A veteran Caribbean agriculturalist Friday disagreed that agricultural development banks offering subsidized interest rates do not help farmers to grow into big businesses, even as he cautioned Guyanese authorities against poor management of its agri-financial institution when it comes on stream. “I will tell them to stock it with agriculturalists who understand agriculture and not necessarily people who only have ...

The Draft Code of Conduct for Ministers, Members of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries has been released and sees a strict cap on the value of gifts and gambling by officer bearers. The document published on the Ministry of the Presidency’s website promises to enforce its regulations by meting out strict penalties for breaches – which included the firing of Ministers ...

Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton on Thursday disclosed that some of the funds provided by the French Government, under a government-to- government collaboration, will be used to transform health centres in the hinterland, into hospitals, to benefit the people there. The disclosure was made during a courtesy call to Minister Norton, by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Carolle ...

An Immigration Officer, who was accused of changing an immigration entry in the computerized management system, was Friday granted GUY$100,000 bail Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan granted GUY$100,000 bail to police officer, 30-year old Yonnick Smith of 457 Block 8, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. He is to return to court on December 14, 2015. He pleaded not guilty to the ...

US Ambassador Perry Holloway has affirmed that while plans for the establishment of a permanent Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office in Guyana, the DEA will not be coming to take over the anti-narco fight in Guyana. Holloway made the statement at a press conference on Friday where an agreement between the US and Guyana Government was signed for an additional 350,000 for ...

Plans are afoot to reduce the demand for foreign foods in favour of those produced in the Caribbean, but Guyanese authorities would have to focus heavily on promotion and marketing because of lingering fears about food bans in the 1980s. President of the Caribbean Agri- Business Association, Vassel Stewart reflected that decades ago Guyana had sought to enforce consumption patterns. ...

Dominica could soon be selling larger amounts of water and fresh fruits and vegetables to neighbouring islands when two projects, likely to be funded by the European Union (EU), get off the ground, according to a top sub-regional diplomat. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’ (OECS) Ambassador to Brussels, Dr. Len Ishmael said the regional grouping has approached the EU ...

As Guyana prepares to reintroduce an agricultural and industrial development bank, an agri-financing expert at an intra-regional financial agency says such financial institutions make no sense and discourage the growth and development of agricultural businesses. “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea. There are many, many subsidies on that type of subsidized schemes. Basically, if you make money too ...

The Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, Pamela Coke-Hamilton Thursday said the region should eventually impose tax measures to restrict the importation of foreign foods to help stimulate demand for those produced in the region. “There are disincentives …They already have all these incentives to bring in things that frankly we don’t need, replace things  that we could ...

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has serious concerns about the impending amendment to the law that would allow the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ask banks to hand over customers’ account information. The amendment that is currently before the National Assembly is not there with the blessings of Guyana’s  private sector, despite the Bill having a major impact on the ...