Posted By Stabroek staff On August 2, 2012 Regional News | (de Ware Tijd)
PARAMARIBO — The revenue service has sent tax assessment forms en masse to entrepreneurs in the gold mining industry, especially those that have put up a lucrative business.
Owners of the so-called ‘gold pontoons’ and ‘scalians’ the colossal vessels on the Corantijn, Suriname and Marowijne Rivers are the first to be taxed. Revenue Service director Tony van Dijk confirms sending the assessment forms. ‘We know that mostly foreigners that have put up a lucrative gold mining business. It does not matter if the businesses in fact belong to Surinamers, they have to pay. Owners of concession and heavy equipment are also taxed. I would not be able to look the man in the street in the eye if I ignored the gold industry.‘ Continue reading →
Every city has some basic things because they are often the most populated places in a country. There are therefore hospitals, the leading schools and colleges, the other training institutions, the fire service, the police headquarters, and of course, the largest municipal markets and the best stores.
Georgetown, Guyana, is no different. It has all these things. It houses the headquarters of the various government offices and is the hub of the transportation sector. However, Georgetown is like no other city. It cannot rid itself of its garbage because the city council is perennially cash-strapped and it has no working fire hydrant.
About five decades ago there were fire hydrants that not only stood at various locations on the streets but they worked. In the event of fire it was not unusual to see the firefighters racing to these hydrants and attaching their hoses. Continue reading →
Tradewinds – Dave Martins -“Not a blade of grass & Is we Own”
Dave Martins – the story behind “Not A Blade of Grass”
NOT A BLADE O’ GRASS
There are all sorts of strange tales about my song Not A Blade O’ Grass.
Some I’ve heard second-hand, but some folks, believe it or not, have
actually come to me directly to categorically assert that they know
exactly how the song came about. A couple times, I’ve been told, “Burnham
pay yuh to write dat song.” One fellow, fully blocked, told me that Mr.
Burnham had even suggested some of the words. In fact, while Brother
Forbes certainly used the song for his own ends, he had nothing whatsoever
to do with its creation. For that, you have to go to the late Pat Cameron.
