News

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle has testified that anything could have happened during the Camp Street Prison riot – citing the possibility of a major prison escape at the principal penal center in Guyana. Gentle made the statement while giving testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into the Camp Street Prison disturbances on Wednesday. He was one of three officials that ...

Political analyst, Dr. Henry Jeffrey is urging that State Minister Joseph Harmon’s powers be looked at in a manner that is sensible and beneficial to the Guyana. Dr Jeffrey, in an invited comment, told Demerara Waves Online News that at least one of the portfolios that Harmon now presides over was originally a public service post and it should held ...

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Wednesday dismissed stakeholder concerns pertaining to “strange” administrative recommendations made by Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud- virtually stating his confidence in the Police Chief. “He (Commissioner) is not abusing  anything,” Ramjattan insisted when asked his opinion on the scrapping of the Strategic Management Department (SMD). “I thought it (SMD) outlived its time and I personally said ...

The Netherlands will later this year begin mapping the drainage system in flood-prone Georgetown, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson announced. Four doctoral scholars, he said, would be going to Guyana  in July under the auspices of the Dutch Risk Reduction (DDR) Team to lay the groundwork for effective drainage management in the entire capital city. “When the mapping has been ...

Guyana and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on Wednesday launched a US$30 million sea defence rehabilitation project that is aimed at protecting at least 45,000 persons in several areas from floods and help improve investor confidence especially in agriculture. Officials said the Barbados-based CDB would contribute US$25 million and the Guyana government US$5,903 million to the sea and river defence ...

Guyana’s ministerial cabinet on Tuesday (April 12, 2016) discussed the Alliance For Change’s desire for Minister of State, Joseph Harmon to be stripped of some of his responsibilities but no decision has been taken, according to credible sources. “We heard from Mr. Harmon and it is just a matter now of assessing the facts,” the source said. The AFC wants, ...

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) on Tuesday (April 14, 2016) announced that an amicable settlement has been reached with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRD) to resolve a long standing dispute over Consumption Tax that began in 2002. The company, in a statemenr, said the settlement follows an extended legal battle between DDL and GRA arising out of the Consumption Tax assessment levied against ...

Demerara Tobacco Company (Demtoco) fears that if the Tobacco Bill becomes law in its current form, Guyana’s economy could be hurt severely and even employees in the industry could be blocked for several years from working with government. “A day will come when we will not be able to have this kind of conversation in this forum because  we will ...

The Guyana government is exploring the possibility of twinning the proposed ministerial Code of Conduct with the Integrity Commission Act, according to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. “We are looking how to merge the Code of Conduct with the Integrity legislation so that you don’t have different standards for the Integrity legislation…and the Code of Conduct is setting either a higher ...

Despite the absence of modern copyright and intellectual property legislation, the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) is investing millions of dollars in the creative industries. Chief Executive Officer of that micro-financing institution, Ramesh Persaud said he is not too worried about the limited protection that rights-owners currently have, but instead his lending agency expects the cash-injection would trigger action ...