Guyana Chronicle E-paper 11-29-2018

THURSDAY 29th November, 2018

No.105473

High drama

at Linden mayoral election …Arindell re-elected in secret balloting after open voting produced tie

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Providing pathways to opportunities …persons with disabilities praise government for budget measures

Firemen charged for raiding passengers’ luggage

19 charges for Irfaan

PPP frontbencher and former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali after appearing in court charged with conspiracy to defraud the state (Samuel Maughn photo)

…on allegations of conspiracy to defraud gov't $174M SEE STORY ON PAGE 03

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…released on $100,000 bail each

GDF, Brazilian armed forces install eight wells in South Rupununi 05 PAGE

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge [right] and Ambassador of Brazil to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula cut the ribbon to officially hand over the wells to the communities

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

High drama at Linden mayoral election …Arindell re-elected in secret balloting after open voting produced tie

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE conference room at the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) came alive with celebratory screams and excitement after Waneka Arindell and Wainwright Bethune were re-elected for second terms as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.

This re-election came after two rounds of motions for the voting to be done via secret ballot. Arindell and newly elected Councillor who recently demitted office as Region 10 PNCR Chairman, Deron Adams, were nominated by two councillors each, before nominations were closed. The councillors

then voted twice for the votes to go to secret ballot and both times there was a tie. Anticipation and nervousness permeated the room as the Town Clerk Orleena Obermulla, asked for a brief intermission to seek advice on the very peculiar situation.

This was eventually done by secret ballot and Arindell collected nine votes of the 16. The elections for deputy mayor was also done by secret ballot and this too produced a tie between Bethune and newly elected Councillor Monica Hackshaw. Arindell however, used her casting vote in favour of Bethune, citing that for the past three years she has worked alongside him and he is very dili-

gent and hard-working.

Arindell in her victory speech said that she is happy that democracy has prevailed and she thanked her colleagues for standing their ground in electing a candidate of their choice.

She also thanked the administrative staff of the LMTC, who were loudly celebrating her re-election, for their support also. The other candidates that were sworn in on Wednesday from the APNU are Yanick Graham, Alicia Bentick, Lawrence Simon, Stephen Massiah, Leroy James, Lorna Calvan, Fern McKoy, Gary King and Kevin DeJonge. For the AFC, Roger Kingston and Norvelle Fredericks were sworn in and the PPP’s lone candidate, Sherry James.

They all swore on the Holy Bible to serve the people of Linden without fear or favour, affection and ill will.

The LMTC conference room was packed to capacity with regional offi-

Newly elected councillors of the Fourth Council of the Linden municipality

cials, stakeholders, former Mayors Stanley Smith and Carwyn Holland, relatives of the candidates and residents at large. Minister Valerie Adams-Yearwood who served as campaign

manager for the APNU, said that it is a rewarding feeling to see 13 of her candidates taking up 16 of the seats.

She urged the candidates to remain humble servants of the people since they have

great expectations of them.

“I want to remind you that as councillors, you are servants of the people and not masters; Linden is TURN TO PAGE

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19 charges for Irfaan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

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…on allegations of conspiracy to defraud gov’t $174M

By Clestine Juan FORMER Housing Minister Irfaan Ali was on Wednesday slapped with 19 charges for alleged conspiracy to defraud the state of some $174M for his role in the notorious Pradoville land-sale scandal.

He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was released on self-bail, claiming that the charges “… have made me stronger.”

Ali, 38, of Sea-spray, Leonora, West Coast Demerara, was not required to plead to the indictable charges.

In court, members of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) such as parliamentarian Bishop Juan A. Edghill and former Prime Minister Sam Hinds among others came to show their support for Ali. The charges read that between the year 2010 and 2015, Ali conspired with persons unknown to defraud the Government of Guyana when he acted recklessly in presenting the value of 19 plots of state land situated at Plantation Sparendaam and Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara and sold the said lands at a grossly undervalued price without first obtaining a valuation to determine the true value of the lands.

Ali is accused of defrauding the state of over $174M after selling the land at an undervalued price. The former minister of housing is accused of selling the lands to former President Bharrat Jagdeo; former Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon; and former ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Clement Rohee; Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, and former army head Gary Best and Fortune Developers Inc., Guyana.

He also sold lands at the

locations to former General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Lisa Ramotar; former President of the Private

are political in nature; she added that sale of the lands was done in accordance with national policies.

Nandlall explained that the charges brought before

former minister said. “No form of wickedness, no form of political victimisation or pressure that the government believe that they can bring on us [PPP] to silence us the op-

Irfaan Ali surrounded by his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) comrades.

Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo; the son of former Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Ghansham Singh; former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer Rajendra Singh; former president of the Caribbean Development Bank, Compton Bourne; Andrew Bishop, former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission; former Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Shaik Baksh, Safraaz Khan and George Hallaq.

Special Organised Crime Unit Prosecutor Patrice Henry made no objection to bail being granted to Ali. Ali is being represented by attorneys-at-law Anil Nandlall, Priya Manickchand, Jaya Manickchand, Sase Gunraj, and David Kissoon.

The attorneys argued for their client to be released on self-bail on the grounds that he does not pose a flight risk.

Manickchand argued that the charges were trumped up and

the court against his client were “unique offences”, stating that his client did nothing criminal. Nevertheless, the chief magistrate released Ali on self-bail and adjourned the matter until January 7, 2019. “This has made me stronger, I’m more resolute, I’m standing on a stronger foundation,” Ali told the media after his release.

He stressed that as it relates to the charges, during his tenure as minister of housing and the help of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, he had distributed more than 100,000 house lots and regularised house lots with the policies.

Ali argued that he did nothing unlawful, but the 19 charges were brought against him because of the PPP-affiliated names listed. “This has made me stronger, I’m more resolute, and I’m standing on stronger foundation to fight this injustice… I have nothing to fear; I have served to the best of my ability”, the

position that is [sic] exposing them " he added.

The controversial Pradoville Two issue came to the fore when the coalition government commenced several investigations into suspicious financial transactions of state officials, that bordered or amounted to corrupt practices and/or abuse of office. It was found that several persons close to the last government had received prime seafront lands belonging to the state at extraordinarily low cost.

It was reported that the “Pradoville” recipients, the majority of whom held very high positions within private or state organisations, received and later built posh or luxury homes on the properties after paying as little as $114 per square foot; citizens, on the other hand, were being made to pay as much as $500 a square foot for ordinary land.

The “Pradoville” arrangement was made during PPP’s term of office, 2010-2015.

Jagdeo’s property is eas-

High drama at Linden ... looking forward for greater things from you and as I look around the table I believe that you have the potential, the ability, the confidence and the skills to meet the expectations of the people of Linden,” she said.

Former Mayor Holland who also serves as the Pres-

ily the largest plot of land with the biggest mansion, equipped with a pool and other amenities. The “Pradoville” Two matter became even more controversial

ident of the Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM), urged the councillors to change their mindset and thinking to achieve progress and also urged the residents of Linden to hold the councillors accountable.

“Only when people are held accountable, then you will

see them taking their responsibility more seriously.”

Both Members of Parliament Jermaine Figueira and Audwin Rutherford also congratulated the council and told them that Linden is on the verge of great things.

The councillors were urged to learn from the mishaps of

the previous council.

Arindell said that she is hoping to meet with the new council in a few weeks to assess their skillsets so that they can effectively serve in the various committees. Arindell is a wife and mother of three. She is a former journalist and a

when it was related that taxpayers’ money was used to develop the land and remove a transmitter belonging to the National Communications Network at a cost of around $100M to develop the scheme for the prominent persons going to live there.

There was even more controversy surrounding the seafront properties, since there was no advertising of the state lands and it appeared that all the recipients who got property were handpicked by the then government.

In September 2010, parcels of land each measuring 0.3030 of an acre were sold to Robert Persaud, Shaik Baksh, Clement Rohee, Lisa Ramotar, Dr. Compton Bourne and Priya Manickchand for GUY$1.5M. Jagdeo purchased two acres for 9.8M and Jennifer Westford bought 0.3186 of an acre for GUY$1.

5; Ghansham Singh paid GUY$1,502,000 for 0.3005 of an acre. Andrew Bishop, Roger Luncheon, Rajendra

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Singh, Safraz Khan, and Ramesh Dookhoo each purchased 0.3005 of an acre for GUY$1.5M. George Hallaq and Nada Hallaq each paid GUY$5 million for 0.8422 of an acre, and Future Developers International (Guyana) Inc., whose sole director is Dr. Rajendra Singh purchased 0.5534 of an acre for GUY$3 million.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Hack paid GUY$1.4M for 0.2767 of an acre, and former Chief of staff of the Guyana Defence Force Gary Best paid GUY$1.5M for 0.3005 acre.

Earlier this year, former Finance Minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration Dr. Ashni Singh; and former National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Winston Brassington were charged with five counts of misconduct in public office, contrary to the public law.

The charges related to the selling of state-owned land to Queens Atlantic, National Hardware Guyana Limited, Scady Business Corporation and Multi-Cinemas Guyana Inc. One of the forensic audit reports on the operations of NICIL suggests that under the PPP administration, NICIL engaged in malpractices and had made poor decisions on behalf of the people of Guyana. The audit which was conducted by former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran had recommended criminal and/or disciplinary action against all those responsible for the interception of state revenues totalling $26.858B, in violation of the constitution.

Goolsarran had said that several laws were broken.

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teacher and served as mayor for eight months during the last council. Before that, she served as deputy mayor for two terms.

She had described her short stint as purpose-driven and is proud of her achievements. Some of these include the improve-

ment of garbage collection; council networking and twinning with international organisations and cities; institutional strengthening; debt management; founder of the junior mayor programme and more.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

He Jiankui defends ‘world’s first gene-edited babies’ (BBC) A Chinese scientist who claims to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies has defended his work.

Speaking at a genome summit in Hong Kong, He Jiankui said he was “proud” of altering the genes of twin girls so they could not contract HIV. His work, which he an-

nounced earlier this week, has not been verified.

Many scientists have condemned his announcement.

Such gene-editing work is banned in most countries, including China.

Professor He’s university - the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen - said it was unaware of the research project

and would launch an investigation. It said Mr He had been on unpaid leave since February.

Prof He confirmed the university was not aware, adding he had funded the experiment by himself.

What has the scientist claimed?

Prof He announced earlier this week that he had altered the DNA of embryos - twin girls - to prevent them from contracting HIV. On Wednesday, he spoke at the Human Genome Editing Summit at the University of Hong Kong for the first time about his work since the uproar.

He revealed that the twin girls - known as “Lulu” and “Nana” - were “born normal and healthy”, adding that there were plans to monitor the twins over the next 18 years.

He explained that eight couples - comprised of HIV-positive fathers and HIV-negative mothers - had signed up voluntarily for the experiment; one couple later dropped out.

Prof He also said that the study had been submitted to a scientific journal for review, though he did not name the journal.

He also said that “another potential pregnancy” of a gene-edited embryo was in its early stages.

But he apologised that his research “was leaked unexpectedly”, and added: “The clinical trial was paused due to the current situation.”

WHAT DO EXPERTS MAKE OF THE CLAIM? No-one really knew if he was going to show. The auditorium was packed by the time

Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 10:30 hrs

Prof He’s university has denied any knowledge of the research, which has not been peer-reviewed

He Jiankui walked on stage.

This is the man who says he has given China a world first.

The handful of experts I spoke to, after they’d sat and listened to him, said they believed him. They believe this happened. But the big, big problem was that his speech and answers afterwards were scant on detail.

At times he was evasive, failing to give anything like the detail about his work what he did, how he did it, who knew - that is required of any scientific project wishing to be regarded as credible.

He talked about the stigma attached to HIV/Aids in China and how important the family is to society, but he didn’t give the names of “some experts” he claimed had reviewed his work and offered feedback.

WHY IS IT THIS CONTROVERSIAL? The Crispr gene editing tool he claims to have used is not new to the scientific world, and was first discovered in 2012.

It works by using “molecular scissors” to alter a very specific strand of DNA - either cutting it out, replacing it or tweaking it.

Gene editing could potentially help avoid her-

itable diseases by deleting or changing troublesome coding in embryos.

But experts worry meddling with the genome of an embryo could cause harm not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes.

Prof He’s recent claims were widely criticised by other scientists.

Hundreds of Chinese scientists also signed a letter on social media condemning the research, saying they were “resolutely” opposed to it.

“If true, this experiment is monstrous. Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer,” Prof Julian Savulescu, an ethics expert at the University of Oxford, told the BBC. “This experiment exposes healthy normal children to risks of gene editing for no real necessary benefit.”

Many countries, including the UK, have laws that prevent the use of genome editing in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans.

Scientists can do gene editing research on discarded IVF embryos, as long as they are destroyed immediately afterwards and not used to make a baby.

Prof He’s experiment is prohibited under Chinese laws, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Xu Nanping told state media.

China allows in-vitro human embryonic stem cell research for a maximum period of 14 days, Mr Xu clarified.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

GDF, Brazilian armed forces install eight wells in South Rupununi DROUGHTS are no longer expected to affect the residents of the Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine, following the drilling of eight wells in eight communities in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo area.

According to a press release from the Department of Public Information, the wells, located in Aishalton, Chukrikednau, Karaudarnau, Achiwuib, Awarawaunau, Marunranau, Shea and Baisahidrum, were officially handed over to the communities on Wednesday. They should provide the residents with access to large quantities of water at a good temperature.

Delivering the feature address at the handing-over ceremony in Aishalton, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge commended the Brazilian and Guyanese team for an outstanding job in completing the wells on schedule, in less than two months.

“Guyana is a country susceptible and exposed to droughts and floods and this area is no exception to that… This is a continuous process… you have to ensure that [the wells] continue to work and we will continue to ensure that the technology to reduce the effect of drought in Region 9 is an initiative that will bear fruit,” Minister Greenidge said.

He noted that the project comes at an opportune time when Guyana and Brazil are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. He stated that maintaining the diplomatic ties required collaboration, which is evident at today’s event.

The project is a joint venture between the Engineering Corps of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the 6th Construction Battalion of the Brazilian Armed Forces with support from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Hydrometeorological office and the Ministries of Communities and Public Infrastructure.

The first batch from the Brazilian Army arrived in September and drilling of the wells commenced on

Government officials from Brazil and Guyana flanked by officers and ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the 6th Construction Battalion of the Brazilian Armed Forces at one of the completed wells in Aishalton

October 1.

Providing an overview of the project, Commanding Officer 6th BEC Brazilian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Vandir Pereira Soares said the well in Aishalton is 80 meters deep with a flow rate of 5,000 litres per hour; Karaudarnau 80 meters deep-flow rate 4,500 litres per hour; Awaruwaunau 100 meters deep--flow rate 4,000 litres per hour; Chukrikednau 80 meters deep--flow rate 6,000 litres per hour; Maruranau 80 meters deep-- flow rate 6,000 litres per hour; Shea 100 meters deep— flow rate 4,000 litres per hour, Achiwuib 6 meters deep-flow rate 6,000 litres per hour; Baisahidrum 8 meters deep-- flow rate 6,000 litres per hour.

According to the release, Minister of State Joseph Harmon noted that while the project initially faced challenges, it was successfully completed on time due to interagency cooperation.

The minister reaffirmed that this project is a reflection of government’s commitment towards providing all citizens with a “good life” regardless of where they live.

“Whatever resources are available to the state, in collaboration with the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), we are mandated to and will provide the good life. The matter of the drought has always been at the forefront of CDC and from the onset, all parties involved were committed to the mission of executing it,” Minister Harmon said.

He thanked the GDF and the Brazilian army and all parties involved for their outstanding performance for a great job done, particularly the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and contractor for excellent work on the roads to provide access to the communities.

Meanwhile, Minister responsible for Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Al-

licock, charged the residents to take full responsibility for the protection and management of the new wells.

“Water is life and the government is serious about supporting citizens in realising the good life. It cannot be done alone, there must be a partnership like that demonstrated here today and we have to work in unity to build our community,” he told the

gathering.

This venture stems from a complementary agreement to the 1982 Technical Cooperation Agreement made between the governments of Guyana and Brazil in December 2017 to address the issues of water scarcity and climate resilience in the Deep South.

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson; General Manager,

GWI, Dr. Richard VanWest Charles; Ambassador of Brazil to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula and Brigadier General, 2nd Engineering Group, Brazilian Army, Marcus Fontoura de Melo; and Toshaos for the eight communities were among those in attendance at the ceremony.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

Opportunities For Young Guyanese

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HETHER Guyana has a bright, productive future or a dismal, dark one depends, more than any other factor, on what the young people of today decide to do. As such, the current leaders of our country should create the environment for young Guyanese to develop themselves.

Fortunately, the Guyana government’s elected leaders have recognised that fact and are working to empower our youth to be productive and responsible citizens. The APNU+AFC administration is occupied with empowering the next generation of Guyanese to take over the mantle of leadership and positive development.

The development and empowerment of young people has been a priority of the administration since it took the role of government in 2015. In the most recent budget presentation, $1.7 billion was allocated to various programmes aimed at raising the standard of living of young people and maximising their opportunities for development.

The programmes include the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana, the Guyana Youth Business Project, and allocations to the various training institutions that serve young Guyanese.

In his presentation of the budget in the National Assembly, Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Jordan said, “[I am] encouraging groups, cooperatives, and job-seeking individuals to take advantage of the many schemes, programmes and funding opportunities that are available for youths to

be their own boss, including the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development Programme (SLED).”

Minister Jordan added that funding for young entrepreneurs is also available through the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN); $218 million was allocated to that project alone.

The 2019 budget that is themed, “Transforming the Economy, Empowering the People, Building Sustainable Communities for a Good Life,” is premised on government’s philosophical conviction that, that purpose of government is service to the people and facilitation of a good life for all Guyanese, both presently, and in the future.

President Granger, even before he took office, envisioned the approach to youth empowerment and development. He wrote and spoke in great detail of his vision. He said that his government will adopt a two-pronged approach: entrepreneurship and education.

He has made that vision a reality through the various initiatives and programmes which his government has implemented, expanded, and continues to fund enthusiastically and generously.

The approach establishes programmes to allow young Guyanese access to money to start businesses, and, puts in place programmes to train them to start and manage their own enterprises. President Granger has repeatedly emphasised that we cannot all be doctors and lawyers; we need masons, carpenters, electrical technicians, and computer specialists. Otherwise, how will Guyana develop?

The administration launched the LEN programme in 2016, having identified the need in the Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice region. The programme allows people to have access to loans to establish and expand their businesses. At the launch of the programme, President Granger said that his government is dedicated to creating an environment which can provide the facilities for young people to be self-employed.

His Excellency said, “We are bringing all the youth programmes together to have a common core curriculum so that every child, whether or not he or she is a school dropout, who enters that programme will get common training, which will prepare him or her to get employment in Guyana.

“I don’t like to see young children, some of them who have left secondary school, in the Rupununi for example, drifting over to Brazil to do menial work. I think they can stay here and get a good living; not only because oil is on the horizon, but because we can produce practically every food that the Eastern Caribbean needs.

Addressing his young audience, President Granger said too, “Your education will not only equip you for employment, but it will also equip you for entrepreneurial activities so that you can become rich.” Our future lies in the hands of our youth. And the government is determined to empower young Guyanese to take the baton of leadership and continue the developmental path that we, as citizens, have chosen; and, that is being done with efficiency and effectiveness.

GCCI hails tax measures on pesticides, limestone Dear Editor,

T

HE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) wishes to commend the Minister of Finance and the staff at the Ministry of Finance on the preparation of Budget 2019. The national budget remains pivotal in charting the country’s development path and as such, its policy measures are important.

During the 2019 Budget consultations, the GCCI, while meeting with the Ministry of Finance, made a number of recommendations based on discourse with its members and empirical and policy analysis. The Chamber of Commerce is pleased to see that some of the recommendations which were advanced to the minister were well-received and taken on board. Specifically, the Chamber of Commerce has noted that its requests to review the taxes on pesticides and limestone used in the agriculture sector, has resulted in exemptions being granted from Custom Duty and Value Added Tax (VAT).

The GCCI is also pleased that its suggestions in the aviation industry have resulted in the VAT exemption of aircraft engines and main components/parts. In addition, the GCCI welcomes a sectoral-targeted reduction in corporation tax and views this reduction as a step in the right direction for

the facilitation and promotion of private sector development.

CONCERNS ABOUT FUEL However, it must be registered that the GCCI is particularly disappointed that there has been no adjustment to the tax regime of fuel despite its suggestion. It should be noted that in 2018, the price of fuel had a disastrous effect on private-sector earnings as costs skyrocketed and continues to affect every aspect of private-sector operations, from manufacturing to distribution.

MACROECONOMIC CONCERNS Of more worry, is the macroeconomic dynamics of the fiscal sector, where Budget 2019 indicates the government’s intention to finance about 80 percent of the sizeable fiscal deficit ($32.84B of the $41.49B) from borrowing from the domestic economy; compounding this is the concern that there is a projected increase in taxation by 9.9 percent in an economy which is projected to expand by 4.6 percent. This outstripping worries us.

We also remain concerned with issues of slow rate of implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) and the long gestation period of capital expenditure; this is likely to create a drag on the economy as money is with-

drawn faster than it can be injected. In the external sector, the large drawdown on the net foreign assets of the Bank of Guyana of US$104.1 million remains of concern; the sustenance of which is critical to external viability and the preservation of macroeconomic stability of the country.

JOB CREATION and CONSUMER SPENDING We noted that 2018 is expected to record marginal increases in labour-intensive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, with forestry expected to grow 1.1 per cent.

Additionally, the mining and quarrying industries are expected to decline in year 2018. Given the dismal economic performance in these labour-intensive sectors, we are disappointed that the required stimulus needed to recover job losses were not adequately addressed in Budget 2019.

Further, with a decline in spending on the agriculture sector from $19.4B to $17.1B (from 7.1 percent of the budget to 5.7 percent of the total budget), the Chamber of Commerce believes that the dismal performance in the sector, unfortunately, is likely to continue. This is expected to have a negative impact Regards Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

Veteran educators to manage affairs of NA township …new deputy mayor elected

By Jeune Bailey Van Keric VETERAN educators, Ms. Winifred Haywood and Mr. Wainwright Mc Intosh, are expected to effectively manage Guyana’s oldest township New Amsterdam, following their election during the inaugural meeting of the council following the recent Local Government Elections.

The meeting was held at the Municipal Chambers on Wednesday afternoon. Ms Haywood, the 66th and 67th Mayor, is serving a second term, having taken over the helm from former mayor, Kirk Wynter, who demitted office on September 30, 2017, after serving for 17 months.

Wynter, who has since migrated, is recorded as the shortest serving mayor in the New Amsterdam Municipality.

Wainwright Mc Intosh, an Education Officer seemingly new to local politics, was

quick to thank his supporters and members of his constituency for having confidence in him. He pledged to work with them as a team. Their council, which includes eight new faces to sit around the horseshoe-shaped table, comprised of youth, whose abilities and skills are expected to have a transformational impact on the citizenry, resulting in increased participation in the next elections.

Only 38 per cent of the citizenry went to the polls on November 12. Many claimed they were dissatisfied with the delivery of services. At the Local Government Election, there were 4006 valid votes, and 63 rejected ballots.

APNU secured 2335 votes, followed by the PPP/C with 1095, the AFC with 553, and the United Republican Party (URP) with 23.

Meanwhile, earlier, just after 10:00hrs, returning officer and Town Clerk Ms Sharon Alexander commenced

the historical session during which period 14 councillors swore or affirmed their oath of office. Those who

won their constituencies are: A Partnership for National Unity candidates Ms .Olga Stephens, Patricia Lynch,

Re-elected Mayor Winifred Haywood pledges to return New Amsterdam to its former glory

Deputy Mayor-elect Wainwright Mc Intosh takes the oath of office

AFC Councillor Quacy Isaacs

PPP/C Councillor Nalini Tahal

City Hall to roll out ‘put it in a bag campaign’ Dear Editor,

T

HE Georgetown City Council has observed that many citizens have started their traditional Christmas and end-of-the-year clean-up for the festive season. Also, some are busy doing repairs and alternations to their homes. However, the council is urging citizens to pay attention to the health of their environment and display a deep sense of consideration in their local communities.

In all their cleaning activities, residents should spare a thought for the general surroundings and the natural environment in which they live.

In the past, we have received complaints that persons are throwing their rubbish in their neighbours’ yards, abandoned house lots, in alleyways and onto parapets. This should not be allowed to happen and wherever it does, citizens should report it to the Mayor and City Council on telephone numbers –225-1085 or 226-6997.

Also, citizens should not throw bulky waste, including old refrigerators and washers onto parapets. Old wood, zinc,

Winifred Haywood, Esan Vanderstoop, Wainwriight W.G. Mc Intosh, Keith Mayers; while People’s Progres-

and other building waste should not be left on the reserves or in front of neighbours’ properties or dumped in alleyways.

Those who have such rubbish should call the Solid Waste Department on telephone number 223-51266, and make arrangements with the personnel to remove these kinds of rubbish.

The Solid Waste Management Department and Public Health Department will commence a “put it in a bag campaign.” This is scheduled to commence on Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30, 2018. This will entail the distribution of garbage bags and literature on proper waste disposal methods in several local communities. The main focus of this activity is to reduce the proliferation of roadside litter and help citizens to be responsible during the festive season. The communities that would be targeted include: Albouystown, Charlestown, West Ruimveldt, , East Ruimveldt and Lacytown and Bourda.

Regards Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer

sive Party candidate Nalini Tahal won the seventh constituency --Overwinning/ Glasgow.

Further, those who, as a result of the elections, have become members of the town council are, APNU supporters, Kirk Karl Fraser, Polliann Shultz , Buster Wright, Sheantta Lambert; Alliance For Change member Quacy Adrian Isaacs; People’s Progressive Party supporters Zabarally Armogan and Dr Orville Grayson Halley. Meanwhile, following the respective elections, a finance committee was named with Ms Buster Wright , a retired teacher, being the chairperson with Ms Polliann Shultz ,a business woman as the vice chairperson, with the three committee members being kirk Fraser, Esan Vanderstoop and Patricia Lynch. Observing the hiccup-free event was Minister Nicolette Henry.

City police not authorised to collect monies on behalf of M&CC Dear Editor,

T

HEMayor and Councillors of the city of Georgetown wish to inform the general public that ranks of the City Constabulary are not authorised to collect monies which includes stall rents and cleansing fees from vendors and stallholders.

The council has received several complaints about this alleged unethical practice. The council wants to make it pellucid that the revenue collectors who are attached to the City Treasurer’s and Market Departments are the only ones authorised to collect monies on behalf of the council.

Therefore, the vendors and stallholders should pay only persons authorised to collect monies on behalf of the municipality. They should also ensure that they collect a receipt for payments made. All revenue collectors are clad with identification badges affixed with the stamp of the council.

Regards Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Gifford Marshall returns as Mayor of Bartica …Arita Embleton deputy mayor

THE municipality of Bartica remains under the leadership of Mayor Gifford Marshall as he was re-elected on Wednesday morning at an election and swearing-in ceremony.

The town however has a new Deputy Mayor, Arita Embleton, who is also the constituency councillor for Constituency One. Embleton, who has been serving the town as a primary school teacher for quite a number of years, told the Guyana Chronicle that she sees this as another opportunity to better serve her community, in addition to

teaching.

She said she feels blessed and honoured that persons saw her fit for such a prestigious position, and will continue to serve the people in the best way that she can.

“Being an educator, my focus will mainly be on youth development; finding innovative ways to improve the lives and potentials of our young people here in Bartica,” she said.

In addition to being a teacher, Embleton says that she is also a sports fanatic and as such, she will make positive contributions in that capacity as well.

“Being a sports enthusiast, I will work at the grassroots level to make improvements so that our youths can be meaningfully occupied.

Not only the younger ones will benefit, but even the older ones; I will work to assist them in making themselves marketable for the wider world,” she said.

The members of the Town Council were also sworn in just before the election of the mayor and his deputy.

Following the Local Government Elections results for the proportional representation segment, the A Part-

Seated from left – Assistant REO Stephany Allen; REO Holbert Knights; Deputy Mayor Arita Embleton; Mayor Gifford Marshall; Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford; and ranks of the Bartica Police Station posing with the new council

nership for National Unity (APNU) secured five seats, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) – three seats, and the Alliance For Change (AFC) – one seat.

For APNU, Gifford Marshall, Vashti Layne, Dwight Beaton, Ronald Sutton, and Kenneth Williams will serve; PPP/C –Edward Skeete, Gail Ann Persaud and Ewrin Ward; AFC – Zulfikar Hack.

Mayor Marshall expressed his confidence going forward with this new council.

“Bartica is a new town and this is the second council. Over the last two years we have learned a lot and of course we didn’t make all the right decisions; but this time around we are in a much better position to govern. A number of persons would have benefited from capacity training and have a better understanding of the local government system. So going forward, we anticipate that we will see increased development in Bartica,” he said.

The mayor also extended gratitude to Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan for ensuring that this election was held in the stipulated time.

“In Bartica, we would have[sic] seen how the local government system would have[sic] benefited us. We have a system now where the community or the town isn’t managed by persons in Georgetown, we have our own in-house represen-

Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall and his newly elected Deputy Mayor Arita Embleton

tation. We believe that the development of the country starts with the people at the local level and I commend Minister Bulkan and his government for ensuring these elections are held. It will only serve to strengthen our democracy and make us a better nation,” Marshall expressed.

Going forward, he gave the reassurance that the best days for Bartica are ahead.

“We now have persons with the capacity and the necessary resources to manage the town and ensure that the needs of the constituencies are met.”

The new council will take effect after His Excellency President David Granger swears in the mayor and deputy mayor.

Road Safety fair hosted at Stabroek Market Square Under the theme “Stop accident before it stops you, be alert accident hurts” the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department, in collaboration with the Guyana Road Safety Council, held a sensitisation fair at the Stabroek Market Square, Georgetown, recently.

The fair was aimed at sensitising the public on the proper use of the road.

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable and in this regard they are deemed the most unsafe road users. With this in mind, ranks of the traffic department issued brochures with safety rules for pedestrians.

This will provide road users with the requisite knowledge on the proper way to use the road. Some of the safety rules for pedes-

trians are: When walking, use sidewalks, avenues and pavements if provided. On the sidewalk do not walk to the kerb; when crossing the road, always remember to do your kerb drill, that is, to look right, look left and right again, then if the road is clear, walk briskly across, and do not run; at every intersection or road junction, look out for traffic turning.

Road safety should be everyone’s business. For this year alone there are 103 recorded deaths on our roads.

The National Road Safety Council pleads with road users to “take care and save the tears”. Motor vehicle operators, whether motorcyclists, minibus drivers or other classes of motorists are charged to look out for pedestrians, look out for

those who aren’t looking out for themselves.

Romana Doorgen, coordinator of the Guyana Road Safety Council, noting that the Christmas season is almost here and there is a higher consumption rate of alcohol during the season, said that “we are not asking you to stop drinking, we are asking you to designate a driver, save yourself and others”.

She explained that the sensitisation is not new but it will continue in order for every individual to be aware of all rules regarding their safety on the roadways. The traffic department, along with the Guyana Road Safety Council, will continue in its efforts to make Guyana’s roads safer for all.

Citizens visiting the booth at the sensitisation fair at the Stabroek Market Square, Georgetown.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Translators receive anti-TIPs training

A MORAL compass would prevent persons from being caught in the web of corruption and persons on the frontline are usually approached with corrupt transactions which defeat the purpose of law enforcement.

This perspective was shared on Wednesday by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott, during his address to participants of a two-day Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Training Course for Interpreters at the Police Training Centre, Camp Street, Georgetown.

“Your job is to do your duty, I encourage participants to take full advantage of what is being imparted and communicated to you, and its government’s philosophy to eradicate this evil from society,” Minister Scott said.

The junior minister explained that even though there are laws to tackle the scourge of TIP, it is necessary to go further with intensified promotion and awareness. He added that this recommitted effort by the ministry is significant in combatting modern day slavery.

“TIP is one of the worst human rights violations,” he said. Participants will be trained to recognise and differentiate TIP in all spheres, techniques and aspects of life. “We feel we have the tools and the capacity and skills to effectively combat TIP in this country and your role as interpreters over the number of years will help, since many persons, when being questioned, would say that they don’t understand English; now that escape hatch will no longer be there, it will be closed forever,” Minister Scott said.

He said that the training

(From right) Force Training Officer, Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken; TIP Coordinator (ag) Oliver Profitt; Minister Keith Scott; Commissioner of Police Leslie James; IOM Chief of Missions in Guyana, Robert Natiello and participants of the training. (Rabindra Rooplall photo)

programme is designed especially to bring interpreters closer to TIP victims. “It is therefore absolutely necessary that all stakeholders clearly understand each other’s role so that the objective of each other’s message can be clearly understood and properly fulfilled,” Minister Scott said.

Commissioner of Police Leslie James said TIP is one of the scourges of the earth and the Guyana Police Force is clear on its mandate and role in the fight against it.

The Top Cop said trading in humans is fueled by criminal enterprises and it is a very serious matter, as Guyana is going to advance its efforts to fight the crime, especially

since the country is a signatory to the UN convention.

James expressed his optimism that the objective of the training and implementation will be achieved.

Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Coordinator (ag) Oliver Profitt, in giving an overview, said almost half of all alleged victims in police reports indicate that they were foreigners who do not speak English.

He explained that support from translators is essential when dealing with suspects and victims of TIP in order for a successful prosecution.

“We know that victims of TIP are usually under duress and the longer things take to come to a resolution,

the more difficult it is to have the participation of the victim throughout the entire process; so we want to take steps to make that process more comfortable for them,” Profitt said.

Adding that having translators trained in TIP and its occurrence in Guyana will assist the law enforcement bodies tremendously.

The TIP coordinator said the three objectives of the training course is to equip interpreters with information regarding the nature of crime in TIP and the function of the local task force, agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Secondly, he said the course will also equip in-

terpreters with the working knowledge to effectively communicate with victims and with TIP officers during interviews and in other cases where interpreters are needed.

Finally, Profitt said participants will also build a working relationship since they are bilingual individuals who can be of great assistance when called upon; this will target foreign missions and local services.

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Chief of Missions in Guyana, Robert Natiello, said the problem of human trafficking is slavery of the 21st century and cases of labour, sexual exploitation, domestic ser-

vitude, among other forms of trafficking number in the millions globally.

These cases, he said, affect all human beings and there is no one group or gender that is not affected by TIP. The IOM Chief said that his agency recorded 90,000 victims of trafficking for the past decade.

“We don’t believe we can do this alone, we need to act in coordination with partners from the government, partners from civil society, partners from the media, NGO’s and civil society and all important actors,” the IOM Chief said.

Three bandits caught at Meer-Zorgen roadblock THREE suspected bandits are now in the custody of the police after they were intercepted by ranks on the Meer-Zorgen Public Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD), following a robbery at Canal Number One Polder.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, the men were caught by ranks who were at the time conducting a stop and search exercise

on the Meer-Zorgen Public Road (western end of the harbour bridge).

According to the superintendent, at 03:30hrs on Wednesday, the men attempted to cross the harbour bridge in a yellow wagon motorcar when it was stopped and searched.

A laptop, earpieces, four cellular phones, an Amazon Tablet, an assortment of jewellery, a Guyana Passport, local and foreign currencies and other items were

found in the vehicle.

The men were escorted to the La Grange Police Station where, moments later, a report was made of a robbery which occurred at Canal Number One Polder.

The victims visited the Police Station where they positively identified the stolen items.

Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan noted that “the regular presence of the police on the western end of the Demerara Harbour

Bridge has been very successful since its inception and a number of persons were arrested and charged with guns and ammunition possession, and other offences.”

He noted that there has also been a decrease in serious crimes in the West Demerara/East Bank Essequibo region as a result of the above mentioned strategy.

The items that were found in the vehicle.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

PM hails Japan, Guyana ties

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Wednesday acknowledged the Government of Japan’s continued support towards Guyana’s development.

The Prime Minister was at the time meeting Japanese Ambassador, Mitsuhiko Okada who, along with his wife Mrs Mari Okada, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at his office this morning. “We want to thank you for the work you have done to promote the friendly and the very strong Guyana-Japan relationship,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said.

Ambassador Okada has served Guyana for the last three years and has overseen the implementation of several projects. During their discussions, the Ambassador provided the Prime Minister with an update of the current projects being funded across the country which amount to over $4.4Billion (US$22M).

Among the ventures, designed to enhance the capacity-building of citizens, is the project to Strengthen the Disaster Management Capacity of Women in Guyana and Dominica. This project is a collaboration with the United

From Left – Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Japanese Ambassador, Mitsuhiko Okada; his wife Mrs Mari Okada and Foreign Officer, Royston Alkins of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the first workshop held on November 5th this year saw residents from 14 communities in the

North Rupununi district attending. The exercise was aimed at enabling farmers to make informed decisions.

Other Japanese-funded

projects include the project for the Introduction of Renewable Energy and the Improved Power System which will be completed in

2020. This venture aims to enhance the efficiency of Guyana’s power sector and introduce solar panels and energy-saving facilities to

the CARICOM office at Turkeyen.

The Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCCP), in collaboration with the UNDP, is piloting two ongoing projects.

The implementation of Solar-photovoltaic systems in Bartica and improved access to water in rural communities that are prone to drought conditions. The Japan Government has also provided funding for the construction of skills training resource centre in Corentyne, Berbice, a medical service centre at Iwokrama and a multi-purpose centre in Kuma. All the facilities are slated to be completed by March 2019.

With Ambassador Okada’s tenure expecting to come to an end soon, the prime minister remarked that he is confident that the relations fostered between the two countries will only intensify over time. “We are confident that these relations will continue over the years and we will strengthen our bilateral cooperation.”(DPI)

‘Long-lasting’ relationship being forged between Guyana and North Sea GUYANA’s ambassador to the UK, Frederick Hamley Case and the British High Commissioner to this country, Greg Quinn, are leading the delegation aimed at

building relationships to support the country’s fledgeling oil and gas sector.

Guyana has emerged as a global hotspot for offshore energy, with Exxon Mobil

Guyana’s ambassador to the UK, Frederick Hamley Case and the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn

recently discovering the Liza prospect off the country’s coast, containing 4.2billion barrels of oil.

Over the course of the five-day trade mission, the delegation is meeting a series of oil and gas suppliers and

academic institutions. Plans are also underway to twin Aberdeen with Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, expected to be completed next year.

Mr Case believes Aberdeen’s experience with the North Sea sector will be indispensable

in his country’s own journey with the energy sector. He said: “In terms of oil and gas, this is our first trade mission, and next year there will be a reciprocal mission to Guyana from Aberdeen.

“I think the enthusiasm is there both from the private sector and the government and I am sure a lot will evolve from this. “We want for there to be a reasonable amount of volume of local content, both in terms of the people employed and the businesses and industries that can develop from it and we think Aberdeen is a good place to learn from.”

A series of UK firms are already in place in the country, with Aberdeen-based Stena Drilling doing work for ExxonMobil there. High Commissioner Greg Quinn has seen UK interest “skyrocket” in the country since he started his post here in 2015. He said: “Guyana is on the cusp of something.

“Aberdeen has been there, done it and got the picture.

There are lessons positive and negative to take away on how to handle things and I think there is an opportunity for us to pass on that experience to Guyana to help them see the way forward.

“It’s not just how to develop the industry and region, it’s also how do you prepare for the day when the oil is no longer going to be there and creating an economy that’s not 100% dependent on oil and gas.

“A lot of the work that I do is to support the UK companies who are looking to come out and we have seen a huge uptick in the number of firms since I arrived in 2015. It’s skyrocketed. “The bottom line is if there is a company here in Aberdeen that is looking for an opportunity to get into business in Guyana, we should be their first port of call.” (Energy Voice)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

City Hall CoI visits Sussex Street Wharf as investigations continue

–– anticipates report by Friday The City Hall Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Monday visited the disputed Lot 1 Mud Lot Lombard Street, popularly called the ‘Sussex Street Wharf’, as they continue their investigations into the operations Mayor and City Council (MCC) with the hopes of completing their report by this Friday.

CoI Chairman Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard, along with legal officer Sherwin Benjamin and representatives from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) visited the Wharf, which is currently being occupied by Quick Shipping Inc, on a lease from the MCC. Questions of the ownership of the Sussex Street Wharf was one of the main

issues discussed at the CoI which concluded public hearings earlier this month.

The Wharf was leased by Town Clerk, Royston King, however all evidence points to the fact that the land is not owned by the MCC; from all indications the land is owned

by NICIL. Justice Kennard said that the Commission needed to see the land as he works towards a conclusion of whether or not King was in his right to lease the land to the shipping company.

“We wanted to see the actual area. All we were seeing so far is documents, so we wanted to see where it is located, and it would seem by looking at both transport that the transport the city holds is not for the land. I haven’t come to a definite

conclusion as yet, we still have to look at all the evidence,” he said.

Kennard did not say what sanctions would be recommended against the Town Clerk if it is concluded that land was illegally leased by King.

In defending himself when he was summoned before the CoI to answer to the issue, King had produced a transport – `Transport #2803 of 1966’ – which he said showed that the MCC owned the land and had a right to lease.

Prior to that NICIL also had submitted a transport - `Land Transport #525 of 1985’ - which they said covered their ownership of the land, leaving much questions over who had rights to the land. However a closer look

55 health facilities recommended for licensing in 2019 -highest number in eight years THE Ministry of Public Health has started to process applications for 55 health facilities which have applied for licences for 2019.

According to a press statement from the ministry, 55 were recommended for licensing by the Central Board of Health (CBH) on submission of their inspection report and score sheets from each facility.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud said the 55 institutions, the highest number in the past eight years, include 10 public hospitals, four private hospitals, 10 medical laboratories, four optical centres, 17 health centres, three medical/ surgical centres, two dialysis centres, two nursing homes, two imaging centres and one radiation therapy centre.

“So far four completed applications were received for consideration for licensing in 2019 up to last week… the entities were invited to complete the payments of all fees before the licence can be issued by the Minister of Public Health for them to operate by November 2018,” he said.

He said licensing caters for health facilities operating as Blood Bank, Diagnostic and Imaging Centres, Di-

CMO Dr. Shamdeo Persaud

alysis Centres and Dialysis Clinics; Health Centres; Hospitals; Human Tissue Banks, including Blood Banks; Maternity Centres; Medical Laboratories; Nursing Homes; Oncology Clinics and Radiotherapy Centres; Pathology and Clinical Laboratories and Surgical Centres.

According to the CMO, 12 health facilities were recommended for provisional licensing and two facilities were reviewed and upgraded to provide additional health services to the public.

Dr Persaud stressed that health facilities covered by this process are required to develop and maintain acceptable standards of health and ensure that a total number of 26 essential requirements and an additional 64 areas of

competence for health care delivery sites are adhered to.

The public health ministry provided supportive guidance in a wide range of areas, including waste management, sanitation and hygiene, maintenance of records, licensing and competence training of professionals, quality assurance and management.

“We have had to force many institutions to adhere to the law,” said Director of Standards and Technical Services Dr Julian Amsterdam.

Dr Amsterdam said many health facilities have submitted their documents “very late” for processing. More than 30 of the 55 entities approved for licensing submitted their documents between October and November, Amsterdam confirmed.

The tardiness of the applicants, coupled with the numerous flaws in their documentation which must be corrected, means that the process of licensing approval is still being finalised coming to the close of the year. Due to this, the standards and technical Services, the CBH and other public health agencies are in a flurry of end-of-year activities to help regularise these vital health institutions.

at the transport submitted by King showed that the transport does not correspond to the location of the disputed land.

Transport #2803/1966 cedes two plots of land to the MCC, neither of which is the disputed plot of land.

The disputed plot is the first plot of land north of Sussex Street and west of Lombard Street.

Plans at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) show that neither of the land listed on the transport submitted by King is anywhere around the

Sussex Street Wharf land.

The plan listed on the transport submitted by NICIL was not available at GLSC, however the description on NICIL’s transport matches the location of the Sussex Street Wharf.

Justice Kennard is expected to make a definite decision based on the evidence when he submits his report to the Local Government Commission (LGC).

According to Kennard his team is working towards completing the report by Friday, however that will depend on the completion

11

of assessment of all the evidence submitted to the CoI. “We’re working towards that end, that is our objective at the moment,” He said.

According to Justice Kennard the CoI is still working on the first draft of the report.

The Commission conducted public hearings from September 24 – November 2 and saw over 50 witnesses appearing and giving statements, several more statements were submitted by persons who did not appear.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Pensioner crushed to death by container truck

Main witness in Shaquille Grant case jailed for chain snatching A 23-year-old man was on Wednesday sentenced to three years imprisonment after he was found guilty

by Magistrate Dylan Bess for snatching a woman’s gold chain.

Romel Bollers, no address given, was charged for stealing a gold chain valued $60,000 along with a $20,000 pendant from Tonya Drakes on August 22, 2018, at the Agricola Public Road, East Bank Demerara. The unrepresented man pleaded

Malicia Andrews on life support at GPHC

Seeram Seecharran while he was pinned under the vehicle

A PENSIONER, who was cycling along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) road, was on Wednesday morning struck down and killed by a container truck that also caused damage to the Christmas tree at the Rahaman’s Park junction.

Dead is Seeram Seecharran, 64, of Herstelling, E BD. He was crossing the road in the pouring rain when he collided with the container truck, GWW

not guilty to the charge.

However, after a few months on trial, Bollers was found guilty and sentenced to three years imprisonment by the magistrate. Bollers was one of the main witnesses in the case against former police constable, Terrence Wallace, who was accused of murdering Shaquille Grant, 17, at Caesar Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara on September 11, 2012.

…emergency surgery aborted because of high blood pressure

The scene of the crash

7629, with trailer, TKK 4726. He was heading to Georgetown when the crash

occurred.

The driver is currently in custody assisting with the

investigation.

Reports indicate that Seecharran was heading in the same direction with the truck when he suddenly attempted to cross the road and ended up in the path of it.

Police said the fatal accident occurred at 08:45hrs when heavy-duty vehicles are not supposed to be traversing the East Bank corridor, in keeping with the traffic rules. Reports indicate that the truck driver swerved to avoid a collision but the right side front of the vehicle came into contact with the pensioner.

The elderly man was thrown off his bike and landed on the road surface where he received injuries about his body. Subsequently, the motor lorry then collided with the Christmas tree. The cyclist was pinned under the truck for a while before he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver which showed no traces of alcohol.

UP to press time 31-yearold mother of six, Malicia Andrews, was listed as being in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was on a life-support machine.

Andrews was rushed to the GPHC following initial treatment at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

This was after she was chopped multiple times by her child’s father Ian English at her mother’s home, Swan Village, Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Tuesday. According to reports, English had accused Andrews of infidelity and became enraged after she refused to return home with him from her mother’s residence; Andrews had gone to her mother’s home to seek refuge after a heated altercation with English. After committing the heinous act, English fled the scene to a wooded area where he hanged himself.

Vernita Andrews, sister-in-law of the seriously wounded woman, told the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday afternoon that medical professionals had to abort the emergency surgery late on Tuesday

night because the patient’s blood pressure was very high. As such, her condition has worsened and she was placed on life support; she is unconscious and unresponsive.

Relatives, including her mother Janet Domingo, were at the GPHC late Wednesday night hoping their loved one’s condition would improve.

English and Andrews had been living together for the past four years but he was married with eight children, the youngest being eight months old; Andrews has six children of her own, one of whom was sired by the deceased.

Janet Domingo, Andrews’ mother, tried to save her daughter but she was hit twice by English, who had a cutlass and pushed her down on a chair after which he fired the first chop. It was then the elderly farmer began begging him to leave her alone and she escaped.

She ran out the house and alerted neighbours, who rushed Andrews to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Roll-on-roll-off ferries for major rehab work

The MV Kanawan moored at the Good Hope Stelling on the Essequibo Coast.

THE Essequibo River rollon, roll-off ferries, MV Sabanto and MV Kanawan are expected to undergo rehabilitation in the dockyard in the months ahead.

The two Chinese-built ferries are expected to undergo repairs in 2019 according to estimates of the 2019 national budget at a cost of $180M. The vessels will undergo repairs in order to have improved facilities and services, according to the description of the project.

The two ferries have been experiencing technical issues in recent months. Last week-

end, the Sabanto departed Supenaam for Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo but on arrival at its destination, the ramp which allows for vehicles to roll-on/roll-off as well as for passengers to disembark, malfunctioned. The passengers were stranded on board for close to two hours.

Meanwhile, in the 2019 national budget, a sum of $2B was set aside in acquisition costs for a new ferry from India. The sum is expected to be part of the $3.2B total cost of the vessel which will serve passengers in the Barima-Waini

Region. In September this year, government announced that a US$15.6 million ($3.2 billion) contract for the construction and supply of a passenger and cargo ferry vessel, and associated equipment, has been awarded to SHOFT Shipyard Private Limited of India.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, made the announcement at a post-cabinet briefing and he explained at the time that the contract took some time as the funding arrangements had to be finalised. The new vessel will be operated on the routes

between Georgetown and the North West District.

The call for a new vessel for the North West District route has been a long time coming as many describe the journey on the current vessel as treacherous and the service unreliable. It was noted that the vessels that usually traverse the Georgetown-Mabaruma route have “exceeded their lifespan” and the service provided to the residents has been compromised, as the vessels are in constant need of repairs.

Fisheries product regulation being upgraded to counter US ban -official document to be submitted to AG by year-end THE local fisheries product regulation is being upgraded once again to counter the ban imposed on local catfish by the United States (U.S).

The US Government through its Georgetown Embassy had said the ban on the import of Guyana’s catfish followed notification to the Government of Guyana of impending changes to the food safety regulations regarding fish and shrimp and many other fish products in the US. In response to the changes, Guyana had submitted the requirements which were requested by the US, but the North American country responded with more requirements. “They apparently had more requirements but we are working on it…it is being done by the Veterinary Public Health Unit because the requirements relate to sanitary and processing mea-

sures,” said Chief Fisheries Office, Denzil Roberts in an invited comment on Wednesday.

He said the Veterinary Public Health Unit is working to regularise the fisheries product regulation, but the finished document would have to be part of the legal documents of the fisheries department of the Ministry of Agriculture.

“We are upgrading our fisheries product regulation and that would be incorporated into our laws…the document should be ready by the end of the year and taken to the Attorney General’s chambers to be deemed a legal document,” said Roberts, adding that having the ban lifted would still not be easy because the regulations in the US promote farm-reared catfish and Guyana’s catfish is wild-caught.

The fisheries department, however, intends on adopt-

ing the farm-rearing method in order to ensure that the local catfish is eligible for exports. Every year the local fish industry records about US$74 million in returns but with the ban in place, the industry is expected to lose out on about US$1.2 million to US$2 million.

“We still have markets in Canada and other places but we have a lot of Guyanese living in the US, but there is nothing we could do about it,” said Roberts. The US Government had notified the Government of Guyana of pending changes in November of 2015, more than 18 months before they were to go into effect. According to reports, the US Government even gave Guyana an extension until February 3, 2018, to comply with the new regulations.

The US Embassy said too that most countries in the hemisphere have since

complied with the regulations and they were optimistic that Guyana eventually can and will comply as well. “We understand that the Government of Guyana is working on complying, but it has not fully met the standards of the new processes associated with the regulations and until it does, we cannot accept any catfish from Guyana,” said the US Government.

The US Government takes very seriously the protection of the world’s waterways and marine life and is constantly updating its regulations and processes to ensure that waterways and marine life are protected. They also aim to ensure consistency in food safety regulations across products and countries and to protect marine life for future generations; a goal it is confident is shared by all Guyanese.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Connecting the hinterland

…$375M allocated to expand ICT hubs programme GUYANESE will secure their connection to the future with acceleration of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector for which the 2019 Budget provides.

This is the belief of Minister of Public Telecommu-

nications Cathy Hughes.

Commending the $300.7B budget presented by Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Monday, Minister Hughes indicated its allocation of $ B to the technological development of Guyanese students and adults.

In a media release on Tuesday, she said that the budget would ensure that Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and those in the hinterland are included now more than ever, while the Ministries of Education and Public Telecommunications

will have a closer bond.

Regarding the latter, Hughes noted that she is pleased with the sum allotted to develop this bond as some of the monies will be spent to introduce robotics in the curricula of primary and secondary schools.

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes

Finance Minister Winston Jordan said in his presentation on Monday: “We will expand the SMART classrooms programme; and we will be looking at Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Animation and IT programmes that have not been attempted in the past.”

He added that smart classrooms will be introduced throughout the country, with the Santa Rosa and Paramakatoi Secondary Schools being among the priority schools in 2019. “The budget for 2019 has encapsulated many of the ministry’s programmes, some of which are already underway,” Minister Hughes said.

She pointed out that, already, through the Telecommunications Ministry some 1,400 persons have received training through a wide variety of programmes.

With the ministry’s main aim of providing 21st-century opportunities, 175 primary schools,108 secondary schools, 34 tertiary institutions including UG and the Guyana School of Agriculture; nine residential schools and residential homes have already been connected with enhanced ICT facilities to allow young people to develop specialised skills -- free of charge.

As recent as October 2018, the Kato and Orealla Secondary Schools were connected to the national network.

In Budget 2019, provisions have been made for new Internet ICT hubs in several hinterland villages to connect these communities

to the network at a cost of $375M. The initiative will benefit about 11,390 residents who reside in Phillipi in Region Eight; Rewa, Surama and Toka in Region Nine; and Kimbia and Wiruni in Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice, Region 10.

On Monday Jordan had stated: “Transformation of the ICT sector will be accelerated in 2019 with the proposed national broadband infrastructure.”

Regarding PWDs, the Telecommunications Ministry commended the budget’s catering for proposed tax rebates on smart cellphones with built-in apps and accessibility features for persons with visual or hearing challenges.

“We have found that many persons with disabilities cannot afford to purchase these smart phones, so we have devised a scheme that will lessen the cost, to their benefit,” Minister Hughes explained.

In the medium to long term, the ministry affirmed that the government will continue to connect the general public and government agencies to the worldwide web, as it expands e-government networks and services.

Minister Hughes expresses “immense pleasure” that the ministry’s initiatives have received the financial support needed to stimulate innovation among the highly talented population even as she noted Guyana’s high potential for local and foreign investments in the sector.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Guarding against shoddy construction …gov’t developing home-builder’s roadmap to help housing safety

WITH shoddy works in the local construction industry threatening the lives of homeowners, the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) has moved to develop a Homebuilder’s Roadmap to ensure consumers’ safety and satisfaction.

On Wednesday, the commission began its initial consultation phase at the Cara Lodge with presentations coming from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC); the Guyana-Trinidad Mutual Fire and Life Insurance and other stakeholders involved in the home-building process.

CCAC Consumer Affairs Officer Feyona Austin-Paul told media operatives that the Roadmap will help consumers to know their requirements throughout entire construction process and make the right decisions when choosing contractors.

In her remarks, she stated that the number of homeowners globally is increasing rapidly with Guyana’s construction industry accounting for some nine per cent of the country’s Gross Do-

mestic Product since 2008.

However, the local industry continues to face a series of challenges, ranging from a shortage of essential materials to lack of qualified human resource.

Together, the two can prove to be both financially and physically detrimental to persons who hire incompetent contractors to build their homes. “The commission therefore recognises that consumers need to be protected and one of the approaches is to put the power of knowledge in their hands,” Austin-Paul said, adding: “It is the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission’s aim to combine all the relevant information presented by the authorities here today into one final document, titled ‘the home-builder’s roadmap’ and to provide easy access to all consumers in Guyana.”

This combination, she said, would hopefully include a list of qualified contractors in both small and large companies, providing they are competent to do the job.

She explained: “We place

with the relevant knowledge needed for when they decide to invest in building a home.

“We’ve read and heard stories of shoddy work done by contractors; stories of unfinished works done by contractors and worse, homes that were built and were not safe and collapsed, causing deaths,” Cush said.

She added that many of these aggrieved consumers

After providing information on this availability, the CCAC director reminded that electricians must also produce their electrical licences from the chief electrical inspector’s office to the consumer prior to commencement of works.

Cush also advised that the type of material needed for building a home matters too and which is why consumers

Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) Consumer Affairs Officer Feyona Austin-Paul

our confidence in contractors and expect them to have our best interest at heart and a lot of times that’s not the case.

So, consumers will have the power to make the decision in the construction process and not put all of their confidence in the hands of persons who purport to be contractors and maybe are not contractors.”

INVESTING IN A HOME Meanwhile, Director of the CCAC, Dawn Cush, reaffirmed that the seminar intends to provide consumers

Members of the audience at the Cara Lodge on Wednesday (Delano Williams photos)

are unaware that there is protection for them under the Consumer Affairs Act, let alone of the availability for them to lodge their complaints with the commission.

must pay keen attention to this, as well as the estimates they receive. “Consumers must do their homework; get referrals and find out about the contractor. Your home

is a big investment and one you want as flawless as possible…if things go wrong, as they sometimes do, then you contact the Consumer Affairs Unit and make a complaint,” she urged.

Additional advice came from CCAC Chairman Ronald Burch-Smith, who explained that consumers should remember that they are entitled to a warranty from suppliers and that they ought to keep receipts for cases of return of goods.

He further urged that the attending bodies use the opportunity to begin the formulation of a sound Home-builder’s Roadmap, which will ensure the protection of consumers. In roughly six months, the CCAC hopes to develop the final document which will be made available online and in hardcopy to citizens.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Firemen charged for raiding passengers’ luggage

…released on $100,000 bail each four denied the charge that was read out to him by the magistrate. Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield again objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offence.

However, Williams and the other three defendants were released on $100,000

Aubrey Frank

Jamie Kingston

Royden Kennedy

FOUR Guyana Fire Service (GFS) ranks were jointly charged on Wednesday for simple larceny committed on passengers and crew members on board the Fly Jamaica aircraft that crash-landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport a few weeks ago.

Those charged are Aubrey Frank, 30, of Kuru-Kuru, Linden/Soesdyke Highway; Jamie Kingston, 30, of Durban Street, Lodge; Royden Kennedy, 27, of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Collis Williams, 37, of Coverden, EBD. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Particulars of the charge stated that on November 9, 2018 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, Aubrey Frank, Jamie Kings-

ton and Royden Kennedy had in their possession a $30,000 Tablet, a $4,000 Samsung charger, a $20,000 perfume and other items suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained.

The men denied the charge that was read out to them by the magistrate. They were represented by Attorneys-at-law Clyde Forde, Eusi Anderson and George Thomas, who all made bail application. Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances under which the offence was committed.

Meanwhile, Collis Williams was placed on a separate charge; his charge alleged that on the same day at the same location, he stole one I phone valued $75,000 and one Samsung phone valued $76,000. The father of

bail each by the magistrate on conditions that they lodge their passports and report to the Providence Police Station every Friday. The matter was adjourned to December 13, 2018.

The Ministry of the Presidency had said in a statement that both Cabinet and the National Security Committee (NSC)

were briefed on the incident involving the Fly Jamaica flight OJ256. During the emergency operations that followed the emergency landing, members of the GFS rushed to the scene.

After the mop-up, some personal items belonging to crew members and some passengers were discovered missing. “Cabinet strongly

condemn as criminal and morally corrupt, those alleged acts of theft, and urge that the perpetrators be brought to swift justice,” the statement read. It added: “It must be noted that not only did the accused cast a blemish on the reputation of the disciplined services, but they have tarnished Guyana’s image.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Providing pathways to opportunities …persons with disabilities praise government for budget measures

By Lisa Hamilton Members of the community of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) are thankful that through Budget 2019 wheelchair users will have greater access to vehicles tailored to their needs.

In Guyana, a large proportion of our urban and rural transport systems remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities– a constraint that is a serious impediment to disability-inclusive development; but in the 2019 budget estimates, Finance Minister Winston Jordan announced that provisions have been made to cater for exemption from excise duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on vehicles for use by PWDs. The National Commission on Disability (NCD) Chairperson Evelyn Hamilton, believes that the proposed tax concession for the vehicles specially equipped for transporting PWDs is a step in the right direction.

“Anything that helps Persons With Disabilities in whatever small way it does is a positive step forward. It may not be everything we expect, but every little bit helps,” she said.

Hamilton added: “A lot of persons who are wheelchair users have difficulties getting public transport to accept them, particularly if you don’t have a collapsible wheel chair. It’s very difficult because you have to manoeuvre the chair in and it probably takes up more space than a normal person would. So, persons with disabilities, particularly those with physical disabilities find getting public transport to be extremely difficult. So, for those who can, it would be a big difference to them.”

The NCD chairperson explained that change which would put PWDs in a better financial position to afford such vehicles is not only about the money to be saved, but the mental aspect of each individual.

“It gives them a sense of independence; it empowers them beyond the saving of the money. [For that person it means] I don’t have to wait on somebody to carry me somewhere, I can go myself. I can do this myself,” she said.

Hamilton is happy that the provision also coincides with the theme of the upcoming 2018 International Day of Persons with Disabilities to be observed in December: “Empowering persons with

disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.

Jordan told the House: “In order to avoid abuse, the exemptions would be granted after the commission representing persons with disabilities certifies that the person, the vehicle and the handset are eligible for the concessions. These two initiatives solidify government’s commitment to equity and inclusion for all its citizens through the use of ICT.” ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Eight years ago Uttamkumar Isurdeen, a former cricketer, received injuries to his spinal cord during an accident which has since rendered him a wheelchair user.

One of his main problems, as Hamilton outlined, is the fact that he cannot utilise public transportation easily and must traverse by a chartered car which costs him some 16,000 each month.

Upon hearing of the provisions for persons like himself in the budget, Isurdeen told the newspaper, he was filled with hope for even greater things that can be accomplished in the future.

“Using transportation is very costly on me, so that move about duty-free concessions for vehicles for persons with disabilities is a good move. I compliment the government for that,” he said.

He has his eyes set on a vehicle, purchasable from the United States, which includes adjustments for the brakes and other functions just for wheelchair users.

He said: “That will be easier. That move by the government where they thought about persons with disabilities –as we want an equal life—that is a good breakthrough.” Isurdeen’s disability has not hindered him from remaining a huge cricket fan as he told the newspaper that he still goes to every CPL cricket game along with his family and friends.

“I go all the CPL matches so I have to make sure I budget for that. Sometimes I can’t buy any meals [there] because to go to the cricket I have to make sure I have transportation available for me, my wife and friend,” he said. A part from being a sport enthusiast, Isurdeen is a youth volunteer at President Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG) and a role model to youths with disabilities.

With a vehicle tailored to his needs, he stated that he would be able to better

travel to the places he goes to exercise; to take part in races; to be involved in workshops and more.

“It’s a beginning now; we need more concessions, but it’s the beginning and the main thing is that we got recognised,” he highlighted. The

2019 Budget has also made provision for the government to examine the feasibility of granting a tax rebate on handsets with accessibility features for PWDs. This will allow Guyanese who are visually- and hearing impaired to afford a smart-

phone. However, Isurdeen also hopes that this aspect can be extended to all PWDs, as saving finances wherever he can makes for a surety of better days ahead.

This newspaper had reportedly recently on 18-yearold Rajni Persaud, a first-year

student of the University of Guyana pursuing a Diploma in Accountancy. She said easy access to transportation and even public buildings is key, having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was six months old. Her mother, Usha Persaud, told the Guyana Chronicle TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Diversified aquaculture to counter alarming depletion of resources -Chinese lend helping hand to boost technological advancement in aquaculture

FISHING resources have been dwindling at an “alarming rate” and the Ministry of Agriculture believes that diversified aquaculture might be the solution to the problem.

Resources in the fishing industry have been depleting because of over-exploitation, illegal and unregulated fishing practices and climate change, said Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd, during her remarks at the launch of a training course on aquaculture technology at the Regency Suites on Wednesday.

Amidst the alarming rate of depletion of resources, 60 Guyanese will be trained by a team from the Fujian Institute of Oceanography through the programme which was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

Over the next 14 days, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, experts of scientific research institutions, technical directors of aquatic enterprise and aquaculture farmers will be trained in the areas of Global Aquaculture Development and Green Farming; Design and Construction of Aquaculture

Ponds, Artificial Breeding and Culture Techniques of Macrobrachium Rosenbergii; Artificial Breeding and Healthy Culture Techniques of Penaeus Vannamei; Practical Cultivation techniques of tilapia and production techniques of aquatic feed.

“The promotion of aquaculture in Guyana is of great priority, and we are blessed with land, fresh water and good conditions to make aquaculture a significant part of our economic earnings,” said Nedd, adding that the training programme is happening at a time when much intervention is needed in the

fishing industry.

Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts echoed the sentiments of Nedd, noting that the programme will be an important contributor to the development of the local aquaculture industry.

He said Guyana’s fishing industry is on the rise and developing the aquaculture sector would further contribute to the increase in the performance of the industry.

Roberts believes that Guyana has the capacity to produce enough fish for the local and international markets, since export earnings alone rake in about US$74

Charge d’ Affairs, Chen Xilai (DPI photo)

million a year.

Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, Chen Xilai said in light of the developing industry, the Chinese Government is committed to providing assistance to Guyana’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.

The current human resources training programme is the result of the Sino-Guyana friendship. Last year, the Fujian Institute held the first foreign aid training programme in Guyana.

This year, they will continue to work hard in order to integrate the current aquaculture development in Guyana with the actual needs of the industry.

“We will organise Guy-

anese trainees to conduct measurement and dissection of farmed fish, internship and practice on common fish such as identification and treatment of diseases and field visits and guidance to local farms in Guyana to improve the practical aquaculture technology and promote the development of local aquaculture industry,” said Xilai, adding the Chinese Government looks forward to taking the training course as an opportunity to promote the continuous cooperation between China and Guyana in the fields of aquaculture and marine fishery.

He believes that with the joint efforts of China and Guyana, the development of the fishing industry in Guyana will reach a new level.

Fujian Institute of Oceanography has rich experience in running training courses.

For more than a decade, the institute has successfully completed nearly 100 foreign aid training programmes and carried out fruitful training exchanges with more than 2,600 training officials and technicians from more than 100 countries and regions in five continents in the marine and fishery fields.

The training programmes have achieved excellent results and won the welcome praise of the participants from all countries.

FROM PAGE

Providing pathways ... that transportation is “a big issue” adding, that she had decided not to send her daughter to secondary school due to the high cost of transportation.

The family resides at Coldingen on the East Coast of Demerara. “When she wrote Common Entrance I didn’t decide to send her to school back…I used to walk from here (Coldingen) pushing her in a wheelchair from here to meet Enterprise Primary School, everyday…

When the rain falls then we take a taxi,” Usha related.

However, with motivation from others, Usha said she allowed her daughter to attend secondary school, even though this came at a cost of $5000 per week for a taxi to take Rajni to school.

But it paid off as Rajni graduated from President’s College in 2017 with eight Grade Ones and three Grade Twos. Determined to give her daughter a fair chance of attending university- Usha and her husband Khanai agreed to foot the hefty taxi bill. “It’s really expensive, to be honest for a week its $18,000 I pay now for UG. When she used

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to go President’s College I used to pay $5000 a week, every week,” said the mother, who has given up working to facilitate the movements of her daughter.

In an effort to facilitate persons with disabilities, particularly those in wheelchairs, Usha recommends that each Local Authority Area (LAA) be equipped with a special bus to accommodate this population, noting that there are many more persons who would like to be engaged in society but feel that their needs are not accommodated.

Ganesh Singh, a commissioner on the National Commission for Disability, expressed similar views, recommending that “the government reinstate some form of transportation system that is operated by the state,” which can accommodate persons with disabilities. “It’s one of the hindrances why you have a lot of wheelchair users not being more visible because it is costly for them to come out their homes,” Singh, who is visually impaired, stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 29, 2018

Gaskin talks up budget measures …sees many benefits for youths

MINISTER of Business, Dominic Gaskin has expressed satisfaction with the $2.61B allocated to his ministry even as he relayed his confidence that Budget 2019 would mostly benefit the younger, middle-income population.

The figure allocated to the ministry represents a 19 per cent increase over the 2018 figure and forms part of the total $300.7 B budget.

Gaskin labelled the 2019 budget estimate as “progressive, responsible and one that showcases government’s commitment to improving the lives of all Guyanese”. “The reality is that all of the initiatives and programmes put forward by the various ministries are important and are geared towards the development of our country, but I don’t believe at any point we can satisfy everyone. What I can assure you is that the Ministry of Business will make optimal use of the allocated funds in a way that will ultimately benefit the Guyanese people,” he stressed.

He made the remarks on Monday on the corridors of Parliament, coming out of the four-hour budget

he emphasised. On his list of approval too was the raising of the threshold for filing Property Tax Returns, along with the reduced rates, whereby fewer persons will now be required to file returns.

These changes are which

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin

presentation by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan.

One of the areas the Minister of Business was intent on highlighting included the increase of the income tax threshold to $65,000 which he said would have its greatest impact on persons on the lower end of the salary scale.

“It will translate to more disposable income in the hands of all taxpayers,”

Over $1B for community development and operations of LDOs MORE than $1Billion has been allocated as fiscal transfers in the 2019 budgetary estimates to support community development works and the operations of the Local Democratic Organs (LDOs), according to Minister of Finance Winston Jordan.

During Minister Jordan’s presentation of the 2019 Budget in the National Assembly, he said the government will also invest $320Million to conduct mass property valuations over an 18-month period between October 2018 and the first quarter of 2020. Upon completion, the respective LDOs will undertake to update their valuation registers pending their determination and action.

“This will mark the first national valuation of properties in decades and will allow the LDOs to improve their revenue base, which will allow them to more effectively serve their communities and provide public services

such as roads, street lights, drains and garbage disposal,” the minister explained.

Additionally, four Plans of Action for Municipal Development (PAMD) are set to be undertaken next year, to complement the existing nine PAMDs. He noted that while Regions Nine and 10 have completed their Plans of Action for Regional Development (PARD), Region Six, is on stream to commence as well.

“However, we must note that these strategic plans are just documents; each RDC and municipal council must take ownership and lead the transformation of their respective areas. Implementation plans must be developed and priced, resource mobilisation must be undertaken and continued performance monitoring must occur to verify that each LDO is achieving the desired positive impact on the lives of their citizens,” the minister said. (DPI)

he pinpointed would mostly benefit younger, middle-income persons by removing what he said has always been a burdensome requirement.

Having responsibility for tourism as well, Gaskin also expressed his pleasure at seeing the decision to give the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region special consideration for tax credits for profits and

investments in tourism.

The region now joins the Barima-Waini; CuyuniMazaruni; Potaro-Siparuni and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo which are already benefitting from these incentives. In addition, in a release to the media on Tuesday, the business ministry noted that the historic budget will also allow exporters

to the CARICOM area to benefit from allowances. These were previously granted only to extra-regional exports. Meanwhile, it contains initiatives for companies utilising green technology as well as reduced taxes for small businesses and manufacturers.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

Bacchus XI once again Central Essequibo T20 champions

A DECISIVE all-round display by former national Under-19 player Latchman Rohit ensured that Bacchus XI once again prove their dominance with yet another championship trophy.

Playing on Sunday at the Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance, the hosts batted after winning the toss in a game reduced to 15 overs due to rain. The conditions had an effect on the pitch which contained some amount of moisture that made batting difficult.

The faster bowlers enjoyed the surface as Bacchus XI struggled throughout their innings, ending on 105 all out in 14.4 overs. Only Latchman Rohit 16 (2x4) and Yogeshwar Lall (14) reached double figures as extras contributed a healthy 22 runs.

Left-arm fast medium bowler Sedeshwar Shivambar had excellent figures of 4-18 from 3 overs while Narendra Mandolall claimed 2-12 from his 3 overs.

In reply, batting was even tougher in the second innings as the fast bowlers enjoyed considerable bounce and pace. Reliance Hustlers were then hustled out for 52 in 9.3 overs with only Mark Austin (15) reaching double figures.

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Latchman Rohit returned with the ball to grab 3-4 from 3 overs, Parmesh Parsotam 3-9, Lalbachan Narine 2-8 and Punraj Singh 2-14, all bowling pace, to undermine the Hustlers and claim a 53run win and the title.

At the presentation, Bacchus XI received the winners’ trophy and cash incentives while Reliance Hustlers also received a trophy and a monetary prize. Latchman Rohit received trophies for being the man-of-the-match and scoring the most runs in the final.

Sedeshwar Shivambar received a trophy for taking the most wickets in the final while Trevis Simon received a trophy for the most wickets in the competition.

Trophies were also presented to Neil Cadogan who scored the most runs in the competition including the lone century. He was also adjudged the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).

Executives from the Essequibo Cricket Board as well as Central Essequibo Cricket Committee were present and assisted in the distribution of the awards.

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NATIONALS 2018

High Jumpers rule day 4, three records fall

ON day four of the 58th edition of the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships, the field athletes stole the show, particularly in the high jump events as three records fell in the Male U-20, U-12 and Female U-10 categories respectively.

In a crowd-appreciated effort, 19-year-old Okemi Porter of District 5 (West Coast Berbice), a student of the Mahaicony Technical Institute on his debut at Nationals, had a bestjump of 1.79m, bettering Yannick Walcott’s 2017 record of 1.74m.

P o r t e r, w h o s a i d that as his district had no jumpers he volunteered to do the event, first equalled Walcott’s record, then jumped 1.77m before closing off at 1.79m, to loud cheers from the large crowd.

District 4’s Dejuan Grant set a new record of 1.41m in the Male U-12 category, bettering District One’s Steve Semple who had 1.39m last year.

Meanwhile, in the Girls U-10 category, District One’s (North west District) Jada La Cruz improved her 2017 record of 1.15m by setting 1.17m this year.

Another field event record was set in the U-16 Boys Long Jump as Corentyne’s (District 6) Mellon Lowenfield recorded a best leap of 6.47m in the pit; up to press time the full results of that event was unavailable.

Due to the Guyana Teacher’s Union lack of organisational skills, official times for the 100m sprint events were unavailable up to press time.

However, in the Girls 800m U-20 finals, Ser-

ena Williams of District 10 (Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani) took Gold while District 13’s (South G e o rg e t o w n ) L e a n n a Charles copped Silver with Donell Mathison of District 5 (West Coast Berbice) settling for Bronze.

In the 800m U-18 Boys race, District 5’s Courtley Bobb upset Murphy Nash of District 10 to claim Gold w h i l e D a r re l l D a v i s of District 6 (Corentyne) copped Bronze.

In the 800m U-18 Girls final, Tia Azore (District 10) was a picture of composure as she beat Jasmine Assanah of District 12 (East Georgetown) to Gold while Aaliyah Headley of District 4 (East Coast Demerara) took Bronze.

Over in the U-16 Boys 800m, District 12’s Cordel Charles ran the perfect race to cop Gold while Matthew Gordon (District 5) had to settle for silver and Ogle Benel (District 11) bronze.

Amid much fanfare, Shane Haynes (District 10) managed to hold off Alwyn Prince (District 4) to ensure that the Gold medal remained in District 10 while North Georgetown’s (District 11 ) A n t h o n y G r i ff i t h had to settle for Bronze.

On the distaff side of the 100m U-20 finals, there were no surprises as District 3’s (West Demerara) Tonya Rollins steamrolled her opponents to claim gold, while Tiea Lowe (District 12) copped Silver and District 14’s Aaliyah Reid settled for bronze.

Action continues today at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, on the West Coast of Demerara with the 200m heats and 1500m finals.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

Sunshine, Dant share Division A honours at OSCL gala … Carr Tec dominate Division B

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Division A rivals Sunshine and Dant shared honours when the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) held its spectacular 23rd annual presentation, dinner and dance at the Easttown Banquet Hall, Scarborough here last Saturday night.

Among those gracing the auspicious occasion was Guyana’s Consul General to Toronto, Anyin Choo.

Sunshine were crowned Division A playoff champions, copping the Oil Changers trophy, spoiling Dant’s chances of carting off their fifth consecutive championship. They also added the Norman Sue Bakery 15-over crown to their collection.

Dant, on the other hand, had to settle for the regular

season (20 overs) title while also retaining honours in the DTE Industries (Caribbean Sensation) 10-over tournament.

It was also a grand night of celebration for Carr Tec players who swept both the regular season and Division B playoffs championship titles, following their convincing victory over Wakenaam in the latter.

For their efforts, Carr Tec walked away with the Remax All Stars Realty Inc. and the Oil Changers-sponsored trophies. Wakenaam took home the Fundex Investment Inc. silverware.

Better Hope were runners-up in the Norman Sue Bakery 15-over championship final while Rems trounced Caribbean Sensation to claim the consolation title. Not to be outdone, Good Success were crowned Division B champs following

their victory over Carr Tec, while GTA Storm carted off the Consolation title with Smashers being the runners-up.

Cougars claimed the Division B DTE Industries 10over championship after their victory over GTA Storm while Wakenaam turned the tables on Carr Tec in their consolation clash.

Rems were also in winners’ row for the second time, making light work of Enmore in their 10-over DTE Industries consolation encounter.

Dant’s Farook Hussain, with 348 runs, led Conference A with the most runs while Surujpaul Deosarran (Rems) and Shiv Persaud (Enmore) were second and third respectively, with 229 and 202 respectively.

In the B Division, Uniss Yusuff (GTA Storm) led the way with a phenomenal 509 runs, the most by any player and

Carr-Tec players and officials pose with their winnings.

Consul General Anyin Choo hands over the Division A championship trophy to Sunshine skipper Anil Mahadeo in the presence of some players and manager Paris Tulsi (extreme right).

he was followed by Rovendra Mandolall (Carr Tec) and Ramo Malone (GTA Storm) with 337 and 324 respectively.

The three top bowlers in Conference A were Damodar Daesrath (Dant) Yoodhanlall Sukhlall (Rems) and Rishi Ram Samuel with 23, 19, and 18 wickets, respectively.

The B Conference saw Mahendra Monilall top the bowling with 19 wickets, two more than Shablall Sha Mohabir (Wakenaam) and Mandolall (Carr Tec) who ended the season with 16.

Among the Most Valuable Player (MVP) recipients were Sunshine’s Hemnarine Chattergoon and Dant’s Satrohan Balkarram in the Conference A playoff final; Rakesh Dyal (Carr Tec) and Raja Pooran (Wakenaan) in the Conference B playoff final; Imran Ali (Sunshine),

Avinash Singh (Better Hope), Andy Persaud (Rems), Richard Driffield (Caribbean Sensation), Ashok Ramjas (Good Success), Rovendra Mandolall (Carr Tec), Sheldon Burnett (GTA Storm) and Devon Ramnauth (Smashers) in the Norman Sue-sponsored 15-over tournament.

The DTE Industries-sponsored 10-over MVPs were Mahendranauth Parasnaith (Sunshine), Royston Crandon (Dant) Krishna Deosaran (Rems), Zakir Mohamed (Enmore), Kevin Budhram (Cougars), Khemraj Dhanpaul (GTA Storm), Rabindra Persaud (Wakenaam) and Manendra Monilall (Carr Tec).

Centuries were recorded

by Mandolall (107), Malone (130), Yusuf (116), Ravi Bodo (102), Imran Ali (105) and Rabindra Persaud (100 not out), while there five-wicket hauls for Ashok Ramjas, Rishi

Ram Samuel, Jagdeo Singh, Terry Mathura, Damador Daesrath and Riaz Kadir.

The annual Independence Cup, sponsored by Trophy Stall (Guyana), was won by Team Jaguars with Riaz Prahalad emerging as the MVP. Jaguars also carted off the All Stars trophy with the MVP being Uniss Yusuf for the winning team and Lloyd Rooplall taking the coveted prize for the losing Kaieteur side. Coordinator Vish Jadunauth was the manager for Independence Cup team while assistant secretary/ treasurer Bobby Ramlagan was in charge of the All Stars side.

The Norman Sue Spirit Award, given annually to worthy individuals who have played big roles, both on and off the field, went to Suren Persaud of Wakenaam who was unavoidably absent.

Eddings made permanent Cricket Australia chairman Former Barbados skipper Kirk Edwards to lead Volcanoes SYDNEY (Reuters) - Earl Eddings was named the new permanent chairman of Cricket Australia (CA) by the board on Wednesday, four weeks after taking up the post on a temporary basis when David Peever was forced to resign.

A director on the board for the 10 years, Eddings would serve until next October’s annual general meeting when the post would be filled by a candidate nominated after consultation with the state associations, Cricket Australia said.

Eddings takes on the role at a difficult time for the game in Australia after last year’s bitter pay dispute with the players was followed by a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March that rocked the sport.

Peever resigned a little more than a week after being re-elected for a second threeyear term, bowing to public pressure in the wake of a scathing review of the board’s governance and culture.

“There’s no question this

year has been a challenging one for cricket and for Cricket Australia. Our aim is to ensure management are empowered to rebuild trust and strengthen the game,” CA director Jacquie Hey said in a statement, “Earl’s involvement over

Earl Eddings was named the new permanent CA chairman

the past decade provides continuity in a time of change and enables the board to maintain strong relations with the ICC (cricket’s governing body), other member countries and our valued partners.”

The Longstaff report, which was not released until after Peever’s second term was secured, found the board partially culpable for the events in Cape Town which led to bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

The report also said CA was perceived as “arrogant” and “controlling” by stakeholders and had nurtured a culture of “winning without counting the costs”.

“Cricket is only what it is in Australia because of the commitment of our people, the fans and the thousands of volunteers around the country,” Eddings said.

“I am honoured to serve in this position and am committed to making cricket stronger and a game that we can all be proud of.”

K I N G S TO N , S t Vi n c e n t (CMC) – Former West Indies vice-captain Kirk Edwards has been handed the captaincy of Windward Islands Volcanoes for the first class championship which starts next week.

The 34-year-old, a former Barbados captain who played 17 Tests and 16 One-Day Internationals for West Indies, represented Volcanoes in the Regional Four-Day season for the first time during the last campaign, scoring 313 runs, including three half-centuries.

Edwards did not feature for a franchise during the 2016-17 season but had turned out for Jamaica Scorpions in the previous campaign.

He has not represented Barbados since the 2014-15 season when he scraped 59 runs in four matches for the traditional regional powerhouse.

Edwards was once tipped as a future great West Indies batsman after hitting two hundreds and a half-century in his first six Test innings.

But his career declined following a poor run of form

on the 2012 tour of England and he never rediscovered the touch which had gained him his quick rise in West Indies cricket.

Batsman Kirk Edwards set to lead Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Edwards averages 33 with nine hundreds, and is on the brink of 5 000 first class runs.

He will lead a squad which will be missing marquee opener Devon Smith for the day/ night first-round match against four-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground next week Thursday.

Smith is unavailable due

to “personal reasons”, a Windwards board release said.

The squad will also be missing several other key players as batsman Sunil Ambris and fast bowler Sherman Lewis are on West Indies duty in Bangladesh, while the trio of Obed McCoy, Kesrick Williams and Kyle Mayers are all injured.

Batsman Tyrone Theophile, who led Volcanoes last season, has been included in the 13-man squad along with former West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford and 21-year-old batsman Roland Cato, who will be Edwards’ vice-captain.

Volcanoes finished one from bottom of the six-team championship last season and have not won the first class title in the modern era.

SQUAD – Kirk Edwards (captain), Roland Cato (vice-captain), Tyrone Theophile, Tarryck Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Denis Smith (wicketkeeper), Shane Shillingford, Audy Alexander, Ryan John, Delorn Johnson, Ray Jordan, Josh Thomas.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

CWI Regional Four-Day Championship Fixtures ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Fixtures for the 2018-19 Regional Four-Day Championship announced by Cricket West Indies on Tuesday: SCHEDULE OF MATCHES (All matches start at 10 am daily, except where indicated) ROUND 1 Thursday, December 6 to Sunday, December 9 Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia (2 pm start daily) Pride vs Hurricanes – Three Ws Oval, Barbados (2 pm start daily) Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17 Red Force vs Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad ROUND 2 Thursday, December 13 to Sunday, December 16 Pride vs Scorpions – Three Ws Oval Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua Red Force vs Volcanoes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy ROUND 3 Friday, January 4 to Monday, January 7 Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica (2 pm start daily) Red Force vs Hurricanes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy Pride vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval, Barbados ROUND 4 Thursday, January 10 to Sunday, January 13 Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Volcanoes – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (9:30 am start daily) Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17 Hurricanes vs Pride – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground ROUND 5 Thursday, January 17 to Sunday, January 20 Jaguars vs Hurricanes – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 am start daily) Red Force vs Pride – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (2 pm start daily) Volcanoes vs Scorpions – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada ROUND 6 Thursday, January 31 to Sunday, February 3 Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park, St. Kitts (2 pm start daily) Red Force vs Jaguars – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval ROUND 7 Thursday, February 7 to Sunday, February 10 Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium Pride vs Red Force – Kensington Oval Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Arnos Vale Sports Complex, St. Vincent ROUND 8 Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24 Hurricanes vs Red Force – Warner Park Scorpions vs Jaguars – Sabina Park Volcanoes vs Pride – Arnos Vale Sports Complex ROUND 9 Thursday, February 28 to Sunday, March 3 Scorpions vs Hurricanes – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium Volcanoes vs Red Force – Windsor Park, Dominica ROUND 10 Thursday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10 Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium (2 pm start daily) Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground

Barbados pick rookie Kirton in 13-man squad … Veteran Kevin Stoute overlooked

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Batting all-rounder Nicholas Kirton was poised to make his first-class debut after being named in Barbados Pride’s 13-man squad for their opening round match of the Regional FourDay Championship against Leeward Islands Hurricanes next week.

The 20-year-old impressed for Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners during their title-winning campaign in last month’s Regional Super50, managing a polished unbeaten half-century in the preliminaries against Hurricanes.

A left-hander, Kirton ended with 131 runs at average of nearly 33.

While Marooners contest the domestic 50-overs competition, the university squad is not part of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) first-class tournament.

Chief selector Hendy Wallace said the player was expected to add value to the Pride line-up.

“Kirton brings an allround skill set and has im-

pressed with the way he sets up his game, especially against spin in the middle order,” Wallace told the Barbados Cricket Association website.

and Test seamer Miguel Cummins.

Left-hander Shayne Moseley, who was Pride’s leading scorer last year with 643 runs, is also included.

Left-hander Nicholas Kirton bats during last month’s Super50.

“I would hope that all of his skills be utilised which include his bowling and brilliant fielding.”

As expected, the squad will be led by West Indies A skipper, Shamarh Brooks, and includes veteran lefthander Jonathan Carter

However, there is no room for experienced all-rounder Kevin Stoute, who was part of the Pride squad for the recent Super50.

The 33-year-old, who has captained Pride in the past, played eight of the franchise’s 10 games last season,

finishing with 284 runs, a single half-century and an average of 23. He took 16 wickets with his medium pace at 26 runs apiece.

In the Super50, he scored 188 runs at an average of 23 and claimed 10 scalps.

However, Wallace said Stoute was not completely out of the selection frame.

“Definitely not. At least at his age, I would hope not,” the former Barbados seamer said.

“He’s a professional and I would expect that if he’s fit enough and committed enough that he still has a lot to offer.”

Pride face Hurricanes at the 3W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill Campus starting next week Thursday in a day/ night affair.

SQUAD – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Aaron Jones, Nicholas Kirton, Shayne Moseley, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott, Hayden Walsh Jr.

ECCC/Banks Beer 100-ball tournament moves into final four LUSIGNAN A and B will battle while Fairfield Sports Club will meet organising club, Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club’s A team, when the final four of the ECCCC/Banks Beer 100-ball tournament takes place this Sunday, weather permitting.

In quarter-final action last Sunday, Fairfield defeated Mahaica Cavaliers at Enmore ground. Guyana U-19 cricketer Ramnarine Chatura struck an aggressive 87 to push the eventual winners to 160-8. Support came from Richard Chatura who contributed 20.

N. Persaud took 4-25 from

three overs to lead the Cavaliers, who in reply folded for 58 all out. Mustak Shaw claimed 2-4.

In the second clash at the same venue, Enmore CCCC A team defeated Strathavon Sports Club by 56 runs. A few batsmen had starts, which propelled the home team to 121-8 from 100 balls.

Imran Hassan (28) and Rudolph Singh (22) led the attack for the eventual winners, while Sewchand Budhu led the visitors’ bowling attack with 3-31.

Strathavon SC did not fire with the bat and were bundled out for 65 in 13.4 overs. Satesh Jainarine did the damage for

Enmore CCCC A with 3-12 from 2.4 overs.

Meanwhile at the Lusignan ground in the other quarter-final clashes, Lusignan B defeated Better Hope SC by six wickets.

Better Hope took first strike and were restricted to 113-9 from their 100 deliveries with Sachin Singh scoring 31. K. Persuad, F. Kadir, A. Singh and T. Motieram took two wickets apiece for Lusignan B, who replied with 116-4 in 15.4 overs. Brian Sattaur and D. Samaroo scored 28 and 25 respectively.

In game two, Enterprise SC defeated Lusignan A by 51 runs in a game that was

played under protest by Lusignan A. Enterprise A tallied 1458 from 100 deliveries, with Bhaskar Yadram scoring 89, whilst K. Bishundial took 3-28.

Lusignan A were restricted to 94-9 after Raja Pooran, Kamesh Yadram and Vivian Albert took two wickets apiece.

The match was later awarded to Lusignan A after a hearing was conducted by the organisers and Enterprise A were deemed to be in breach of the competition’s playing conditions.

The semi-finals are set for the Enmore Community Centre ground.

Farm record huge win over Bayrock in Neville Sarjoo Memorial cricket A HALF-century from Richard Latif and good bowling spells from Michael Alexander and Shaeed Gittens propelled Farm to a 137-run victory over Bayrock when action in the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) Neville Sarjoo Memorial 40-over cricket competition continued last Sunday at the Laluni ground.

Farm, who won the toss and batted first in the game, which was reduced to 20 overs, were led by an aggressive innings from Latif, who struck 13 sixes and two fours in a score of 92.

Ricky Debydial supported

Chien Shaeed Gittens bowled four quality overs against Bayrock.

Richard Latif exploded with 13 sixes and two fours in a top score of 92 for the winners.

with 25 runs (3x4, 1x6) as the eventual winners raced to 201, before they were bowled out in 19.2 overs.

J. Craig and D. Williams led Bayrock with two wickets each.

In reply, Alexander and Gittens routed their opponents for 64 in 12.2 overs.

Alexander took four wickets for 15 runs from 2.2 overs with his off-spin bowling, while Gittens nabbed 2-10 from four overs with his medium pace.

Only two batsmen finished with double figures for Bayrock. M. Belle (2x4) made 12, while D. Williams (2x4) added 10.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

CPL keen to host women’s T20 tournament THERE could be a Women’s Caribbean Premier League on the cricket calendar in the near future with the tournament’s chief operating officer indicating it is not a question of “if” but “when”.

Pete Russell was responding to questions raised by West Indies batsman Britney Cooper after her team was knocked out in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. She claimed they could have done better if they could also play as many matches a year as some of the more fancied teams like Australia, England and India.

“We need people in the CPL or corporate sponsors to back us and give us that push. We can’t do it all by ourselves. We need more.

We need a mini-CPL,” she said.

The 2018 edition was the first standalone Women’s T20 World Cup hosted by the ICC, attracting promising audience numbers across three venues in Guyana, St Lucia and Antigua. There is opportunity to ride on that and Russell is keen to do so.

In fact, last year, he said the CPL and Cricket West Indies had held “informal” talks about holding a franchise T20 tournament for women.

“We have already discussed the feasibility of a women’s tournament with CWI or a women’s exhibition match, after the 2017 tournament, and have been discussing how we

can make it work since then,” Russell told Newsday.

“Any cricket tournament is a huge logistical challenge to arrange and there are a lot of questions that would need to be answered before we could commit to going ahead. But it is something that we are keen to have as part of the CPL programme. It is not a question of ‘if’ it is a question of ‘when’.”

Currently the CPL has the rights only to host the men’s tournament.

To organise a women’s version, a separate licence needs to be procured by CWI. That makes the board the final authority on this issue and it remains open to investing in women’s T20s, especially keeping in mind its popularity.

West Indies women already have two domestic T20 tournaments in place - the CWI Regional Women’s Twenty20 Championship and a franchise league in Trinidad and Tobago, called the Courts T20 Women’s Grand Slam Tournament, which had more than 10 regular members of the national side in action this July.

It is also understood that the CPL had invited West Indies women to play an exhibition T20 ahead of the men’s Eliminator in September.

However, there were logistical issues considering they were playing a bilateral series against South Africa at the time. It is for the

CPL chief operating officer Pete Russell

same reason a mini Women’s CPL, alongside the men’s edition, is unlikely, at least in 2019.

West Indies women will be involved in a bilateral series with Australia in August-September. In any case, it is learnt the CWI wants a standalone women’s T20 tournament along the lines of Big Bash League, which has provef to be a success in Australia.

Russell is aware of the challenges but has no second thoughts about investing in women’s cricket. “We don’t see it as a risk, but we have shown over the last six years that we are willing to invest in cricket across the region.

It is very early days in these discussions and we have a lot of hoops to jump through before this becomes a reality, but we have seen over the last few weeks just how fast the women’s game is growing and we would love to be a part of its ongoing success.” (ESPN Cricinfo)

Atletico ease into last 16 with win over hapless Monaco MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid clinched their place in the Champions League last 16 yesterday by beating AS Monaco 2-0 at home while also ensuring that Thierry Henry’s hapless visitors will now even miss out on qualification for the Europa League.

Koke scored Atletico’s fastest-ever Champions League goal within two minutes and Antoine Griezmann added a second after 25 before any hopes of a late Monaco comeback were ended with Radamel Falcao’s 83rd minute missed penalty.

The win meant that Atletico, who were knocked out of the group stage of Europe’s elite competition last season, advanced to the knockout stages, provisionally leading Group A with 12 points from five games.

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund were in action against Club Bruges later yesterday but Monaco were left guaranteed to finish bottom of the group, having gleaned just one point.

Atletico took their early lead when Spanish midfielder Koke let fly from outside the area and watched his shot float into the net with the help of a heavy deflection from a Monaco defender.

France forward Griezmann doubled Atletico’s advantage midway the first half, delivering a neat finish with the outside of his left boot after being teed up by former Monaco winger Thomas Lemar who had coasted down the wing with ease.

Monaco, second from bottom in Ligue 1 with only two wins in all competitions, improved somewhat in the second half as Atletico lost focus and carved out a number of chances.

They were presented with a glorious chance of getting back into the game with eight minutes remaining when Atletico defender Stefan Savic handled in the area and was sent off for a second yellow card.

But in a moment indicative of Monaco’s rotten form, Falcao, former darling of the Atletico faithful, completely missed the target from the spot at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which will host the competition’s final next June.

GFF to launch International More Messi magic seals Barcelona victory at PSV Futsal tourney today EINDHOVEN (Reuters) Lionel Messi scored an excellent individual goal and laid on another as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 to secure top spot in Group B of the Champions League yesterday.

celona for much of the contest at the Philips Stadion, striking the woodwork three times in the first half alone and missing a number of other chances.

In a bright start, PSV forward Gaston Pereiro latched onto a poor pass from Ivan

His hooked effort from 12 yards was cleared by Pablo Rosario before Angelino blocked the Chilean’s goalbound header from the resulting corner.

It was Barcelona thanking their lucky stars just before halftime, though, when De Jong’s header from a free-kick came off the crossbar and the follow-up from close-range

by Denzel Dumfries struck the post.

The visitors took the lead just past the hour mark,

thanks to a typical piece of Messi magic as he picked up the ball on the edge of the box and, with four defenders around him, managed to drive forward and provide a thunderous finish.

It was 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining when the Argentine’s free kick was guided into the PSV net by an unmarked Pique.

De Jong set up a frenetic finish with his headed goal but Barcelona were able to hold on under heavy home pressure.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson in action for Sparta Boss at a recent Futsal tournament

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will today launch their International Futsal tournament, which will be played from December 27 to 30.

According to the GFF, the tournament will feature eight teams and will have ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl under their STAG Beer brand as its sponsors.

Today, at 12:00hrs in the Boardroom of the GFF, president Wayne Forde and tournament coordinator Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major will divulge all information with regard to the participating countries, prize money and venue for the event.

The tournament will mark the first time International Futsal is being played in Guyana, outside of the one-off Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) U-19 championship between Guyana and Suriname in 2016.

(Thursday November 22, 2018)

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scores team’s first goal.

(REUTERS/Toussaint Kluiters)

Messi provided an assist for defender Gerard Pique to score the second for the Spanish side, who have 13 points from their five matches and an unassailable lead at the top of the pool.

PSV will finish bottom.

Captain Luuk de Jong scored a late consolation for the home side as they matched Bar-

Rakitic but his low drive came back off the post, and minutes later he shot over the crossbar from five yards.

PSV had some good fortune, too, though, as Barca had two efforts cleared off the line within the space of a minute, with Arturo Vidal the unlucky player on both occasions.

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)

(1) (2) (1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1876-77 AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1970-71 TODAY’S QUIZ: Who scored the very first Test century?

Who cracked the first ever ODI hundred?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018

14th Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival opens

THE 14th edition of the Diamond Mineral Water-sponsored Indoor Hockey Festival started last evening at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where 18 teams in various categories, both male and female, began their quest for supremacy.

The festival continues to attract top teams from the Caribbean region and North America and has been a key feature on the Guyana annual calendar of sports events and the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) was high in praise for the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), who has supported the tournament since 2004.

“Diamond Mineral Water is synonymous with indoor hockey in this part of the world, thanks to the longstanding relationship with the popular brand and the sports fraternity. I therefore welcome our sponsors who are joining me this afternoon at the outset of this year’s festival and wish to express the gratitude of all of Guyana hockey,” said president of the GHB Philip Fernandes.

“Our gold sponsor Ansa McAl came on board two years after the inaugural festival and has stuck with us since then,” Fernandes related.

Meanwhile, Fernandes, in highlighting the tournament this year, noted that the Over-35 division once again enjoys the largest participation of foreign teams.

T h is y ea r t h e S TA G

brand, the GHB president said, will be the new sponsor of this division. ExxonMobil began its association with local hockey last year November, when the entity was the main sponsor of the Pan American Indoor Championships held in Guyana.

For the very first time Exxon is teaming up with hockey again this year as a gold sponsor of the women’s division.

THE 2018-19 edition of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) 40-over second division tournament was launched yesterday with NBS padding up for a seventh year.

The tournament, which commenced earlier this year is up to its halfway stage, with organisers choosing to start earlier in the year to beat the end of year rains.

GCA president, former

Guyana and West Indies cricketer Roger Harper, contended that the company continues to lend its support to cricket in the capital city, saying, “This sponsorship continues to provide opportunities for players representing clubs in Georgetown to show their talent and hone their skills.”

“While it is a competition for Georgetown clubs, it provides opportunities for players all over the country because

This year Fernandes anticipates receiving some of the top players from last year’s Indoor World Cup men’s Pan American champions Trinidad and Tobago.

The Queen’s Park Hockey Club of Trinidad and Tobago, who were finalists in 2013 and 2016, are the defending champions in both the men’s division and the STAG Over-35 division.

The quality side boasts several Trinidad national players,

including Jordan Reynolds, Aden DeGannes and Jordan Vieira along with several former nationals.

Shacar are the other overseas side contesting the men’s division and will be first-time visitors. GTT national champions Pepsi Hikers and powerful runners-up Old Fort, who are further strengthened by a pair of Canadian guest players, are expected to put up a strong challenge. GCC

and Saints have also been anxiously awaiting the chance to climb the podium.

The STAG veterans division will once again enjoy the greatest overseas participation this year, with three international teams in Queen’s Park, Fatima and Carib from Trinidad.

Queen’s Park are the defending champions in this division while Fatima have won it once before. Local sides Antonio’s Grill Hickers, who are

Part of the opening night action in the 14th Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Festival between GBTI GCC and Saints at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

(Samuel Maughn photo)

four-time champions, Vintage GCC and Old Fort also will be vying for the STAG trophy.

ExxonMobil women’s competition sees the return of the inaugural champions, Magnolias from Trinidad, who will be joined by Ventures, also making a re-appearance after many years.

The GTT national champions, Woodpecker Hikers, will be looking to lead the challenge for Guyana, as will seven-time champions, GBTI GCC, along with Old Fort and Saints. Seven overseas teams are gracing our shores for this year’s festival from Trinidad making a total of 18 teams.

Fernandes told reporters at a Media Launch that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Pan American Hockey Federation Umpires manager, Roger St Rose, visited Guyana over the past weekend for a workshop to help prepare our local officials for the event. International Umpires manager Susan Gomes of Trinidad will perform those duties during the festival.

The winning teams in both male and female tournaments will each receive US$1 000 while the runners-up will cart off US$500.

The winners of the veteran tournament will receive US$500, with the second-placed team collecting incentive prizes.

NBS/GCA 40-over second division launched there are no restrictions on the players and where they live, just the clubs have to be Georgetown clubs.”

Harper noted, that this year alone, some 16 players (from GCA) would have represented Guyana from different age groups with six gaining selection for the West Indies Youth teams.

“Without question, this sponsorship each year bears (not only) good quality fruit

but greater fruit, giving our players, our young players the impetus they need to progress,” he concluded.

NBS Chairman Floyd McDonald contended that the tournament comes at an integral time as the West Indies side continue their rebuilding efforts, citing young Guyanese who were selected for various ages of the regional setup.

“We at the NBS feel that

this sponsorship will contribute to the uplifting of cricket in Georgetown and, by extension, nationally and regionally, which is even more needed when one considers the current state of cricket in the West Indies,” McDonald added.

The tournament is split into two zones with the Zone A featuring, DCC, Diplomats (Lodge-Hadfield Street), University of Guyana, Muslim

Youth Organisation, Gandhi Youth Organisation, GNIC Malteenoes and Everest.

The Zone B comprises Georgetown Cricket Club, Guyana Defence Force, Police Sports Club, Third Class Cricket Club, Sophia, Ace Warriors and Transport.

The tournament will feature a total of 52 matches with the top two teams moving into the semis then winners contesting the final.

Weather hits India preparations for Australia series

NBS Chief Executive Officer Anil Kishun hands over the sponsorship cheque for the GCA 40-over second division tournament to GCA president Roger Harper in the presence of other officials.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The start of India’s only warm-up match for the test series against Australia was delayed by torrential rain on Wednesday, with the four-day clash against a Cricket Australia XI looking unlikely to get underway before Thursday.

Storms battered the New South Wales coast on Wednesday morning, flooding streets, railway stations and homes as the extreme weather caused commuter chaos, grounded flights and left hundreds of homes without electricity.

Play was impossible at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the tourists are scheduled to play a non-first class tour match against an understrength representative side featuring just one international, D’Arcy Short.

The Test series begins in Adelaide on Dec. 6, with further matches in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney over the following month.

NATIONALS 2018

High Jumpers rule day 4, three records fall Page

27

Okemi Porter during his record-breaking jump in the Boys U-20 High Jump.

District 3’s Tonya Rawlins (third from left) crosses the finish line to claim Gold in the Girls U-20 100M Final.

District 10’s Shane Haynes (third from right) copped Gold in the Boys U-20 100M Final.

Akeila Wiltshire upstages her sister to take BCIC All Jamaica Senior Squash title THE Wiltshire sisters, Akeila and Larissa, were in sensational form over the weekend in Jamaica, as the pair, who are no strangers to the sporting industry, ruled the BCIC All Jamaica Senior Squash Championships, at Liguanea Club in Kingston.

According to a Newsroom report, Larissa made it to the semi-finals of the competition after a walkover in the quarter-finals, and would later defeat Mia Mahfood 11-5, 11-5, 13-11, to advance to the final.

In the final, Larissa clashed with her older sister, who had defeated Mia Todd 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 in the quarter-finals and Mia Lake 13-11, 11-4, 11-4 in the semi-finals.

The report stated that the two, who are medical students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), had an intense battle, but when the dust settled, Akeila walked away champion of the prestigious squash title, winning 11-3, 11-6 and 11-8.

After the competition, an elated Akeila shared with Newsroom that she was prepared for the tournament, like any other, and while admitting that she didn’t think about facing her sister, she saw her like any other opposition.

“I didn’t think about playing my sister, I was playing an opponent. My strategy was to place my shots in target areas, move her around the court and force her to make the errors, which I thought I executed well,” the senior champion said.

Overall, more than 60 players contested the various categories of the championships which included Men’s A, B, C and Veterans, as well as Ladies’ A and B.

The Wiltshire sisters, Akeila (left) and Larissa, display their trophies after dominating the BCIC All Jamaica Senior Squash Championships in Kingston last weekend. (Newsroom/Ravin Singh photo)

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THURSSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018