Lakhram Bhagirat

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yet to build capacity to independently monitor oil extraction activities offshore Guyana, the agency yesterday introduced its real-time monitoring platform to track operations onboard the Liza Destiny FPSO.

Project Manager of the Hope Energy Development (HED) Inc, Johan Sydow said that with the incorporation of a solar aspect into the Hope wind farm, they are now in a position to offer power in the vicinity of US$0.07 per kilowatt-hour.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley has proposed the establishment of a regional renewable energy fund to finance the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of power.

As both Guyana and Suriname continue to make significant oil discoveries, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi said that the onus is on countries to ensure that they manage their oil and gas resources in a responsible manner.

Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Newell Dennison has said that while he is not sure of the status of the Amerindian Purpose Fund (APF), he can confirm that the Commission has made no deposits for the years 2020 and 2021.

A high-level team of United Kingdom businesses is scouting out investment opportunities here including government’s planned Silica City.

The Committee of Supply of Parliament yesterday heard that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has exhausted the $30 billion bond financing which was secured for the diversification and mechanization of the industry back in 2018.

Following his ousting from the post of Country Coordinator of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI), Dr Rudy Jadoopat on Saturday accused the PPP/C government of making attempts to control the body in violation of the international standard guiding its operations. 

With large injections of revenue from the oil and gas sector, Guyana is expected to grow its economy by 47.5% while inflation is pegged at 4.1% for 2022, according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh.

Eight APNU+AFC MPs were yesterday sent to the Privileges Committee of Parliament over the chaos that gripped Parliament on December 29 but a similar motion from the opposition was deferred over what was declared to be a procedural error leaving its Chief Whip accusing the Speaker of partial conduct Hours after the Opposition submitted a motion to have over 20 government Members of Parliament (MPs) sent  before the Committee of Privileges, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira yesterday counteracted with a similar motion resulting in eight Opposition MPs being sent for a disciplinary hearing.

With six key positions yet to be addressed along with a work plan for the hosting of the constitutionally overdue Local Government Elections (LGE) and responding to the government’s amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) spent most its meeting yesterday on secondary matters.

Consultations on reforms to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) will continue as changes are still being drafted to the National Registration Act, according to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira.  More than two months after it released the proposed amendments to RoPA, the government is still awaiting recommendations from the major political parties as well as the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM).

The opposition PNCR yesterday called on the government to take measures to restrain the rise in the cost of living including the introduction of “temporary price ceilings” and “consumer food subsidies” On Tuesday, President Irfaan Ali, while explaining the reasons behind steadily rising food prices, had frowned upon the idea of implementing price control measures as a cushioning mechanism.

With opposition MPs calling for greater transparency in handling surging COVID-19 cases among teachers and students, Education Minister Priya Manickchand yesterday defended the reopening of schools for the new term and said that administrators have flexibility with seating and other arrangements to ensure safety.

A day after the controversial Natural Resource Fund Bill was passed in Parliament, the PPP/C government is still unable to say who will select the directors of the all-powerful board and what procedures will be followed.

Despite the absence of a design for the new bridge across the Demerara River, Head of the EPA Kemraj Parsram is maintaining that a full scale Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required for the project to be approved.

The Education Ministry, in December of 2020, signed five contracts before they were awarded at the level of the Ministerial Tender Board (MTB) resulting in the continuous breach of the Procurement Act of 2003, according to Auditor General Deodat Sharma.

Even as the Auditor General continues to flag the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for the poor management of the Amerindian Purpose Fund (APF), subject Minister Pauline Sukhai says it is the “wrong time” to discuss the issues with the fund.

While making it clear that he was not calling the elections, Aubrey Norton last night said that by all indications he was well positioned to win the seat of Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

Outgoing Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence this morning told the opening of the party’s 21st Biennial Delegates Congress that it is time the PNCR takes a new road with renewed leadership.