Guyana News

Nineteen ministers were added to the administration of President Irfaan Ali yesterday and among them are some veterans who have served in previous PPP/C’s administrations and also quite a few new faces.

President Irfaan Ali has appointed a special technical team to conduct a rapid financial and management review of key state agencies including GuySuCo and the power company.

No portfolio was assigned for Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday when President Irfaan Ali named 19 ministers of his government but he stated that when that area of responsibility is made public it would reflect one that is “weighty.”

Urging his newly-appointed ministers to be results-oriented and transparent, President Irfaan Ali said yesterday that part of his Government’s immediate agenda is constitutional reform, electoral reform and other aspects of governance such as the revamping of the security sector.

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn has issued a call for reconciliation among all political parties following the recently concluded controversial elections, five months after Guyanese went to the polls.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Guyana, the total case count yesterday surpassed 500.

Computer scientist and teacher Vickram Bharrat was yesterday appointed Minister of Natural Resources and will head the oil & gas industry, underscoring that with the sector expected to be this country’s top revenue earner, his priority will be the establishment of a Petroleum Commission.

PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, recently sworn in as Vice President expressed yesterday gratitude to the supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for their backing over the past months leading up to the party’s victory and said that the country is now faced with the “uphill” task of rebuilding.

With consultations still ongoing in an effort to identify a Minister of Finance, the PPP/C government will in the meantime utilise the skills of former President and current Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on financial matters, President Irfaan Ali announced yesterday.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is currently looking for eight COVID-19 case tracking consultants, who will be expected to work within the various regions of the country.

Preparations for the inauguration ceremony for Guyana’s 9th Executive President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, scheduled to be held on Saturday at the National Cultural Centre, have begun.

New Minister of Education Priya Manickchand yesterday said that the safety and reopening of schools is of “paramount importance”.

The Cuyuni/Mazaruni region (Region Seven) has now recorded more than 100 cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with the indigenous community of Batavia recording a sudden increase.

Two fishing trawlers belonging to Pritipaul Singh Investments Limited yesterday afternoon collided with the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), dislodging two of the bridge’s anchors.

The 19 fraud charges over the sale of state lands in the ‘Pradoville 2’ Housing Scheme instituted against Dr.

Addressing the members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) one day after the swearing in of Guyana’s 9th Executive President, Irfaan Ali, Chief of Staff (Ag) Brigadier Godfrey Bess declared that all members of the GDF are “now subjected to the new Commander-in-Chief’s directives.”

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has donated over 40,000 rapid testing kits to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease in Guyana.

Former Government Minister Simona Broomes, who alleged that she was threatened at her home earlier this week said that the assault allegation levelled against her driver/bodyguard is “untrue”.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edgar Thomas is now the head of the Presidential Guard Service, a unit which is responsible for the security of both the President and Prime Minister.

Newly-appointed Minister of  Health Dr Frank Anthony yesterday stated that the recently commissioned  $1.6b infectious diseases hospital is a “shell” and major work needs to be done at the hospital and in the health sector to better Guyana’s response to COVID-19.