The Guyana Taxi Service Association has condemned the “horrifying attack on taxi driver, David Best,Cheap NFL Jerseys, by carjackers on October 22”.In a press statement the body expressed that “We condemn this heinous crime which was perpetrated against David Best, and which has occurred against other taxi drivers who are going about their legitimate business.”On Wednesday at 07:00 hrs, in Lusignan, East Coast Demerara residents found Best injured and lying face down on the road in their community. They reportedly turned him over and provided assistance. He utilized his mobile phone to call his brother Rear Admiral Gary Best who rushed to his aid.The attack was carried out on Tuesday night by two males and a female, who joined his taxi, HB 9006, at Luxury Cabs base on Vlissingen Road. After beating him severely to the head and stabbing him to the chest,Jerseys NFL China, the assailants left him to die on the road.According to the Association, these attacks are becoming an unfortunate trend that is plaguing the industry and bring great fear among taxi drivers as well as passengers. The body is calling for greater vigilance among law enforcers and all stakeholders with a view of limiting these attacks.“We further call on all law abiding persons to join with us in condemning such crimes and wish the victim of this attack a speedy and full recovery,” the body said.Emsley Baptiste, a member of the Association,Cheap NHL Jerseys Online, during an interview with this publication,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, said taxi drivers and services need to cooperate in the sharing of suspicious information and look out for each other. He said the installation of tracking devices and radio sets would help taxi drivers to keep connected to their bases.According to an observer, installing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) should be a prerequisite for the licencing of public places for instance,Jerseys From China, taxi services,China Jerseys Cheap, restaurants and gas stations.

Two new Chinese ferries are expected to arrive before year-end in Guyana to service the Essequibo River routes,Roll-on/roll-off facilities to accommodate two new Chinese ferries are to be constructed at the Parika and Supenaam stellings in Essequibo.Supenaam stellingwith government expected to make adjustments to the Parika and Supenaam stellings to facilitate vehicles to enter and leave them.Yesterday, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) opened bids for the construction of roll-on/roll-off facilities at both stellings with the government’s engineers estimating that it would cost in excess of $321M.The Supenaam Stelling, which was plagued by problems since its commissioning early last year,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, had seen almost $68M being reportedly spent to correct deficiencies of the structure for which an independent probe had laid no blame. Already the stelling which government says will reduce travel time from Region Two to Parika by hours had seen over $431M being spent to build it.A beam supporting a drawbridge buckled days after it opened to river traffic last year.Among the bidders for the roll-on/roll-off facilities yesterday was B.K. International Incorporated which had built the Supenaam Stelling.In December last year, government signed contracts with the Chinese Government that paved the way for two brand new ferries. The US$14M boats, similar to the Makouria class vessels and of the Canaiwaima size, have been described as a New Year’s gift by the local Chinese Embassy.Minister of Transport, Robeson Benn, had said that the two new ferries will supplement the current fleet operating in Essequibo where it increasingly has shown that there is a huge demand for the vessels. The two new vessels are being built under a Chinese grant.The new vessels will come equipped with roll-on/roll-off features that would necessitate the modifications of the stellings at Parika and Supenaam to allow for this feature, the officials had explained.With the building of a bridge across the Essequibo River not immediately on the horizon because of the prohibitive cost factors, authorities are left with few options other than ferries to cater for the rice and farm produce being moved from mainly the Essequibo coast to the city.The ferries operating there, including Malali and Torani, have long passed their lifespan with increasing costs for maintenance a real challenge for officials.Yesterday, during the opening of the bids for the facilities at Parika and Supenaam, it was announced that the process would be done in two lots. The engineer’s estimate for Lot One was $211,374,180 while Lot Two was $110,050,650. The bids submitted:Bidder ?? ?AmountRoopan Ramotar Investments Inc.?? ?Lot 1. $352, 478, 840Lot 2. $237, 826,CHeap NFL Jerseys China, 800Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd. ??? ?Lot 1. $408, 817, 900Lot 2. ——————-BK International Inc. ?? ?Lot 1. $240,Wholesale Football Jerseys, 162, 850Lot 2. $137, 786, 100Dynamic Engineering Co. Ltd ?? ?Lot 1. $247, 433, 150Lot 2. $146, 412, 400Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing and Water tendered for the construction of roads, drains, structures and installation of pure water distribution network at Plantation Providence, Region Four.The engineer estimated that the work for Lot One will cost some $241,468,231 while Lot Two is $224,250,811. Eight (8) companies submitted bids.Bidder ?? ?AmountKhemraj Nauth Contracting Services ?? ?Lot 1. $229,Cheap China Jerseys, 060, 777Lot 2. $213, 945, 809Eagle Transportation and General Construction ?? ?Lot 1. $213,Cheap Jerseys From China, 142, 985Lot 2. $197, 118, 570Romel Jagroop General Construction Services ?? ?Lot 1. $219, 388, 422Lot 2. $201, 392, 554Geico Construction and General Services Inc. ?? ?Lot 1. $181,China Jerseys For Sale, 213, 314Lot 2. $166, 420, 704Ivor Allen ?? ?Lot 1. $260, 064, 316Lot 2. $220, 135, 754KB&B Contractors ?? ?Lot 1. $232, 545, 412Lot 2. $ 218, 411, 930Eron Lall & Civil Engineering Works?? ?Lot 1. $169, 193, 330Lot 2. $158, 275, 051Colin Talbot Contracting Services ?? ?Lot 1. $203, 847, 282Lot 2. $188, 810, 807

By Alex WayneIt is a remarkably serene little village on the East Coast of Demerara some 32 miles east of the city. It consists of a series of interesting characteristics that make up its very existence.It was noted that, over time, the once striking scenery of Calcutta Village has been drastically reduced due to neglect of some villagers as well as the Neighbourhood Democratic Council and other related bodies responsible for its maintenance.The first thing that struck me on entering the village was that several large sections were overgrown. The road that links Calcutta and neighbouring Burma is in need of repair, and the high bushes on its parapet were quite a repelling sight. The lone bus shed is now almost void of walls and seems to be begging to be repainted and generally repaired.Single-parent mom Oneca Williams was caught peeling corn for roasting, which is a weekend treat for her three children in (photo with her).Houses, in some instances, are surrounded by high bushes,Jerseys Wholesale, and several irrigation drains are overgrown with weeds and other plant species. A main trench just outside the Calcutta Primary School, dug to enhance drainage, is now completely overgrown and would engulf an entire herd of cattle if they were thrown into it.The school compound, too,Cheap Jerseys, is overgrown in some areas, making it definitely uncomfortable and risky for students. Some parents I engaged in conversation related that they have been complaining of the state of the schoolyard for ages, but their lamentations have fallen on deaf ears.Some said that, not so long ago, a large alligator was found in the tall grass while school was in progress and children were playing during the breaks.Some villagers complained bitterly about the water supply, which they say fluctuates to their disadvantage. There is a well and pump station in the village, but many villagers say that while for the majority of a week they will get potable water, it is cut off without any explanation for almost the same period during another week.The pump station, too, has taken on the appearance of a ‘deserted tower’ surrounded by high bush.There was this group of mothers who recounted the recent alleged ordeal of a young mother whom they claimed contributed to the death of her 15-year-old daughter and rigged up a tale about seeing snakes wrapped around the girl’s neck before she died.That aside, these mothers and other villagers are seriously troubled by the attitude of a police officer at the Mahaicony Police Station whom they claimed physically assaulted a youngster for a cell phone which they claimed he had found in the village, but was reported as stolen by the owner to the police.Sources related that a young woman in the village lost the cellular phone and it was later found by the teenager, Travis Spencer, who obviously did not go ‘through the village asking who it belonged to’, but kept it.According to villagers,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, when the owner realized that he had the phone in his possession, she reported the matter to the police, and a rank, whose breath was reeking of alcohol, according to villagers, came to arrest the young man. Villagers said the police officer brandished his weapon and began to advise the scared lad that he was wanted by the police.Even village elders related that two community police officers who came with him (the irate police officer) ran for cover in the village bus shed,China Jerseys, since they obviously thought that their colleague was going to shoot the lad.It was reported that the police officer even hit the lad more than once with his weapon.The young man was reportedly locked up for three days and then later placed on $15, 000 bail.Some mothers are contemplating staging a protest against what they call the ‘irresponsible and harsh treatment’ by the police.Way back in the 1960s Calcutta Village was a ‘very bushy settlement’ where one had to climb a tree to view the church and other main buildings in the area. It was separated by a lone canal from the neighbouring Catherine Ville, which is sometimes mistaken for an extension of Calcutta.According to a village elder, Eugenia Williams, the level of ‘harmony and deep love’ between villagers in those days has now evolved into a forum where youths have grown disrespectful of their elders and would torment them on a daily basis as they traverse the village.A new fear is sweeping the village, causing some people to lock up their homes early, and some men to provide further security measures for the buildings. For the first time in history, thieves seemed to have found their way into this mostly peaceful little village, and so far, have broken into the homes of Ann Abel and ‘Goudie Blue,’ a male who resides at the Calcutta Waterside

Guyana is continuing to ready itself for oil production, with the US playing a major role in assistance.According to a Government statement yesterday, Minister of Governance and National Patrimony within the Ministry of the Presidency, Raphael Trotman, recently attended a series of high level meetings in Washington D.C on Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI).Trotman, a former Speaker of the National Assembly, has responsibilities for the natural resources sector under the month-old coalition David Granger-led Government.Minister of Governance,Cheap NHL Jerseys, Raphael TrotmanAccording to the Government, the EGCI is a US Department of State-led,Cheap NFL Jerseys, US inter-agency effort, to provide a wide range of technical and capacity building assistance to the host governments of select countries that are on the verge of becoming the world’s next generation of oil and gas producers.The countries receiving EGCI assistance have world-class hydrocarbon resource potential and are expected to receive sizable, near term financial windfalls from the development of their oil and gas resources, the statement explained.Recently,NFL Jerseys From China, Guyana received news that an oil exploration well drilled off-shore Georgetown by US-owned ExxonMobil, has unearthed significant evidence that a reserve is there that can be commercially tapped. It has been news that Guyana? waited for years now, as its neighbours have wells that are being exploited.? At least two offshore attempts have failed in recent years.But there have been concerns over the country’s readiness.According to Government yesterday, EGCI’s core objective is to help such countries establish the capacity to manage their oil and gas resources responsibly.The ExxonMobil drill ship that recently struck what appears to be a significant amount of oil offshore Guyana.Although EGCI’s goals are country-specific in nature, the programme broadly tries to ensure sound and transparent energy sector governance for the benefit of national economic development,NBA Jerseys China, the statement explained.Managed by the Bureau of Energy Resources at the State Department, EGCI works in four areas of capacity building that include the technical understanding of the resource through applying the most appropriate technologies.“Financial issues that establish responsible systems and procedures for managing revenues derived from the sector. Establish and ensuring that national laws and regulations are consistent with international best practices and understanding mitigating measures that would protect the environment and people from? the impacts of resource exploitation.”During the meetings, Minister Trotman was “able to have fruitful discussions on issues such as Offshore and Regulatory overview,Wholesale MLB Jerseys 2018, Lease Sale Planning, Company Bonding,Wholesale China NFL Jerseys, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Analysis and Review of Exploration and Production Plans,” Government said.Additionally, the meeting facilitated a networking link that will be pivotal as Guyana advances its activities in the Oil and Gas sector.

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association will be intensifying efforts to decrease the number of existing stumbling blocks to ensure that small and medium miners get a bigger bite into several operational concessions asVice President of the GGDMA,Cheap Jerseys Store, Andron Alphonso (right) and immediate past President of the Association, Patrick Harding.being given to larger companies.This announcement was made yesterday when the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the entity’s Headquarters, North Road,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Authentic, Georgetown.Vice President of the GGDMA,Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale, Andron Alphonso, stated that for the year thus far, gold declarations have surpassed 420,000 ounces – a significant increase in comparison to this same period last year.He added that the increase in declarations can be partially attributed to the large-scale companies,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, many of whom would have commenced operations within recent months. However, he posited that the larger share of the declarations came from the small and medium scale miners.The Vice President said that this has been the norm for many years despite small and medium contractors not getting the level of concessions being given out to larger companies.Alphonso said that it should not be misconstrued that the GGDMA does not appreciate larger firms. In fact, the association welcomes these companies and recognises their contributions to the country’s development as significant.However,Nike NFL Jerseys China, the association will be intensifying its mission to ensure that there is a level playing field within the industry as it relates to concessions.He added that over the last year, the government would have offered local miners concessions on several items including fuel, mining spares and vehicles. He continued that while the Association is aware of a few miners who would have benefitted from the concessions on some of these items, it is not aware of a beneficiary of fuel and mining spares concessions.Alphonso made it clear that as it relates to fuel, no blame can be placed on the Ministry of Natural Resources, nor the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).The blockade avoiding the local small and medium miners to access this particular concession, he explained, is as a result of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA)’s “unrealistic and difficult” requirements.He added that while the Government has provided an option for local miners to obtain items including mining spares at reduced prices, the additional “burden” – the payment of Value Added Tax (VAT) – on all heavy-duty mining equipment, is a terrible hindrance to the progress of miners in the industry.He expounded that with the introduction of VAT, the cost of upgrading operations has increased to over $6.5M – which he added, “is a hard pill for many miners to swallow.”Alphonso said that with the 2017 National Budget on the horizon, the GGDMA is urging the Minister of Finance to consider the removal of VAT on these items – which will be integral to the development of the level of mining in Guyana.The development of roads in the interior and the identification of additional roadways, were also amongst some of the calls made by the Association yesterday.Meanwhile,Cheap Jerseys From China, miners who were present at the meeting also raised concerns regarding security and GGMC’s will to resolve some of the pressing issues.One miner, who spoke during the Open Discussion Segment, and who later informed media operatives that he wished not to be named, said that small and medium scale miners are always the pillars that support Guyana’s economy.He therefore questioned why they are being treated this way and why some of their ills and concerns are being placed on the backburner.

Dr. Steve Surujbally– De Groot is new Chairman of Livestock Dev. AuthorityBy Leonard GildarieGovernment has appointed Managing Director of Bounty Farms Limited, Patrick De Groot, as the new Chairman of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) after widespread criticism by opposition parties, among others, over the choice of Dr. Steve Surujbally.De Groot,Wholesale Jerseys, who has led Bounty Farms to becoming one of the top producers of chickens, pork and stockfeed in Guyana,Cheap Jerseys From China, was named as a director to the body which was recently established, and which wide-reaching authority is expected to revamp the livestock industry in the country.De Groot’s appointment, by the Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday, will end on August 31 next year.Meanwhile, on Wednesday also, the Ministry wrote Surujbally rescinding his appointment to the GLDA’s Chairmanship.Expressing regret at the rescission, Minister Robert Persaud insisted that the appointment was not illegal, and in the context of the arguments, “beyond our contemplation”.The Minister, in the letter to Dr. Surujbally, also disclosed that legal advice was sought on the matter and it was found that there was nothing illegal.There has been a rash of letters in the newspapers calling for Dr. Surujbally, who is the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM),Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, not to accept the position,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, especially as Guyana is preparing for General Elections later this year.It was argued that while the appointment was not illegal, it would however give the appearance of a conflict of interest.Patrick De GrootA columnist in Kaieteur News, earlier this week, argued that there is no doubt that the Chairman of GECOM would have broken no law and would not be in violation of the Constitution of Guyana by accepting the position of the Chairperson of GLDA.“The Constitution stipulates that the Chairman of GECOM should be a fulltime employee and not be engaged in any other form of employment. This provision of the constitution was not intended to deny anyone holding the Chairmanship of GECOM from participating in national bodies.”The purpose of the provision, the columnist argued, was no doubt intended to ensure that the Chairman of GECOM would be able to dedicate sufficient time to his work as Chairperson of GECOM without the burden of other employment obligations.“Thus, it was intended to ensure that the Chairperson would not be distracted in his duties as Chairman by other obligations.”Yesterday, the Alliance For Change (AFC) also argued that appointment of Surujbally was not done in the spirit of the country’s constitution.In rescinding the appointment on Wednesday, Minister Persaud stressed that he is unaware of any contentions with respect to Dr. Surujbally’s suitability for leadership at the GLDA.“In fact,jerseys from china, your role in heading the National Dairy Development Programme 25 years ago is recognition of your professional competence.The Agriculture Minister, pointing to the critical role played by the now-GECOM Chairman to have Guyana certified free of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, was also sure that livestock farmers “would be pained by this politically-contrived campaign” to have him removed.Regarding De Groot’s appointment, Minister Persaud noted that the businessman is recognized as a strong proponent of the country’s livestock industry.“His entrepreneurial abilities are recognized at Bounty Farms where he is the Managing Director. His initial appointment as a Director of the Guyana National Livestock Development Authority is as a result of his innovative qualities.”