January 12-17, 2015

Monday 12
Amaila construction for likely start before yearend
THE 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydro-electric Plant remains Guyana’s most strategic project at this point in time, and if all goes well, construction is slated to start before the end of this year, negotiator on the project Winston Brassington said.New British High Commissioner to Guyana assumes office in February

THE United Kingdom has identified a successor to outgoing High Commissioner to Guyana, Andrew Ayre, who will take up his diplomatic posting in Guyana next month. Ayre announced that Mr. James Gregory Quinn has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Mr. Quinn joined the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1995 and is currently Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Kazakhstan.

Mom allegedly using teenage daughter to bait ‘sugar daddy’
SEVERAL residents of Cummings Lodge Park, Sophia are shocked at the actions of a 40-year-old mom who they claim is using her 14-year-old daughter as bait to extract monies from a bank manager with whom she is sharing an intimate relationship. A male informant, who is a close associate of the mother, said that the woman is desperate for cash to take out her minibus which has been in the workshop since last year.

Second batch of visually impaired persons preparing for CSEC exams
TEN visually impaired persons are now preparing to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations as part of a project fostered by the Guyana Society for the Blind in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. This will be the second batch of visually impaired persons who will sit the examinations in Guyana.

Tuesday 13
Patricia Sanasie executed in front of Atlantic Gardens home
PATRICIA Sanasie, wife of auto dealer Deonarine Sanasie, was executed outside her home just as she entered the yard. The former Director of Studies at the Academy of Professional Studies lived at Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara. A vehicle reportedly pulled up and the man who exited shot the woman four times. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

African bees sting pitbull at Dartmouth to death 
A SWARM of African bees swooped down on a pit bull at Damon’s Street in Dartmouth village on the Essequibo Coast and stung the animal to death. Oscar George, the dog’s owner, said the bees have a hive under some dry branches in a coconut tree in his neighbour’s yard and it was from there that they launched their attack on the pit bull, which had been chained in a kennel.

Shabazz makes return to Guyana’s football as head coach 
CONSIDERED Guyana’s most successful Technical Director, Trinidadian Jamaal Shabazz was named head coach of the Golden Jaguars who will be facing Barbados on February 1. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) also named their provisional squad for the game which will be played at the Barbados National Stadium.

Wednesday 14
President meets Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar had the honour of meeting Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan during a visit to Maharashtra. The President and wife also met with the state’s Governor, Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan. The Governor’s wife Vinodha, state Industries Minister, Subhash Desai, Minister for Housing, Mining and Labour, Prakash Mehta and Bachchan were among those present on the occasion.

Jaguars not to be complacent in NAGICO Super50 tourney 
CLOSE to ten years ago, the Shivnarine Chanderpaul-led Guyana team defeated Barbados by the Duckworth/Lewis Method in fading light at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground to lift the West Indies Cricket Board/KFC Regional 50 overs championship. Guyana Cricket Board president Drubahadur recently met the NAGICO Super50 Guyana Jaguars team, which also includes the 40-year-old Chanderpaul, at the Windjammer Hotel, prior to their departure for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to bid them farewell as they left to compete in the WICB/Professional Cricket League/NAGICO Super50 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

Police report 15% drop in serious crimes
THE Guyana Police Force disclosed that there has been a 15% drop in serious crimes, as it released statistics in relation to the offences of murder and robbery under arms for the period January 1 to December 31, 2014, with corresponding statistics for the same period in 2013. The police said among the serious crimes are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping. A total of 147 murders were recorded at the end of December 2014 in comparison to 155 murders for the same period in 2013.

Thursday 15
Gov’t announces 10% tax waiver on fuel for miners 
THE Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), along with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), met with the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) after which it was announced that approval has been granted for a tariff waiver of 10 per cent, on diesel imported by GGDMA Trading Inc. for use only within the mining sector.

Replacing North West ferry with a modern one will cut travel time by half
GUYANA has managed to secure a line of credit to the tune of US$8M for the procurement of a new ferry, which is expected to service the North West District, in Region One. According to Transport Minister, Mr. Robeson Benn, the two ferries currently serving the District have been around for decades, and because of this age factor, there has been a decline in the standard of service on offer, which commuters certainly do not deserve.

Petting zoo to be declared open Sunday
UNDER the Three-Parks Initiative geared at enhancing biodiversity conservation in urban areas for the protection of Guyana’s ‘green spaces’, the petting zoo at the Zoological Park (zoo) in the city will be officially declared open to the public today.

Friday 16
‘Fly AllWays’… Another Surinamese airline sets eyes on Guyana’s skies 
ANOTHER Surinamese airline has set its sights on Guyana’s skies, according to Private Sector Commission (PSC) Executive Member, Ramesh Dookhoo, who announced that ‘Fly All Ways’ out of Suriname has made an application to add Guyana to its routes. He expressed hope that news of another airline operating in Guyana will bear fruit in the coming months and serve to assist in cross-border commute, including from other Caribbean countries.

Soca sensation Jumo releases ‘high energy’ single
SOCA sensation Jumo Primo released his newest song, titled ‘Unruly’, a ‘high energy’ song that was launched on the local airwaves and so far has received favourable responses by fans and others. Primo said he will release a video for the song named ‘They like talk.’ Primo, called ‘Rubber Waist,’ stated that he is very pleased with the feedback he got for his latest song and it is the right music for Mashramani since it is an upbeat soca vibe with a hint of humour, which has readied him for his entrance in the 2015 Soca Monarch competition.

Passenger left traumatised after robbery on minibus
KEVON Carter was left in a tramautised state following an armed robbery while he was a passenger in a minibus on his way home. The 21-year-old security officer told this publication that he entered a route 42 minibus at the East Bank Demerara Park for home at Diamond, which departed the city with a bus full of passengers.

Troy gets environmental permit for Region 7 gold project
THE Australian-based mining company Troy Resources Guyana Inc. (TRGI) Limited received the finalised Environmental Permit for the construction and operation of its multibillion Karouni gold project in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni).

Saturday 17
Major road upgrade projects slated for this year 
PUBLIC Works Minister Robeson Benn lauded the support of international partners such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with respect to their past and continued funding for infrastructural projects. The Ministry had completed feasibility studies for phase two which stretches from Stanleytown to Everton. He disclosed that there are other aspects to phase two of the East Bank Berbice road including a stretch from New Amsterdam to Stanleytown, but the feasibility study for that is still ongoing. He said that generally the Ministry is hoping very shortly to have the phase two of the E.B.B road tendered and awarded. “Work on Phase one from Everton to Lightttown funded by the Government of Guyana is ongoing so we are expecting that as soon as the IDB gives its no objections to the Feasibility study we can actually go out to tender for the phase two.” Feasibility studies are also on-going with respect to internationally funded road upgrades ` at Canals # I and # 2 and the West Bank Demerara ; the feasibility study for the East Bank Demerara (EBD) Road from Grove to Timehri is completed and the Ministry is awaiting the final submissions from the consultant .

Body of Guyanese man recovered at Paramaribo dock
TWENTY-EIGHT YEAR OLD Rawle Anthony Henry’s body was discovered trapped between boats which were docked at a Paramaribo wharf where the man reportedly slipped and fell. Henry, a Guyanese and father of one, who once worked with the National Communications Network Inc. and CNS 6 was at the time of his death working on board a tug when his co-workers reported that he tripped on a rope and fell into the river. The man was described as a strong swimmer.

Amaila Falls Access road under US$12M budget as CJIA expansion continues apace
THE substantial completion of the Amaila Falls Access Road with a handing over date set in March 2015 and the progression of the US$150M expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with a September 2015 deadline were among the many favourable reports coming out of the Ministry of Public Works. Ramesh Ghir, CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer announced that for the third consecutive year the airport earned revenues in excess of $1B. According to Ghir, of that amount some $678M were utilised by the Airport in order to meet its expenditure for the year and the remainder was transferred to the Consolidated Fund.