Marcelle Thomas

-following franchise deal, first shop to open on Brickdam A young Guyanese-American couple has packed up and moved here, bringing with them a US$350,000-$600,000 investment in the US donut franchise –Duck Donuts- which they both believe is the sweet treat this country needs.

More than six months after Second Dam Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara residents protested the state of their road, they lamented again yesterday that nothing has been done while highlighting additional plights they believe have fallen on deaf ears.

-President announces President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced that with effect from this year, government will pay the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) fees – for both the CSEC and CAPE exams – for up to eight subjects for all students sitting those examinations.

By Marcelle Thomas in French Guiana Courtesy of the governments of Guyana and France The two-week Fer de Lance joint military interoperability cooperation exercise, conducted with partners across the Guiana Shield, concluded yesterday, with Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officials stating that the army is now better equipped to respond to natural disasters and mass movement of migrants.

Bilateral trade between France and Guyana fell last year by some 67 per cent with figures standing at €184.3 million and down from €556 million in 2023 with Paris putting the decline to a reduction in the importation of  hydrocarbons and extractive industry products from this country.

– Guyana stands to benefit Last Monday, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) turned the sod for a US$180 million Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre (AATC) in Barbados, which the bank believes will bring increased trade and investment into the region and from which Guyana stands to significantly benefit. 

‘It will be a very bad day if Venezuela attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil’  In the starkest warning yet to Venezuela, the United States yesterday said that were  Caracas to attack Guyana or ExxonMobil infrastructure in the Atlantic Ocean, the end result would be dire.

-following, Ali, Rubio remarks A simmering contest for influence here between the US and China spilled into the open after remarks at State House yesterday by President Irfaan Ali and visiting US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

Guyana and the United States yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address shared security challenges which range from heavily strengthening narcotics cooperation, to supporting this country’s regional leadership role and countering transnational crime and general information sharing.

-as company looking to double acreage The success of soya bean cultivation has seen new investors looking to tap into the local market, even as pilot company, Tacama Gold, begins plans to expand by more than doubling its operations, planting some 7500 hectares for its first 2025 crop.  

-eighty Schengen visas approved via consulate The French Embassy is set to be opened here in September and  France believes it will open up business cooperation not only for itself but other European nations.

-Todd says being carefully considered, must be in best interest of country France is pressing Guyana to sign on to a UN marine biological diversity pact and Georgetown says it is looking closely at the issue.

-cites breach of Argyle Agreement President Irfaan Ali says that he will not be meeting with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro given Caracas’s continuous and recent disregard for this country’s sovereignty and the flagrant breach of the Argyle Agreement.

Guyana’s digitization plans – especially for hinterland communities  and building entrepreneurship – will be boosted through the CONDOSAT (CARISAT) initiative which aims at enhancing satellite connectivity within CARICOM Mem-ber States, Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday said.

-businessman threatens lawsuit, says being targeted over criticism of gov’t The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday said that it will probe the leak of tax information pertaining to Terrence Campbell and the businessman has threatened legal action over the matter and says he is being targeted over his criticism of the government.

-Stats Bureau says report still being compiled The Guyana Bureau of Statistics yesterday stated that it has not completed the long-delayed census report even as sources say that from preliminary analysis the final figure is around 812,000 including thousands of Venezuelan migrants “We are still working on finalising the report and trying to get it completed soon…” Chief Statistician, Errol La Cruez told Stabroek News yesterday when asked for an update.

-former GuySuCo director The company through whatever deliberations, sought to bring sevenCuban experts for the factories at an enormous cost to the company and who have to date made zero contribution.

Following last week’s unanimous voting of a US$527 million loan from the United States EXIM Bank to Guyana for its Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project, President of the Bank, Reta Jo Lewis, along with Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday inked the agreement allowing for the formal release of the sums.

-40 rapid intervention vehicles handed over Forty Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIVs) from Angloco – a fire-fighting & rescue vehicle manufacturer out of the United Kingdom – were yesterday handed over to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and at least one would be given to each Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and APAN Energy – the company that supplied 18 used generators from Honduras in 2023  – are currently in legal discussions as the utility company wants to leverage  liquidated damages for late delivery of the engines.  “The matter is being reviewed by external counsel, London House Chambers  at the request of GPL with instructions to claim liquidated damages and compensation for any breach of contract established.