Politics

Steps Friday by government to legalise the eligibility of regional and international artistes for tax waivers and the hike in the income tax threshold came in for sharp criticism by the opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). In opening debate on amendments to the Income Tax Act, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said the law would remove discretion in granting tax ...

As the Parliamentary debate on the increases to firearm licenses commenced in the National Assembly on Friday, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Members of Parliament pleaded with the government to reconsider the “draconian” increases to firearm licenses. With the amendments to the Firearm License legislation, the fee for a shotgun license is to be raised from $2000 to $5000; the cost ...

Longstanding member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and General Secretary of the Woman’s Progressive Organization (WPO) Sheila Veersammy was moments ago sworn in as the new PPP MP replacing Clive Jagan. Jagan announced his retirement recently after he had fallen ill and the PPP was mandated to select another person from its lists of Representatives to fill his vacant ...

Ministers of Government and Technocrat Members of Parliament Winston Felix and Keith Scott are now clear to return to the National Assembly after the Chancellor of the Judiciary ruled in favor of the state at a hearing on Friday morning. Both Scott and Felix were banned from Parliament based on a ruling by Former Chief Justice Ian Chang. The CJ ...

Guyana’s Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has been hospitalised, but he is scheduled to be discharged on Thursday, usually reliable sources said. Since his admission, he has been showing signs of recovery, according to the sources. Roopnaraine  was absent from the consideration of 2016 budgetary estimates of expenditure for his ministry on Monday, February 22. Instead, Junior Minister of ...

Guyana’s President, David Granger Wednesday sought to discredit the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry Report, saying that the three commissioners had relied on hearsay evidence from a convict. “I would like to say that the report is very badly flawed in many respects. From the start we realised that the Commission was paying a lot of attention to hearsay evidence ...

Linden Town Councillors Wednesday moved a no-confidence motion against the Town Clerk, Jenella Bowen, saying that she disobeyed repeated requests to rescind disciplinary letters that she had issued to two senior municipal officers while she was on leave. Chairman of Linden’s Interim Management Committee, Orrin Gordon told Demerara Waves Online News that the no-confidence motion would be sent to Minister ...

Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira is due to visit Guyana  next week to hold talks with top officials here on a wide range of cooperation, the Ministry of the Presidency announced Wednesday. Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo De Paula Wednesday paid a courtesy call to President David Granger to update him on the arrangements for the visit of Brazil’s Foreign Minister, ...

President David Granger Tuesday- Republic Day- urged Guyanese to unite in their fight against several social ills including drug abuse and violence, even as he called for greater cooperation by political parties. “We must, in 2016, narrow the differences and divisions between our political parties through the promotion of dialogue and the intensification of political cooperation and consensus-based decision-making,” he ...

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said the 2016 budget does not cater for another GYD$50,000 bonus or a 20 percent increase in salaries. An estimated GYD$4.1 billion have been set aside for the payment of emoluments. Ramjattan was at the time responding to questions from Shadow Public Security Minister, Clement Rohee and People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) parliamentarian, Joseph Hamilton ...