Tag: update

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority and the Directorate for Civil Aviation of Peru have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, marking a significant step toward the negotiation of an Air Services Agreement (ASA) and associated arrangements. This initiative is set to strengthen air transport connectivity, foster greater cooperation, and open new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange between the two nations.
Both parties expressed satisfaction with the longstanding partnership between Guyana and Peru and reaffirmed their strong commitment to concluding an ASA that will promote shared objectives and mutual growth. Once finalised, the ASA will be signed and ratified in accordance with each country’s national procedures, further cementing bilateral relations.
The MoU paves the way for airlines from both countries to operate regular passenger, cargo, and mail services on mutually agreed routes. It also grants extensive traffic rights, including third, fourth, fifth, and sixth freedom rights for mixed services, as well as up to seventh freedom rights for all-cargo operations. These provisions are expected to boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people ties.
The virtual signing ceremony was attended by Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Ms. Paola Mariella Marin Ugarte, Director General of the Directorate for Civil Aviation of Peru, who both underscored the importance of this milestone in advancing regional integration and connectivity.
The MoU underscores the shared commitment of both civil aviation authorities to pursue innovative solutions, enhance aviation safety standards, and reinforce robust regulatory frameworks, positioning Guyana and Peru as leaders in regional aviation collaboration.
The MoU was signed virtually in English and Spanish, reflecting the spirit of partnership and mutual respect.

 

Imports into Guyana have risen threefold since 2020 amid a sharp expansion in the country’s maritime sector, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar said Tuesday, as Guyana opened a two-day regional conference on port safety and security.
Indar told the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (CMOU) on Port State Control Conference, held at the AC Marriott Hotel in Ogle, that vessel traffic had grown 42% since 2020, citing figures from the maritime administration.
“That growth is strong and it will continue over the next two decades,” he said.
The conference, hosted for the second time in Guyana, brought together maritime and port state control stakeholders from across the Caribbean to strengthen regional cooperation on maritime safety and security.
Indar pointed to progress achieved by the CMOU over the past three decades, including improvements in inspection practices, technical training and capacity building for port state control officers across the region.
CMOU Chairman Michel Amafo said the body served not only as a mechanism for maritime safety and compliance, but as a pillar of collective security for the Caribbean.
“The strength of the CMOU has always been a spirit of cooperation and a shared commitment to excellence. By working together, we can continue to advance maritime safety, protect our marine environment and contribute to a resilient and sustainable maritime sector for the Caribbean region,” he told maritime professionals.
The forum highlighted that stronger integration with international systems and modern inspection practices have contributed to greater compliance with international conventions across member states.

 

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali says the government will raise the income tax threshold to $200,000 before the end of its current term, noting that the move will provide greater financial relief for workers and their families.
The President made the announcement on Tuesday during the 78th commemoration of the Enmore Martyrs, where he outlined measures aimed at improving living standards and expanding opportunities for working-class Guyanese.
Since returning to office in 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration has raised the income tax threshold from $65,000 to $140,000 this year, an increase of $75,000.
“The new base now is a new threshold. And we said that before the end of this term, that new base will be $200,000, upon which our workers will stand — $200,000 tax-free,” Ali said.
The most recent increase took effect earlier this year, when the threshold was raised from $130,000 to $140,000.
Ali said the higher threshold formed part of a broader push to improve workers’ welfare, including expanded access to education and healthcare.
“The new base is that every single child of the worker can now obtain a degree, a master’s or a PhD free of cost,” he said, pointing to the government’s investment in free tertiary education.
He also cited investment in healthcare, including expanded cancer treatment, eye care and other medical assistance programmes.
“The new base is that you will be able to access all cancer treatment services right here in this country because our government will invest in them,” he said.
Ali said the government’s social and economic policies are intended to ensure that the benefits of Guyana’s rapid economic growth reach ordinary citizens through higher incomes, improved public services and expanded opportunities.
He made the remarks while paying tribute to the Enmore Martyrs — Lallabagee, Rambarran, Harry, Pooran and Surujballi — the five sugar workers who were killed during a labour protest on 16 June 1948, saying their sacrifice continues to inspire efforts to improve the lives of workers.

Roraima Airways CEO Captain Gerry Gouveia Snr is urging flight crews to manage fatigue honestly, avoid the normalisation of deviance and speak up when something does not feel right, in a safety message issued following a string of recent aviation accidents.
His call comes amid several serious accidents and incidents in recent months involving respected operators, experienced crews, modern aircraft and organisations with strong safety cultures.
“The next accident is always someone who never expected it to happen to them,” he said, warning that the routine nature of daily flying could erode the vigilance needed to maintain safety.
Gouveia called on crews to remain disciplined in their procedures and never allow external pressures to influence sound aeronautical decision-making.
“If you see something, say something. If something does not feel right, speak up,” he said, adding that pilots and aviation personnel should raise concerns about aircraft, procedures, weather-related decisions, maintenance issues or operational practices.
“Silence is a killer,” Gouveia said, noting that many accidents were preceded by warning signs that were recognised by someone but never communicated.
He urged crew members to look out for one another, challenge each other respectfully when necessary and support one another in making safe decisions.
“Safety is not simply a department, a manual or a programme. It is a daily commitment shared by every member of our team,” he said, adding that no schedule, passenger, mission or commercial consideration outweighs the safety of crews and passengers.
Gouveia said every flight, whether a routine shuttle, charter, medevac mission or repositioning flight, deserves the same standard of professionalism.

 

Marlon Elam was asleep when the devastating fire broke out in North Sophia on Sunday night. Jolted awake by neighbours running and shouting, he joined a desperate but ultimately futile effort to stop flames that destroyed three buildings and left several families homeless in the Greater Georgetown community.
“Everybody was running around trying to stop the fire and warning neighbours,” Elam told Ignite News during this publication’s visit to the site on Monday morning.
The Guyana Fire Service said firefighters responded with three water tenders after receiving reports of the blaze at Lot 10 North Sophia, arriving to find one structure fully engulfed with nearby buildings under immediate threat. Three buildings were destroyed and a fourth was severely damaged.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated from a motorcycle before spreading rapidly to neighbouring structures. The Guyana Fire Service said the fire was maliciously set by unknown persons.
Elam said the claim that someone intentionally started the blaze troubled him.
“If it is true that somebody deliberately started this fire, then that person needs to be held accountable,” he said.
Lance Corporal Gregory (only name given), another affected resident, said she and others tried to contain the fire after spotting it around 6:30 p.m. but were quickly overwhelmed.
“The fire escalated very quickly. Before we knew it, everything was gone,” she said.
Gregory said she lost household appliances, equipment from her small juice business and cash savings, and expressed uncertainty about how displaced families would recover.
“We don’t have any funds. We have to move forward somehow, but right now we don’t know what we can do,” she said.
Resident Daniel Duncan, who said he noticed people fighting the flames with buckets of water as he returned home, described the scene as heartbreaking.
“Several families are now homeless and we need answers about what happened,” he said.
Residents are calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire as affected families count their losses.

 

 

Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall and opposition lawmaker Odessa Primus were among eight chairpersons elected to lead parliamentary committees on Monday, following a series of meetings convened by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.
Nandlall was elected to chair the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform, while Primus will lead the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations.
The meetings, which began at 10:30 a.m. at the Public Buildings in Brickdam, Georgetown, were open to members attending either in person or virtually, though most chose to appear in person.
Four Parliamentary Standing Committees and four Parliamentary Sectoral Committees elected chairpersons.

Parliamentary Standing Committees:

• Public Accounts Committee – Vishnu D. Panday (Opposition)

• Constitutional Reform – Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs

• Committee on
Appointments – Gail Teixeira

• Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector – Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Anthony Phillips, Prime Minister

Parliamentary Sectoral Committees

• Economic Services – Duarte O. Hetsberger (Opposition)

• Social Services – Dr Vindhya Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security

• Foreign Relations – Odessa Primus (Opposition)

• Natural Resources – Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources

Under the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, the Speaker chairs the Standing Orders Committee, the Assembly Committee, the Committee of Privileges and the Statutory Instruments Committee.

The elections mark an important milestone in the Thirteenth Parliament, enabling members to begin oversight work, examine government policy and assess whether its execution aligns with the principles of good governance, the Parliament of Guyana said in a Facebook post

 

 

 

Works on the Bath Market in Region Five are slated for completion in August, with the Rosignol Market expected to be finished by July.
The upgraded Bath Market will feature a shed, flooring, drainage systems and designated vendor stalls.
Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand on Friday visited the site.
Manickchand pledged to work with Public Works authorities to install lighting at the market, a concern long raised by vendors and residents. She added that Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Madanlall Ramraj had already committed to addressing the issue.
A vendor who has traded at the market for more than 20 years said the facility had not always been maintained to an acceptable standard.
On sanitation, Manickchand said the government was developing measures — including new legislation — to hold people accountable for littering.
“You’re going to see an elaborate… full build out of how we can deal with people littering,” she said.
Vendors were urged to work with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council to keep the facility clean, while the council was called on to support traders through regular waste collection and upkeep.

 

LaToya Wills has won a brand-new Proton X50, the grand prize in Mobile Money Guyana’s (MMG) “Race for the Keys” promotion, held to mark the company’s 13th anniversary.
The promotion ran from March 16 to June 7, allowing customers to qualify through eligible transactions on the MMG platform, including bill payments, mobile top-ups, merchant payments, data activations and money transfers.
Twelve weekly qualifiers advanced to a grand finale, where each selected a key fob for a chance to unlock the vehicle. Wills won when her key activated the Proton X50.
“I am so shocked and happy at the same time. I can’t believe this. I really can’t believe that I got lucky,” she said.
The win is especially significant for Wills, who said the Proton X50 is the first vehicle she has owned. She said she had often relied on her son for transportation and had frequently spoken about wanting a vehicle of her own.
Wills also said she does not currently hold a driver’s licence.
“I have no more excuses. I have a car. I have to get a licence,” she said.
She described the win as a rewarding moment after overcoming personal challenges.
“After everything I’ve been through, this makes me feel content,” she said.
The remaining 11 finalists also received rewards, with each awarded 100,000 Guyana dollars credited directly to their MMG wallets.
MMG said the promotion was part of its anniversary celebrations and a customer appreciation initiative aimed at rewarding users for their continued support of the platform. The company has grown into one of Guyana’s leading digital financial services platforms, offering payments, transfers, top-ups and other everyday transactions, and said the campaign was also designed to encourage greater adoption of digital financial services across the country.