunks claims of neglect By Samuel Sukhnandan People’s Progress Party Member of Parliament Norman Whittaker has waded into the People’s National Congress Reform party for accusing the administration of neglecting Amerindians in Guyana. Whittaker, a liaison officer to the minister of Amerindian Affairs, said that valuable progress has been made over the years in hinterland communities in several sectors, including agriculture, education, health, and infrastructure, among other things. His comments came in response to statements made by the PNCR that there has been extreme neglect of Amerindian communities, especially…

Guyana Post Office begins implementing tighter security

April 28, 2011April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Post Office Corporation says new security measures to deter bandits offices have begun to be implemented at its district offices, and as such there has been a time change for the payment of Old Age Pension. The GPOC said in a statement that its district offices will commence payment of pensions at 08:30h from May 3, 2011. “Pensioners and other stakeholders are kindly asked to take note of this change in arrangements. The Guyana Post Office Corporation also wishes to thank pensioners and other stakeholders for their kind…

Man drowns during outing to Onderneeming

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

An Airy Hall, Essequibo Coast family’s Easter plans were plunged into chaos when they received news that their son had drowned while he was on an outing with his friends. Dead is 22-year-old Azaam “Shortman” Mohamed, of Airy Hall village. According to the man’s mother, Basmattie Lachman, Mohamed left home early Sunday morning, April 24th, stating he was going with some friends to the popular “hot and cold” lake in Onderneeming. Lachman stated that Mohamed had mentioned earlier in the week that he was planning to go to the regatta…

Guyanese wins Pulitzer photography prize

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Guyanese-born Nikki Khan, currently a photographer with The Washington Post, is among this year’s winners of the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding photography. Khan and two others from The Washington Post won for images captured in earthquake-ravished Haiti. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Khan moved to Washington, D. C., where she studied at an American university and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in visual media and art history in May 1996. She later attended Syracuse University and completed a Master’s of Science degree in photography in May…

Canada should have probed allegations against Rohee – Nawbatt

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

By Ron Cheong Guyana’s ambassador to Canada, Harrinarine Nawbatt, says he finds it extremely difficult that Ottawa would grant refugee status to someone who makes a claim implicating a government minister without confirming, through its embassy here, the validity of the allegations. Nawbatt, who was recently posted to Canada, made the remarks even as damning allegations have surfaced about Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee coercing an information technology expert to bring down two opposition websites, and also trying to pay him to hack into the email addresses of top opposition…

Non- communicable diseases killing more each year – UN report

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Health experts from around the world have convened in Moscow to tackle non-communicable diseases, which are the leading causes of death today, according to a new report issued by the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO). The first WHO Global Status Report on non-communicable diseases said that 36.1 million people died in 2008 from conditions such as heart disease, strokes, chronic lung diseases, cancers and diabetes. Nearly 80 per cent of these deaths occurred in low-and middle-income countries. “The rise of chronic non-communicable diseases presents an enormous challenge,” says WHO…

Charity Squatting Area to be regularised into modern housing scheme

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

By Indrawattie Natram The fast- growing community of Charity, on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, having been earmarked for township, will soon have another modern housing scheme, to be constructed at the present site of the Charity Squatting Area. Region Two Chairman Ali Baksh made the announcement during a meeting with residents at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council in Charity. Baksh informed hundreds of applicants and occupants of house lots in the squatting area that the area will be regularised into a modern, fast- developing scheme. He pointed out that…

Log trade policy under review

April 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Log exports from Guyana may soon attract higher commissions, or even face an eventual ban, as forestry authorities are currently reviewing the National Log Export Policy with an eye out for all measures that would encourage locally advanced value-added timber activities. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who holds responsibility for forestry, said the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) is still consulting with all stakeholders, both locally and externally, to come up with a definitive position on adjustments to the policy. He made it quite clear that the authorities are considering ‘all options’…