with the help of the Region Six authority

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A man is currently in police custody after he was nabbed with a .32 revolver, three matching rounds and a quantity of cash shortly after robbing a minibus conductor.Reports are that around 19:30 hours on Saturday the man boarded a route 40 minibus at Sheriff Street and requested to stop at Vlissengen Road and Garnett Street.According to a police report, as the man came out of the minibus, he drew the gun and took $7,000 from the conductor and ran away.However, the gunman got more than he bargained for when the conductor and the bus driver pursued him.They were joined by ranks of a mobile police patrol. The robber was eventually caught in a yard at Station Street, Kitty. The suspect is in police custody and will be charged shortly.********************************UG students resist increased tuition feesThe University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) yesterday resisted any increase in tuition fees at the institution and said it will do everything in its power to resist such an outcome.Further, the Society said what is absolutely necessary at this time is a national discussion and action on the future of “this our most prestigious learning institution.”“The time is especially apt for those aspirants who seek the highest offices in our nation to let us know their potential contribution to this institution of highest learning in our nation,” UGSS stated in a press release.The Society stated that few would argue that in the view of the exponential expenditures which engage the government presently, the University of Guyana has gone almost unnoticed, pointing out that budgetary shortfalls annually of hundreds of millions of dollars, leaves the University light years behind the rest of the region, and in a position where the administration is asked to make bricks without straw.“If this position on funding the University is not corrected immediately and the institution continues to reverse into the future, it runs the risk of falling off the map. It is to the credit of the institution’s leadership that it has limped for this long into the twenty first century,” the UGSS stated.Through the Students Society’s engagements with the Office of the Vice Chancellor, there is an understanding that there will be no increase in tuition fees without consultation with the Society.The UGSS said it is committed to continued engagement on the issue but remains adverse to any proposal which leaves the students with the increased portion of the institution’s income generation without any concomitant national increase in economic earnings and opportunities to earn.The Society said the many maladies plaguing the University could be remedied through the University’s Strategic Plan 2009-2012: Advancing Management, Infrastructure and Quality (AMIQ) which proposes sweeping changes at the campuses at Turkeyen and in Berbice.****************************************B’ce Expo a success despite inclement weatherROSE HALL TOWN, CORENTYNE – Although the inclement weather impacted on this year’s Berbice Expo and Trade Fair, the organizers still dubbed the event a success. Coordinator, Tajpaul Adjodhea, said the number of booths was similar to that of 2009, in excess of 100, but it attracted fewer people since the first and last days were practically washed out.“Despite the bad weather, we had close to 4,000 persons each day Saturday and Sunday.”The four-day trade fair opened on July 23rd and concluded on the 26th. It was organized by the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.Since the Expo was first held in 2005, the venue had been the GuySuco Albion Community Centre Ground. This year, due to restrictions on that location and in keeping with suggestions from Government, the venue was changed. During a previous interview, Adjodhea had indicated that when the Guyana Sugar Corporation made the decision, they offered the Chamber two alternative sites – the Port Mourant Community Centre Ground and the Rose Hall Estate Community Centre Ground in East Canje. The latter place was chosen but it was subsequently noted that the drainage system was not as good as the Albion location.However, expectation was high but the Chamber had no control over the prevailing weather condition. In light of this, the organizers are now pondering the customary July date when the activity is hosted each year. According to the President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce Imran Hamid, this now forces them to identify a time of year that is most suitable in order for the event to remain the largest in Berbice. An emergency meeting is to be held later this week to map out the way forward and get an early start on plans for the 2011 Berbice Expo and Trade Fair.Meanwhile, with the help of the Region Six authority, the Chamber is hoping to acquire a permanent exhibition site. The initial plan is to acquire a plot of land located somewhere in the Central Corentyne area, where a facility can be erected and used as a recreational park as well.Adjodhea indicated that this year, exhibitors came from from Rupununi, Demerara, Orealla/Siparuta and other geographic locations. Besides showcasing goods, services and skills as well as to create new commercial opportunities and expand the horizons for some, the exposition was aimed at attracting visitors to Berbice. The Coordinator noted that all of these objectives were all accomplished.“But on the financial side we are going to suffer some sort of loss. We depend on the gates to generate our income but the weather did not permit this.”The organizers are grateful to the Government, Guyana Police Force, COPS Security Service along with other entities and individuals for their help in pulling off the four-day incident-free event.Hamid singled out the Chairman of Region Six, Zulfikar Mustapha, who played a vital role in making the Rose Hall venue accessible as well as the staff of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s East Berbice Rose Hall Estate.“We are grateful to all those who supported us despite the heavy rainfall, especially Mr. Zid and Mr. Raymond Haniff of GuySuco. Your contributions took us a far way.”In summing in up, Hamid described it as a learning experience, and from this, the Chamber would be better able to prepare for the inclement weather. The bad weather forced organizers to cancel the traditional Opening Ceremony. “Every single day it rained.”On June 17th, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prasad launched the event at GuySuco’s Rose Hall Estate Senior Staff club and showered kudos on the Chamber for its accomplishments. He described the members as a group of men with a purpose.The 2010 Berbice Expo and Trade Fair was held under the Theme, ‘Promoting Economic Diversity’