Daily Archive: Friday, March 31, 2017

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s powerful attorney general on Friday rebuked the judiciary’s takeover of congress, breaking ranks with President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government as protests and international condemnation grew.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure says it will be widening the East Coast road along the old railway embankment.

A Commission of Inquiry has been constituted for the purpose: “To inquire into the circumstances surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of the territory of Guyana on or between the 11th-14th of February 2017″, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency said today.

Police this morning have found what appears to be human remains buried in a yard at Mibicuri north, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – President Jacob Zuma’s midnight sacking of his finance minister shook South African markets today, undermining his authority and threatening to split the African National Congress (ANC) that has governed since the end of apartheid.

(Trinidad Express) A shooting incident in the Western Division last night has left three people dead and two others injured.

A man from Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice is in custody, having confessed to killing his wife and burying her body in their backyard, police say.

ExxonMobil yesterday officially announced the recent discovery of oil bearing sands at its Snoek well, in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, which was welcomed by the government.

President David Granger says that he before he pronounces on the matter surrounding Justice Franklin Holder’s complaint about attorney General Basil Williams’s “despicable” conduct in his courtroom he wants to hear Williams’s account of the events.

The Honourable Chancellor (ag.) Madam Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, CCH. The High Court of the Supreme Court, Georgetown.

Two men, including a pastor, were yesterday each found guilty of separate charges of sexually assaulting a young girl.

Former Secretary General of the Guyana Commission to UNESCO Carmen Enid Peterkin Jarvis died on Wednesday night in Atlanta, USA.

Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine yesterday said Cabinet is considering the demands of those protesting against the placement of VAT on private tuition fees and a meeting will soon be scheduled with the Guyana Private Schools United to address the matter.

As the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) begins its investigation into the drug procurement process at the Georgetown Public Hospital, it is inviting members of the public who have information to submit written statements by April 12.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,CMC — West Indies were flirting with crisis after plunging to a fifth straight Twenty20 defeat, as Pakistan took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the fourth match series with a dramatic three-run victory here Thursday.

While Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that stakeholders had an arduous task in finding nominees for the position of a Chairman for the Guyana Election Commission (Gecom), President David Granger says he remains optimistic that one will soon be found.

The National Milling Company (NAMILCO) joined the growing list of companies to support the Petra Organization Futsal Championship, donating the second place package of $200,000 yesterday at a simple presentation ceremony held at the entity’s Agricola Headquarters.

If you are a fan of Track and Field, Cycling, Dominoes, Cricket and/or Football, then the place to be on April 30 is the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

Saying that new local government elections would be held next year, President David Granger yesterday urged both new and incumbent Mayors and Deputy Mayors of the nine municipalities to engage and listen to citizens, who will have the power to decide their future in office.

Today’s public symposium on Guyana’s constitutional reform process was driven by popular demand, according to Severin Wilson, head of the Carter Center’s constitutional reform project.

LONDON, CMC — West Indies pace legend Michael Holding has been named as the new president of Derbyshire, the County club he represented with distinction during his illustrious playing days.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England’s new test captain Joe Root will seek to bolster his leadership skills with big scores and has promised to ensure the side are better prepared to defend the Ashes in Australia than they were on the previous trip.

The University of Guyana (UG) yesterday commissioned a new state-of-the-art lecture theatre building at the Turkeyen Campus.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India captain Virat Kohli believes his post-match comments in Dharamsala regarding his friendship with Australian players has been “blown way out of proportion” and clarified they were directed only at a couple of individuals.

Students of the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus yesterday staged a protest against plans for a phased 35% tuition fee hike.

LONDON, CMC — Promising young Bermudian all-rounder Delray Rawlins has signed a one-year extension with Sussex, the English county side announced.

Dear Editor, In my last letter, dated March 29 (‘It is true I am a protagonist…’), I advocated that the methodology for choosing and placing Commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commis-sion (Gecom) must undergo serious repair and restoration. 

Munilall Sarjou, also known as ‘Long Hair,’ was yesterday charged with the murder of a fisherman, who was found dead last year with his hands and feet bound at the Number 68 Village, Berbice.

Reagus Lamazon and Samuel McIntyre, two of the men accused of murdering Laing Avenue taxi driver Orin David, were yesterday freed after a court found that there was insufficient evidence for them to stand trial.

Back Circle stormed their way into the quarterfinal round of the Petra Organization/Gt Beer Futsal Championship, dismantling Agricola 5-0 last night at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Dear Editor, The debate over the affirmation of our Court of Appeal of the ruling of Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang in the Richardson case, was joined by the intervention of former Chancellor and AG Keith Massiah.

Latoya Roberts, the Best Graduating Guyanese student at the Hugh Wooding Law School for 2016, was on Wednesday awarded for her continuous academic excellence by Attorney General Basil Williams SC.

Dear Editor, I am obliged to respond to the article ‘Setting the record straight on Linden television’, by Mr Imran Khan, Director of Public Information, which appears in the Guyana Chronicle of Wednesday March 29.

With ace drivers, Kristian and Kevin Jeffrey confirming their participation in Sunday’s Race of Champions, the anticipation of racing fans has been further heightened.

By: Royston Alkins Stabroek Sports on Thursday caught-up with four more of the junior loopers who would be representing Guyana in the upcoming Caribbean Pre-Cadet, Cadet, and Junior table tennis championship slated for Guyana from April 13th – 19th, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Students residing in Guyana’s rural areas have a lower attendance rate than those in other regions, according to the findings of an Out-of-School Children Survey (OOSC) that was conducted by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Dear Editor, The fiasco of Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church being allowed and invited by the Ministry of Education to preach in our public schools, points to a deeper issue in the Guyanese society: that is the underlying assumption and belief held by many that Guyana is a still a Christian state. 

Dear Editor, One cannot help being moved by Swami Aksharananda’s incisive letter in the media (SN, March 29) in which he exposed the apparent contradiction between President Granger’s praise for the education provided by private schools and the harsh taxation policy being pursued by the Minister of Finance “as he sought to justify the 14% tax on students” while pronouncing on “the sins of private schools”.

General Services and Mines will face-off in the final of the BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana) Inter Department Basketball Championship, following semifinal wins over Plant Operations and Maintenance, respectively, on Sunday March 25th.

Feedback from a recent visit to more than 70 business houses in Georgetown by officials of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) points to a significant decline in urban commercial activity, newly elected President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Deodat Indar has told the Stabroek Business.

  The two per cent withholding tax on contractors’ earnings (individuals/companies) is not applicable to regular day-to-day commercial activities involving the trade in goods and services, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said.

Dear Editor, Education is regarded as a right and not a privilege.

The present standoff between the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) following a sharp public exchange between the two earlier this month is “a counterproductive development that is unacceptable given the uncertainty of the present economic climate,” former PSC Chairman and Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Gerry Gouveia told Stabroek Business in an interview on Tuesday.

Two men were yesterday committed to stand trial for the murder of East Ruimveldt resident Senassie Lewis, who was gunned down in September, 2015, in front of the popular Ghetto Flex nightspot in Albouystown.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russia mounted a campaign of “propaganda on steroids” seeking to influence the 2016 US presidential election, the top Democrat on the US Senate Intelligence Committee said yesterday, listing several areas of concern about possible links to Republican Donald Trump’s campaign.

ZURICH, (Reuters) – FIFA announced its proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe – up from 13 – and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots.

DAKAR/TAIPEI (Reuters) – A state-run Taiwanese bank has successfully sued two African countries for $212 million in unpaid loans and brought a claim against a third, court documents showed, in a possible warning to allies who switched sides in Taiwan’s spat with China.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 703’s trading results showed

Dear Editor, Protests are increasingly becoming the preferred ritual of the day. 

Chastened by the relatively sudden disappearance of the economic windfall that had been triggered by the PetroCaribe oil for rice deal, the business community on the Essequibo Coast is still seeking to find its feet in a changed economic environment where the loss of a 200,000-tonne rice market has created deep uncertainty for the industry.

Effective August 1 this year all importers of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices will be required to present an Original Free Sale and/or Health Certificate, the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) announced yesterday.

  Wednesday March 22, 2017 marked a significant stage in the development of cargo operations at the Piarco International Airport as Laparkan Shipping (Trinidad) Limited launched the creation of its new Warehouse and Logistics Centre at the South Terminal.

Dear Editor, All the talk about Sovereign Wealth Funds has caused me to question who will benefit from the investment returns and principal.

A bar owner was shot during the wee hours of yesterday morning following a confrontation with customer.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A federal court sentenced Brazil’s former speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, to more than 15 years in prison yesterday for corruption, making him the highest-profile political conviction yet in the “Operation Car Wash” scandal.

(The Sports Xchange) Stephen Curry scored 29 points, 13 of them in the pivotal third quarter, as Golden State came back from an early 22-point deficit to defeat San Antonio in a slugfest between the top two teams in the NBA. 

GASCI Summary of Financials Session 714 March 27, 2017

For a long time I’ve wanted to both rebuke and defend (new) government ministers with respect to their attitudes to (their) voters.

There has been much criticism and editorializing on the performance of the APNU+AFC coalition government since the year started.

Gold Prices for the three-day period ending  Thursday March 30, 2017

Dear Editor, While Australia was being beaten by India, Australian broadcasters were saying seriously that Ashwin, the best off-spinner in the game, was learning from Lyon, who may be Australia`s best, but obviously not as good as Ashwin, and that Yadav, who has played more games than Cummings, and looks likely to be soon among the best quicks, was learning from the new, raw kid, Cummings.

We note with interest that two high-profile private sector officials, one a veteran leader of both the Georgetown Chamber and the Private Sector Commission and the other the incoming President of the Chamber have endorsed the sentiment expressed in our editorial last Friday regarding the desirability of a meeting between the government and the private sector.

(The Sports Xchange) – Russell Westbrook recorded the highest scoring triple-double in NBA history Wednesday night, totaling 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a come-from-behind, 114-106 overtime road victory over the Orlando Magic.

(Prepared by the Guyana Marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek Business as a public service)

CARACAS (Reuters) – Opposition leaders branded Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro a “dictator” yesterday after the Supreme Court took over the functions of Congress and pushed a lengthy political standoff to new heights.

DEMERARA CHANNEL The Demerara Channel was dredged extensively during 1968 by a chartered foreign owned suction dredge to facilitate the carriage of increased tonnes of bauxite from the transshipment vessel permanently moored in the harbour of Georgetown.

BERLIN, (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday it had disqualified four Russian athletes from the 2012 London Olympics after re-tests of their samples came back positive for banned substances.

A maintenance worker at Alpha Hotel, Ogle, East Coast Demerara, was shot once to his abdomen by an elderly woman, after he allegedly refused to remove from the fence separating her yard from the hotel.

Over this past weekend, my team and I participated in the ‘Women in Business Expo’ at Pegasus Hotel.

The economic options for the residents of Moruca are limited mostly to fishing, logging, mining and farming.