Guyana Observer News

- brazen robbers still operating in area

The person who ran over and killed her almost two months ago remains at large, but the family of murdered bank employee, Sheema Mangar is doing all they can to ensure that she does not become another cold case statistic. But even as efforts are being made to identify her killer, there are reports that robbers are continuing to prey on victims in the same area where the 21-year-old woman lost her life. Yesterday, with storm clouds overhead, family members, including the teen’s parents, brother and grandmother, returned to Church and Camp Streets to erect a cross near the spot where she was brutally attacked. Her mother, Radica Thakoor, said that she is determined that her daughter is not forgotten and that justice is served.
“We are still waiting for justice. She is a child of this nation and justice should be served.” She lamented the fact that her daughter was not around to see her brother celebrate his fifteenth birthday last Tuesday.

By Freddie Kissoon

There is only one way that the public can know if an important embassy has cancelled a visa. If the revocation is done before the person is requested to present him/herself to the consular section of the embassy, a notice goes out to all airlines to stop them from processing a flight for that person. Quite a number of persons then have access to the visa recall and can leak the information to the press. If the person visits the embassy and the visa is nullified, then it is almost impossible for the press to know that. The embassies in Guyana do not comment on visa revocation and visa denial. They do not distribute press releases on the issue. To date, there are no details available from the US Embassy or the Government of Guyana on the refusal of the embassy to grant Clement Rohee, then Minister of International Trade, a visitor’s visa. For six months Mr. Rohee could not get a stamp to allow him to enter the US.

 By:  Dr. David Hinds

Two news items have caught my attention recently. The first relates to the wire-tapping of several citizens, including the President, in Trinidad and Tobago under the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) government. The other pertains to workers who while cleaning a canal in Guyana by-passed the section in front of the home of a well-known anti-government columnist. The revelation that the PNM government or the Prime Minister authorized the wire- tapping of several prominent and not so prominent citizens is shocking even for one who is cynical about governance in the Caribbean. The fact of the matter is that such extreme government action is an embarrassment for a region that often boasts of its sterling record regarding the rule of law. Some PNM leaders seem to be defending the action as part of the country’s fight against crime. But how the fight against crime could have been enhanced by tapping the phones of the president, the PNM’s own de-facto deputy leader and the relatives of opposition politicians?

By Christopher Ram

Business Page of October 31 had referred to statements both by President Jagdeo and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh that the Value-Added Tax and the Excise Tax introduced in 2007 would have been revenue neutral. In 2007 alone, the excess of over the prior year – the basis for revenue-neutrality – was $12.6 billion, or 49%, of which VAT by itself had exceeded the taxes it was supposed to replace by a staggering 76%. Over a four year period the combined excess would therefore be approximately $50 billion. The question then is whether or not a reduction of taxes would have hurt or helped the economy and more importantly, whether the government has been honest with the VAT rate of 16%. And here a distinction needs to be made between the economy and important segments of the economy. Two women’s interests organisations, Red Thread and Grassroots Women across Race are under no illusion and from their own experiences are convinced that VAT for many, many (women) is a burden that is beyond bearing.

By Adam Harris

It would seem that for the next few weeks, or even longer, the nation would be fed a diet of horror stories not least among them, attacks on households and violence. It has not escaped my attention that brothers are killing each other and that armed men are making it a habit of attacking homes and business places. What is not surprising are the ages of the gunmen who attack homes. One of them who appeared in court was merely 18. At that age young men should be enjoying life, playing games, partying and trying to establish meaningful relationships with members of the opposite sex. Many years back, some of us were just leaving school and bringing to an end the best years of our lives.  have been talking a lot about the need for people to get rid of cash transactions. Without cash there can be no robberies because no bandit would want to steal credit cards and cheque leaves. They can do precious little with these.