Guyana chronicle e paper 06 20 2018

WEDNESDAY 20th JUNE, 2018

No.105311

$50M scam busted … alleged plot to steal millions from Health Ministry unearthed … police, internal auditors to launch probe

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Duo nabbed 12 after robbery, rape at Zeelugt PAGE

Legislation being finalised for 16 scrap metal trade PAGE

No escape

– Minister Gaskin

–– authorities look to improve prosecution of TIP cases 02 PAGE

Guyana seeks UN help to tackle flooding in 19 mined-out areas PAGE

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission mines officers will be sharpening their skills to tackle Trafficking in Persons at a two-day training course which opened on Tuesday (Samuel Maughn Photo)

Boyfriend charged for allegedly killing Sasia Adams PAGE

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No escape 2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

–– authorities look to improve prosecution of TIP cases

THE authorities are seeking to increase the speed of prosecution of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) cases since many international victims are inclined to leave Guyana before the completion of trials.

This is according to the Ministry of Public Security Task Force Coordinator, Oliver Profit, who was at the time speaking at the commencement of a two-day TIP Training Course for GGMC mines officers at the Guyana Police Force, Officers’

Training Centre, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, on Tuesday.

Profit explained that the ministerial task force on TIP found that Guyana and almost all other nations understand the need for victim testimony and its importance in achieving a successful prosecution.

“The time it takes to investigate and prosecute, and they’re mostly adults, they (victims) would not necessarily be interested in staying through the whole process,”

he noted.

He added: “So what we’re doing right now, we have drafted a proposal for some changes that might need to be looked at, in order to make it a bit smoother in terms of getting prosecutions successful.”

Noting that there has been a small increase in terms of prosecution, Profit said that all efforts are being made to improve the prosecution rate.

“The onus is a lot on the victim to really be there throughout the duration of the case to give that evidence necessary for us to get that conviction… so what we’re doing is trying to improve our efforts to have other pieces of evidence which hold a lot more weight so that we can still proceed to convic-

tions,” Profit underscored.

He added: “What is positive is that even if alleged victim returns home, there is a provision for the use of Skype [for] video testimony from their home territory, so we’re trying to tap into these options to make ourselves a bit more successful in the future.”

SEXUAL AND LABOUR EXPLOITATIONS Responding to allegations of Haitians and Cubans being trafficked, Profit said that sexual exploitation and labour exploitation are the major forms of most cases of TIP in general, and most foreign victims are from Latin American countries.

He explained that a lot of times the victims would have

TIP Task Force Coordinator Oliver Profit families back home and they would need to provide financial support to them, and it may not necessarily be to their interest to stay until the case is completed.

TIP is a global threat and it is estimated that over 21 million persons are enslaved through trafficking. In Guyana, the authorities plan to ensure that such cases are nominal, since because of the lucrative nature of the business there will always be cases to deal with.

“We have to do our job to the best of our abilities so persons don’t see Guyana as

a place where this crime can be perpetrated,” he said.

Adding that Guyana has instituted legislation to combat the scourge, Profit said that in 2005 Guyana initiated the Combating in Trafficking Act, which was borne from the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime.

Noting that the act gave birth to the task force, he said that the unit was formed in February 6, 2007 with the intention to implement action plans and partnerships.

“It operates on two years action plans, now we are working on the 2017-2018 action plan… the idea of the task force is to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholder agencies that have a vested interest and mandate to fight TIP,” Profit said.

He said this is to ensure efforts are not duplicated and all gaps are filled.

FOUR Ps The action plan is focused on a four “P” paradigm which are Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership.

Noting that non-governmental organisations are also part of the task force partnership, Profit said the government alone cannot fight the crime and all assistance is needed.

“A lot of times you find that when we have a case of TIP, victims actually trust See page 8

$50M scam busted

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

…alleged plot to steal millions from Health Ministry unearthed

… police, internal auditors to launch probe

By Svetlana Marshall AN attempt to allegedly defraud the Public Health Ministry of millions of dollars during the recently concluded Health Expo 2018 has been unearthed and police and internal auditors from the Finance Ministry are soon to be called in to launch inves-

2018. Though unconfirmed, it is believed that the sum is to the tune of $50M. At this point, it is unclear what the money was intended for.

However, according to the source, bogus documents which cloned those of the Public Health Ministry were presented as “official” documents to cheat the state of millions of dollars.

crumbled, however, on the eve of the opening of Health Expo 2018, after a diligent staff of the ministry detected that the documents represented were fake. It is believed that the corrupt practice had been ongoing for a long time, but was only detected recently. Investigators from the Guyana Police Force and

The Ministry of Public Health headquarters on Brickdam, where the scheme to defraud the ministry of millions of dollars was unearthed. (Photo by Delano Williams) tigations.

A well-placed source at the Public Health Ministry told the Guyana Chronicle that there was an alleged plot to steal millions of dollars during the hosting of the country’s inaugural Health Expo, which was held from May 30 to June 2,

Though it is unclear at this stage how many persons at the ministry’s Brickdam headquarters were involved in the alleged scam, it is believed that they have well-organised connections outside of the Public Health Ministry.

The plot reportedly

internal auditors from the Finance Ministry will soon launch their investigations.

On Tuesday, Public

Health Minister Volda Lawrence warned senior officers of the ministry that police detectives and internal auditors will descend upon its Brickdam headquarters to investigate the “misappropriation of funds and the blatant attempts to steal” public funds.

According to a press statement issued by the Public Health Ministry, Minister Lawrence, who is a professional accountant, told employees when she took over the mantle in January 2017 that she would not tolerate dishonest staff.

In a frank discourse with senior Public Health officials, the Public Health Minister raised questions about “blatant attempts to steal” and other brazen, dishonest acts perpetrated by employees of the ministry.

Lawrence said the police and officials from the Ministry of Finance will carry out open investigations into ongoing corrupt practices by staff members.

“Fraud has been ongoing a long time at the Public Health Ministry”, Lawrence said.

Cautioning programme managers, who appeared

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence stunned by her revelations, Lawrence said, “I am advising you to check what you sign and ensure it meets the regulatory requirements and it is in keeping with your programmes.”

Lawrence reiterated, “I will not compromise on the issue of accountability within the public health sector.”

The minister did not hide her disquiet over allegations that employees within the ministry have been sending missives on internal matters to persons outside the Public Service structure. According to the Public Health Minister, letter writers will shortly have the opportunity to

“bring the evidence” to support their claims. Less threatening, but equally toxic, she said, is the issue of insubordination, which is rife among some categories of employees.

“Some parts of the MoPH train have been derailed [and] the madness has to stop,” Minister Lawrence stated. In May 2017, a number of employees were arrested at the ministry’s Materials Management Unit (MMU) Bond at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, following the discovery of medical supplies that were allegedly stolen.

The stolen items were valued at approximately US$500 (G$100,000).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Nicaragua crisis talks stall after mediators walk out

A FRESH attempt at solving a deadly crisis in Nicaragua through talks has stalled after opposition representatives and Catholic Church mediators walked out.

At least 180 people have been killed since a wave of anti-government protests started on 18 April.

The mediators blamed the government for the failure of the latest negotiations.

They accused the government of breaking its promise to invite international organisations to Nicaragua.

Both sides had reached an agreement on Friday to ask representatives of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the UN Commission on Human Rights and the European Union to come to Nicaragua to help investigate the deaths and acts of violence.

H o w e v e r, w h e n t h e opposition Civic Alliance asked to see copies of the

Vice-President Rosario Murillo blamed “evil spirits” for the violence

The opposition blamed the government for the latest breakdown of the talks

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invitations on Monday, government representatives could not present them.

Foreign Minister Denis Moncada reportedly cited “bureaucratic” reasons for the failure to send out the invitations.

The Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference, which has been acting as mediator, said talks would only be reconvened “when the government sends us a copy of those invitations and the international organisations confirm to us they have received them”.

With the opposition and the government deeply divided, international organ-

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isations have been key in documenting the violence which has swept through the country for the past two months.

On Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said that “the gravity of these developments” could merit sending an international commission of inquiry to Nicaragua.

The number of people killed in the past two months of protests and unrest is disputed. The Nicaraguan Centre of Human Rights says at least 180 have died while other human rights groups say the number has already surpassed 200.

The crisis started quite unexpectedly when pro-government gangs violently crushed a small demonstration against reforms to Nicaragua’s pension system announced on 18 April.

It has since turned into a popular uprising against Nicaragua’s President, Daniel Ortega, who was elected to a third consecutive term in office in 2016.

Protesters’ anger increased as security forces and armed pro-government groups violently repressed demonstrators, with casualties on both sides.

On Monday, Vice-President Rosario Murillo attributed the crisis to “an invasion... of evil spirits which want evil to reign in Nicaragua”.

The protesters are demanding that President Ortega step down while the government accuses them of wanting to stage a coup d’etat. (BBC)

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Man surprises family at his own wake A MAN from the small village of Santa Teresa in Paraguay returned home after three days away to find his family mourning a body they thought was his.

Juan Ramón Alfonso Penayo, 20, had last been seen on Thursday leaving the family home on the border with Brazil.

The area is hotly disputed between a number of drug gangs and when Mr Penayo did not return, his family assumed he had met with trouble.

When police found a charred body on Sunday, they concluded it was him.

The family held a wake in the village only for Mr Penayo to turn up and find them grieving over the coffin they thought held his body.

Following Mr Penayo’s unscathed return, the still unidentified body was returned to the morgue.

Officials said that if noone else claimed it, the body would be interred as “NN”, the initials given to unidentified people, from the Latin nomen nescio or name unknown.

It is not known where Mr Penayo was or what he was doing during the three days he was missing. (BBC)

Dutch Queen Máxima pays tribute to dead sister

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has spoken in public for the first time of the loss of her younger sister, Inés Zorreguieta, who died this month.

Fulfilling a visit to a hospital in Groningen that she had postponed because of the death, she gave a brief but emotional statement to reporters.

“My dear, talented younger sister Inés was ill too,” she said. “She couldn’t find joy and couldn’t recover.

“Our only consolation is that she has now finally been able to find peace.”

Inés Zorreguieta died in her flat on 6 June in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, aged 33. Said to have suffered from depression and mental illness, she is thought to have taken her own life.

Queen Máxima, originally from Argentina herself, had been due to open a proton therapy centre for cancer patients in the northern city of Groningen two days later but flew to

her native country with King Willem-Alexander and their three daughters for the private funeral.

She was visibly moved during her unannounced visit to the hospital on Tuesday, expressing her gratitude for the “countless letters, messages and expressions of support - that really helped us”.

She said she had returned to work after a difficult period and was happy to visit the hospital as it meant so much for people with cancer “who are sick but still have hope of recovery”.

Inés Zorreguieta had been bridesmaid at Máxima’s wedding to then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002.

She was also godmother to the couple’s youngest daughter, Princess Ariane, and took part in her christening in 2007.

King Willem-Alexander said last week that her death had affected everyone very deeply. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Trump defends separating immigrant families amid outcry

US President Donald Trump has defended his policy of splitting up families entering the US illegally, defying a growing chorus of condemnation.

Speaking at a business convention, Mr Trump said children had to be taken away if their parents were jailed for illegally crossing the US border.

The president had earlier sparked outrage for tweeting that undocumented immigrants would “infest” the US. Mexico’s foreign minister has called the US policy “cruel and inhuman”.

Mr Trump is meeting Republican lawmakers later to discuss a bill that proposes to curb the policy.

“I don’t want children taken away from parents,” Mr Trump said. “When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally - which should happen - you have to take the children away.”

Mr Trump said he wanted to “end the border crisis” by giving border officials the resources to “detain and remove illegal immigrant families altogether”.

US immigration officials say 2,342 children have been separated from 2,206 parents from 5 May to 9 June amid a “zero-tolerance” crackdown on illegal immigration brought in by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Speaking on Monday evening, Mr Sessions rejected claims US holding centres for child migrants separated from their parents were like Nazi concentration camps.

“Well, it’s a real exaggeration, of course,” the Department of Justice chief told Fox News. “In Nazi Germany, they were keeping the Jews from

leaving the country.”

He added: “Fundamentally, we are enforcing the law.

Hopefully people will get the message and not break across the border unlawfully.”

Luis Videgaray Caso said on Tuesday that the separation of children from parents at the US border was “cruel and inhuman”, and clearly violated human rights.

the border for the first time tended to be issued with court summonses.

But the Trump administration points out that most of those migrants never showed

Official images of the tent city for migrant children in Tornillo, Texas, were released on Monday

Meanwhile, Mr Trump faced criticism for his choice of language on Tuesday after tweeting that immigrants threatened “to pour into and infest our Country”.

On Tuesday, the co-creator of the sitcom Modern Family said he would cut ties with Fox’s TV production studio because of Fox News’ rhetoric around the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

Both Fox News and Fox’s TV production studio are owned by 21st Century Fox, which is currently considering acquisition offers from US media conglomerates Disney and Comcast.

“I look forward to seeing Modern Family through to the end and then, sale or no sale, setting up shop elsewhere,” Steve Levitan said.

What are migrants’ countries of origin saying?

Mexican Foreign Minister

The Salvadoran foreign ministry issued a statement on Monday saying the US policy was “exposing children to extremely adverse conditions”.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said: “Our position is that families should not be separated.”

Guatemala has refrained from criticising the US, saying only that it respects other nations’ migration policy.

Under the “zero-tolerance” crackdown that the Trump administration rolled out in May, all border crossers - including first-time offenders - are criminally charged and jailed.

Migrant children are not permitted to be incarcerated with their parents, and are kept in separate facilities maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Under previous US administrations, undocumented immigrants caught crossing

up for court.

The Trump administration has been disputing the terminology used to describe its immigration crackdown.

The Department of Homeland Security has framed it as an “initiative” rather than “a policy”.

It describes the holding centres where children have been pictured behind metal chain-link enclosures with concrete floors as “shelters” instead of “cages”.

A lawyer defending the detained immigrants tells the Boston Globe that several of her clients had been told by Border Patrol agents that their children were being taken to be bathed - a tactic that has drawn further comparisons to the Holocaust.

As the hours passed the mothers began to realise their children were not going to be immediately returned, ac-

Remanded for allegedly having gun and ammo A 26-YEAR-OLD miner was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition.

Andrew Ridley, called Kevin Ridley, denied that on June 15 at Garnet Street, Albouystown, he allegedly had a .32 Taurus pistol along with eight, live matching rounds in his possession when he was not a licensed firearm holder.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Gordon Mansfield told the court, that on the day in question, police on mobile patrol though Garnet Street, Albouystown, had observed Ridley who was the pillion rider on a motor cycle and the rider acting in a suspicious

cording to lawyer Azalea Aleman-Bendiks.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Republican president is due to head to Congress, which is controlled by members

manner. Ridley, on noticing the cops jumped from the motor cycle and ran away.

The police gave chase and saw Riley as he pulled a gun from his pants waist and threw it away. He was arrested and the gun was retrieved.

The Albouystown resident pleaded with the court stating that he was innocent of the charge. He said that he was beaten by the police.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor objected to Ridley being released on bail, citing the seriousness of the charge.

The chief magistrate ruled in the prosecution’s favour and remanded the defendant to prison until July 11, when the matter will be heard by Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

of his party, as the House of Representatives prepares this week to vote on a moderate immigration bill.

The compromise measure would limit, but not outright ban family separations. It would also offer an eventual

path to citizenship for undocumented adult immigrants, known as Dreamers, who entered the US as children.

The Republican legislation would also provide $25bn (£19bn) in funding for border security, including Mr Trump’s planned US-Mexico wall.

The White House says Mr Trump supports the package.

A hardline conservative immigration bill is also in circulation, though it lacks enough support to be politically viable.

Meanwhile, 21 Democratic state prosecutors demanded on Tuesday that the Department of Justice end the “zero tolerance” policy, arguing it “is ignoring its legal and moral obligation for the sake of a political agenda at the expense of children”.

“Put simply, the deliberate separation of children and their parents who seek lawful asylum in America is wrong,” the letter from the attorneys general reads, adding that the practice is “contrary to American values”. (BBC)

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

In search of the truth MODERN history has been replete with intra-state conflicts. In fact, there are few of the world’s geographical regions in which countries have not had the experience of bloody violence emanating from a variety of causes.

These have been bloody engagements of varying intensity, such as the horrific Rwandan genocide and the almost equally brutal scenario, such as the Srebrenica Massacre in the Bosnian war, Europe’s worst loss of lives through conflict since World War11; and the Kenya post-election civil unrest of 2007-8, in which many lives were lost.

But be it as it is, such conflicts and similar types, have always involved great loss of lives, with families losing loved ones, killed in actual hostilities and many disappearing under unclear circumstances, as in the Argentine experience of the 1970-80s.

It is inevitable that such internecine strife would leave the states—if they have occurred--fractured and scarred, with great fear and simmering tensions, and of course, with the many unanswered questions surrounding persons who were killed -- how did they die?

Guyana, during the first decade almost, of the New

Millennium experienced what has been definitely its worst encounter of criminal violence, otherwise known as the “Troubles”. It is a period that was characterised by criminal elements--some with alleged very strong affiliation to the then political administration--carrying out death squad executions and other acts that plunged the state into anarchy.

There were policemen shot down in the streets, including a very high-profile police officer; a known political activist who was assassinated; and a government minister who, along with some members of his family, were murdered at his home. Also, massacres that claimed the lives of over three dozen persons.

These were frightening incidents that held the state to ransom, paralyzing its citizens. What was even more surprising--shocking to be precise--was that the government of the day did not treat with the requisite seriousness such bloody incidents, since there were no inquests held, not even in the case of the former cabinet minister who was killed. It was even more surprising that the shooting death of the police officer never attracted any official investigation as far as was publicly known. The massacres, too, suffered this disinterest from

the then government.

As alluded above, any state that has suffered such levels of violence would be left traumatised, especially where mass killings have occurred. Given the damage that would have been done to the nation’s psyche -- particularly given the reach of the violence and the number of families that lost relatives -- it was only quite natural that the then government account to the nation as to the causes, and those responsible for the numerous lives lost -- 1431Guyanese.

These have been the kind of national crises that have taken place in other countries and have been the subject of mechanisms known as Truth and Reconciliation Commissions. The latter are a form of public inquiry carried out, with a view of soliciting answers as to what had been the responsible factors for the violence and loss of lives and the actors responsible.

It will be remembered that such a commission was constituted in Grenada to enquire into the shooting deaths of numerous Grenadians which occurred in 1979. The commissioner for the Lindo Creek CoI, Justice Donald Trotman, was the appointed head of that Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Grenada.

No state where the rule of

law is paramount, the human rights and freedoms of its citizens are upheld and respected and the right to the truth is respected, should ever attempt to cover up and obfuscate the kind of horrific incidents that have dotted this nation for those early 10 years.

It is a gross dereliction of the national duty; a disrespectful violation, coupled with an unforgivable and callous disregard on the part of any government, as the then PPP/C coldly displayed, to have ignored especially those families affected by such violence. It is only but natural that their questions as to the how, and why of the demise of their husbands, brothers, sons/grandsons, nephews, and cousins, must be answered by the state which has the investigative capacity and power to provide the necessary information.

Therefore, it explains why the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change(APNU+AFC) government, named a Commission of Inquiry that has not so long ago, completed its inquiry into the Lindo Creek Massacre that occurred in 2008. It was one of the very brutal murders of the orgy of violence that descended on this nation, in which eight miners were killed and their bodies incinerated

in an attempt to conceal the dastardly act.

It was what every responsible government that cares for the welfare of those it governs, had been expected to do – provide answers to the still emotionally traumatised families; bringing the perpetrators to justice, and thus closure to their years of grief and sadness.

Let it be emphasised that this would not a politically motivated inquiry, or one that will divide the country, as the Leader of the parliamentary opposition has stated. He must be reminded that he has failed those families, who for all the years of his government were crying out for the truth and justice.

In fact, the Terms of Reference of this type of CoI had ordered that it investigates with a view to making recommendations. In this regard,

we must commend the erudite commissioner, retired Justice Mr. Donald Trotman who has made seeking the truth and nothing but the truth into the circumstances of the miners’ death, the watchword and guide for his commission’s work. He has gone wherever the evidence could be found, including a visit to Lindo Creek where the massacre occurred.

Thus. taking the commission to communities on the West Demerara, Linden and at Kwakwani, underlines the serious realisation that not only must the truth be found, but that there is a right to the truth which all states that adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are duty bound to uphold, with its citizens assured rights to such, protected. In this way, the wounds of society will begin to heal.

Pirate murders highlight plight of victims’ families Dear Editor,

THE recent pirate attack against our Guyanese in Suriname sent shock waves throughout our country and we are still trying to come to terms with its implications for our citizens’ peace and security.

Ordinary fisherfolk with families to provide for were brutally murdered at sea by a sadistic band of pirates, reportedly on a revenge mission for their ringleader. No other than His Excellency President David Arthur Granger described the attack as a great tragedy. It is now time for us to heed the lessons of this great tragedy and try to soothe the pain and sorrow, especially among the victims’ families.

The alleged ringleader was arrested, as were other suspects. I must point out that these arrests clearly belied the false belief by some Indo-Guyanese that those from their race are not cruel people

and that Afro-Guyanese are the main perpetrators of violent crimes. I have seen their comments on the internet and heard them with my own ears, blaming Afro-Guyanese for all the violent crime in society. I hope this puts that matter to rest once and for all. Crime is not about race. Often, it is about getting money without working and doing what it takes to get it.

What sort of people could look at other helpless human beings and attack them so viciously and cold-bloodedly? Imagine the scenario: a band of pirates armed with guns and cutlasses hop aboard fishing vessels with defenceless men and proceed to beat them, chop them like fish and throw them overboard. In their zeal to ensure that the men drowned, they even tied batteries to their legs. Their hearts were hard, even as the victims-- no match for this gang-- begged for their lives or struggled against the waters

into which they were hurled.

It would be hard to do this to an animal, much less a human being.

The victims were husbands, sons, brothers, uncles and friends, struggling in rough conditions to earn a dollar at a job not many people want to do. What could they have done to deserve such horrible deaths? The media has reported that the attacks were in revenge for the driveby shooting of one pirate’s brother. However, it is not clear if those attacked were implicated in that incident.

From what has been reported so far, these were premeditated, cold-blooded murders.

The entire incident begs the question: what could have spawned this level of cruelty? Were they brutalised as children? Did they grow up seeing this level of brutality meted out by adults against others? What will their children grow up to be like? It’s mind boggling. Persons do not

become capable of such savagery overnight. This could not have been the first time these criminals had executed such brutality and force against other human beings.

One of the suspects’ Facebook posts showed photos of him with guns, drugs and money, photos of which were exposed in the media, even a photo of him sleeping with a gun at his side. I think about the families of the murdered men. Some might have had young children. What are they going to do now to survive?

Our country does not have a strong welfare system to deal with situations such as these.

I remember writing to the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, as well as his successor late President Cheddi Jagan, suggesting that a fund be set up for situations such as these. My idea is to put state funds aside for emergency access by poor families that lose breadwinners suddenly.

I suggested it because there

are far-reaching consequences when the breadwinner of a family dies suddenly. The consequences on the family can be dire and the effects can filter down to their villages, communities and even the country as a whole.

The sons of such persons can turn to lives of crime; daughters and wives can engage in immoral acts and lives of crime as well, to get money. When I originally made this suggestion, it was for the families of accident victims who were killed or injured. I suggested then that the money can be garnered by introducing a supplementary fee for the registration of vehicles. In terms of monetary fees, I suggest $500 or $1000. This money can be put towards a welfare fund for families of victims of crime and accidents. The government can start the fund with some seed money from a grant taken from our tax dollars. I give

them permission to use my tax dollars for this purpose.

People in certain occupations such as cane-cutting, fishing, taxi driving and so on, can also be encouraged to take out life insurance policies, showing them how a policy can benefit their families in the event of their demise.

They should also be urged to pay their NIS contributions as their families can benefit if they die. As the situation stands, people are murdered and their families benefit from only a pittance from the Ministry of Social Protection. I don’t mean to knock what the ministry is offering; it is preferable to them getting nothing.

However, I believe we can do better, so that our people can have the good life, for which President Granger’s government is striving.

Regards Roshan Khan Snr

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

OP-ED

National Caribbean-American Heritage Month

By United States Ambassador Perry L Holloway

CARIBBEAN-AMERICANS have defined U.S. history. From distinguished leaders such as Colin Powell of Jamaican heritage and Shirley Chisholm of Bajan and Guyanese ancestry, to legends in the arts and sciences like Derek Walcott of St. Lucia and Dr. Patricia Bath of Trinbagonian lineage, descendants of the Caribbean have served at the helm of our nation and championed the United States’ most cherished ideals at home and abroad.

In 2006, President George W. Bush recognised the vast achievements of those of Caribbean heritage by declaring June National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Since then, every U.S. president has honoured our citizens of Caribbean descent with a similar proclamation. This year, President Trump stated, “As trailblazers, Americans with Caribbean roots have sewn their own unique thread into the fabric of our nation.”

The Caribbean-American community has also leveraged existing business, investment, and philanthropic relationships in service of both the United States and their countries of heritage. And so as we honour the achievements of Caribbean-Americans, we also recognise the sizeable role our countries play in one another’s success. As a testament to the U.S.

commitment to the Region, in December 2016 the U.S. Congress passed the United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act (H.R. 4939), sponsored

by Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), with overwhelming bipartisan support. This law declared the broadening and deepening of U.S. engagement in the Caribbean as a key element of U.S. foreign policy in the Region.

this year to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs participating on the margins of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government conference in Grenada, these high-level engagements underscore the U.S. commitment to enhancing our partnerships in the Caribbean.

On security, we are committed to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.

Since its inception in 2010, the United States has ap-

United States Ambassador Perry L Holloway

In accordance with the law, in June 2017, the Department of State released Caribbean 2020 – a living policy framework to bolster America’s partnerships in the Caribbean in six key areas: diplomacy, security, prosperity, energy, education, and health. It is available online and I encourage you all to take a look at it.

We have already begun to deliver on the commitments established in Caribbean 2020. In the last two years, senior U.S. officials have travelled frequently to the Caribbean to demonstrate U.S. support to the Region. From former Secretary of State Tillerson’s meetings in Jamaica earlier

propriated almost $500 million to improve our mutual security, enhance maritime interdictions, reduce illicit trafficking and mitigate underlying causes of crime to protect Caribbean families and communities.

In the area of prosperity, the United States prioritises private sector engagement and sustainable growth.

At the 2018 Caribbean Prosperity Roundtable in Miami, we brainstormed with Caribbean leaders and members of the private sector to come up with ways to spur economic development and job creation, and we are working at the OAS to bolster resiliency among small business operators

in the economically vital Caribbean tourism sector.

In support of CARICOM’s 2027 goal to generate 47 percent of electricity from renewable sources, the Department of State and USAID has provided $3.5 million in funding this fiscal year to support energy diversification in the Caribbean.

On education, we are building stronger partnerships between our higher education institutions and advancing cooperation on science and technology.

As a part of this commitment, more than 11,000 exchange participants from the Caribbean have travelled to the United States on U.S. government-sponsored professional, cultural, sports, youth, and academic programmes.

As we witnessed during the 2017 hurricane season, natural disasters know no

borders. In the aftermath of two Category Five hurricanes last year, the U.S. government provided more than $22 million in humanitarian assistance, including 185 metric tonnes of relief supplies, to support emergency relief efforts in Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Dominica, St. Kitts-Nevis, Saint Martin, and Sint Maarten. As another hurricane season gets underway, we continue to help countries in the Caribbean prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and we stand ready to assist our friends should disaster strike.

We are also working together to address issues of regional concern. As neighbours and fellow citizens of the Americas and the Caribbean, we cannot ignore the dramatic deterioration of democracy in

Venezuela, the suffering of the Venezuelan people, and the challenge posed to the Region by the massive exodus of Venezuelans fleeing the crisis, including to the Caribbean. We thank the Caribbean Community for standing with the Venezuelan people and continue to urge strong collective action to address the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis facing the people of Venezuela.

As we commemorate National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we reaffirm our commitment to the Caribbean Region and we look forward to pursuing a shared vision of a secure, prosperous, and democratic Western Hemisphere together with the people of Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

AFC weekend confab to focus on LGE LOCAL Government Elections (LGE) will be at the top of the agenda when the Alliance for Change (AFC) holds its third quarterly National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting on Saturday.

In a statement on Tuesday, AFC stated that major focus will be placed on plans and preparations for LGE slated for later this year.

Earlier in the year, the AFC agreed to contest the much anticipated elections with its

coalition partner, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). The top brass of the parties was expected to meet to discuss matters relating to the elections.

“This NEC will focus exclusively on the party’s position, plans and preparations for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE),” the AFC said. The NEC meeting will be held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre. Representatives from all 10 administrative regions

and from the diaspora are expected to attend.

At a NEC meeting in May, Leader of the AFC, R a p h a e l Tro t m a n i n formed those sitting at the helm of the party that on April 30 he received a response to the AFC letter dated February 26, 2018 which was sent to the APNU leader regarding the upcoming Local Government Elections. AFC’s letter outlined a number of matters, including the is-

sue of the approach to Local Government Elections and the response from the APNU leader’s proposed course of action. It

No escape...

Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman

Specialist to make presentation on Local Content Policy

LOCAL content specialist Dr. Michael Warner will today make a presentation on the implementation of Guyana’s local content policy as this country prepares for first-oil in 2020.

The presentation is being facilitated by DAI, the development company that is managing Exxon’s Centre for Local Business Development.

The presentation will be held at the Pegasus Hotel. Dr. Warner told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that his presentation seeks to contextualise the Local Content Policy in a frontier country with a relatively small economy and a large discovery.

Guyana’s Local Content Policy is in its second draft.

Dr Warner noted the key

Senior Specialist in local content, Dr. Michael Warner

aspect of the policy is the promotion of collaboration between the government and industry, a more internationally recognised shift. “That bodes well I think for the future,” Dr Warner noted. He added Guyana’s Local Content Policy “sends the right message around collaboration” and “co-creation around what happens next, a need for dialogue” and reporting.

The second draft of the Local Content Policy delineates the framework by which local content will be understood, developed, measured and secured. In the Guyanese narrative, local content refers to local goods and services,

is anticipated that during Saturday’s NEC Meeting the proposed course of action will again come up for discussion.

including employment across the oil and gas value chain.

The primary aim and objective of the policy is ensuring education, inclusion and advancement of as many as possible in the value chain of the oil and gas industry.

Dr. Warner is a senior specialist in local content with the Sustainable Business Group for DAI. He has over 20 years’ experience in local content development in the oil and gas industry. Last year, he facilitated a master class with government and private sector officials, facilitated by the Centre for Local Business Development. (DPI)

From page 2 non-governmental parties more than they trust government agencies, so they might be able to provide more information and they also show their worth in providing shelter for victims,” he explained.

He said the task force is also divided into subcommittees which handle many needs assessment and activities, since both local and international victims are affected.

Underscoring that Guyana was elevated to Tier One in the US State Department, Profit said this means Guyana met the minimum standards to combat TIP. Further, he explained that the US State Department has listed Guyana as a point of origin, a point of transit and destination for victims of human trafficking.

As such, he said the task force has been ramping up efforts to reduce and eliminate this social scourge.

Among their efforts is partnering with other agencies, including international bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Meanwhile, Lucresha Bryan-French, Foreign Service Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, the task force has been conducting a series of training programmes for various stakeholders who need to be involved in the fight against TIP. She said that the last occasion that mines officers’ received training was in December 2016, and due to the prevalence of TIP in mining areas, the task force saw a need for more training.

Lucreshabryan-French explained that the training course will focus on identifying and applying anti-TIP legislations, in order to build a working relationship with mines officers who are important sources of information for the task force.

I challenge Jagdeo to a face-off on the facts

More evidence about Jagdeo/Ramotar no rules, no integrity era

IN a previous letter, I indicated that in 2013, on the eve of GECOM`s consideration of Mr. Boodhoo’s application for a renewal of contract, the PPP started a campaign accusing the “PNC” commissioners of ridding GECOM of Indo-Guyanese. On that occasion, I responded with evidence that the Indo-Guyanese whose contracts had not been renewed, were victims of Boodhoo`s initiatives. Boodhoo was the one who initiated, and insisted on, the non-renewal of their contracts. What the PPP was doing then was creating the atmosphere for the reappointment of Boodhoo, who sought in 2011 to allocate an AFC seat to the PPP as he had done in 2006. In 2006, he went “scot free” and in 2011 they were endeavouring to let him off the hook once again.

The relevance of restating this is that in 2018 the PPP is attempting the same ruse: play the racial card and have Vishnu Persaud appointed as

PERMIT me a bit of space in your publication to comment on an issue that is very current. Mr. Roy Beepat of the Giftland Mall on the East Coast, has raised some pertinent questions regarding preferences which were given to the Movie Towne Group versus what Giftland and other major investors were accorded during the previous administration.

I am interested in one major aspect of this issue and it has to do with the preferences and benefits given to close friends and families during the Jagdeo/Ramotar era. Despite what the former president may wish to say at his weekly press conferences, the evidence that all men and women were not equal during his time in office from 1999 to 2011, is overwhelming. Some benefitted far more than others. Those who in particular had refused to bend the rules to suit the whims and demands of those in power back then, were given the royal run-around.

Those who pledged support to the PPP, involved the boys, girls their friends and families in their projects as beneficiaries, were well treat-

Dear Editor,

deputy chief election officer. That ruse having failed, once again, the leader of the opposition is spewing his racial venom at the so-called “PNC commissioners”. As a commissioner with institutional memory, who has exposed the PPP`s campaign for what it is worth, I was at the centre of Jagdeo`s attack at his Thursday press conference. He levelled a number of accusations, which I will respond to here: 1. He accused the socalled “PNC commissioners” of scoring Indo-Guyanese low and Afro-Guyanese high, to wit 100%, in an attempt to deny Indo-Guyanese employment at GECOM. Let it be known that I never scored anyone 100% or 0% and that in the interviewing process, the first person to have awarded someone 100% was Commissioner Shadick, Jagdeo`s nominee. Jagdeo is therefore in one swipe lying and indulging in double standards.

2. He accused me of ulterior motives in regard to my disclosures on Vishnu Persaud. On that matter I

stand by my word and hereby restate emphatically that Vishnu Persaud`s candidacy was opposed by me on the grounds that the other candidate is superior, in addition to the fact that Vishnu was appointed as the PRO of GECOM when he was not qualified for the job. He was elevated to DCEO on the pretence of being the holder of a first degree, here again, he was appointed to a position for which he was not qualified. He himself, in the presence of the entire interviewing panel, admitted that he was not the holder of a first degree or its equivalent.

That alone should have made him ineligible.

3. He contended that both candidates are holders of a Master`s degree, however, Vishnu`s Master`s degree cannot be compared with that of his competitor. He has a ‘D’ average while his competitor has a ‘B+’ average.

Jadgeo further accused GECOM of a procedural breach by not appointing the person with the highest score. Apart from the highest score being contrived

and dubious, the procedure has always provided for the commission to make the final determination, especially in the instance where there is a hung result (a tie) at the level of the interviewing panel.

Only a few weeks ago, for the position of legal officer, there was a hung decision of the interviewing panel, which resulted in the matter being determined by the full commission. In that instance, the chairman`s decisive vote coincided with the votes of the PPP commissioners and the candidate with the highest score was not offered the job.

It should be noted that the affected candidate was an African-Guyanese.

There is therefore no basis on which to conclude that the chairman has been biased.

What we are faced with is the ruse of Jadgeo to have his way, even if it means using ethnicity and lies as his trump cards.

I challenge Jagdeo to a face-off on the facts.

Regards Vincent Alexander GECOM Commissioner

Dear Editor,

ed and given preferences.

These preferences gave them head- starts way above others.

Mr. Beepat is clearly not one of these. As the Movie Towne issue demonstrates, Mr. Jagdeo favoured this investor as it is widely known that he is a close friend of Mr. Derek Chin, the Guyana-born principal investor in the project.

They remain close today.

I therefore urge the coalition to immediately release the facts on any project, any decisions made by Mr. Jagdeo during his time that would show the reading public what had obtained during his tenure as he constantly pontificates about how politically and administratively pious he was during his time as president. It is time that he is put in his place. The evidence shows otherwise.

I also expect that the GRA would investigate claims that some of the materials and equipment which were set aside for the Airport Improvement Project ended up at Movie Towne. Again, it was during the time of the Jagdeo-Ramotar era. Still they are so pious.

Regards Earl Hamilton

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Boyfriend charged for allegedly killing Sasia Adams

THE 21-year-old boyfriend of the late Sasia Adams was on Monday charged with manslaughter.

Adams died after she was allegedly pushed from a moving car as it was being driven by Rick Sewcharran, of Section ‘A’ Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), along Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

Sewcharran appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

According to the particulars of the charge, it is alleged that on June 10, 2018 at Lamaha Street, Georgetown Sewcharran unlawfully killed Adams, his 19-year-old girlfriend.

Dead: Sasia Adams Sewcharran, an operations officer at FREIGTLINK online shipping, was represented by attorneys Sanjeev Datadin and Siand Dhurjon.

Datadin in an application for bail told the court, that on the day of the incident, it was Adams

who opened the car door and fell out, causing her to suffer injuries to her head. He said too that it was his client who took the injured woman to the hospital, following which he went to the Alberttown Police Station and made a report and was kept in custody.

The defence attorney noted that Sewcharran cooperated with the police and also had a three-hour interview with investigators, during which he explained everything in detail.

However, he told the court that there was “no evidence that Sewcharran deliberately or actively did anything” and that the police have no evidence against his client.

He described Adam’s death an “unfortunate incident.”

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield made no objection to the bail application but requested that conditions be attached, as such the chief magistrate released Sewcharran on $500,000 bail. In addition, he is to report to the Alberttown Police Station every Friday and lodge his passport at the court.

The matter will next be heard on July 13.

On June 10, Adams was rushed to a private city hospital by her boyfriend, Sewcharran, who claimed that she had jumped out of the car as he was driving.

Adams, who reportedly arrived at the hospital

The boyfriend: Rick Sewcharran in a conscious state is said to have told health workers there that she fell at home.

The police found the developments to be strange as both had given conflicting reports and her 21-year-old boyfriend was taken into custody.

9

According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the two might have had a fight in the car and it was during that misunderstanding that something strange happened.

While some are suggesting that the young lady attempted to jump from a moving car, there are those who are suggesting that she may have been pushed.

A medical practitioner who first interacted with the young lady on the night she was taken to the hospital, is also expected to provide the police with a statement, as it was that health worker the young lady told that she fell and hit her head while at home.

Candlelight vigil, wake held for young cyclist REGIONAL Executive Officer Region Six, Kim Stephens, last evening told the family of Beyoncé Ross to find solace in knowing that she is in

a “better place.”

“Draw comfort that she is in his [God] everlasting arms, where there is no more pain and sorrow. Remember the things

she stood for and thrive [sic] to continue to do so in her memory.” Stephens made the remarks at a candlelight vigil and march in memory of the

Scores turned out at the vigil and wake for the young national cyclist

Residents pray during the vigil for the late Beyonce Ross

triple national gold medalist from under the Rose Hall Town Arch to her home in Swamp Section Reef, Rose Hall Town, East Berbice-Corentyne.

The REO was joined by the Regional Education Officer Region Six, Volika Jaikishun; New Amsterdam Hospital CEO, Colin Bynoe; family members, students and

residents of Rose Hall Town as they marched to honour the life of the 15-year-old who died last week after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Candles, cell phones, hand lanterns and other items were used to illuminate the journey. In the background music blasted from a stereo as scores

came out to pay homage. There were intermittent bursts of firecrackers along the journey, which were meant to highlight the departure of a superstar as the march culminated at the home of Ross where a prayer service and wake was held.

The funeral for the young woman will be held today.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Monkey Mountain residents assured concerns will be addressed

THE residents of Monkey Mountain, North Pakaraima, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have been assured that the government will address their calls for improved roads, healthcare and communication services.

The assurance was given by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, during a recent ministerial outreach. On the issue of communication,

Minister Garrido-Lowe explained that the government is currently embarking on a programme that will ensure communities are equipped with internet connectivity, regardless of their location.

This, Minister Garrido-Lowe added, will complement the radio stations commissioned in Mabaruma, Region One, Lethem and Aishalton, Region Nine, Mahdia, Region Eight and Orealla, Region Six. “Improved communication will

curb the misinformation reaching the indigenous people and every effort is being made by the coalition government, towards bridging the gap between the hinterland and the coastland.”

On the matter of roads, the minister heard of untimely payments for completed road rehabilitation works and the length of time it takes for contracts to be awarded.

She promised to engage the regional executive officer (REO) on these issues.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe at the meeting at Monkey Mountain, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) “This is where we need your voices and your suggestions and proposals. Every village speaks about the state of the roads at every meeting and the urgent need for them to be fixed; if we have that in writing I am sure that it will be considered.”

Improved health services in the hinterland are also be-

ing addressed by the Public Health Ministry. This year, $40Million was allocated for completion of the Mahdia District Hospital and the construction of a nurses’ hostel at Mahdia.

Addressing the issue of land titling, Minister Garrido-Lowe said that, “there are various issues that were

around for a very long time and remain unsolved, dating back to almost 20 years ago as in the case of the Upper Mazaruni… I am happy to report that neighbouring Paramakatoi has been demarcated and by the end of 2018, four additional villages will receive titles.”

IDB launches study to help governments improve national statistics STATISTICS are an essential input for decision making and the design of good public policies and for this reason, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean should invest in the strengthening of their National Statistics Offices (NSO), according to a new study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The IDB study, Who wants to know? The political economy of statistical capacity in Latin America , recommends to strengthen

statistical capacity based on case studies carried out in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and the Dominican Republic, which have been carried out in accordance with a new theoretical and methodological framework with a comprehensive and comparative perspective.

In the region, the level of technical and institutional capacity as well as their development trajectory are heterogeneous among

these institutions. This is due, in part, to the general degree of development of each country and its governmental institutions, but also to the particularities of the political economy of each country that help explain these differences and fluctuations.

The study highlights the importance of the demand for statistical information as a source of strength for the NSO. Therefore, it recommends that in addition to developing a closer link with state actors, the NSOs invest in creating working ties with civil society organizations, economic agents and the press to help build a critical mass of users that serves as an informal barrier that guarantees the continuity of statistical capacity.

This will contribute to maintaining levels of transparency and quality that avoid excessive politicization of statistics and the potential weakening of NSOs. It also highlights that the opportunities offered by international actors to strengthen sta-

tistical capacities should be seized, not only because of their role as users of information, but also because of the crucial role of international, bilateral or multilateral cooperation in strengthening the sector in the countries to provide resources and knowledge to NSO. The study proposes to promote the strengthening of the statistical sector in the countries of the region. In this regard, it highlights the importance of institutional reforms that allow the modernization of the legal frameworks that govern NSOs in aspects such as autonomy, transparency and coordination, and other reforms that strengthen statistical systems with resources and personnel, keeping in mind the challenges of technology and innovation for the future.

The success of the 2020 round of censuses in Latin America and the Caribbean will depend, to a large extent, on the capacity of NSOs to produce reliable and quality data to design good public policies.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Addicted to Social Media

IF you aren’t on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp and any other popular social media networks, people will end up asking you, ‘How do you get by?’

According to a recent research, a total of 2.62 billion persons out of the world’s given population are active social media users. Last recorded in 2012, shockingly only 33 out of every 100 persons have access to internet connections in Guyana. I still question this statistics because it seems as if everyone I’m acquainted with has internet connections. A mind-blowing 71 per cent of all internet usage is for the purpose of social media. There is no doubt that these numbers are increasing as the days go by.

The word social in the phrase ‘social media’ surely serves as an irony in our daily lifestyles. While we use social internet media to connect with people, it is merely a virtual reality.

Guilty, I am one of those who spend a lot of my time behind a screen. Many users see social media as a means to communicate with others, share content and promote businesses. However, there is the downside of social media that should be stressed on more frequently.

Do you have an idea of who a cyberbully is?

Well, Guyana’s Cybercrime Bill describes a cyberbully as: ‘someone who uses a computer system to repeatedly or continuously convey information which causes fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress, or other harm to another person.’ Such an act is seen as an offence in Guyana and should be reported to the police. The use of inappropriate comments/ images, blackmail, threats of harm, impersonation (fake profiles) are all forms of cyberbullying. There should be no excuse for bullying, despite the form it comes in. We should also avoid sending or posting things such as videos and images that we would like to remain private. Also, you should avoid adding/ following persons that you may not know.

I’ve had many incidents

where I accidently typed an online slang in many of my school assignments. ‘LOL’, ‘OMG’, ‘TTYL’ and countless others are replacing our vocabularies. We spend so much of our time online and use these slangs/abbreviations so often that when it comes to formal writing, one tends to get conflicted.

Many experts say that it is deteriorating English- Language. I have even seen adults online, many who completed high school or even university and they engage with these slangs as well. No social relationship can be as healthy without effective communication.

If we communicate, whether by blogging or texting, how can others understand us by the incorrect use of language? Seemingly, many persons even invent their own slang words, use it and then leave others clueless as to what they’re trying to say.

I know I’m not the only person who has opened up their internet browser for the purpose of school research but somehow ‘magically’ wandered onto a social media site. Social media should not hinder with your daily or even long term accomplishments. I’m starting to think that social media is the new form, perhaps even an excuse of procrastination. Even at family events, when two persons are out on a date or when friends decide to hangout, I observed that people still pick up their phones. When we do this, we leave the other persons wondering: ‘Is there something on your phone that is more important than my presence?’

Social media users also tend to lose their sense of identity, self-confidence and some even show signs of depression. I’ve noticed that many users have the habit of only showcasing the good sides of their life, showcasing a false sense of ‘perfection’. The number of likes you receive on a picture should not equal your level of self-esteem.

Finding someone who is off of social media is quite hard, since of course the majority of our contacts are via social media networks.

A good friend of mine, Denica Henry managed to

avert Instagram. Here’s her story: “I made the decision to ease off of Instagram a few months back. I was an avid celebrity follower.

Aside from the occasional wish to see what a few

friends are doing, I don’t mind being off of it. It became an addiction for me. To see what others are doing, admiring their lifestyles and wishing I had the chance to live in their shoes. Everybody seems to

have it all together while I’m here struggling with self- acceptance on a daily basis. Eventually I decided to ease off social media altogether. It wasn’t doing me any favours. Constantly distracted and depressed,

I just couldn’t continue to self-inflict myself.

The comparing, judging and hating of myself- my truth.

It had to stop and nobody could control that except me.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The battle for your mind: the headlines THERE is a war being waged in Guyana to capture the minds of the citizenry to promote agendas, an info war if you will.

This is nothing new, this is the normal course of using information as a weapon, for positive and negative reasons.

However, it is worth noting that recently,

by Guyana’s standards, it has intensified. Be that as it is, it would do us much good if we examine how this intensification is being manifested and above all, what is driving this development. It is all being played out in the headlines.

It is reasonable to conclude that this mad rush is being guided by the imminent prospects of Guyana’s nascent oil and gas economy.

In smoke-filled rooms, info war plots are being conceived among the chattering classes as they jostle for pole positions in this new, exciting economic reality that beckons. They know that information is power and he/she who captures public opinion is armed with a critical weapon. The headlines have become ground zero for this battle, they appear in newspapers or articles that are published online. They do not contain many words, but they are carefully crafted to advance the agenda of the leadership of specific media entities.

This is beautiful democracy and while the writer might not agree with the embellishing of the facts and in some cases, the skewing of the facts, I will absolutely defend their right to freedom of expression. The objective of this writing is not to trouble that right in anyway, but to merely point to the clever art of headline-making. I am not trained in journalism, but I am advised that you are told to make them simple, direct, bold and attractive. This is designed to grab attention and I am afraid, in this age of anti-intellectualism and with the art of reading at its nadir, it works. Here

is an example of this tricky journalistic skill: ‘JOHN REFUSES TO PAY HIS TAXES’ (Headline)-P.3 ‘The tax agency noted that John has a good track record of paying his taxes’-(Last paragraph of the article) It could have read: ‘JOHN HAS A GOOD RECORD OF PAYING TAXES’ but this might not be in the interest of the communicator. This is seen and received and drives opinions about John.

Now, follow me as I apply the example above to more serious issues of national importance and consequence. Let us say you are dealing with a project that will benefit a community and the editorial powers that be are not in support of the project. Let us say their friend was not awarded the contract, the headlines will go to work to tear down this venture at any cost. You will possibly see: ‘ALLEGED CORRUPT PROJECT BEGINS’. What or who should citizens believe?

Where will they turn for the truth? They see contradicting information, one group says this programme is good for the community, another group says it is bad.

Oftentimes, the interest is not in the truth, but more about how this can be decorated to support the interests of a specific news agency. The editors would say: ‘well Mr. Austin, this is the business, it is nothing new. Catchy headlines have always been designed to make people read an article and most importantly, to sell newspapers’. At the end of the day, it boils down to personal interest and who will benefit personally.

It is all about the money for some and this is the dangerous ploy which has engulfed us on the cusp of oil wealth. It will take principled, honest and contented leadership to navigate this nation through this new development.

Two held after rape, robbery at Zeelugt POLICE arrested two bandits who allegedly raped a man’s wife after robbing the Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo family on Monday night.

Reports indicate that the couple and their two-year-old son had retired to bed on Monday night when three bandits gained access to their home waking the man out of his sleep with a lash to his forehead.

The startled man was then ordered to hand over his valuables. The bandits took his cash and wedding ring while the couple’s son screamed uncontrollably.

His mother later suppressed his screams by covering his mouth as the bandits terrorised the family. The three bandits then placed a knife to the man’s neck and separated the family, allegedly raping the woman before taking the couple and their child into a vehicle that was parked in their yard.

The bandits then drove until the vehicle broke down and made their escape on foot. Police were later contacted and the victim was sent for a medical examination as police continue their hunt for the third suspect.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Guyanese Millennials

By Dr. Ken Danns MILLENNIALS are those individuals who came of age around the turn of the 21st century. Some scholars have advanced that the millennial cohort consists of individuals born between 1982 and 2004.

Guyanese Millennials are youths and the young adults of the society. They comprise an estimated 220,000 or approximately 30 percent of Guyana’s population.

They are the first generation to be born in a Guyana in transition from socialism to capitalism. As a consequence, Guyanese millennials are not “comrades” but Facebook friends; they are not the subjects of an authoritarian political state and its paramount leader, but rather followers of twitter and other social media.

These millennials have little more than academic awareness of the colonial struggles, the cooperative socialist republic, the era of nationalization and the era of divestment.

Guyanese millennials now enjoy greater levels of political and other freedoms in the society than all previous generations. They are less racist, sexist, and homophobic and are far more open to and tolerant of ethnic diversity, intermarrying and miscegenation than earlier generations.

Guyanese millennials would rather not have to deal with politics and in fact are largely alienated from political parties and the government. The majority are politically unaffiliated. Yet, these millennials are a very socially-engaged and active generation. Most of them have a Facebook page or are dutifully enrolled in some other social media platform.

Guyanese millennials are a net generation that live in a virtual world of contacts and caring even as they negotiate their own life’s

realities. They are what Time Magazine calls the “Me, me, me generation” that value their individuality and freedom, in a manner that exceeds preceding generations. These millennials use social media to feel relevant.

Want their opinions to be heard. They seek validation of self by striving to attract virtual followers. Millennials externalize their private selves, sharing their personal lives in the global spheres in ways seldom done with their own families.

Guyanese millennials are a highly technological cohort having grown up in an electronics-filled and increasingly online and socially networked world. They evince a great comfort level with and are addicted to electronic gadgets such cell phones, computers, tablets and readily embrace new and evolving technology in general. They are the generation that has received the most marketing attention being constantly bombarded and made to feel relevant and wanted by the deluge of media platforms that compete for their attention. By the click of a mouse Guyanese millennials have the world at their fingertips.

Guyanese millennials have emerged in a country characterised by fundamental societal transformations and declining economic indices. Guyanese millennials have been bequeathed an uncertain environment characterised by quadruple of major societal disruptions.

First, there is economic disruption. The Guyana economy has experienced seemingly irreversible downturns in the sugar-one of its major pillars, looming in the horizon is the transformative onset of a promising oil industry to fill the economic void.

Second, there is the disruption of upward mobility and succession. Guyanese millennials are being faced with blocked opportunities

for upward mobility as earlier generations retire and recycle themselves into plum positions and appointments. As a generation millennial are finding that may be largely excluded from positions of leadership and governance in the society by the preceding baby boomers’ generation and Generation X. There is generational competition for positions of administrative and political leadership in the society that the Guyanese Baby Boomers generation are so far winning. The disruption of upward mobility and succession has added to the environment of uncertainty facing Guyana millennials. Millennials are an instant gratification generation empowered by the technologies at their fingertips and the knowledge that the world is their oyster.

Consequently, they are constantly looking for alternatives outside of Guyana.

Third, there is the disruption of outward migration. The millennial generation is increasingly likely to migrate from their communities and from their country in search of opportunities overseas. Ninety three percent of the tertiary educated in Guyana have so far migrated making Guyana the migration capital of the Latin America and Caribbean region and the world. In its 2018 Labour Force Survey, the Guyana Bureau of Statistics found that less than ten percent of the Guyana population have completed any education higher than secondary. The private sector in Guyana has identified “an inadequately educated workforce as the main obstacle to business ahead of other factors such as crime, corruption, electricity and taxes. The labour Force Survey Report stated that “The findings have two implications: on the one hand it entails a shortage of highly qualified human resources in the labour market. On the other it indirectly

Mobile pumps for Georgetown by December GEORGETOWN will have three mobile pumps

by December, just in time for the next rainy season, Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Frederick Flatts said.

The pumps are among a larger package being funded under an Indian Government line of credit. “The whole package is US$4Million. That’s for the pumps. The mobile pumps

will be used in Georgetown to help relieve flooding,” Flatts was quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

Further, Flatts said that the acquisition of the pumps is awaiting the goahead from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTA), in keeping with the procurement legislation. “As soon as we have that approval we will go ahead and hire a supplier

for the pumps.”

Since coming to office in May 2015, the current administration has implemented several major projects to clear and desilt drainage canals in and around Georgetown.

According to the Ministry of Communities’ website, in September 2017 the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown embarked on the cleaning and desilting of street drains, alleyways and ca-

nals. Areas targeted are Agricola, McDoom, Houston, Ruimveldt, Bourda, Lacytown, Le Repentir and South Cummingsburg, with more than $5Million allocated for the cleaning of avenues and verges in the later stages.

The NDIA is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture. Its main task is the management and maintenance of drainage and irrigation infrastructure across the county.

confirms the seriousness of the issue of outmigration of tertiary educated people, which may explain the relatively low educational profile and skills portfolio of the economically active population.” Millennials, many of whom are currently in tertiary institutions, are poised to migrate and to continue the brain drain unless suitable jobs can be found or attractive entrepreneurial paths can be shown.

Fourth, there is the disruption of politics and governance. Millennials have been witnesses to widespread corruption and the failure of good governance in the society and are disillusioned by and fed up with these. It bothers them greatly that things aren’t getting done swiftly and adequately to improve and develop the society. They are seemingly not a generation that gravitates readily to protests, social movements and revolution. Instead, they go about their lives seeking to earn a living and to vote if in their judgment it can make a difference.

Though they exist in an uncertain societal climate besieged with transformative changes, Guyanese millennials are not a hopeless generation. Change is their “jam” and they are comfortable with it. They might be disillusioned with the way things are, but they have come to expect changes in their country and may be better at dealing with its gushing constancy than their parents. These changes include a soon to be oil dominated economy coupled with significant influx of migrants from other countries that would immutably broaden the ethnic composition of the society.

Already Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese are being spoken in many communities across Guyana, a Caribbean country in which English will very likely no longer be the only language widely spoken.

Miner dies as pit caves in

A MINER died on Tuesday morning at Imbaimadai in the Cuyuni -Mazaruni area when a mining pit in which he was working caved in on him.

According to reports, Elmo Adams, whose age was not determined up to press time, died after he was covered by rubble which came crashing down on him.

His co-workers frantically tried to save his life, but their efforts were in vain.

When they were finally able to pull his body from the rubble, the young man had stopped breathing, a witness reported. He was immediately transported to a police outpost in the area where he was seen by a doctor who certified him dead.

The GGMC and the Ministry of Natural Resources have reportedly been informed and are said to be conducting their own investigations.

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New teen mom policy makes provision for financial assistance

THE new policy on reintegrating teenage mothers into school caters for the provision of financial assistance to those adolescent mothers who may not be able to meet tuition fees.

According to the policy document seen by this newspaper, welfare officers will investigate living conditions of teenage mothers and recommend financial assistance to complete school if needed.

The national policy was launched on Monday by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF. Its main objectives are: to create a school-based system for referral and tracking pregnant

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

A section of the gathering at Monday’s launch of the national policy on reintegrating teenage mothers into schools school girls, to develop and implement a system for the reintegration of adolescent mothers, to develop a system of tracking and supporting adolescent mothers after reintegration, to provide practicable educational options for adolescent mothers who wish to opt out of school, to increase public awareness of the right of adolescent mothers to an education, to ensure the provision of support for the health and well-being of the new-born infant and most importantly, to increase the education of students on sexual reproductive health and life-skills education in an endeavor to prevent adolescent pregnancy.

The policy took almost a year to formulate and authorities are optimistic and upbeat that it will make an effective impact on the lives of young girls. In addition to the option of financial support, under the new policy teen mothers will be given five options: (1) to be readmitted to the same school attended prior to becoming pregnant but would have to repeat the grade they were last in; (2) transfer to an alternate school with the support of the Schools Welfare Unit and the relevant department within the Ministry of Education; (3) enroll in a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme; (4) attend any private secondary school, college or business institute that can be accessed by adolescent mothers and (5) enroll in an apprenticeship or traineeship scheme which provides a combination programme involving part-time school/training/or part-time work, scholarships and other initiatives.

According to the policy, with any of the options chosen, the Ministry of Education will appoint support persons that will ensure: the environment is supportive and free of victimization and stigmatization; teen gets support from school staff and Principal; pre-natal and post-natal child care services are provided and counseling and psycho-social support is readily available.

It was also stated that the

policy caters for teen dads as well. They will be provided with the same support system as the mothers and will be encouraged to complete school and be a responsible father. To aid in the alleviation of teen pregnancy, the policy necessitates the strengthening of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) in schools. Schools shall create an environment suitable for age appropriate comprehensive sexual education and life-skills education that will increase the ability of students to practice responsible decision making with regard to social and sexual behaviour.

The state has also committed to make adequate provisions in the budget for the effective implementation of all aspects of the policy along with the help of the multi-sectorial collaborations. The policy will be reviewed every four years and recommendations and improvements will be made to make its execution more effective and produce better results.

Speaking at the launch held at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston, First Lady, Mrs. Granger, expressed concerns about teen mothers and the way they are treated in society. She highlighted a few unfortunate scenarios of how girls as young as 10 and 11 years old, get pregnant.

“These are things we have to face as a nation and we have to be frank about it. We have to ensure their rights are recognised and upheld and that our legal and social protection agencies protect these children and allow a bright future for them.” Mrs. Granger said.

“We have to speak of these things and see it as violence against our children.

We also have to… ensure that their rights are recognised and upheld; that our legal and our social protection agencies protect these children with the full majesty of the law… the children come first and it is their future that we have to ensure… That is enshrined in our Constitution,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

No date yet for start of inquest into seawall killings

CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan is yet to set a date for the commencement of the inquest into the shooting to death of three alleged bandits on the Georgetown seawall earlier this year.

The chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had recommended a coroner’s inquest be held into the March 15th fatal shooting of the three

Dead: Dextroy Cordis

men, whom police said were robbery suspects. The three men are: Dextroy Cordis, 46, called “Dottie” of Lot 4 Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara; Kwame Assanah, a former soldier, of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, and Errol Adams, 57, called ‘Dynamite,’ of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast and also of Buxton, were fatally shot north of the GNS sports ground

DEAD: Kwame Assanah

after police said they had opened fire on ranks.

The men, the police said, were about to execute a robbery on a customer who had withdrawn millions from the bank. The inquest was ordered following the Guyana Police Force Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) completion of a probe into the matter. The shooting was thoroughly discussed at the

level of the National Security Committee, following varying accounts of what had transpired on the day in question.

“It is my instruction that in any occasion where there is the death of a person by unnatural means, that death should be investigated, particularly in the Guyana Defence and Police Forces,” President David Granger had said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Legislation being finalised for scrap metal trade

– Minister Gaskin

THE ATTORNEY General’s Chambers is finalising a new legislation intended to govern the scrap metal industry in Guyana, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin said.

On the sidelines of a Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) event on Monday, Minister Gaskin said he is hopeful that the bill will be passed in the National

Assembly before the end of the year.

Though the scrap metal industry is back in business, it is being done on a limited basis Minister Gaskin noted, while explaining that

the draft legislation has already received the approval of Cabinet and is currently with the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“We will have a Board of Directors to oversee the Scrap Metal Unit, and I believe that we will have something firm in place to regulate and monitor the scrap metal industry,” he said.

Pending the passage of the legislation, Minister Gaskin said the Ministry of Business has put in place a software system that aids in the monitoring and regulation of the industry.

The scrap metal industry re-opened in April, after an almost two-year halt. The trade was suspended with effect from June 15, 2015, to facilitate a forensic audit that

was completed in December 2015.

Prior to June 2015, scrap metal dealers were banned from operating in the capital city – Georgetown – after the theft of 15 metal manhole covers from streets in Georgetown. In Linden, historic artifacts associated with the bauxite industry were stolen either as a whole or in parts.

To better regulate the industry, the Ministry of Business has registration forms available on its website, for dealers to register under the categories of ‘scrap metal exporters’ and ‘scrap metal declaration’.

The audit report had recommended that reforms including legislative amendments, new regulations, and

smarter monitoring of the trade, be introduced into the system.

It is believed that the scrap metal industry creates space and contributes to a clean and healthy environment by getting rid of the scrap metal in an environmentally friendly manner; especially when taken in the context of the Low Carbon Development Strategy and now Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy.

According to the Guyana Metal Recyclers Association (GMRA), records show that 1522 containers of scrapped metal were shipped out of Guyana during the period January to November 2012, as against 923 for the same period in 2013.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Public Health Ministry improving health of teenage mothers

Some 20 teen mothers and mothers-to be from the community of Sophia participated in an interactive session on Tuesday aimed at assisting the Government in developing policies and programmes to improve the nutritional status of adolescent mothers.

On the forefront was the issue of anemia which affects one in every five pregnant women globally and is especially dangerous to adolescent mothers who not only require iron for themselves but for the developing fetus.

The event, which will be held annually, is an initiative of the Public Health Ministry’s Food Policy Division and took place at the Sophia Exhibition Complex.

It was themed ‘Help Me so I Can Help You’ and saw remarks coming from representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, non-Government organizations and the Small Business Bureau (SBB).

In an interview with media operatives, Adolescent Health Services Officer, Dr. Travis Freeman said that the women were chosen primarily from the Sophia Health Center as

it services one of the highest numbers of teen mothers in the region.

“We realized that a lot of our teenage moms are anemic so we’re trying to remedy that situation,” Freeman said, later adding: “This is a fraction of the young ladies at Sophia because a lot of them have other commitments but we tried to get at least 20 per cent of them to come out to the centre. So they would include mothers who are currently pregnant and also postnatal mothers.”

Freeman said that in the cases of anemic pregnant adolescent mothers where the baby and the parent compete for iron, several complications can arise as a result.

“There are complications such intrauterine growths retardation which means that the baby is born smaller than usual.

Also there is prematurity and other developmental issues and those babies who are born are usually slow learners.

“When it affects the mother is when that mother would have had great blood loss during the pregnancy…which may be critical for the mother,” he said.

He said further that education plays a crucial role in eliminating this issue and that the engagement forum will allow the necessary parties to better structure future strategies for the benefit of the target group.

At the forum, too, were several diagrams and posters on display; some of which were provided by the Vector Control Unit which educated the women on malaria, as it too contributes to anemia and nutritional deficiency.

Added to this were talks on pica practices during pregnancy which result in pregnant women experiencing cravings for non-nutritional and nonfood substances such as mud and chalk which also heightens the anemia risk.

The Adolescent Health Unit has three initiatives at the Sophia Health Centre: a Community Parenting Support Group, an Adolescent Antenatal Clinic and an Adolescent Health and Wellness Clinic.

The panelists at the discussion forum included (from left): Public Health Nutritionist of the Food Policy Division, Jillian Trim; Adolescent Health Services Officer, Dr. Travis Freeman; Executive Director, Youth Challenge Guyana, Dimitri Nicholson; Mental Health Unit, Social Worker Janeil Osborne; Mental Health Unit, Psychologist, Mosa Hutson; Guyana Foundation Sunrise Center Manager, Miriam Roberts-Hinds and Small Business Bureau (SBB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lovell Porter. (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Bartica to be model ‘green town’ …Italian-funded project to gather data on energy use in the town

THE first session of a twopart National Stakeholder Forum for the Transitioning to National Energy Security (TNES): Bartica as a model Green Town Project was held on Tuesday at the Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown.

The TNES Project is being implemented by the Office of Climate Change (OCC) in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) with funding from the Italian Government under the Italy-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Partnership Programme.

The project is designed to gather important data on energy use in Bartica, which will be used to inform evidence-based decision-making for the future implementation of projects and programmes.

In her address, Head of OCC, Janelle Christian said the project will play a critical role in helping the country to become a green state.

She urged the stakeholders present to make use of the opportunity presented, noting that the TNES project will provide a blueprint for other towns and countries to replicate.

“As we learn, even as we introduce these concepts in Bartica, they will be replicated in the other towns across Guyana... I want to encourage you today to ask questions, make suggestions so that we can ensure that this

process is robust, to ensure that we do not just have a good time in terms of being happy with the results of our studies,” Christian said.

Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall said that Bartica is committed to its role as a model green town. “The

ect… will lay the foundation for right decisions going forward… Bartica is one of the most beautiful towns in Guyana and we need to preserve that environment.

We want to set the pace. We want to ensure that whatever is done there is done in an

speaking of public-private partnerships, it’s imperative that we begin that dialogue, not today, but start it from yesterday and long ago… it is imperative that we recognise the importance of working hand-in-hand as we seek to truly make what started out

of an energy efficient transportation sector, stating that transportation is a very important issue as far as climate change is concerned.

“Almost 40 percent of imported fuel goes to transportation… as citizens, all of us have a role to play. When we decide to go to a certain place using a certain mode of transportation, that decision has… a strong impact on

conduct the energy audits for commercial buildings. We’re going to look at the socioeconomic impacts of this [project]… It’s an ambitious goal but it’s so refreshing to see governments actually pursuing the green building…

We’re so excited to be part of that and happy to help out in any way we can,” he said.

Part Two of the National Stakeholder Forum will

Head of OCC Janelle Christian Stakeholders present at the National Stakeholder Forum for the Transitioning to National Energy Security (TNES): Bartica as a model Green Town Project

municipality of Bartica is committed to, not only establishing ‘green’ projects and ‘green’ ideas and moving the concept forward within the township, but we are also committed to sharing our ideas and ideals with the rest of Guyana,” he said.

He noted that the project will set the foundation for what is to come. “This proj-

environmentally friendly matter,” Marshall said.

CCCCC Representative, Mark Bynoe underscored the importance of working with a wide cross-section of consultants in the process of data collection. “A ‘green’ economy must be accompanied with the requisite capacity to stimulate and support such an initiative. Thus, while

as a vision, become a reality,” he said.

To exemplify the OCC’s approach to data-gathering, the international consultants spoke of their roles in the TNES Project.

Miguel Coutinho, Consultant from IDAD: Institute of Environment and Development, based in Portugal, addressed the development

climate change… We want to understand… how people in Bartica move around… and why they do it and to try to understand if it’s possible to make recommendations to change this system,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Canada-based consultant from environmental engineering and design consultancy, CBCL Limited, Jared Smith, applauded the Government of Guyana for taking on this ambitious task. “We’re going to

continue today in Bartica.

The meeting hosted teams from various ministries such as the Ministry of Public Health, Finance, Communities, and Public Infrastructure as well as representatives from the National Data Management Authority, the Guyana Office for Investment, the Department of Environment, the World Wildlife Fund, the Guyana National Bureau of Statistics and other national stakeholders.

Burma farmers decry condition of main access road

Farmers contemplating the next move after speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday (Delano Williams photo)

RICE farmers of Burma, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) have decried the condition of their main access road which connects the Burma Road to the Mahaicony Branch Road.

Farmers complained that the road is in a deplorable state and is limiting their ability to tend to their farm.

“This is the main access to the empolder area; it has about 7,500 acres of rice land and close to 500,000 bags of paddy have to go through here to get to the mills…the condition is becoming impossible to get that done,” said rice farmer, Bisnauth, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday.

It was challenging to traverse the road but when the Chronicle got there the farmers were already prepared to air their concerns.

Bisnauth and other farmers said they are unable to harvest their crop because the produce cannot be transported through the deplorable access road.

A farmer tries to make his way through the deplorable access road (Delano Williams photo)

Although the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) did remedial work on the road on several occasions, it could not hold.

Once again the farmers said they implored the RDC to assist them. According to the farmers the council has since agreed to fix some of

the fissures in the road.

One farmer, Harry, believes that they need the intervention of Central Government in order to get some long-term relief.

In addition to the farmers not being able to get their produce out of the area, residents within the community are affected as well because

they too are unable to traverse easily.

Farmers requested that the Ministry of Agriculture includes them in the list of communities to benefit from farm-to-market roads.

Residents of the community believe that something should be done before the situation gets worse.

Guyana seeks UN help

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

– to tackle flooding in mined-out areas

GUYANA has requested assistance from the UN and other bodies to find solutions to flooding in mined-out areas as it looks at reforestation projects for bauxite areas in Region 10 and to install solar energy systems in those communities.

This was disclosed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon during his address at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in observance of World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) on June 17 in Ecuador.

Harmon told the event, themed: “Land has true value – invest in it,” that Guyana in 2005 was ravaged by a massive flood that wiped out 25 per cent of its GDP for that year.

As a result of the floods, Harmon explained that agricultural land on the coastland was severely damaged. Some 80 per cent of the population reside on the coastal plane.

“On the other hand, there are communities on the border with Brazil that experience severe drought and floods annually…. we worked with the Brazilians in digging reservoirs to trap the water during the flooding period which is later released during the drought and that is a work in progress,” he explained.

Some 85 per cent of Guyana is covered by forest and the country is deemed a net carbon sink, but the economy depends heavily on agriculture and mining of minerals.

“Only recently, there was a massive discovery of oil which was the largest discovery in the last 100 years off the coast of Guyana.

This has the potential of transforming the country in a significant way,” the minister of state said.

GREEN STATE AGENDA Guyana is blessed with natural resources and President David Granger last year outlined the Green State Development Strategy (GSDC).

In explaining President Granger’s vision, Harmon said it will lay the foundations for inclusive green economic growth, provide a roadmap for achieving sustainable development targets, and outline a long-term vision for a prosperous and equitable future.

Further, he explained that the GSDS will integrate relevant commitments adopted under Guyana’s international agreements.

In particular, the strategy will be aligned with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting the objectives of the country and well-being of all Guyanese.

COMMITTED Harmon assured the gathering that Guyana is committed to addressing the issues of degradation, land desertification and drought.

He also thanked the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNCCD, Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment and others for the invitation and echoed the sentiments of Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development of Jamaica, who praised the organisers for giving the Caribbean a voice at the forum.

As such, he said Caribbean countries will have a chance to highlight their challenges and best practices for dealing with the issue at hand.

The UNCCD noted that desertification, land degrada-

Yolande Bain-Horsford, Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Grenada; Tarsicio Granizo, Minister of Environment, Ecuador; John Preissing, FAO representative in Ecuador; Slawomir Mazurek, undersecretary of state in the Ministry of the Environment, Poland; Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Jamaica; and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at the Ministerial Round Table on Policies and Practices to invest in sustainable land management tion and drought affect hundreds of millions of people in over 100 countries in all continents and the numbers are rising.

The annual global loss of 75 billion tonnes of soil sums up to an estimated global economic loss of US$400 billion. Some 42 per cent of the world’s poorest people live in degraded areas. During a drought, the poorest households experience crop-income losses that are proportionally higher than the wealthiest.

The World Day to Combat Desertification was established by the UN General Assembly 23 years ago to be celebrated by every country in order to raise global awareness about the status of, and the priority actions taken at global and national levels to reverse desertification and land degradation and strengthen responses to drought.

Fine, community service for youth with drugs A YOUNG man on Tuesday appeared before a city magistrate charged with possession of marijuana.

The charge alleged that on June 15, 2018 Simon Shepherd had in his possession 21.5 grammes of ‘ganja.’

The 20 year-old miner who resides at ‘B’ Field, Sophia, pleaded guilty to the charge that was read out to him in court.

According to the facts that were presented in court by the police pros-

ecutor, on the day in question police ranks of the Bartica Station were on patrol duty when they noticed the defendant acting in a suspicious manner.

As a result a search was carried out on him and they discovered the marijuana in a green shoulder bag he was carrying. He was arrested and taken to the Bartica Station.

Shepherd was fined $75, 000 by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan who also ordered that he perform four months of community service.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Managing expectations: Guyana is not three years old

By Marlon Bristol

PEOPLE are arguing that the government has been in office for three ‘whole’ years and they are still ‘waiting’ on some solutions to their economic woes.

It made me think about Guyana and how the basic tenets of development work. My understanding is that Guyana, at least moved politically, from British Guiana to Guyana in 1966, after which we became a Cooperative Republic in 1970.

From colonial capitalism, import substitution industrialisation, export orientation and forms of liberalisation to our continued and current pursuit to mature democratically. However, some existing views would make it seem as though Guyana is the newest country on the planet, starting in May 2015.

To fix all the social and economic problems, not inherited, but extracted from the will of the people presumably starting then. We all know that is not the case, even though much time and energy are wasted debating this.

Managing to become wealthy is not mutually exclusive to poverty alleviation. These two ends of the development spectrum require a litany of policies, programmes, and institutional frameworks, all at once.

This is not a quest of defence, but a reality check that is expected to imbue constructive criticisms and debate of what managing progress in Guyana has been, and currently is. It is an attempt to understand what type of results we are managing for – to be sustainable, wealthy, and the mitigation of poverty altogether. During this process, there are many cultural and social norms and mores that have to be challenged for such comprehensive process. These often perpetuate the ignorance that continues to inhibit our maturity as a nation.

Race is not the only socio-cultural issue that burdens us; in fact, this is a global challenge affecting even fairly homogeneous societies. Always seemingly grappling from one critical situation to the next, there is still much we have not suffered, at least explicitly as a result of our pluralism.

We still exist in a fairly harmonious context and we silently and sometimes respectfully agree to disagree.

It is now an imperative, as it has always been, for Guyanese to move what some see as this three-year-old country forward. Notwithstanding arcane laws and policies, some of which presents dim guidance that in modern times perpetuate various forms of perceived and real injustice, spanning economic and other arenas.

We have the opportunity to determine the type of society we want to live in, though entrenched with hoary practices, some not so good for our progress looking ahead.

Already at the individual level we are aware of our natural inclination towards the preservation and conservation of the national patrimony.

Indeed, at the policy level, we have begun to harness this natural environment into development platforms – Low Emissions. From the establishment of Iwokrama more than three years ago in 1989, to that of low carbon development, all now embraced in the low emissions philosophy of Green State Development. This is our best bet of the natural balance and our usual primary extractive economy now complemented similarly by the discovery of oil and gas. While these latter efforts might all be considered macro, it is pervasive to our micro upbringing and what we know Guyana as that give credence to these platforms.

The once rural life we know, absent of the usual amenities urban dwellers quibble about is becoming attractive, exactly because it does not possess many urban distractions.

The urban dwelling, while attractive for its ease of access to most facilities, is not what it used to be, and especially for Guyanese, due to the unprecedented traffic. The pressure on social and other services from increasing internal migration, the transient population in Georgetown etc. As a former student of economics, I learnt that rural areas normally have the highest concentration of poverty. This is true for Guyana as it is for most countries. The last set of poverty indicators from the Poverty Reduction Strategy 2011-2015 indicated that the incidence of poverty (consumption or Income below the poverty line) was 36.1% for Guyanese living below the poverty line in 2006. Disaggregating this further shows that the urban poor constituted 18.7%, rural coastal populations experienced 37%, etc.

Marlon Bristol Despite this evidence, there is something about our rural landscape, our biodiversity outside of the coastline that takes us mentally beyond material wealth. A reminder that life is not merely about material well-being, but through nature-base Tourism empowering some of these places economically, examples are Rewa and Surama, even Pandama among others.

As life progresses and the pace quickens, urban presence is becoming increasingly untenable for our mental health, as we converge on the city for various reasons in the hustle and bustle. The challenges of sustainability in reducing loss from biodiversity makes it very difficult for the local authorities to regulate and bring some semblance of order in and out of Georgetown. In fact, some aspects of the population seem intransigent to any form of re-organisation or regulation. But these are all part of the development we seek and often enjoy when we visit other countries.

The realisation that life is not simply about material wealth, but includes the very natural capital we have forever been enjoying, the population is now thrust into the reality that what we have and experience is a gem today that one can identify as a needle in a haystack. Guyana boasts one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world, has among the highest forest cover and as part of the Guiana Shield is considered the ‘lungs or greenhouse of the earth’.

These are components that add to the excellent environmental services Guyana has to offer that will now be counted and measured as part of our Gross Domestic Product in the context of natural capital accounting.

These assets that have us enjoy the fresh air we breathe, the peacefulness and tranquil rural aesthesis we have grown to endear.

In fact, despite the constant flooding of the coastland which is already 1.5 metres below sea-level at high tide, we have become somewhat tolerant. Clearly, rain does not need to fall for parts of the coast to flood. And, as nature would have it, small states such as Guyana are part of the fight to limit global warming below 1.5o pre-industrial level, well below the 2o which creates losses and damage beyond our current ca-

pacity to recover. The famous target for temperature/warming of 1.5o to stay alive set by the Paris Agreement (2015) has been the mantra of 104 countries, including most small states whose survival depends on this. Anything above this warming level amplifies especially ocean vulnerabilities of the Caribbean, and particularly sea level rise.

The tolerance Guyanese have shown to the inundation of floods over the decades, and even some of our religious beliefs would not see us leave the coast readily. Some might argue that it may be a case of lack of viable options. Whatever it is, our love for water is much more than we simply accept it to be, notwithstanding that it creates much destruction, and migration away from the coastline must be a reality at some point.

At the other end, these are some of the reasons we should take climate

issues more seriously, it is for our benefit. Our tradition of using mangroves, and new found behaviours of perceiving development as much of the imported food and unnecessary use of things like plastics are not complements, or should they be substitutes. In this regard, some of our old practices are the best option for sustainability and environmental consistency.

The requirements of behavioural changes that must become a compulsory part of our life is so necessary, that it must be engendered whether or not we have bread and butter issues. In particular, our attitudes, knowledge and understanding of what a good life is really about, is required to be above our previous notion of growth and now development as purely an issue of material wealth vested in how much more bread and butter we have access to.

Our dreams should really take us past this, and there is nothing wrong with thinking and dreaming big beyond bread and butter. With oil, this is incumbent upon us even though we do not immediately possess the financial resource. We currently have everything else, most of which has always been with us.

RICH BIODIVERSITY Let’s start where it has some significance to us all. We cherish our rich biodiversity, yes, the bush as we often call it. Nature’s beauty as we escape to our rural tranquility. The peacefulness of sitting beneath a tree and having a ‘gaff’, something we have lost in urban life. The quandary we find ourselves in is the unmanaged and improperly regulated way of which rural areas are experiencing urban type devel-

opment. This hastens a need for decentralisation of community management and the requisite capacity to do so. My recent experience of driving along the Soesdyke-Linden highway is an appalling reality of this. For many years now the foundation of the road has shifted, and they are scenes of indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing for bread and butter in aid of ‘development’. Going off road I felt like encroachment on the natural environment due to ‘development’ was occurring without care for the environment. And, I literally felt like the place should be given a chance to remain in a natural state as much as possible, amidst further development. Of course, the regulators attempt now to bring about this is being met with amazing parochialism.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Suspected hijacked car found abandoned in Republic Park

Detectives of ‘A’ Division on Tuesday removed an abandoned white Axio motorcar with registration plate PSS 5266 from the parapet of Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.

The vehicle which has been at the location for almost one week was reportedly left there by a group of young men who had parked it and joined another vehicle.

It is suspected that the men who parked the vehicle there are the same individuals who had hired a taxi driver from the area on the same day the car was first spotted at the location.

Reports are that, at the time when the men hired the taxi they told the driver that they wanted to go to Tucville, Georgetown and while there, they robbed him of the vehicle he was driving

and then shot him. He was rushed to a private hospital where he received medical attention and was admitted for one day before being discharged.

since last week but up to midday on Tuesday the car was not removed. It took the effort of a reporter who informed the office of the deputy crime chief before

and lights intact. However when the police arrived to remove the vehicle on Tuesday they realized it was vandalised. The fitness which was displayed on the

Police removing the abandoned car

An Assistant Superintendent of Police stationed in ‘A’ Division was informed of the presence of the car

action was taken.

The vehicle when it was first parked at the location had all mirrors, windows

front screen of the vehicle from within was blank and had no registration, colour of the car.

CARICOM Advisory Workshop opens in Guyana

THE 22nd Regional Workshop of the CARICOM Advisory Group on Statistics opened at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown on Monday.

The main objectives of the workshop are, strengthening capacity in order to enable the collection of administrative data on Gender Based Violence (GBV), including intra-family and domestic violence; identifying issues and concerns around GBV, so as to inform data collection and disaggregation: and developing a harmonised approach to GBV data-gathering and disaggregation.

The meeting comes under a CARIFORUM Project, Support for Crime and Violence Prevention and Social Development, Programme Estimate No.1, funded under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).

The project is aimed at strengthening the Region’s capacity to prevent crime and violence through support for Crime Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Restorative Justice in CARIFORUM. The activity is being executed by the Human and Social Development (HSD) Directorate of the CARICOM Secretariat.

Specifically, it provides the opportunity to build the capacity of service providers, strengthening institutional systems and networks to effectively develop/ strengthen social and situational crime- prevention strategies with the emphasis on areas including intra-family violence.

GCCI moves to boost trade with Canada, Cuba and India THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has established three trade councils to facilitate business between Cuba, India and Canada.

The idea to establish the councils was birthed during visits to Cuba and Canada in 2017, when of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed between GCCI and the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba; GCCI and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO); and GCCI and the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA).

During a joint press conference on Monday at the GCCI’s Waterloo Street, Georgetown, head office, the organisation received the full support of the Government of Guyana, the High Commission of Canada, the High Commission of Indian and the Cuban Embassy, as it embarks on this new trade venture.

GCCI’s President Deodat Indar explained that each of the trade facilitation councils will be chaired by a representative of the body, and will include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Business and Go-Invest; the Bar Association of Guyana; the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA); and a representative from the re-

spective commissions.

According to him, once the members of the councils have been identified to operate in keeping with the Terms of Reference (TOR) of each council, a reporting mechanism would be put in motion to update GCCI and its partners on the progress being made. Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin in offering brief remarks, assured of the Government’s full support even as he applauded the move by the chamber, which is expected to allow for an increase in trade activities between Guyana and the identified countries.

Executive Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Global Economic Cooperation, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Rawle Lucas said the initiative undertaken by GCCI is extremely important, noting that trade is perhaps the biggest driver of the Guyanese economy.

“It is therefore important for us to manage it, improve it, in whatever ways we could,” Ambassador Lucas added. He said that the government is cognisant of the needs for mechanism such as the trade facilitation council.

“We recognise as important partners in development Canada, India and Cuba, it matters that we can have mechanisms of the type you are putting in place to enable us to see

the extent to which we could strengthen our trade, improve our productivity, improve our competitiveness and improve the incomes that we have,” Ambassador Lucas further added.

lam Mahalingam alluded to the Joint Business Council, noting that after the agreement was signed in 2003 nothing much had happened.

The High Commissioner said he has been trying to as-

on discussions, it is possible for Guyana and India to have an export credit for the benefit of both countries, he said. The Indian High Commissioner also used the opportunity to extend an invitation to the

In front row from left: Cuban Ambassador to Guyana Narciso Reinaldo Armador Soeorro; Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee; and Indian High Commissioner Venkatachalam Mahalingam. Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin and GCCI’s President Deodat Indar, are among those in the back row. (Delano Williams photo)

Cuban Ambassador to Guyana Narciso Reinaldo Armador Soeorro, said that the establishment of a National Trade Facilitation Council (NTFC) is a very important step in improving bilateral relations with Cuba and Guyana. He used the opportunity to congratulate the chamber on the significant move.

Weighing in on the new development, Indian High Commissioner Venkatacha-

certain the reasons behind the failure to operationalise the council, but came up empty handed. However, Mahalingam said he is pleased that the NTFC will include representatives from the High Commission of India and the GCCI. He added that the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) has been constantly visiting Guyana to sign agreements for a number of development projects. Based

GCCI to engage in discussions with the bank to benefit from such financial system.

Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee, like the other diplomats, said that it is a good step for Guyana in the area of trade. She reminded that in 2016, Guyana was Canada’s largest trade merchandise partner in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), noting that in 2017 the trade merchandise

was valued at approximately $700M. The Canadian envoy noted that since the GCCI and the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) signed the MoU in 2017 six partnerships were formally developed.

Next week, two high-level deputy ministers from Newfoundland will be in Guyana to meet with State Minister Joseph Harmon and the other ministers of government. Also a trade mission is expected in Guyana in September.

“We have been working together for a long time, and this trade facilitation council is only going to help things to be done in a more organised way,” she posited.

In mid-November 2017, the chamber while in Canada had signed a MoU with NEIA, where the parties agreed to recommend and introduce to each other trade opportunities for cooperation and partnership for investment and trade. It was during the 35th Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV) in 2017, that the MoUs with Cuba and India were signed. The chambers had agreed to regularly exchange market information and promote the development of trade, in addition to exchange visits by businessmen, missions and business delegations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Not guilty plea follows explanation

A 20-YEAR-OLD man appeared on Tuesday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a robbery charge.

It is alleged that on June 17, 2018 between Brickdam and Cornhill Street, while being in the company of others, Darian Wilson robbed Bobby Robson of articles valued $35,200 while using personal violence on the victim.

According to the facts given in court by Prosecutor

Gordon Mansfield, on the day in question the virtual complainant (VC) was at Brickdam in the company of friend while waiting on a taxi, when they were confronted by the accused along with three other persons.

The victim’s friend managed to get away but he (the victim) was hit on his head after the defendant and his three other accomplices reportedly relieved him of his articles. A police officer who was on patrol in the vicinity

at the time came to the VC’s aid, and while Wilson’s three accomplices made their escape, he was not so luck as he was arrested.

The accused, a vendor, who resides at Middle Road, East La Penitence pleaded guilty with an explanation to the charge.

Wilson told to the court that the VC in addition to threatening to kill him had pointed his finger in his face, so he became annoyed and dealt him several cuffs

and kicks. After listening to his explanation the chief magistrate entered a not guilty plea.

Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield had objected to bail being granted to the accused due to the serious nature of the offence, and the fact that personal violence was used

on the victim.

However, the chief magistrate granted Wilson his pretrial liberty, on the grounds that he report to the East La Penitence Police Station every day before work.

The matter has been adjourned to June 27, 2018.

Darian Wilson

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Dallawalla farmers to get help with D&I, technical assistance

FARMERS from the small riverine community of Dallawalla in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) will soon receive needed assistance to revitalise their trade after challenges faced, according to the

Ministry of Agriculture.

This was decided after it was revealed that farming in the community has been scaled down due to improper drainage, inaccessible farmlands and a lack of proper

market facilities, among other issues.

As such, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the National Agriculural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Agriculture Ministry is working to assist the community of just over 20 farmers.

Thus far, with assistance from the Dallawalla Community Development Council, works to clear access channels to these farmlands have begun, according to NDIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Flatts.

“Even though works of this nature [are] the responsibility of the region, NDIA will be working along with officials to see where we can assist. I recently accompanied the regional chairman to see some of these areas that are affected and NDIA is exploring ways in which we can assist,” Flatts said.

Meanwhile, NAREI CEO, Dr. Oudho

Homenauth, indicated that works are in motion to increase the technical capacity of farmers in the village with the help of the regional office.

“Some of the farmers asked for more technical assistance and we are in the process of acquiring a boat and engine as part of our capital project. Once this is done, more extension officers will be able to access these farms to offer assistance as needed,” Homenauth said.

In the meanwhile, NDIA awaits a map of the village to be provided by the regional chairman, which will aid in deliberations when the body meets with farmers to discuss moving forward.

The community of Dallawalla, where many depend on farming as a livelihood, is mainly accessibly by boat and is located up the Demerara River about 20 minutes’ driving from Linden.

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Jamaica defeat Barbados to claim CWI T20 Blaze title CMC- KARLA Cohen provided some last over heroics to lift Jamaica to an exhilarating four-run win over arch-rivals Barbados to claim the CWI T20 Blaze tournament on Monday.

Bowling the final over, Cohen conceded just three runs and snagged two wickets, while another was run out, to help dismiss Barbados for 104, just short of their target of 108.

With the score on 103 for eight, she accounted for the prized scalp of skipper Shakera Selman, who made a quickfire 15 from nine balls and Kyrstal Harewod.

One run later, Alisia Scantlebury was run out by Chinellee Henry, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans.

The result left the two teams level on 12 points, but the home side was awarded the title based on winning the head-to-head contest.

After the match Jamaica’s captain Stafanie Taylor was full of praise for Cohen’s heroics.

“That was some superb bowling there at the end.

That was a great last over.

Before the over we had a chat and I told her to take the pace off,” Taylor said.

“She was superb and

Kicker found guilty of match fixing

Nicolas Kicker is a clay-court specialist who reached the second round of the 2017 French Open

(BBC) - WORLD number 100 Nicolas Kicker has been banned for six years and fined $25,000 (£19,000) for match-fixing.

The 25-year-old Argentine, who achieved a career-high ranking of 78 in June 2017, helped fix the outcome of two ATP Challenger matches in 2015.

He was also found guilty of failing to co-operate with the investigation into the allegations.

Three years of Kicker’s ban are suspended, meaning he can return in May 2021.

In May, he was found guilty under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program of fixing matches during a tournament in Padova, Italy, in June 2015, and in Barranquilla, Colombia, three months later.

Kicker has won 10 singles titles on the ITF Tour.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Wednesday June 20, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 1. Mutiah Muralitharan-45 wickets (6 Tests) 2. Kemar Roach-12 wickets (5 Tests) Today’s Quiz: 1. What was the result of the second Test of the current WI/SL series?

2. Who was voted Man of the Match in the recent second Test between the WI & SL? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

deserves a lot of credit. We feel great to come from behind and win the match.

We batted hard and then we fielded and bowled really well. Everyone deserves credit. We did it for Jamaica.”

Jamaica’s bowling efforts, though, were led by seamer Roxanne Outar, who took three wickets for 16 runs in her four overs, including the crucial wickets of Hayley Matthews (30) and Deandra Dottin who made 11.

Cohen ended with 2-20, while off-spinner Vanessa Watts finished with 2-28, as Barbados lost five wickets

for 10 runs at one stage.

Earlier, Natasha McLean who topscored with 42 off 50 balls and Taylor who made 38 off 42 balls laced with four boundaries, shared a 68-run second wicket partnership as Jamaica ended on 108 for five off their 20 overs.

Dottin and Selman both claimed two wickets each for Barbados.

Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago had to settle for third place after defeating the Windward Islands to finish on nine points.

The Windward Islands could only muster 103 for

five from their 20 overs thanks mainly to an unbeaten 37 from Pearl Ettienne.

However, opening batter Leeann Kirby scored 46 to help lead Trinidad and Tobago to 105 for 3 in 14.2 overs.

Guyana also ended the tournament on a winning note, trouncing the Leeward Islands by eight wickets.

Evra Giddings’ fourwicket haul helped to rout the Leeward Islands for just 50 in 17.5 overs, as Guyana easily romped to 53 for 2 in 10.1 overs.

The women will now turn their attention to the Super50 Cup which bowls off on Wednesday.

Neymar limps out of training (BBC) - BRAZIL forward Neymar hobbled out of training three days before their World Cup group game against Costa Rica on Friday.

The 26-year-old, who returned from a broken foot shortly before the tournament, withdrew from the session for treatment on his right ankle.

A Brazil spokesman linked the injury to Neymar being repeatedly fouled in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

“As soon as he felt the pain he went to the physio,”

said Vinicius Rodrigues.

“He will stay there for today and tomorrow morning, and will train as normal tomorrow.”

Paris St-Germain’s Neymar had surgery on a broken metatarsal in his right foot in February, causing him to miss the rest of the season.

He returned for Brazil’s penultimate World Cup warm-up game against Croatia in Liverpool on 3 June, capping his substitute performance with a stunning solo goal.

He scored again in their final friendly - a 3-0 win over Austria - before Tite’s squad left for Russia.

Neymar played 90 minutes of Brazil’s Group E draw with Switzerland, but did not take part in training on Monday at their base in Sochi.

Brazil face Costa Rica in St Petersburg 13:00 BST on Friday.

Neymar’s 2014 World Cup campaign was ended by a fractured back in the quarter-final win over Colombia.

Murray might skip Wimbledon (BBC) - ANDY Murray says he could play Eastbourne and then skip Wimbledon as he assesses the best way to continue his comeback after a year out with a hip injury.

The Briton, 31, showed some encouraging signs before losing to Nick Kyrgios at Queen’s in his first match back.

Wimbledon, which Murray has won twice, starts on 2 July, with a warm-up event in Eastbourne next week.

“I need to wait and see what happens,” said the former world number one.

“I don’t know exactly what’s best for me just now.”

Scot Murray will see how his body feels after playing for over two and a half hours against world number 21

Kyrgios.

He had not played competitively since losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals to American Sam Querrey last July.

Murray, who has dropped to 156th in the world rankings, had surgery on his right hip in January.

“I won’t rule anything out just now,” he said about his upcoming plans. “I wouldn’t rule out playing Eastbourne and not playing Wimbledon.

“I wouldn’t rule out playing a tournament next and trying to get matches in an exhibition tournament as well to get ready for Wimbledon.

“If I wake up on Wednesday morning and I really don’t feel good then that’s obviously not a great sign.”

Murray showed glimpses

of his ability against Kyrgios at the Fever-Tree Championships, before starting to tire as the match wore on.

The two-time Wimbledon champion won the first set before Kyrgios fought back for a 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 win.

“I thought I did OK,” said Murray. “I thought my level at times was good, sometimes not so good.

“I’m happy I got out there and competed and performed respectably.”

Murray has a good chance of going deep into the Wimbledon draw if he does play, according to Kyrgios.

“If he is feeling good then I don’t see any reason why not,” he said.

“There is only a handful of guys who can really play on grass. He’s got a good chance.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Holder eying series Russia on the brink of win against Sri Lanka World Cup qualification CMC – THE West Indies are just one match away from a historic win over Sri Lanka, and captain Jason Holder says the regional side will be gunning for victory in the final Test.

After battling to a tense draw in the second Test match on Monday, the Windies need only to avoid defeat in the third and final Test which begins this weekend at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

The West Indies hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series following their 226run victory in the opening match in Trinidad.

The last time the two teams met in the Caribbean was back in 2008, where the two-match Test series ended 1-1.

Captain Jason Holder has signalled that his unit will be going ‘all out’ to end the series on a winning note, as it is also the first daynight Test match to be held in the Caribbean.

However, he has

admitted that he expected a stern test from the visitors who will be looking to level the series.

“Oh, we want to win that game. It’s obviously a special occasion in the Caribbean, it being the first day-night Test match in the Caribbean. I guess the people of Barbados will be coming out to support us… and it should be a really good spectacle under the lights at Kensington Oval,” Holder told reporters moments after the drawn Test.

“We’re obviously 1-0 up in the series and we’ve been playing some pretty good cricket. Sri Lanka really pushed us in this last Test match and they’ve been playing some really good cricket as well.

Their bowlers have really challenged our batters and likewise, our batters have really had to dig deep to get some runs off their attack, so it should be a really keenly contested game.

They are 1-0 down and will be coming to level the series

and we are 1-0 up hoping to clinch the series, so there is all to play for in Barbados.”

With the Windies ranked ninth in the ICC’s Test rankings on 22 points, nine fewer than the sixth-ranked Sri Lankans, Holder stressed that every win and every point collected was vital.

He said while their bowlers had been excellent, he needed his batters to push on and make big scores.

“It is very important.

I think every win is crucial and every point going towards the Test Championships is obviously crucial as well. I think we are playing some pretty decent cricket at the moment. Our bowlers have been doing an excellent job and our batters have put together some totals here and there. You can count one century so far in the series and a few half centuries, so it’s just about converting a few more of those starts into something really big,” Holder noted.

Gabriel leapfrogs to 12th in MRF Test bowling Rankings.

CMC – SHANNON Gabriel’s historic wickettaking performance has propelled him to number 12 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings.

The burly West Indies fast bowler ended with the astounding match figures of 13 for 121 in the drawn second Test match between West Indies and Sri Lanka which ended on Monday at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.

It was the third-best bowling figures by a West Indian bowler and best by any fast bowler in international cricket in 17 years.

Following his performance, Gabriel reached 754 rating points, surpassing his previous best of 636 points which was good enough for 18th last August.

(REUTERS) - WORLD Cup hosts Russia virtually booked their place in the second round with a 3-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday that moved them to top of Group A with six points from two games.

A three goal blitz in the space of 15 minutes early in the second half put the Russians firmly in command before Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who had a subdued game on his return from injury, struck from a penalty, awarded after a video review.

Should Uruguay (3 points) beat Saudi Arabia (0 points) on Wednesday it will ensure the South Americans and the Russians go through to the round of 16 with a game to spare. A draw would also send the hosts through.

It is an unexpectedly positive situation for a Russian side that came into this tournament amidst scepticism and pessimism at home. After the two confident victories, with eight goals, the public appear to have taken the team to their hearts.

Far from being overawed by the pressure on them to perform, there is a real look of confidence and at times swagger about Stanislav Cherchesov’s side, who beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening game.

Egypt, whose final group game is against the Saudis, have only the slimmest of chances of staying in the tournament although they will at least be hopeful of picking up a first win in what is their third World Cup.

Alexander Samedov of Russia celebrates at the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Russia and Egypt at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 19, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Hector Cuper’s side looked confident given the return of their talisman Salah, but the forward was short of full sharpness and made little impact in what was a tight first half.

But just two minutes after the interval, Russia got their breakthrough and they never looked back.

Aleksandr Golovin’s cross was punched out by Egyptian keeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, only as far as Roman Zobnin whose low drive was heading wide until Ahmed Fathi’s outstretched leg turned the ball into his own net.

Remarkably, it was the fifth own goal of the tournament so far. The record amount for a tournament is six in 1998.

If there was some good fortune to the opener, the Russians’ second was pure quality.

Alexander Samedov

pushed the ball out wide to Mario Fernandes, the Brazilian born right back who had powered forward from deep to deliver a perfect pull-back into the path of Denis Cheryshev who slotted home his third goal of the tournament.

Two minutes later it was 3-0 via a route one play, as target man Artem Dzyuba chested down a long ball, bustled past Ali Gabr and drove home.

Salah, who had not played since going off injured in Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid last month, managed some consolation when he converted from the spot.

The penalty came after a video assistant referee (VAR) ruling that he had been brought down by Zobnin inside the area after the referee had initially awarded a free kick.

Chandimal suspended for third test...

FROM PAGE 33

Shannon Gabriel has moved up to 12th on the ICC’s Test Player Rankings

It launched him 11 places in the latest rankings, moving him up from 23.

Gabriel’s teammates Roston Chase and

Jason Holder had minor improvements in their bowling rankings.

Chase moved one spot up to 38, while Holder moved one spot up to 64.

“The footage shows that upon receiving the ball, Chandimal took something from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

After sucking or chewing whatever he put in his mouth for a few seconds, he then proceeded to spit on his finger and polish the ball with his saliva which would have contained the residue of the artificial substance that he had in his mouth, on two separate occasions.

“During the hearing,

he admitted to putting something in his mouth, but couldn’t remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial substance,” he added.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson in supporting the punishment handed down, said he would be seeking to have stiffer sanctions imposed on those persons found guilty of similar offences.

“The ICC fully supports the match officials in their decision and will continue to do so in any other such instances.

The strong message from last month’s ICC Cricket Committee was that there needs to be stiffer sanctions for offences such as changing the condition of the ball, and as such, we will be recommending to the ICC Board at next month’s annual conference in Dublin to upgrade this to a Level Three offence,” Richardson said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20 , 2018

Japan close down Colombia (REUTERS) - JAPAN upset 10-man Colombia 2-1 in a dramatic match yesterday to become the first Asian side to beat South American opponents at the World Cup. Asian teams had managed three draws in 17 matches against South American sides but the four-time Asian champions made their extra man count after Colombia midfielder Carlos Sanchez became the first player to get a red card in Russia.

His sending-off in the third minute, for a deliberate handball, was the second fastest in World Cup history after Uruguay’s Jose Batista was dismissed after 55 seconds against Scotland in 1986.

Shinji Kagawa scored from the resulting penalty to give Japan the lead in the Group H match.

Juan Quintero’s clever low free kick in the 39th minute gave Colombia the equaliser but Yuya Osako

leapt above his marker to head a corner into the net for Japan’s 73rd-minute winner.

“To lose one player in three minutes, to lose such a crucial player is not an easy thing,” Colombia’s Argentine coach Jose Pekerman told reporters.

With Colombia ranked 16th in the world and Japan 61st, the South Americans were expected to win.

It was also sweet revenge for Japan, who were thumped 4-1 by the same opponents in Brazil 2014, but they wasted plenty of chances to kill the game off earlier. Kagawa and Osako went close in the first half but failed to increase their lead.

“I told them at halftime to keep moving, get the advantage in positioning,” Japan coach Akira Nishino said.

“It was good we could deprive the front players of their stamina. It’s the result that counts. Luck is important but it’s not going to do the

Shinji Kagawa of Japan scores his team’s first goal past David Ospina of Colombia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group H match against Colombia at Mordovia Arena yesterday in Saransk, Russia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/ Getty Images)

job.”

With Japan dominating the midfield with their superior numbers, Pekerman opted to sacrifice Juan Cuadrado around the half hour mark to send on defensive midfielder Wilmar Barrios.

That allowed Colombia a foothold in the match and their all-time leading scorer

and captain Radamel Falcao came more into the game.

Falcao, making his World Cup debut after missing the last tournament in Brazil due to injury, showed his hunger when he stretched full length to get his foot to an overhead cross but did not have the power to beat the goalkeeper.

Genki Haraguchi’s foul on Falcao earned Colombia

Senegal stun Poland

Mbaye Niang of Senegal celebrates scoring a goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group H match between Poland and Senegal at Spartak Stadium on June 19, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Lukasz Laskowski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)

(REUTERS) - SENEGAL became the first African team to win a match at the 2018 World Cup yesterday when they beat Poland 2-1, helped by two shocking errors in the European side’s defence.

Poland defender Thiago Cionek stuck out a leg and deflected Idrissa Gueye’s

wayward shot into the net in the 37th minute before goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny rushed recklessly out of his area and allowed M’Baye Niang to nip in and score into an empty net on the hour.

Szczesny may have been caught out because Niang was having treatment on the

touchline and re-entered the pitch as the ball was played backwards to the Poland goalkeeper by Grzegorz Krychowiak.

Krychowiak headed Poland’s goal in the 86th minute.

The win took Senegal top of Group H with three points, along with Japan

who also beat Colombia by the same score. Colombia and Poland are both without a point.

It was a relief for Africa after Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia all lost their opening games.

Poland’s record scorer Robert Lewandowski got little change out of a welldrilled Senegal defence, led by Kalidou Koulibaly, and they sorely missed key defender Kamil Glik, still recovering from a training injury sustained two weeks ago.

“I’m satisfied with my players, really proud of them. I think they arrived with a lot of determination, they have worked hard,” said Senegal coach Aliou Cisse. “I think it is really a generation that deserves a lot of credit and respect.”

The first half hour was a sorry affair strewn with misplaced passes from both sides and neither of the danger men, Lewandowski and Senegal’s Sadio Mane, saw much of the ball.

The first shot on target produced the first goal as Senegal went ahead in the 37th minute.

Niang won a challenge with Lukasz Piszczek, burst

a foul on the edge of the box and Quintero fired a low free kick under the leaping wall. Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima reacted late and failed to stop the ball from crossing the line.

Colombia continued to trouble Brazil with quick attacking movements but as the minutes passed they lost stamina and playing 90

minutes with a man down proved too big a mountain to climb.

In a last throw of the dice, Pekerman introduced James Rodriguez, who did not start due to a calf problem, in the 59th minute but the Golden Boot winner in Brazil was unable to change the course of the match.

down the left and found Mane who in turn slipped the ball to Gueye.

The midfielder’s shot appeared to be going wide until the hapless Cionek stuck out a leg and deflected it past Szczesny.

Lewandowski sprang

into life five minutes after halftime as he won possession, burst clear and was up-ended by Salif Sane. He took the free kick himself and although he managed Poland’s first shot on target, it was saved by Khadim N’Diaye.

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Lamichhane to play for Chandimal suspended third St Kitts & Nevis Patriots test, fined entire match fee Sri Lankan ball tampering scandal….

IT won’t be long until Sandeep Lamichhane turns 18, and he has already packed a lot into his cricketing career. He has played for his country 25 times, made his T20 International debut for the ICC World XI at Lord’s and played for the Delhi Daredevils at the IPL. Now he is going to be joining the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, at the Hero Caribbean Premier League.

“We are growing the game in every part of Nepal,” Lamichhane told cplt20.com. “We are now ODI status and we’ve secured ODI status for four years. We are looking forward to make an impact on the international arena so that we can be in the Testplaying nation very soon.”

The first ODI that Nepal will play will be against the Netherlands in early August, just before the CPL gets underway. Lamichhane is very excited about those matches.

“We are doing very hard work. We are playing Prime Minister’s Cup cricket right now in Nepal, so that we can prepare ourselves for some good cricket tournaments.

We are playing against MCC as well as the Netherlands.”

Lamichhane was delighted with his IPL experience, saying it gave him a real boost to have been playing on such a massive stage.

“It’s always good playing with some legends,

Sandeep Lamichhane celebrates his maiden IPL wicket, Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2018, Delhi, May 12, 2018. (BCCI)

playing with big names. It is a big achievement for me and for Nepal cricketers.

I’m just looking forward to keep remaining (at this level). Playing three

matches (at the IPL) gave me a lot of good confidence and I hope I will continue on the same form.”

Lamichhane said he followed the tournament as

a fan in the past and now he is looking forward to playing at the Biggest Party in Sport.

“I used to follow CPL from the beginning and I’ve been selected for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. It’s a big achievement for me, and again a good challenge for me ahead. I hope I’ll make it count, to play with big names, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis; it will be a good booster for me.

The Hero CPL draft was streamed worldwide over Twitter and Facebook and watched by millions around the world. Almost all of the comments on those streams were from excited Nepalese fans who were hoping to see Lamichhane drafted. He says he got a lot of messages as well.

“I was in Zimbabwe then, I was playing World Cup qualifiers and I got lots of messages from well-wishers. By the time I got selected for the CPL everyone was so happy and they were cherishing all these moments.”

When asked what he wants to get out of his Hero CPL experience Lamichhane said he just wants to improve every time he takes the field.

“I just want to grow my cricket every time so that I can help Nepal cricket to go on a good high range of cricket. The journey has been good so far and I would like to keep it on the same form so that I can help Nepal cricket.”

(CMC) - SRI Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal was suspended for one Test match and fined 100 per cent of his match fee after he was found guilty of altering the condition of the ball during the just concluded second Test match against the West Indies.

The punishment was handed down today by Javagal Srinath of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees and means Chandimal will miss the final day-night Test match at Kensington Oval which begins on Saturday.

Additionally, Sri Lankan coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha were also charged with a breach of Article 2.3.1, a Level 3 offence which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.

They have been charged with their involvement in the Sri Lankan cricket team’s refusal to take to the field at the start of Saturday’s play, causing a two-hour delay in the start of play.

Chandimal had been reported by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould, as well as television umpire Richard Kettleborough on day two, after they had concerns over the methods Sri Lanka had been using to maintain the ball.

The 28-year-old Chandimal had denied the allegations.

He is the fourth cricketer to be found guilty of committing the offence within the last three months. Back in March, Australian captain Steve Smith, along with vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were all banned after being found guilty of ball-tampering.

In a press release issued by the ICC today, it was revealed that Chandimal was given the maximum sentence for the offence; two suspension points and a fine of 100 per cent of his match fee.

Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test, two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever comes first. Furthermore, because two suspension points correspond to four demerit points, it has also been added to Chandimal’s disciplinary record.

During a hearing held after the Test match where video evidence was produced, Chandimal admitted to putting something in his mouth, but could not recall what it was.

“After reviewing the footage of the incident, it is clear that Dinesh Chandimal applied an artificial substance to the ball, namely saliva containing the residue of something he had in his mouth. an action which is prohibited under the ICC Code of Conduct,” Srinath said.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 31

Holder steers clear of ball-tampering saga (CMC) - IN the wake of ball-tampering allegations against Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal, West Indies Test captain Jason Holder is keeping his focus on winning the ongoing three-match Test series.

Chandimal pleaded not guilty to attempting to change the condition of the ball during the second Test match which ended yesterday and is due to face a hearing by match referee Javagal Srinath.

Insisting that the International Cricket Council (ICC), as

well as the match referees and officials, was more than capable of dealing with the issue, Holder said it was not his place to get involved.

“I don’t really want to get involved with that. It’s not my job. I think the match referees and the match officials have their jobs to do and obviously, the ICC has its job to do, but there’s been a lot going on with the situation … It’s not for me to get involved, I’m just here to play cricket and focus on winning this last

Jason Holder

Test match in Barbados,” he told members of the media moments after the Test match in St Lucia ended in a draw.

Holder said his only issue with the situation was the way in which it was handled.

Members of the Sri Lankan team refused to take to the field on the third day, following the ball-tampering charge, leading to a two-hour delay.

“To be honest I wasn’t aware of what was going on early in the morning and then we got some information of

what was going on. Now obviously, we have seen what has transpired and what has come out of it. I choose not to get involved with it as the game is in the hands of the match referee.

“I was just a little disappointed in how it was handled because basically, we sat waiting around for two hours and not much information was given to us so it was a bit disappointing there, but I guess it’s in the hands of the match referee now,” Holder said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20 , 2018

GSCL Inc/Ink Plus, Crown Mining Supplies and Elegance Jewellery Tournament

Regal Masters extend winning streak WITH an eye on the fastapproaching New York Independence Softball Cup, Regal Masters whipped Albion Masters by 9 wickets with 50 balls to spare on Sunday, at the Everest Cricket Club ground, in the latest action of the Ink Plus, Crown Mining Enterprise and Elegance Jewellery softball tournament, which is organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. (GSCL Inc).

The outfield was wet due to early morning showers which made batting and fielding more challenging but still the teams served up a good contest.

The Berbicians had first knock but were faced with tough bowling from Regal Masters and the heavy outfield, and managed to score 85 for 3 from their 20 overs with the

white ball.

Rickey Deonarain, who batted for most of the Albion Masters innings top-scored with a patient 35 (2x4, 1x6) while skipper John Sumair grafted for 24 (1x4).

Opposite captain, Mahendra Hardyal, who got the initial breakthrough was also economical, conceding 10 runs from his four overs while Throy Kippins (1-14) and Parsram ‘Pacer’ Persaud 1-15) were also among the wickets.

Regal openers, Mahesh Chunilall and Eon Abel, went to work on the soggy wicket and put on 60 runs in just over eight overs to take the wind out of the sails for Albion Masters.

The lone casualty in an otherwise well-composed runchase was Abel, who missed a full ball from Sahadeo Kissoon and was bowled after pushing

Regal Masters opener Mahesh Chunilall on the go against Albion Masters on Sunday at Everest. (Photo courtesy of Freelancer Media) around for 19 (2x4) but by then on 86 for 1 from 11.4 overs round upset. Mohamed hit a with lots of time to spare. six in his cameo of 17 while the writing was on the wall.

Chunilall and Fazleen Regal Masters have now Chunilall finished on 43 (4x4; Mohamed then saw the city extended their winning streak 1x6). Kissoon who bowled his side reach their target to finish to five games after an opening four overs on the trot ended

with 1-12.

In an invited comment after the game, Hardyal said, “We (Regal Masters) are happy for the little practice and with the winning momentum in the tournament as we head to New York. The conditions prevented a much better game, but we are still thankful that Albion came down.”

The New York Independence Cup takes place in Queens, New York from June 29 to July 1. Regal Masters and Regal All-Stars will be looking to recapture the coveted ‘double’ again this year.

In their quest for supremacy, the teams have so far received support from the National Sports Commission, Fly Jamaica Airways, Ink Plus and Regal Stationery and Computer Centre.

LABA/YBG/ Powerade Regional U-19 Schools Basketball…

Paul to replace injured Hetmyer in WI Test side Tallo’ Hutson donates MVP trophy, Semi’s on today KEEMO Paul will replace Shimron Hetmyer in the WINDIES Test Squad for the remainder of the Test Series against Sri Lanka.

Hetmyer will return home to Guyana to recover from a recent illness. While there, he will continue his preparations to return for the 2-day practice match against Bangladesh in

Antigua.

WINDIES Head Coach Stuart Law said, “ Hetty is a big part of our future and now we want him to recover fully from his illness, so he can be at his best for the warm-up match versus Bangladesh.”

The third Test against Sri Lanka is the first Day/Night Test to be played in the Caribbean.

NSC’s Learn to Swim programme set for July 9 THE Ministry of the Presidency – Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission - will be conducting its July/August Vacation Learn to Swim programme from July 9 to August 17, 2018.

Sessions for children 6 years - 10 years will be held at the Colgrain Swimming Pool located at Camp Street Georgetown while category 11 years – 16 years will be at

the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Registration commences on June 25, 2018 and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration fee is $1000.

Interested persons can be registered at the office of the Colgrain Swimming Pool, National Aquatic Centre or at the National Sports Commission along Homestretch Avenue.

All participants must wear swim caps.

By Joe Chapman FORMER national footballer Rickland Hutson yesterday donated the MVP Trophy for the Linden Amateur basketball Association’s (LABA)/ Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG)/ Powerade Regional U-19 Schools championship.

Huston, through his Rickland Hutson Leadership Academy, donated the trophy ahead of today’s semi-final stages from 15.00hrs at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.

In addition, he also donated an undisclosed amount of cash for the playing of the tournament, which has also seen support from Banks DIH through its Powerade brand,YBG; the Regional Education Department and the Mackenzie Sports Club.

Jessie Marshall, on behalf of Hutson who resides in the United States, made the donation to Dr. Karen Perreira, who is a vice president of the ABA. Hutson, a former Christianburg resident

The Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s Vice President, Dr. Karen Perreira, third from left, receives the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy from Jessie Marshall. The presentation, on behalf of the Rickland ‘Tallo’ Hutson Leadership Academy, took place at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court, yesterday in the presence of some of the players.

and a lover of sports, who was influenced by the benevolence of his mother,the late Mrs. Evelyn Hutson, said he felt obligated to do this on her behalf.

In fact, in a statement for the occasion, Rickland Hutson whose brothers Selwyn Hutson, Renwick ‘Chief’ Hutson and Rawle ‘Taitty’ Vickery also donned senior national

colours, remarked “the trophy is in memory of my mother, the late Mrs. Evelyn Hutson, my family [and] my foundation.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to contribute towards your positive influence on our youths.”

Dr. Perreira speaking on behalf of the LABA, expressed optimism that today’s semi-finals would see the Linden Technical

Institute, Mackenzie High School, New Silvercity Secondary and Wisburg Secondary battle it out for a place in the finals on Friday.

The top three will gain automatic entries in this year’s Youth Basketball Guyana National Basketball Festival which begins this weekend in Georgetown.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20, 2018

McKenzie heroics fail to save Guyana against Suriname

Mariam Mckenzie

A GAME-HIGH 24 points and 11 rebounds from

Mariam McKenzie was not enough to save Guyana

from falling 52–73 to host Suriname in their second game at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Women’s Caribbean Championship in Paramaribo, on Monday.

Guyana had opened their campaign in the tournament with a heavy loss (39–78) to Barbados, and were hoping to rebound against rivals Suriname.

The team (Guyana) suffered a set-back when point guard Jada Mohan was advised by doctors in Suriname not to play after being treated for a complaint of being dizzy, following the Barbados encounter.

Mohan’s absence placed some pressure on McKenzie to carry the ladies from the ‘Land of Many Waters’ on her shoulders, and that she did for much of the game.

Suriname raced to a 22 – 16 lead at the end of the first period, but Guyana, powered by McKenzie, bounced back in the second

period to outscore the host country 11 – 4, to close the half with a one point lead (27 – 26).

In the third period, Suriname with Cyarah Kensmil leading their charge dropped the Guyanese women 25 – 15, and raced to 51 – 42 points lead heading into the final stanza.

Kensmil, who posted 22 points in Suriname’s win, was too much for the young Guyanese bunch. McKenzie tried as much as she could, but the work-load was too much for the point guard to carry alone.

Kennesha Leacock contributed 13 points in the loss for Guyana, and also had five steals. For Suriname, Zephanya Zeefuik was their net best player, scoring 17 points and Marcella Sedoc contributed 10 points and seven steals.

Guyana played their final group stage game against the undefeated Dominican Republic last evening. (Rawle Toney)

Government releases draft of National Sports Policy THE Government of Guyana (GoG) on Tuesday released a draft of the National Sports Policy Draft which is available in wide circulation online.

According to a release, the policy forms part of the sensitisation of laws governing sports, and it is a rallying point of discussion with the GoG calling on stakeholders to peruse and provide responses on the blueprint.

The National Sports Policy, one of the promised implementation made by the ‘Coalition’ government leading up to the 2015 General Elections, has finally been made public after a steady outcry by various stakeholders in sports.

A release from the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday stated that further feedback is invited on the National Sports Policy Draft, generated between November 2016 - June 2018, based on research, reviews, consultations and analysis as chronicled in the document, and taking a comprehensive approach to the development of sports in Guyana.

Notable areas of focus include historical and philosophical narratives;

vision & mission; fundamental and guiding principles; national, regional and internationally applicable laws; collaboration among national agencies on sports programmes and projects; sports governance, administration, management, organisation, education and educational institutions, medicine, financing (funding, sponsorship, incentives), tourism, manufacturing, intellectual property rights; elite athlete development, the media, overseas offices, Diaspora support, and antidoping.

The National Sports Policy is an implementation requirement of the National Sports Commission Act, 1993, Cap. 39:14-5(d) whereby “... the function of the Commission to ... encourage the conduct of sporting activities in accordance with the national policy on sports”.

“Sports policies are international best practice tools used in regional and global territories to regulate local agencies and exercise the full potential, and capacity, of the nation’s sports sector,” the government said in a release.

GCF National Championships set for this weekend ...Cyclists’ receive just three weeks’ notice

DESPITE the Union Cycliste Internationale’s (UCI) Rules (1.2.049) which state that the race organiser(s) should give 60 days’ notice prior to the date of the event in writing, email or fax stating invitation and general information about the race i.e. course outline, etc., the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) is about to roll off its National Championships from this weekend (June 23 and 24) just three weeks after giving initial notice to cyclists and cycle clubs.

Cyclists have expressed frustration at such short notice being given, as several of them have planned and in some cases have already travelled for races overseas during the same peroid.

One cyclist, speaking under condition of anonymity, pointed out, “It’s not good, I think they should have let us know about the Championships at least two

months in advance because some of us have already planned on racing out of the country. A member from my team travelled just this morning (yesterday) because he did not know the date prior to his travelling itinerary. He will be missing the championships.”

The Individual Time Trials (ITT) and Road Races (RR) are set to be contested over three days (June 23, 24 and July 1).

On June 23, the ITT will be held on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway from 09:00hrs.

The starting point will be the Yarrowkabra Police Outpost.

The cyclists will proceed to a 10km mark on the highway, before finishing at the point of origin.

Meanwhile, the following day (June 24), the Masters, Juveniles, Juniors and Ladies road races will pedal off from the National Sports Commission (NSC) on Homestretch Avenue

and proceed to Timehri before returning to the Soesdyke Junction where the Masters and Junior cyclists will head to Long Creek then return to the point of origin.

The Ladies and Juveniles will not head to Long Creek but instead will finish at Homestretch Avenue.

The following weekend on July 1, the senior men’s road race will see the top cyclists pedal off from the NSC on Homestretch Avenue, proceed along the same route as the Masters and Juniors but with added distance to Moblissa along the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, before returning to the point of origin.

The GCF warned that Junior and Juvenile riders will not be allowed to compete without the requisite gear, according to regulations of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

The GCF’s National Cycling Championships will pedal off this weekend.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 20 , 2018

CONCACAF chief hails ...

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Government releases draft of National Sports Policy

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McKenzie heroics fail to save Guyana against Suriname F I F A W O R L D C U P 2 0 1 8 Match Fixtures Portugal vs. Morocco

8 a.m.

Moscow

Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia

11 a.m.

Rostov

Iran vs. Spain

2 p.m.

Kazan

Paul to replace injured Hetmyer in WI Test side Shimron Hetmyer

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Kemo Paul WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018