Daily Brief - Friday 7th February, 2025

NEWS

Children's Life Fund helped 86 ill children in two years

The Children's Life Fund helped to pay for 86 severely-ill children to access life-saving medical treatment in the two years of 2013 and 2014, said the fund's financial statements for 2014. These were laid in the House of Representatives on February 5, as part of an Auditor General's Report on the Financial Statements of the Children's Life Fund for 2014, signed by Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass on January 16, 2025. The fund's allocation to ill children for the two year period was almost $16 million. Read more here

Erla tells acting top cop: Do the right thing

Suspended Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher is urging her replacement, Junior Benjamin, to be principled in executing his duties and to always act with integrity. In a short message to Guardian Media last evening—her first public comment since she was arrested and subsequently released amid an ongoing probe into the procurement of two sniper riles for the Strategic Services Agency —Harewood-Christopher thanked Benjamin for his support as a member of her executive team during her stint as the top cop. Wishing him “very well during his tenure,” she said, “My only advice to him would be to be principled in the discharge of his functions and to have the courage to act with integrity and in accordance with his convictions of what is right and wrong.” Read more here

 

POLITICS

Sinanan: Chase Village highway extension done by end of March

Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan has said the highway extension project from Chaguanas to Chase Village is due to be completed by the end of next month. He was answering a listed question in the House of Representatives on February 5 posed by Caroni Central MP Arnold Ram as to the revised timeframe for the work. Sinanan said, "The work being done from Chaguanas to Chase Village is an expansion of a four-lane highway to six lanes in keeping with the UBH (Uriah Butler Highway) and is a natural extension of the highway network upgrade started by this Government, from Colville Street in the north, to CRH (Churchill-Roosevelt Highway) in the east and the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway in the south." Read more here

 

BUSINESS

Massy declares first quarterly dividend

The Massy Group has reported a profit of $206 million for the first quarter ended December 31, 2024, representing a 4% increase from the $198 million profit recorded in the same period last year. As a result, the Massy Group has declared a dividend of $3.54 per share for the quarter, marking the start of its shift to quarterly dividend payments. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

Guyana gears up for most ‘expansive’ Energy Conference yet

Expected to attract a record number of global participants, Guyana’s Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo will this year be more expansive, with a wider scope, highlighting the country’s diverse sectors including oil and gas, agriculture, tourism, and mining sectors. This was according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali during a video message on Thursday. He said that the event aims to showcase Guyana’s development opportunities and its ambition to be a major energy player in the region. The Head of State said: “This year, we’re going to have a record number of participants, exhibitors from all across the globe. That is not only good for our country, but that is good for the industry itself. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

Judge halts Trump's government worker buyout plan

A US judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump's plan offering incentives to federal workers to voluntarily resign before a Thursday midnight deadline. Federal Judge George O'Toole Jr said the plan would be paused until a hearing on Monday when he could determine the merits of a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, reported CBS, the BBC's US partner. The offer is part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to slash the size of the federal government. Read more here

7th February 2025

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