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Norton re-elected leader of PNCR, declared presidential candidate for 2025 elections  Jul 02, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Aubrey Norton has been re-elected unopposed as the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) during the party’s 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress, which concluded on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Aubrey Norton Norton, who has been at the helm of the PNCR, reaffirmed his leadership amid a gathering of approximately 1,300 delegates representing 218 groups from all 10 regions as well as from North America, and the United Kingdom to deliberate on the serious issues affecting the Party and the nation. This year’s congress was themed “Forming the next government: building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society for all.” In his address at the opening ceremony on June 28, Norton laid out his vision for Guyana, which he termed a “CONTRACT WITH GUYANA.” He said, the party will, “put people first and will utilize the resources of Guyana to achieve the ultimate goal of providing a high quality of life to the people of Guyana through the direct and indirect transfer of resources to our people, to educate them, support their mobilization of resources to work, and for investment with the aim of alleviating and ultimately eradicating poverty while simultaneously resulting in the sustainable development of all communities and sectors of the Guyanese society, as well as the promotion of good governance and the creation of a just and prosperous society.” Norton also addressed critical national issues such as national security, foreign policy, and the necessity for biometrics and a clean voters’ list for the next general election. His emphasis on these areas, he said reflects the party’s focus on ensuring a fair and secure electoral process and maintaining robust international relations. The congress, spanning three days, was not only a platform for discussing the party’s internal matters but also served as a forum for addressing national issues. Delegates engaged in debates on the motions brought forth, which included calls for racial unity, the implementation of Norton’s people-centered vision, and logistical support for the party’s work in hinterland regions. One of the significant resolutions passed during the congress was that the elected Party Leader at the 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress will be the PNCR’s Presidential Candidate for the next General and Regional elections. This decision solidifies Norton’s position as the central figure leading the party into the upcoming elections. The elections for other key party positions also took place during the congress. Shurwayne Holder was re-elected as Chairman, while Vinceroy Jordan and Elizabeth Williams-Niles were re-elected as Vice Chairpersons. Elson Low was elected Treasurer, and the counting of votes for the fifteen-member Central Executive Committee is ongoing. Related Similar Articles

Guyana to provide Grenada with security support following Hurricane Beryl Jul 02, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GoG) is on standby to provide Grenada with security support services, following Hurricane Beryl which flattened sections of the Caribbean Island on Monday. Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell revealed that as a result of Hurricane Beryl, Grenada had reported extensive storm surge, loss of roofs, buildings, loss of communication and no electricity. During a media briefing with GIS Grenada, the Prime Minister explained that a discussion was held between him and Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, as it relates to the provision of security support services. “His (President Ali)’s Commissioner of Police is in contact with our (Grenada) Commissioner of Police,” Minister Mitchell said, while adding, “Guyana is the outgoing Chair of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and we expect that any assistance that we ask for and it is in the position to render, it will do so.” More importantly, Prime Minister Mitchell revealed that there has been constant communication with his other colleagues within the other Caribbean region at a political level. He underscored, “They are on standby to provide any assistance that is required, whether it be a relief aid, whether it’s water, whether it be support from a security and safety standpoint.” The Prime Minister noted that Grenada’s National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) was also in contact with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). He said, “We’ve already shortlisted potential relief items that we may need if it comes to that.” President Ali, in a statement issued on Monday said that as the Chairman of CARICOM, he is closely coordinating with all affected countries in the region. “We have activated a full emergency response team from Guyana to support all efforts. Currently, we are mobilising for our first support mission, prioritizing Grenada for tomorrow morning today). Hurricane Beryl is still very active in the region, and the coming days will be crucial in determining its path and the continued devastating impact it could have. The regional private sector and other agencies must be fully mobilised to provide support at this time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the people of the region.” Ali said in his statement. On Sunday, Caribbean Airlines (CAL) was forced to cancel several flights following warnings of the hurricane storm passing through most of the Caribbean countries. Hurricane Beryl strikes Grenada CAL noted that no scheduled flights will operate into/out of Trinidad and Tobago and regionally through Port of Spain route from 9:00 PM – June 30 through 1:00 PM – July 1.  Affected passengers booked on CAL during the time will be contacted and will be re-accommodated and re-timed and recovery flights. The following flights have been retimed:  Trinidad to Guyana, Guyana to Toronto, Toronto to Guyana, Guyana to Trinidad, Trinidad to Jamaica, Jamaica to Nassau, Nassau to Kingston, Kingston to Trinidad, Trinidad to Orlando, Orlando to Trinidad, Trinidad to Miami, Miami to Trinidad, and Trinidad to Fort Lauderdale. Meanwhile, NBC news reported on Monday that Hurricane Beryl entered the southeastern Caribbean, bringing “life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surge” to the southern Windward Islands, which include Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands and Martinique. The extremely dangerous Category 4 storm made landfall on Grenada’s Carriacou Island with 150 miles per hour winds. It is reported by the NBC news, that Beryl is the first Category 4 hurricane on record to form in the month of June. The hurricane is also the earliest Category 4 on record for the Atlantic hurricane season, beating the previous record of Hurricane Dennis which formed July 8, 2005. Related Similar Articles

Fire ravages several buildings in Bush Lot Jul 02, 2024 News Scenes from the fire at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. (Photo courtesy, Latchmin Azeez) Kaieteur News – A fire of unknown origin on Monday evening destroyed approximately five buildings at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. A preliminary report from the Guyana Fire Service is that firefighters were alerted of the fire at approximately 18:03hrs on Monday night. “The blaze has affected five buildings and is being tackled by twenty firefighters, who have the fire surrounded with Water Tender #90 from Onverwagt, Water Tender #106 from Mahaica, and Water Tender #74 from New Amsterdam,” the Fire Service reported. Kaieteur News understands that among the buildings on fire was the Nalico Nafico Insurance building. An investigation is ongoing. Related Similar Articles

Sod turned to construct $208M Monkey Mountain Secondary School Jul 02, 2024 News Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and other officials on Monday turning the sod to commence the construction of Monkey Mountain Secondary School. (Photo courtesy, MoE) Kaieteur News – Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Monday turned the sod to commence the construction of the $208,282,809 Monkey Mountain Secondary School in Region Eight. Kaieteur News reported that in June, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office awarded the $208 million contract to K’s Trucking & Construction Service following a competitive bidding process. The ministry in a release said that the project is part of a broader effort by the government to expand access to secondary education across the country, aligning with its goal to achieve universal secondary education by 2025. The Monkey Mountain Secondary School when completed is expected to cater to the educational needs of students from the communities of Monkey Mountain, Taruka and Tusseneng. The complex will also have a teachers’ quarter and a small dormitory for the children of Taruka and Tusseneng. The project includes also provisions of facilities such as laboratories, an Information Technology lab, and a library– ensuring that students have access to modern learning resources upon completion. The ministry shared that training of teachers is currently ongoing and more teachers were identified to begin training for the secondary level. During the simple sod turning ceremony, Minister Manickchand highlighted the importance of the new school, stating that it will alleviate the burden on existing educational facilities such as Paramakatoi by accommodating an average 250 secondary-aged students. The ministry reported that currently, students from these communities have had to travel significant distances to access secondary education, often facing logistical challenges due to the limited availability of schools in the region. The Minister further made mention of the holistic approach of the project, mentioning that alongside the school, provisions will be made for a teachers’ quarters to accommodate staff, given the remote location of Monkey Mountain. This measure aims to attract and retain qualified educators, thereby ensuring the delivery of quality education to students in the area. Kaieteur News understands that residents of Monkey Mountain expressed their deep gratitude, anticipation and appreciation for the new school and the relief it will bring to their families. It was reported too that the residents chose to let their current Grade Six children be educated in the community pending the completion of the school. A resident from the community expressed, “Now that we will have a brand-new secondary school constructed right in our village, our children will be able to get educated from the nursery level right up to secondary and I can speak for most parents when I say that we can now die happily seeing the development of our village.” Kaieteur News had reported on Sunday that the NPTAB awarded $407.6 million in contracts for the construction of Monkey Mountain and Kopinang Secondary Schools in Region Eight. As reported previously, the ministry has embarked on an aggressive programme to ensure that the nation’s children have access to secondary education by constructing several secondary schools across the country. Related Similar Articles

CDEMA and regional and international partners to assist countries affected by Hurricane Beryl Jul 02, 2024 News Possible path of Hurricane Beryl Kaieteur News – The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Coordinating Unit (CDEMA CU) released a statement on Monday announcing their commitment to assisting its participating states threatened by Hurricane Beryl. Beryl is the regions’ first major hurricane of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, with active hurricane warnings continue to be in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. In response to the threat posed by Hurricane Beryl, the press release stated that, “CDEMA activated its Regional Coordination Plan on June 29, 2024, will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Beryl and remains committed to supporting its participating States during this time,” The decision to coordinate a plan and assist the states was made following a meeting by the Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG), which convened over 166 representatives from local, regional, and international agencies. Plans were discussed in preparation for the Category four wind storm. The meeting was co-chaired by CDEMA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Simon Springett. The meeting also saw the participation of key stakeholders, including Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, as well as National Disaster Coordinators and Ministers who provided updates on the activation of National Emergency Operation Centers, logistics, communications, and relief and response to the level of impacts. The participating states include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands. Related Similar Articles

Govt. to pay for supermarket space for local agro products – President Ali Jul 02, 2024 News President Irfaan Ali speaking at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Annual Award Ceremony Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali has said that his government’s plan to purchase supermarket shelf space for local agro-products both internationally and regionally. President Ali made this announcement during the Guyana Marketing Cooperation (GMC) Annual Award ceremony, last week. During his feature address, President Ali underscored that the government is committed to enhancing brand visibility and ensuring that locally produced goods occupy prominent positions in supermarkets.  He noted that this significant step aims to boost the agricultural sector and maximize its potential for local entrepreneurs. President Ali emphasized the government’s dedication to supporting the agricultural industry and harnessing its full potential. He stated, “There has been no time like this, where we have invested so much in agriculture and in realizing the full potential of agriculture. This sector has enormous potential to create entrepreneurs and to create business.” To achieve this objective, the President stated that the government intends to incentivize local supermarkets to prominently display locally sourced products, ensuring they are not placed to the back shelves in supermarkets. Additionally, the government will actively invest in securing shelf space and branding opportunities on international and regional platforms. This strategic approach aims to enhance the visibility and accessibility of local products to a broader consumer base. President Ali noted the importance of maintaining high-quality standards and increasing production to match the investment made by the government. He asserted that, “We are ready to make that investment, but that investment must be matched with our readiness to up our quality, up our production, and to be sustainable at it.” Related Similar Articles

GPF kicks off 185th anniversary with customary church service Jul 02, 2024 News Scenes from Monday’s Church Service. Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force, on Monday kicked off a month long of activities to celebrate its 185th anniversary with its traditional Drum Head Church Service. The service was held at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown. During his address, Deputy Commissioner Calvin Brutus said that, “Some person who are here for the first time were seeking directions, but, we are still here in Guyana. What we are doing is modernizing the Force and under the strategic pillar of infrastructure, we realize this facility.” Giving a little history about the institution, he said on July 1st, 1839 the then British Guiana Police Force was established in colonial British Guiana. Its leadership consisted of military officers until 1969 when a Guyanese assumed command. Since then, the Force’s anniversary has been commemorated with a church service featuring a unique activity known as padding of the drums. The tradition involves an elaborate display of drills and the precise arrangement of several musical drums on the ground. Subsequently, there were prayers from a number of ministers and those in attendance were led into an intense hour of worship and praise by a number of worship leaders and accompanied by the police band. There was also a sermon and several rounds of prayers offered. In closing, Brutus thanked all those in attendance for coming and being a part of the first anniversary activity, wishing them well for the others to come. Related Similar Articles