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Nigel Hughes promises to keep claws off oil sector Jul 06, 2024 News Newly elected leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes …says will establish Petroleum Commission in 100 days if elected Kaieteur News – Newly elected Alliance for Change (AFC) leader, Nigel Hughes on Friday promised to establish a Petroleum Commission within the first 100 days of being elected to serve as president. Hughes made the comment during his first press conference as leader of the AFC. He criticized the Irfaan Ali led-administration for its failure to introduce a Petroleum Commission to oversee the nation’s burgeoning oil and gas sector. “Within the first 100 days of being elected to office, I will establish the Petroleum Commission,” Hughes promised. A Petroleum Commission would be an independent body which would hold responsibility for monitoring and enforcing Guyana’s petroleum laws, policies and oil agreements. The body is also intended to ensure oil companies comply with health, safety and environmental standards. Hughes said, “The concentration of decision-making in the areas of natural resources, finance, and oil and gas in the hands of a single person is highly risky, dangerous, and leads to policy being made up on the trot, all of which is bad for business.” The AFC leader underscored that oil and gas policies in Guyana must be from the considerations and deliberations of experts. He added, “The AFC intends to follow international best practice. In consideration of these matters, the party has appointed Dr. Vince Adams and Mr. David Patterson to head the Alliance for Change’s Oil & Gas Advisory Committee with full powers to invite highly skilled technical experts both locally and internationally onto the committee.” In the meantime, Hughes highlighted that until the AFC attains office he will not have an input in or involvement with the AFC Oil & Gas Committee. He maintained that there is no conflict of interest between him being AFC leader and having ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) as a client of his law firm – Hughes, Fields & Stoby. The AFC leader recently acknowledged that he is indeed a Politically Exposed Person (PEP), but noted that there is no law that prevents him from having the oil company as a client. “In my capacity as leader of the Alliance for Change, I am not in a position to influence government  policy, particularly as it relates to Exxon. I, however, may be in a position to influence AFC policy on oil and gas,” he said during Friday’s press conference. Related Similar Articles

Vet, Security Guard and Chef nabbed with cocaine Jul 06, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Three men were arrested by officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Thursday after being found with several parcels containing 5.672 kilograms of cocaine. The five parcels of cocaine found by CANU ranks The officers intercepted a motor vehicle travelling along Vlissengen Road in Georgetown, in which there were three adult males. The men were identified as 44-year-old Joel Hodge, a security guard of Urquhart Street, North Cummingsburg; 52-year-old Rawle Hoyte, a Chef of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty and 40-year-old Quacy Joseph, a Veterinarian of 5th Field, Cummings Lodge. CANU said that upon conducting a search of the vehicle the trio was traveling in, ranks found the five brick-like parcels, and observed that they contained a whitish, powdery substance, suspected to be cocaine. The trio was subsequently arrested and taken to CANU’s headquarters with the parcels, which were weighed, tested and confirmed to be cocaine. An investigation is ongoing. Related Similar Articles

Motorcyclist dies after falling in front of car Jul 06, 2024 News Dead: Christopher Beckles. Kaieteur News – A 24-year-old man lost his life on Friday after he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving and fell in front of a moving car on Princess Street, Georgetown. Police identified him as Christopher Beckles of Norton Street, Georgetown. The accident occurred at around 06:30 hrs. Investigators said that the car was driving west along Princess Street while Beckles was speeding east. “The rider of the motorcycle lost control and fell on the road in the pathway of a motor car,” police said. The car was unable to slow down in time and not only crashed into the bike but into Beckles too, killing him on the spot. Police have detained the driver of the car who is assisting with investigations. Related Similar Articles

Decomposed body found in back dam believed to be missing Berbician Jul 06, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The decomposed body of a man found on Friday at Rose Hall, Canje, Berbice is believed to be that of a 56-year-old man who has been missing for approximately two weeks. Deochan Rai, a father of five went missing on June 18, 2024, after he and a friend went to the back dam at Canje, Berbice to pick corilla. Police are yet to confirm the identity of the person whose body was found. Rai’s son, Krishnarine told Kaieteur News that, “Mah father and this man left the house to go and pick corilla, and the man alone return to the house.” Krishnarine said he was unaware that his father was missing, until he received a call from someone informing him that his father was not at his home for days. After receiving the call, Krishnarine filed a missing person’s report and formed a search party to find his father. During the search Krishnarine said his father’s bicycle was found. “We find the bicycle, me know from the time I see the bicycle I know something happened,” the emotional man said. Additionally, Krishnarine was also informed of the decomposed body found on Friday. Related Similar Articles

Local Govt. Minister and City Mayor in tussle over garbage build-up Jul 06, 2024 News Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore Kaieteur News – Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag on Thursday fired back at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) for its failure to have garbage collected from certain communities in the city for several weeks. In a statement, the Minister reminded City Mayor Alfred Mentor that “Central Government has never been responsible for garbage collection. That is the responsibility of the municipalities and the Local Democratic Organs.” Minister Parag also called out Opposition Member of Parliament, Coretta McDonald for what she considers to be false statements relative to the responsibility of the Ministry. “This is absolute nonsense,” Minister Parag asserted while noting that “Coretta McDonald is clearly a stranger to the Municipality Act, and she, like many of her colleagues, is speaking from a place of utter ignorance.” Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag Minister Parag clarified that government subventions are legally designated for municipal capital projects, and not for garbage collection. “That is what rates and taxes are for, and those monies are collected and handled by the respective city councils and NDCs (Neighbourhood Democratic Councils), not the government,” the minister explained. The Local Government Minister said that the M&CC has not been audited for approximately 20 years and as a result cannot account for how the city’s revenues are expended. “We don’t know how much monies they collect and what they do with those monies, but it is clearly not being used to develop Georgetown and improve the lives of its residents,” Parag said in the statement. Notwithstanding this, the Minister said that government has still been intervening to clean up the city and bring relief to residents. “We most definitely have to intervene. We cannot allow people to suffer for weeks without garbage collection,” Minister Parag added while referencing the state of Albouystown, an affected community. “The truth speaks for itself…We have rehabilitated most of the roads in that community. We turned what was an unsightly garbage dump at ‘Punt Trench’ dam into a spanking new boulevard which creates a beautiful space for recreation, and importantly, it significantly raises the value of that community,” Minister Parag stated. Minister Parag made it clear that the utterances made by Mayor Mentore at a press conference on Wednesday were “absolutely untrue.” She said that the slothful collection of garbage is no fault of the government. The Minister said matter-of-factly that the landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has had a daily average intake of 140 truckloads of garbage for the longest while, with no complaints received or disruptions reported. “And that has not changed, so I’m not sure what they are talking about,” Minister Parag said.  Further, she noted that although the Georgetown M&CC has several pro-government councilors, none of them are on the Council’s Solid Waste Management Committee. “These are all APNU+AFC Councilors that have been responsible for cleaning up the city. They are the ones that have been putting this city at a disadvantage for all these years,” the Minister noted. On Wednesday, the City Mayor blamed an errant contractor for the build-up of garbage around the city. At a press conference he hosted, Mayor Mentore said that the Council, Councilors and the administration of City Council are not to be blamed. “The contractor is Guyana Waste Solutions, who have been having human resource problem. He has problems with drivers; he has problems with general staffing. To some extent his trucks have issues. But he has been the one, who is most culpable, and is probably one of the reasons we are here today,” Mentore disclosed. Taking this into account, the City Mayor further revealed that serious measures would be taken against contractors who fail to meet the obligations of the contract. Mentore continued, “…Yes, we would have to take steps as to how we treat with the contractor, if we have to replace them. Yes, we did made recommendation at the last Council meeting that we will deal with this issue here, where we will try to fill that void of getting it up to speed.” The Mayor said that the Council will meet on Monday to discuss the errant contractors. “We will not be taking that blame because we are paying handsomely to get this job done.” Mentore said. Meanwhile, the City Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine said that six percent of the garbage collection was contracted.  He explained that the Council has 15 constituencies, 12 of which are contracted. Cevons Waste Management is responsible for five constituencies, Guyana Waste Solution Inc, another five, Sand-Sip Disposal Service has one, Puran Brothers has another, and the Solid Waste Management Department is managing three constituencies. Furthermore, Narine revealed that due to the rainy season for the past month, the disposal of garbage has been a challenge. “Now the pit, the cell actually where they dispose the garbage in, it became very muddy and silky, so when the trucks get in there…you actually can’t see the wheels anymore when you go in with the garbage,” Narine said. He continued, “So when they dispose the garbage and they come out, the majority of the time they come out with punctured tires because we don’t know what is at the bottom there, sometimes the truck got stuck, and they have to get the excavator to stop their work and push them out, so this challenges we have experience.” The communities of East La Penitence, North East La Penitence, West Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt, Middle Road La Penitence, and Independence Boulevard have not had garbage collected for the past two to three weeks. Related Similar Articles

Digicel supports Guyana’s Premier Pan Concert: PanJam 2024 Jul 06, 2024 News Digicel’s Communications Manager Gabriella Chapman and Reon Miller, Creator of PanJam Kaieteur News – Digicel on Friday announced that it is sponsoring the 2024 edition of Guyana’s premier pan concert, PanJam, themed this year “World of Colours”. This annual event, now in its sixth year, showcases the vibrant sounds of the Caribbean, including, soca, reggae, chutney, calypso, etc. performed on steel pan and by various artistes. PanJam began as a fundraiser organised by Reon Miller during his time as a law student, aiming to cover his tuition fees. Over the years, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon, drawing crowds from various demographics and celebrating the rich musical heritage of the Caribbean. Digicel said this year’s concert promises to be the most spectacular yet, backed by Guyana’s Bigger, Better Network. “We are incredibly proud to support PanJam 2024 and contribute to the celebration of Caribbean culture,” said Gabriella Chapman, Communications Manager at Digicel. “We were impressed by the passion and dedication that Reon Miller and his team have put into making PanJam a premier event. Digicel’s sponsorship underscores our commitment to fostering cultural initiatives and supporting local talent. We believe in the power of music to inspire, connect, and uplift communities, and PanJam embodies these values perfectly,” Chapman continued. The 2024 edition of PanJam features a star-studded line-up, including the renowned Trinidadian pannist Joshua Regrello, who is also the brand ambassador for Digicel Trinidad. Regrello’s performance is highly anticipated and is expected to be one of the highlights of the event. “I took my time selecting the acts for the line-up this year, because I truly want the show to be Bigger and Better than the years prior,” said Reon Miller, Creator of PanJam. “… and thanks to Digicel, this will undoubtedly be the reality. Patrons can expect some of the very best out of Guyana, Trinidad and even as far as India, coming to perform to make this year’s PanJam the best one yet,” an elated Miller said. Digicel invites everyone to join in on the excitement July 27th at Parc Rayne. For more information about PanJam 2024, including ticket details and the full line-up, please visit PanJazz Concerts on Facebook. Related Similar Articles

Guyana to open first specialised high school come September – Manickchand Jul 06, 2024 News The new St. George’s School of Sciences which is under construction. Kaieteur News – Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Thursday announced that come September the government is scheduled to open the country’s first specialised school, which will be named the St. George’s School of Sciences. The minister made the announcement during the release of this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results. Minister Manickchand disclosed that currently they are building 27 secondary schools across the country some of which will be completed in time for the new academic year which begins in September. “This year we have a new school…In Georgetown there will be the St. George’s School of Sciences. For a student to be eligible for this school, he or she must have been living in Georgetown and not earned a place at a national school or List A school and gained 80% in English, 60% in Mathematics and 65% in Science or at least those grades,” the minister explained. The Education Minister noted that the school will be strictly preparing students for careers in medical sciences. “So we are very happy to make that one of our first specialised type of schools for students who didn’t get the national tops or the List A but who we believe have great potential and we are going to show that in five years time,” she added. Kaieteur News had reported that the St. George’s School has been under construction since mid last year. The school is pegged at $253.8M. The old school building which housed the St. George’s High School was completely destroyed by an electrical fire in July 2022. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand Last year, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Alfred King said that the new school will have two storeys oriented with a panoramic view of the lower flat and will be measuring some 109ft x 70ft. The upper flat will feature 12 classrooms, while the lower flat will house six laboratories including the Information Technology, Home Economics and Industrial Technology laboratories. The building when completed is expected to accommodate some 300 to 400 students. The school will also feature several fire prevention mechanisms and these components of the school include fire escape stairs, escape doors, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, limited timber usage, metal ceilings and fire-retardant panels. Related Similar Articles