News

Four armed men on Sunday night attacked and robbed Hemraj Hoolasie at his home in Number 64 Village, Corentyne, making off with jewellery valued at $1.3 million and $60,000.

In a historic sitting last week the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held a hearing by way of teleconferencing involving Guyanese attorneys in Guyana while the Court was convened in Trinidad.

Three officers attached to the army’s Military Criminal Investigation Department (MCID) who allegedly tortured several soldiers during interrogation over a missing AK 47 rifle will likely be stripped of their rank, well-placed sources in the military said yesterday.

Vending on the seawall along the Rupert Craig Highway particularly on Sunday evenings is causing deterioration of the embankment and the works ministry will soon take steps to prevent further damage.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has asked the Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon to look into the non-appointment of an Ombudsman over the last two years.

Prominent rice farmer and miller Beni Sankar is of the view that had the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) carefully monitored the stocks for consumption, rice prices would not have escalated to over $6,000 per bag – a rise of over 100 per cent in a year.

Although receiving a report almost two months ago, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack has not decided whether Local Government Minister, Kellawan Lall appropriately used his firearm during the rum shop brawl last year.

In the Caribbean-EU Econo-mic Partnership Agreement (EPA), for a period of two years leading up to full duty-free and quota-free access, CARIFORUM rice exporting countries will be given quotas of 187,000 tonnes for 2008 and 250,000 tonnes for 2009.

The GMC says establishing an agro-processors association (AA) would improve product quality, uniformity and competitive pricing of produce, all integral to the growth of the industry.

Government’s $650M National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) will be thoroughly reviewed in March to evaluate aspects that have been implemented and those that require immediate attention, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Government last year spent $20M on schools and to provide accommodation for teachers that would preclude the need for travelling long distances, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

The Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) says that last year 308,209 persons were treated at the New Amsterdam, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Mibicuri hospitals, including patients who benefited from special clinics, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Several logging companies are being collectively fined $275 million for breaches in the Guyana Forestry Commission’s (GFC) regulations based on the findings of a late 2007 audit that revealed delinquencies regarding requisite forest inventories and operation plans.

Guyana does not have any plans at this time to join ALBA (the acronym for the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas), a new regional trading block being promoted by Venezuela’s President Hugo Ch

Former head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Joseph O’Lall says he is going ahead with his litigation against the government for unfair dismissal when all he was trying to do was help his agency through ways and means that were available to him.

Amid accusations of torture and low morale among some junior and senior ranks in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Chief-of-Staff, Gary Best on Tuesday outlined to a number of low-level ranks that he would allow more of them to attend learning institutions.

Guyana is not currently considering a barter arrangement with Venezuela for fuel under the PetroCaribe agreement.

The Guyana Public Service Union has written President Bharrat Jagdeo appealing for his intervention in the matter of government withholding the Critchlow Labour College subvention which was approved in the 2007 national budget.

Chairman of Banks DIH Limited Clifford Reis is calling for legislation to help combat the smuggling of beer and other alcoholic beverages and said that the scourge is eating away at the country’s revenue, the company’s profits, and local workers’ job security.

The Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic is expanding it services to other parts of the country and to this end had advertised for lawyers and legal clerks to be stationed in two areas outside Georgetown.