The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has countered Government statements to the effect that the successes recorded in the mining industry are as a result of concessionary measures it introduced for the benefit of all miners.GGDMA is saying that gold miners made it on their own while not benefitting from measures announced by the APNU+AFC government,NFL Jerseys Outlet, neither those that they previously enjoyed under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration.GGDMA used the occasion of a press conference hosted by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to get its message across.During his Budget speech,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan told the National Assembly otherwise. He said,Wholesale China Jerseys Free Shpping, “The mining and quarrying sector is projected to grow by 35.7 percent in 2016, the highest in over a decade.“Gold production is expected to reach 644,814 ounces as a result of the combined efforts of small and medium-sized miners responding to the generous concessions granted by Government and rising global gold prices, and the two foreign-owned companies reaching full capacity.”The GGDMA says that Jordan’s statements are “disingenuous”The Association stated that no new incentives were accessed in 2016 “hence growth cannot be attributed to any action of the government.”GGDMA acknowledged that an agreement for miners to access 10 percent duty fuel was signed and in effect until last October. However,Cheap China Jerseys, the association said,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, “Not one miner, including those who were certified as tax compliant by the GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority), was able to access this incentive because of the government bureaucratic delays.”Further,Cheap Jerseys, GGDMA said that the “legacy agreements which were in place and inherited by this government, expired in October and have not been renewed.” (Abena Rockcliffe- Campbell)

Almost a week after he set fire to his reputed wife and two children, police in the Ancient County are still hunting for a Bel Air, West Coast Berbice man.The suspect has been on the run ever since police at the Fort Wellington Police Station mistakenly sent him away when he turned up there hours after committing the act.A senior police officer in Berbice said that relatives of the suspect had promised to turn him in since last Saturday but this was never done.Kaieteur News understands that one of the relatives is a senior detective in Berbice.On Thursday,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, during the early hours of the morning, the man sneaked into the home of his estranged reputed wife Ann Simon and set her alight after dousing her with gasoline.The couple’s two children, Osafo and Prince Todd, who were asleep on the floor, also sustained burns and had to be hospitalised along with their mother at the Fort Wellington hospital.Simon sustained severe burns to her chest while the two children’s feet were badly scorched.The woman recalled a life of beatings at the hands of the suspect, who she said is reluctant to maintain his children.A few months ago the couple was engaged in a bitter fight during which the suspect brutally assaulted Simon, causing her to sustain serious injuries to her face.However, like most domestic violence matters, the police did not take any significant action.Simon believes that since her reputed husband,Cheap Jerseys From China, a truck driver attached to GuySuCo,Wholesale Jerseys China, is the brother of a senior police detective, ranks at the Fort Wellington Police Station had refused to act against him.This led to further abuse which resulted in Simon putting her reputed husband out of the house that they shared. Simon’s relatives told this newspaper that the suspect had gone to the Fort Wellington Police Station but was sent away by the police there who told him to come back.“This is unfair man,” a male relative lamented.Simon’s sister, Vanessa, indicated that she was at the station when the suspect was sent away.“I went in the station with he and he sister, and he asking if she burn bad. Then the police tell he,Cheap Jerseys Authentic, ‘go long,Cheap Jerseys From China, go long, come back later’. They de already know wha happen,” she said.Family members are convinced that if the suspect is not caught,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, he may return to finish the job he has started.The police in Berbice have launched an investigation to determine why ranks at the Fort Wellington Police Station sent away the man.Kaieteur News understands that the suspect is facing three counts of attempted murder.Meanwhile, Simon and her two children are reportedly out of danger.

–?Education Ministry officialThe need to change the stigma associated with agriculture must be reversed if the ‘Grow More’ campaign is to be further expanded.This notion was emphasised by Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Phulandar Khandai, when a school gardening competition was launched at the D’Urban Backlands Practical Instruction Centre on Friday last.The event comes as part of the activities to observe Education Month and was officially launched by Khandai in the stead of Education Minister, Shaik Baksh,Cheap NFL Jerseys From China, who was attending the Economic Partnership Agreement meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre,Cheap Jerseys From China Online, Liliendaal at the time.In brief remarks to the gathering, which consisted of students, teachers and other education officials, the Permanent Secretary pointed out that over the years there has been historical stigma attached to agriculture.“I know for a fact that agriculture in schools was associated with punishment…It takes away your time and you are placed to work in the hard rock soil to deal with the plants…We have to change that stigma. It is a challenge we have to overcome and turn into a positive.”According to Khandai, historically persons were brought to Guyana for some purpose associated with agriculture but now citizens have drifted off into various professions outside of this field.But it is important,Jerseys NFL Cheap, according to the permanent secretary, that major focus is given to agriculture. He added that it is for this reason that the Education Minister had taken the time to be involved in the conference.“We are seeking to have more justice at the global level in terms of our trade patterns and those that we have inherited since being a colony. A lot of our primary produces are underpriced and we facing growing rise in prices of fuel and other input that makes our daily production.”Khandai pointed out that in order to transform the challenge that Guyana is faced with, efforts must be made to emerge out of the past and do more to make agriculture an opportunity for all.It was against this background, he noted, that the school gardening competition was crystallised with a view of inculcating the practice at the level of school children – from the very early childhood stages, right up to post secondary.Acting Chief Education Officer, Ms Genevieve Whyte-Nedd said that part of the gratification of gardening is seeing things grow and being able to share. She pointed out that while the process could be an adventure it could also prove to be a drama.In this regard, she disclosed that it is expected that teachers of agricultural science will provide learners with up-to-date knowledge and skills and the appropriate attitude so that they will be equipped to extend these experiences to the home and be more confident practising gardeners and efficient managers of their own gardens.A section of the gathering at the launch“We are all aware that gardening demands time, attention and physical efforts, and we are also conscious of the fact that harvesting time reminds us that home-grown is always better than store-bought.”As such, she expressed optimism that the competition will motivate students,Cheap China NFL Jerseys, schools and even the homes to resuscitate and maintain gardens.The launch of the competition also saw the expert advice of Technical Manager of the Agriculture Ministry, Michael Welch, being extended to those who will be involved in the competition.Welch pointed out to those in attendance that not only is agriculture a good means of feeding a population but it contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product.The competition, which will see participation from schools in all ten administrative regions,NFL Jerseys China, is slated to commence in earnest on Friday (September 12).It is anticipated that the activity will serve to re-emphasise the importance of Agriculture in schools and communities; sensitise the public on quality foods; increase production yield by use of innovative technologies and enhance the ‘Grow More Food’ initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.Acting Chief Education Officer,Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic, Genevieve Whyte-Nedd, showing exactly how it is done

– Dr. RamsammyActs of violence have been placed prominently on the public health agenda and Guyana, according to Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has been playing a leading role in this regard.The minister alluded to the fact that this country has placed both partner violence and sexual offences on the public health agenda. In fact, the World Health Organisation in its efforts to raise global awareness about such violence, in 2003 declared domestic violence as one of the world’s leading public health threats, rivaling tuberculosis and malaria as the leading cause of death and disability.But even while local efforts are being made to implement legislation to help arrest violence as it relates to domestic abuse and sexual offences, Minister Ramsammy has asserted that the underlying responsibility does not lie with any single sector, but rather all sectors must be integrally involved.Minister of Health Dr. Leslie RamsammyThe Minister’s remarks come at time when Domestic Violence Awareness is being observed on a global scale. He pointed to fact that the Ministries of Human Services and Education, the security services and the health sector, must all collaborate to provide a combination of services including medical care, psychosocial support and interaction with legal authorities.However, he asserted that in many instances in terms of prosecution, among other associated features, there are obvious gaps in terms of the Ministry of Health and hospitals’ responses.“While we have attempted to do certain things, we have been weak in terms of those aspects of the laws that are the responsibility of the health sector,Adidas Hockey Jerseys Cheap,” he emphasised.The minister underscored that very often legal authorities complain that the Ministry of Health and the health sector’s collaboration with legal authorities create major difficulties for the legal authorities and “I don’t need to develop that any further.? I think people understand that filling out the forms etc. are critical components of the things that we need to do”.And while of great importance is the need to provide psychosocial support, this area,Wholesale Jerseys, according to the Minister, represents a major deficit in the work that is being done by the health sector.“For sure where there are injuries the health system provides the medical interventions that are necessary,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, and even when we provide the medical intervention,Cheap Jerseys, the support system is lacking and that system also leaves the deficiency in data gathering.”Dr. Ramsammy explained that most of the violence that is carried out between intimate partners and also those that are characterized as sexual offences are often not reported by the victims, and there is in fact little effort on the part of health sector personnel to elicit that information,Cheap NFL Jerseys, even when there is grave suspicion of such a case.He opined, too, that usually the health sector personnel take the position that “if such information is not volunteered then it is not their business…quite often we see that!”In addition to sexual offences and domestic violence cases that are addressed within the health setting, another area which has been surfacing, and that requires much attention, is that of intoxication and alcohol use, according to the Minister.He alluded to that fact “we have also been doing a poor job at identifying alcohol or substance abuse-related acts of violence committed by anyone, particularly by intimate partners or family members.? These are some of the deficits that exist,” he noted.Over recent years, several attempts have been made to estimate the extent of the violence-related problems in studies done at the Accident and Emergency Unit, and according to Minister Ramsammy, efforts have also been made to do projections in terms of those injuries as it relates to intimate partners.? Another study, he said, is aimed at completing the analysis of data to link violence with alcohol.For this reason, the public health sector has been collaborating with overseas experts from Vanderbilt University,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, which according to the Minister “comes at a very opportune time.” He pointed out that efforts are being made to develop guidelines to assist local health personnel to provide the kind of support that is necessary.

Five bids for the Construction/Rehabilitation of the Amaila Falls Access Road were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday.Under the Ministry of Public Works and Communication, four sections were tendered for at the NPTAB. These sections are three, four, five and six. The engineers’ estimate for section three is $425, 433, 030, section four, $348, 834, 930, section five, $264, 640, 400 and section six $403, 592, 400.BiddersAmountRoopan Ramotar InvestmentsSection (3) $518,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, 493, 900Section (4) $351, 515, 700Section (5) $233, 111, 700Section (6) $392,jerseys from china, 139, 650Toolsie Persaud IncorporatedSection (3) $373, 275, 900Section (4) $246, 003, 600Section (5) $147, 621, 300Section (6) $266,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, 142, 700G. Bovell Construction ServicesSection (3) $400, 000, 000Section (4) $305, 000, 000Section (5) $220, 000, 000Section (6) $380, 000, 000Ivor Allen ConstructionSection (3) $844, 698, 960Section (4) $608,Sale NFL Jerseys, 300, 390Section (5) $430, 519, 680Section (6) $1, 000, 067, 281,Cheap NFL jerseys China, 880Mekdeci Machinery and Construction IncSection (3) $607, 833, 260Section (4) $276, 403, 420Section (5) $259, 553, 080Section (6) $611, 915, 280The breakdown of the project awarded to Synergy Holdings Inc states that the upgrade of 89km of road will cost US$3.9M; the 110km of virgin roadway, US $7M; the two pontoon crossings or a bridge will be US$1.5M and ‘T’ line clearing is said to be US$3M.Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies is the company that has backed Synergy Holdings Inc. with the US$3M mobilization and security bonds which were a prerequisite to securing the recently awarded Amaila Falls Road contract.The road that Synergy Holdings is building is to pave the way for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project which is described as just part of a larger effort to revolutionise Guyana’s power generation infrastructure.The storage dam site would be located near the top of Amaila Falls and would impound the waters of both the Kuribrong and Amaila Rivers.The Amaila site is located on the Kuribrong River,NFL Jerseys Authentic, a tributary of the Potaro River in West Central Guyana. The nearest point of access is the airstrip at Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River, approximately 15 miles to the south.An overland trail exists from Kaieteur to Amaila. Access is also provided overland by an all-weather road through Tumatumari on the Potaro River and on to Mahdia and Kangaruma.River access along the Potaro-Kuribrong Rivers to the foot of Amaila Falls involves several portages around rapids and waterfalls.The road from Tumatumari was recently extended to Mahdia/Kangaruma that brings the project closer to the site but approximately 30 miles of additional roads will have to be built to the top of Amaila Falls.