Guyana News

Government yesterday outlined proposed measures to ensure that University of Guyana (UG) students repay their loans, including barring those with outstanding debts from leaving the country.

Over the last ten years, the number of children in institutional care in Guyana has increased by almost 50%, with girls between the ages of 13 and 15, many of whom have been victims of sexual abuse, representing the largest single age group.

American oil firm ExxonMobil is seeking to acquire more acreage offshore Guyana and a top executive has reiterated that the plan for production is “probably early into the next decade at this point.”

Australian mining company Troy Resources Limited has produced 34,740 ounces of gold for the year up to the end of June at its Karouni gold project here and adverse weather conditions and teething problems at its mill are being blamed for hindering operations in the last quarter.

While they anticipate as much as a 25% increase in salary for 2016, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) workers yesterday welcomed an announcement by government of a one-off six weeks’ payout for last year.

A young repairman lost his life yesterday when he fell from the roof of the Ancient County Rice Mill, in Berbice.

As the police await legal advice, they were yesterday granted an extension to keep the suspects in the triple murder at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, in custody for three more days.

Current statistics point to a massive decline in the number of work permits/extensions of stay granted to foreign nationals being recorded this year and Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix says the job market must be protected for Guyanese.

Roughly half of the 12.5M hectares of state forests has been allocated, while the forests types and productive capacity of the remainder needs to be verified, according to Forestry Commissioner James Singh.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is calling for a Commission of Inquiry into Essequibo River ferry service, following recent mishaps.

With a global shortage of the Yellow Fever Vaccine, the Ministry of Public Health is appealing to prospective travellers to other endemic countries to consider locating their local immunisation records before requesting a new dosage of the vaccine.

Recently-appointed Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Godfrey Statia has assured the staff of the agency of an “open door policy” as well as a “resolute stance” against corrupt practices.

Twenty communities in five regions, including large parts of the capital city, have been identified for measures to combat crime and violence under an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded programme, the Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday.

A project has been launched in Region 10 to empower the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and reduce discrimination through the promotion of positive sexual health practices.

Fifteen-year-old Yannick Schultz, who was declared brain dead after being struck down last Saturday afternoon along the Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice Public Road, succumbed on Thursday afternoon.

A Sophia youth was yesterday sentenced to three months in jail for stealing a woman’s gold chain.

A Linden youth, who allegedly armed himself with an icepick to mug a high school student, was yesterday remanded to prison.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – A galaxy of former West Indies stars converged on Kensington Oval for a celebrity game here Thursday night, to mark the 80th birthday of cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers.

An excavator being operated by the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) came into contact with trees within close proximity of GPL’s transmission and distribution system at Ithaca causing some trees to fall onto the Network.

Twenty communities in five regions of the country and including large parts of the capital city have been identified for anti-crime measures under an IDB-funded programme.