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Two men wanted for attempted murder of 6-yr-old boy Jul 19, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Two men are now wanted for the attempted murder of six-year-old Jeremiah Gustave who was shot in his head on the evening of July 9, 2024 in front of his home. The men are Odellie Garnette called ‘Crab’ of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown and Marlon Marcus commonly known as ‘Mice Man’, whose last known location was at East Ruimveldt and Albouystown, Georgetown.  The police are urging the public if anyone has information on the whereabouts of Marcus and Garnette to contact them at 232-0313, 229-2219, 2258196, 225-6976 or the nearest police station. Gustave is still hospitalised at the Georgetown Public hospital Corporation (GPHC). Speaking with Kaieteur News on Thursday, the mother of the injured boy, Keisha Gustave disclosed that he remains on life support with no signs of mobility. On July 12, 2024, Keisha had recounted to this publication that at the time of the incident, she heard sounds in the community, which she assumed were firecrackers. The woman was outside at her stall frying chips and chicken for her son when she heard the sounds coming from the bakery and soon realised that they were gunshots. The boy was discovered shot moments later. “I turned to take out something from the fridge and then I starting hearing him saying mommy, mommy, mommy, so I say mawn, just now you’ll get your thing… but something tell me to turn around and when I turn, there’s when I see he head down with blood all over,” the mother recounted. Injured: Six-year-old Jeremiah Gustave Keisha said she learnt that the shots were meant for a man by the name of ‘Crab’. He was standing near the bakery when the suspect arrived on a motorcycle and started firing shots. The woman alleged that ‘Crab’ fired back shots in her direction and believes that it was a bullet from his gun that struck her child. Jeremiah was rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery on his arrival and was placed on a life support machine.  Meanwhile, according to police reports, at the time of the incident, a man who was riding a black motorcycle approached the stall with a gun in his hand. The rider reportedly fired four rounds in the direction of ‘Crab’, a man who was standing next to the mother and her child, police said. ‘Crab’ immediately fled the scene as the gunshots were discharged but the child was struck. He fell on the ground and was subsequently picked up by his mother and rushed to the hospital. Police discovered two 9mm shells at the scene. Related Similar Articles

Region Five to get new CHPA office, estimated to cost $48M Jul 19, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Extending its reach and services, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), an agency under the Ministry of Housing and Water is preparing to construct an office building in Region Five. The project which is estimated to cost $48,963,789 was revealed at a recent opening of tenders at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office. There it was disclosed that two contractors applied for the contract and have bid above the engineer’s estimate. Contractors R and N Contracting & Supplies Services bid $65 million and Mac Junior International bid $51 million. This publication understands that other than its Georgetown location, CHPA also has an office in Anna Regina, Region Two which went into operation in 2022 and the ministry also constructed a $23 million building in Lethem, Region Nine to house the CHPA and the Guyana Water Inc. operations. Below are the companies and their bids: Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Upgrade works of Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven. Upgrade works at Three Miles Secondary School, Region Seven. Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Procurement of rehabilitation works for the Yesu Persaud Building. Rehabilitation of ceiling within the NIF Building (Three floors). Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) Construction of CHPA Region Five Office building. Related Similar Articles

MODEC donates towards Civil Defence Commission Disaster Relief Efforts Jul 19, 2024 News Rafael Fumis, Country Manager of MODEC in Guyana, presenting the donation to Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Mark Thomas in the presence of Onicka Jones, Stakeholder, Socioeconomic and Local Content Manager of MODEC in Guyana. Kaieteur News – MODEC, a leading provider of floating production solutions for the offshore oil and gas industry, has announced a donation of US$2500 to support the Civil Defence Commission’s disaster relief efforts in countries affected by Hurricane Beryl. The storm had wreaked havoc across the Caribbean region, causing widespread destruction and displaced numerous families, MODEC said in a press release. In response to this urgent humanitarian crisis, MODEC has stepped forward to provide financial assistance to aid in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. Rafael Fumis, Country Manager of MODEC in Guyana, presented the donation to Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Mark Thomas, Deputy Director General of the CDC, in the presence of Onicka Jones, Stakeholder, Socioeconomic and Local Content Manager of MODEC in Guyana. “We are deeply saddened by the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl and our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster”, said Rafael Fumis, Country Manager. “As a company committed to corporate social responsibility, we feel a responsibility to support the communities in which we operate. We hope that our donation will help provide much-needed relief to those in need and aid in the recovery process.” MODEC remains dedicated to supporting humanitarian causes and contributing to the well-being of communities in times of need. Related Similar Articles

Pensioner gets bail for allegedly loosing dog to kill neighbours’ goats Jul 19, 2024 News Kaieteur News – A 73-year-old man on Wednesday was granted bail for allegedly allowing his dog to attack and kill his neighbours’ goats at North Sophia Georgetown. Derrick Halley of North Sophia Georgetown made his first court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty who read the charge to him. The charge states that on July 5, 2024, Halley set an unmuzzled and ferocious dog to attack two goats, valued $110,000, property of Rosanne Joseph and Anthony Ochoa.  Halley pleaded not guilty to the charge. According to a police report, the complainants and Halley are known to each other due to previous matters relating to the said dog. At around 16:00hrs on the mentioned date, Joseph left her brother Ochoa to graze her goats close to Halley’s residence. During that time, the dog exited the yard through a hole in the fence and attacked the goats on the road. As a result, the goats died on the spot.  Statements were taken and Halley was later charged for the present offence. Halley was granted bail in the sum of $25,000 and is scheduled to return on July 24, 2024 for statements. Related Similar Articles

GPHC local Smile Train Team performs 7 successful cleft surgeries Jul 19, 2024 Peeping Tom Cleft surgeries conducted Kaieteur News – The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) successfully completed seven cleft surgeries between July 12 and 15, 2024. Four of the patients underwent cleft palate repairs, while the remaining three did cleft lip repairs. Children ranging from 13 months to 12 years benefitted from cleft palate surgeries, and those from 5 months to 7 months received cleft lip repairs. Cleft lips and palates are birth defects that happen when a baby’s lip or mouth does not form properly before birth, leaving a split or gap in the lip and/or palate. In a press release, the hospital said: “impressively, the local Smile Train team now operates independently, without the need for an international surgical team, showcasing their growing expertise and self-sufficiency.” Successful cleft repairs were made possible through the GPHC’s plastic surgery department, in collaboration with Smile Train, an international non-profit organisation. The GPHC has been partnering with Smile Train since 2019 and in 2023 earned a certification as a Smile Train Centre. Kaieteur News understands that the surgery to correct cleft lips is performed on patients from three months old and cleft palates surgeries are conducted on patients who are nine months and older providing that they are in good health. Two months ago, the hospital had recorded 76 patients, and as of July, the department has completed surgical corrections for 86 patients.  Accessing these interventions is easy and free of cost, the hospital said in its statement. Additionally, GPHC also offers nutritional, psychological support as well as speech therapy to all patients and their families for post-operative care at home. Related Similar Articles

Strengthening intra-regional logistics key to Caribbean trade expansion Jul 19, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Caribbean’s ability to expand trade hinges on establishing intra-regional logistic partnerships and building stronger public-private sector alliances. This was the consensus among policymakers, private sector leaders, and technical experts convened by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to discuss imperatives for facilitating trade in the subregion at the recent seminar, Accelerating Development: Optimising Trade Connectivity and Logistics for Growth. Labour efficiency, digitalisation, and upgrading infrastructure to enhance port operations were among the areas identified as levers for triggering immediate improvements, CDB said in a press release. Additionally, consistent regulatory environments to support business operations were called for, along with regional collaboration to create hubs and economies of scale, despite the complex political landscape. CDB’s Director of Economics, Mr. Ian Durant, presented findings from separate studies the Bank commissioned on logistics performance in Grenada and Saint Lucia last year, which revealed that “almost identical” constraints were affecting both countries. The issues include limited berthing capacity and equipment, restricted container loading times, high shipping rates, outdated tariff structures, absence of cold storage at some points, long inspection times, aging port infrastructure, and inefficient labour practices. Mr. Durant stressed the importance of unified public and private sector voices to address these challenges. “One of the core recommendations [from the studies] is the need to build and strengthen consensus around what should be done to improve logistics between the public sector and the private sector,” he said. Mr. Darwin Telemaque, Port Manager at the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority, voiced concerns that inefficiencies at regional ports hinder maritime traffic. “When you look at why we should improve the efficiencies of labour, digitalisation, and infrastructure, it is because our ports are quintessential to our existence,” he said. Shipping Association of Jamaica President, Mrs. Corah Ann Robertson-Sylvester, indicated that a good example had been set by Jamaica where privately-owned ports have been brought up to a “first-world standard” and, due to the country’s strategic location directly in front of the Panama Canal, serve as a hub for inter-regional cargo. She also cited competitive intra-regional trade as a catalyst for the growth of shipping and supporting industries, stating, “We need to look at how we’re going to move the cargo intra-regionally, between our islands, at competitive cost. You have to have the business there, and then the shipping lines will follow.” Senior Director of the Canada Commercial Corporation, Mr. Wilson Pearce discussed the challenges posed by a lack of economies of scale and inconsistent regulatory environments. He called for the public sector to establish a consistent, reliable environment to facilitate business operations. “What can the public sector do to establish a consistent, reliable environment at a regulatory level, with respect to the environment for the operations? A lot of our companies, when we talk to them, start to pull away: they’re unsure about the regulatory environment, it’s inconsistent, and you’ve got a series of relatively small markets for which you have to make major adjustments in terms of how you interact,” he explained. World Bank Program Leader for the Caribbean and Latin America, Ms. Fatima Arroyos, advocated for “a multi-sectoral perspective,” urging a regional approach despite the complex political landscape. “Instead of thinking about individual countries trading, there is a need tothink about building hubs and economies of scale. But at the same time, what we see in reality is that politically, the discussion is much more complex than that. So, how can we move forward in the context of the political economy in the region?” Accelerating Development: Optimising Trade Connectivity and Logistics for Growth was one of several knowledge-sharing events hosted by the CDB at its 54th Annual Meeting which was held in June in Ottawa, Canada. Related Similar Articles

IDB approves US$400,000 loan to aid Guyana’s trade, food security efforts Jul 19, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$400,000 loan for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce to bolster Guyana’s food security efforts. This funding will be used to strengthen trade and logistics at the Guyana-Brazil border and the Guyana-Suriname border. According to the IDB’s project documents, the government had expressed an interest in upgrading the Linden-Lethem transport corridor, a key artery for the socioeconomic development of communities in Guyana’s hinterland and the regional integration with the Roraima and Amazonas states of Brazil. The road is paved on the Brazilian side but stops at the border in Bomfim. While a largely unpaved road connection currently exists between Georgetown and the border, it is often hazardous due to dust during the dry season and frequently impassable in some sections during the rainy season where passage relies on low embankments, timber bridges, and ferry crossings. The unpaved road length from Lethem to Linden is approximately 454 Km. Road works are ongoing on the first 25 kilometres of the Linden-to-Lethem Roadway commencing from Linden. The project is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant to the tune of £50 million (US$66 million) from the United Kingdom under the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (CIPF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government. While the current emphasis of the GOG so far has been on road construction, motivated by a desire to create a reliable and safe land link with its neighbour, increase cross-border trade and strengthen food security, the IDB said it is evident that the land connection must be considered within a wider framework to have a positive developmental impact. Towards this end, the IDB said the US$400,000 allotment is concerned with the broader economic and social development objectives related to strengthening trade. In providing a breakdown of the US$400,000 allotment, the bank noted that US$25,000 will allow for the provision of technical inputs on preferential tariffs, investment provisions, and trade facilitation to the Government of Guyana for future trade negotiations, whether bilateral or regionally. The sum of US$50,000 is expected to finance activities related to policy dialogue and knowledge dissemination in relation to bilateral or regional trade agreement negotiations, with particular emphasis on Brazil. These activities will consider the elaboration of communications materials and workshops which will support negotiations and consensus-building. A total of US$275,000 will go towards conceptual designs for improvement of the Lethem-Bonfim border crossing and the Guyana-Suriname border crossing. This includes a market analysis of trade flows; a diagnosis of existing physical infrastructure, logistics and goods clearance processes; status of trade policy (e.g. transit agreement), trade facilitation and regulatory measures; policy and investment recommendations; and conceptual designs for the improved logistics flow of goods across both borders. Proposals undertaken in 2019 for the border at Lethem-Bomfim will be taken into consideration. Finally, the sum of US$50,000 will be used to provide resources for a consultancy to monitor activities regarding the foregoing elements. This project is expected to last 36 months. (DPI) Related Similar Articles