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11-yr-old gives birth at GPHC Sep 13, 2024 News – father arrested, as police launch probe Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) have launched an investigation after an 11-year-old girl gave birth via C-section at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Wednesday. A source close to the case revealed that the girl who hails from Region Nine was brought to Georgetown months ago. She has since been discharged from the hospital.  She was allegedly raped by a male relative. A source close to the case said that the child’s case was being tracked for months. “A few social organisations heard about the case since May and tried to get in contact with the family and make the necessary interventions but we were unable to locate her, we heard she was brought to the Georgetown and staying at the Amerindian Hostel but when we checked there, she was not there…Her story was kept under wraps until now,” the source explained. The source noted that initial investigations into the case were not successful since the girl was tight-lipped about who had impregnated her. “All we know is that her father was not responsible and the perpetrator is likely a close male relative who lives in proximity to the family,” the source added. Kaieteur News understands that at the initial stage of interventions by the social organisations, the family refused to divulge any information and therefore no one was arrested. The source added, “It is unfortunate that these cases are quite prevalent in the hinterland and many times they are not reported because of how they are handled by the village councils, village leaders, and the police.” “There are many instances where young girls are taken advantage of by their teachers, village leaders’ regional government officials, and those in authority but these things are not reported because there is no justice for the victims. What happens is that if reported the victims would end up being further victimised by these people who have more influence than them.” In a statement, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Protection though the CPA became involved in the matter after information about the child giving birth made its rounds on social media.  The Ministry said that as a result the CPA immediately carried out a thorough investigation and informed the police and the alleged perpetrator has been arrested.  The Ministry said that the case is currently before the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.  In the interim, the Ministry said that the child will continue to receive psychosocial and medical support. Related Similar Articles

ECD teachers decry 10% pay hike Sep 13, 2024 News – seeking higher allowance to mark SBAs Kaieteur News – Teachers on the East Coast Demerara on Tuesday decried the lowly 10% pay hike offered by the government as well as some of the incentives, which they said would benefit mostly the very senior educators. Despite objections from a section of its General Council as well as rank-and-file members, President of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) Dr. Mark Lyte on August 22, 2024 signed a multi-year agreement with the government accepting the ten percent pay hike for teachers and a slew of other benefits, none of which accorded with the demands of the union. Among other things, the agreement stipulates that teachers will receive a salary increase of 10% for 2024, 8% for 2025 and 9% for 2026. These are the same increases that were initially rejected by the union. At a branch meeting held at the Golden Secondary School on Tuesday, teachers criticized the August 21, 2024 agreement between the Ministry of Education and the GTU. In addition to the 10% salary hike, the teachers also rallied against the $500 being paid per School Based Assessment (SBA), stating that the allowance is not enough given the amount of work that needs to be done for an SBA. Furthermore, during the meeting, one teacher stressed that $500 is not enough given the amount of work that is needed to be done when marking SBAs for subjects in the science field. He explained that within the science field, he marks SBAs for the subjects: Chemistry, Biology among others. He said he is required to mark multiple reports within those SBAs. “What happen last year, my biology students had two lab reports that I had to mark and my chemistry had 19 lab reports that I had to mark, and I don’t understand how you are paying $500 to mark one SBA which comprises of so many reports,” he stated. Regarding the multi-year agreement, the teacher said he was still trying to understand “where these benefits are and how they actually apply to me, because the only thing, I can see myself benefitting from is the little 10 percent, I did my calculations, I factored out the…NIS and everything and it came up to $7700.” Vice President of the GTU with responsibility for Demerara, Collis Nicholson in response to the teacher issue said, “now that you going deeper into it, I have a better understanding, because I didn’t know all of that you were doing.” He also said, “… I understand where you are in terms of your subject area and I take my hats off to you, but we will sure have to revisit that sort of stuff when it comes to the SBA markers.” Importantly, given that each subject has different categories within the field, the teachers requested that instead of paying per a student ($500 for an SBA), it would be more efficient if they are paid for a subject. The Regional Vice President stated, “So if you are a Science teacher …. And you are teaching chemistry, physics and biology, you should be paid for Physics SBA, Chemistry SBA and Biology SBA and not a child who is doing all of them, you are paying for that one child.” Under the agreement, teachers will receive salary increases over the next three years: a 10% increase in 2024, followed by an 8% increase in 2025, and a 9% increase in 2026. Additionally, teachers in remote areas will benefit from the increased Remote Area Incentive (RAI). In November 2023, this allowance stood at $9,000.  The Ministry noted that it was subsequently increased in December 2023 to $20,000. With the new agreement, teachers will now receive $23,000 monthly. Teachers with doctoral degrees will see their monthly allowance rise from $30,000 to $32,000, a 7% increase. Those with master’s degrees, who received $10,000 monthly in November 2023, saw their allowance doubled to $20,000 in December 2023. With the new agreement, they will now receive $22,000.  Educators holding postgraduate diplomas, advanced graduate diplomas, and certificates in education will also see their monthly allowances increased to $7,000 and $5,000. Additionally, teachers who have completed the Certificate in Education Management Course will now receive a monthly allowance of $5,000.” The station allowance, which compensates teachers for working in particular locations, has been increased to $5,000 for all eligible categories. The increase varies based on the category. Similarly, the hardlying allowance has been standardized at $5,000. With the new agreement, teachers will be compensated for marking and supervising SBAs and the National Grades 5 & 6 Mock Exams. Non-graduate teachers (TS 1A to TS 5B) will also receive two additional increments after three years of continuous service, benefiting over 9,000 teachers (more than 60% of the teaching workforce). In some cases, this will result in salary increases of up to 15%. The Ministry of Education had said that this agreement represents a comprehensive package designed to enhance the welfare of our teachers and to recognise their pivotal role in shaping the future of our country. Related Similar Articles

CHPA issues warning to squatters in Linden Sep 13, 2024 News Illegally erected fences on allocated lands Kaieteur News – Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), Sherwyn Greaves has again urged persons to desist from illegally occupying lands at Amelia’s Ward/Fitz Hope or purchasing lands already allocated by the government. CHPA in a press release said it has received several reports about individuals illegally auctioning and constructing buildings on lands reserved for Phase Four of the CHPA’s housing project. During a community visit on Thursday, Greaves explained that the CHPA has been actively monitoring the land and dismantling any unauthorised houses, fences or structures. Further, the housing and planning authority has denounced the obligation to respect any transactions conducted illegally and outside the formal process. Between 2020 and 2023, the government successfully regularised 13 squatting areas in Regions Two, Three, Four and Ten. However, the lands in Amelia’s Ward have already been allocated, thus making them illegible for regularisation. Greaves assured squatters that their actions were unnecessary as the CHPA is willing to process formal applications for land ownership. “We are disappointed that persons think that they have to go to these measures to get an allocation when we have been doing hundreds of allocations in Region Ten since 2020 and we continue to do more” Greaves highlighted. He further noted that continued illegal occupation of the lands would result in persons being registered as squatters, hindering their chances of being formally allocated a house lot. CEO of Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) Sherwyn Greaves and team during the visit to Amelia’s Ward on Thursday “There’s no need to squat. There will be enough lands for everybody and once you have a legitimate application in the system you will be served” he stated. As reassurance to concerned landowners, Greaves pledged the agency’s unwavering commitment to securing their lands and preventing further cases of squatting. He also encouraged residents to look forward to upcoming developments in their community. Recently, the CHPA board approved $80 million to improve road networks in Amelia’s Ward. Related Similar Articles

Govt. to spend $16M more to install cubicles at $400M Essequibo Registry Sep 13, 2024 News The Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority building at Suddie, Region Two. (Photos, Regional Democratic Council of Region 2 (January 2024) Kaieteur News – Having spent over $400 million to build the new Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) building at Suddie, Region Two, the government is set spend $16 million more, to install office cubicles in the building. According to information provided by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), it was revealed that the Ministry of Legal Affairs tendered for the ‘Supply, Delivery and Installation of Office Cubicles and Partition’ for Essequibo Sub-Registry building. Following the national bidding process for this project, NPTAB revealed on its website that the contract was awarded earlier this month to Kojac for $16,878,700. Kaieteur News reported in July this year that an additional $67 million would be spent to execute several external works at the sub-registry office. According to information provided on the NPTAB website also, the $67,726,995 contract was awarded to Jaikam Construction & Supplies Inc. It was reported that the $67 million contract entails the casting of the compound and construction of drain, fence, concrete culvert and concrete revetment at the new Essequibo Sub-Registry. This publication understands that with the two additional projects and the initial contract sum to construct the building, the Essequibo Sub-Registry Building is now costing over half a billion dollars to establish. It was previously reported that in October 2022, the DCRA signed the contract with Jaikam Construction to the tune of $447,862,666, for the construction of a new four-storey building next door to the Supreme Court building at Suddie. The contract duration mentioned at the time was 12 months. Currently, the DCRA is currently housed at the Supreme Court Building in Suddie. Upon completion, the four-storey building is set to house the operations of the Deeds and Commercial Registries, and living quarters for staff. It was disclosed by the DCRA that the building will be equipped with an elevator, parking facilities and a storage vault for documents. In January 2021, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC announced that the Deeds and Commercial Registry in the Region Two would soon have its own building. The Deeds and Commercial Registry was established to efficiently and expeditiously administer the laws enacted by Parliament affecting land, whether by way of transport, leases, mortgages or any other alienation thereof. It also deals with laws relating to trademarks, patents and designs, geographical indications, copyrights, trade unions, companies, partnership, business names, powers of attorney, bills of sale contracts, and other deeds. Related Similar Articles

Woman found dead in guard hut at Merriman’s Mall Sep 13, 2024 News Kaieteur News – A woman identified only as Desiree was found dead on Thursday morning, in a guard hut at Merriman’s Mall, located between North Road and Church Road on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown. Desiree’s body was discovered around 09:00 hours lying on a mattress inside the hut. Police in a statement said that investigations revealed that she had been living in the hut with another individual, Troy Williams, for the past three years. Williams reported that around 08:30 hours, he noticed Desiree lying motionless and not breathing. According to the police, an ambulance was summoned and arrived at the scene, and Desiree was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she was pronounced dead on arrival. An initial examination revealed no signs of violence on her body. The body has been taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home for further identification and a post-mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing. Related Similar Articles

Over 4,000 acres of soya beans harvested at Tacama Gold Sep 13, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Over 4,000 acres of soya beans, with an average yield of 1.2 tonnes per acre, are currently being harvested at Tacama Gold Inc. in the Berbice River for the first crop this year. President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali posted the update to his Facebook page on Monday, where he shared footage of the ongoing harvest.  In this year’s budget, the government allocated $967.8 million to further boost the capacity of the Tacama facility, which will include the installation of a conveyor system. This system is expected to be installed by the end of the year to transport produce from the silos to the wharf. According to the mid-year report, in the first half of 2024, $408.2 million was spent to improve this facility to efficiently produce corn and soya beans. An additional three silos with a total capacity of 18,000 tonnes will be procured, bringing the total storage capacity to 27,000 tonnes. This aligns with Guyana’s unwavering support for the production and expansion of corn and soya beans. In the past three years, the government has invested over $1.4 billion in infrastructure development within the Tacama area to support the region’s agricultural production and cultivation targets. As a result, Guyana is on track to achieve self-sufficiency in livestock feed production by 2025, reducing its reliance on imports. This progress is evidenced by the approximately 10,000 acres of corn and soya beans cultivated in 2023. Key investments have also been made in technology, such as field maps, GPS locators, drones, and multi-spectral cameras, aimed at advancing climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance productivity in the Tacama area. At the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean Ministerial Session earlier this year, President Ali said these investments will go hand in hand to reduce the region’s large food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025. “By the end of 2026, the region will be fully self-sufficient in corn, soya, black-eye peas and red beans. That’s hundreds of millions of US dollars that we will save from import in these areas by the end of 2026,” the president said. (DPI) Related Similar Articles

US citizens living in Guyana can vote at November elections Sep 13, 2024 News Kaieteur News – United States citizens living or working in Guyana can vote in the upcoming U.S. Presidential Elections scheduled for November this year. In a press release, the US Embassy in Guyana said its Consular Team on Friday, September 20, at 2:00 pm at the Cara Lodge Hotel will host a Town Hall on how to register and request an absentee ballot so that persons can cast their vote from Guyana. “Register your interest in attending the Town Hall by emailing us at [email protected] or by using the Google Form at https://forms.gle/RK5fzcJeZikx4i9T6. You may also call us on 225-4900 Ext:4332 or 4222.  Come out to learn about your voting rights, how to register and request a ballot, and tips to ensure your vote counts – no matter where you are in the world,” the release added. The US Presidential election is set to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.  Voters in each state and the District of Columbia will choose electors to the Electoral College, who will then elect a president and vice president for a term of four years. The incumbent president, Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, initially ran for re-election and became the party’s presumptive nominee, facing little opposition. However, Biden’s performance in the June 2024 presidential debate intensified concerns about his age and health, and led to calls within his party for him to leave the race. Although initially adamant that he’d remain in the race, Biden ultimately withdrew on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the party’s nominee on August 5. Harris selected Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, as her running mate. Biden’s withdrawal makes him the first eligible incumbent president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 not to run for re-election, and the first to withdraw after securing enough delegates to win the nomination. Harris is the first nominee who did not participate in the primaries since Hubert Humphrey, also in 1968. Related Similar Articles