Guyana chronicle e paper 11 30 2017

Cattle farmer Page 9 killed in road accident

‘Don’t beat women’ No. 105112

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Price: $80 (VAT Inclusive)

…Prime Minister tells men’s forum … urges multi-faceted approach tackling gender-based violence Page 3

President David Granger presents the President's Prize to the Best Graduating Student of St Joseph High School, Mr. Azarodeen Khan during the institution’s graduation ceremony at its Woolford Avenue location on Wednesday

RUSAL signs Key suspect Lethem airstrip in teacher’s for major upgrade tax-free overtime pact killing held

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… gov’t seeks US$15M to boost hinterland aerodromes

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

RUSAL signed on to tax-free overtime pact … GRA to refund over $173M to company

By Ariana Gordon

THE Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI, a subsidiary of Russian Aluminum (RUSAL) on Wednesday signed on to the tax-free overtime agreement for its workers more than one year after refusing to sign same.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, had ordered the company to pay the workers on November 17, 2017 after representatives of the company failed to sign a three-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would clear the way for the employees to be paid what was owed to them since October 2016. Last year, the company

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott

said it did not support the workers’ representative —the Guyana Bauxite Union and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) -- as a signatory to the pact. The company had proposed a different approach to treat with the issue.

However, in August, then Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, had said that the tax waiver was a done deal, but while BOSAI and Oldendorff Carrier had signed onto the agreement, BCGI had withheld its signature. The tax-free concession on overtime work was implemented in 1988. This concession was enjoyed by workers up until 2007, when it was taken away by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration. The move

Managing-Director RUSAL, Valerii Vinokurov, signs the MoU, clearing the way for employees to be paid monies owed to them since October 2016 as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, looks on. by the PPP administration had adversely affected the earnings of bauxite workers from Linden and Kwakwani, and was viewed by critics as a punitive exercise for not supporting the PPP. However, on Wednesday, following a meeting with the top brass of RUSAL, the agreement was signed by the company’s Managing-Director Valerii Vinokurov, in the presence of a few invited workers of the company.

Minister Scott told the Guyana Chronicle that the deductions that were taken from the workers’ pay for overtime must be refunded. He said contact has been made with Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who will facilitate the process once an application is made by the company for the refund.

“It means the union can now be at ease that workers can be assured that they’d be getting their money. Any amount that has been paid over to the government’s income tax department, the refund would be returned upon claims for the refund,” explained Scott, who noted that RUSAL workers can now look forward to their money soon.

The minister said the process should not take longer than a week once all that is required to be done, is done.

“I am going to call the union in and let them know there is no longer any impasse and that any strike threat will be erased because once they see there has been movement, all parties concerned would be satisfied.

Today BCGI has no problem with us, the workers and I presume the union,” Scott assured.

WHY SO LONG Asked why it took RUSAL so long to comply with government’s directive, the managing-director said last year his company had no official relationship with the GB&GWU. “Since the situation has changed, our management started a direct dialogue with the leaders of the union and GTUC’s General-Secretary, Lincoln Lewis,” said company’s representative Vladimir Permyakov, who noted that positive steps were made and a high level of mutual confidence was developed, which led to the signing of the MoU. “In the beginning of 2016, our management sent a letter to the Minister of Finance of Guyana Jordan… with hundreds of supporting signatures of our workers asking to give a waiver for bauxite workers on income tax on overtime pay and we are happy that such an incentive was given to our workers,” said Permyakov.

The company representative said it is the company’s desire to meet with the Finance Minister soon, so that the money totalling $173, 098, 397 (taxes paid on overtime between October 2016 and October 2017) can be refunded and workers paid in a timely fashion. He explained that of the 500 employees at the Bauxite Company there are approximately 300 who benefit from overtime.

“We will make application very fast to see how soon we can get refund,” he stated.

In a letter dated November 27, and addressed to Minister Scott, the managing-director noted that the laws of Guyana are paramount in the situation. Vinokurov

was responding to a letter dispatched to RUSAL dated November 25. In that letter, he called on Scott to not view the company as “unwilling to ensure that this initiative that will materially benefit the workers will materialise and come to fruition.”

It was in that missive that the company indicated its willingness to sign the MoU as requested and commence making deductions as provided therein. “While the company values its employees and wishes to make their position as comfortable as possible, as previously stated, it would be financially impossible to make payment of sums of the magnitude … as these have already been paid over to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in accordance with the law.”

“The only way the ministry may properly secure the due payment of those sums to the company’s workers would be for the GRA or the Ministry of Finance to issue the workers with a tax refund, which the company would be happy to request and to distribute upon receipt,” the missive continued.

Meanwhile, Clairemont Ferguson, a heavy-duty equipment operator in the mines, told the Guyana Chronicle that while he is happy the MoU has been signed, he has reservations based on the history of RUSAL. He said, “I am partially satisfied…we are yet to be convinced that we are going to receive the money and very soon. We are of the opinion and belief that the company should take immediate steps to Turn to page 3 ►

‘Don’t beat women’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

–– PM urges multi-faceted approach to tackle gender-based violence

AS the Ministry of Social Protection observes its 16 days of Activism Campaign against Gender-based Violence, Prime Minister and First Vice- President, Moses Nagamootoo has called for young men everywhere to desist from abusing women and children.

Speaking at a forum hosted for members of the disciplined forces and other young men at the Police Officers’ Training Centre on Wednesday evening, the prime minister acknowledged the scourge of violence against women and girls, in Guyana. Cognisant of this, he said that a multi-faceted approach geared at tackling gender-based violence (GBV) is being rolled out by the government. “Guyana cannot and must not be counted among those countries where there is pervasive abuse of women and mindless violence inflicted on them,” he told the forum.

“Among the men are the good the bad and the ugly… but I would hope that the bad men make the effort to change. If we could do so, then there will be hope to eliminate the scourge of

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addressing police recruits at a men’s forum held as part of the Ministry of Social Protection’s 16 days of Activism Campaign against Gender-based Violence (Adrian Narine photo) violence against women and girls.”

Speaking to the men gathered, the prime minister urged them to support the culture of equality in all spheres of life and to put an end to the “eye-pass” against women because of misperceptions about their economic and social status. The prime minister noted that gender equality has been foremost in the 20-

30 Sustainable Development Goals and that the Ministry of Social Protection has involved all stakeholders in the call to action. “I stand here today as prime minister, as a man as a husband, father and grandfather and appeal to all men to respect our women,” he emphasised.

In his presentation, Prime Minister Nagamootoo referred to the laws that pro-

tect victims of gender-based violence and the laws that protect victims and punish perpetrators. The Sexual Offences Act provides for the operationalisation of a national task force for the prevention of sexual violence, which came to fruition in 2016. In this year too, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit was established. In 2017,

the Sexual Offences Court was only launched earlier in November.

Adding to these efforts, the prime minister related that plans are in train for a dedicated domestic violence court, while the Domestic Violence Policy is being revised and the National Action Plan for Sexual Domestic Violence is being “concretised.”

Speaking more on this Na-

tional Action Plan, he related that it will be implemented in all regions and will foster governmental and non-governmental stakeholder engagements.

In addition, through this plan, training will be provided to all stakeholders dealing with this matter and the general public. According to the prime minister, “Guyana is therefore rolling out the multi-faceted approach to combat gender-based violence, mainly violence against women.”

The Director of the University of Guyana (UG) Office of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Fitzgerald Yaw, posited that everyone has a role to play in the matter of GBV. He took a step further than the prime minister and acknowledged that while GBV is more prevalent among women and children, men are also affected. He noted, “What makes it [GBV] a bigger challenge is that we are socialised to accommodate a culture of violence.”

A Senior Gender Specialist at the Ministry of Social Protection echoed similar sentiments and related that the ministry is trying to stamp out this issue, but it begins with acknowledging that GBV does take place.

RUSAL signed on to tax-free ...

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ensure that we get the money as soon as possible.”

Ferguson, who spoke on behalf of four other RUSAL employees present at Wednesday’s meeting, said, “Generally speaking the workers are not very comfortable.” He said there is a great need for the company to act swiftly as Christmas is a few weeks away.

“So we are hoping that the company keeps its obligation to the workers and holds up its end of the bargain by working very closely with the government to ensure the money is paid to workers as soon as possible, because we are very, very anxious-- it is overdue,” Ferguson stated as he received a nod of approval from his colleagues.

The workers told the Guyana Chronicle that they are willing to give the company an opportunity to do what they need to do to ensure the money is paid over to them.

Like the workers, General-Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, has expressed some reservations.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that it is unfortunate that RUSAL has only now decided to sign the MoU. He said the company only complies when placed under pressure and has a track record of disregarding the laws of Guyana. “Basically what they don’t intend to do is respect the laws of this country.

This is a company that has been written to by the union since last month— among the issues to be discussed is the calculation of annual vacation for employees within the bargaining unit, the signing of the MoU as it relates to the waiver of income tax on overtime pay and the calculation of remuneration for all public holidays, the union has not received an acknowledgment from the company.”

RUSAL workers stand with Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, on Wednesday after the signing of the MoU by RUSAL’s Managing-Director, Valerii Vinokurov (Adrian Narine photos)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

U.S. warns North Korea of utter destruction in case of war

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear weapons programme, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley warned: “We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.”

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North’s neighbor and sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on Wednesday.

“Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!”

Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous U.S. administra-

tions have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January. Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname. “Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy,” Trump said.

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions. United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Korea’s Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must “desist from taking any further destabilizing steps” after the country launched another ballistic missile.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim’s leadership in defiance

of international sanctions.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programs are a necessary

missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times

United States ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss a North Korean missile launch at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

defense against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea on Wednesday to stop its missile and nuclear tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would “inflame an already explosive situation.”

North Korea said the new

the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight. It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan.

Missile experts said the new “Hwasong-15” missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

Photos released by North

Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch. Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth. The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance.

U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three U.S. officials said on Wednesday. Two of the officials, who both follow developments in North Korea closely, said that while the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket, it is far from clear that North Korea has developed a weapon that could reliably deliver a nuclear weapon to the U.S. mainland. The two officials also said the North has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an intercontinental ballistic missile or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earth’s atmosphere.

The photos revealed some developments in missile technology, including a larger diameter, which could allow the missile to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit science advocacy group.

‘THREATEN EVERYWHERE’ U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within

Thursday, November 30, 2017 - 14hrs

Japan’s exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM. “It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they’ve taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House. An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce “better ideas” to ease tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has “a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when they’re ready to roll those out.” The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a “super-large heavy warhead”.

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100 miles) - more than enough to reach Washington D.C. and the rest of the United States, the Union of Concerned Scientists said. However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the group said. In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

(Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

Mixed reviews of Budget 2018

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- from private sector organisations

By Svetlana Marshall WHILE measures incorporated into the 2018 Budget will positively impact local businesses, the country’s private sector organisations believe that enough was not done to roll back the negative effects of the 2017 Budget measures.

In 2018, government will reverse the Tributors Tax paid by miners, from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, remove the Value-Added Tax on private education and on logs and rough lumber. Though cognisant of the positive impact that the measures included in the $267.1B National Budget would have on local businesses, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) opined that more could have been done to relieve businesses of the financial burden that came with the 2017

Cummings Lodge teen missing THE grandmother of 14-year-old Yashodra Persaud, who has been missing since Friday, is appealing to members of the public to help locate her.

The teenager who lives at Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, left home for the City and failed to return.

According to a relative, she was told that the teen has a boyfriend who also attends Cummings Lodge Secondary School.

Whenever the teen stays over at her friends, she would make contact with her family to let them know that she was spending the night away from home, the relative said.

Checks were made for the teen but without any success. Persons with information on the whereabouts of the missing girl are asked to contact the family of Persaud on telephone numbers 6105404 /6296125 /2226627/2258486.

measures.

“We believe that this budget is distinctly absent those measures necessary to sufficiently reverse the negative impact of the measures in the 2017 Budget. For instance, the change of the tax policy from zero-rating to exempt and standard- rated goods and services, the VAT on electricity, the VAT on agricultural and mining machinery and inputs,” the PSC said in a statement on Wednesday.

The PSC said it was also disappointed that there was no clear policy outlined to address a projection on the level of corporate taxation based on which the business community can reasonably plan future investments, though it was recommended to Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

“We note that, with regard to energy, the budget, consistent with government’s long-expressed position, has, all but abandoned the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, advancing a mix of energy projects, but offers no clear indication of the cost of investment in the energy mix and the future cost of energy per kilowatt hour,” the PSC further added.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) expressed high satisfaction with government’s decision to include its proposals in the budget.

PLEASED “We are pleased with the

reversals of tax measures removed from the economy which includes the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on education, the reduction in the Tributors Tax from 20 per cent to 10 per cent and the exemption of VAT on the supply of logs and rough lumber to the forestry sector,” the GCCI stated after having a “quick” review of the budget.

According to the GCCI, the $267.1B budget is a step in the right direction. “We also saw the reduction of deposits to GRA for contested assessment reduced to 1/3 of contested amount for Board of Appeal and Judge in Chambers,” the chamber, headed by Deodat Indar said, while emphasising that the finance minister’s consideration and incorporation of the measures are encouraging. It is the hope of the chamber that the dialogue can extend into the future and other areas of policy-making.

However,the GCCI said that the budget fell short in providing a clear direction and incentive regime for the private sector, apart from the Investment Act and Aid of Industry Act. “The chamber is displeased that the fiscal policy initiatives detailed in the budget did not provide stimulus to some main sectors of the economy, and particularly that there has been no reduction to corporate income taxation rate, personal income tax rate or a raising of the tax threshold,” GCCI stated.

The GCCI had lobbied government for a reduction of Corporate Income Tax by 10 per cent through a process of gradualism.

The Corporate Income Tax is currently at 35 per cent.

Additionally, the GCCI was hopeful that a clear plan would have been articulated as it relates to job creation investment. Government in the 2018 Budget announced that the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) in 2018 is anticipated to rake in investments totalling $154 billion, with some 5,725 jobs likely to be created.

The ailing sugar industry was another area of concern for the GCC I. “Also worrisome, is the fact that [there is] no elaboration of a strategy to absorb workers who will be displaced by government’s attempts at GuySuCo’s divestment/curtailment. The government’s efforts to address the economic and social malaise stemming from this divestment were reduced to three sentences in a paragraph and is a great cause for concern, given the industry’s importance and

material impact on the economic livelihood of many communities,” the chamber stated. The sugar industry is in line to receive $6.3B in 2018 to support the reduced operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

More on oil Meanwhile, in the area of oil and gas, the chamber expressed the view that more details on the budding industry would have been discussed in the budget. “It was anticipated by the chamber that there would have been some elaboration regarding the oil and gas sector and the expected role and recent developments of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), especially when considering the importance of the SWF to the creation and promotion of a resilient economy.”

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) in another statement on Wednesday said while the budget has including several of its recommendations, it does not provide a menu of measures to stimulate and expand the manufac-

turing sector. “The GMSA was hopeful that proposed measures to address critical areas such as taxation, access to finance, and energy would have been considered.

These could have provided a much-needed catalyst for the manufacturing sector to achieve the projected 2.4 per cent growth,” GMSA said in a statement.

It is, however, pleased that several measures that were advocated for the forestry and wood-processing sector have been adopted.

These are the exemption of VAT on logs and rough lumber; the budgetary allocation of $120 million to commence a national forest inventory; and budgetary allocation of $50 million to partner with the private sector to establish a consolidated/dimensioned stockyard.

Notwithstanding these interventions, the GMSA is concerned about the continued decline in the forestry sector. Government’s projection of an eight per cent growth of this sector can only be realised through a holistic approach to the sector’s development.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

Removal of VAT from education services REMOVAL of the Value Added Tax (VAT) as announced in the 2018 National Budget exemplifies the possibilities of a nation when the voices of the people are heard by their government.

To pretend that the charge of 14 percent VAT to access private education was not of concern to the affected students, their families, providers and wider society is to ignore the premium this society has historically placed on education. From the days when education was seen as a major means out of poverty,an opportunity to ascend the socio-economic ladder, to attracting the maxim “education makes a nation,” it is also deemed a fundamental right according to the United Nations and Guyana constitution.

Ours is a society, where once only the so-called brightest child was allowed by the parents to pursue education, girls were kept back and the poor either never saw education as a necessity or just couldn’t afford it. In that same era not many had the benefit of primary and post-primary education, thereby nurturing a sense of elitism or privilege for those who had access, which was discriminatory

in thinking and practice.

Knowledge is power and when so empowered, the sky is the limit. And though the earlier days of private education was only for those who could afford or where religious organisations ran schools and being a student necessitated being a member of that community, the advent of universal public education in 1976 propelled the nation’s people as to their limitless possibilities. The universality in this approach set in train co-education and co-mingling of persons, irrespective of class, gender, race, creed or location.

Education not only became the great equaliser, it set in train the nurturing of minds to respect and appreciate diversity, learning from each other, and valuing the importance of education to the people and nation’s development. As government was pursuing the path of self-sufficiency and investing in its citizens’ education, making it free from nursery to university, at technical institutions, colleges and trade schools, to deny that the country was on a cusp to greater heights is to deny our sense of being and capabilities.

School buses/transportation, meals,

uniforms, accommodation, and exercise and text books, the cost of which was borne by the Government toppled barriers to entry and learning. That the economy, like all economies, experienced a down turn, aided in part by natural economic cycle, international factors such as oil price and scarcity of foreign exchange, and some would say management deficiencies and probably biting off more than we could chew at the time, such do not deny the fact of the boldness of our ambition and the audacity to create an educated nation.

Where efforts were made and are being made by government to remove hindrances to acquiring an education, particularly the basic by the re-institution of some, if not all of these, stated services are steps in the right direction. That for one reason or the other, when university education was no longer free and private education was returned, to deny that this direct cost to students was not felt is to ignore the economic reality of most, notwithstanding the felt importance to make the needed sacrifice to have the service. Bottom line is, education, be it private or public, should not be prohibitive. This also suggests that

providers of this service, be they not-for-profit or for-profit, should seek not to be exploitative and or create a new class where only the wealthy can access.

At the same time government may find it of importance to ensure private schools adhere to some regulatory framework to ensure the national thrust, including the values of nationhood and appropriate skills set are incorporated into the curriculum. A nation’s education has to be designed for its people’s development. Another issue of concern is that of the educators. Where the State provides free tuition through the Cyril Potter College of Education, this is at a cost borne by taxpayers and Government shoulders a responsibility to ensure that the public school has the most benefits.

Where some can attribute teachers serving a contract staying in the public school, or paying to exit the contract in order to teach at the private school, a balance has to be found to ensure that public education is not under-served.

There is no intent to propose what should be done, but merely to point out that where the moulders of minds (i.e. educators) are the nuclei for the viability and effectiveness of the public school system, their inputs and support are needed. Their importance cannot be ignored or taken for granted. According to Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, the withdrawal of VAT on education services would see government lose $342 million. However, there is no doubt that government is convinced that the price for ignorance and deprivation are qualitatively and quantifiably greater given the consequences to citizens and the nation’s development.

It’s another aspect of the criminal state being dismantled Dear Editor, LOOK who is talking about “Let them pay”– Bharrat Jagdeo, leader of the PPP/C opposition party and the number one national hypocrite. His comment forms part of a response to the coalition government’s 2018 budgetary plan of granting amnesty to defaulting companies and individuals between January 01, 2018

to September 01, 2018, provided that they pay their principal taxes. Proposed in two parts, it will grant waivers to penalties and interests at 100% and 50%, respectively.

As I understand the erudite Minister of Finance, this is about offering defaulters an opportunity to make right with the Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA). It is no “deal”, as Jagdeo would want to mislead the people.

Further, it is definite that these are indeed very large tax debts that have been accruing to these persons and companies for years, especially during the PPP/C period of governance.

It is not about excusing the right of tax obligation on the part of these defaulters, either. In fact, the Jagdeo policy was one of granting waivers and concessions to party supporters, friends and cronies, from among many

in the private sector. In this way, billions have been lost to revenue. We are now experiencing the hurt from such gross maladministration.

I recall the shocking revelation of $60B being granted as waivers and concessions, between 2010 – 2014, to the friends of the PPP/C government. In the name of heavens, how could a poor, struggling nation as ours afford such a bounty? What was even more revealing, as

reported by the GRA, was that visits to many of these defaulters, found them not to have used the waiver/ concession for the purpose granted. They were caught cheating the tax coffers with a known dishonesty.

Since when Jagdeo has become so much concerned about defaulters paying their fair share of taxes. I do not recall any concern of his government about this category being pub-

licly admonished to pay their taxes. The many programmes that have been implemented since 2015, with the aim of plugging the escape route of tax dodgers, point to the field day that these unpatriotic Guyanese had enjoyed.

It is another aspect of the criminal state that is now being dismantled.

Regards Earl Hamiliton

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

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Guyana not first country with stringent penalties within petroleum regulations Dear Editor, IN response to the November 22, 2017 article in the Kaieteur News titled ‘Petroleum Commission Bill prescribes imprisonment for sharing of info’, the Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to advise as follows: The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is committed to transparency and accountability, not only within the oil and gas sector, but also

in all sectors. This commitment for transparency and accountability has been demonstrated through efforts made by the government to implement EITI which is a global standard that promotes transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors.

Guyana’s application for candidacy has been accepted and Guyana is now an implementing country of EITI. EITI brings together Civil Society, Industry and Government, each having

an equal stake in monitoring how natural resources-derived moneys are generated and expended.

• Guyana is not the first country to insert stringent penalties within the petroleum sector’s regulatory framework for breach of a duty not to disclose information. Tanzania’s Petroleum Act 2015, Section 106, stipulates a fine or jail time for disclosing confidential information. So do the laws of Uganda (Petroleum (Exploration, Development

and Production) Act 2013 Section 32, and Trinidad and Tobago’s (Petroleum Act, Section 35). The section is aimed at deterring those who hope to benefit from the improper disclosure; thereby providing another means of fighting corruption. It is one of many anti-corruption strategies which have to be employed in the proper management of the petroleum sector and is very consistent with international norms.

• The Petroleum Commission Bill 2017 is the

A number of inaccuracies in your report Dear Editor SOMETHING must have gone wrong with your reports on discussion of our last Statutory Meeting held on Monday, November, 27, 2017, which appeared in the Wednesday, November 29, 2017 edition of your newspapers, captioned “City Hall wages bill at $112M”.

In fact, there are a number of inaccuracies in this

report. However, we wish to highlight one error which we consider critical to our operations. In the first paragraph, lines 5 to 7, it was reported that the Town Clerk, Royston King, continues to refuse to do a manpower audit. This report is grossly inaccurate. The records of that meeting would reveal that when the question was asked about the audit, the Town Clerk in his response assured the Council that the

audit was completed and the findings would be considered during the budget discussion for 2018. I wish to make it pellucid that the word ‘refuse’ was never used by any Official of the Council in this matter at the meeting. We continue to make the point that it is important that those who report on issues relating to the Council, be careful and report only the facts. Further, we are always willing

Journalists need to abide by good professional ethics Dear Editor PLEASE permit me to ventilate my views on a matter of public interest.

This relates (to)the article published in the Kaieteur News, November 19, 2017, Story within the story a “Cesspool of corruption at City Hall” by Leonard Gildarie. The truism is Guyana is a democratic society, in which the freedom of expression is embraced. I viewed the assertions made by Mr. Gildarie about corruption at City Hall, as outrageous and defamatory, since the author did not cite cases and examples and did not present documented evidence in this regards. Further, this

piece of writing has implications for City managers past and present; even the parent body--Ministry of Communities.

The fact is, if we encourage media freedom and expression in a democratic society, it is an absolute imperative that freedom is exercised in a responsible manner. This would mean that the press, whether print, radio, television or internet, should show and exercise their freedom responsibly by considering the interests of individuals, institutions and society. Hence, responsibility, ethical consideration,(and) journalistic principles should be balanced, even if there is an ulterior motive, insidious political

agenda or simply chasing readership. Therefore, in producing content for public consumption fairness, objectivity and balance should be tempered responsibly.

I concur that the channels and opportunities for intellectual discourse, healthy debate and discussion must remain an important feature of any democratic society. Mr. Editor, the journalistic profession is not advanced when professionalism and proper journalist ethics are not exhibited. The article by Mr. Gildarie is weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Regards Akeem Bennons

and ready to provide clarifications on issues about the Council.

Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer

subject of widespread consultation, the aim of which is to take on board input from numerous stakeholders so that the finalised Bill reflects a collective effort to create a nationally applicable and internationally relevant law. We continue to thank all stakeholders for their vigilance, as together we strive to bring

Guyana to preparedness, not only for oil production in 2020, but also for the continued exploration and growth of the sector.

Regards N. Johann Earle Public Affairs and Communications Officer Ministry of Natural Resources

8

Get the bees out

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

–– Aurora Secondary disrupted on several occasions

A SWARM of bees, believed to be of Africanised origin, has taken up residence at Aurora Secondary School, Region Two, for some time now, causing an alarm among students and teachers who

are clamouring for their urgent removal.

The Africanised bee, also known as the Africanised honey bee and colloquially as “killer bee”, is a hybrid of the Western honey bee species produced origi-

nally by cross-breeding of the African honey bees, with various European honey bees such as the Italian bee and the Iberian bee.

A concerned teacher of the school, who requested

Teachers were forced to hide as the bees became unsettled and swarmed the area. The dormitory is on the opposite side of the road anonymity, said the bees have been present at the school for over a year, even though reports have been made to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

“We even went as far as to call the regional office in Region two, requesting that they get rid of the hives, but no one is doing anything about it,” said the teacher.

Children, teachers and residents of the area have been stung on many occasions, the teacher complained, adding that in addition to neighbouring houses, there is a nearby dormitory where children are housed.

“Having those nests in the area is a serious threat to everyone in the community, especially the children who live in the dormitory…

whenever the bees raise up, we have to move the children from the school but we can’t always be there for those in the dormitory,” the educator lamented.

For this term alone, the school has been forced to dismiss school twice because the bees were swarming in the community.

“I desperately hope that someone does something with regards to this issue as soon as possible, for the lives of our students and teachers are at great risk,” said the concerned teacher.

Guyana Chronicle was unable to make contact with the GLDA for a response to the matter, but the Authority had recently advised the public to beware of Africanised bees after an elderly man was recently killed by

a swarm.

GLDA advised the public that there are ways to be one step ahead of the bees.

One way in particular is to remove potential nesting sites so as to reduce the chances of the bees forming a colony on or around homes.

According to the GLDA, most Africanised bees do not live in boxes managed by bee-keepers, but rather in structures or other man-made cavities.

“If by some chance you encounter a colony of bees, it is advised that you run for at least 100 yards (300ft).

“In the event of an attack, cover your head and face as these bees tend to target these areas. Use a blanket, sheet or your shirt to cover your head and face.

“If you do not have anything to cover your head and face with, use your hands to cover your face, making sure not to cover your eyes so that you can still see,” the GLDA recommended.

For more information on how to deal with Africanised bees, persons were asked to contact the Bee Unit at the GLDA on 220-6557.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

End violence against women and girls – Guyana Chronicle takes a stand!

VIOLENCE against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today, the United Nations (UN) says.

As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing 16

Kim Halley - Special Projects Coordinator Women need to drop this element of fear, stand up, speak out and support each other.

Be involved in the construction, passing and implementation of laws that will protect women and girls from violence in any form.

Linda Williams - Confidential Secretary

Violence against women is a grave violation of human rights. It comprises physical, sexual and mental consequences as well as death.

It negatively affects the well-being of women and prevents them from fully participating in society.

Civil society and women’s movements have advocated for gender-based violence to be high on national and international agendas. An unprecedented number of countries have instituted laws against all forms of violence. Challenges remain, however, in implementing these laws.

Women have the right to live free from violence. Women should have responsibilities similar to men because they are capable.

Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (November 25-December 10), the women of Guyana Chronicle are joining the fight for gender equality, empowerment and the elimination of violence against women and girls.

Sharon Gill - Sanitary Officer

Domestic violence, for me, means any act that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm.

Gender-based violence is oftentimes done in private, so help cannot be made readily provided.

We need to form ourselves into support groups in order to try to eradicate the ill-treatment of women and girls. Speak out!

Yogeeta Sooklall - Accounts Clerk Every day women are victims of ill-treatment, either verbally or physically.

Many stories are untold, so no one really knows the severity of these issues.

Women who are victims of violence need to speak out because as famous actress, Nicole Kidman said, “violence against women is an appalling human rights violation, but it is not inevitable, we can put a stop to this”.

One of the ways of ending violence against women is building sisterhood, so that members can encourage and mentor each other to be more empowered and overcome the pains of violence.

#letsorgangetheworld #letsendviolenceagainstwomenandgirls

Trio to face arms, ammo charges A HUSBAND and wife are among three persons in police custody who will be charged with separate offences and who will appear at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court Thursday November 30, 2017 to answer separate charges.

Police last Monday arrested a

22-year-old miner of Kopinang Village, Potaro River, with an unlicensed single-barrel shotgun and three live 12-gauge cartridges. The arrest was made about 13:40hrs at Kurubang Backdam, Potaro River, as a result of intelligence gathered.

The following day about 04:00hrs

police acting on information went to a camp at Kurubang Backdam and conducted a search, during which they found 338 grams of cannabis.

A 33-year-old miner and his 29-year-old wife of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara, are in custody.

Cattle farmer killed in road accident A TRUCK driver is in police custody following a fatal accident at Le Ressouvenir Public Road, East Coast Demerara, early Wednesday morning.

Dead is cattle farmer, Boodnee Persaud called “Shirley” of Lot 116 Success Housing Scheme, who was returning home after taking her cows across the road to the seawall.

Police reported that the accident happened at about 06:30hrs when the 73-year-old was in the process of crossing the road from south to north when she came into contact with the tray of the lorry. At the time the truck was heading west along the southern side of the road and as a result of the impact, Persaud fell and the rear left wheel of the heavy-duty vehicle, GLL 5714, ran over her head.

The body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post mortem which is expected on Friday.

A breathalyser test was administered and the 30-year-old driver of East La Penitence, Georgetown, was found not to have any alcohol on his breath.

Son of the deceased, Mohanram Persaud, told the Guyana Chronicle that he received the dreaded B o o d n e e P e r s a u d news of the incident from a who was killed early neighbour who stated that Wednesday morning on his mother was returning Le Ressouvenir Public home after taking her cows Road across the road to the nearby seawall when she was killed.

He related that he hurried to the scene and saw the motionless body of his loved one lying under a tarpaulin. Persaud added that it is habitual for his mother to take the cows to and from their home on a daily basis, and she would even go to the seawall to check on them during the day.

He said, “My mother was a very able-bodied person who went about her chores as usual and was not stricken with any illness and for her to go that way is very difficult for us to come to terms with.”

Persaud, who was on the verge of tears, stated that his mother was not sickly and she had been rearing cows for the past 10 years and was a devotee of the Success Mandir.

She is expected to be laid to rest according to Hindu rites in the new week.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Top Cop was told to enjoy his vacation leave ––Pres Granger POLICE Commissioner Seelall Persaud was not sent on administrative leave, but instead asked to enjoy his vacation leave, says President David Granger.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday at State House, the President made it clear that “all we did was insisted that the leave due to Seelall Persaud be enjoyed rather than having it piecemeal.”

“We said, let him take his leave and at the end of that leave, we will decide how we go forward but right now, there is nothing abnormal or irregular about Mr Persaud going on leave.

The leave is due to him; he is not being sent on administrative leave…he is enjoying vacation leave to which he is entitled,” the President continued. Assistant Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, will continue acting in Persaud’s absence.

Last Friday, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan told Guyana

Chronicle that Persaud was instructed to proceed on the continuation of his leave which ends in January, 2018.

The Top Cop was scheduled to resume duty on Friday, but Ramjattan instructed him to take the remaining 56 days of his leave. The Top Cop’s accumulated leave commenced in July last. “He will be taking that [56 days leave] and coming out now sometime on the 18th January,” the Public Security Minister told the Guyana Chronicle.

In his letter to Persaud dated November 23, Ramjattan said, “I am advised to inform you that in the public interest, and to allow for continuing initiatives and innovations being pursued by the Guyana Police Force’s temporary administration to be completed before your resumption of duty, it is considered opinion of the Administration that you should be and you are hereby directed to proceed on special leave with effect from November 24, 2017 until further notice.”

Additionally, President Granger reminded that since taking office, his administration has made it clear that it was not in support of the past practice where public officers accumulated “huge amounts of leave” and then sometimes request payment in lieu of leave. “…in the case of the acting commissioner of police and in the case of every other public servant, we said public servants must enjoy their leave when it is due,” the President stated, while noting that such move allows for the development of a “good career system where the subordinates are allowed to act.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Member and former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, believes that the government is up to something sinister. He told reporters that leave is requested while noting that when a person is sent on leave, it usually forms part of disciplinary action. “Even if you have annual leave and you did not request it and you are

President David Granger ordered to go on leave, it is something to be looked at,” said Rohee, who found the reasons for the Top Cop being sent on leave strange.

“The commissioner of police and the deputy are appointed by the President based on recommendations made to him. What he (President Granger) did was to use the Ministry of Public Security to execute what he should have been doing. We have to wait and see whether the substantial commissioner will react,” said the former Home Affairs Minister.

The recent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President Granger had recommended that Persaud be

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan made to resign or proceedings should be initiated in accordance with Article 225 of the Constitution to have him removed from office for misbehaviour.

The CoI was conducted by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, and the report handed over to the President. Among other things, the report stated that Persaud had improperly inserted himself into the investigation into the alleged plot, although he was on leave.

At that time Ramnarine was acting in the capacity of police commissioner. He is the second most senior rank in the Force.

The Commission submitted that the Police Commis-

Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud sioner’s insertion of himself into the matter (investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate the President) “adversely influenced the conduct of the investigations.” Persaud, who is the country’s 31st Police Commissioner, is officially set to retire in April, 2018 and will complete 33 years as a member of the Guyana Police Force then.

He served most of the time in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) but also headed the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit (Drug Squad) for 10 years and served as the country’s lead detective (Crime Chief) for another seven years.

Councillor frets about security for former mayor THE Mayor and City Council, amid its current financial crisis, is continuing to pay for security services at the home of former mayor Hamilton Green.

At Monday’s statutory meeting, Councillor Bishram Kuppen called attention to the problems facing the municipality and questioned why two guards are still posted at Green’s residence.

Town Clerk Royston King responded that a motion was brought to the Council requesting that Green benefit from these services and that a motion will now have to be brought if they are to be cancelled.

In August 2016, a majority of councillors voted in favour of a motion to have the services of the City Con-

stabulary extended to Green. It was moved by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and seconded by Councillor Heston Bostwick at a statutory meeting.

Chase-Green had said that the former mayor served for 20 years in succession and his is a unique case.

“At the end of this period, it will be up for discussion for any other mayor,” Chase-Green noted.

When this motion was passed, Green was already benefiting from the services as he never stopped doing so after demitting office as mayor months before.

It is also alleged that apart from round-the-clock city policemen posted at his residence, Green also enjoys the services of a chauffeur and gardening staff.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Task force launched for evidence-driven crime prevention

A NATIONAL task force aimed at bolstering evidence-driven crime prevention under the scope of the CariSECURE project, was on Wednesday launched at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

The five-member unit comprises Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack; Police Commissioner (ag) David Ramnarine; Solicitor-General of the Attorney General’s Chambers, Kim Kyte; and Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels.

The task force, which is a collaboration between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Public Security, is now responsible for managing the implementation of the Caribbean Citizen Security toolkit in Guyana.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, said with the information provided, trained personnel will analyse data which will later see some evidence-based policy-making.

“This task force is going to ensure the implementation of the project activities, which include collecting data from all across the country, police stations [and] educational establishments, where there may be violence to students all being collected into one central observation.”

Also speaking at the launch was United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway. He said the toolkit implementation represents an in-depth collaboration between the entities involved. “The United States Government is proud to continue its long history in supporting the government of Guyana in areas of citizen security and youth empowerment.

We are pleased with the gains made under the CariSecure initiative to date, which is part of the USAID’S wider Youth Empowerment Services (YES).”

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, (sixth from left) along with other members of the newly established CariSecure Task Force and their support staff at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday.

The YES project uses the public health model for youth crime and violence-prevention to define the problem; target interventions to address risk and protective factors facing both communities and at-risk youth and share results to foster evidence-based approaches to reducing youth crime and violence in Guyana and the Region.

A section of the audience at the launch of the National CariiSECURE Task Force in Guyana. Among those seated in the front row are, Head of NANA, Michael Atherly, (second left),Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry (third left), Chief Education Officer (CEO), Marcel Hutson (fourth left), Police Commissioner (AG) David Ramnarine, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix (right) (Adrian Narine photos)

National Disability Week 2017 being observed IN observance of National Disability Week 2017, the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities is holding a two-day capacity-building workshop for its 23-member agencies.

The workshop began on

November 26 and ends on December 3.

National Disability Week is being observed this year under the theme, “Transformation for a sustainable and resilient society for all.”

The Unites States Em-

bassy Youth Action Network did a one-hour advocacy session on Monday with those present at the workshop held at Red House, on Main Street.

A disability awareness walk is scheduled for Saturday at 09:30 am, beginning

from the headquarters of the National Commission on Disability on Croal Street.

An awareness session will also be held with new recruits of the Guyana Police Force to sensitise them about persons with disabilities.

The goal of the CariSECURE project, according to USAID, is to improve youth crime and violence policy- making and programme development in 10 Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries through the use of quality, comparable and reliable national citizen security information.

In adopting this approach, the project which costs some US $14,000,000, will first work with technical personnel in public institutions to standardise and disaggregate citizens security data across the Region. CariSECURE will then build the analytical capacity of public institutions to use such data to identify and measure youth crime and violence trends and resilience factors, draw conclusions on the actual state of citizen security in each country, and identify possible interventions.

The project will also promote a culture of evidence-based, policy-making and programme development in national institutions, which focuses on addressing the root causes of youth involvement in violence and crime. Along with Guyana, project activities will be implemented in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Suriname, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Also present at the launch of the task force were respectively: Ministers of Education, Public Infrastructure, Citizenship and Indigenous People’s Affairs, Nicolette Henry, David Patterson and Sydney Allicock along with the Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sydney James and head of NANA, Major-General (ret’d)Michael Atherly and other dignitaries. (DPI)

Man killed as ATV topples at Paramakatoi A HINTERLAND resident succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday morning following an accident on Tuesday afternoon.

According to reports, two persons were travelling on an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) at about 16:00hrs from Paramakatoi to Mountain Foot when it toppled onto the pillion rider.

As a result, the pillion rider, Robert Aaron, suffered severe injuries about his body. He was said to have been bleeding from his mouth. Aaron was however taken to the Mahdia Hospital where he succumbed without regaining consciousness around 02:00 hrs on Wednesday while receiving medical attention.

Meanwhile, relatives who are upset that a medevac was not arranged for Aaron who was in a critical condition took to Facebook where they expressed disgust

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Lethem airstrip for major upgrade … gov’t seeks US$15M to boost hinterland aerodromes

THE Lethem airstrip will soon be upgraded to a regional hub and international aerodrome as government continues negotiation with a multilateral donor to secure a US$15M loan to finance a project for the further development of airstrips and aerodromes across the hinterland.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Monday during his 2018 budget presentation, said the upgrade of the Lethem airstrip will allow for flights originating from Brazil and other Latin American neighbours to land there. Jordan disclosed that $35B has been allocated for infrastructural development next year, while noting that some $250M has been set aside to improve airstrips and aerodromes across the country.

He said Guyana will enter into a new phase in its avi-

ation history with the completion of the US$138M expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

A sum of $5B has been allocated to complete works, which include the extension of the runway, rehabilitation of the building to house the arrival terminal, and the construction of the departure terminal. The upgraded Airport will be able to accommodate larger aircraft and handle an increased number of passengers, Jordan noted.

Meanwhile, work on the development of an aviation master plan will begin next year while $140M of the $250M allocated for the improvement of airstrips and aerodromes across the country will be used to begin the rehabilitation of airstrips at Bemichi and Kamana.

Another twelve airstrips across the hinterland regions will be rehabilitated

A Trans Guyana Airways aircraft lands at the Lethem airstrip in October (Delano Williams photos) at a cost of $110.3M, said Jordan. $2B FOR SHERIFF ST-MANDELA AVENUE He told the House also that $14.3B has been set aside for the construction, rehabilitation, upgrading, and maintenance of the country’s road network and according to the finance minister, works on

the Sheriff Street -Mandela Avenue will begin.

Some $2B has been budgeted for that exercise. He explained that the existing carriageway will be upgraded and resurfaced from the northern end of Sheriff Street through to Homestretch Avenue. From that point to the Mandela Avenue-Hunter Street junction, the road would be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic.

Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, pedestrian overpasses, and a roundabout at the Sheriff Street-David Street junction will all form part of the identified project, in an

A further $1.2 billion has been budgeted to complete the West Coast Demerara Highway. Additionally, the four pedestrian overpasses will be equipped with elevators to facilitate the aged and differently-abled pedestrians.

LINDEN TO LETHEM ROAD Several feasibility studies and detailed designs for the first phase of the Linden-Lethem road, covering the Linden to Mabura Hill, will be launched next year and will aid in improving access to hinterland

A bus manoeuvres along the Linden to Lethem trail recently effort to improve road safety. That aside, some $2.7B has been allocated for the widening of the East Coast Demerara Highway to four lanes, stretching from Better Hope to Annandale; while the two-lane road between Annandale and Belfield, will be upgraded.

communities and northern Brazil.

Jordan told the National Assembly in his almost fourhour presentation that the development of the Georgetown to Lethem gateway requires careful assessment and due diligence. He said once completed, the roadway will also

open new economic opportunities along the corridor. He disclosed that external funding is available to scope out and develop key social and economic opportunities for residents along the corridor.

The finance minister said the use of the available funds is aimed at establishing the groundwork to map out and implement complementary social and economic development initiatives around the project, and to assist in financing the implementation of selected strategic, smallscale economic activities.

He disclosed too that development partners have already approved the terms of reference for the design and feasibility of the Linden-Mabura Road Upgrade.

Similar studies, Jordan said, will be conducted on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and the Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani corridor. “These will provide significant access to the Intermediate Savannahs and create access to the upper reaches of the Berbice River, thereby enhancing the agricultural potential of Kwakwani, Ebini and Kimbia,” he explained.

Additionally, several key roadways in the hinterland, aimed at providing easy travel and transportation access between and among hinterland communities, as well as facilitating our gold miners and loggers, will be upgraded next year. Among them are the Port Kaituma- Matthew’s Ridge-Baramita Corridor, internal roads in Mahdia, and the Bartica-Potaro stretch of road. $1.5B has been allocated for these works.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Key suspect in teacher’s killing held … DNA sample to be sent overseas for analysis

POLICE are currently questioning another suspect in relation to the death of Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher, Kescia Branche, Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine has said.

According to Ramnarine, the suspect was overseas when the investigation began. “…The good news is that a suspect who had gone overseas has returned and we are doing some further investigative work,” said Ramnarine. The unidentified suspect had reportedly left the country the day Branche was found battered in the City. The mother of one, who resided in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was last seen on November 4, when she left for a night out with her friends.

However, her unconscious body was found in the vicinity of Princes Street and Louisa Row, Georgetown, the following day. Her left leg was broken and there was evidence that she’d sustained multiple head injuries. Meanwhile, Ramnarine disclosed that samples will soon be sent overseas for DNA testing. “The sample has not been sent as yet but will be sent soon,” the acting Police Commissioner stated.

Earlier this month, three suspects who were being questioned regarding the death of Branche, were released. The father of Branche’s three-year-old son was released on November 14 and placed on station bail, along with two police

constables. The two policemen were placed under open arrest and will be working out of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU).

At the time of the trio’s release, police were seeking to contact a taxi driver whose cell phone number appeared repeatedly on Branche’s mobile device.

The taxi driver’s car was impounded at the Brickdam Police Station and he had reportedly left the country after Branche was found with a broken leg and in an unconscious state on November 5.

Investigators are of the opinion that the driver may have been the last person to see the teacher alive. It is unclear whether the taxi driver is the same person currently being questioned by law enforcement officers. The Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher died at the Georgetown Public Hospital two days after being found battered in the City. A post-mortem indicated that she died as a result of brain haemorrhage.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, told reporters Wednesday that efforts are being made to have the country’s DNA testing facility up and running sometime next year. According to Ramjattan, with the new budgetary allocation for the venting system and the Citizens Security project, the capacity for DNA testing will become a reality.

Noting that the United

States Embassy is assisting government in this regard, the minister said it is critical that the requisite physical infrastructure be put in place to ensure that the integrity of the samples is protected. “…You don’t want DNA to be mixed up and of course the training of these people who are going to do the testing [is important],” said Ramjattan, who noted that in the interim, overseas options have to be utilised. “I really

felt that by this time we would have been completed, but as I have said, democracy is a lot of bureaucracy and sometimes you don’t get your way because of other important players that indicate that these are the things you have to get,” he stated while stressing that he really wanted DNA testing to be available here by year end.

This he said would not happen because the air ventilation and Air Condition-

Kescia Branche

ing are critical to ensuring the proper preservation of samples. Though the National Forensic Laboratory is working, it is not yet fully staffed, but Ramjattan noted that there is going to be place for more persons, while noting that as equipment is procured and the infrastructural work completed, DNA specialists will be recruited.

At the moment, forged documents, counterfeiting and the testing of narcotics, among other areas, are covered by the Laboratory.

14

No law broken in repainting State House –– Pres. Granger

DESPITE concerns raised by the National Trust of Guyana last week about the repainting of State House, a heritage building, and the official residence of the President, without consultations, President David Granger on Wednesday said he has broken no law.

“I am not aware that a law has been broken, I am not aware of that …

National Trust needs to worry about the President’s decision to ensure that State House is in good repair,” said President Granger.

“It doesn’t leak…we have heritage buildings all around the country. Some

of them are collapsing – I weep when I see the condition of City Hall, St George’s Cathedral and I am very concerned about preserving heritage; that’s why I am repairing State House ,” the President told reporters Wednesday.

The head-of-state said he is yet to receive correspondence from the National Trust on the issue.

The entity’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nirva-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

A painter hard at work yesterday painting in green the southern section of State House, the official residence of the President. Several pieces of wood have also been replaced on the building (Delano Williams photos) na Persaud, told the Guyana Chronicle that it was in the process of communicating with the Ministry of the Presidency on the matter.

In fact, Persaud said the repainting of State House is a breach of protocol, in that the procedure for the undertaking of rehabilitation works on national monuments was not adhered to.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle briefly last Friday, the CEO explained that there must be consultation with the National Trust and an outline be provided to the entity before any modification is done to national or heritage monuments. “If there are proposed changes, whether it is material, windows or colour, there must be consultation. And that was not done,” she said.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the National Trust only became aware of this development early last week, although it is situated immediately next to State House. On Friday Persaud said, “The National Trust is dealing with that; we are trying to communicate with the Ministry of the Presidency on the matter.”

The white wooden colonial structure which was established in 1854 is now being repainted green and when quizzed about it last week, the President said, “Guyana is going green.”

“I have not seen such a letter…as you know this building was constructed in 1854, there is a lot of rot.

Some of the windows are falling off and a decision was taken to repair the rotten portions and to repaint it,” President Granger told reporters while stressing that he has broken no law.

Workmen were indeed repainting the southern section of the property from the original white to shades of green.

Meanwhile, Persaud had explained that the organisation, which was established following the passage of the

National Trust Act, No. 7 of 1972, is responsible for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and objects of historic interest or of national importance. And according to the National Trust’s website, its main responsibility is the preservation of all monuments in Guyana.

Under the National Trust Act, the term ‘monuments’ includes any building, structure, object or other work of Man or of nature, whether above or below the surface of the land or the floor of the sea within territorial waters of Guyana and any site, cave or excavation.

“National Monuments are the vested responsibility of the National Trust, and are gazetted as such after approval by Parliament.

At present, there are nine gazetted National Monuments,” the website states.

In keeping with its mission to conserve, preserve and promote the nation’s patrimony, so that the present and future generations will access and enjoy the richness of Guyana’s heritage, Persaud said her entity is responsible for the preservation of buildings and or places of national, architectural, historic, artistic or natural interest or importance, and the protection and development of the amenities of such buildings and places and their surroundings.

She said, too, that the preservation of furniture, pictures and chattels of any description having national, historic or artistic interest; the access to and enjoyment of such buildings, places and chattels by the public also fall within the ambit of the entity.

President Granger moved into State House shortly after he took office in 2015, and shortly thereafter rehabilitation works began as several sections of the premises were deteriorating.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Potential homeowners tour move-in ready duplexes

ANOTHER batch of applicants is closer to realising their dreams of owning their own homes, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) said on Wednesday, hours after a facilitated-tour of the first batch of move-in

ready duplexes constructed at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara.

The housing units which are at varying stages of construction, were toured by applicants who were prequalified by financial institutions and representatives of two

Potential homeowners, bankers and representatives from CH&PA touring one of the duplexes

commercial banks: Republic Bank and Citizen’s Bank.

Project Engineer Randolph Hunte, who led the potential beneficiaries on a guided tour, said the new construction is a modified version of what was showcased at the Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Exhibition held in May. “To increase the level of comfort for the homeowners, we have tiled the houses and installed a water tank. The installation of the tank will be cost-saving for beneficiaries. Also, each unit will have its own septic tank,” Hunte explained.

All the houses under construction will be the same, but the finishes will be different, such as the internal paint colours and tiles.

“Everything selected will be satisfactory to the beneficiary. Beneficiaries basically just have to move in, bring their furnishings and live,” he added.

In the coming days, the agency will be making contact with the applicants to begin the process of preparing agreements of sale to be

Potential homeowners, bankers and representatives from CH&PA standing in front of one of the duplexes that will soon be made available taken to their financial institution of choice. The units are expected to be completed by the end of December.

CH&PA said the duplexes are just one of a range of solutions being offered by the agency.

Already for 2017, the CH&PA have piloted six duplexes, two elevated single family houses; issued 2,116 land titles; regularised 322 squatters; and allotted 381

house lots.

With one month left before 2017 comes to an end, the housing authority is hoping to distribute in excess of 400 houselots that are currently available.

However, preference is being given to applicants whose applications have been in the system since in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Currently, there are approximately 50, 000 applications

in the system.

In 2018, the housing authority would be utilising a US$30M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to facilitate infrastructural development, the construction of 250 core houses and the disbursement of home improvement subsidies, as it seeks to meet the needs of the poor and working class.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

SCS eyeing big drop in parking fee

By Telesha Ramnarine

SMART City Solutions (SCS), the foreign company granted the concession to install parking meters in Georgetown, is now willing to drop the price anywhere between $100 and $150 per hour to park.

Initially, the price was $500 per hour.

A source told the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday that the SCS team is willing to negotiate and has indicated that it is prepared to significantly lower the cost to park. . The new figures would see a customer paying anywhere from $25 to around $38 for every 15 minutes.

The members of the new re-negotiating team have since been introduced to the SCS executives and the two sides have since exchanged recommendations. The SCS team should be in Guyana until Friday.

Last September, 13 of 25 city councillors voted in favour of setting up a new committee, consisting of members of the public this time around, to start a fresh process of negotiation with SCS. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor Akeem Peter was selected to be chairman of this committee, with another APNU Councillor Noelle ChowChee being named vicechair.

The other members of the new committee are Councillors Oscar Clarke, Jameel Rasul, James Samuels, Heston Bostwick, and Ivor Henry. Town Clerk Royston King and City Treasurer Ron McCalman will complete the nine-man team, but they will sit in an advisory capacity.

Two members of the public, Owen Godfrey Edwards, a civil engineer and Robin Hunte, an attorney-at-law were chosen by the Council to sit on the committee.

Edwards and Hunte were selected over MBA doctoral student Joseph Eastman and retired schoolteacher Pamela Arthur.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s Bishram Kuppen, who is opposed to King sitting on the committee for fear he would influence the direction that it takes, was chosen to sit on the new team

by Councillor Bostwick, but he declined the nomination.

Meanwhile, the new chairman told the Chronicle that the committee will be working to achieve “the most possible and suitable deal” for the citizens of Georgetown.

“One of the first things I would be doing is asking for

much more external helpers as it relates to the accounting systems. Numbers would play a great role,” he said, adding that the working income of most of the workers in Georgetown and the affordability of parking meters on the ‘normal’ person will have to be taken into account.

“We will bring the human face back to the issue, because we understood that it wasn’t really about parking meters, but it was about the contract. We want to help people understand the process,” Peter explained.

He said, too, that along with a reduction in the cost to park, the team will also be looking at the spaces that were offered to SCS, such as those in front schools.

“Even though we began on a wrong foot, I view this as an opportunity now for us to realign ourselves along the right path, and get a human face to parking meters. The submission of documents is not an option; it’s a necessity, a must-do. Once those are submitted, I see us moving forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, the contract that the M&CC entered into with SCS came under heavy criticism from some city councilors, who called for a complete revocation of it.

Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran had said that the project lacked transparency from the beginning, was not open to public scrutiny, and should be shelved immediately.

“In May 2016, the Council was informed that the contract was signed for the implementation of parking meters. To my knowledge, at no time do I recall ever discussing, much less voting, on a proposal to implement this.

I didn’t even see a contract until much later on.”

Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Sherod Duncan had repeatedly called SCS “a sham of a company” and referred to how it disrespected the committee that the M&CC tasked with renegotiating the contract, by not providing requested documents.

“SCS is a bad deal for the city. How can we continue to work with them?

We cannot do business with them,” Duncan had said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, November 30, 2017

Guyana has much to learn from Germany in clean energy transition

PRESIDENT David Granger said that as Guyana pursues the goal of full renewable energy use by 2025, it looks forward to learning from Germany’s considerable experience in energy transition, noting that both countries are deeply concerned about the threats posed to humanity by climate change, environmental degradation and the increasing loss of the world’s biodiversity.

The Head of State made these remarks on Wednesday

diversity, the promotion of the generation of energy from renewable sources and the adoption of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. The signing of the Agreement on Financial Cooperation on Tropical Rainforest Protection between Guyana and Germany in April 2010 has led to increased support for the preservation of Guyana’s Protected Areas System. This support is consistent with Guyana’s green development thrust,” he said.

President Granger’s statement at this year’s United Nations General Assembly where he spoke of a sustainable planet as being humanity’s ultimate patrimony.

“Germany offers its hand of continued partnership with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to overcome the consequences of climate change, which pose a significant threat to Small Island Developing States as well as low-lying coastal areas.

We look forward to jointly explore ways to accompany

Germany’s Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Holger Wilfried Michael presenting his Letters of Credence to President David Granger when he accepted Letters of Credence from His Excellency Holger Wilfried Michael, accrediting him as the new Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Guyana.

“The ‘green state’ will place emphasis on the protection of our environment, the preservation of our bio-

The President also spoke of Guyana’s plans to establish a world-class biodiversity centre, given its enviable location in heart of the Guiana Shield and its commitment to environmental protection.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Michael said that Germany wholeheartedly supports

Guyana’s green development strategy,” he said.

The Ambassador, during a meeting with Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon prior to the Accreditation Ceremony, said that while this is his first visit to Guyana, in doing his research on the country he was particularly impressed with the mea-

Former journalist and friend robbed FORMER journalist Nadine Luthers-Williams and a female friend were robbed and her car hijacked outside Night Cap on Pere Street, Kitty, Georgetown, by two armed men on Tuesday night.

Crime Chief Paul Williams told Guyana Chronicle that they are in receipt of a report of the incident and checks are being made for the suspects and missing car.

Reports indicated that Luthers-Williams and her female friend had just arrived at the popular coffee/sandwich spot about 20:00hrs to meet with overseas-based friends who are in Guyana.

Luthers-Williams had just parked her car,

PVV 4879, outside Night Cap and was about to exit the vehicle in the company of her friend when a man came up to the driver’s side of the car.

There, he pointed a gun at Luthers-Williams and ordered her out of the vehicle while another relieved her of her valuables.

The men then entered the car, a white Toyota Allion, and sped off in it.

Luthers-Williams was also relieved of her Samsung Galaxy S6 cellphone, while her friend was forced to hand over a cellphone, her purse containing $25,000 cash, spectacles valued $140, 000 and a pair of sandals.

sures that the Government is implementing to protect its rainforests and committed to advocating for support for this endeavour. The Diplomat and Minister Harmon spoke in depth of Guyana’s Green Development Strategy, which includes widening its acreage of protected areas, while exploring the sustainable development of its oil

and gas sector.

Guyana and the Federal Republic of Germany established formal diplomatic relations in September 1966, shortly after Guyana gained its Independence in May of that year. Last year, the two countries celebrated 50 years of friendly bilateral relations based on mutual respect and understanding, peace-

ful co-existence, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and a commitment to human development.

Ambassador Michael replaces Lutz Hermann Gorgens whose tour of duty ended earlier this year. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

Kohli leads pay rise call for India cricketers NAGPUR, India (AFP) - National team skipper Virat Kohli has demanded a greater share of India’s growing cricket wealth for players ahead of contract talks this week, officials said.

Top players saw their annual basic deals doubled to $300 000 this year.

But the Indian squad, which is due to hold talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in New Delhi tomorrow, wants more after the governing body struck a huge new television deal in September.

The BCCI will get $2.5 billion from Rupert Murdoch’s Star India channel to show the Indian Premier League from 2018 to 2022.

Player contracts expired on September 30 and salaries are one of the key negotiating points.

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli gestures during the fourth day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Monday.

(Photo: AFP)

A senior board official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that “the players want a raise” and that Kohli will lead the talks with former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and current coach Ravi Shastri.

They will meet BCCI administrator Vinod Rai in New Delhi to discuss pay and the packed cricket calendar which Kohli has also criticised.

“It’s always healthy to be transparent and that’s what BCCI is trying to be. Kohli and the players are always welcome to put their point across,” the official said.

Rai heads a committee of administrators appointed

by India’s Supreme Court to run BCCI affairs and reform the world’s wealthiest cricket governing body.

Currently the national squad has three salary grades, with Kohli and other senior players at the top. “We have modified it and have started a process where we consult the players,” said Rai. “We had two rounds of consultation and we will do another one just before the Delhi

Test,” Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, added. India start the third Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Rai has backed Kohli’s criticism of the scheduling of tours and the issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting.

Kohli had hit out at BCCI, ahead of the second Test in Nagpur, for better planning of tours, especially ahead of an important series in South Africa starting in January.

India will finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 with the third Twenty20 before leaving for South Africa on December 28. Kohli is to be rested for the one-day games against Sri Lanka.

They are to play a twoday warm-up match starting December 30 before taking on the Proteas in the first Test from January 5.

GCB/DMLAS/NSC/NSSCL cricket

Wins for Chase Academy, Number 8 and Patentia THE 2017-2018 Guyana Cricket Board/Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited/National Sport Commission/National Secondary School Cricket League (GCB/DMLAS/ NSC/NSSCL) continued with matches being played in Georgetown, West Berbice, and on West Bank Demerara.

At the Belle Vue ground, Patentia won the toss and batted first, reached 185-5 in 20 overs, with Wasim Rahaman scoring an unbeaten 70.

Andy Persaud contributed 42.

Bowling for Goed Fortuin, Sherwin Gravesande grabbed 2-20 and Vickraj Harris 1-41.

In reply, Goed Fortuin were bowled out for 70 in just 14 overs. Satwesh Persaud was the only batsman to score double figures with a delightful 39. The successful bowlers for Patentia Secondary were Samuel Ramlochan (3-15), Wasim Rahaman (2-7), and Satesh Basdeo (2-20).

Over at Woodley Park, the home team won the toss

and batted first. However, that decision did not go well, as they were bundled out for 107 in 24 overs.

Vishular Adin made 28, Tony Dalane 17 and Hamchan Ragabeer 11. Bowling for Number. 8 Secondary, Lakeram Budhram took 3-25 and Rajiv Doodal 2-13.

In reply, No. 8 Secondary reached the victory target without the loss of a wicket, as openers Wazim Inchar and Nigel Deodat both missed out on recording half-centuries.

Both ended on 49.

At the GNIC ground, Chase Academy batted first and amassed a mammoth 295 off their allotted 30 overs. Batting for Chase Academy, Chameshwar Permaul grafted 88, Garrick Persaud slammed 65, Orlando Giddings stroked a masterful 66 and Dwain Dick knocked a quick 40.

In reply, St Rose’s were bowled out for a disastrously low score of 10 runs.

National players Sachin Singh took 5-6 and Dwain Dick 4-2.

Williams sets new Under-18 100m record at Nationals

By Tamica Garnett

AS Linden athletes continue to dominate the scene, Daniel Williams delivered a new record as he took a striking win in the Boys’ Under-18 100m finals, following a series of 800m wins from Joanna Archer, Anfernee Headecker and Kezra Murray, as competition in the National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships continued yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre.

Williams’ teammate Deshanna Skeete was just outside the girls Under-16 record, after she clocked 12.26 seconds for the win, just ahead of West Demerara’s Binka Joseph, who was second with 12.42 seconds.

By the end of 64 finals last night, Upper Demerara/Kwakwani had already extended their lead to over 100 point, after piling up 364 points. Their nearest challenge is coming from West Demerara (District 3) which has 248 points.

North Georgetown (District 11) and East Coast Demerara (District 4) share fifth place with 192 points.

West Coast Berbice (District 5) follows with 169 points, while North West (District 1) has 163.5 points. Rounding out the top ten are New Amsterdam (District 15) (143.5 points) and East Georgetown (District 12) (129.5 points) Williams 10.65 seconds, saw him humbling South Georgetown’s Umkosi Vancooten, and New Amsterdam’s Jermaine King, while also blasting away the 10.7 seconds record that was first set in 2010 by East Coast’s Chavez Ageday, and last equaled in 2014 by District 10’s Compton Caesar.

Vancooten took second with a time of 10.99 seconds, while King finished in 11.18

seconds.

This latest triumph marked Williams continuing the trail of his record breaking legacy at the annual meet, where he already holds at least one record in each of the three sprint events.

The Boys’ Under -18 100m record adds to the boys Under-14 (11.6s) and Boys’ Under 16 (11s) 100m records, while in the 200m record, Williams shares the boys’ Under-16 (22.6 seconds) record with Jason Yaw. He set the boys’ under 14 record at 54.9 seconds in 2013, and the boys’ Under-16 record at 51 seconds in 2015.

Archer had her hopes of clinching her first record at Nationals dashed when she could only complete the girls’ Under-18 800m in 2:23.27s.

Headecker may never know if his 1:55.46s winning time in the boy’s Under-20 finals was a record or due to a technicality with that events current record. Leading the race from the get go, Headecker was able to keep up his pace to keep North Georgetown’s Sanuel Lynch from getting close to him.

By the time Lynch decided to make a go, it was all too late as Headecker had already put quite some distance between himself and the competition.

Lynch ended up taking second place with a time of 2:01.05s.

New Amsterdam’s Laurindo Prince was third in a time of 2:03.11 seconds.

The day also saw at least two other records tumbling, with District 10’s Murphy Nash clocking 2:01.43s, to take down the four-year-old 2:04.5s record by Jomal Johnson.

Another District 10 star, little Adessa Albert put the Girls Under-10 long jump record at 4.03m, erasing the 11 year old 3.89m record that was set by Celene Web.

Daniel Williams humbly embracing stardom at ‘Nationals’

By Rawle Toney HE calmly jogged out of the tunnel to the track at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, even as the crowd cheered ecstatically when his name was called, but as usual, Daniel Williams was calm as persons stood in anticipation of the Boys U-18 100M finals.

The 2017 IAAF World U-18 Championships 400M silver medallist (46.72 seconds), was touted as a clear winner by spectators even before the race started, but their keenness was in the time he would’ve run the

distance. His rival was the clock, even though some had District 15’s Jermaine King (New Amsterdam) to provide some challenge.

The 17-year-old Mackenzie High School sixth-form student happens to be one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the championships, owning six records – the Under-14 100m record at 11.6s, the joint holder of the Under-16 100m record at 11.0s, the Under-16 200m record of 22.6s, the Under-16 400m record at 51.0s, the Under-12 high Jump record at 150cm and also the Under-16 high jump record at

183cm.

It was actually seven records, but Williams’ Under-14 400m time (54.9s) was erased by South Georgetown’s Wesley Tyndall, who clocked 54.50 seconds on Tuesday.

Prior to the championships, Williams’ coach Johnny Gravesande, had told Chronicle Sport that his athlete’s biggest competition will be the clock and that he was certain of breaking a few records at this year’s ‘Nationals’.

Gravesande is considered by the folks in Linden as Guyana’s version of Glen

Mills – the coach behind the success of the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.

Meanwhile, at the start line, Williams was placed in Lane #4, right next to King in Lane #5, but after the gun went off, the Lindener showed his superiority.

As fans stood in awe at his subliminal speed out of the blocks, Williams eased with just about five metres before the finish line and still finished way ahead of the pack.

His time, 10.67 seconds, which was a new Boys’ U-18 record at the championships since it removed the previ-

ous record, 10.70 seconds, which was held by current CARIFTA Games gold medallist, Compton Caesar, along with Jason Yaw, Chavez Ageday and Keon Lynch.

“Thanks to everyone that supported me,” Williams told reporters at the conclusion of his record-breaking run, adding “thanks to my coach who did a good job and he pushed me to the limit.”

In his usual humble manner, Williams wasn’t impressed with the time, with his mind set on the international competition, he stated “at the world level, the time isn’t all that, but I’m still

good with the win.”

Asked how he feels about being ‘the’ athlete to beat at the championships as well as the one everyone will be paying close attention too, Williams said “nothing really bothers me you know, but I’m glad the younger athletes and even some older ones are looking up to me, and I’m here to give my best and give advice if they need it.”

Williams will return on the track today in the Boys U-200M, which he’s excited about. He’s also in the finals of the 400M which see the finals taking place tomorrow.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

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FYF’s Allicock, Graham light up a dim night at Terrence Ali National Open C/ships THE night started on a dim note, but Forgotten Youth Foundation’s (FYF) Keevin Allicock and Sean Graham eventually lit up the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, on the opening night of the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA)/Terrence Ali National Open Championships on Tuesday night.

On a night that promised much excitement, the card which was originally scheduled to have 12 fights for the night turned out to be a six-fight card and no reason for the reduction of fights was offered.

However, after witnessing four fights that were contested by boxers who really should not have been part of a National Open Championship because of

the quality of their fights, FYF’s Graham and Allicock lit up the night with some classy boxing that is worthy of being National Open standards.

While Graham cannot be categorised as a National Open athlete, he displayed the class of one such athlete.

Graham, who is barely 14 years of age displayed tremendous ability as a boxer and will be one to watch in the future.

The `piece of paper’ that was given to the media for four to share did not indicate the category that Graham was contesting, leaving one to wonder if the contest between Graham and Joshua Tamabarran of Rose Hall Jammers (RHJ) was indeed a National Open contest; as the

latter, who seemed to be about four feet tall, also appeared to be a 14-yearold.

At the end of the fight, Graham was declared winner by a unanimous points-deci-

sion and this was after dominating the fight throughout the three rounds of action with some telling combinations, classy footworks and some stiff right jabs that kept his opponent at bay.

In this Delano Williams photo, Francis Sukhu (left) connects to the mid-section of Raphael Sebastien.

The sixth and final fight of the night was a bantamweight semi-final contest between Allicock and Jamal Eastman of the Rose Hall Jammers Gym. Allicock being the more seasoned of the two fighters showed his class and experience and dominated the affair, even though at times during the three rounds, Eastman showed glimpses of being able to take the fight, but in the end, Allicock won by a unanimous points-decision.

Apart from the above two mentioned fights, the remainder of the card was very dull as the boxers involved appeared as though they can hardly `harm a fly’. Their soft punches had no effect. Apart from that, they seemed to have just got started in the sport.

In results from the first four fights, Joaquin Milo of FYF won a unanimous points victory over Young Achievers’ (YA) Jamal Mercier, Francis Sukhu (RHJ) secured a similar victory over his RHJ counterpart Raphael Sebastian, Julius Bobb of the Guyana Defence Force got a technical-error victory over his fellow soldier Mark Blake, after Blake, instead of occupying the blue corner for the contest, was in the red corner.

In the other fight on the card, Emmanuel Pompey of Young Achievers secured a unanimous points-win against his gym mate Malcolm Williams.

The championships continued last evening at the same venue and will conclude tonight.

Fifteen goals scored in latest Guinness rounds

In all, fifteen goals were scored on the latest night of Guinness Street Football action at the National Cultural Centee tarmac on Tuesday evening.

In the first of the night’s games, GTI Ballers went down 2-1 on penalties to Albouystown-A after a one-goal stalemate. Trevon Callendar’s 6th minute goal for GTI was cancelled out by Lennox Cort.

Game two was a needle affair as Bad-a-Yard went down 1-0 to Leopold Street thanks to Orandel Williams who scored in the 4th minute.

Rising Stars were too much for Back Circle as

they won 4-1 thanks to Daniel Ross who scored a Guinness Goal in the 17th minute. A Guinness Goal counts as two strikes and occurs when a goal is scored in the final three minutes of the game.

Rahiem Augustus (5th) and Nikkel Carter (14th) were the other two strikes while Back Circle’s lone mark came off an own goal.

Sheldon Profitt’s 3rd minute strike was enough to give Bent Street a 1-0 win over Tucville while Queen Street Tiger Bay overcame Broad Street 3-1 on penalties after a goalless game.

North East La Penitence

won 3-1 as well on penalties after a one-goal game in which Alwyn Moore’s 7th minute goal was cancelled out by New Market’s Orlando Ricketts’ 12th minute strike.

Future Stars were also winners on the night against Alexander Village after a 3-1 score line. Jamal Cozier (8th), Akeemo Anthony (14th) and Jermaine Junior (16th) were the three scorers in the Future Stars line-up while Shem Porter scored Alexander Village’s goal.

Trap Squad beat Albouystown-B on penalties 2-1 after a scoreless game while Gaza Squad beat

Part of the action in the Guinness Greatest of the Streets Football Tournament

Sparta Boss 4-3 on sudden-death penalties after their game ended goalless as well.

Matches continue tonight at the same venue with California Square taking on Stabroek Ballers, Sophia Bullies against Norton Street Ballers, New Market Street facing Kingston and Upsetters battling it out with East Front Road.

After the break, Festival City will oppose North East La Penitence, Ol Skool Ballers take on Gaza Squad, West Front Road lace up to face North Ruimveldt and Sparta Boss play Channel-9 Warriors.

India’s antitrust regulator fines BCCI $8M

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India’s cricket board was fined 522.4 million rupees (£6.05M) by the country’s antitrust watchdog yesterday for misusing its dominant position and anti-competitive practices in awarding broadcast rights for the Indian Premier League.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

in its order of anti-competitive conduct in assuring broadcasters that it would not sanction any other domestic T20 league.

“We will legally understand it (the CCI order), examine it and if needs be, we will appeal against it in the court,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told television news agency ANI. The BCCI’s guarantee to not “organise, sanction, recognise, or support an-

other professional domestic Indian T20 competition that is competitive to IPL, for a sustained period of 10 years” was against competition guidelines, the regulator said.

“CCI held that the impugned restriction had no nexus to the legitimate interest of cricket in the country,” it said in a statement.

“Rather, the restriction was pursued to enhance the commercial interest of the

bidders of IPL broadcasting rights and the consideration in turn received by BCCI.” The CCI directed the board not to place blanket restrictions on and clarify the rules applicable for the organisation of the professional domestic cricket league or events by both BCCI members and non-members.

The regulator called on the BCCI to file a report to the Commission on their

compliance within 60 days of their receipt of the CCI order, the statement said.

In 2013, the CCI passed an order imposing the same financial penalty on the BCCI, but it was set aside after the cricket board appealed against the sanctions at the Competition Appellate Tribunal.

The CCI then conducted a detailed investigation by its director general and concluded that the BCCI’s ac-

tions were anti-competitive.

The franchise-based IPL competition began in 2008 with eight teams and owners including India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani and Bollywood actors.

In September Star India, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, bid 163.48 billion rupees ($2.54B) for the television and digital rights of the IPL for a five-year period from 2018 to 2022.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

Explosive Police frontline gives them edge against Winners tonight … Large turnout expected for finale

IN the sport of football the team with the most goals in a game is declared the winner and the customary match winners come from the attacking third.

This is why many pundits are predicting a win for Police when they face the Mining Town’s Winners Connection in today’s final of the 2017 Edition of the Mayor’s Cup, at the Mackenzie Sports Club, Linden.

Both teams are coming off of impressive victories with Police firing five past Soesdyke in their 5-1 triumph last Sunday at the MSC ground while Winners Connection managed to beat counterparts Milerock by a 3-1 margin in their encounter to set up a highly anticipated clash with the Lawmen for the top prize.

The pundits believe that even though the game is being played in Winners Connection’s backyard and with the expected large turnout of support from the community combined with the age-old rivalry that exists when teams visit from Georgetown, the sheer explosive front line of Police may prove too powerful for the hosts to handle.

Added to that, they are brimming with confidence following a string of victories or at minimum last-four appearances in nearly all the competitions they’ve played.

The Lawmen have to be rated as the most in-form team in the country.

The return of Dwain Jacobs from national duty has added even more potency to an already star-studded lineup, while talismanic striker

Dwain Jacobs

Quincy Holder, who netted a beauty in their previous encounter, has shown how difficult it is to contain him.

He will be supported by players the calibre of Phil-

bert Moffat, Sharma Fraser, Steffon Ramsay and Rawle Haynes, all proven goalscorers with loads of experience.

It could be a long difficult night for the Connection backstoppers, who will have to play way beyond their current potential to stop the rampaging Police strikeforce.

On the other hand, Keon Sears, who netted a brace in their semi-final clash, will be the leader of the pack in search of goals, while the wily veteran Rawle ‘Boney’ Gittens is expected to pull the strings from midfield.

Gittens is also known to make some surprising attacks upfront so it would be interesting to see what will be the strategy employed by the team’s coaching staff.

Then there is the nippy Derrol Dainty, whose de-

ceptive skills and poaching ability are underrated, but extremely important and he too could have a say in how the game finishes.

Marmalique Davidson, who was kept off the scoresheet might be eager to steal the spotlight from Gittens and Sears so Police will have to ensure that whoever is assigned to him is equally competent to keep him quiet.

It appears the defences of both teams are in for a torrid time and which one cracks first could decide the outcome of this year’s competition.

The playoff for third place also has great significance because of how the teams from the Mining Town think.

They do not allow visiting teams to dominate them

in their hometown so immediately you see why the Milerock versus Soesdyke matchup is an exciting precursor for the main course.

Milerock would want to give the home fans a positive start, while Soesdyke most likely would like to bolster the belief of Police with a victory over the hosts.

Over $1M in total prize money is up for grabs with the winning team set to receive $500 000 and the Ministry of Citizenship trophy, while the runners-up take home $250 000 and the Busta trophy.

The third- and fourthplace finishers will walk away with $150 000 and $100 000 along with trophies donated by John Fernandes Ltd and Cummings Electrical respectively.

‘Dark horses’ Camptown looking to get back to winning ways THE once-celebrated Camptown Football Club, who were held in high esteem in the football industry locally, have a chance on Sunday in the Turbo Knock Out Football Cup to steal the headlines once more, when they lock horns with the Guyana Police Force.

The team, who have over the past couple of months had good showing in the last few tournaments, seem intent on solidifying that by taking the first title in years.

The success, however, hinges on the sometimes very inconsistent unit harnessing confidence and form against the rampaging Police team.

THE ‘PRODIGAL SON’ RETURNS Camptown will not have to look far for the deliverance, as goalkeeper Richie Richardson has been somewhat of a rescuer in the uprights with his safe pair of hands.

Richie Richardson, who once plied his trade with the Campbellville-based side before leaving for stints with Alpha United and SV Nissan 42 in Suriname, has made the trek back to his home side.

Camptown have been steadily improving as a football team, under the guidance of coach Troy Prescott. Their more recent success was a quarter-final placing in the inaugural Corona Beer Football

Tournament.

The quarter-final game saw the former national player Richardson, who was filling a void in the midfield, taking up the keeping duties.

Richardson, no stronger between the uprights, and having represented the Golden Jaguars as recent as late 2016, made immediate impact.

Richardson’s intervention enabled them to hold Northern Rangers to a regulation time draw before losing on penalty kicks.

The keeper, speaking ahead of the highly anticipated clash with Police squad, says he is not worried about being arrested on December 3.

He added that despite history and records, football is played on the day and in the field and he believes that his young squad have a good chance as any for success in the Turbo Cup finals.

Police for their part have reached six straight finals in the past, and are showing no signs of letting up winning more than half of those finals.

Richardson, however, said that regardless of Police dominance, they intend to stick to their game plan and employ good football.

TURBO CUP JOURNEY The team’s victories in the Turbo tournament have been impressive, taking a

Balram five-member team for GMR&SC Endurance meet

By Stephan Sookram BALRAM Auto Mechanics has organised a five-member team for this weekend’s Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Endurance meet 2017.

According to team leader Balram Ramdeo, the team will send two Toyota Star-

lets, one Toyota 212, one Toyota Corolla and one Honda Civic.

According to Ramdeo, “We are attempting to pick up some more silverware to end the year on a high.

We are going to be competing in several categories on Sunday.”

“We’ve got several good drivers lined up for the

weekend and there are a lot of guys who we are going to be up against us as well so we want to make the strongest impression,” he added.

Meanwhile the club has indicated that all systems are in place for the race meet Sunday with all the relevant safety requirements covered.

Apart from the usual two-hour event, there will

be five-lap races around the small track to ensure that persons get a full day of activities.

The three classes that are up for contention in the two-hour long drive are the 1500cc class, 1600cc – 2000cc class and the over 2000cc unlimited division.

The event begins at 13:00hrs

2-nil win over Buxton, a penalty kick victory over Silver Shattas of Linden, then taking a needle victory over Pouderoyen.

Richardson, who is also the assistant coach, said the main reason for the team’s success has been a rigorous training schedule and the unit possessing a positive outlook.

WOW FACTOR As Richardson secures the goal post, the likes of Jamal Codrington, Wayne Sharples, and Ozeal Small will be required to be ex-

plosive on the offensive end.

Small has been the most consistent of the three, with three goals. However, Codrington has shown the ability to produce that magic at the top.

Richardson also showed his chops, as the first custodian in years to score a goal from his box against Pouderoyen.

The two teams will battle for a purse of half a million dollars and the bragging rights as the first Turbo Cup Knock Out football champs.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday November 30, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Courtney Walsh-7/37 (Wellington, 1994/95)

(2)

Lance Cairns-7/27 (Hamilton, 1998/99)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI has scored most runs in WI/NZ Tests to date?

(2) Which NZ has scored most runs in WI/NZ Tests to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 30, 2017

27

Tough four days of cricket in store for Jaguars, Pride … We are prepared for the challenge, says Pride head coach

By Rajiv Bisnauth THE familiar surroundings of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence will provide the backdrop for what is anticipated to be four days of tough cricket when front-runners and defending champions Guyana Jaguars face off with third-place leaders, Barbados Pride, in round five in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament.

Matches between the two sides date back to 1865 and have produced some of the most intriguing battles in the regional first-class game – and the same can be expected from this contest, since the outcome could have a heavy bearing on the recipients of the Headley/Weekes Trophy of supremacy.

Currently, the Jaguars sit on 64.8 points, 20.2 points ahead of second-placed Leeward Island Hurricanes (44.6), Barbados Pride (42.4), Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (41.8). Jamaica Scor-

pions (36.6) and Windward Islands Volcanoes (18.4) complete the points table after four rounds.

Both teams enter the contest with much confidence, following solid victories in the previous round, when the Pride iced the Volcanoes, and the Jaguars stopped the Red Force.

This should be enough motivation for both teams, but the visiting side’s head coach Emerson Trotman said the Pride, however, can’t be too self-assured since the home team have enough proven match-winners to make things difficult for the

Pride.

“We are up for the challenge … we are prepared for it, and if I can remember the last time we were here, unfortunately, the rains came and I thought we were on top of the game; so this time around we are just looking to execute our skills and carry out the game plans,” Trotman reckoned.

On the other hand, the National stadium has always been a happy hunting ground for the home team. In a recent interview, manager/assistant coach of the Jaguars unit urged his charges to utilise the home conditions to the

Some members of the Guyana Jaguars squad during their net session yesterday. (Adrian Narine photo)

Holder feels Windies in a good place for opening Test against Kiwis WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC) – West Indies captain Jason Holder believes his side’s outing in the lone tour match against New Zealand A last weekend, has left them in a good place for tomorrow’s opening Test at the Basin Reserve.

The Caribbean side drew the three-day match in Lincoln but flexed their muscles with the bat in piling up 451 for nine in their first innings, before dismissing the hosts for 237 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

“I thought it was a good game. Batsmen got some time in the middle and bowlers got the chance to run in and bowl a few overs,” Holder told reporters.

“Luckily for us, we had some really good weather. It wasn’t as windy as it probably will be in Wellington but I think we had enough wind to get a good feel of what’s going to happen in Wellington so hopefully the guys are ready for it.

“We’ve got two days in Wellington to prepare before the first Test match and we’ll make use of those and go into the first Test match with all confidence.”

The tour game saw Sunil Ambris, called up for this tour at the expense of Kyle Hope, blasting 153 and Shai Hope – Kyle’s younger brother – fash-

Jason Holder

ioning a composed 110.

After a first-innings failure, key opener Kraigg Brathwaite chipped in with 88 in the second innings.

All the Windies bowlers – especially the seamers – then turned in decent shifts as they familiarised themselves with the conditions.

While question marks remain over opener Kieran Powell and Jermaine Blackwood, both of whom failed to impress, Holder said there would be chances during the actual Test to make amends.

“I’m pleased with where we’re at at the moment. Guys got time to spend in the middle, bowlers got a run out,” the all-rounder explained.

“We were able to bowl out this New Zealand A side in the first innings and it was a good effort and I think going into this (Test) we should be full of

confidence.”

He added: “For the guys who missed out, (the Test) is another opportunity for them hopefully if they get a chance, to get some scores so there’s plenty to look forward to ahead, and I’m looking forward to really good things from this group.”

West Indies are without a win at the Basin Reserve in 22 years – the last time they won a series on New Zealand soil.

In fact, their last three outings at the ground ended in heavy defeats with the last coming in 2013 when they went down by an innings and 73 runs.

From all early appearances, the track looks favourable to seamers but Holder said it was imperative the team performed regardless of the nature of the pitch.

“From what I’ve seen before, it tends to have a bit of grass on it and probably does a little bit early on. It can be a good wicket when you’re batting as well,” said Holder, yet to play a Test in New Zealand.

“We probably need to assess as early as possible when we first get there. I guess the first session of any Test match is very, very crucial along with the first day. Whether we bat or bowl, we just need to make whatever we do count.”

Emerson Trotman

Rajendra Chandrika

Akshaya Persaud

fullest.

Meanwhile, both teams made one change from their fourth round encounter. For the home team Test opener Rajendra Chandrika is making way for 20-year-old West Demerara left-hander Akshaya Persaud, who was the leading run-scorer in the Jaguars Franchise League Three-day competition this year.

Chandrika, who played five Test matches in 20152016, could manage only 176

runs at average of 22 from his last five first-class matches.

His highest score during the period has been 35.

Further, all-rounder Shamar Springer has replaced leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr in the Barbados Pride 13-man squad.

Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Leon Johnson (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Anthony Bramble, Keemo Paul, Ak-

shaya Persaud, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie and Keon Joseph.

Barbados Pride squad reads: Shamarh Brooks (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Jonathan Carter. Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Aaron Jones, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Mario Rampersaud, Shamar Springer, Kevin Stoute, Jomel Warrican, Kenroy Williams.

Tough four days of cricket in store for Jaguars, Pride

Williams sets new Under-18 100m record at ‘Nationals’

Page 27

Page 24

…Linden etches out 100 point lead

Daniel Williams calmly crosses the finish line during his record-breaking run in the Boys U18 100M finals

West Demerara’s Joanna Archer battling to the finish in the girls’ under 18 800m (Samuel Maughn photo)

South Georgetown District 13’s Anfernee Headecker cruising home to win the Boys U20 800M (Samuel Maughn photos)

Daniel Williams humbly embracing stardom at ‘Nationals’

-

Eying 200M and 400M U18 records

Page 24

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Daniel Williams speaking to reporters after his record-breaking run in the Boys U18 100M finals (Samuel Maughn photo) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER, 30, 2017