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Wedneday August 18, 2021

$2.6B IN ECONOMIC RELIEF FOR PENSIONERS, AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS

DR. BALWANT SINGH HOSPITAL PERFORMS SIX CARDIAC SURGERIE

FORMER PNC CHAIRMAN DIES AT 81

Wedneday August 18, 2021

DR. BALWANT SINGH HOSPITAL PERFORMS SIX CARDIAC SURGERIE

$2.6B IN ECONOMIC RELIEF FOR PENSIONERS, AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali

With Guyana still severally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the flood disaster, which has some rippling effect on the economy, the Government has injected some $2.6 billion that includes a one-month grant for pensioners, and free electricity for a month.

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the announcement Monday evening. He dubbed the move as bringing relief to those who are more

vulnerable.

President Ali said pensioners will have a one-off $25,000 grant.

This grant, he said, is expected to cater to 65,000 persons at a cost of $1.6 billion.

The President said that he will order a oneoff, one-month free electricity for households that only consume less than 75 kilowatts per month.

This measure will set to benefit some 40,000 households

On the part of bringing relief for public assistance recipients and persons living with disabilities, the Government will impose a one-off grant of $25,000.

This grant, according to the President, will benefit about 25,000 persons and will place more than $600 million of additional disposable income in their hands.

Together, the Government will inject some $2.6 into the rebuilding efforts.

The Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital now has a holistic cardiac care unit, a standalone facility to perform complex cardiac

surgeries.

Over a period of five days, the hospital has been able to perform six major procedures

on patients with prior myocardial infarction.

All six surgeries were successfully performed with zero complications.

FORMER PNC CHAIRMAN DIES AT 81

The People’s National Congress Reform is deeply saddened by the death of Comrade Bishwaishwar ‘Cammie’ Ramsaroop. He was born in Albouystown,

Georgetown, on November 28, 1939, and died on August 16, at the age of 81.

Cde. Ramsaroop worked briefly as a schoolteacher and

qualified, subsequently, as a barrister-at-law. He served on several boards and commissions from 1964. He was appointed Minister of Housing and Reconstruction at the age

of 30 in 1969 and, later, as Minister of Trade and a Vice-President from 1980 to 1984 in the PNC administration.

He was the country’s first and only resident High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago.

Cde. Ramsaroop was elected Chairman of the PNC at the 16th Biennial

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Delegates’ Congress in 2009. The Party recognizes and records its appreciation for his spirited campaigning and valuable contribution to its political evolution and to national development in the early days of the Republic, according to a statement.

The statement described Cde Ramsaroop as a devout, Hindi-literate Hindu.

He was a patriotic Guyanese and his wide cultural, political, social, and religious influence and interests contributed greatly to the Party’s philosophy of social cohesion.

Wednesday August 18, 2021

ANOTHER DISASTER FOR A POOR CARICOM COUNTRY

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, August 14, 2021, causing widespread destruction in the Caribbean country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The death toll has risen to at least 1,419 as search and

rescue teams are racing to find survivors in collapsed buildings and rubble. At least 6,000 are injured and many more are still missing.

While World Vision has worked to improve the lives of children in Haiti for 30 years, our

programs aren’t near the southern quake-hit zones. However, we’re distributing life-saving food supplies and hygiene kits to 6,000 people and stand ready to help another 240,000 in the affected regions.

We’re coordinating

with partner organizations to help families along with children in orphanages that lack access to water, food, and electricity.

We’ve also received word that community members in our program areas and our staff are

currently safe.

“We are deeply concerned about the devastation that this earthquake causes in a country already hit by extreme poverty social and political unrest,” said Marcelo Viscarra, World Vision’s national director in Haiti. “But now, along with the effects of an earthquake whose damage has not been officially assessed, we have a pandemic and the threat of Tropical Storm Grace.”

Tropical Storm Grace, which formed Saturday, August 14, 2021, is producing tropicalstorm-force winds and churning toward the Caribbean islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The earthquake is believed to have occurred along the same fault line as the devastating

tremor 11 years ago.

The magnitude 7.0 temblor that struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, 2010, was one more disaster in a country that has suffered from decades of political, economic, and social setbacks and inequalities.

With approximately 3 million people affected, the 2010 earthquake was the most devastating natural disaster ever experienced in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Roughly 250,000 lives were lost and 300,000 people were injured.

About 1.5 million individuals were forced to live in makeshift internally displaced person camps. As a result, the country faced the greatest humanitarian need in its history.

recommended now that persons are eligible to take their vaccines some 14 days after they have recovered.

However, just last week it was recommended that persons are recommended to take their vaccines 90 days after they were tested positive for the virus.

The recommendation of persons doing blood donation transfusion remains the same, that is, people donating blood are advised to take the vaccines two weeks after

It was recommended last week that only persons over 18 are eligible for the vaccines.

This week it is now recommended that children 12 years and above are recommended to be vaccinated with the Pfizer Vaccines.

On the issues of underlying conditions, some recommendations remain. People who suffer from a blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia, receiving Chemotherapy or Dialysis should see their physician before they are vaccinated.

Also remaining on the list of exemptions are persons who have an infection. This, the CEO recommended, should not take the vaccines until they have fully recovered.

Additionally, persons with acute cardiac events or acute cerebrovascular issues remain on the list of exemptions individuals until they are recommended by their physician to do so.

However, those people

who are suffering from Sickle Cell or Epilepsy have been removed from the said list.

Just last week, this group of individuals was stated as being cleared to take their vaccines. But this week, however, they have been removed from the said list.

With the list set for the person who is exempted from taking the vaccines momentarily, those who are not recommended to take the vaccines in the time span are expected to have a letter from a reputable doctor showing why they have not received their vaccines. These recommendations came after a backlash over the vaccination program in which gazette covid-19 measures imposed stated that persons not being vaccinated cannot access some service.

Since then the Ministry of Health has shifted the system to include a list of people who can be exempted from taking the vaccines.

Health Ministry releases new list of vaccine-exempt persons the donation.

With the Ministry of Health seeking to have enough persons fully vaccinated in the shortest possible time, the Ministry has now amended its exemption list to include those persons who are not yet eligible for their COVID-19 Vaccines due to health and other complications.

The new exemption list came one week after the first list was issued citing various reasons why a person is not recommended to take

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the vaccines due to their medical reasons.

Just last week, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narine Singh, issued a list based on the Center for Diseases Control (CBC) and the World Health Organization(WHO) recommendations to its medical practitioners.

In that list, the CEO said that mothers who are breastfeeding, while the vaccine will not have an effect on the infant will be exempted from the vaccines based on the mother’s request.

Fast forward, to this week, mothers are told to seek advice from their doctors. Now mothers can only be exempted from taking the vaccine within six months of giving birth.

On the issue of being pregnant and being vaccinated, the CEO maintains that while the vaccine may not harm the fetus, pregnant women will be exempted from taking the vaccines.

On the issue of persons being tested positive for COVID, it is

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Tuesday August 17, 2021

West Demerara man crashes, does trying to evade police

Yet another young motorist has lost his life, this time a 20-year-old, who tried to evade a police patrol, ended up in a pole hole and lost control of his motorcycle.

The dead young man has been identified as 20-year-old Mahendra Deopaul of La Parfaite Harmonie W.B.D. The incident occurred just around 23:45 hours

Sunday.

According to an account from the police, Deopaul was proceeding west along the northern side of the road without wearing a safety helmet in the La Parfaite Harmonie W.B.D area.

He was later approached by Force motor pickup PWW5458 which had on its flashlight and

attempted to stop the motorcycle.

Deopaul according to the officers, upon seeing the police vehicle, drove away at a fast rate of speed, trying to evade the police who gave chase behind him.

The motorcyclist ended up driving into potholes along the said road lost control of the motorcycle and fell onto

the road surface where he received injuries to his face and body.

He was picked up in an unconscious state by ranks on the patrol vehicle and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit where he later died while receiving medical attention.

GTT to increase salaries for all employees Following the agreement to increase salary for GTT’s union members, to ensure fairness for non-union members, GTT has announced that it will increase the basic salary for all employees for the year ending September 2021.

GTT’s Human Resource Director, Tiana Gurcharran, explained that a review of all employees’ basic salary levels except for management would be done in September, and any salary increases resulting will be paid on October 1, 2021.

“We want to positively impact the lives of our trusted employees. This is our promise to all GTT employees, and we also want to ensure that our pay levels are commensurate with market rates in Guyana,” the Director

said.

She noted that a review of GTT’s senior management grade remuneration would also be done, closer to the end of the year.

On Friday, July 23, 2021, the telephone company signed an agreement with the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (GPTWU) that would lead to paying increases for GTT’s union members.

The agreement led to a four percent increase to basic salary for the year ending September 30, 2021, and a six percent increase for the year starting October 1, 2021.

Additionally, a comprehensive review of overall remuneration for union members will commence and conclude

by January 31, 2022.

Farmers compensated for lands destroyed by housing development works

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, MP, says farmers of Cummings Lodge 1767, whose lands were

destroyed during the clearing of lands for housing development are being compensated.

The Minister on

Monday visited the area where he assured affected farmers that long-term compensation is on the cards. Farmers are

being asked to consider an option to own and cultivate their lands, or secure employment through housing or other infrastructural developments in the community.

“As a result, we are at a stage now where having calculated the level of crops that are there, the type of crops that are there…through CPA [Central Housing and Planning Authority] we are now at a compensatory stage and so I want to encourage the farmers to ensure that they’re part of the collaboration process.”

Meanwhile, the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, MP, said the Government will come to a peaceful resolution that will be beneficial and satisfying to the farmers.

“We came into conflict

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with, of course, those of you who are here today, who have been living off of the land, planting and sustaining your livelihood with this land.

We do not want to come in the way of that,” she said.

The Minister also said Sophia would not be left out of development and no resident left dissatisfied. Therefore, the Ministry has taken the decision to engage them in finding solutions to move forward.

Meanwhile, some farmers told DPI they are thankful for the compensation and would like to return to the farmlands.

Mr. Revon Hoynes said he agreed with the compensation.

“They have come to compensation with us, which we agree because fighting is not what we are. We are farmers.”

Another farmer, Mr. Emerson Gilbert said, “I just thankful for it cause we were farming for years and we would still like to know that we could still get we farm and we could still get we land and those things.”

Several construction projects are ongoing in the Sophia community which has created hundreds of job opportunities and investments. Currently, some $51 million is being expended for the construction of a multipurpose recreational facility and over $550 million is being used for road works and infrastructural developments.

Also, close to 200 moderate, low-income houses are in various phases of construction in a project that will extend all the way to Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Guyana Revenue Authority Initiates Customs Administration Modernization Consulting Project

to share its experience and know-how.

The two countries expect that the consulting project which is expected to be for a duration of eight months will bring shifts in Guyana Customs administration in various fields, including risk management, cargo management and item classification, and contribute to the automation of Guyana’s Customs administration.

On June 4, 2021, in keeping with an aid agreement between Korea Customs Service and the GRA, a delegation of six consultants from KCS visited the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) located in Georgetown and

commenced consultations for the Modernization of the Guyana Customs Administration.

The 50-day visit to Guyana is part of an effort to strengthen cooperation between GRA and KCS, and to conclude with the delivery of a final report

which will recommend a future model for Guyana Customs.

During the visit, the project team will introduce UNI-PASS, Korea’s e-customs clearance system and hold seminars on Korea’s Customs Administration

Two charged with taxi driver murder, one reportedly confesses

Seyon James

Kenty Bacchus

Two men who were reportedly fingered in the brutal killing of a taxi driver during a robbery and later dumping his body in the Ogle area have been charged and remanded to jail for murder.

The two Kenty Bacchus, called ‘Trini’, and Seyon James, called

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‘Lil Alfey’ appeared before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and were both not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge.

It is alleged that the two on June 30, 2021, at Block 1 Ogle, East Coast Demerara, murdered

53-year-old taxi driver, Kenrick Trim, during the course and furtherance of a robbery The two were later remanded to prison until August 6, 2021.

Reports are that the body Trim, of Belfield Housing Scheme; East Coast Demerara, was found just after 9:00 am

the said morning. It was believed that he may have been dumped there with stab wounds and a battered body.

An examination of the body found that Trim had multiple stab wounds about his body. There were bloodstains on the mouth and around the nostrils.

His car was also reportedly found a short distance away from the body with the key still in

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the ignition and the radio on.

It was during the investigation that police then nabbed one suspect who revealed that he had linked up with the other suspect while serving prison time for simple larceny of a cell phone.

The confessor then noted that on the day of the incident he was picked up from the bus park and two went to a snackette located at Carmichael Street to purchase something to eat.

The confessor reportedly told police that he told the other man that he was in need of a place to stay since he was homeless at the time.

Subsequently, after spending some time at the snackette the two then stopped a car that Trim was driving and they both entered.

It was further explained by the confessor that he was seated behind the driver and the other man was seated behind the front passenger seat. He reportedly said that as they got to Ogle one of them grabbed the taxi driver by his neck and choked him “until he passed out.”

They then pulled the deceased over to the back seat but he was still moving so one of them dealt the taxi driver several stabs about his body.

Shortly after, the two removed the valuables from the man, threw out the body, and later parked the car in another spot. The murder weapon was discharged in some bushes nearby while the two subsequently escaped on foot to a minibus close to the area.

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