Recent events review July 16 – July 22

Communities rejected our request… We feel and can justify our claim that the process for selection was not fair and in accordance with the criteria set out,” Chief Executive Officer of Cevons Waste Management Morse Archer told Stabroek News after the filing last week. This will be the first tender review for the three-member body, which comprises Renee McDonald, the chairperson, and Archibald Clifton and Ewart Adams. It will likely put even more pressure on government for the promised establishment of the Public Procurement Commission. Attorney General Basil Williams told Stabroek News yesterday that the Committee is expected to commence working tomorrow. The Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill 2016, according to Minister Cathy Hughes, is not only a step towards bringing Guyana on par with sister Caricom countries but it would also liberalise the sector, allowing for new entrants and creating an environment which is fair and competitive. A total of nine MPs from both sides of the House agreed that the bill was a step in the right direction. The opposition MPs reminded the House that it was while the PPP/C was in government that the legislation was crafted and that it had their support as they wanted to see an end to the existing monopoly. Some took the House down memory lane, while others said that some sections of the bill still raised concerns and, therefore, needed to be re-examined. At yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Hughes read the bill for a second time, paving the way for a debate and the subsequent vote that ended in its passage.