News

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Roger Luncheon is mulling ideas to give the National Assembly a greater role in the management of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). Currently, the Scheme’s Board of Directors, of which Luncheon is the Chairman, is responsible for determining the Scheme’s policies and direction. NIS has been the target of much criticism from observers over ...

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee on Wednesday dismissed the idea of decriminalizing marijuana as a vote-getter among Rastafarians. “Maybe the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) is trying to make it an elections issue by saying they will legalise it by appealing to the Rastafari community in this country but we don’t have to use that to have the support ...

Cabinet Secretary Roger Luncheon Wednesday announced Cabinet’s approval of a 5% pay-hike for staff of Guyana’s Town Councils and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) while the elected councilors have seen an increase in their stipends. These increases, Luncheon said during his post-Cabinet press-brief , are to be financed through revenue collected by the local governing entities themselves as Luncheon said they ...

Students of St. John’s Secondary School on Wednesday protested on the West Coast Demerara Public Road to demand the construction of a new school rather than the phasing out of that institution altogether over the next two years,  two years after they were relocated to a community centre. Police were summoned to deal with traffic congestion caused by the students ...

Several major amendments to Guyana’s constitution would have to be scrapped if a challenge to the presidential term limit in the Constitutional Court is successful, according to legal experts in government and opposition. Cedric Richardson, a private citizen, wants the court to find that the amendment to the constitution by two-thirds of the Parliamentarians to provide for a two-term presidency ...

As a strike by University of Guyana (UG) workers dragged into its third day, the two unions have sought to rubbish claims by the institution’s administration and the Labour Ministry that negotiations have not collapsed and have formally called for conciliation. The Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the Workers Union (UGWU) have rejected UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi ‘s ...

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday refuted claims by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) that it has been granted observer status for the upcoming general and regional elections. “GECOM wishes to categorically state that it has so far made no such accreditation of the GPSU as an Observer of any kind for the upcoming May 11 elections,” said ...

Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) on Tuesday virtually ruled out its workers taking home hefty bonuses or higher wages and salaries, although the power company is projected to rake in GUY$7 billion in profits this year due to a fall in world oil prices. “I would say that the practice has not linked our negotiations to oil prices and ...

Guyana Power and Light Inc. on Tuesday did not rule out electricity rates being increased as the year progresses if international oil prices rise above US$70 per barrel. Chairman of GPL’s Board, Winston Brassington said that as it stands, the power company would be passing on GUY$3 billion in savings to consumers due to the 10 percent overall reduction in ...

Approximately 380 workers on the East Demerara Estate downed tools Tuesday morning protesting the dismissal of 15 cane harvesters, the Guyana Sugar Corporation said in a statement. The sugar corporation said the workers were summarily dismissed over the weekend and Mondayfor inadequate application of fertilizer, intended for 10 weeks-old cane plants, at Felicity Fields 49, 49A, 52 and 53, a ...