Guyana Chronicle E-paper 08-22-2018

WEDNESDAY 22nd August, 2018

Caribbean shaken No.105374

‌ as magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Venezuela See pages 2,3,5&9

‌ tremors felt in Guyana, TT, other Caribbean islands

These photographs show the effects of the tremor in Trinidad and Tobago, where there have been reports of widespread structural damage to buildings. Cars have been flattened by falling concrete and supermarkets have reported losses.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Tremor causes ruckus in Camp Street Prison

A TREMOR that shook Guyana on Tuesday afternoon saw prison warders at the Camp Street Prison scampering to exit the building, leaving petrified inmates behind resulting in a ruckus that almost led to a riot, prison sources confirmed.

“This building started rocking like a hammock, it was real scary” one prison rank told this publication. Inmates were heard making noises while using instruments to hit their cell doors, and shouting profanities at the warders who ran for safety. Less than 500 prisoners are said to be at the prison.

Around 17:30hrs on Tuesday, scores of persons were seen congregating on the streets of Georgetown, while business entities also saw employees being temporarily evacuated as the intensity of the tremor increased.

Reports indicate that a major earthquake had struck the coastal region of Venezuela on Tuesday resulting in the tremor being felt in Guyana. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 7.3 and was widely felt in neighbouring Colombia, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The quake hit just east of the coastal Venezuelan town of Carúpano in Sucre state.

Tremor rocks Guyana

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

… citizens express fear, no major damage reported

By Alva Solomon AN earth tremor which resulted from a 7.3 magnitude earthquake which rocked the northern coast of Venezuela on Tuesday afternoon created a buzz around Guyana, even as Acting Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Kester Craig cautioned that the body had not received any tsunami warning.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred at 5:31 PM (Guyana Time) off the north-west of Yaguaraparo, Venezuela, to a depth of 123.2 kilometres.

The CDC head told the Guyana Chronicle that the Hydrometeorological Service is closely monitoring the situation. In the event of an earthquake, Craig issued a few precautions.

“For earthquakes, there is a whole list of precautions that you can take, but if you are indoors, you need to drop down to the ground take cover and get under a sturdy table or piece of furniture and hold on until the shaking stops. Stay away from glass windows, do not use the doorways. So I have a whole list of precautions on my facebook page,” he said.

“Currently, we are monitoring to see if there are any tsunami warnings that will be set for Guyana.

I spoke with Hydromet Services, which has responsibility to give warnings for tsunami.

And they have indicated so far that from the specific warning centre, that there is no tsunami warning for Guyana.

They will continue to monitor it and soon will issue a statement with regard to tsunami warnings for the country, but at the moment the tide is low, so if there is any tsunami, it’s not likely to be any high surge,” Craig said.

EVACUATING BUILDINGS Many persons ran out of buildings and some took to social media platforms, including Facebook, to share their views.

Guyanese say the magnitude of the tremor was beyond what they had experienced in the past. Guyana had last experienced a major tremor in 2015, when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Barbados.

The tremor on Tuesday was felt as far as Linden and East Berbice. There were no reports of any damage or injuries in Guy-

ing in front my house, but is when my neighbours started hollering made I recognise it was something more,” said a resident in Agricola.

In Region Two and on the Islands of Wakenaam and Leguan, many persons were seen running outside their homes for safety. Children from various communities were

Jonelle Wiggins of Amelia’s Ward said she was standing on her patio when she felt the foundation shaking. She said she paid no attention to the situation until she saw her neighbour’s glass door shaking. “I saw Ms White glass door shaking and I said this serious, then I came outside and saw everybody on the road,” the

lages in the East Berbice-Corentyne area reported experiencing the tremor.

In Rose Hall Town, where the tremor was felt around 17:25hrs, some people initially thought it was heavy-duty equipment working on a street that was causing the earth to tremble. However, after noticing buildings and

A data map indicating the epicentre of the earthquake, felt off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday afternoon.

(Source : Earthquaketrack.com) ana. The Guyana Chronicle has also confirmed earlier reports of a house toppling in the Mabaruma sub-region. Residents at the village of Koberimo Hill told the Guyana Chronicle that the report was merely a rumour.

Elsewhere, persons reported that the tremor was a first-time experience.

“Them thing start shake bad bad. All me divider them and wardrobe and kitchen cupboard start shake, I didn’t know what to do. I keep thinking oh God nah let the divider fall down with the TV and them thing,” said one resident who experienced the tremor on the West Bank of Demerara “I was in bed, I thought it was an excavator pass-

terrified during the entire ordeal. Ten-year-old Reya Persaud noted how she rushed to her mother for comfort when she felt her home shaking suddenly.

She and her mother decided to pray. Other children in the Golden Fleece area on the Essequibo Coast were also terrified and loud screams were heard. A housewife who was doing her laundry said that she immediately ran to a corner of her home where she believed was safe.

Wakenaam resident Sheik Ahmad said that the tremor lasted for five minutes on the island and according to him, persons took necessary precautionary measures. The tremor also caught many Lindeners by surprise.

woman said.

Vanessa Moore, also of Amelia’s Ward, was sitting on her bed when it started to shake and after realising it intensified, she collected her two small children and headed outside where she thought it was safer.

She later learnt from her mom that it was better to stay indoors and take cover under a table.

According to scientific literature, at the location of the earthquake, the South America plate moves westward with respect to the Caribbean plate at a rate of approximately 20 millimetres per year.

BERBICE HIT BY TREMOR In Berbice, many vil-

lamp poles shaking, they soon realised it was much more than that. “I feel the ground vibrating and I thought was them man who mekking the street roller causing the place fuh shake, so I say wah duh is a big roller; but then me see the water in the barrel start shaking up and I hear me neighbour start holler, so I run out and then see more people start come out in the backstreet,” Desmond Williams related.

Another person identified as Vishal Singh, a hire car driver, said he was in his car waiting for a passenger to enter when he felt the car started to shake. “I see the vehicle start shake, so I turn around and look fuh see who shaking up the vehicle; then I

see them wires and lantern post shaking too so I seh is earthquake; but before I can say anything else everybody jump out the car.

Me ain’t even know where them people gone up until now them ain’t pay me nothing.”

On the public road, a doctor stopped his car and was seen urging people to get out of shops and from under power lines and lamp poles into the middle of the roadway. The tremor lasted for approximately one minute,stopped for a few seconds, before a second was felt that lasted for about 30 seconds.

In Orealla, residents reported that the tremor was felt very strongly and it lasted for about two minutes, but thankfully there were no injuries or damage reported. Laurence Vanderburg, a school teacher, said the tremor made him dizzy and he had to run outside to safety.

Inland areas such as Black Bush Polder also felt the tremor, but it was not as strong and was for less than a minute. Most persons said they were unaware until they saw other people posting on social media that they realised what had happened.

University of Guyana Lecturer Evan Persaud noted that the South America plate begins its subduction beneath the Caribbean plate about 550 km to the east of Tuesday’s earthquake and reaches depths close to 150 km in the vicinity of this event.

The earthquake occurred near the southern end of the Caribbean subduction zone.

Persaud, who is a geologist, noted too that large earthquakes are rare in the area and it was noted that the quake felt on Tuesday was the largest historic event within 250 km of this location in the 20th and 21st centuries.

(Additional reporting by Vanessa Braithwaite, Indrawattie Natram, Tamica Garnett and Nafeeza Yahya)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Risk of getting Zika in the Caribbean low-CARPHA The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has concluded that Zika virus transmission in the Caribbean Region has been interrupted, and

Tuesday 21, August, 2018

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that the risk to residents and visitors to the Region of acquiring Zika is low.

This follows a review

by CARPHA of the data of the last 30 months pertinent

to the situation, the agency said in a release. Zika Virus (ZIKV) was first detected in the Caribbean Region in late 2015. The number of cases increased in the first half of 2016 and reached its peak circulation in August 2016, and then declined rapidly by December 2016.

Before, during and after the introduction of the virus, CARPHA has been conducting surveillance and laboratory testing ac-

tivity for ZIKV and has worked assiduously with its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) and partners to strengthen the ability to detect and diagnose cases; to enhance the capacity to reduce transmission of this and other vector-borne diseases; and to improve coordination and use of information for prevention.

“At this time, ongoing surveillance and laboratory testing in CMS indicate that

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3, 8, 4

9, 7, 6

05, 06, 09, 14, 25

2, 9, 8

5, 4, 1

01, 07, 08, 11, 20

7, 8, 1

8, 0, 9

11, 15, 16, 18, 20

1, 4, 5

9, 6, 2

03, 05, 10, 18, 19

5, 8, 6

9, 1, 2

the epidemic circulation of ZIKV has been interrupted in Caribbean territories,” CARPHA said. This is based on congruency of data available from several sources and on experience of previous outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases in the Region: • Local surveillance in Member States has demonstrated both a decrease in general fever-related illness as well as a specific absence of ZIKV reports over the past year.

• CARPHA Regional Laboratory continues to test samples for mosquito-borne disease, including ZIKV, Dengue virus (DENV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). These tests have shown the drastic decrease from the peak of ZIKV circulation in 2016 to a situation where no cases of ZIKV have been confirmed among samples received from any CMS over the past 12 months • CARPHA has reached out to international public health agencies, including the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the European Centres for Disease Control (eCDC), for information on cases of ZIKV in travelers returning from the Caribbean

to Canada and Europe respectively. The data shared indicate a similar pattern to that seen in our regional data – a drastic decrease from a high-point in 2016, to sporadic cases in the immediate aftermath and no cases this year.

CARPHA advises that there is still a need to be vigilant given the ongoing risk for dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. The agency said it maintains continuous vigilance of health and disease trends and risks for residents and visitors in the Region. “We continue to work closely with other public health partners including US CDC, PAHO/ WHO, tourism organizations public health agencies in Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union to find innovative ways of mosquito control including behavior change communication and research. Working alongside CMS we will support vector control activities and educate the public to protect the health of all within their borders. There is a need to strengthen surveillance in member states, set up registries for babies affected in the 2016 epidemic, enhance laboratory testing capacity, document the findings of countries to ensure evidence-based policy and practice and to look at ways to deal with climate-sensitive, mosquito-borne diseases,” CARPHA said. According to the health body as it works towards the elimination of the vector and their breeding sites visitors and residents are being encouraged to protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents, wearing protective clothing and staying in screened or air conditioning accommodations.

05, 09, 11, 13, 14 02, 05, 07, 11, 14

17, August, 2018

03, 04, 09, 11, 12

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01, 06, 13, 14, 17

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Powerful quake hits Venezuela coast …no casualties reported CARACAS (Reuters) - A major earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck Venezuela’s eastern coast, home to largely poor fishing communities, on Tuesday and shook buildings in Caracas, Colombian capital Bogota, and on islands in the Caribbean.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, Venezuelan Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said in an internet broadcast on Tuesday. But worried Venezuelans with relatives close to the epicenter said they were struggling to contact their family members due to shaky phone lines.

The quake hit just as the oil-rich nation is wrestling with a crippling economic crisis. Medicine is running short, hospitals are barely functioning and there are severe shortages of basics like chicken and milk. It was not immediately clear

if there was any damage to Venezuela’s oil industry, which oversees the world’s biggest crude reserves. State oil company PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Center canceled an earlier warning of a possible tsunami along the coast near the epicenter, some 190 kilometers (118 miles) from Cumana, the capital of the eastern state of Sucre. In Venezuela’s picturesque palm tree-dotted northern coast, residents said the long quake was terrifying.

The tremor made residents nauseous, caused lamps to swing and led people to dash into the streets. “I had gotten into bed to watch the news on TV and my bed started to move as if it was made of water,” said Elia Sanchez, a doctor in Cumana. “We had to go down nine floors, it felt like it would never end.”

Rosymer Rodriguez, who

People gather in the street after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela August 21, 2018.

REUTERS/Marco Bello

was also in Cumana, said she could not see any significant damage but that people were still fearful. “There are still people in the street. There are people packing bags in case there are aftershocks,” said Rodriguez.

The governor of Venezuela’s Sucre state, which is the closest to the offshore epicenter of the major 7.3 quake that struck on Tuesday, said that so far there were no reports of deaths or major damage due to the tremor.

Socialist Party governor Edwin Rojas told state television that the situation was calm in the eastern coastal state.

The quake was also felt in capital Caracas, where residents rushed out of office buildings, as well as in nearby island nations like Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Lucia, to the west and north. Residents in Trinidad and Tobago shared video online showing some damage to build-

ings. USGS geophysicist Jessica Turner said the quake’s depth, 76.5 miles (123 km) below the surface, would dampen some of the shaking but not enough to prevent damage. “A 7.3 magnitude quake is going to cause some damage particularly as in this area, structures are vulnerable.

The Earth is able to absorb some of the energy, but a 7.3 quake produces a lot of energy,” she said by telephone. (Reuters)

CXC Registrar concerned over direction of regional education system THE Registrar of the Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Glenroy Cumberbatch, has expressed concern that the Region is not preparing students to either work for themselves or be gainfully employed.

Cumberbatch made the observation Friday in Grenada. CXC offered its first examinations for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in 1979 and has since introduced a comprehensive suite of qualifications to meet the needs of the Region, including the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the CXC Associate Degree (CXC-AD).

The CXC said that an estimated 11,000 Caribbean students received failing grades in all of the subjects that they wrote. “The percentage of those who entered is extremely small when we do our calculations from CXC, out of the possible population for persons to write exams at the end of secondary school, just over 20 per cent actually get the opportunity to enter and if just over 20 per cent get the opportunity to enter and 13 per cent of those are not receiving any subjects, any acceptable grades in the subjects that they take,” Cumberbatch said.

He stated that the results would suggest that the Region is not preparing students for self-employment or to be employed. “How can we look at this? We look at CSEC qualifications as the only qualifications students should leave school with.If you look at the CARICOM HRD Strategy, it refers to other qualifications, what we refer to as a wallet of certification. You should have a wallet of certification when you leave school that is not only made up of CSEC subjects, but it is also made up CVQ, CCSLC…things that show your competence in a particular area.

“When one asks for five subjects, generally we make assumptions that they can read, they can understand and we know sometimes that those assumptions do not come true,” Cumberbatch said. But he told the ceremony that secondary school students throughout the Caribbean have done much better at CSEC this year, noting that the results indicated that a large number of students have done well.

“This year we had over 60,000 candidates doing five or more CSEC subjects and 59 per cent of them gaining acceptable grades. “However in Grenada, 63 per cent of them gained acceptable grades. Last year when we did the comparison, Grenada got almost

more than twice the amount of persons by percentage gaining acceptable grades over those from the rest of the Region,” he added.

The CXC was established in 1972 under an agreement by regional governments “to conduct such

examinations as it may think appropriate and award certificates and diplomas on the results of any such examinations so conducted”.

The Council comprises 16 participating countries, namely Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Be-

lize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Islands. (The New Today)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

LGEs are no less important than general elections EVER since the Alliance For Change (AFC) announced that it would be contesting the 2018 local government elections (LGEs) separately from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), political pundits have been voicing their opinions on the implications of that decision for the future of the coalition, the dynamics of inter-party politics, and the consequences for the 2020 regional and general elections.

Unfortunately, this has deprived ordinary Guyanese of much-needed and desperately desired informed analyses of what LGEs mean for them, their families, and their communities. Regrettably, some commentators have totally overlooked the

importance of issues that will be impacted by local government elections.

Contrary to some of the held views in society, LGEs are not a sideshow to national elections; LGEs are no less important than general elections. In fact, LGEs may have a greater impact on the day-to-day lives of citizens. Additionally, the issue of inter-party politics may have little bearing on the matters that are of greatest interest to the ordinary man or woman.

Article Nine of the constitution states, ‘Sovereignty (supreme power or authority) belongs to the people, who exercise it through their elected representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this constitution.’ This means

that all decision-making power resides with the citizens of Guyana. And when local government elections are held, the people choose persons who live within their own neighbourhoods to administer their affairs.

Those representatives know about the needs of the neighbourhood, and the priorities of the community. This grassroots system of representative government is the purest distillation of democracy mandated by our constitution. It therefore supersedes any other tier of government as it relates to democratic governance.

Persons elected by the people at LGEs have enormous responsibilities and power. They are legally responsible for building and maintaining roads, bridges,

playgrounds, streetlights, markets, and other infrastructure. They must make sure that parapets are weeded, drains are cleaned, and garbage is collected. They are also responsible for fostering residents’ involvement and participation in the cultural life of the community. Those representatives have a duty to interact and consult with residents frequently and meaningfully, and they are obligated to work on behalf of their constituents, and they are answerable to those voters.

Clearly, it is a big job.

Local government elections are not intended to be a referendum on national politics; LGEs are not intended to test the strength of coalitions. Instead, LGEs are intended to ensure the

periodic, regular renewal of democracy at the grassroots level; LGEs are intended to give citizens the opportunity to decide the future of their communities, and shape their neighbourhoods as they see fit.

Being the bedrock upon which the foundation of democratic governance is constructed, local government must, in the minds of citizens and political commentators, be seen for what it is meant to be: the basis of our democracy.

While one may understand an increased interest in national politics during the run-up to local government elections – after all, prior to the LGEs of March 18, 2016, there had been no local democratic renewal for some two decades. Indeed,

as we inch closer to Local Government Elections, Guyanese should be encouraged to participate in this civic duty through objective analyses of candidates.

That having been said, it is not too late to attempt to put aside any distraction which may take away from making informed and objective decisions at the polling booth. It is not too late to put aside prejudices and make decisions based only on what is best for our communities. And it is not too late to realise that the decision by the AFC – far from being the harbinger of doom–may actually have given citizens a wider choice of candidates, a development which is certainly interesting, and may be, arguably, positive.

I support Guyana’s participation in the Silk Belt Road Initiative

Dear Editor,

I COMPLIMENT the Chinese on their long-standing support of Guyana and I believe the government’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China within the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, is the dawn of a progressive new era of relations between the two nations.

It is clear to me that Guyana needs to develop its infrastructure, especially roads and bridges, that link the mineral-rich areas with the city; and we simply do not have the funds, expertise and experience to do this alone. It is good that Guyana can turn to a powerful friend like China to get help with key national development projects.

What I like about China is that their support for Guyana has been consistent throughout the years and has spanned many government administrations. Space does not permit me to cover all their positive interventions, but off the top of my head I can recall the valuable contributions of Chinese medical brigades to our health sector and several donations of much-needed equipment to hospitals.

I remember in 2013 China gave Guyana US$8.16M in grant aid. That is a lot of money and it has grown since then. I also recall with

respect and gratitude how they helped us to acquire marine vessels for plying the Essequibo River between Parika and Supenaam.

They also assisted with the construction of the Guyana International Conference Centre and funded multiple scholarships and training and capacity- building in a wide variety of areas.

Furthermore, they provided millions of dollars in equipment and vehicles for the Guyana Police Force.

That is why I extend blessings and praises to the Chinese for making Guyana a partner in the billion-dollar Silk Road Initiative. I am pleased that the first funds are earmarked to upgrade the road from Linden to Lethem, which is often in a deplorable condition with maintenance costs running into tens of millions of dollars annually. It makes good sense to me that, instead of constantly spending this kind of money in a losing battle to keep the road in good order, Guyana may be able to get funding to fix and strengthen the road by activating a solid relationship with China that is based on over four decades of goodwill and cooperation between our nations.

Some countries are saying that partnering with China in the Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative has left them up to their ears in debt.

I do not see Guyana going along that route.

My advice to government is: instead of taking

out loans, try to utilise the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) system for this project with China and give the Chinese a 20-year reprieve on taxes.

This would mean we would not become saddled with debt. After a few decades, the road will be transferred to the government and people of Guyana. If we play our cards right, we will have millions of dollars in oil wealth pouring in, so by then we will be able to afford the maintenance costs.

The Linden to Lethem road must also have a modern technological system for tolls for those using the road, including loggers, miners and others. People will not mind paying a toll since the money will be used to upkeep the roadway. Some of the money could also be used for other roads and highways, for example, a new express toll road linking the Mahaica area to the airport. I remember the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte, in his vision with the reform component of the PNC, had shown how such a project could have been done if the party were elected to govern. My advice to this government is to relive that vision of my hero, the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte.

By giving my support to this project, I am not saying we should just accept any offer we get from the international donor community of powerful nations, who have their own

agendas. I am saying that with our upcoming oil revenue we will have greater capacity to meet our repayment commitments for essential development projects, so we can go after more external funding.

We don’t know what the future holds, so we have to be cautious, but I believe that we can be optimistic about the returns from signing the Silk Belt Road Initiative with China. I believe we have learned a lot from tough lessons in the recent past concerning deals with international partners to be able to assess and monitor a new project of this nature.

I feel a sense of pride to know that Guyana is the first country in South America and the first English-speaking Caribbean country to sign such a treaty with China, because it shows that we have insight and vision. I believe both nations realise that it is in their interest to make this venture a showpiece for the world and Guyana should press for funding of other important projects under this initiative. Kudos to Guyana and China for maintaining their mutually beneficial relationship and securing the basis of an exciting way forward for the well-being of both nations.

Regards Roshan Khan Snr

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The global spotlight is now on Guyana

Dear Editor

OVER the last week, we learnt that the American Chamber of Commerce has set up a branch in Guyana. American Airlines will soon be serving the country and a delegation of U.S. congressmen is set to arrive for what Minister of State Joseph Harmon has described as a “familiarisation visit.”

I think we all can agree that without the discovery of massive oil reserves by ExxonMobil and imminent production, none of the above would have occurred, at least not anytime soon. What this tells us is that the global spotlight is now on Guyana. The interest from a number of groups is growing rapidly and will give rise to new

foreign direct investments, stronger bilateral relations and will secure the country’s place as a respected player on the world stage.

The arrival of American Airlines and the establishment of an American Chamber branch in Guyana may have been the two most significant events so far for the year as it relates to business and investment.

The ease of travel American Airlines will bring and the network of investors the American Chamber will open up for Guyana will have a long-lasting impact on industry in the country.

At a time when the threat to our sovereignty from an unstable Venezuela is at an all-time high, the visit by a team of U.S. congressmen sends a solid message as to whom Guy-

ana is building stronger relations with. The fact that the largest U.S. corporation is operating off our shores is also a clear indication that the U.S. interest in Guyana is high and any aggressive move

by Venezuela will not go unnoticed.

We have only now begun to scratch the surface regarding the opportunities that will come to Guyana as a result of oil production. In the coming decades, the billions of dollars in revenue from oil will be just one part of the story. The other part will be the untold spin-off effects of this industry and how it will serve to transform Guyana.

Regards Patrick Davis

Is there a change of uniform for the City Constabulary?

Dear Editor, I have observed what seems to be a change of uniform for constables attached to the City Constabulary of Georgetown, from their traditional dark blue uniforms to light blue tops and dark bottoms. These persons moving around the markets and around the city with these new outfits look more like security guards than policemen.

I would like to know if the Georgetown City Constabulary has changed its uniform just like that, without properly sensitising the public. Police departments all over the world are very strongly traditional and they want their officers to look like police officers. In other words, what the public associates with “police officer.”

Most people can identify a police officer by the official police uniform. When citizens on a busy street are in need of help, they scan the crowds of pedestrians looking for the distinctive uniform of a police officer.

Drivers who come to an intersection tended by a person in a police uniform usually willingly submit to that person’s hand directions.

Criminals usually curb their unlawful behaviour when they spot a uniformed police officer in the area.

Many parents teach their children to respect and trust a person in the police uniform. How can the council just whimsically change the uniforms of their constables like that?

Everyone knows that their uniforms were made of cheap polyester and were poorly tailored, which resulted in them being hot and uncomfortable to wear and that they faded and turned purple after being laundered a few times, but that does not give them the right to just arbitrarily change them. They just needed to purchase high-quality and properly tailored apparel.

The traditional dark blue crisp uniforms of the City Constabulary conveyed power and authority. Even the slightest alterations to the style of this uniform

will change how citizens perceive these constables.

The City Constabulary uniform is a tradition as old as the Constabulary itself, patterned after the London Metropolitan Police, who developed the first standard police apparel.

These first police officers, the famous “Bobbies” of London, were issued a dark blue, para-military style uniform.

The colour blue was chosen to distinguish the police from the British military, who wore red and white uniforms at the time. Darker colours may have been preferred for their ease in cleaning and their ability to help conceal the wearer in tactical situations. Dark colours help cover up stains and keep the officer from being easily spotted by law-breakers, especially at night. Is this change of uniform another harebrained idea by the King and the Queen?

Regards Riley Matthews

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Burke’s assessment of labour relations is flawed Dear Editor THE Ministry of Social Protection finds Rickford Burke’s letter in the Kaieteur News of August 14th, 2018, under the caption, “The coalition Government’s Labour Relations is

a disaster” to be less than amusing, somewhat impish and founded on puerility.

Brief though it was, the letter attempted to address a number of issues including a pay increase awarded to ministers and parliamentarians and the current negotiations

between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union, among others.

The first issue has been adequately addressed many times over and since the “Teachers’ Negotiations” can be considered sub judice, it would not be wise to com-

ment on that matter at this time.

On the question of wage and salary increases for public sector workers, the coalition government’s record is unmatched. During the last two years, sliding-scale increases resulting in a more equitable distribution of available, limited resources have been introduced for the first time in the nation’s recent history.

That must be considered as an enlightened approach to wages and salaries administration.

Between 2015 and 2017 – a mere three years -- the coalition government facilitated wage adjustments, exclusive of one-off bonuses, ranging between 41% and 52%.

Similarly, the minimum rate of pay in the private sector was increased by 26%, moving it from $202 to $255 per hour during the same period.

Mr Burke’s reference to the non-payment of the customary year-end bonus or back pay to public sector employees reflects a level of unconsciousness of the yearend payments during the past decades.

Prior to the coalition government, a customary yearend bonus was not paid to all public sector workers. On the contrary, only the armed forces were paid an incentive equivalent to a month’s sala-

ry, irrespective of the performance of the economy.

It was the coalition government which sought to rectify that inequity by paying an equal amount to all public sector workers on the basis of affordability, which was influenced by the performance of the economy.

Further, it was the coalition government which re-introduced the non-payment of income tax on overtime wages of bauxite workers.

Mr. Burke may not remember that, that benefit had been enjoyed by bauxite and sugar workers, but it was withdrawn from the bauxite workers only by the previous administration.

At this juncture of our evolution, our time and resources are best utilised on issues such as formalisation of the informal economy; implementation of our Decent Work Country Programme; shaping the future of work within the context of a Green Economy; the elimination of child labour; Trafficking in Persons; the promotion of occupational safety and health as a philosophy and a way of life in our nation and the achievement of as many of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. All of these are being pursued against a backdrop of the emerging oil-and-gas

industry.

We are more concerned with these cardinal issues rather than the parochial contention concerning the exclusion or inclusion of the word Labour in the ministry’s name. Without compromising our nation’s sovereignty, the ministry has helped to foster a stable industrial relations environment conducive for both domestic and foreign investment, which directly influences employment levels.

Finally, any student of labour management relations would recognise or should recognise that since the ascension to office of the coalition government, the state of industrial relations has improved significantly.

This is evidenced by the reduction in the number of strikes, the resolution of long-standing differences, including the “RUSAL stand-off”, thousands of individual complaints and the conclusion of multi-year agreement by the social partners in the private sector, which signifies inclusiveness rather than antagonism and divisiveness which had characterised industrial relations during the past decades.

Regards Ministry of Social Protection

Did Ramson satisfy the requirements for this scholarship?

Dear Editor, I READ a new article in the Kaieteur News dated August 19, 2018, which stated that Mr Charles Ramson will “participate in a short, but intensive Executive Course on Oil, Gas and Mining Governance—from the 10th–14th September—at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.”

Upon perusing the brochure of this course, one would note that “Participants should have at least 12 years’ experience and be in a senior leadership position or advisory role.” More specifically, the brochure noted that “Prospective participants include: ministers, chiefs-of-staff, heads of extractive state-owned enter-

prises, commissioners, heads of agencies, departments and other public bodies involved in the management of oil, gas and mining and the revenues they generate, as well as their deputies and advisors; executives, directors, chiefs and heads at oil, gas and mining companies, at headquarters or country-office levels, as well as their deputies and advisors; leaders from management consulting firms providing advice to governments in resource-rich countries in extractive-sector policy design and implementation, or public financial management; Vice-presidents, deputy managing- directors, and heads of department at multilateral agencies, such as the IMF and World Bank; and chief executives, direc-

tors and senior fellows at think tanks and non-partisan bodies.”

The website also notes that scholarships are offered to public sector applicants from a number of countries other than Guyana (Guyana is not included). Therefore, with Guyanese not eligible for this scholarship, it is quite strange that Mr Ramson has obtained such scholarship. Since Mr Ramson is keen on transparency, perhaps he should produce the details of his scholarship.

After all, it would not sit right with the Guyanese people to have a leader so young in the game already fooling us.

Regards Samuel Anthony

Caribbean shaken

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

… as magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Venezuela

… tremors felt in Guyana, TT, other Caribbean islands A 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred off Venezuela on Tuesday evening and was felt as far as the Eastern Caribbean.

The quake, which occurred around 5:31 pm, was centred near the Venezuelan town of Guiria, and was felt as far away as the capital, Caracas, and far beyond.

Residents of neighbouring Guyana, as well as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines reported feeling strong shaking.

Witnesses reported seeing and feeling their homes and contents shaking as the tremor continued for as long as 15 seconds. The University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Unit measured the earthquake 6.8 at a depth of 73 kilometres, but the magnitude was later upgraded to 7.0 by the United States Geological Survey.

The position of the earthquake in Venezuela was placed at 55 kilometres east southeast of Carúpano, 95 km northeast of Maturín, and 131 km southeast of Porlamar.

WIDESPREAD DAMAGE Meanwhile, reports out of Trinidad and Tobago said there has been widespread damage as a result of the earthquake that shook the region on Tuesday

afternoon.

According to the Trinidad Express buildings have sustained structural damage, cars have been flattened by falling concrete and supermarkets are reporting losses. The newspaper also reported that there is also significant loss of telecommunication.

The initial magnitude is 6.8, with a magnitude of 7.2 being reported at the epicentre in Venezuela. According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates. The Earth’s crust is made up of huge slabs of rock called plates which fit together like an uneven jigsaw puzzle. The region where two or more plates meet is called a plate boundary.

The plates are constantly moving but this plate movement is neither smooth nor continuous, rather the plates often lock together causing a buildup of energy. When the plates eventually move out of this locked position the energy that is released may be felt as an earthquake.

BARBADOS The Barbados Today reported that for a few minutes parts of Barbados were rattled by the earth tremor.

Residents from St Lucy to St Philip reported that they felt minor shaking.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

City Hall workers to get retroactive pay …after M&CC,

union reach agreement THE GEORGETOWN Mayor and City Council will commence payment of retroactive monies owed to its workers from September, having reached an agreement with the Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU).

The agreement comes just a day after City Hall workers took to the streets in protest to voice their frustration. On Tuesday, the Town Clerk Royston King

Town Clerk Royston King (at centre) and leader of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union, Carvil Duncan ( fourth from right) sit in a meeting with city officials. and a team of city officials, numbering approximately lighted also, the fact that the met with the leader of the 200, are all part of the Guy- supervisors are to be blamed, Guyana Local Government ana Labour Union (GLU). and with that, systems have Officers Union Carvil Dun- They have over the years, been put in place to deal with can, and it was during that been demanding their retro- the errant supervisors. meeting that several issues active salaries owed them for King said that over a were discussed, including the the years 2015 to 2017. three-year period employees’ non-payment of retroactive Town Clerk Royston salaries were increased by 18 monies for 2016 and 2017. King in response said, that he per cent, with the projection The union and the council is not satisfied with the ser- that new revenue earning have agreed to commence vices provided by some em- streams would have been payment of retroactive mon- ployees. He said that he has initiated. ies owed to employees from observed that some employThis, he says, has placed the month of September. ees, when assigned tasks, a burden on the limited Further, the most vulnerable leave the job incomplete, as financial resources and staff will be paid first. such, contractors have to be resulted in a shortfall in the City Hall employees have called in to complete their payment of other statutory been crying out and protest- unfinished tasks. deductions, including NIS ing against the actions of He noted that this has and PA.Y.E. However, they the Mayor& City Council affected the Council’s coffers have agreed to initiate the (M&CC). These employees, tremendously. He high- payment.

AFC salutes Muslims contribution to Guyana on occasion of Eid-ul-Adha Eid-ul-Adha commemorates the virtues of sacrifice and obedience to God. It was Prophet Abraham’s ultimate submission and agonising willingness to execute the ultimate sacrifice, thereby submitting to the will of Allah (SWT), which Muslims in Guyana and worldwide revere as a dutiful example of faith.

Muslims, through dint of hard work, industry and charity, have made a significant contribution to Guyana and the AFC hails and salutes them for this, even as the party looks forward to continued contributions towards our progress and development. Like our thriving Muslim community, as a country Guyana knows sacrifice and humility. It is who we are. We have come a considerable way as a result of our adherence to these time-tested values.

Guyanese continue to make daily sacrifices for a better life for this and future generations. Even as we prepare

for better and more prosperous days ahead, sacrifice is not singular in concept or a time-bound concept and will be required in various forms. The AFC implores all Guyanese to continue to embrace positive values and practices as espoused by Islam and all other religions. As a country we are blessed to have a culture which is formed by multiple belief systems which makes us stronger, better, and more tolerant.

Guyana and Guyanese, inherently therefore, have a deeper appreciation for unity at all levels and a broader understanding of issues national, regional, hemispheric and global.

The party urges Muslims to reflect on our past, successes and shortcomings, opportunities taken and lost and contemplate how best we are to move into the bold, new Guyana ahead.

The AFC wishes all Muslims, in Guyana, in the diaspora and throughout the world, Eid Mubarak and best wishes for a safe and satisfying Eid-ul-Adha 2018.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

OCC honours three CAPE students THE Office of Climate Change (OCC) on Tuesday honoured three Climate Change Ambassadors for their outstanding achievements at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Ms. Aadilah Ali, Ms. Christine Archer, and Ms. Suphane Dash, who represented Guyana at the Youth Climate Change Conference last October, were celebrated at a brief recognition ceremony, held at the OCC, Ministry of the Presidency.

Head of the OCC, Ms. Janelle Christian said that the Climate Ambassadors showed exceptional leadership qualities. “When we were engaging them for their participation [in the conference], they were both studious and fun… We knew that they were special… At the regional conference, they were the youngest to [participate]… We were elated to hear that, from the team that went last year, we have the top CAPE unit two students for Guyana… The Office of Climate Change, partners, and friends brought them [here] to let them know how proud we are of their

achievements,” she said.

Ms. Ali, who is the top CAPE performer in the country, said that her association with the OCC helped build essential skills. “I… have developed myself in public speaking. I [had] new experiences. Being here at the Office, I got this sense of leadership that I never thought I would have gotten,” she said.

Ms. Archer gave some advice for prospective CAPE students. “[It] would be hard work. In terms of leadership qualities, if you are introverted, you’ll really have to push through until you’re comfortable enough… You have to keep pushing,” she said. Citing the influence of her affiliation with the OCC, Ms. Dash said that youths like herself should be targeted as Guyana pursues sustainability. “It all comes together when [considering] the development of the country…

Over 40 percent [of the population] is youth.

So, if we are going to [carry out] the Green State Development Strategy, the youth should be involved,” she said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Ministry of Public Telecommunications in ‘tech-savvy’ drive THE Ministry of Public Telecommunications is not only providing the physical infrastructure for internet access but also ensuring citizens can become more tech savvy.

This is according to Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes at a mid-review of the ministry’s progress for 2018. She said that while to date over 135 ICT hubs have been established across the nation, the ministry places a great emphasis on training as part of recognising “that by 2025, 75 percent of the jobs in the world would mandate that a person must have some ICT skills.”

As a result, the ministry has commenced implementing “a very aggressive training programme to ensure that our citizens are not left behind.”

She also hoped that as a result of training programmes, people would be inspired to become entrepreneurs. One of the areas being focused on is website building and website design. Minister Hughes pointed out that with Guyana transitioning to a technological era, businesses will need websites.

“Once we teach each young people how to design a website, and to do the back end of it, not just using the website but actually designing it, launching the website, then it gives them the skills to become their own entrepreneurs and they can then sell their skills.”

The ministry has been hosting camps for youths across the country aimed at providing youths with basic computer skills as well as teaching them coding and programming skills. (DPI)

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Climate Change Ambassadors, Ms. Aadilah Ali, Ms. Christine Archer, and Ms. Suphane Dash were celebrated by the Office of Climate Change for the outstanding achievement at this year’s Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Connecting the hinterland … GTT moves to utilise USF facility to fund internet for hinterland

By Lisa Hamilton

RESIDENTS in some

hinterland regions may soon receive access to internet connectivity

through the utilisation of a Universal Service Fund (USF) by the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Ltd (GTT) This is according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle on the sidelines of a media press conference on Tuesday.

He said that as the country approaches the full liberalisation of the telecoms sector, this transformation can clear the way for initiatives such as the USF. Around the world, the USF is used to provide affordable telecommunications services for low-income households and to maintain telecommunications and broadband networks in rural areas.

The process sees telecommunications service providers paying a percentage of their revenues into the USF to fund the project. “With liberalisation, it creates the opportunity for GTT with other players to supply the hinterland and we certainly look forward to using mechanisms that are used in other parts of the world such as the Universal Service Fund, so that we can work with the government to get funds to supply the hinterland area,” Nedd told the newspaper.

Nedd stated that in Guyana’s case, with a population density of four persons per square kilometer, unserved areas could

receive internet access though small contributions from those in urban areas.

“The Universal Service Fund is basically the folks in Georgetown contributing a small part of their bill, so that the people in some of the outlying areas where it’s not as economically feasible to service, take that fund from [perhaps] the Georgetown folks and dedicate it to the people in the hinterland,” he explained, adding: “It’s not an original concept.

It’s used everywhere in the U.S., Canada, [through mechanisms such as] the Connect America Fund (CAF) and it works, because it helps to shift the distribution of wealth from some of the most densely populated areas to the less populated areas.”

Although GTT provides its services to a few hinterland communities, Nedd said that the company still faces a challenge in acquiring the resources to supply sparsely populated areas. “The capital expenditure for things in terms of technology is big dollars, so sometimes companies struggle to spend

10 million dollars to supply services to 500 people and that is the case of our rural situation in Guyana.

In fact, Guyana is in the bottom 20 in terms of least densely populated countries in the world,” he said.

Nedd then continued: “We have to do things differently. We absolutely must connect them and I believe that Minister Cathy Hughes and the team at the National Data Management Authority have done a fantastic job at getting people connected, but we look forward to looking at more innovative solutions.”

Some of the areas where GTT has set up its services include Annai, Kurupukari, Orealla, Kwakwani and it is now assessing additional areas to deploy similar services.

Meanwhile, although the USF is not yet a reality, the CEO said: “We’re certainly working with the government and it’s a matter of discussion.

So, some of the stuff that we do right now we just do it because we need to get the people connected.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

A needle in the brain

A NEEDLE is driven through the brain when teachers or people of significant influence, discourage persons from pursuing their dreams because they are of the view that the dreamers are certain to fail.

On a casual day of football with the less privileged youths, I found myself in an awkward situation at a time meant for relaxation. There was one boisterous character who distinguished himself during play. ‘Short Boss’ was the moniker constantly being repeated in reference to this football-loving ‘ghetto yute’. After the game, he said to me: ‘I wan be a lawyer but me teacher tell me that I should think of some other career because all the males in my family are handymen ’. ‘Short boss’ was convinced that he should heed the negative advice of his teacher, because maybe some things are not for him. I immediately poured scorn on this dangerous action by this teacher and offered an extemporaneous inspirational talk. I told him of the story of Malcolm Little, popularly known as Malcolm X, who documented in his autobiography, that his teacher in Junior High had told him that he should not express the desires about being a lawyer because it was an impossible task to achieve. This civil rights activist went from being a prison inmate to a debater par excellence in the prestigious halls at Oxford Student Union, United Kingdom.

I was not done with the issue. I proceeded to the school which he attended for three reasons. Firstly, I was eager to have a discourse with ‘Miss’ to firstly verify the submission of her student. Secondly, to gauge her thinking as it relates to this issue and thirdly, to warn against this dangerous practice of putting a needle in the brain. As I made my way up the dilapidated steps in the midst of disorderly cacophony, it dawned upon me that maybe I should not have this talk with ‘Miss’

after all. I lost all inspiration and strength to continue on this mission. How could I lecture this teacher in such a Dickensian setting? Who is he, or she, that would remain resolute in their duty to mould a nation in this circumstance, without the resolve of Mother Theresa?

I defied this deterrence and confronted this teacher. She confirmed that she did utter those words to the student under discussion, and she explained that he is extremely recalcitrant and shows no sign of even being close to achieving such career heights. She also spoke about the fact that his family and community situation could never allow him to become a lawyer, so she decided to guide him to a career path that was more possible, associated with subjects such as Technical Drawing. I asked her to consider the fact that she could have supported the dream of ‘Short Boss’and use this support as a means of spreading her influence over him, to put him on the right course. She scoffed at that idea and remarked: ‘’anybody else, not he’.

This entire episode caused me to reflect deeply on the fact, that there are many who enjoy positions of influence in various leadership systems that have little or no regard, for the negative effects that can be caused by the power they possess.

Cognitive and motivational mediators of indirect effects continue to exert influence on individual development outside and beyond the school (Sylva, 1994). It is no longer a debate, it is established that ‘Young people trust and rely on a number of key adults, including teachers, to provide them with the up-to-date knowledge and support they need to make informed choices about their futures’ (Brown, Foskett 1999).

The role of the mentor is to support and encourage dreams, even when they seem improbable.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The value of a good education

“ATTAINING my secondary school education has been a gigantic accomplishment in my life. I attended

the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School (JCCSS) 2011-2016, a highly recognised school in Berbice.

During my time at JCCSS, I learnt many valuable lessons about who I am and the world around me. Secondary school has revealed to me my strongest and most valuable passions in the subjects of Social Studies and English Language. I also recognised my gift of public speaking in Grade 10.

Moving on to my university education at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC), I am currently pursuing a degree in social work and things have truly changed drastically, compared to high school.

Tertiary education is more challenging, but yet it is still worth it. Responsibilities and finances have also increased.

University can also be very time consuming, especially in my major. University has taught me and is continuing to teach me proper time management skills, balancing my social life with my academic life, and critically analysing occurrences that may affect me by applying my tertiary knowledge in real life. At the end of the day, I am able to extend valuable words or ideas to others. Considering all the life rewards that education has given me, I fell in love

with the challenges that extend within my mind.

I constantly crave more knowledge. This is my experience so far in the education system, and I strongly feel that education deserves the best of our efforts and perseverance. It teaches and gives us more than a certificate to showcase, more than just a bank account, more than you can ever imagine.” The above story is that of Ms. Ashminie Persaud, a firstyear social work student who hails from Number 68 Village on the Corentyne.

If we have similar stories to that of Miss Persaud’s, then we should count ourselves lucky. Whether, it was only a high school education up to the tertiary level, public or private schooling or even home schooling, you’re lucky enough that you were fortunate to be offered an education, in a still developing country.

Education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills. Therefore, education is a word of action. One must put in the necessary work and sacrifices in order to attain education. Education comes in three forms; formal (schooling), informal (our home training, television, recreational books, etc.) and non-formal (adult-life skills and abilities). It is important that we indulge in all three for a better and successful life. Apart from a career opportunity and the acquired

skills, education opens up a door to many more doors.

It opens the door for equality; gender, economic and social status. I am starving to witness a world where everyone is equal and if I can’t, I can only hope my children or their children witness it instead. I see education as a means of erasing the inequalities and differences in our world. It gives the minority a chance of achieving more than they can imagine. Due to poverty or no job opportunities, many persons would also turn to stealing. Your weapons should be books not guns.

My father would tell me stories of himself and brothers growing up in a single-parent household. He always showed me how education helped him to escape poverty, and despite your situation, just like he did, you can do it too. Education makes one more fully aware and mindful. Being knowledgeable equals less ignorance. We can also better differentiate right from wrong. Being educated about our laws, your rights and responsibilities as a citizen overall, makes the communities we live in safer and better. As Malala Yousafzai said, “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

Our future as a nation depends on the skills and knowledge of our citizens as well. Our economy on a whole, in all of its sectors,

solely depends on education.

The upcoming oil industry requires its workers to gain a solid and well-rounded education background for it to succeed. Our future politicians, doctors, lawyers, public servants, janitors, clerks, all not only need the power of education but also deserve it. Lastly, education allows you to be self-dependent. The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. Your education may help you obtain a good job/career choice; and in return a good job means you are able to achieve financial independence through your income. You should be your first priority.

Education is a human necessity, just as food, water and shelter. It should be accessible to EVERYONE, until then, we will continue to see a global decline in the lives of humans. I imagine a world where students in Africa find the cure for HIV/AIDS, a world in which girls in the Middle East are empowered to be working and career holders just as the men, a world in which a Guyanese man can visit the moon, a world in which we can all strive to make dreams reality. I imagine all of this through the powerful tool of education.

William Allin’s quote summed up my entire take on this topic. He said, “Education is not the answer to the question, Education is the means to answer all the questions.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Big party affair expected

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– as key players in local groups being absorbed in run-up to LGEs

Team Legacy representative Malcolm Ferreira

By Svetlana Marshall TEAM Legacy and the Bar-

tica Independent Green Alliance (BIGA) were among civil groups that created

quite a stir during the runup to the 2016 Local Government Elections, but this time around their existence is in limbo as key players throw their support behind the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC).

BIGA, the brainchild of Holbert Knights, had challenged APNU+AFC and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) for a spot on the Bartica Mayor and Town Council when the Local Government Elections were held in March 2016. In fact, the group managed to secure a seat on the 18-Member Council and had pledged to remain a driving force in Bartica.

However, today the future of the group is uncertain. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday, Knights disclosed that he resigned as chairman of Bartica Independent Green Alliance last December to fulfil his mandate as the Event Coordinator of Bartica Easter Regatta, 2018.

“The resignation, it was not as a result of any ill will,” Knights assured, noting that it would have been difficult for him to coordinate the Bartica Easter Regatta and function effectively as chairman of BIGA. Added to that, follow-

ing serious consideration, Knights, a former Region Seven chairman, said he has taken a decision to “throw” his support behind the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) of which he is a member.

Back in 2016, Knights was among those who expressed the view that local government should be run by people on the ground. On

Tuesday, he said his belief has not changed.

“When you look at the people who are contesting on behalf of APNU, they are still local people, and I get the sense that based on what I heard from within the party itself, that there will be a lot more involvement of the local people on the ground in selecting the candidates for elections,” Knights ex-

plained.

IMPORTANT NOW The former BIGA chairman said the Local Government Elections can influence the General and Regional Elections come 2020, and it is important for all members and supporters of the APNU+AFC to rally around the coalition at this time.

TURN TO PAGE 16

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Big party affair...

FROM PAGE 15

“The coalition needs to appear as, more than ever before, as one massive cohesive force, in ensuring that we maintain and extend our victory… whatever results obtained in November could very well influence persons’ thinking towards what might be obtained in 2020, and we don’t want our people, our supporters, our campaigners to be turned off, or to feel despondent or discouraged, so to avoid all of that, we need to ensure that there is a massive showing of unity, solidarity and strength come November,” he posited.

Juretha Fernandes, who sits on the Bartica Council as a BIGA councillor, will not be contesting the elections under that alliance. Fernandes told this newspaper that the AFC now has her full support.

According to her, BIGA is dysfunctional and will not be contesting the 2018 Local Government Elections.

She is now the AFC deputy campaign director.

Like Knights, Fernandes said her views have not changed. “I believe and I wholeheartedly push forward that local government is for local leadership and local individuals need to

shine and push forward their ideas at a local government level. Is that the belief of the Alliance For Change? Yes it is,” she said.

The AFC deputy campaign director assured that those elected to serve as AFC councillors would be given a chance to make decisions in the interest of the people and not based on political directives.

TEAM Legacy 2016 First-Past-The-Post candidate Michael Leonard, will also be supporting the AFC come November. Leonard told the Guyana Chronicle that he is not certain whether Team Legacy would be

Team Legacy member Michael Leonard

contesting the Local Government Elections, but confirmed that he will be working with the AFC this time around.

GOOD EXPERIENCE “The last time we had a good experience, especially being a brand new group trying to contest the elections but the support that we needed, the financial support, the infrastructural support just was a little tough to come by,” he explained, noting that independent groups do not have the required financial support to campaign effectively.

He said that he still believes that local government should be about local groups.

“I don’t think that the Alliance For Change is against that, because the

AFC Deputy Campaign Director Juretha Fernandes

Alliance For Change has said that even if you are an independent candidate, you can run with us,” Leonard said.

Team Legacy Malcolm Ferreira, though disclosing that he will not be seeking re-election within his Constituency #10 (Albouystown/Charlestown), said he has not given serious consideration about which group or party he would support when elections are held.

On popular social media platform – Facebook – Ferreira said: “After careful consideration and open discussions with my family, well-wishers and supporters, it is with a heavy heart, I announce to you that I will not be seeking re-election as an independent candidate in the Local Government Elections 2018.

“I was born and raised

Founder of BIGA, Holbert Knights

in Albouystown and I currently reside in Charlestown and l assure you, there is no bigger honour that I’ve experienced, than the one that was given to me by the residents of Constituency #10 to be their voice and representative at the local government level.”

After serving on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council for two and a half years, Ferreira believes that someone else should be given the opportunity to represent Constituency #10.

“I am forever grateful to those who voted for me and gave me the opportunity of representing them and Constituency 10 at the Mayor and City Council,” he said.

Team Legacy had contested in constituencies six, nine, 10, 11, 12 and14, in the municipality of Georgetown.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Bandits escape with millions after Eid-ul-Adha messages attacking Real Value Supermarket PPP: Eid-ul-Adha demonstrates generosity, morality and love for others

Persons standing outside of the supermarket

BANDITS escaped with millions of dollars in cash and other valuables when they attacked and robbed the Real Value Supermarket, Church Street, around 05:00hrs on Tuesday morning.

In the robbery, which lasted for more than one hour, a Chinese family who operates the Real Value Supermarket was robbed of a large sum of local and foreign currency, jewellery and had groceries from their supermarket carted off. The bandits reportedly showed up with two cars and parked one in the middle of the

road, thereby preventing traffic from traversing west between Camp Street and Thomas Street on Church Street.

The bandits, who gained entry to the supermarket by cutting their way through a sheet of zinc, also made off with a licensed firearm belonging to the owner of the supermarket. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday morning, owner of the establishment Jun Wang, also known as `Jason’, indicated that when he reviewed the CCTV footage he noticed that the men were outside of the store for more

than half an hour before they entered the premises.

He said that a manager contacted the police to respond to the crime, but that was after the men had left. The police, however, arrived after the manager who came from one extreme of the city and they also came after the arrival of a private security service. The bandits managed to cart off some US$30,000, $G7M, $G2,000,000(two million)in gold, five iPhones and one laptop, along with a large amount of groceries from the supermarket.

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends greetings to the Muslim communities both here in Guyana and in the diaspora on the sacred occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

It reminds of the willingness to selflessly make sacrifices in obedience to God with a pertinent message for the spiritual upliftment of all mankind.

Eid-ul-Adha comes during the Hajj; an annual Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca.

It is a journey that embodies sacrifices in the quest to fulfil religious obligations

and promotes an important tenet of Islam which reflects in the equality of all mankind.

The observance of Eidul-Adha demonstrates generosity, morality and love for others. In a multifaceted society such as Guyana, these attributes have proven to be invaluable in strengthening bonds among our people and to forge better understanding and appreciation of our cultures. As our Muslim brothers and sisters celebrate this auspicious occasion, it once again brings into focus

the many sacrifices Guyanese have made over time for self-advancement and nation-building, with the common objective of a better life and future for all.

The PPP remains mindful of these sacrifices and urges all to remain hopeful, drawing upon their engrained resilience and resoluteness. The party also urges that the message and significance of Eid-ul-Adha be foremost in the minds of all so that hope can flourish.

Eid Mubarak!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

“We ain’t want a clash, we want the cash,” …GTU tells Linden teachers during outreach

By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) on Tuesday agreed with President David Granger that there should be no confrontation in their ongoing struggle for a 40% increase in salaries for teachers, insisting that” we ain’t want a clash, we want the cash.”

On the sideline of a commemorative ceremony for the 1823 Demerara Revolt at the Demerara Revolt Monument

know that the teachers have some rights, but we know government also has some obligations.”

Asked whether the government intends to put a new proposal on the table in light of the pending nationwide industrial action, President Granger said the government’s proposals were announced by the Education Minister following meetings with the Finance Minister Winston Jordan. Those proposals, he emphasised, are

ing held on Tuesday at LICHAS Hall and pledged to fully support the strike action which will commence on Monday.

In fact, the teachers said that to send a strong message to the Ministry of Education they will be commencing that strike with a march in front of the Department of Education building in Linden.

The teachers were very vocal during the two-hour-long meeting and expressed their dissatisfaction, with the gov-

Linden teachers pledge their support for the strike on Monday, President Granger told reporters that the Education Minister is working towards an agreement with the teachers. “We don’t want a confrontation; we don’t want a clash. We value the services of teachers,” he said, when approached by the Guyana Chronicle, and posited that while a high-level committee was established to find a solution, that solution has not yet been found, but his government is not giving up.

The high-level committee was put together last November to address salary negotiations and other issues affecting teachers. The matters to be addressed included non-salary issues, allowances, de-bunching and matters highlighted during the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the education sector, in addition to the GTU Multi-Year Agreement. “We haven’t found a solution,” President Granger said, adding: “We are continuing to work for a solution; we are not aiming to have a confrontation. We

still under consideration. The President said the GTU was urged to consider the obligations of the government to other sectors of the economy in making its demands, as he pointed to the $32B which was pumped into the sugar industry and other initiatives taken to solve the problems it inherited from the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration.

“I think that some of the demands are justifiable, and we provided the funds, which could, in our estimation, provide relief to the teachers,” President Granger said, adding: “Don’t forget that over the last three years, the salaries of the lowest paid teachers have increased by 50 per cent, so the teachers weren’t excluded; they weren’t ignored; they weren’t omitted.”

40% OR NOTHING Meanwhile, over 300 teachers residing in Linden turned up to the GTU meet-

ernment’s counter proposal to what GTU had presented.

The teachers unanimously agreed that the union should not negotiate below 40%, citing their many financial struggles to make ends meet.

Executive members of the GTU reiterated throughout the meeting, that the battle is not a political one, but a bread-and-butter one. GTU President Mark Lyte posited that it is time teachers stand up for their respect, since he sees the government’s offer as disrespect and an insult to every teacher in Guyana.

“I am saying to you, enough is enough,” he said to loud applause. “I call on every teacher to join forces with the Guyana Teacher’s Union, because united we stand, divided we fall.”

Lyte called on the teachers to not show up for any pre-term activity come Monday and after one week of the commencement of the school term, if no positive See page 19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

“We ain’t want ...

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From page 18

response has been received from the government, then additional forms of industrial action will be taken to send an even stronger message to the administration.

He said that the GTU does not intend to have a nasty clash with the government, but wants the government to understand their situation and to understand the struggles teachers face in trying to afford a decent life.

“We ain’t want a clash, we want the cash,” Lyte said.

NOT AFRAID Several teachers said that they are not afraid of the government’s emergency plan to hire temporary teachers and are prepared to make the sacrifice of not having their salaries, until a proper answer is brought to the bargaining table.

Lyte said that he cannot promise strike relief, but the GTU is taking into consideration that teachers have commitments, which were also stressed by some teachers as a concern. “What will happen to the teachers who have banks to pay and who have Courts to pay?” one teacher asked on behalf of her colleagues.

Lyte said that he is aware of the situation and is asking for some sacrifices to be made, if salaries are being cut. “Strike should not be only about money, but we are setting a platform for our children and our children’s children.” He said that the GTU’s dues cannot sustain strike relief payments, since it is used for many reasons such as payment of several affiliation fees, staff

and buildings to maintain, death benefits, bursaries and scholarships amongst other commitments.

He said that he contacted a lawyer seeking advice and was told that it is a worker’s right to strike and therefore they should not be punished for carrying out their constitutional right.

An injunction will be filed against the government by the GTU, if salaries are cut.

POOR WORKING CONDITIONS Citing Minister of Education Nicolette Henry’s position on improved performance, the Linden teachers said that they cannot produce better results in the conditions that they are working under.

Mackenzie High School teacher Vanessa Kissoon said that the minister should visit the classrooms in which the teachers have to work in. “We are teaching under some conditions that are not conducive to learning; they want you to produce and they are not giving you the resources to produce,” Kissoon said to loud applause.

Other concerns that were brought to the fore include meal allowance, class sizes, increase in the uniform allowance and risk allowance.

The GTU is undergoing several outreaches across the country to sensitise teachers on the strike action. Lyte, following the last meeting with the Education Ministry, told reporters that its proposed salary increases for teachers are extremely important, stressing that teachers cannot survive on the salaries they are receiving.

The GTU has proposed an across-the-board increase in salary of 40% for 2016; 45% in 2017; and 50% in 2018, 2019 and 2020 be granted to all categories of teachers and teacher educators for the years 2016-2020.

The Ministry of Education has allocated $700M to facilitate salary increases for teachers, in addition to $200 million to address de-bunching for the year 2018

Linden teachers holding hands in an expression of oneness, as they prepare for strike action

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Ambassador Majeed meets Region Three Chamber on Havana Trade Fair

GUYANA’S Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, met with the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Chamber of Commerce on Monday to discuss participation in the upcoming multi-sectoral trade fair in Cuba, to be held from October 29th to November 2nd, at Expo-Cuba Exhibition site.

Ambassador Majeed noted that the Guyana Embassy in Havana has already begun planning for the Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV) and the Cuban Chamber of Commerce

has already sent Official Invitations to Go-Invest, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, the Guyana Private Sector Commission, and the Region Three Chamber of Commerce through the Guyana Embassy in Cuba.

The envoy noted that the Guyana Embassy has also contacted a number of Guyanese companies with the objective of getting them to take part in FIHAV 2018. He said Guyanese had participated in FIHAV 2016 and FIHAV 2017 with great success.

M e a n w h i l e , P r e s ident of the Region Three

Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed (third from right) and President of the Region Three Chamber Halim Khan (fourth from left) with other commerce officials at the meeting on Monday.

Chamber, Halim Khan proposed government assistance in the form of airfare to Cuba for participants or assisting with the taxes to be paid on the tickets, since airfares are not cheap.

“If it was not for the Region Three commerce participation last year, Guyana would not have had a booth or representatives to showcase its products,” Khan noted.

He explained that discussions also surrounded trade with Guyana, Cuba, Central and Latin American countries. Further, the Chamber's President said he will work with Ambassador Majeed to ensure Guyana’s products are well marketed along with Cuba’s assistance to market tourism and agriculture in Region Three.

“Most farmers don’t want their children to

become farmers, but they want them to be doctors or other professionals and one way to boost agriculture is to offer incentives to Cubans who want to be in the field of agriculture, they can be given the lands to work for a stipulated time and apply for residency if it is deemed they have the potential to grow and expand,” Khan noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

IAC: Ensure Guyana remains peaceful, prosperous THE Indian Action Committee (IAC) wishes to extend greetings to all Guyanese citizens, especially those who are adherents of Islam, on the sacred occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, a national holiday.

The IAC recognises that Eid–ul–Adha is a time for believers to learn the value of self-denial by making a sacrifice of the things they love, to Almighty God. The IAC understands that Prophet Ibrahim’s great act of submission is thus regarded solely as an example of genuine surrender to the will of his creator.

The IAC feels that today, more than ever, human beings need to incorporate the lesson of this great sacrifice with humility, thus underlining the importance of the festival in memory of Prophet Ibrahim’s great act of faith, many centuries ago.

The IAC exhorts everyone in the spirit of self-sacrifice to not forget the poor and needy in our community, by sharing the sacrificial offerings with them. The IAC sincerely hopes that this holy observance can bring people of different religious, ethnic and social backgrounds together in a spirit of national unity. The IAC understands also that the festival of Eid-ul-Adha falls on the third day of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which is made by millions of Muslims every year.

The IAC congratulates our brothers and sisters from home, who have undertaken this journey and extend good wishes for their safe return. The IAC calls upon all Guyanese to ensure that this country remains a peaceful one and in the future, a prosperous nation.

Eid Mubarak from the IAC.

CIOG: Eid-ul-Adha – a festival of sacrifice EID-ul-ADHA is a major religious festival for Muslims and a spiritual institution meant to be observed with a perfect spiritual attitude.

Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice and is so named because of the sacrifice of animals by Muslims on this day. It is compulsory on every Muslim who possesses the means to sacrifice an animal, such as a sheep or goat; seven persons can take shares in a cow, or camel. The meat would then be divided into three equal parts to be distributed to others. The family eats one third, another third is given to other relatives, friends or neighbours, and the other third is given to the poor as a gift.

Eid-ul-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from the Quran.[2] Like Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khu?ba) after sunrise.

Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th month (Dhul Hijja) of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days and are one of the rituals of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide.

The annual sacrifice in Islam is not an end in itself, but only a means towards an end. It is the external symbol of an internal dedication. As an institution commemorative of Abraham’s sacrifice, its function is not propitiative but creative -- creative of an avenue through which divine light enters to strengthen us in the ideal of sacrifice.

Prophet Abraham (A.S.) virtually sacrificed his beloved son Ishmael to seek the pleasure of God and his act forms a landmark in the history of religion. We commemorate that great act on the day of Eid-ul- Adha and we affiliate ourselves spiritually with it by performing animal sacrifice.

This spiritual affiliation signifies dedication to the ideal sacrifice in life, which is renewed every year. On this point, God Almighty in the final revelations 22:36-37 said, “It is not the meat or the blood that reaches God, it is your piety that reaches Him.” The animal sacrifice is an act of Ibaadah -- an expression of gratitude.

As the Muslim nation invokes the tradition of Prophet Abraham (A.S.), the friend of Allah and leader of mankind on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, let us be fully conscious of what it actually undertakes to do so. Those who make a solemn resolve to follow his footsteps should know that his path is strewn with a series of tests and trials that one with unflinching faith alone can face.

A renewal of the supreme spirit that inspired Prophet Abraham to surrender all that was dearest to him is as such a reward in itself. The measure of success in this lofty mission depends upon the degree and depth of one’s commitment. Eid Mubarak to the Muslim communities

Eid-ul-Adha messages Renew commitment to the ideals of this nation – President Granger

PRESIDENT David Granger has called on Guyanese to learn from the lessons of charity and compassion for our fellow man from Muslim brothers and sisters and work together for the development of the country.

He made the call in his Eid-ul-Adha message.

The full text of the message is below I extend greetings to all Guyanese, but especially to the Muslim community on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

We recall, at this time, the unshakeable faith of the Prophet Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his only son as

an act of obedience to God. The preparedness of the Holy Prophet to make the supreme sacrifice as proof of his total commitment to the teachings of Allah, is today observed in Guyana and all over the world with the sacrifice of an animal, which is divided among family members, friends and neighbours and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy.

This act of charity is an inspiration to all Guyanese and reminds us that it is only by the personal commitment of each citizen to the ideals of empathy and common purpose can our country develop into a nation characterised by

unity, harmony, prosperity and a sense of decency.

On this most sacred occasion, I call on all Guyanese to renew their commitment to the ideals and the spiritual foundation of this nation, as well as to the building of an inclusive political culture.

Guyanese, let us learn from the lessons of charity and compassion for our fellow man from our Muslim brothers and sisters and let us work together for the development of our country.

Eid Mubarak to all!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Eid-ul-Adha - A time to remember the importance of sacrifice EID-UL-ADHA is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of pilgrimage, known as Zulhijjah in Arabic. The Islamic month of Zulhijjah

begins with the sighting of the new moon and on the 10th day, Eid-ul-Adha is observed by Muslims in Guyana and worldwide

“Eid-ul-Adha is the day of sacrifice in which we commemorate one of the greatest acts of sacrifice ever done by a human being, and that is the

Animals being brought for sacrifice at the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Thomas Lands

sacrifice of Ibraheem (known as Abraham in English),” said Deputy Imaam of the Queenstown Masjid, Omar Haniff.

At the time, Omar was explaining to the Guyana Chronicle the significance of the observance.

He shared that as detailed in the Islamic holy text, the Qur’an, Ibraheem was asked

by God Almighty- Allah, to sacrifice his only son and he willingly submitted. Throughout his life, in fact, Ibraheem was called upon to sacrifice and in his old age when he was granted a son and this son was of age to help Ibraheem, Allah called upon Ibraheem to sacrifice his son.

But Ibraheem was faithful and obedient and was willing to sacrifice his son at the behest of his God. However, the deputy imaam related, as Ibraheem attempted to sacrifice his son, God took away the power of cutting from the blade and his son was replaced by a ram.

This was a test, where Ibraheem had to prove his unwavering faith and having passed this test, he earned the title of “friend of Allah.”

But not only must Ibraheem’s sacrifices be revered, they have also remained lessons which have transcended time and have become one of the tenets of Islam and a guiding pillar of the purpose of life. “In anything -- from education, wealth, anything you want to grow in -- you show me a great achievement and I will show you a long list of sacrifices,” Haniff posited.

The deputy imaam gave as examples, the students who recently wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and excelled. The students had worked long hours and sacrificed their time, just so that they could garner excellent grades.

And with this in mind, he explained: “The greatest achievement that we can make as human beings is righteousness -- to attain righteousness -- and Allah tells us in the Quran, we cannot attain righteousness until we

Omar Haniff, Deputy Imaam of the Queenstown Masjid

are willing to part with that which we love [and] until we are ready to spend.”

With righteousness as the greatest goal of human beings, the Imaam noted that the absence of this would lead to strife and the misuse of the resources provided by the Lord.

“Islam, as [with] all the religions, aims at developing the human being -- making you a better person,” Omar said and further explained that Islam is an action-oriented religion, and in so being, the greatest practical example of sacrifice is that of Ibraheem (Abraham), which all Muslims are encouraged to emulate. With Ibraheem’s sacrifice in mind, Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha in much grandeur, not because it is a jolly time where there is an abundance of meat, but because it represents the time of sacrifice.

The deputy imaam noted that the meat is a representation of the sacrifices that must be given up and it also signifies Muslims’ attempts to eradicate their vices. And with this sacrifice, comes the ushering in of benevolence, kindness and other good qualities and it is for that reason, the meat is divided into three portions. One-third is given to family, friends and neighbours; one-third to the poor and needy and the final onethird is used by the family.

Eid-ul-Adha is the second “Eid” festival in the Islamic year. The other, Eid-ul-Fitr, is observed at the end of Ramadan -- the auspicious month of fasting.

Eid Mubarak!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Malaysia PM expects China business boost

M

ALAYSIAN Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad hopes more Chinese companies will invest in his country and more business cooperation between the two countries will drive economic growth, he said during a speech to local entrepreneurs on Sunday in Beijing.

Mahathir said he holds a very positive attitude toward the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing that Malaysia will maintain a friendly and cooperative relationship with China, and welcome Chinese businesses to invest in the Southeast Asian nation. He said his new government will improve the efficiency of administrative approvals and introduce preferential policies for Chi-

nese enterprises that want to expand their presence in Malaysia.

Jack Ma, executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group, said it was Mahathir’s Multimedia Super Corridor, an initiative to transform Malaysia into a knowledge-based economy, that inspired him to create Alibaba about 20 years ago.

“Malaysia has become an important economic and trade partner of China. In the ever-expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation, both sides should join hands to enter the digital economy era, which is a great opportunity for enterprises from both countries,” Ma said.

Mahathir visited China seven times during his first tenure as prime minister

from 1981-2003. He kicked off his five-day official visit to China on Friday. On Saturday, the 93-year-old leader toured Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and told Ma that his country wants to explore ways to collaborate further with Alibaba. Chinese technology companies are expanding in Malaysia, bringing in such know-how as mobile payment systems and e-wallet services. In January, Alibaba Cloud, Alibaba’s

Malaysia’s Mahathir positive about Belt and Road initiative MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced on Sunday that he has a very positive attitude towards the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) and hopes that Malaysia will maintain a friendly and cooperative relationship with China.

He made the remarks during a speech to local entrepreneurs in Beijing, during which he welcomed the investment of Chinese businesses in the Southeast Asian nation.

Mahathir also said that his new government will improve the efficiency of administrative approvals and introduce preferential policies for Chinese enterprises that want to expand their presence in Malaysia. While giving an exclusive interview to Chinese news portal CGTN, the 93-year-old leader said that “China has made tremendous progress. It is now coming up with new technologies and new systems and this has improved the wealth and economic performance of China. We’d like to learn something about that so that we can prosper our own

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad country.”

He also spoke highly of Jack Ma, the founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, whom he met in Hangzhou on Saturday.

The prime minister believes that Ma’s ideas have contributed a great deal to business, with smaller industries in particular benefitting from his expertise.

Further, he expects Malaysia’s small and medium-sized enterprises to take advantage of Alibaba’s strategy of developing Malaysia’s digital economy.

cloud computing arm, joined up with government-owned Malaysia Digital Economy Corp to create a smart city powered by artificial intelligence and big data. Last year, Alibaba launched its first Electronic World Trade Platform hub in Malaysia, aiming to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with the same infrastructure as larger companies to better conduct global trade.

Bilateral trade between China and Malaysia reached

$96 billion last year, a yearon-year increase of 10.5 percent. China’s cumulative direct investment in Malaysia amounted to around $5.1 billion by the end of 2017, according to the Ministry of Commerce. “Apart from traditional cooperation in infrastructure, Malaysia hopes to follow China’s rapid development in high-tech sectors such as e-commerce, artificial intelligence and big data, so as to upgrade traditional industries and enhance

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its innovation capacity,” said Zhou Fangye, a researcher of Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zhou said the shift will not only consolidate trade between the two countries, but also stimulate mutual investment in more sectors, including finance, science and technology, and agriculture.

China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for nine consecutive years. (China Daily)

Tai Chi gets popular in fast-paced New York

TAI chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that is often referred to as “moving meditation,” is getting popular in fast-paced New York City and neighboring areas.

“More and more people have been joining, not only Chinese or Asians, but also people from various races and cultural backgrounds,” said Sitan Chen, founder and chairman of Tai Chi Qigong Association of America (TCQAA), in an interview with Xinhua, on the sidelines of the 2018 Tai Chi & Health Qigong Festival held in Westbury, New York.

BENEFITS OF MIND-BODY PRACTICE Now in its seventh year, the Tai Chi festival featured various presentations, demonstrations and mini-classes joined by dozens of teams from the New York City metropolitan area.

Chen, a world Tai Chi champion who started his martial arts career at the age of six in China, initiated the event in 2011 with his wife, Xu Lin, also a Tai Chi master. The couple founded Sitan Tai Chi and Martial Arts in 2007 in New York to promote Tai Chi and provide a forum for those interested in the ancient sport.

Tai chi’s slow, graceful movements are accompanied by deep circular breathing. The movements work with what is called “qi” or life force, a type of “flow” that everyone has, according to Chinese culture. There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems.

This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life, said a research by Harvard Medical School.

ENTRY TO CHINESE CULTURE For 13-year-old Qifei Huang, Chinese martial arts meant a turning point to his interest and acceptance of Chinese culture. The boy grew up in

the United States, and started learning martial arts at the age of four. “I didn’t like learning Chinese,” Huang said.

“But martial arts gave me a chance to learn about the Chinese culture.” Being part of the U.S. youth martial arts team, Huang had the chance to exchange in China at fifth grade. “I couldn’t communicate in Chinese before going that,” Huang said, “But I could when I came back.”

Talking about his future, Huang said, “I want to be an actor. If I put martial arts and Chinese culture in movies, people will see how amazing it is. “Tai Chi is a shortcut to understanding the Chinese culture,” echoed Chen.

“It’s not simply a sport; the Chinese culture, philosophy, and humanitarian ideals are all imprinted in Tai Chi.” PERFECT WAY TO SLOW DOWN Tai Chi is considered a flexible, fluid and connected practice that combines ancient martial arts, Taoist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine.

More and more people in the world are chasing longevity, stress reduction and improved health through the mind-body practices. “Tai Chi is a sport that is relaxing and calming. It’s different than (normal) martial arts, which is very aggressive,” Huang said.

Jason Warshaw, who started practice of Tai Chi about four years ago, agreed. “I think the Western mind likes to do things quickly, and then you realize that, maybe you could go a little slower. They will start to appreciate the process,” he said. “We all hope for peace, where does peace come from? It doesn’t come from fighting, it comes from inner peace,” Fang said.

“It’s about harmony between man and nature.

Our motions might be slow, but we arrive at our destination fast. Through this calmness, we find the true direction of life. Otherwise no matter how busy we are, it’s all for nothing.” (Xinhua)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Telecoms liberalisation closer … GTT says unintimidated by competition

By Lisa Hamilton

THE Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Ltd (GTT) is ready to negotiate with the government on the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector and is unintimidated by the possible competition new players will bring to the market.

GTT has had a monopoly in the sector for some 20 years, but Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd, at a press conference at Herdmanston Lodge on Tuesday, said that liberalisation is now “closer than ever.”

However, when asked what has held up the process, Nedd abstained from going into much detail, but said

that GTT is doing its part by working along with the government and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to facilitate the process. “The last sit-down we had with the government a few years ago was productive. We’ve since exchanged a number of documents and papers and so, we’re ready. In fact, with our great relationship

with the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, I think we’re closer than ever,” he said.

When pressed further for a time frame, he added: “I think I’d be foolhardy to give a time frame, because we’re just one party to the negotiations and I think that would be a better question for the Ministry of Public Telecommunication...they have their teams in place but, I want to say, sometimes things take time…we’re ready to sit with

the government any time and we’ll continue to provide them with the documents they request.”

The CEO said further that just last week, a tranche of documents was handed over to the ministry by GTT, which suggests that the process is still ongoing.

GTT provides landline, internet and international long-distance services, but Nedd says that although the company has exclusivity to these “on paper”, it is not the only provider of these services, save for landline connections.

This is what he used to justify that the company remains unbothered about the coming of liberalisation and the competition it will bring.

“We operate in a competitive space already. What liberalisation will do, in my belief, is level the playing field where we all either pay 45 percent taxes and adhere by the same regulatory rules and I like our chances,” he said, later, adding: “So in the space of liberalisation I would say, in practical terms, it’s already here and we’re operating in that space already, so am I concerned? Not particularly.

We operate like that and we have a sense of urgency already.”

GTT’s competition, DIGICEL, has also expressed its excitement about

Justin Nedd,Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT), (Delano Williams photo) the future after liberalisation and its CEO in 2016 stated that with the sector being open to fair competition, all parties will benefit.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, has committed to the full liberalisation of the country’s telecommunications sector by this yearend, prior to which she says several issues, including tax issues, would have to be addressed.

Meanwhile, GTT’s contract with the government dates back to 1991, while 2017 saw Cabinet’s approval for the establishment of the Guyana Telecommunications Agency and the commencement of the Telecommunications Act, 2016.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Eid-ul-Adha messages In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak!

As Salamualaikumwarahmatullah MY brothers and sisters in Islam and humanity, I extend to you on behalf of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, Eid Mubarak greetings. I pray that Allah blesses us and accepts from us our devotion and service. Ameen.

The Qurbani or sacrifice finds us this year in anticipation of our economic potential which can also lead to many trials and challenges. We ask Allah to bless those who lead us and bless those who assist and guide us all on His way.

Muslims must consider what the will of our Lord is in our lives and we must be true to our faith, regardless of how difficult or painful it may be.

For that is true devotion and that is what our Lord requires from us.

In fact, it is that very spirit of devotion that we now remember and celebrate with Qurbani. Consider the words of Prophet AbrahamAlayhis-Salaam, whom we remember with Qurbani. He said: “I turn my face to the One who has created the heavens and the earth devoutly and I am not one of the idolaters. Truly my prayers, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah alone, no other deity is there with Him. So I am command and I am of those who submit.”

The beauty and power of these words repeated by millions over the sacrificial animals on Eid day make sacred the blood that flows from the slaughter. And the message that life itself is secondary to devotion and worship is upheld for all mankind to witness. It is a sign of Allah’s Grace that the Muslims are the only nation who uphold this message in an age of Godlessness and false humanistic religion, where the prophetic values are constantly sacrificed at the altar of lust and materialism.

Even in our nation Guyana, we see evidence of this abandonment of the prophetic tradition. Pressure is being applied in subtle ways to impose on our people all sorts of sexual vices, despite our various scriptures. Corruption, dishonesty, violence and mayhem seem to be a way of life, so much so that the process of nation-building is despoiled. Are we as a nation so deranged that we must perpet-

ually live in fear of ourselves?

In this context, we need to ask what our faith requires of us.

We need to be true to Allah if we are to be grateful for the Grace He has bestowed upon us with Qurbani.

In this regard, it is my sincere advice to myself and all of you respected brothers and sisters that we return to Allah alone and leave behind as Prophet Abraham Alayhis-Salaam did all false gods, whether they be made of stones or paper or racial prejudice or lust. We must uphold justice and the law at all costs and speak out for what is right according to the standard of revelation and piety, even if doing so means speaking out against ourselves. Beyond that, we must also demand the truth and uprightness from ourselves, those close to us, our leaders and people in general. And we must refuse to accept lies, suspicion and corruption, even if doing so is against our material interest or that of those who are close to us.

But all the foregoing as good as it sounds is not easily attained, in fact, it is impossible to attain without true devotion to Allah. So if we have been lacking in that devotion then, I remind myself and all of you that we must first repent and resolve firmly as we offer our sacrifice to abandon the vices that assail us. We must seek Allah’s forgiveness and ask him for the strength to obey Him above all else.

If we do this and obey the prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in all our dealings, then when hardship visits we will have the faith to be involved and do what is right, regardless of the difficulty it may mean for us. Or at least if we are too weak to stay away and protect ourselves from the sins our own hands may bring forth. And in times of ease we will be able to share goodness and wholesomeness with our countrymen and invite to the way of the prophets, the way of eternal bliss in the pleasure of our Lord, Most High. And we ask Him for that!

Regards Shahabudeen Ahmad President CIOG

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Man charged for threat to kill minister

ANGER got the better of 49-year-old Nigel Reid when he appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, for behaving disorderly at the Office of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs when he did not get to see the minister.

Reid had to be escorted out of the courtroom on two occasions because of his disorderly behaviour in the courtroom before the chief magistrate came out to the bench.

The father of five is charged for behaving disorderly at the office at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, located at Lot 251Quamina Street, Georgetown.

He denied the charge while his attorney; Tiffany Jeffery, made an application for bail. Reid in vexation told the court that he went to the ministry to seek justice for his wife who was being abused but he did not get to meet the minister.

According to the facts read in court by Police Prosecutor, Corporal Vivian Adolph, on the day in question, Reid went to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs and inquired about the minister’s whereabouts.

The minister’s secretary told him that the minister was out, causing Reid to

lose his temper and he began behaving disorderly, using a series of expletives.

Reid was then escorted out of the building by security personnel. Hours later the secretary received

Nigel Reid a call allegedly from the accused, threatening to kill the minister.

Prosecutor Adolph said that the alleged death threats made by the defendant were currently being investigated.

With no objections raised, Reid was released on $10,000 bail with the condition that he stays away from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs.

The matter was transferred to the courtroom of Magistrate Dylon Bess for August 27.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Police checking on quantum of gold stolen FOLLOWING the ongoing investigation of an armed robbery committed on a mining camp at Takutu Backdam, Puruni River, three persons, including a woman

while being armed with cutlasses and a gun, they robbed Joseph DaSliva of three magic mats valued $30,000. The trio, all residents of Bartica, was represented by attorney-at-law, Trenton Lake.

The matter is being prosecuted by Inspector Gordon Mansfield, who told the court that Barclay, when arrested, took the police to the area where

Joanna McKenzie

Shemroy Barclay

Georgenio Taramen on Tuesday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, charged with robbery under arms.

Joanna McKenzie, 32; Georgenio Taraman, 33 and Shemroy Barclay, 34,pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on August 17, 2018,

the gun was hidden. He also confessed and told the police how the two other defendants were involved.

Mansfield added that there is an ongoing police investigation into the gold which was stolen from DaSliva, since the officers were yet to determine the quantum of gold lost.

The trio was placed on $200,000 bail each and the matter was adjourned until September 12, when the case will be recalled at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Bolt trains with Mariners

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt eased into his first training session with Australia’s Central Coast Mariners yesterday and said he was ready to prove the doubters wrong by winning a professional football contract.

Monitored by a big media pack, Bolt, who turned 32 yesterday, emerged at Central Coast stadium with his prospective team mates, flashing a big grin as he kicked the ball around during a light session in the sleepy seaside town of Gosford.

The eight-time Olympic gold medallist has been given an open-ended trial with the Mariners, who finished bottom of the 10-team A-league last season and operate in one of the country’s smallest soccer markets.

There is plenty of doubt as to whether the fastest man on earth can reinvent himself as a top-flight footballer, and there was little to suggest from the closed session that Bolt would make the transition.

The Jamaican showed a heavy touch at times through about 45 minutes of drills, and was excluded from the main group as they played a halfpitch, eight-a-side match.

He rarely strayed from using his preferred left foot and spent the latter part of the session doing stretching exercises.

It will be one step at a time, said Bolt, sporting a black beanie and a goatee at his first media conference.

“For me it’s just like track and field,” he told reporters.

“The first day of training is always the roughest one. You can tell how much work you need to put in, what you need to do.

“It felt OK, I know it’s going to take time and work and I’m ready to work.”

The Mariners’ tie-up with Bolt has proved polarising in

Australia, with critics dismissing it as a publicity stunt to boost the profile of a team that has failed to make the playoffs for the last four seasons.

NO GIMMICK Bolt, who retired from athletics at the world championships in London last year, has already trained with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Norway’s Stromsgodset.

“I’m here. For me, people are always going to say what they want to say,” he said.

“Just like when I was in track and field, people said a lot of things about me but I always proved them wrong. So, It’s just another moment for me to prove people wrong.”

The Mariners have said Bolt will have as much time as he needs to prove himself.

Coach Mike Mulvey described Bolt’s session as “just the first day” but said the sprinter could be ready for a proper practice match on August 31 against a representative side made up of top local amateurs.

Mulvey rejected the view that Bolt’s trial was a gimmick and could prove a distraction to his squad.

“This guy is a winner. How many gold medals you won?” he asked Bolt sitting next to him.

“Eight gold medals in the Olympics. You don’t do that just by having great ability, you do it by having great mental capacity.

“Now if he can pass on a little bit of that to my players, who were coming from the cellar to try to get to the top, this could be great for any of our young lads that we’ve signed.”

Bolt said he had put his hand up for a wing or central forward role, and pledged to perform his signature ‘lightning’ gesture if he scored a goal in the A-league.

“I look forward to scoring as many goals, and to bringing home the trophy,” he said.

Baksh praises region’s readiness ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Preparations for the eagerly anticipated ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup are on schedule as the region prepares to host the event in November.

Fawaz Baksh, Head of Operations for the event, expressed satisfaction following a recent visit to all three venues by officials from the tournament secretariat, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI).

He was also full of praise for the governments and cricket boards of the three territories which will be hosting matches for the November 9-24 marquee event.

“We had a series of visits and meetings in all three countries and we are pleased with the way preparations are coming along,” Baksh said.

“We are just a few months away from the start of the tournament and the excitement is building with the ‘Watch This’ campaign up and running and the giant bat visible on the streets.

“We looked closely at the match venues and the

training venues and we are quite happy with the progress.

We are confident that we will have excellent facilities for the tournament. We also examined the pitches and the outfields and a lot of work is being done. We expect high scoring matches.”

He added: “Special thanks to the governments and the territorial boards for their work so far to make sure things are running smoothly. We have received great cooperation from everyone so far and we are moving steadily ahead to hosting the event in this region.”

This will be the first stand-alone Women’s World T20 and the first global cricket event in the region since 2010. Matches will be played at the Guyana National Stadium, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.

The tournament will feature the best 10 teams in the world, with defending

Turn to page 39

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Stars slump to crushing seven-wicket defeat against Patriots ST Lucia Stars crashed to a humiliating seven-wicket defeat last night to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots after collapsing to 69 all out inside 13 overs at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

It was a dispiriting effort from a Stars side that had just ended their two-year wait for a Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) victory and had been in such good form with the bat.

Pacer Sheldon Cottrell bagged three for 14.

Their two previous home games at Gros Islet had produced totals of 212/2 and a Hero CPL record 226/6, making last night’s capitulation to the third lowest score in Hero CPL history all the more disappointing.

Teenaged all-rounder Qais Ahmad was the only man to offer serious resistance with a battling 24 as wickets tumbled all around him, with Sheldon Cottrell, Mahmudullah and Sandeep Lamichhane the chief destroyers for the Patriots.

Cottrell started and finished the demolition. Having been hit for six by Andre Fletcher from the first ball of the night, Cottrell had his revenge with a simple caughtand-bowled from the fourth.

He wrapped the innings up just 71 balls later as Obed McCoy edged through to wicket-keeper Devon Thomas – who played his part with two stumpings and two catches to equal Kumar Sangakkara’s Hero CPL record for most wicket-keeping dismissals in a game, and then added 38 not out in the simple run-chase.

In between those two wickets, Cottrell also netted the big fish as the Stars captain Kieron Pollard failed to read a slower ball and only succeeded in poking it to cover.

By then the Stars were already in desperate trouble at 24/4, Rahkeem Cornwall and Lendl Simmons having both fallen to off-spinner Mahmudullah, who bagged 2/20 from four overs off the reel with the new ball.

When Australia superstar David Warner fell to the irrepressible Sandeep Lamichhane for 14 and Ben Cutting removed Daren Sammy at the ground that bears his name for a threeball duck there was no way back for the Stars.

Kavem Hodge also departed without scoring after edging Cutting through to Thomas. Qais Ahmad bludgeoned a couple of defiant sixes before he fell to Lamichhane and from there the end was swift.

Mitchell McClenaghan was run out after a horrible mix-up with Kesrick Williams before Cottrell applied the finishing touch.

So one-sided was the contest that the Patriots had the luxury of giving Chris Gayle the innings off to rest a thumb injury he suffered last time out against Jamaica Tallawahs.

Evin Lewis and Thomas opened the innings and, with pressure off and attacking fields, set about reducing the already meagre target.

Thomas smashed three fours from the second over, bowled by McCoy, before Lewis took McClenaghan for 10 runs in two but then perished splicing a short ball to Warner at mid-on.

It was a missed opportunity for Lewis to find some form with the pressure off – his 13 here still quadrupled his tally after a run of four runs in his last five T20 innings for Windies and the Patriots.

That was a minor blemish for the Patriots, as were the loss of Brandon King for an 11-ball 17 and a slightly farcical run out for Tom Cooper, dismissed for nought with just three runs needed for victory as he and Thomas found themselves both racing for the bowler’s end as keeper Fletcher removed the bails at the other.

Thomas was still there at the end, though, stroking the winning run to end with 38 from 21 as the Patriots got over the line with a whopping 12.2 overs in hand.

(CPL website.)

Baksh praises region’s ...

Cont’d from page 38

champions West Indies headlining Group A along with Bangladesh, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Losing finalists in 2016, Australia, will be joined by India, Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan in Group B. The event kicks off at the Guyana National Stadium, starting with India and

New Zealand while Australia and Pakistan contest the second match, with the Windies rounding off the day playing Bangladesh under lights.

Group matches will also be hosted in St Lucia while Antigua will host both semi-finals on November 22 and the final on November 24.

Beckham to receive UEFA President’s Award

(REUTERS) - Former England captain David Beckham will be presented with the 2018 UEFA President’s Award, in recognition of his remarkable career and humanitarian efforts, the sport’s European governing body said yesterday.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin hailed Beckham as the “a true football icon of his generation” after selecting the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder to receive the award in Monaco later this year. “ T h e P re s i d e n t ’s Award recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal

qualities,” Ceferin said in a statement.

“I have chosen David Beckham as the recipient of this year’s award because he has been a global ambassador for football, promoting the game and all its values in every corner of the planet.

“His tireless humanitarian efforts, which have helped the lives of many children around the world, should also be celebrated.

Beckham is a true football icon of his generation.”

Beckham made 762 appearances for club and country, scoring 130 goals in a career spanning over 20 years.

He won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups

and a Champions League with his boyhood club United, before claiming the Spanish La Liga title with Real.

David Beckham

A stint at Los Angeles Galaxy along with two short loan spells at AC Milan followed, before he finished

his career with Paris St Germain in 2013.

Beckham will become only the third Englishman to receive the award after Bobby Robson (2002) and Bobby Charlton (2008).

It is an honour for me to receive the UEFA President’s Award,” Beckham said.

“During my career I always gave 100% and tried to uphold the values of teamwork and fair play and I am proud to join the illustrious list of players who have previously won this award.”

Beckham made 115 appearances for England, scoring 17 goals, and featured in three World Cups.

40

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

India on brink of victory after brilliant Bumrah halts Buttler on 106 ENGLAND scraped to a fifth day after Jasprit Bumrah and a new ball triggered their collapse to edge India towards victory in the third Test at Trent Bridge.

After a strong start from the tourists, who pounced to catch four edges before lunch,

a partnership of 169 between Ben Stokes (62) and Jos Buttler (106) - recording his first Test hundred - ate into India’s 520-run lead and threatened to bring England back into contention.

But with Stokes and Buttler moving up the order in

light of Jonny Bairstow’s fractured finger, the conclusion of their fifth-wicket stand soon brought the innings crashing down in Nottingham.

Bairstow went for a golden duck as a rampant spell of bowling saw Bumrah (5-85)

to the fore, fit again after missing the first two matches and thriving with the new ball after tea to move India to the brink.

Adil Rashid (30) and James Anderson (8) at least saw England take it to the final day, but India’s advantage stands at a daunting 209 runs heading into today, with just one home wicket remaining.

Requiring 498 runs to win at the start of play, England’s desired strong start was not forthcoming as Ishant Sharma (2-70) quickly mopped up openers Keaton Jennings (13) and Alastair Cook (17).

Captain Joe Root (13) and Ollie Pope (16) briefly regained a measure of composure at the

crease, but another pair of edges - to Bumrah and Mohammed Shami - resulted in their departures in quick succession, with Virat Kohli catching superbly from the latter.

England saw out the morning session without sustaining further damage as an outstretched Rishabh Pant dropped Buttler on one after a misstep, an error that would prove costly after lunch.

I n d i a ’s m o m e n t u m waned and Stokes survived an lbw review shortly before Buttler brought up his half-century and their much-needed partnership then reached three figures.

The batting pair kept chipping away and a slow Stokes 50 came as England passed 200 following tea, before Buttler ended his wait for a Test century with his 21st boundary of a brilliant knock.

But a new ball arrived after the 80th over of the innings and immediately

caused problems, with Buttler going lbw to Bumrah after a heave.

That dismissal forced the ailing Bairstow to belatedly take to the crease, but his finger was not troubled as Bumrah crashed into off stump first ball to give England’s innings a very different complexion.

Although Chris Woakes (4) was denied the hat-trick with a four, Bumrah soon got his man, and Stokes followed.

His 187-ball shift ended with a leading edge to KL Rahul at second slip off Hardik Pandya’s bowling.

A no-ball initially denied Bumrah his five-for and handed Rashid a let-off, but he delighted in removing Stuart Broad (20) as news broke that the England man would be fined for sending off Pant on day two, with the hosts then battling through to the close of play, delaying the seemingly inevitable. (Yahoo Sport)

SCOREBOARD

The second new ball duly brought India the breakthrough, as pacer Jasprit Bumrah delivered a sensational spell of pace and movement to end the day with 5 for 85. (©Getty Images)

Jos Buttler brought up his first Test hundred, getting to the mark in a blaze of boundaries (©Getty Images)

INDIA first innings 329 ENGLAND first innings 161 INDIA first innings 352 for 7 declared ENGLAND 2nd innings overnight 23-0 Alastair Cook c Lokesh Rahul b Ishant Sharma 17 Keaton Jennings c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma

13 Joe Root c Lokesh Rahul b Jasprit Bumrah 13 Ollie Pope c Virat Kohli b Mohammed Shami 16 Ben Stokes c Lokesh Rahul b Hardik Pandya 62 Jos Buttler lbw Jasprit Bumrah

106 Jonny Bairstow b Jasprit Bumrah

0 Chris Woakes c Rishabh Pant b Jasprit Bumrah 4 Adil Rashid not out

30 Stuart Broad c Lokesh Rahul b Jasprit Bumrah 20 James Anderson not out

8 Extras: b-2, lb-16, nb-4)

22 Total: (nine wkts, 102.0 overs)

311 Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-32, 3-62, 4-62, 5-231, 6-231, 7-241, 8-241 s, 9-291.

Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 29-8-85-5 (nb-2), Ishant Sharma 20-4-70-2 (nb-1) Ravichandran Ashwin 22-8-40-0, Mohammed Shami 18-3-76-1, Hardik Pandya 13-4–22-1 (nb-1).

Woods surprised by overwhelming fan support

(REUTERS) - Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods says the support he has received from the galleries this year shows how “appreciative” fans are of his latest comeback effort.

The 42-year-old underwent a fourth back surgery in April last year that caused him to question whether he would ever play competitive golf again.

But since his return to the sport in November, Woods has gradually played his way into form and looked close to his best when he finished second at this month’s PGA Championship.

“I think people are more appreciative,” Woods told reporters ahead of a practice round at Ridgewood Country Club yesterday. “They’ve all gone through it - when you get to your forties you’re feeling it.

“They know I’m at the tailend of my career. I don’t know

how many years I’ve got left but I’m certain I’m not like I was when I was 22. At 42, it’s a different ball game.”

Woods, who is eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time since 2013, will tee off tomorrow at the Northern Trust, the first of the four events.

Tiger Woods

He is undaunted by the prospect of having to play three consecutive tournaments for the first time in more than five years to qualify for the season-ending

Tour Championship.

“That’s a lot of golf (coming up),” he added. “It’s about pacing myself and making sure I don’t practise too much and don’t overdo it and making sure my training schedule goes well.

“One of the hardest things from this year is trying to find the right balance, but as the summer went on I’ve gotten better.”

Woods finished 11th in the U.S. standings, outside the eight players who qualified automatically for the U.S. Ryder Cup team after the PGA Championship, but is a strong contender to be named as one of Jim Furyk’s four captain’s picks.

The former world number one is on the team as a vice-captain, a role he filled at the 2016 Ryder Cup and 2017 Presidents Cup while out with his back injury.

41

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Escarraga wins Inaugural Hospitality (Marriott, Grand Coastal & Aracari Resort) golf tourney GUILLERMO Escarraga outdistanced the rest of the golfers last Saturday, as he took away the coveted first prize - Marriott Hotel gift voucher of 2-nights-fortwo - with a win that was completely unchallenged.

Playing in fine weather and with the course in pris-

Second prize was a gift voucher of 2-nights-for-two at the Grand Coastal Hotel; and third and fourth prizes were 1 night at the Aracari Resort. The Best Gross would also receive dinner for 2 at the Grand Coastal Hotel.

Meanwhile, president

to this year’s international Guyana Open of November 4, 5.

The three hotels are partnering with the Lusignan Golf Club so that guests at these hotels get special privileges and discounted rates for playing golf at the LGC. In fact, anyone coming

The winners pose with their vouchers. From left are Avinash Persaud, Patrick Prashad, Guillermo Escarraga, Patanjalee Persaud and Aleem Hussain.

tine condition, the golfers all had their eyes on the prizes of the Inaugural Hotel & Hospitality Tournament, sponsored by the Marriott Guyana Hotel, the Aracari Resort, and the Grand Coastal Hotel.

of the Lusignan Golf Club, Aleem Hussain, voiced that the timing of the Hotel and Hospitality Tournament was excellent, coming as a follow-up to the 2-day Lusignan Open of early August and acting as a precursor

from overseas to participate in the Guyana Open 2018 (GO2018) will receive special rates for staying at these Hotels.

For this year’s GO2018 Hussain expects representation from even more coun-

Mourinho gets Man United board’s backing

M

A N A G E R Jose Mourinho retains the full backing of Manchester United’s board despite Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat at Brighton.

The result and performance had attracted widespread criticism.

Mourinho is the favourite to be the next Premier

League boss to leave his job, with suggestions that former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is being considered as a potential replacement.

A United source said: “Why would we discuss Zidane when there is no job?”

Mourinho was disappointed by the failure to make more outfield signings during the summer trans-

fer window beyond Brazil midfielder Fred and teenage full-back Diogo Dalot, who is injured.

He wanted additional cover in central defence and an alternative to Anthony Martial out wide.

However, in both instances, the United board felt there was no worthwhile signing available.

(BBC Sport)

Serena Williams seeded 17th at U.S. Open (REUTERS) - Serena Williams has been seeded 17th at this year’s U.S. Open one place below her sister Venus, organisers said yesterday.

Serena, who finished runner-up at Wimbledon this year after losing to Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the final, is ranked 26th in the world, nine places below the seeding she has been awarded.

The current WTA rankings are the usual criteria to decide seeding in the women’s draw.

Williams, who has won the U.S. Open six times and will turn 37 next month, missed last year’s tournament because of pregnancy.

In June, United States Tennis Association president Katrina Adams said the U.S. Open would revise seedings to take into account the effect of pregnancy on the current rankings of players.

Adams’ comments came in the wake of widespread criticism of tennis officials after Serena was denied a seeding at this year’s French Open, her first grand slam af-

ter returning to the sport.

Romanian Simona Halep is the top seed in the women’s draw with defending champion Sloane Stephens at number three, ahead of Kerber, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2016.

Juan Martin del Porto in third.

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who heads to Flushing Meadows in arguably his best form since returning from a troublesome elbow injury, is seeded

Serena Williams of the U.S. in action at Wimbledon, London, Britain, July 14, 2018. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

There were no surprises on the men’s side with world number one and defending champion Rafael Nadal named top seed, ahead of Roger Federer and Argentine

sixth, a place below big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.

John Isner is the highest-seeded American in the men’s draw at number 11.

tries than ever before and welcomes any foreign golfer who would be in Guyana at the time of GO2018 to participate and represent his country, especially if it would be for the first time!

Among the participants of Saturday’s Hospitality Tournament, Guillermo

Escarraga 64/90, Patrick Prashad 73/85, Patanjalee Persaud 74/91 and Aleem Hussain 75/85 were the top Net performers. Avinash Persaud won the Best Gross with 78.

However, the jostle beyond 4th place indicated that it was not a walkover

for the winners. Four players turned in Net scores of 76 – Avinash Persaud (76/78), William Walker (76/85), Hilbert Shields (76/93) and Lekhnarine Shivraj (76/93) - while Brian Glasford returned 77 (/92) and Roy Cummings 78 (/91).

42

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Norman Sue Bakery 15-over finals

Sunshine thrash Better Hope, Good Success whip Carr Tec TORONTO, Canada — After going down to Dant the previous weekend in the Caribbean Sensation 10/10 final, Sunshine rebounded to inflict a resounding 95run victory over Better Hope when the Norman Sue Bakery (NSB)-sponsored 15-over softball tournament, organised by the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL), climaxed at the Ashtonbee ground, Scarborough here last Saturday.

bean Sensation by seven wickets on Ashtonbee Reservoir number one while GTA Storm carted off the Conference B consolation championship, whipping Smashers by 16 runs on number two.

Chasing a challenging 150 for victory, after Sunshine reached 149 for four in their allotted 15 overs, Better Hope never got their innings going and were left high and dry on 54 for eight when their 15 overs expired. The

from his three overs.

Earlier, openers Imran Ali and the consistent Hemnarine Chattergoon had given Sunshine an excellent start of 78 in just eight overs, setting the stage for an explosive knock towards the end by Looknauth Ramsuchit who spanked three sixes and a four in an unbeaten 27. Ali’s top-score of 45 contained four fours while Chattergoon struck two fours in his 27, both batsmen going via run-out.

Over at number two,

The winning Sunshine team and supporters pose with the sponsors.

While Sunshine were basking in glory on pitch number one in Conference A, Good Success were also crowned Conference B champions after recording a convincing 23-run win over Carr Tec on pitch number two.

The Conference A consolation final saw Rems registering their second consecutive title in as many weeks, thrashing Carib-

only batsman to offer token resistance was Avinash Singh with 21.

Skipper Anil Mahadeo was the chief destroyer with the commendable figures of three for six from three overs while Avinash Sookdeo claimed two for seven also from three. Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth had a remarkable spell of one wicket for one run

Good Success were indebted to a blistering 43 off 28 balls from Imran Khan and great support from Naveed Ali who blasted three sixes in his 31. The two featured in a fine third-wicket stand of 76 after Good Success were 19 for two in the third over.

Khan’s knock included four huge sixes and a four as his team reached 123 for five

NSC/GCF/Georgetown City Council to host Cycling Meet for 175th Anniversary

T

HE National Sports Commission and Racing secretary/ National cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, in collaboration with the

Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), will be hosting a special cycling programme on Friday in commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the City of George-

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday August 22, 2018) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD--83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) 9 times

(2) 35 Tests & 266 ODIs Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who is the first player to be dismissed ‘stumped’ in

Hero CPL 2018?

(2) Who is the first player to be dismissed ‘run out’ in Hero

CPL 2018?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

town.

Mohamed explained that the programme will be held at the inner circuit of the National Park and will be open to all participants of the ‘Teach Them Young’ programme.

While the event will not feature a senior race, it will see action across the Veterans in a 10-lap dash as well as the Juniors and Juveniles across the same distance, while the BMX riders will be bundled into two age groups, 6-9 and 9-12, competing in one and two laps respectively.

The mountain bikers will also be in action when they take to the starting line in the five-lap race.

in their allotted 15 overs. Lall ‘Dingo’ Singh and Shadeek Khan bagged two for 14 and 24 respectively.

Despite an attacking 41 (2x6, 2x4) from Rovendra Mandolall, Carr Tec were rolled over for 100 in 13.4 overs, having no answer to Ashok Ramjas, who ended with the amazing figures of five for 18 in his three overs. Naveed Ali crowned a fine all-round performance with two for 16.

In the Conference A con-

Led by a quick 26 (three sixes) from skipper Richard Dias, Rems raced to 60 for three in 11.4 overs to win easily.

Consistent knocks by Khemraj Dhanpaul 26 (2x6, 1x4), Lloyd Ruplall 25 (2x6, 2x4) and Sheldon Burnett 21 (2x6, 1x4) saw GTA Storm reaching 115 for six in their allotted 15 overs at Ashtonbee Reservoir number two.

Devon Ramnauth claimed three for 31 for Smashers.

Ramnauth then re-

cere thanks to the Sue family for their continued sponsorship of the tournament.

T h e M o s t Va l u a b l e Players (MVPs) were: Imran Ali (Sunshine), Avinash Singh (Better Hope), Ashok Ramjas (Good Success), Rovendra Mandolall (Carr Tec), Andy Persaud (Rems), Richard Driffield (Caribbean Sensation), Sheldon Burnett (GTA Storm) and Devon Ramnauth (Smashers).

It should be noted that

Conference B winners Good Success celebrate their victory.

solation match-up, Caribbean Sensation took first strike and were limited to a paltry 59 for nine in their 15 overs with opener Richard Driffied being the standout with 32, hitting a six and a four in the process. Shiv Lalchand (three for 10), the consistent Andy Persaud (three for 18) and Narendra Mandolall (two for seven) were the chief destroyers.

turned to slam two sixes and a four in a top score of 29 while Nazir Khan supported with 22 as Smashers could muster only 99 for eight when their 15 overs expired. Skipper Uniss Yusuf took two for five, Ramo Malone two for 22 and Burnett two for 27.

At the presentation ceremony, OSCL president Albert Ramcharran expressed sin-

this was Andy Persaud’s third consecutive MVP award, following brilliant bowling performances in the Damodar Daesrath-organised inter-county tournament and the Caribbean Sensation 10/10 final.

Apart from the winners’ and runners-up trophies, all the participating players were recipient of medals.

(Frederick Halley)

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43

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 22, 2018

BCB concludes Beharry/ Foster $1M balls project … 94 Clubs benefit over six months

BCB president Hilbert Foster, Anil Beharry and BCB secretary Robby Saywack pose with some club representatives.

ANOTHER 23 cricket clubs in the Ancient County of Berbice benefited from donation of cricket balls as the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) wrapped up the distribution of over $1.1M worth of white and red cricket balls to clubs in the Ancient County.

The donation was a direct result of the effort of former BCB president Anil Beharry who raised the necessary funds to purchase the balls for the BCB. The project was

the brainchild of current BCB president Hilbert Foster, who on his election had promised to assist every club in Berbice with at least one box of balls in 2018.

In April earlier this year, Foster launched the project with a donation of cricket balls to 22 clubs at the cost of $300 000. The final donation was done last Saturday at the Albion Sports Complex with eight clubs from Upper Corentyne, one from Lower Corentyne and 14 from West

Berbice benefiting. The Upper Corentyne Cricket Association also benefited from a box of cricket balls.

Foster, at the simple presentation was full of praises for his longtime friend Anil Beharry who worked beyond the call of duty to make the project a huge success.

Foster, proudly announced that it was the first time that any cricket board in Guyana has ever undertaken such a massive project and that many more similar ones would be

‘New School’ take over from ‘Old School’ in exhibition table tennis tournament

done in the future as great efforts are made to assist clubs to fulfil their mandate.

The project was launched after the BCB realised that most clubs would struggle financially to participate in the numerous tournaments organised by his Board. The BCB is racing against time and whether to complete a record 22 cricket tournaments at the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Female, Intermediate, Second Division, Internal Zone, Secondary

Schools, First Division and Double Wicket levels.

Meanwhile, Foster also revealed that the BCB would seek to assist clubs with white T-shirts in another project. The BCB president urged the clubs to get themselves properly organised, so that they can take advantage of the numerous opportunities being offered to them.

Beharry, who served as BCB president during 20162017 before resigning, stated that Berbice Cricket would always be close to his heart, despite now living in Georgetown due to work commitment. He stated that he was delighted to be of assistance to the Foster-led BCB because it was visionary, committed and enjoyed the confidence of almost every Berbician.

The veteran cricket administrator, who also served as the BCB treasurer for over a decade, stated that Berbice Cricket would have died a natural death if no new leadership was put in place.

Beharry praised the outstanding work of the BCB since its election in February earlier this year and pledged his future support as he strongly believes that sports is a safe avenue for youths to be involved in.

Among the clubs receiv-

ing balls were Blairmont, Achievers, D’Edward, Cotton Tree, Bush Lot United, Rising Star, Paradise, Bath, Rainbow Generation, Hopetown and Shieldstown.

Beharry expressed gratitude to Surelan Sawh, Brian Chunilall, Noreen Gaskin, Yasin Mohamed, Randall Patterson, Derrick Beharry, Yadram Bojh, Kalvin Sourah, Tribhowan Mohabir, Ian and Ryan Bhagwandin, Renrick Batson, Bobby and Pamela Kewlochand, R & M RebelsMathura, Gummel Mattai, Danny Somai, Faizal Jaffarally, Sharmila Muneshwar, Javed Raffik, Sean Devers, Bhim George, Jeffrey Somaroo, Jack Beharry, Vijai Dass, Leanna Bachan, Imran Saccoor, Alan Mangru, Rakesh Sooppersaud, Nazim Hussain, Owen Humphrey and Surendra Hiralall for their contributions to the project.

Meanwhile, the president has announced that one of the Board’s major sponsors, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, is so impressed with the BCB’s handling of his funds and sponsored programmes that he is willing to discuss funding over a three-year span.

T h e B C B p re s i d e n t would shortly submit a comprehensive proposal to Dr Singh for the period 2019 to 2021.

Panday looking to bigger things for KOTS 3

Kaysan Ninvalle (right) takes on an opponent in an exhibition match. (Delano Williams photo)

GUYANA’S ‘New School’ table tennis team duly dispatched their ‘old school’ counterparts 5-2, in a number of exhibition matches last Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

However, the main event of the evening saw former 14-time National champion Sydney Christophe of the old school team, defeat the current men’s National champion Christopher Franklyn 2-0.

Christophe, also a former Caribbean champion reminded the handful of fans present, of his table tennis prowess by taking the first set 11-4.

He continued that form in the second set, running rough shod over Franklyn to win

the set and the match 11-4.

New School’s Nigel Bryan took on Andy Anderson and defeated him 2-0.

Bryan, in the first set, led 5-3 before a late surge from Anderson forced his hand a bit. However, he held on to win 11-9 before his 11-6 victory in the second set.

The triumph of the younger generation, continued when the New School pair of Franklyn and Shemar Britton downed Christophe and Godfrey Munroe by a similar score-line in the doubles category 11-4, 11-7.

With the New School, 3 - 0 , o rg a n i s e r C h e l s e a Edghill continued her team’s winning ways after defeating Donald Duff.

Edghill after trailing in the first set 3-5 came from behind and won 11-8 and the second with an identical score after Duff again held a 7-3 lead.

Old School’s first win of the evening came through the efforts of Anderson who defeated Natalie Cummings 7-11, 11-4, 11-4 while Britton defeated Munroe 11-7, 12-14, 11-8.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s team who will participate in this year’s Caribbean Mini-Cadet and Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championship, set for the Dominican Republic from August 26 to 31, defeated a select Under-15 team, 4-1, in the earlier exhibition matches.

DEFENDING nine-second champion Raj Panday believes that records will tumble, come Sunday when the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) hosts its third installment of the King of the Strip meet.

The club has invested in the construction and installation of a launch-pad ahead of Sunday’s event and one competitor believes that records are going to tumble.

“It’s going to help us put down a lot more pow-

er while giving us more control. Overall, it will improve drag time and I expect the strip record to be crushed come next week Sunday,” he told the media.

Panday, who drives a Toyota Alteeza, was unstoppable as he picked up that title but has his eyes set on a bigger prize-- the team Mohamed’s GTRs He noted that he is also wary of the Toyota Caldina of Damian Persaud who copped the 10-seconds title

last time with the youngster expected to improver this time around.

The KOTS 3 will see competitors from Suriname and Guyana from 09:00hrs on Sunday. Admission to the venue will cost $1,000 for adults and $500 for children.

The sponsors for KOTS 3 include Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ansa McAl, B.M. Soat, ExxonMobil, Tropical Shipping, Del Ice Company, Japarts, Palm Court and Trans Pacific Auto Spares.

Jevon Rodrigues poses with players and GFF staff in Brazil.

THE Guyana Embassy in Brazil has been providing moral support to the players, management and staff of the Golden Jaguars who are currently on a historic ‘Train and Play’ Camp taking place in Rio de Janeiro.

Recently, the First Secretary Jevon Rodrigues, representing Guyana’s Ambassador George Talbot, travelled from the Brasilia-located Embassy

to Rio and spent two days interacting with players and staff.

At a simple function, Rodrigues conveyed the Ambassador’s best wishes to the team, informing them that Ambassador Talbot is an ardent Golden Jaguars fan and he wanted the team to be aware of that fact.

“This encampment is historic as it is happening in a

year when Guyana and Brazil are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. Events to celebrate this milestone would be taking place in Brazil and Guyana.

“I would like to wish the team and management, on behalf of Ambassador Talbot, the very best going forward and encourage you to be the best, work hard and the good results will follow.”

Rodrigues, a qualified former coach who once briefly served as the president for the West Demerara Football Association, also complimented the Guyana Football Federation for the initiative of having the camp in Brazil, which can only boost the sport in Guyana.

He also disclosed that an anniversary symposium would have already

been done at the University of Brasilia and Roraima while there would be an exchange of cultural troupes between the two neighbours.

“Later in the year we should issue some stamps to commemorate the event so I think a team coming here at this time is very significant. It may have taken us 50 years to bring a squad to

Brazil but I think our development is getting closer to the level that Brazil is.

“My word to the players is, remain committed, remain disciplined and doors will open for you. I am excited about the new management and coach.

The atmosphere is just positive and I really admire that. I know that we are going to go places.”

Baksh praises region’s readiness Bolt trains with for Women’s T20 World Cup Mariners, ready to See Page 38

See Page 38

‘prove people wrong’

West Indies Women will be defending their Twenty20 World Cup title.

Stars slump to crushing seven-wicket defeat against Patriots

See Page 39

Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt trains for the first time for the A-League football club Central Coast Mariners in Gosford yesterday. (Picture: AFP)

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018