Guyana chronicle e paper 09 22 2017

Sweeper/ cleaners finally regularised Page 8

GuySuCo gets $2B No. 105043

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

… for lands sold to CH&PA

Page 3

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes takes an early lead in a friendly race with pupils of Craig Primary School on Thursday (Adrian Narine photo)

40 Guyanese want to return home –– from hurricane ravaged countries, numbers expected to climb

Guyana signs Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Page 15

President David Granger

Telemedicine for 2018 rolls out Centre Page

Paaggee P 33

Price for high-quality HIV treatment slashed Page 5

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Air transportation support –– Britain provides aircraft to shuttle supplies to Hurricane-hit islands

By Rabindra Rooplall

A C-130 aircraft made available by Britain is in Barbados to assist Guyana in transporting 10 shipping containers of relief supplies to hurricane-affected islands Antigua, Sint Maarten, and the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

The containers are filled with food stuff, medical supplies and building materials, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said at his post-Cabinet media briefing at COI Room, Department of Public Service, Waterloo Street, Georgetown on Thursday.

Harmon said the containers would be taken to Antigua from where the supplies would be distributed via the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to the islands.

The minister of state said initially it was government’s intention to send supplies with a large ship provided by the local private sector but the aircraft made available by Britain will suffice.

“The conversations we are having with the British are that in the event that we require a second aircraft that we can call upon them. That is why the aircraft have been station in the region, specifically for this purpose,” Harmon explained.

Guyana has doubled its contribution in relief for Caribbean territories affect-

ed by Hurricane Irma from US$50,000 to US$100,000.

Minister Harmon said the Guyana Government will be assisting with bringing the body of Derrick Ragnauth and two family members of the BVI for his funeral here in Guyana.

Other than Ragnauth, Harmon said there have been no other reports of Guyanese deaths as a result of the hurricane.

He said the government has established a Ministerial Task Force headed by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

That body has responsibility of coordinating national effort in offering humanitarian aid and solidarity to the affected Caribbean islands.

Hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria have virtually flattened St Maarten, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Dominica.

Some 7,000 Guyanese reside in St Marten, 1,500 in the BVI and 8,500 in Antigua and Bermuda.

Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, who also spoke at the press briefing, said he will be in contact with the respective honorary councils in order to keep abreast with the well-being of affected Guyanese.

Following his arrival in Antigua recently, Minister Felix travelled to Tortola, in the BVI, where he met with some of the Guyanese

nationals affected by Hurricane Irma.

CHILDREN “These Guyanese did not express any urge to return to Guyana but they wanted their children to return.

That is one situation we have to manage because unaccompanied children on travel is never advisable and we recommend all children, especially those under 12 be accompanied by an adult,” Minister Felix said.

He explained that he and team did not get to maximise their visits to the various islands since curfews were in effect and this stymied their ability to meet with a large number of Guyanese.

“We had to be out of the island and out of the areas affected by curfew,” Minister Felix said.

He said the islands would need serious aid since the rebuilding process will require tremendous effort.

Describing the visits as a positive one, the citizenship minister said whatever assistance is needed, the Guyana government will be favourably disposed to rendering assistance.

“Even in spirit, we need to stand in solidarity with our comrades and it is not a very pleasant experience going to bed without a roof over your head,” Felix said.

Citizenship Minister, Winston Felix and Minister of State Joseph Harmon, speaking with reporters at the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday (Samuel Maughn Photo) LIST He said a list of Guyanese on various islands is being sanitised to ensure that decisions that are made actually benefit Guyanese citizens.

“What we want to do is to ensure smooth and orderly movement of child or adult back to Guyana,” he said.

Containers are also on their way, by boat, to Antigua with further provisions including building materials which are to be distributed farther afield to BVI and Sint Maarten.

It was explained that the Antiguan Government has given its Guyanese counterpart the assurance that the items

will be delivered to its desired locations.

With BVI and Sint Maarten bracing for Hurricane Maria, the regional and international community continues its support to islands affected

by Hurricane Irma and Guyana also remains committed in this regard.

As with Sint Maarten, the Category Five hurricane has damaged the island severely, leaving families with limited cellular data and Internet service.

While the island is receiving support from the international community, many Guyanese nationals there are still in need of tarpaulins,

insect repellent, and water purification pills.

In face of the devastation left by Hurricane Irma, the Guyanese community is steadfastly unified, especially as they prepare for Hurricane Maria. However, their main concern is schooling and removal of their children from the islands.

In an effort to assist Guyanese nationals living on Tortola, the largest of the islands that make up the BVI, Minister Felix has committed to ensuring that all their damaged documents are replaced and to facilitate registration of children who are not documented.

GuySuCo gets $2B

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

… for lands sold to CH&PA

By Ariana Gordon THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Thursday advanced some $1.1B to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) for the sale of approximately 2000 acres of lands as the company seeks ways to meet revenue shortfall.

The advanced payment to the ailing sugar company follows the submission of a report by GUYSUCO to Cabinet on its finances on Tuesday. The report which was submitted to Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, detailed the entity’s cashstrapped scenario. Speaking with Guyana Chronicle, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) CH&PA, Lelon Saul confirmed that his entity is to pay out to GUYSUCO some $2B by tomorrow ($1.1B plus $0.9M) for lands located in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. “We have advanced GUYSUCO some mon-

ey…$1.1B…we are still to identify the location of where we want the land… we have not identified the exact locations,” Saul said while noting that an aerial recognizance of the identified regions will be done to ascertain the lands purchased. “After the aerial recognizance, we will indicate to GUYSUCO which lands we want,” the CH&PA head told Guyana Chronicle.

Meanwhile, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Thursday during a post-cabinet press briefing told reporters that Cabinet considered the report and authorised that Minister Sharma assists the management of GUYSUCO with the ongoing discussions with the CH&PA to finalise the sale of the lands and to facilitate payments for same to GUYSUCO urgently.

Over the years, the cashstrapped sugar company has called on government to bail it out from its financial strain and government in turn heavily subsidiszed the company’s operations.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CH&PA, Lelon Saul Only recently, the Minister of State said, GUYSUCO requested from government $2B as part of an emergency intervention but government in turn advised the entity to sell its lands to CH&PA. While accepting that GUYSCUO will need additional sums by the end of the year, Minister Harmon said his administration will examine that, when the time arises.

Since taking office, the APNU+AFC administration has explored several avenues

to attract new markets and possible investments.

GUYSUCO had requested G$18B from government for the year and thus far government has presented a number of alternatives to keep the corporation afloat.

Those alternatives include diversification of its activities which have been shared with stakeholders. Back in May, the government said the future of the sugar industry here lies in a smaller sector, with reduced losses and cash deficits but coupled with a separate and profitable diversified enterprise, which would ensure a viable future.

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder in making public a white paper on the future of sugar, said focus will be placed on poorly-performing estates and have them shift from sugar to diversification. It was proposed that the Skeldon Estate be divested as significant investment was made in the new Skeldon Factory, which this far has experi-

enced a plethora of technical problems.

It has failed to achieve its potential, thereby failing to generate returns on the investment and the Corporation does not have the resources required to correct the technical problems. It owes in excess of G$29 billion in loans due for the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project.

Funds generated from the divestment of Skeldon Estate will go towards reducing GUYSUCO’s debt and supporting its capital programmes for both sugar and the diversification initiatives. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder had said that the industry’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) changed between 2006 and 2015.

“The industry has not been able to keep a pace with the changes that have occurred in the economy since 2006,” he told the National Assembly when he presented the White Paper.

The sugar company incurred $40B losses with sales of

$230B from 2008 to 2015.

By 2015, management of the company had accumulated a mere $11B in internal equity and had decreased working capital by $25B. It meant it spent eight cents of every $1 of sales to build its longterm investment base, while generating only five cents of internal equity to do so.

“GUYSUCO was forced to finance its long-term investment by borrowing money and by relying on subsidies through the national treasury, even though all the internal equity was being put back in the business,” the Minister related, as he noted that the sugar industry currently lags behind mining, construction and rice in its contribution to the local economy.

“The contribution of the industry is no longer as distinguishable as it was before. Sugar, as a result, now finds itself competing with other agricultural crops and forestry in its contribution to the economy,” Holder added.

40 Guyanese want to return home –– from hurricane ravaged countries, numbers expected to climb

By Svetlana Marshall in New York VICE-PRESIDENT and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge said some 40 hurricane-affected Guyanese have requested to return home but said the number is expected to climb.

Speaking to journalists on the margin of the 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Minister said though he has not spoken to the Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, since his return to Guyana from Antigua, the Ministry as early as Sunday, September 17 would have gotten an indication of the numbers of affected Guyanese who would like to be repatriated.

“When we (were) looking at the figures you had

somewhere in the region of 40 persons wanting to move from the British Virgin Islands and those numbers are being built up,” Minister Greenidge disclosed when questioned by Guyana Chronicle.

According to him, the estimation of the number of persons wishing to be repatriated is an ongoing one.

“It seems to be concentrated primarily in the British Virgin Islands and in St Maarten, St. Barts, in that area. I am not sure that I am aware that anyone is interested in being moved from Anguilla, and those who were in Barbuda, would have been moved with everyone else to Antigua,” he explained.

He said, however, the priority now is to provide food and water to the affected.

In Guyana, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon disclosed that a British mili-

Vice-President and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, speaking to journalists at the Guyana’s Permanent Mission in New York

tary aircraft would be made available to the Guyanese Government to transport food, water and other critical supplies to Antigua for distribution to the hurricane ravaged countries by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to the affected islands.

Already, Guyana has committed US$100, 000 to the CDEMA Fund to assist the hard hit Caribbean countries.

On Tuesday, the foreign affairs minister in his address during the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, said there can be no doubt of the severity of the impact nor of the urgency of existing needs, as he alluded to Caribbean countries devastated by Hurricane Irma.

“The evidence of the increasing incidence and vulnerability of our planet, and especially small island and

low-lying coastal developing states, to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters, is before our eyes.

It compounds preexistent challenges and the vicious cycle of development faced by countries of the Caribbean. The massive destruction caused by Hurricane Irma is but the latest and a sad illustration,” he stated.

Minister Greenidge said Guyana stands in solidarity with the countries and people affected by Hurricane Irma.

“In collaboration with CARICOM, Guyana commits to doing its part in a tangible manner to contribute to relief efforts,” the foreign affairs minister said, while calling for urgent and substantive support of the international community to respond to this disaster and to rebuild better and stronger countries.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Maria ‘leaves 15 dead in Dominica’

AT least 15 people are dead and 20 others are missing on Dominica after Hurricane Maria, the Caribbean island’s prime minister has said.

It was a miracle that the death toll was not in the hundreds, PM Roosevelt Skerrit tearfully told a local television station.

Hurricane Maria ripped through Dominica as a category four storm late on Monday, damaging hundreds of homes. The storm later devastated Puerto Rico, leaving the whole island without power. Mr Skerrit said he has spent the last 24 hours surveying by air the destruction caused by the powerful

“It has been brutal,” Mr Skerrit says of the destruction in Dominica storm. “It has been brutal,” he said on Thursday on the nearby island of Antigua.

“We’ve never seen such destruction.”

Homes have been flattened, schools have been destroyed, telecommunications have been cut off and the island’s main hospital is still without electricity, he said. The hospital’s gen-

erators had to be set aside because of flooding and officials were still working to see if they could be turned on. He added the island is “going to need all the help the world has to offer”.

Meanwhile, authorities in Puerto Rico are urging residents to seek higher ground ahead of flash flooding - with up to 30 inches

(76cm) more rain predicted by Saturday - in the aftermath of Maria. The island’s Governor Ricardo Rossello described the hurricane as “the most devastating storm in a century” and said that Maria had hit the island’s electricity grid so badly that it could take months to restore power.

Images shared on social media show roofs being stripped away as winds as strong as 140 mph (225 km/h) whipped trees and power lines in Puerto Rico’s capital city, San Juan.

Maria, now a category three storm, is moving off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and heading towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. The storm has claimed at least 17 lives so far across the Caribbean, with many others missing, officials say.

Two people were killed in the French territory of Guadeloupe.

US President Donald Trump said the storm had “totally obliterated” the US territory, and pledged to visit Puerto Rico. He has yet to declare the island a disaster area but has made federal emergency aid available.

It is the second devastating storm to hit the Caribbean this hurricane season - the first being category five Irma earlier in September. Irma was one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, killing at least 84 people in the Caribbean and U.S. The hurricane followed Harvey, which killed more than 80 people after it barrelled through Texas last month.

(BBC)

DATE: DATE: 26/11/2016 20/09/2017 26/11/2016 21/09/2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Price for high-quality HIV treatment slashed

5

… Guyana among low and middle income countries to benefit

By Svetlana Marshall in New York GUYANA is among more than 90 low and middle income countries that will be able to benefit from a new high-quality antiretroviral therapy at a reduced cost.

At a press conference on Thursday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, international players in the global fight to achieve the UN’s 90-90-90 treatment targets for persons living with HIV, announced that they have been able to strike a ground-breaking agreement that will accelerate the availability of the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV treatment regimen containing dolutegravir (DTG).

With the agreement in place, public sector purchasers in low and middle income countries will be able to access the single-pill HIV treatment from 2018 at around US$75 per person, per year.

DTG, is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an alternative first-line HIV regimen. In July 2017, WHO issued guidance to countries on how to safely and rapidly transition to DTG-based antiretroviral treatment.

The announcement was made by the Governments of South Africa and Kenya, together with the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Unitaid, the United Kingdom’s Department for

International Development (DFID), the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

According to the leaders in the health sector, the agreement is a critical step towards ensuring the availability of worldwide high-quality treatment for HIV. Most importantly, it is expected to accelerate treatment rollout as part of global efforts to reach all 36.7 million people living with HIV with high-quality antiretroviral therapy. UNAIDS estimates that in 2016, just over half (19.5 million) of all people living with HIV had access to the lifesaving medicines.

In his remarks, UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, said it was a lifetime announcement, noting that the agreement will improve the quality of life for millions of people living with HIV in 92 countries across the world.

“What we are talking about today is a life changing announcement. It’s about the quality of medicine, it’s about equity, it’s about dignity, it’s about access to medicine as a human right,” he told journalists.

Sidibé noted too that increased availability to treatments like DTG is critical to achieving the UN’s 2020 target.

“To achieve the 90-9090 treatment targets, newer, affordable and effective treat-

ment options must be made available—from Baltimore to Bamako—without any delay,” he stated.

For WHO, the agreement is a welcomed one.

“WHO welcomes this agreement which will make it possible to reach millions of people with better, more affordable and durable HIV drugs. This will save lives for the most vulnerable, bringing the world closer to the elimination of HIV. We congratulate South Africa, Kenya, CHAI and others on this landmark agreement.

WHO will support countries in the safe introduction and a swift transition to this game-changing new treatment,” WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom stated.

This one pill, once-a-day generic fixed-dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine, and dolutegravir (TLD) was developed by Mylan and Aurobindo, under licensing agreements from ViiV Healthcare, the original developer of DTG. BMGF, with the support of CHAI, recently completed ceiling price agreements with Mylan and Aurobindo with the goal of accelerating the availability of the new fixed-dose combination to the public sector. The agreements are expected to save public sector purchasers over US$1 billion over the next six years.

The ceiling price agreements apply to purchases for public sector use in all 92 countries covered under ViiV

South Africa’s Health Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi seated at head table, along with the Chief Medical of Officer (CMO), Sally Claire Davies and Unitaid’s Executive Director, Lelio Marmora Healthcare’s dolutegravir licensing agreement, representing over 90 per cent of people in Low and Middle Income Countries currently living with HIV. According to Global HIV Statistics, 36.7 million people were living with HIV in 2016, 19.5 of whom had access to antiretroviral therapy. In that year alone, 1.8 million people had gotten infected with HIV. Additionally, approximately one million people died from AIDS related illnesses in 2016.

In the Caribbean, there were 310, 000 people living with HIV in 2016, 18, 000 of whom were infected that same year. Also in 2016, 9,400 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in the Caribbean region.

In December 2016, the National AIDS Programme Secretariat had disclosed that 7000 persons were living with HIV in Guyana, the majority of whom were being treated.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

The Cooperative Economy THE history of the cooperative economy is tied to the empowerment of the small man and woman. This form of economic approach was applied in the immediate post slavery society by the ‘freed’ in pursuit of their upliftment and has proven to serve others well when applied.

Immediate post slavery society saw persons coming together in unified purposes. There has been the purchasing of plantations which were converted to villages and managed on a system of self-sufficiency known as the Village Economy.

Villages and economies across the coastland have been developed on the cooperative principle, of which infrastructures remain as proof of capacity to overcome and capabilities to achieve. There are schools, churches, village councils, markets, a system of local government, etc. Families have invested and acquired material and other commodities.

Then there is the box-hand which is a subset of the cooperative principle. With this, smaller groups coming together in pooling small but set amount of money, which cumulatively is significant, and works towards achieving specific goal(s).

The principle of cooperative, while it may not be overtly active and widespread as it ought to be, has never left Guyana. Its premium of place is evident in the name of this country, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and as one of our tri-sector economy - private, public and cooperative.

Though admittedly within recent times the sector has to some extent been downplayed, the time may be now to revisit this decision, which was made by a previous administration.

Regardless of the justification given as to why this aspect of our economy was downplayed, what cannot be denied are the consequences that have flowed from the decision.

The disinvestment in resources-technical and others- and by extension the economic pursuit of a section of society, affected the chances and pursuits of the small man to economic advancement.

Where the other two sectors - private and public – have pursued specific interests, the cooperative sector allows for a thriving cottage industry. Admirable aspects of this type of economy are the sense of sufficiency and desire to overcome.

These remain vital and important elements in the desire to be emancipated and empowered, and such must be nurtured not suppressed.

The drive of the Green Economy by APNU+AFC administration where sustainable development forms part of the triad focus, giving the cooperative sector its deserving space and support to thrive,opens for greater exploitation of our indigenous resources. Flowing from this, in addition to seeing the realisation of national growth and development, would see the enhancement of employment and economic opportunities, directly and indirectly.

There are areas in the country such as the fishing industry and credit union that were formed on the cooperative principles. The credit union provides easy access to loans for the small man who, normally the commercial bank would not facilitate. Wild raised and organic seafood is catching on in a world that is becoming health conscious. Taste is also changing to healthy foods, which can be produced through shade houses and other forms, using organic manure. The best places for these to be realised are by creating opportunities in the villages.

Though specific statistics on unemployment in the villages are not easily available, it is known that persons leave

the village for lack of opportunities and migrate to the city.

And while this is done with the intent to find job opportunities, where little or none exist, it puts pressure on city’s infrastructures; create space for exploitative landlords and employers, and other anti-social features. A congested city, where population growth is unplanned for, can ill-afford these characteristics.

Outside of stemming unplanned movement and the tussle for the limited available opportunities, in sustainable pursuit development seeks to be equitable and widely dispersed. And where the cooperative sector which was built on the principle of having to rely on teamwork to get things done, such should not be suppressed but encouraged.

The development of society in today’s world is being judged by the development of its people. A nation as ours, with so many resources and in the presence of high unemployment and limited economic opportunities, needs to have all its economic sectors operating at full throttle.

Former student is now attending Leeds University Dear Editor,

AS Registrar of The University of Guyana, I wish to respond and clarify a number of issues initially raised in a published article entitled: “Guyanese robbed of opportunity to study at Leeds University,” dated September 1, 2016, which was recently recirculated in various social media outlets during the period commencing September 14, 2017 and subjected to comments in “Letters to the editor” specifically in the Kaieteur News of September 17, 2017.

It is indeed unfortunate that the University administration was not approached by the Guyana Times or the Kaieteur News to clarify some of the allegations and conclusions arrived at in the

published article or letter prior to publication. In this regard, it behooves me to provide both context and the facts in the referenced matter. Ever since my appointment as Registrar of the University of Guyana in 2015, the Registry adopted as its mission, “Transforming the Registry into a student-focused and student-friendly environment.”

In this regard, there was the commencement of the provision of service to the general public and students between 07:00hrs and 19:00hrs Monday to Friday, and 08:30hrs to noon on Saturdays. Additionally, applications for transcripts are duly processed, verified and dispatched within a 48-hour period in accordance with receipt of full information and prescribed payments.

For some strange reason,

after a complete year, the article has re-appeared, with some publishing opinions not consistent with the facts and without the benefit of total information. Allow me the opportunity therefore to provide some background and factual context on this matter as follows: 1. At 11:40hrs on Monday, September 11, 2017, I received an email from former student, Renita Chanderballi, seeking, inter alia, my “urgent assistance” in transmitting a transcript that was requested less than a week ago (September 6, 2017) to be sent to Leeds University.

2. At 06:20hrs on September 12, 2017, I acknowledged the email of the previous day and promised Ms. Chanderballi that I will “… ascertain the facts in the matter…” and revert to her

later that same day.

3. On September 12, 2017, at 17:46hrs, the Assistant Registrar for Examinations dispatched an email to Ms. Chanderballi advising her, inter alia, “…that the transcript was uplifted by FedEx today…” and further suggested that she should track the delivery with the tracking number which she had in her possession.

4. Ms. Chanderballi immediately acknowledged receipt of the email from the Assistant Registrar for Examination and conveyed her thanks “… for the quick response today and for preparing my transcript free of cost… and that it was much appreciated…”

It is indeed unfortunate and perhaps injudicious that, for reasons best known to them, some media op-

eratives, came to conclusions and passed judgment, without the benefit of the facts. Indeed, it has been established that contrary to erroneous reporting as specifically reflected in a letter written by Mr. Freddie Kissoon and published in the Kaieteur News on September 17, 2017; the student is currently attending Leeds University and we wish our alum, as we wish all other alum, the best. We are happy to have been able to provide her the foundation for getting into Leeds.

In this regard, it is my considered opinion that given the recent facts in this matter, there should be a full retraction and unqualified apology by all media houses that recently published unsubstantiated articles and letters on this matter in their respective

newspapers without the benefit of complete information. Indeed, the University administration has not been informed by either Leeds University or Ms. Chanderballi that there has been any negative impact on her scholarship.

Finally, it is my respectful view that while the public has a right to information, there must be a corresponding duty to be responsible for the provision of information that is informed by the best evidence in which there is little or no element of self-interest, lack of information and bias.

Sincerely, C. Nigel Gravesande, PhD Registrar The University of Guyana

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Support for Foster at Berbice Cricket Board

Dear Sir,

IT was with pleasant surprise that I opened the Kaieteur News Edition of Wednesday, September 20 2017, and saw an article

by Sean Devers “Sarwan bats for Foster as BCB Election looms.” I had the privilege of working with Hilbert Foster at the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) for over seven years and I would join Sarwan in encouraging the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club Secretary/CEO to throw his hat into the race for the Presidency of the BCB. I am fully aware that in the past, Hilbert was very reluctant to be part of the elected structure of the BCB despite being the most popular cricket administrator in Berbice. Berbice Cricket is on life support at the moment with hardly any Inter-club Tournament being played nor any off-field event being organised. The most popular opinion of the majority of clubs and players in Berbice is that the only person capable of lifting Berbice Cricket to the top is Hilbert Foster.

He is not only a dynamic and highly respectable sport administrator but he has a vision and ways to get

things done. There is no other cricket administrator in the history of Berbice that has contributed toward the game like him and on behalf of all youths in the county, I would like to urge him to run for office of Presidency of the Berbice Cricket Board.

While I respect his reluctance not to run, as a Youth Leader he must think of what he can do for thousands of youths who dreamed of becoming the next Kanhai and Butcher. Between 2008 and 2014 before he resigned at the Chairman of the Berbice Cricket Board Special Events Committee due to health reasons and his commitment to his Club, Hilbert worked so hard to complete over 1700 programmes/ activities for Berbice Cricket Board. Together with Carl Moore, Anil Beharry, Gregory Rambarran, Rabindranauth Saywack, Winston Smith, myself and a few others, he raised funds for over 60 tournaments at the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Female, Intermediate, Second Division and First Division levels. He introduced the Berbice Cricket Board to organising the Under-13 and Inter-zone Tournaments and he assisted in organising tournaments for each of the

zones in Berbice.

Foster’s vision was the main reason for programmes like Annual Award Ceremony, Annual Cricket Academy, Inter-zone Cricket Academy, Annual Magazine, Tribute to Retired Cricketers, Tribute to Cricket Coaches, Tribute to Umpires, Tribute to Groundsmen, Hall of Fame for Cricketers, Hall of Fame for Administrators, All Time Cricket XI, Test Cricketers Billboard, Cricket Education Posters, Tribute to Heroes, Inter-county Cap System, Inter-county MVP Programme and Balls for Cricket Clubs among others. There are dozens of cricket clubs and players who have benefitted from Hilbert’s assistance in form of cricket gears, scorebooks, materials and financial packages among others. For the first time in its history with Hilbert’s involvement, Berbice Cricket Board had over 50 official sponsors for programmes which include companies like NCN, New GPC, Republic Bank, Hand-in-Hand Insurance, Diamond Insurance, A. Ally & Sons, Scotia Bank, Raffik & Sons, Berbice River Bridge, Ricks & Sari Ltd, Bakewell, Namilco, Banks DIH Ltd, Elizabeth Styles,

Ansa Mcal Trading, GT&T, Peter Lewis Construction, Spready’s Snackette, Poonai’s Pharmacy, G. Singh Construction, Jumbo Jet, Metro Office Supplies, Annirud Construction etc. In contrast, the imposters that posed as the Berbice Cricket Board Executive since February, 2017, have not been able to solicit a single sponsorship for anything and have not been able to come up with new ideas for Berbice Cricket and the cricketing community.

As a proud supporter of Berbice Cricket, I would like to urge my friend and colleague Hilbert Foster to reconsider his past decision for not running for office but to think positive and to consider running for the Presidency of the Berbice Cricket Board. Hilbert, Berbice Cricket needs you to be saved from total destruction.

Regards Angela Haniff,

Award of feasibility study contract for DHB aboveboard -- Ministry of Public Infrastructure

THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) on Thursday said the award of feasibility study contract for Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) is aboveboard.

The ministry was responding to calls from the political Opposition for information on the procedures and processes used for the bidding, selection and subsequent award of the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River crossing.

According to the ministry in a release, with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank, it advertised the consultancy for feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River Bridge.

Twenty-two firms, it said expressed interest and 12 were subsequently shortlisted but only two submitted bids.

The Ministry said of the two submissions, only one firm had a valid bid but that firm’s bid price exceeded the US$800,000 budget and concerns were also raised on the technical level.

The minister explained that it made a decision to annul the process in May, following permission from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the Ministry of Finance.

Nonetheless, the ministry said it continued to seek suitable consultants due to the significance of the project and the need for its realisation.

“The ministry actively

sought greatly qualified consultants worldwide. It was during engagements with various companies, including those in the Netherlands, the Dutch Risk Reduction (DRR) Team, and in England, the company, LievenseCSO, was recommended.

A bid was later received from LievenseCSO and MPI applied to NPTAB for permission to engage the company; this permission was granted. Upon evaluation of the bid, it was determined that it was the best out of all that had been submitted, both on the technical level and in relation to price. Cabinet was therefore invited to consider the proposal and subsequently gave its ‘No Objection’ to the award of the contract and the progression of the project,” the minister said.

The ministry also said it welcomes investigation by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) since it is confident that the findings will reveal that the information of this release is factual.

“We also wish to encourage the Parliamentary Opposition to desist from clutching at straws in their continued efforts to undermine the Government of Guyana.

Instead, we call for their support as we make strides to execute a project that will lend to significant development for our nation. We will not be deterred to deliver on our mandate to the people of Guyana,” the release concluded.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

25 new rangers installed

By Rabindra Rooplall

A BRAINCHILD of President David Granger was realised Thursday when 25 persons were inducted into the Guyana Natural Resources (GNR) sector as rangers empowered with full police powers to enforce environmental laws.

The ceremony was held at the Police Officers Training Centre, Camp Road, Georgetown and had in attendance acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Minister of Public Securit, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; senior law enforcement officers and special invitees.

Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, charged the wardens not to overstep their authority but remain humble.

“Not only are you equipped, not only are you empowered, but I urge you

not to become powerful.

You are empowered; you are equipped with skills and knowledge. Do not make the mistake of believing, acting and thinking that you are powerful, particularly with the oath you would have taken to serve without favour or affection, malice or ill will,” Ramnarine told the wardens.

The top cop told the gathering that professionalism is increasingly talked about and demanded and said every rank should realise their only purpose is to serve the people of the country.

Ramnarine said a foundation was given and wardens are urged to grow and develop in the execution of their duties.

“We expect you as the first batch to be the beacon and that shining example to others who will soon follow as they are other batches that will be realised,” he said, adding: “You will not only make your Ministry proud, but you will make us in the

Guyana Police Force proud.”

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said the Corps of Wardens is introduced into the Guyana Natural Resources (GNR) sector as an environmental and conservation law enforcement unit.

He said the men and women who comprise this unit are all sworn supernumerary constables and have all completed a five-week basic law enforcement training programme designed and conducted mainly by the Guyana Police Force.

When deployed, Minister Trotman said the primary focus of this unit will always be to strengthen the protection, conservation and sustainability of GNR. As a legally authorised law enforcement unit operating within the GNR sector; however, it is expected that the men and women of this unit will uphold and defend under all circumstances the laws of Guyana.

From left seated: Acting Crime Chief, Paul Williams; Director of Compliance, Derrick Lawrence; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan; and acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine with the corps of wardens (Samuel Maughn Photo) “We are here because of a vision given by President David Granger, one day he called me to his office and told me we need to have a core of rangers,” Trotman said.

He said the rangers are tasked with protection, preservation and conservation of the nation’s natural resources while upholding that others do likewise.

The natural resource

minister commended the public security minister, acting commissioner of police and various facilitators for making the rangers of the natural resource sector a reality.

City Hall embraces ‘Mobile Money’ TOWN Clerk Royston King has signed a contract with Guyana Telephone and Telephone (GTT) for the introduction of ‘Mobile Money’ at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to

save the public time.

Guyana Chronicle understands that the City Council has since updated its taxpayers’ payroll to facilitate the new system that the municipality wants to bring on

board sometime in October.

In the meantime, GTT has commenced training with Head of the Information Technology Department at M&CC, Adunni Christian, and other officers of the de-

partment.

Apart from being able to pay rates and taxes electronically, the Council also has in mind to eventually extending the use of ‘Mobile Money’

to the payment of other fees, such as market and daycare fees.

The new system is catering specially for the elderly who at present must endure long lines at City

Hall when going to make their payments. Furthermore, it will also help the City Council to optimise its use of technology and even save it cost by reducing the use of paper and ink.

Sweeper/cleaners now regularised within public sector A RECOMMENDATION from the Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, for the regularisation of the employment of sweepers/ cleaners within the public sector, particularly within the public school system, was recently approved by Cabinet.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon told reporters Thursday that Cabinet agreed to a proposal made by the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Finance to be placed in the 2018 budget presentation.

He said the proposal will be used as the base upon which the other agencies, such as the Ministries of the Presidency, Social Protection and Finance will examine carefully the issue related to sweeper/ cleaners.

“We trust that these interventions will bring an end to this situation,” Harmon added.

Last month about 30 sweeper/cleaners protested the Ministry of the Presiden-

cy, calling for an increase in their salaries, while calling for other benefits, such as leave allowance.

The cleaners called for, among other things, salary increases and to be put as permanent staff which would allow them to qualify for annual leave and a vacation allowance.

Guyana Public Service Union’s (GPSU) Vice-President, Mortimer Livan had told reporters that the cleaners are being paid for six hours per day at a rate of $312 per hour.

Also, no National Insurance Scheme (NIS) payment is made for the workers which will deny them, in their latter days, benefits the state has to offer.

Previously, the cleaners were working eight hours per day, but according them a decision was made at the Ministry to reduce it to six hours.

This amount, when totalled, is below the public servant’s minimum wage, which was adjusted to $50,000 per

month.

That decision contradicted a Cabinet decision made on November 5, 2003, for sweepers and cleaners to have wages set in accordance with the minimum wage order of the country and for those payments to be made in a timely manner.

Livan at the time said that while the decision was never implemented by the former administration, it was supported by President David Granger while he was Opposition Leader. On August 31, 2015, the matter was again raised with the President who referred it to then Minister of Social Protection with responsibility for Labour, Volda Lawrence.

A statement was presented to the then minister outlining the union’s position at the time. Some of the recommendations were for: the status of the cleaners to be upgraded; they be employed on the Permanent Establishment; they be paid in keeping with

FLASH BACK: Protestors led by GPSU Vice-President, Mortimer Livan (far left) making their way to the Ministry of the Presidency, Vlissengen Road, on August 8 the Public Servant Minimum cleaners, it did not. two weeks in July and one in Wage regime; NIS should be In fact, he said that at a August. paid; and that they must be meeting on August 4, 2017, As such, Livan had called granted annual leave, retro- they were informed that the on the authorities to immediactive to at least two years, hours of work for the cleaners ately examine and rectify the among others. would be reduced from eight situation which was described Livan said while it was to six, daily. as “economically challengexpected that these recomIn addition, the workers ing.” mendations would have been were informed by their reEfforts to contact Livan considered and conditions spective headteachers that on the matter Thursday would have improved for the they would only be paid for proved futile.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Linden Utility Company cuts Subvention electricity from day care for six private children’s home

By Vanessa Braithwaite

SIX privately managed children’s homes and orphanages will now receive subventions from the government of Guyana, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon disclosed on Thursday.

The entities to benefit are Bless the Children Home, Children of Promise, Cornelia Ida Children’s home, the Ruimveldt Children’s home, Save our Kids and the Bal Nivas Shelter for abused children.

“These homes have been in operation for some time and have been monitored by the Child Care and Protection Agency inspectorate body which ensured that they maintained the minimum operational standards in keeping with the regulations of the Child Care Service and Development Act,” the minister of state said.

He said too that the subventions will immediately “give proof” to child care services provided by these homes.

Meanwhile, Harmon announced that government will be re-implementing subventions for the Women’s Advisory Committee of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).

He told reporters at his post-Cabinet press briefing that the subvention existed in the past but was stopped by the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration and several attempts to have it reinstated proved futile.

“The Women’s Advisory Committee is a standing committee of the Guyana Trades Union Congress which has been functioning for over 35 years. Its membership comprises women workers of affiliated unions and within the informal sector,” Minister Harmon explained.

He said the committee plans and coordinates training, workshops and activities related to gender issues and involves in the education and empowerment of women workers.

“It also has a close working relationship with the gender affairs unit of the Ministry of Social Protection,” he added.

The committee will received $150,000 per annum to assist with the effective implementation of its programmes.

THE Linden Utility Company Services Limited (LUCSL) has cut electricity from the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) Wismar Day Care, saying that it is owed millions of dollars in payments.

While Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland bemoaned the move, saying it is inconsiderate; Chairman of the LUCSL, Charles Sampson said the Council owes the company money but did say how much.

Mayor Holland said the LUCSL has claimed that it owed millions of dollars by the Council.

Sampson said an agree-

ment was made for the Council to pay the current bills and to negotiate how to pay the debt incurred from street lights but the Council has fallen short.

“We don’t want to cut off any street lights, we don’t want to cut off any day care light, but that decision was made to pressure the Council because they have not been honouring certain agreements,” Sampson said. He added that a lot of leniency has been given to the Council in times past.

Mayor Holland was taken aback by the decision to inconvenience little children to teach the Council a lesson.

“How could you cut the

LUCSL Chairman, Charles Sampson lights of the day care to say you want to force the Linden Mayor and Town Council because you hear the Linden

First Lady gets top award

FIRST Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger on Thursday received the Global Impact Leadership Award from the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development.

According to the centre’s website, the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) is a leading human capacity, gender empowerment and development-based organisation that sees itself as a catalyst and thought leader in developing the theory and practice of leadership, social, educational and economic empowerment particularly in Africa, and also the developing countries of the Middle East and Asia.

(Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Mayor and Town Council managing to pay some of its bills…that’s not the way to negotiate,” he said, adding, “no warning nothing and we are a senior partner.”

Holland revealed on several occasions that the Council is in millions of dollars of debts, the largest being to the National Insurance Scheme in which it was able to pay $200, 000 monthly on back debts, as well as $1.2 M monthly for workers’ social security.

Holland called on Central Government to bail out the Council since it still has in indebtedness of over $200M, one inherited from the previous Council.

The heavy indebtedness is affecting the Council from effectively carrying out critical works such as construction of roads and garbage collection.

“We are still in over $200M in the ‘red’ and are calling on government to intervene and bail us out. Government did bailout for many other entities, including City Hall and GuySuCo and I see no reason why Linden can’t get $250M to put us in the right footing,” Holland said.

The Council is also calling on National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to settle its debt, pointing out that it will significantly enable the Council to comfortably meet its expenses, repay what it owned and effectively serve the residents of Linden.

“NICIL owes the town quite a hugh sum which adds up to more than we are asking for if we look at the numbers,” Holland added.

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Friday September 22th, - 05:00 hrs Saturday September 23th, - 05:30 hrs Sunday September 24th, - 05:30 hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Guyana signs Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty

By Svetlana Marshall in New York

GUYANA, Brazil and Chile are among more than 50 countries that have signed a new treaty banning the use, development, testing or storing of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

The world’s first legally-binding treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons opened for signature on Wednesday with President David Granger signing the treaty on behalf of Guyana.

In the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, President David Granger was accompanied by the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.

At the high-level signing ceremony, speakers from international organisations, governments and civil society applauded the move but said there remains much more work to be done to free the

world of such arsenals.

“The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the product of increasing concerns over the risk posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons, including the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of their use,” UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said at the ceremony, held on the margins of the General Assembly’s high-level debate.

“The treaty is an important step towards the univer-

Bickering breaks up Region Five RDC meeting again

By Clifford Stanley COUNCILLORS of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) continue to refuse to cooperate with Region Five Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal, as they accused him of being bias.

They made this clear at Thursday’s Statutory Meeting of the Council before staging a walk-out at the meeting, which lasted eight minutes.

Regional Executive Officer (REO), Ovid Morrison, has been demanding an investigation into the alleged misuse by People’s Progressive Party (PPP)/ Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Councilors of National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) excavators assigned to the region.

The REO is also demanding an apology from Ramphal for disrespect but got neither of the two, and decided to walk out.

He was closely followed by his administrative staff.

The relationship between the APNU/AFC councilors and the regional chairman has been very poor. These

councillors have said that they will not improve their ways until the chairman changes his leadership style.

Ramphal on his part has accused these councillors of not having the region’s best interest at heart.

At Thursday’s meeting, Ramphal was accused of deliberately boycotting a function held by the Regional Education Department at which he had been invited to speak.

APNU Councillor Dolston Hutson claimed that Ramphal chose to be absent and instructed PPP councillors of the region not to attend.

“Education in Region Five is not about APNU/AFC. This is your region, you are the government here and if you are not supporting them it means that you should not be chairman of this region and until you can prove yourself fit to be chairman, we will not sit on this side of the House and listen you. We will not be governed by you,” Councillor Hutson said.

One PPP/C Councillor jumped to her feet and alleged that no one had invited her to the function.

Ramphal then denied the

allegations of a deliberate boycott, stating that he had communicated to the person who had organised the activity for Education Month 2017 that because of other commitments he could not attend.

He also said that he was annoyed when he saw the programme which had a councillor as a guest speaker rather than the regional chairman.

“It is protocol that whenever there is such activity within the region the regional chairman is the guest speaker. In this instance, we had a regional councillor instead as guest speaker. This is not the first instance that something like this has happened and I will not continue to allow it,” he said.

Left only with PPP/C councillors, the regional chairman continued with the meeting but one observer said that doing so was an exercise in futility since there were no note-takers to record minutes.

The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Five held uneventful meetings last July and August when Ramphal was on annual vacation leave.

CMO appointed Central Health Board chair CHIEF Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud, has been appointed chairman of the Board of Directors for the Central Board of Health, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon announced Thursday.

Harmon told reporters during a post-Cabinet press briefing that Dr Persaud, along with 14 others representing the regions and statutory authorities, were approved by Cabinet to serve on the Central Board of Health.

The new appointees will serve from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2019.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

President David Granger and Brazil’s President, Michel Temer, engaging in bilateral talks on the margins of the UN General Debate on Wednesday sally-held goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. It is my hope that it will reinvigorate global efforts to achieve it,” he added while alluding to the contributions made by civil society and the hibakusha – the atomic bomb survivors.

However, he was the first to admit that there lies a difficult road ahead, pointing to the fact there remain some 15,000 nuclear weapons in existence.

“We cannot allow these doomsday weapons to endanger our world and our chil-

dren’s future,” he stressed.

The treaty was adopted on July 7, 2017 at a UN conference with 122 countries voted in favour of it, while one country (Netherlands) voted against it. Singapore abstained.

According to the UN, the nuclear-armed States and most of their allies stayed out of the negotiations. “Immediately following its adoption, the United States, the United Kingdom and France issued a joint press statement saying that they ‘have not taken

part in the negotiation of the treaty… and do not intend to sign, ratify or ever become party to it.’”

Meanwhile, shortly after signing the treaty, President Granger engaged in bilateral talks with the President of Brazil, Michel Temer and his delegation.

President Granger was accompanied by Ambassador Ten-Pow, Minister Greenidge and the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audrey Jardine-Waddell.

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Telemedicine for 20

By Navendra Seoraj

THE Ministry of Public Health will roll out a telemedicine programme in five regions next year, Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence said.

She made the disclosure during a courtesy call to her office by new Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee.

According to a press

statement, the Finance and Telecommunications Ministries are firmly behind the distance medicine novelty which will target Regions One (Barima/Waini); Six (East Berbice/Corentyne); Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

Telemedicine, also called ‘e-health’ or ‘telehealth’, allows healthcare

professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in remote areas using telecommunications technology, removing the need for face-to-face meetings with doctors or nurses.

When this programme is launched it will cut dependency on the current medevac services for interior residents, Lawrence told Chatterjee, who promised to “look into this more to see if

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

there are opportunities.”

The high commissioner said she is excited to team up with Minister Lawrence because she has a keen interest in public health.

“I am at the disposal of my government and yours,” Chatterjee said, assuring that her tenure here will continue the good relations with the government of Guyana.

Chatterjee reportedly has a vast array of expertise

in the area of development, honed from her attachment as a specialist at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

There, she helped design and implement some of the initiatives enjoyed by Guyana and other developing nations.

Minister Lawrence conveyed Guyana’s gratitude to Canada as one of the nations which has helped in

achieving its objectives and predicts that Chatterjee’s incumbency will produce more “positive results” between the two friendly nations.

The public health minister told the Canadian diplomat that Maternal and Child Health (MCH) weighs heavily on her agenda and she wants a follow-up meeting to brief her on ongoing initiatives in the sub-sector.

018 rolls out GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

The minister also used the opportunity to give Chatterjee a panoramic sweep of ongoing MCH initiatives in Regions One (Barima / Waini); Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro/ Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) targeting the country’s indigenous populations who are currently being trained as Community Health Workers (CHWs) to ensure

that there are well-trained personnel in all villages to help monitor and evaluate pregnant women.

The programme, according to Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, MCH officer, is envisaged to reduce maternal, neo-natal, infant and child deaths here.

Guyana’s maternal mortality ration currently stands at 121/100,000 while the infant mortality ratio stands at 23/1,000 Dr. Hamilton said,

referring to a recent MOPH Annual Report by Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure) and post-partum haemorrhage are chief killers of Guyanese pregnant women, while respiratory infections and pre-mature births kill the local new-born cited in the local statistics, Hamilton said.

She said delays in seeking help, sloth in arriving for help and further holdups in receiving appropriate emergency care conspire to cause the deaths of Guyanese pregnant women.

The current MCH initiatives which have been backed by Canadian, UNFPA, PAHO/WHO support have seen the reduction of maternal deaths in Guyana, Hamilton said.

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Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence (left) shares a light moment with Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Strut the Runway’ set to return AFTER having fans craving for some time now, the powers that be at Traits Model Management have finally decided to bring back the ‘Strut II: Live the Runway’ fashion show, which is set for November 1 at the Mariott Hotel.

Nine designers, including three from overseas, are set the debut their newest collection.

The show will see the return of Randy Madray Designs and Mwanza Designs.

There will also be pieces from François Designs, Olympia’s Fashion, House of Pearson and N. Murray Designs.

The overseas participants are Roell Gomes Designs out of Canada, Andrew Harris out of New York, and Peta Odini from St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Harris and Gomes are set the do entirely male collections. Another designer from the British Virgin Islands was also expected

to take part, but the recent hurricane destroyed their work.

Madray, of course, has practically become a household name when it comes to Guyanese designers, and has been busy dressing pageant delegates all across the Caribbean with some stunning gowns as of recent. Most recently the turtle neck encrusted piece he designed for Guyana’s Cynthia Dookie went on to cop “Best Gown” at the Miss Global International

Traits model, Delesa Archer at the 2015 “Strut: Live the Runway”

Designer Randy Madray and Traits model, Xamiera Kippins in one of his pieces at the 2015 “Strut: Live the Runway”

Pageant in Jamaica, where Dookie took the crown.

But, dressing queens aside, Madray hasn’t showcased an entire collection since the Jubilee Fashion Show last year with his “Renaissance Red” collection, and he is all too eager to show what he’ll be bring-

ing to ‘Strut’.

“I’m excited for the show. I’ll be introducing Randy Madray ready-to – wear, which is a different side to the brand,” Randy said.

“We are known for outstanding couture evening wear and swimwear across

the Region, and so I decided to venture down a different road.

“The collection features looks for both day wear and evening wear, of course with the perfect balance for style, detail, sophistication and the Randy Madray ElTurn to Page 21

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

The reality, options with marijuana THE question of marijuana rests with the fact that it has been allowed to develop, wooing and damaging our society without any response from the government.

From the mid-seventies when it was packaged in the expression of the Rastafarian cultural advent in Guyana, to then go beyond its initial presence from indentureship, to small exposures here and there, to be enveloped in the untested logic of a philosophy birthed centuries ago in a less wiser world, unhindered, except for a secular penalty of mandatory prison, void of any reasoning from the ‘State’ that was easily shifted in response, to the mythology of ‘Babylon’ against de ‘I’.

Marijuana has been allowed to grow strong roots in Guyana, and can no longer be dismissed. But the territory that Rastafari exists upon is not only occupied by themselves; there are dangerous incursions of Rasta and marijuana imitators who believe in no philosophy but the worship of money.

These elements bring a swift destruction to an unwise society, susceptible to the not-so-innocent placebo of weed-smoking habits.

In 2014, I was selected to the ERC, and I sat in discussion with representatives of the Rastafarian community on the question of decriminalising and managing marijuana. I proposed that a community be developed by their group, which they would physically occupy. This is land space I’m talking about. Since they are the ‘poster people’ for the marijuana discussion, they have got to advocate to regulate what they themselves have agreed have become hectic and dangerous, with the presence of chemicallyhyped marijuana pushed even to schoolchildren.

Where a plant took nine months to grow, it is chem-

ically dragged out of the ground in six weeks. The Rastafari community must present the collaborative movement with themselves and the State to plant marijuana for their private uses, and to supply for research and other formal purposes.

In my September 15, 2017 article, I outlined the dangers of synthetic marijuana. The architects of this parallel trade are not exclusively ‘Rasta’. Government has to recognise that this is a serious question of health and society; the social impact has so far proven itself, though ignored as a clear statistical issue, which it merits.

NOT FAIR I have advocated that the mandatory prison term is unfair, as the State has failed to present its educational information case on the dangers of mind-altering substances, which include cigarettes and alcohol, and the current pervasion of dangerous pills hyped as the ‘in thing’ to our bright but not enlightened student corps, which, as with every other mind-altering substance, begins as a party, fun ‘ting’ driven by ego and peer- pressure stupidity, but will impact negatively on the brain development of the young, young adult and the human being in general.

The current administration has the people that can address this issue, and in doing so, diminish the obvious and clandestine drug addict, through informed warnings and applied workable legal mechanisms.

I will make public an incident that occurred in 1979, in South Georgetown. A boyhood friend of mine was part of a sinister bank-robbing enterprise that took him to Linden. A bank manager was killed; he became withdrawn. He was not new to the law-breaking life, but what was new was that a life was lost. He told me he ex-

while hiding in a fowl pen on the lower East Coast village where he came from.

pected to die: “De Babylon in GT gon murder meh.”

Then he explained what happened.

Apparently, when he approached the location, he realised that “de man [Bank Manager] was a mystic man.

One part stand still, while another part walked off. So he shot at him. I told this weird story to the strangest brother in the area, ‘Deco Mali’, who often claimed to

see spectral horsemen and other off-the-wall stuff.

‘Deco Mali’ assured me, “He smoke up de ganja; duh’s why he see mystic things.” I returned to my friend, and he admitted to smoking before they went on the job. The police arrived at his home one afternoon, entered ‘the range’, and though he surrendered, a particular policeman pushed him down over the toilet and shot him

behind his head, in front of his younger uncle. Another young policeman walked away from ‘the range’ to the corner, vomited, and sat by himself until the body was brought out among screaming aunts, friends and family members.

The policeman who did that act was later reported to be a man of intense mental illness, and was himself executed by the very police

DIFFERENT EFFECTS Marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, even food and the weather have different effects on people. There is no fixed human response formula; but the risks are real and probable. With chemically-altered substances, the danger is real and fatal.

The history of marijuana has several perspectives.

It is recorded to have had its industrial, medical and magical origins in ancient China. It is also stated that the Taoists rejected marijuana, because it enfeebled the body when consumed. The scope of this article does not permit even a concise history of marijuana, and the codex of mind-altering botanicals.

What has to be understood is that in many cases, the ancients interpreted hallucinations as real visions into parallel dimensions; we must strive to explain this to our eager minds.

The Learning Channel does have some interesting videos that can definitely help, but what has to be observed and emphasised is the evidence that from Biblical times to the present, mind-altering drug usage among leaders and their societies like the suspect Biblical Prophets, the Romans, Aztecs, Scythians, and modern drug- addicted leaders like Hitler and Jim Jones have relished in egomania, death, gore and mass murder, always proposing to be heeding directions from obviously malevolent higher powers.

This alternate study must be developed for the better understanding of our vulnerable population.

The problem will not be wished away; it will only get worse, and the threshold of the worse is already coming up the national steps.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

The ‘Kevin Hart’ affair THIS weekend, things get started on Saturday, where the biggest talk this week has been the “Split in Di Middle” dance-off competition that’s going to be going down at the Diamond Tarmac tomorrow!

There’s also the short jeans party at Palm Court, where the ladies will be out to represent in the gender face-ofd with the guys!

There’s some American football Sunday night, and, as always, 704 Sports Bar has you catered!

During the day, for some good wholesome family fun, you could swing by a sports day that the Rotary Club is having at Bourda, and support a worthy cause!

You could also get a chance to support relief for our hurricane-affected victims while also having some fun at another party happening down at the District Ultra Lounge up at Giftland, also on Sunday.

TOMORROW

592 Movement and Jumo Primo present the annual short jeans party reloaded! It’s “Short Jeans: Gender Face-off, Equal Rights and Justice” at Palm Court!

Two male Vs two female DJs! Selector Carla and Shizzle from the Boom Station, and DJ Anisah and Reecietee out of Trinidad will bring the vibes!

Anything goes, and it will be epic! Ladies free before 22:00hrs! Admission: $2000.

We ah go split it pon Diamond Tarmac! Dwayno, Hot Skull, and Bald Head present the “Split It In Di Middle” party and dance- off competition that is going to be heated at the Diamond Tarmac.

First prize $50,000, second prize $25,000, and $10,000 for third! Anyone can enter! Mr. Split-InDi-Middle Freezy will take the stage live! Gully Ras, Diamond, DJ Stephen among others will keep the vibes going!

It’s Corona Happy Hour with Jermaine at the Mixed Moods Jazz Sports Bar and Restaurant this and every Saturday!

Special music performance by DJ Avalanche and the Corona Girls! Free Cutters with the purchase of three or more buckets of Corona.

SUNDAY

Young Pioneers will be hosting a party to raise funds for charitable activities, including aid for victims of Hurricane Irma at District Ultra Lounge!

Get ready for great music and great fun. Party starts at 20:00hrs! Admission: $2000.

It’s Sunday night football at 704 Sports Bar! If you’re hoping to catch this weekend’s game of the Raiders Vs Redskins, then there’s no better place to be than 704 Sports Bar.

The Rotary Club of Georgetown is having a Day of Sports at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Bourda!

There’s going to be tug-o-war, cricket, lime- andspoon, egg throw, sack race and much, much more fun for the entire family!

Snacks and drinks will be on sale! BBQ $1200.

ALLEGATIONS of cheating and an alleged extortion attempt are taking a toll on Kevin Hart’s pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish. “[Eniko] has been hounded by the press, and is very upset,” a source tells PEOPLE. “She is trying to stay healthy and enjoy her pregnancy, but the latest drama is too much.”

Over the weekend, Hart, 36, issued an emotional apology to his pregnant wife and children on Instagram, in which he claimed there was someone who was trying to make “financial gain” from his misbehaviour. Reports surfaced that federal officials are investigating an alleged blackmail attempt that reportedly includes a “sexually provocative” video of Hart.

After flying out to Los Angeles earlier this week to be with his family, Parrish has returned to Atlanta with the comedian while he continues to shoot his latest film.

And while the couple appears as a united front, the source says Parrish still feels “let down” by Hart. “She

can’t trust him.”

But despite the current setback, Parrish is still standing by her wedding vows.

“She is adamant about working through it,” adds the source. “She won’t give up on their marriage.”

A second source previously told PEOPLE that Hart is “embarrassed” by the scandal.

“Kevin’s not doing too well,” said the source. “He’s really embarrassed that all of his personal business is out there for everyone to see.”

On Wednesday, the woman at the centre of the sex-extortion video scandal came forward at a press conference saying, “I am not an extortionist. I had nothing to do with these recordings.”

Attorney Lisa Bloom said model and actress Montia Sabbag was the victim of multiple felonies after being secretly taped in Hart’s Las Vegas hotel room “about a month ago”.

“It is a crime to secretly put cameras in a private place like a hotel room,” Bloom said. “It is another crime to secretly record people in a private place. It is yet another crime to distribute those images. Montia is the victim of multiple felonies under state and federal laws.” (People.com)

Serena’s fiancé over the moon --about newborn daughter and being a dad ALEXIS Ohanian may be the co-founder of Reddit, but he’s just discovered the most rewarding job of his life: Being a dad.

Serena Williams’ fiancé took to Instagram early Thursday to gush over his new role as father to the couple’s newborn daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. The 34-year-old posted a sweet snap of his baby girl, who was born on Sept.

1, and wrote the touching caption, “Dad life is the greatest. Entrepreneurship is all-consuming, it’s sleepless, we call our startups our ‘babies,’ we are ridiculously proud of them, and we pour all of ourselves into them— but she is already all that and more, she is my legacy.”

On Sept. 13, the tennis champ finally revealed her newborn baby girl’s moniker. When revealing their daughter’s name, Serena posted the precious first snap of the twosome and wrote, “Meet Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.” Fortunately for all of the couples’ fans, Alexis and Serena also documented their entire pregnancy

journey, and are sharing just as much of her early days of life.

Prior to giving birth, Williams told Vanity Fair, that if you would have told her she would be pregnant one year ago, she “would have thought you were the biggest liar in the world.”

“This is kind of how I am right now, this is happening sooner than later, and it’s going by so fast,” she shared.

The Wimbledon winner also described finding out that she was expecting her

first child during a home pregnancy test, telling the magazine: “[I thought] I’ll take it just because (a) to prove you wrong and (b) because it’s fun, whatever. It’s like a joke, why not? An hour and a half later, I went back to the bathroom, and I totally forgot about it because it was impossible for me… So I went back to get dressed and I went back in the bathroom and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that test.’”

She explained her initial reaction upon seeing the test

results by revealing that she “did a double-take.”

Over the summer, the sports star’s soon-to-be husband opened up about how he knew that motherhood would come easily to his queen of the court.

“She’s very good at a lot of things, and well on her way to being an awesome mom too,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box before noting that he will be going on paternity leave from the company after their little one arrives.

(EOnline!)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Dem gone too far now

--Ninja Man, Bounty on Danielle D.I. & Ishawna feud DANCEHALL music has always been known for its melodramatic lyrical clashes between deejays.

But the lyrical feud between Danielle D.I. and Ishawna seems to be more than theatrics. Ishawna responded to the ‘Street Bicycle’ track done by her rival, and the original Dancehall, Queen Carlene.

The song also tells D.I. to prepare a family plot for herself, Carlene and her mother. In her song, ‘Walking Dead’, some consider Ishawna unprofessional, because they interpret that the artiste wishes death for D.I.’s mother who is seriously ill.

Dancehall legend, Ninja Man shared his dis-

appointment in the two female recording artistes.

“Dem jus’ a bring them private life to the public.

That is not lyrical confrontation; that is just tracing between two gyal!” he said.

“Is betta dem did go inna Half-Way Tree and trace,” added fellow legend, Bounty Killer.

Both veterans’ careers were built on their controversial performance styles and participation in clashes with other popular dancehall artistes which both claim were all for the love of music, and proving lyrical prowess.

“Music is not for vengeance; it should be for love and unity. It brings people back to happiness, and right now the two a dem need fi straighten out them sad life,” said Ninja Man. “Mi nuh too listen to dem, because it a become a total waste of time. At least D.I. is taking care of har mother.”

Fans of both female artistes have taken to social media to share their views.

Some are accepting of the entertaining side of the lyrics, while others have recognised the sensitive

subject of the lyrics.

One fan stated, “D.I. bring her (Ishawna) mom first by saying ‘thiefing modda’, so I don’t get why everybody jumping on Ishawna.”

While another fan said, “Me no agree nor disagree with D.I. to diss Ishawna mada, but one mother is on a dying bed; one is not.”

Ninja Man said: “The two of them need to go listen some veteran female artistes like Lady G and Junie Ranks to see how to clash.” Bounty Killer said all clashes follow the same guideline.

“You cannot get too personal. Yuh think seh people going to listen back to who sex who 20 years later? Personal insults will never become a classic,” he said. (The Star, Jamaica)

Alkaline tops Kartel on YouTube

ALKALINE stays ahead of Vybz Kartel on YouTube with his Vevo channel reaching a milestone 500,000 subscribers.

The two rival deejays’ fans have been battling each other on the airwaves and on social media over which one of them is currently the leading act in dancehall.

In comparison, Kartel currently has 364,000 subscribers on his Vevo channel. Sean Paul is currently the leading dancehall artiste on YouTube with 700,000+ subscribers.

Shaggy has just over 500,000 fans, and Spice has slightly more than Vybz Kartel, coming in at 384,000. Those round out the top five.

Vendetta and Gazanation fans are the rival factions in this bunch, and will surely reference this piece of news during their heated debate on which artiste is currently leading.

So far, it seems like Alkaline is winning on YouTube. But, who is winning on the airwaves?

This month alone,

Vybz Kartel released six new singles, as well as a new music video. And, so far, all of them are hit-worthy.

In February this year, Vybz Kartel bagged five Youth View Awards, while Alkaline walked away with three, prompting some Vendetta fans to call out the YVA on social media.

Gaza fans were happy with the results at the time, and labeled Alkaline fans sore losers.

(Dancehallhiphop.com)

Strut the Runway...

ement,” he told The Buzz.

But Randy sure won’t be the only show stopper in the lineup. François, who has been somewhat under wraps since his Guyana Fashion Week debut last November, is also known to bring a breath of fresh air with his designs.

Mwanza Designs recently dressed the reigning Miss World Guyana, Vena Mookram in a breathtaking all-black two piece number, and has always been a designer with an interesting flavour in his designs. And then there is N. Murray and her striking prom dresses among other outfits, that is sure to add a kick to things.

According to Traits Executive, Keith Allicock, after noticing that Guyana has been starved for a high standard fashion show as of recent, they decided it was time to bring back out ‘Strut’.

“Strut: Live the Runway” had first debuted in 2015 to rave reviews and a sold-out house when it was held at the Aura Night Club, atop Pegasus Hotel.

However, while the goal was always to see the event become an annual staple, the guys at Traits decided to hold out for another year.

This year just seemed to be the perfect time.

“We took time to re-

group and come back with a bang. People were always asking when would we have another fashion.

So we thought let’s keep them thirsty for a bit; not have a fashion show the next year, and so that sort of enthusiasm would be there,” Allicock said, adding: “But the aim is for it to be an annual event. Based on the feedback from this one, we will continue it. We haven’t seen any fashion show locally that would have impressed us, so we thought we’d have our show, and show people what a fashion really is. So we thought that let’s do one this year.”

Originally, the show

From Page 18 came into being as a way for Traits to showcase their models on an appropriate platform. So, as with any fashion show, it’s not just about the designers; fans will be looking for the models to impress.

At the front of them all will be Caribbean’s Next Top Model Cycle 3 alum, Nkechi Vaughn. But while the show will be largely Traits models, there will also be a few new faces.

Traits recently did a model call, to which some 80 up-and-coming models responded. Of that lot, a lucky few were given the nod, and will be a part of the November show.

Traits Model Management Executives, Oronde George and Keith Allicock at at the 2015 “Strut: Live the Runway” (Photos courtesy strukturetheblog)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

One arrested in GTT cable theft

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has commended public- spirited citizens and members of the law enforcement agencies for apprehending a person reported for cable theft.

The arrest followed closely on the heels of an offered reward of $500,000 for information leading to the apprehension of the perpetrator.

Only last week, on September 12 and 13, 300 meters of cable were stolen at New Hope and Friendship on the East Bank of Demerara re-

spectively.

After the cable was cut and removed more than 400 customers lost both voice and data services. Within a day of that theft, information was received in response to the reward offer.

The information led GTT security and law enforcement officers to Pasha’s Scrap Yard in Albouystown, where a purchaser of stolen GTT cable was apprehended around 22:30hrs on Wednesday, September 22.

GTT Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Nedd

Thursday morning was high in praise of the swift response of the Guyana Police Force.

“While we remain disheartened by the continued acts of vandalism against our fibre infrastructure and theft of copper cable, we are heartened by the swift response of the police once we had received the information,” he said.

GTT and law enforcement officers, buoyed by this arrest, continue to hunt for the saboteurs of the fibre network.

At a joint media conference with GTT at the Ministry

Record bust

GTT CEO, Justin Nedd

of Public Telecommunications in July, Minister Catherine Hughes had pledged government’s support for the GTT in apprehending persons who damage GTT infrastructure, pointing out that there were stiff provisions in the law, referencing Section 131 of the Criminal Law Offenses Act Chapter 8:01.

“We are also very happy with the support we got from the government, especially from the ministers of public security, business, and public telecommunications during

this episode. The government’s actions were in keeping with their commitments made in public,” the GTT CEO said.

GTT announced the system of cash rewards at the July media conference in a push to ensure that perpetrators of vandalism and theft are no longer able to undermine business and put citizens and public services at risk by bringing down the network for their own nefarious gain. GTT is happy to see that the reward initiative worked for the benefit of all.

narcotics supply in New York City. The drug is driving a spike in fatal overdoses.

The number of fatal overdoses far outpaces the number of homicides in Queens, District Attorney, Richard

The seized drugs Brown said.

“We are facing a new and increasingly deadly crisis in our communities,” Brown said.

“These two investigations that led to the seizure

of these drugs will undoubtedly save lives and we will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to combat this growing epidemic.” (pix11. com)

–– enough fentanyl to kill 32 million people seized in Queens

AGENTS made a record fentanyl bust in Queens and seized an amount large enough to kill 32 million people.

Fentanyl, also known as fentanil, is an opioid pain medication with a rapid onset and short duration of action.

Officers seized nearly 270 pounds of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine worth $30 million during separate busts, law enforcement officials said Monday. They also arrested four people.

“The sheer volume of fentanyl pouring into the city is shocking,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Bridget Brennan.

Investigators first recovered more than 140 pounds of fentanyl during a raid on a Kew Gardens apartment, along with nearly 59 pounds of fentanyl mixed with other narcotics.

A fentanyl dose weighing just two to three milligrams can be deadly. The amount of pure fentanyl seized could

Contracts awarded for two new health centres in Region 5 CONTRACTS have been awarded for the construction of two new Health Centers in Region Five, at a total cost of $47M, both won by G. Singh Contracting Services.

Regional Engineer Dhanpaul Sukha said that the contracts for a new health centre at Carlton Hall Mahaicony costing $23M and one at Cotton Tree Village West Coast Berbice costing $24M had been signed earlier this week.

The contractor is expected to complete and handover both buildings, which are to be built according to “smart health facilities” standards in ten weeks. The concept of “Smart” health facilities state that they create dynamic and engaging settings that cater to the individualised needs of patients and identify opportunities for staff and administrators that broaden treatment options, as well as where that treatment is provided.

The credo is: “Safe + Green =Smart.”

Sukha recently explained that there are certain facilities which will be built into the two centres such as a ramp for access by disabled persons, washroom facilities for handicapped people, lots of natural ventilation, adequate fire protection, as well as green economy concepts such as installation of LED light bulbs in the buildings instead of the traditional fluorescent lights.

The centre at Carlton Hall will replace the building currently being used at neighbouring High Dam. Sukha explained that the building at High Dam was more of a community building than a health facility and had the major disadvantage that the health facilities were on the upper floor building thereby posing a hazard for patients who had to negotiate the stairs.

The centre at Mon Choisi replaces the one currently at Cotton Tree, which had been constructed on a plot of privately owned land.

have yielded approximately 32 million lethal doses.

They arrested Rogelio Alvarado-Robles and Blanca Flores-Solis in that bust.

Investigators also recovered 55 pounds of fentanyl and heroin in a September seizure in the Bronx. They took two people — Edwin Guzman, 35, and Manuel Rivera-Santana, 32 — into custody.

Fentanyl is approximately 50 times stronger than heroin and is increasingly found mixed into the illicit

Pradoville2 land scam probe wrapping up INVESTIGATIONS into the Sparendaam Housing Project - Pradoville 2 are nearing completion, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon revealed on Thursday.

Harmon in response to questions on the subject told reporters that as far as he is aware the investigation is almost complete.

“There is some question of the valuation to be placed on the lands and that I believe is the last element that is being considered… what value is to be placed on the lands,” the Minister of State said.

Back in March, former President, now Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, along with several former ministers of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and representatives of that party were arrested and questioned by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in relation to the alleged Pradoville 2 land scam.

The State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) had recommended that Attorney General, Basil Williams

put systems in place to facilitate charges of “misconduct in public office” being laid against Jagdeo and five ministers of the former administration: Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud; Public Service Minister,Dr. Jennifer Westford; Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; Labour Minister,Dr. Nanda Gopaul and Home Affairs Minister,Clement Rohee.

That recommendation

by SARU follows an investigation into the procedures employed prior to the transfer and issuance of prime real estate at Sparendaam, lower East Coast Demerara, to the former government ministers and persons believed to be their friends. Last year, the Ministry of Finance handed over the final reports of the forensic audits done on the Sparendaam Housing Project- Pradoville 2 (Special Investigation of the Central Housing and Planning Authority) to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), thereby paving the way for the GPF to open criminal probes into the matter.

The APNU+AFC coalition government has indicated that those found culpable in wrongdoings with respect to the sale of lands at the Pradoville 2 Housing Project should be prosecuted.

Forensic audits done on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) had revealed that some $257 million were spent on development of the Pradoville 2 housing project, and the value of land there should have been $82.8 million per acre, instead of the significantly less sum for which an acre was sold.

“Instead of accumulating all the costs associated with the Sparendaam Project — including the market value of the land — in a special account to be applied in arriving at the price to be charged per house lot, NICIL’s Board and Cabinet were complicit in charging the related costs of $257.049M to NCN in the form of equity investment, and to CH&PA in the form of receivables. “The fact that several key Cabinet members are the beneficia-

ries of the house lots renders it highly inappropriate for the very Cabinet to approve of the charging of the expenditure to the accounts of NCN and CH&PA,” the audit report stated.

The report which was released by the Ministry of Finance, said the use of a “conservative estimate of $985M for the 2009 market valuation of the land on which the Marriott has been constructed prior to infrastructure being undertaken on a similar size land (makes) the total value of the Sparendaam project work out to $1.242B or $82.8M per acre.

This figure should have been used to compute the price per lot.

It is not clear: (a) how many lots are involved, and their respective sizes; (b) the basis under which the recipients were selected; (c) how the price of approximately $1.5M per lot was determined; and (d) which entity — NICIL or CH&PA — received the proceeds from the sale of the plots”, the audit report disclosed.

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Kuldeep hat-trick sparks Australia defeat in Kolkata KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav took a hattrick to help India comfortably beat Australia by 50 runs in the second one-day international at Eden Gardens yesterday and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing India’s total of 252 all out, the touring side appeared comfortably placed at 138-4 before they suffered a collapse and were bundled out for 202 in the 44th over.

The 22-year-old Kuldeep had not enjoyed success in his first seven overs and gave away 39 runs. But he dismissed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in his eighth over to turn the match in India’s favour.

He is only the third Indian to take a hat-trick in one day internationals after Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma.

Kuldeep’s triple strike snuffed out Australia’s hopes of squaring the series as the visitors were reduced to 148-8 in the 33rd over. The left-arm spinner finished with figures of 3-54 in his quota of 10 overs.

Australia captain Steve Smith and Travis Head propped up their team’s chase with a 76run stand for the third wicket after India seamer Bhuvne-

shwar Kumar had dismissed openers Hilton Cartwright and David Warner cheaply.

Head was out for 39 to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal while Smith fell for 59, caught in the deep when trying to pull all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Kumar dismissed Kane Richardson for a nought with the first delivery of his second spell to complete India’s win and finish with miserly figures of three for nine runs from 6.1 overs. Marcus Stoinis was left stranded on 62 not out at the other end.

Earlier, India’s innings was built on captain Virat Kohli’s sublime 92 and opener Ajinkya Rahane’s 55. The duo added 102 for the second wicket after Kohli had won the toss and opted to bat.

India looked set for a total in excess of 300 when they reached 186-3 in the 36th over but they lost their way after suffering a mini collapse, losing Kedar Jadhav (24), Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (five) in quick succession.

Pace duo Nathan CoulterNile and Richardson both picked up three wickets each for Australia, who must now win the third ODI at Indore on Sunday to stay alive in the series.

Australia sucker-punched by Kuldeep Yadav’s hat-trick. (BCCI)

SCOREBOARD

INDIA innings A. Rahane run-out 55 Ro. Sharma c & b Coulter-Nile 7 V. Kohli b Coulter-Nile 92 M. Pandeyb Agar 3 K. Jadhav c Maxwell b Coulter-Nile 24 M. Dhoni c Smith b Richardson 5 H. Pandya c Warner b Richardson 20 B. Kumar c Maxwell b Richardson 20 K. Yadav c Wade b Cummins 0 J. Bumrah not out 10 Y. Chahal run-out (Wade) 1 Extras: (b-1, nb-1, w-13) 15 Total: (all out, 50 overs) 252 Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-121, 3-131, 4-186, 5-197, 6-204, 7-239, 8-239, 9-246.

Bowling: P. Cummins 10-1-34-1 (w-1), N. Coulter-Nile 10-0-51-3 (w-5) K. Richardson 10-0-55-3 (nb-1, w-1), M. Stoinis 9-0-46-0 (w-2), A. Agar 9-0-54-1 (w-2), T.

Head 2-0-11-0 (w-1).

AUSTRALIA innings H. Cartwright b B. Kumar 1 D. Warner c Rahane b B. Kumar 1 S. Smith c sub. b H. Pandya 59 T. Head c M. Pandey b Chahal 39 G. Maxwell stp. Dhoni b Chahal 14 M. Stoinis not out 62 M. Wade b K. Yadav 2 A. Agar lbw b K. Yadav 0 P. Cummins c Dhoni b K. Yadav 0 N. Coulter-Nile c & b H. Pandya 8 K. Richardson lbw b B. Kumar 0 Extras: (b-4, lb-6, w-6) 16 Total: (all out, 43.1 overs) 202 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-9, 3-85, 4-106, 5-138, 6-148, 7-148, 8-148, 9-182.

Bowling: B. Kumar 6.1-2-9-3,J. Bumrah 7-1-39-0, H. Pandya 100-56-2 (w-1), Y. Chahal 10-1-34-2 (w-3), K. Yadav 10-1-54-3 (w-2).

Wins for GCC, DCC and Rose Hall CITY teams, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) along with the Rose Hall Club of Berbice, have all recorded contrasting wins in the latest round in the Well Teen/Trophy Stall/ Tropical Springs/Nauth Motor Spares Under-13 cricket competition at the Demerara Cricket Club ground.

GCC whipped GYO by 107 runs. Batting first, GCC made 168-8 in their 25 overs, with Rahul Singh hitting 45, Rivaldo Phillips 27, and Mitra Dhanraj 12. Extras contributed 45 to the toral.

Bowling for GYO, Dilshan Ramnarine had 3-33 while Anthony Hutson claimed 2-23. In reply, GYO

were skittled out for 61 in 17 overs. Sami Mussain (12), was the only batman to reach

Romeo Deonarine

a double figure. Yohance Angoy claimed 3-9 while Sanjay

Persaud and Aryan Persaud had 2-8 and 2-15 respectively.

Rose Hall beat City team Everest by 83 runs. After deciding to bat first, Rose Hall managed to score 147-9 in 15 overs, with Surendra Kamcharan hitting a top score of 24. Jermey Saudia contributed 20 while Shaeam Khan made 12. Extras contributed 52.

Bowling for Everest, Raynoldo Mohammed had 3-23.

In reply, Everest were bowled out for 64 in 14 overs. Mohammed made 15. Bowling for the visitors Christopher Deroop (2-8), Mathew Protoya (2-9), Jeremy Sandia (210) and Wayne Williams (211), were the chief destroyers.

Rose Hall then lost to

DCC by nine wickets. The visitors were bundled out for just 34 in 9.3 overs. Romeo Deonarine (5-9) did the damage. He received support from Jason Holder (2-5) and Daniel Mootoo (2-10). DCC reached 35-1 in 8.2 overs.

The tournament continues today, with Everest playing DCC from 18:00hrs. Blairmont will oppose GYO tomorrow from 13:00hrs while Blairmont and TSC battle on Sunday from 18:00hrs. Two games are billed for DCC. Meanwhile, GCC lead the point standings on 81 followed by DCC (70), TSC (57), GYO (51), Rose Hall (36), Blairmont (27) and Everest (21).

Scotiabank Charity Golf Classic tees off tomorrow … $250 000 for charities

THE Scotiabank Charity Golf Classic has over the years provided support to a number of charitable organisations and this year’s event will be no different.

Billed for tomorrow at the Lusignan Golf Course, winners of the Golf Classic, will have $250 000 to donate to charities of their choice.

This confirmation came recently after Products and Marketing Manager for Scotiabank Jennifer Cipriani handed over a cheque to Club Captain

Brian Glasford.

This has become a tradition of the bank to combine its support for golf with its commitment to local charities.

It is part of a generous $1.2M package of sponsorship and prizes including golf bags and other equipment.

Tee-off is 12:30hrs in the medal play format.

The registration fee for is $3 000, and will include a meal and a round of drinks.

Products and Marketing Manager of Scotiabank, Jennifer Cipriani, hands over a symbolic cheque to Club Captain Brian Glasford.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Sport Minister makes ...

Continued from back page about his ‘take over’ of the two-day stop in Trinidad and ministry of Youth, Sport and Tobago before leaving for Culture, after former Junior Grenada on October 5.

Minister Nicolette Henry Pernel Schultz had led was elevated to the post of Guyana to a 2-0 victory over Minister of Education.

Grenada on March 29, 2015 Norton, who also served at the Guyana National Stadias a vice-president of the um, scoring both goals in the Athletics Association of Guy- first half, but FIFA declared ana (AAG), told the players it a loss by forfeit for Guyana about his love for the game, (3-0), citing articles of the and while his heart is in the FIFA Disciplinary Code. right place where sport is The GFF was fined 4 concerned, “we don’t know it 000 Swiss francs (G$859 all. Sometimes we can’t do it 000) for playing Matthew but what we must prepare to Briggs, after FIFA’s Disdo is give it our best shot and ciplinary Committee had that is what I’m prepared to do conducted an investigation with sports.” in the England-based playThe minister also stated er’s participation in an that his ministry is pre- International ‘A’ friendly pared to work closely with match. the GFF to help present a The squad: (goalkeepwell-rounded team and one ers) Richie Richards, Alex that truly represents Guy- Murray, Jonathan Copeana’s diversity. land, Kellon Major. (deAfter calling 28 local fenders) Jeremy Garrett, players to trials, Dover initial- Jamaine Cummberbatch, ly said the players earned their Delroy Ferdinand, Travis ‘call-up’ to the squad from Henry, Cecil Jackman, Shoperformances in the Corona mol Smith, Solomon Austin.

Beer Cup and Mayor’s Cup. (midfielders) Curtez KelThe other players, Do- man, William Europe, Ryan ver said, who make up the Dowding, Denzil Fordyce, squad are players who are Delwyn Fraser, Eusi Philpart of the senior national lips, Anthony Benfield, Eon pool. According to Dover, Alleyne, Ryan Hackett, Dea shortlist of the local squad lon Wrights, Jamal Pedro, will be done prior to depar- Darren Benjamin, Dwyane ture and they will be joined McLennon, Jamal Haynes. by the selected internation- (forwards) Gregory Richal players. ardson, Shane Haynes and Guyana team will make a Randolph Wagner.

Gayle a doubt for remainder of ODI series WEST Indies batting star Chris Gayle could miss the rest of the team’s One Day International (ODI) series after suffering a hamstring injury.

Gayle, who is celebrating his 38th birth anniversary, was ruled out of the second match at Trent Bridge yesterday, with scans expected to confirm the severity of the injury suffered during the first ODI at Old Trafford.

The batsman, who scored 37 during the first fixture, did come out to warm up ahead of the second match but reported to team captain Jason Holder that he had aggravated the injury just ahead of the toss.

“Chris Gayle came to

me before the toss and said he was feeling something in his hamstring,” Holder told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special. “ H o p e f u l l y i t ’s n o t something too serious and it’s a precaution.

“He came to me as I was walking up to the coin so I don’t know the extent of the injury,” the all-rounder added.

The batsman only recently returned to playing the format following an almost two-year absence, after regulations put in place by the-then West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) ruled many of the team’s senior players out of contention for selection.

(Sportsmax.com)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

GUYANA FOOTBALL FEDERATION INC. (GFF)

Extra Time

MEET THE GOLDEN JAGUARS The locally-based provisional squad of the Golden Jaguars has intensified preparations for the upcoming International Friendly against Grenada on October 7, 2017 in Grenada. The team trains thrice weekly under the watchful eyes of Interim Head Coach Wayne Dover assisted by

Interim Assistant Coach, Bryan Joseph.

On Wednesday, 20th September, Hon Minister of Social Cohesion with Responsibility for Youth, Sport and Culture, Dr. George Norton, paid a courtesy call to the training session where he met the team members before providing brief remarks.

Training was held from 19:00hrs - 21:00hrs at the Guyana Defence Force Ground, Camp Ayanganna.

EXTRATIME spoke with some members of the squad and shares some of the interesting thoughts shared.

DELROY FRASER

SHERWYN CEASAR

EUSI PHILLIPS

Forward

» “It’s an honour for me to be in the national team. My greatest desire in life is to make my country proud and if I’m selected in the national squad (final 18), that would bring such a joy to my life. I know I will do a 110%. This is the highest level in Guyana, that is, to be a part of the squad and I‘m honored.”

Forward

» “I would like to leave a good impression in the sport but also I would like to leave hope with the youths. Don’t give up hope, have faith that you can do it despite of where you’re from, just put hope in it. When I was young and the team was selected for the nationals, I never thought I will be selected but there was a cricket coach in my village (Mahaicony)

and he always told his players not to give up hope. From the time you begin to think of giving up hope, you have already lost the battle. So you have to always have hope with you. That’s the only thing I’ve been keeping all the time.

Anyone playing a sport, you need to hold on to hope as far as possible and know you’re good enough to make it.”

Midfielder

» “Playing for Guyana is so wonderful.

It brings a joy in my heart because I’d like the nation to see me. Some may know my gifting as a footballer. I love playing for Guyana; it’s an honour for me and my family especially for the residents of the area I’m from. When they hear I’m in the national team, it’s like “bringing God to the nation”, people are happy and excited. People are supportive and happy when they see or hear I’m in the national team. It’s a great honour playing for my country.”

PRODUCED BY THE GUYANA FOOTBALL FEDERATION INC. (GFF) AND DESIGNED BY THE GUYANA CHRONICLE

For further Information or should you have questions/comments , please contact: General Secretary Guyana Football Federation (GFF) 17 Dadanawa Street, Section “K” Campbelville, Georgetown TEL: +1 592 227 8758 ext. 102 FAX: +1 592 225 2096

e-mail: gff@networksgy.com WEBSITE: www.gffonline.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/GuyanaFootballFederationInc INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/guyana_football_federation_inc/ SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/guyana-football-federation-inc LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guyana-football-federation-inc TWITTER: @GFF_Inc_

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Granger unveils Patron’s Scoreboard and Monument at Rose Hall

Regional Chairman David Armogan assists President David Granger to commission the 175th Anniversary Monument.

PRESIDENT David Granger recently unveiled the Patron’s Scoreboard, and a Monument, constructed in memory of the fifty-seven freed slaves who purchased Rose Hall Village in 1842 from European Planter John Henry Baird.

The two projects are part

of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS support towards the 175th Anniversary of Rose Hall Village.

Delivering the feature address at the 175th Anniversary of Rose Hall Village at the Area ‘H’ Ground, the President, who is also the honorary Patron of RHTY&SC, said

Three matches billed for Hamilton Green football at Victoria ground THE Hamilton Green Cup knock-out football tournament will continue on Sunday at the Victoria ground, East Coast Demerara with a triple-header beginning at 17:00hrs.

In the opening game, Georgetown’s Western Tigers, who placed third in the recently concluded Corona football tournament, will face East Bank’s Soesdyke Falcons. The second fixture brings together Mahaica Determinators of East Coast and Riddim Squad of East Bank.

In the feature game from 21:00hrs Ann’s Grove of East Coast will tackle their East Coast counterparts Bakewell Buxton.

In the last set of matches played at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden, home s i d e s Wi n n e r s C o n nection and Milerock booked quarter-final spots with comprehen-

sive victories over Kuru Kururu (4-0) and Soesdyke (3-0) respectively.

Keon Sears had recorded a brace for Winners Connection in the 24th and 31st minutes, while Marlon Davidson (5th) and Quintin Andries (15th) were the other goalscorers for Winners Connection.

In the feature game, Denzil Fordyce of Milerock had found the back of the opposition’s net in the 15th and 72nd minutes. The other goal was scored by Royston Fraser in the 84th minute.

Meanwhile, the competition will continue on October 1 with another triple-header, this time at the Georgetown Football Club, where Santos of Georgetown will challenge Uitvlugt of West Coast Demarera, Police will face Den Amstel and GFC will take on Golden Grove.

“I am proud to be present here today to commission the 175th Monument and the Patron’s Scoreboard.

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and its nine cricket teams during the period July to September, organised a series of activities for President Grang-

RHTYSC Patron, His Excellency President David Granger, unveils the Patron’s Scoreboard.

er’s birth anniversary, including the Patron’s Green Economy tournament, the unveiling of the scoreboard, distribution of school bags, exercise books, bicycles and cricket gear.

Club Secretary Hilbert Foster stated that the monument would serve as a permanent reminder to residents

of Rose Hall Town of the vision of the 57 founding fathers who laid the foundation for the present generation to build on.

The monument was designed by the Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 team, and constructed with assistance of the Guyana Prison Service.

The scoreboard was con-

GCA cricket continues this weekend

THE Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) first and second division cricket tournaments will continue this weekend.

One match will be contested in the GISE/Star Party Rentals/ Trophy Stall first division cricket competition while three games will be played in the Noble House Seafoods second division competition.

In the first division fixture, UG will play GDF at Malteenoes, with Cyril Garnath and Linden Matthew calling play. Match starts at 09:30hrs daily.

In the second division competition, Police and Sophia oppose each other at GNIC, with Abena Parker and Joseph Jeffrey the umpires in charge. GYO host DCC, with Matthew Kissoon and Shermilla Austin the umpires, while Malteenoes tackle GDF at Camp Ayanganna. Ernest Hinds and Stephon Josiah are the umpires for that fixture.

Play starts at 10:30hrs each day.

Local cyclists to battle in Laparkan Holdings 11-race cycle programme MOST of the country’s top cyclists will take to the inner circuit of the National Park tomorrow when cycle coach Hassan Mohamed organises the Annual Laparkan Holdings-sponsored 11-race cycle programme starting at 09:00hrs.

The feature event, a 35-lap race for schoolboys, novices and invitational cyclists, is expected to see top local cyclists battling for honours.

The defending champion is veteran cyclist Junior Niles, but unlike last year, he can expect serious competition from the likes of Alonzo Ambrose, Jamal John, Andrew Hicks, Paul DeNobrega, Romello Crawford,

Mario King and Curtis Dey. The above-named cyclists will use the race as a warm-up for Sunday’s Victor Macedo Road Race – Georgetown to Linden Highway and back.

These two events follow on the heels of a gruelling 98-mile road race which was staged last Sunday.

Tomorrow also, a new juvenile winner will be crowned, as last year’s winner, Briton John, is currently in the United States preparing for the Junior World Championships.

Laparkan Holdings’ Human Resources Manager Lynette Shivlochan is expected to make the presentation of prizes to the respective winners.

English Racing Tips Newbury 08:20 hrs Buffer Zone 08:50 hrs Beshaayir 09:25 hrs Rogue 09:55 hrs Dance THE Dream 10:30 hrs Macaque 11:00 hrs Second Thought 11:35 hrs Lamya 12:05 hrs Crushed Newton Abbot 09:35 hrs Coole Cody 10:05 hrs Amour De Nuit 11:10 hrs Third Estate 11:45 hrs Gingili 12:15 hrs Darling Maltaix Newcastle 12:45 hrs Mobbhij 13:15 hrs Chilli Jam 13:45 hrs Champarisi 14:15 hrs Geesala Brave 14:45 hrs Lina’s Star 15:15 hrs Deleyla 15:45 hrs Lady Of The Lamp 16:15 hrs Hadley Irish Racing Tips Downpatrick 08:45 hrs Hardline 09:15 hrs Naughty But Nice 09:50 hrs Up For Discus-

structed by the cricket teams, and was designed by the Farfan & Mendes Under-15 and the Bakewell Under-17 teams.

The scoreboard, located at the Area ‘H’ Ground, was constructed at the cost of $150 000.

The club for 2017 has so far completed a total of 525 programmes/activities. sion 10:20 hrs Get Smart 10:55 hrs Delayed Eloquence 11:25 hrs TB Broke Her 12:00 hrs Roseriver South Africa racing Tips Fairview 08:55 hrs Maverick Girl 09:30 hrs Off The Bit 10:05 hrs Crackpot 10:45 hrs Katniss Greyville 11:10 hrs Mighty Mississippi 11:40 hrs On The Bounce 12:10 hrs Just One More 12:40 hrs Royal Bodyguard 13:10 hrs Warrior’s Stone 13:55 hrs Mumsy’s Jet 14:28 hrs Dance Off 15:00 hrs O’Reilly American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Shoot the Gap Race 2 R Lucky Charm Race 3 What a Catch Race 4 Purely Lucky Race 5 Spring for More Race 6 Beat the Benchmark Race 7 Jewel Can Disco Race 8 Portmagee Race 9 New Canaan

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Minister Norton anxious to implement … Looking to make full comprehensive sports plan use of budgetary allocation

By Rawle Toney

was to finally be in a position to serve in the capacity of his

DR George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion, seems to have a master plan on how he intends to change the landscape of sports in Guyana since taking charge of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport on September 1.

Norton, who also served as Minister of Public Health after a change of Government in 2005, is no stranger to sports in Guyana, with his exploits in football, athletics, swimming and other areas of sports being well documented.

Upon adding sports as an area of control to his portfolio in the President David Granger-led government, Norton had spoken on many occasions about how excited he

passion.

On Wednesday, speaking

Dr George Norton shares a light moment with Golden Jaguars head coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover during his recent visit to the team’s national training session. (Adrian Narine photo)

Griffith encourages Franchise League cricketers to play smart cricket … says performance key for national selection

By Rajiv Bisnauth AS the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Franchise League three-day cricket tournament approaches the halfway stage, chairman of the senior selection panel, Rayon Griffith, has implored cricketers participating in the League to play smart cricket which will ultimately aid in their performance.

The League, which replaced the traditional Inter-county competition, comprises eight franchises; geared at placing Guyana’s cricket on a more solid footing.

However, Griffith, who is also the Guyana Jaguars’ assistant coach/manager, feels that while the League continues to help the game locally, and at

the same time exposes players to a professional set-up, performances will be the key criteria for players to either retain their place or earn a spot to represent the Guyana Jaguars in the 2017–2018 regional first class session

Rayon Griffith

Point standings after round three: Teams

Matches

Wins

Loses

Essequibo

3

2

West Demerara

3

2

Upper Corentyne

3

Georgetown

3

3

Batting Bonus 4

Team Bowling Bonus 9

Fast Bowling Bonus .8

0

4

6

1.4

38.4

0

3

1

9

1

26

0

3

0

9

1.3

25.3

Abandon

Draw

0

Outright win 24

0

0

24

3

1

1

12

1

1

12

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday September 22, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Geoff Arnold (ENG vs AUST, Manchester, 1972) (2) Clive Lloyd (WI vs ENG, the Oval, 1973) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which Englishman has played most ODIs against the West Indies?

(2) Which West Indian has played most ODIs against England?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

“While the selection panel will be looking at a number of factors, players’ performances during the League will be the key criteria for selection to the national set-up,” Griffith said.

He added “Yes we have 15 contracted players, and a number of Academy players selected, but that does not mean that other players can’t make the Guyana Jaguars squad. Once they perform they will definitely be in the selectors’ eyes.

Apart from those contracted players, other players who have reached the selectors’ criteria are also eligible for national selection under the ‘Pay for Play’ criteria.”.

Meanwhile, the League resumes today, and the Essequibo Franchise have mainTotal 40.8

tained the lead in the eightteam fixture.

Essequibo emerged as point-standing leaders on 40.8 points, closely followed by West Demerara with 38.4.

For today’s fourth round fixtures; Lower Corentyne face East Bank at Young Warriors, Upper Corentyne battle West Demerara at Port Mourant, West Berbice take on East Coast at Bush Lot and Georgetown go up against Essequibo at Tuschen.

exclusively with Chronicle Sport, the former Health Minister said “what we need to do is to make certain that all the budgetary allocations given for sports, be spent for and spent in time for the 2017 (budget).”

Norton’s predecessor Nicolette Henry, who now heads the Ministry of Education, was criticised for her obvious lack of interest in sports and at a meeting with her staff to announce her move to the ‘Brickdam Office’ confessed to not placing emphasis on sports as she did on culture and youth.

“I would hate to ever think that we will have to return moneys to the consolidated funds that were earmarked for sports, because from this time of the year, we’ve already

started preparing a budget for 2018, but whatever was in that budget for 2017, my immediate goal is to spend it; make certain that we use the money for what it was earmarked for,” said Dr Norton.

The Sport Minister further noted, “the second instance, I would want to see if we can try to make all the sporting facilities functional that are available. In other words, if we have a ground, it must be in a condition that our sports team can make use of.”

“I would really want a national team to be a true representation of the Guyanese population because I think we have the skills, even though it’s not completely harnessed in the sense that everyone is given that opportunity. I

want to ensure that everyone in Guyana is given an equal opportunity to be exposed,” Norton pointed out.

Expenditure in sports, t h e m i n i s t r y re c e i v e d $536,979,000 for 2017, compared to $295,460,000 it received for this year.

It means that sports got $241,519,000 more than it received in 2016, representing an increase of 82 percent for the Department. In addition, the National Sports Commission (NSC) was awarded $215,000,000 compared to $178,699,000 this year Current Expenditure.

The NSC, under Director Christopher Jones, also enjoyed an increase of $36,301,000 - a 20% boost from their previous budget allocation.

Regional Member Associations to receive subvention from GFF from January THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is scheduled to commence the monthly Financial Assistance Programme to Regional Member Associations in January 2018 as they seek to strengthen their affiliates’ capacity to implement their programmes.

According to a release from the GFF, this was made known to the regional member associations via correspondence dated Wednesday, September 13 and follows a decision taken at the GFF’s Ordinary Congress in May this year, where it was decided that all associations will receive a monthly subvention of $50 000.

Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, stated that the strengthening of good governance structures is key, and highlighted “under president Infantino’s leadership, strong emphasis is being placed on the overall Governance of Football globally.”

“While it is also true that the stigma of a pervasive culture of endemic corruption, impropriety and unaccountability looms ominously over Guyana and the wider football world, my executive committee is determined to demonstrate a clear departure from the practices of the past.

I remain optimistic that Guyana can lead the rest of the CFU region by implementing

with urgency the necessary Governance reforms which will in due course bolster the credibility of football administration,” Forde said.

To access the funds, the GFF has outlined criteria which their member associations must adhere to, which state, “Members must hold monthly meetings (Minutes to be submitted); Members must have an active bank account of which the Association’s president is one of the signatories; Members must submit a monthly income and expense report with supporting documents; Members must submit a monthly activity report.”

Second England, West Indies ODI abandoned NOTTINGHAM, England (CMC) – Persistent rain allowed just 14 deliveries before forcing the abandonment of the second One-Day International between England and West Indies at Trent Bridge here yesterday.

Sent in, the hosts had reached 21 without loss when the rains arrived after just 15 minutes of play to drive players from the field.

The weather abated enough for a scheduled 13:15hrs (08:15hrs Eastern Caribbean time) restart but quickly returned to squash any further hopes of play in the encounter.

In the time available, Alex Hales struck two fours to be unbeaten on 10 while partner Jonny Bairstow, who made an unbeaten maiden hundred in the opening game at Old Trafford last Tuesday, was not out on nine.

West Indies will now turn their attention to the third ODI of

the five-match series scheduled for Bristol on Sunday.

The Caribbean side lost the opening match by seven wickets to fall behind 1-0 in the series

ed to sweep the series either 4-0 or 5-0 in order to overhaul Sri Lanka in eighth, and clinch the remaining automatic berth at the showpiece.

West Indies huddle before the start of the second ODI at Trent Bridge yesterday. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

and also see their hopes of direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup dashed.

Starting the rubber ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, they need-

Only hosts England, along with the remaining top-seven ranked sides by the September 30 cut-off date, qualify directly for the competition.

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 22, 2017

Minister Norton anxious to implement comprehensive See Page sports plan 31

Sport Minister makes impromptu stop at Golden Jaguars training camp … Team urged to be good ambassadors

By Rawle Toney MINISTER of Social Cohesion, with the responsibility for sport, Dr George Norton, on Wednesday made an impromptu stop at Guyana’s national senior men’s team, the Golden Jaguars, who are in preparation for their October 7 clash against Grenada in St George’s.

Guyana will play the Grenadians at the Kirani James National Stadium for the first time since 2015 after having their 2–0 win over the men from the ‘Spice Isle’ at the Guyana National Stadium overturned by FIFA. “I read about the team training in the newspapers and I felt it was necessary to show my support,” Dr Norton told the players who gathered at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Camp Ayanganna ground, under the watchful

Sport Minister Dr George Norton greets 17-yearold Jeremy Garrett during his impromptu visit to the Golden Jaguars camp on Wednesday.

(Adrian Narine photo)

Nagamootoo to open Commonwealth Games Federation meeting of the Americas

… Partnership, governance and Gold Coast Games among issues to be discussed A P P R O X I M AT E LY 2 0 countries will gather in Guyana over the weekend, for the Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) meeting of the Americas, hosted by the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA).

Acting President Moses Nagamootoo President of the CGF, Louise Martin, is expected for the two-day event which will start with a workshop from 09:00hrs on Saturday at the GOA’s new headquarters at Liliendaal. The group will

focus and discuss the exploration of partnerships with other sport bodies, governance and have an overview of the Commonwealth Games Federation through 2022.

Steve Ninvalle, the event’s Media Liaison confirmed that acting President Moses Nagamootoo will declare the meeting opening on Sunday at 09:30hrs, with Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion, who also holds the responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, joining United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Guyana and Suriname representative Sylvie Fouet as guest speakers.

According to Ninvalle, Sunday’s meeting will deal with a number of issues, where the CFG Americas group will hear from the Regional Anti-Doping Agency (RADO) and more importantly, representatives from Gold Coast; the host for next year’s Commonwealth Games.

The 21st (XXI) Common-

wealth Games will be held in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, April 4-15, 2018.

It is the fifth time Australia will be hosting the Commonwealth Games.

ternational multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations.

The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and

eyes of coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover.

Norton is no stranger to the sport and is considered a big fan of football. He always lends support, especially to the hinterland players, even before his tenure with the David Granger-led Government of Guyana.

“I don’t want to sound like a politician but when we were going to send in our list for the elections, some young men saw me going down the road with the party and they said,: ‘our future minister of sport’ … but of course they (Government of Guyana) made me Minister of Public Health. Somewhere along the line, I felt that something was missing,” Dr Norton said.

While pledging his support to the team and sports in general, Norton spoke

Turn to page 28

Gayle a doubt for remainder of ODI series See page 28

Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin The Commonwealth Games (known as the British Empire Games 1930– 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1954–1966, and British Commonwealth Games from (1970–1974) is an in-

1946, which were cancelled due to World War II, has taken place every four years since then. The most recent Commonwealth Games took place in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Chris Gayle

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017