Guyana Chronicle E-paper 11-30-2018

FRIDAY 30th November, 2018

No.105474

Gov't 03 building strong public service PAGE

… Min Harmon urges cadets to be neutral, politically impartial

Brazilians promise jobs, benefits –– from proposed aplentystate-of-the-art mega-farm PAGE

BBCI 13 goes to court PAGE

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… seeks order to quash gov't supervision of bridge PAGE

Cops to 08 stringently enforce 2:00 am curfew – Ramjattan

The first four women to graduate from Totaltec, from left, Coleen Moore, Muarisia James, Rubena Adiana, and Kristina Balram (Delano Williams photo) (see stroy on page 3)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

Brazilians promise jobs, –– from proposed benefits aplenty state-of-the-art mega-farm

By Rabindra Rooplall

GUYANA is poised to once again become the breadbasket of the Caribbean and further afield, once plans to partner with a group of Brazilian investors bear fruit.

The proposal, which has to do with industrialising the agriculture sector, is projected to translate into a mega state-of the-art farm in the Intermediate Savannahs of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Mano Julio group out of neighbouring Brazil has already tested the soil type in the Intermediate Savannahs and had success with a crop

of corn and soybean, and is expected to start cultivation again early next year.

Upon full implementation of the project, the area will see some 5000 hectares of corn and soybean eventually translate into protein for animal feed and biofuel.

The vision of the investment group was laid out to the Guyana Government on Thursday morning during discussions with Ministers of Finance, Agriculture and Business, Winston Jordan, Noel Holder and Dominic Gaskin respectively in the boardroom of the Ministry of Agriculture.

There were two video presentations in which the investment team showcased

the transformation of the savannahs through the establishment of the mega-farm concept.

Job creation, the transfer of skills and knowledge, export to major markets throughout the Caribbean and EU are just some of the benefits to be derived from the partnership between the Government of Guyana and the group of Brazilian investors.

PHASE ONE Phase One will comprise cultivating 5000 of the 50,000 hectares targeted for development under the proposed project, followed by the inclusion of value-added products into the equation, which will see the transformation of vegetables into animal protein and the manufacture of such agro-industrial products as bio-ethanol in Phases Two and Three.

It was also discussed

Ministers of government during talks on Thursday with Brazilian investors at the Ministry of Agriculture Boardroom during the meeting that given the challenges with climate change and other traditional crops grown on the coastland, the government has long wanted to move agricultural production more inland, hence its decision to turn its attention to the Intermediate Savannahs, located some 60 miles from the mouth of the

Berbice River and encompassing over 2000 square miles of territory.

The Brazilians said that they too decided on the area at reference given its strategic location some 100 miles away from a main port, which would allow for ease of access to North America and European markets.

Other key advantages they said are the similarities in soil type with which they’re already familiar, the plentiful supply of water and rainfall patterns, and ready access to the Atlantic through the Berbice River.

As to what’s in it for See page 5

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Gov’t building strong public service

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

… Min. Harmon urges cadets to be neutral, politically-impartial

MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon on Thursday said that government is looking for men and women with integrity to lead the public service, emphasising neutrality and political impartiality.

The state minister was at the time addressing the second graduating class of cadets at the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service (BCCPS) with a guest lecture titled, ‘the Realities of the Guyana Public Service’. “The new public service, therefore, has to be able to deliver in an administratively neutral way and has to be established firmly on the basis of merit and political impartiality. It must also possess expert knowledge and a high standard of academic education. In addition, it should consist of men and women of integrity who are reliable and

Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon addresses the second graduating class of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service. willing to give advice without fear or favour, partiality or prejudice,” he said.

Minister Harmon also spoke to the government’s overall vision for the public service of the future. “A new public service, therefore… is

envisaged by our administration. One that [is] accessible…

One that [is] relevant, one that [is] reliable, one that [is] resourceful, and one that [is] responsive to the needs of the people, that [is] equally effective in all regions of Guyana,

be it on the coast and hinterland, and all communities rural and urban,” the state minister said.

In celebrating the success of the cadets, Minister Harmon made an urgent call for the cadets to take full advantage

of the remainder of the BCCPS programme. “I wish to urge you to make full use of all opportunities that are made available to you to improve your skills. Remember, you are the future administrative and budget agency heads of

the public service. In years to come, I will see many of you as permanent secretaries, as heads of budget agencies…

Many of you will have to go to the public accounts committee of the National Assembly…

Many of you will become the subject of queries and statements made by the auditor general of Guyana… Many of you will find yourselves on the front pages of this country because of the work which you have to perform… Pay careful attention to everything that is happening now… This is the foundation,” he said. The BCCPS is dedicated to instilling integrity, impartiality, and objectivity in the next generation of public servants.

In December, the college will see its second graduation. (Ministry of the Presidency)

First women graduate from Totaltec

FOUR women were among 27 persons who made up the third batch of students to graduate from TOTALTEC International Marine and Petroleum Training Academy, at the Gafoor’s Complex, Houston; the first women to do so since the programme first began earlier this year.

Leading the way for other women to follow were Muarisia James, Kristina Balram, Coleen Moore and Rubena Adiana. The women were commended as they were presented with their certificates at the graduation ceremony at the Academy on Thursday.

The women are now armed with certificates that equip them to join Guyana’s emerging oil and gas industry. And they want other women to know that they have nothing to fear in making the choice to join the programme and take up a job in the oil and gas field. “For women out there that think that it’s a challenge, no, just prepare yourself. Yes, it’s really, really tough, but just

The third graduating class from TOTALTEC International Marine and Petroleum Training Academy (Delano Williams photo) remember that there’s always somebody here that you can lean on” advised 31-year-old James.

Going into the training, James wasn’t sure what to expect, but she was happy with what she found as she embarked on the eight weeks of training that the programme entailed. “I actually didn’t know what I was up for, to be honest. I decide to take the challenge based on

comments from persons that were here before. It’s been tremendous, the guys here, we thought they would’ve been a turn-off, but we had such great support. It wasn’t a case whereby we didn’t have help, we had persons to back us. These guys, they were our shoulders to lean on,” she shared.

Nkosi Sandy will be looking to follow the path set out by these first four young

ladies; she is the only young woman that will be a part of the next training batch which was also present at yesterday’s graduation ceremony.

For Sandy, she has never been daunted at the thought of being a minority in the class, or in any male-dominated industry. In fact, performing in male-dominated areas is a bit of a passion for her. She studied mechanical engineering and fitting and

machinery at the Guyana Technical Institute (GTI).

“Honestly, I am always up for a new challenge and this would give me the opportunity to do it. I like male work, that’s a challenge for me. “I like engineering,” Sandy conveyed. Sandy is giving up her job to be a part of the training programme, and change fields, but she sees it as being worth it. “I’m willing to make that kind of

sacrifice,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer of TOTALTEC Oilfield Services, Lars Mangal, commended the four women and noted that the four had already been assigned duties at the Guyana Shore Base Inc. located next door to the academy. “This is the first batch involving women, first pioneering women that we’ve been able to catalyse to come into the oil and gas industry in operational positions,” Mangal noted.

Earlier during the ceremony, the feature address was presented by attorney Nigel Hughes, when he encouraged the students to put their skills to full use for their country. “You are privileged to be one of the first set of Guyanese to benefit from this initiative.

The responsibility on your shoulder is greater than it has ever been for the shoulders of any other generation. You’re the generation that is beginning to see the El Dorado,’ Hughes noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday November 30, 2018

Quartet to stand trial for Black Bush triple murder CARLTON Chetram called “Lieman”, his son, Jairam Chetram and two employees of his: Tameshwar Jagmohan called “Guana” and Rakesh Karamchand called “Go to Front” were on Thursday, November 29, 2018 committed to stand trial at the High Court for the July 2016 Black-Bush triple murders.

The pronouncement was handed down by Magistrate Charlyn Artiga at the Whim Magistrate Court to a packed courtroom.

After a lengthy PI that started in 2016, the magistrate found enough evidence for the men to head to the High Court for trial after being accused of murdering Pawan Chan-

Two of the Accused dradeo called “Suresh”, his sixteen called “Kevin” and his brother- inyear old son Jaikarran Chandradeo law Naresh Rooplall called “Teeka

bai” sometime between July 21st and 22nd in 2016.

The men had gone on a fishing trip in the Black Bush Polder backlands in an area called Cookrite Savannah some three miles from Mibicuri when they were allegedly gunned down by the quartet.

The bodies, each bearing a single gunshot wound, were shot at point blank range, and found lying in a rice field belonging to Sudama Jagmohan. The youngest was found next to his father. He had a gaping hole to the back of his head and a ‘salt bag’ with fish and fishing net strung around his neck. Rooplall’s body had a hole

in the neck and the fishing net was strung over his shoulder, while the older Charandradeo had his fishing net in his hand. On the ground were the Hassars they had caught, littered with blood and other body matter.

It is alleged that the men, while on their fishing trip, stumbled upon “Lieman” and his crew who were allegedly stealing diesel fuel in the said field, the men allegedly fired two shots in the air and the fishermen ran towards the dam and fell.

It is believed that “Lieman” issued orders to “get rid of the evidence” and the men were shot at point blank range.

Carlton Chetram Called Lieman

City Hall urges patience as garbage collection takes toll DIRECTOR of the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Solid Waste Department Walter Narine is asking residents of Georgetown to bear with the City Council during its current garbage dilemma.

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry had boasted about a contingency plan that would cater to the needs of residents in the event the municipality’s two main contractors pulled their services.

Five days into the strike, however, and some communities have not had their garbage cleared as per the regular schedule. Notwithstanding, the M&CC had assured that the schedule for garbage collection would remain the same.

“Residents of Georgetown, I humbly ask for your patience during this period of transition of the current Garbage situation. I assure you that before the week is over, each community will have

their garbage collected,” Narine stated in a social media post.

He also assured that by next week, garbage will be collected as per the normal schedule. In an invited comment on Thursday, Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis offered that there is a buildup of garbage in some communities, and that the new contractors are now in the process of familiarising themselves with the territory.

“By Monday, everything should be back to normal,” Lewis assured, noting that the M&CC is now giving out garbage bags to the public so that in the event someone has excess waste, they can keep them in the bags and not throw them on parapets and in drains.

Lewis said the contractors are

doubling up at the moment.

The M&CC has hired a new set of contractors to continue garbage collection in Georgetown, even though they claim to have no money at the moment to pay them.

The contractors have reportedly expressed a willingness to work, notwithstanding the financial constraints plaguing the municipality.

Based on what Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry told this publication, there is a stipulated period in City Hall’s arrangement with the new contractors, in which the municipality is expected to pay. She said a small percentage of what was previously owed them was agreed to be paid them before work began this time.

Narine had told this publication that following the strike,

the Solid Waste Department will be clearing garbage from the business areas, along with some from Group Eight which encompasses areas such as Alberttown, Queenstown, North and South Cumminsgburg, and Kingston.

At last Monday’s statutory meeting, Councillor Gregory Fraser said he was not confident that everyone around the horseshoe table knew how to run a business. “You can’t keep running and running a business without payment,” he observed.

Councillor Andrea Marks questioned why the same money being used to pay new contractors cannot be used to pay the two main contractors so that they can continue working.

“It’s very unfair,” she said.

“I have a serious problem with taking money to pay fresh contractors, when you can use the

same money to pay the old contractors.”

Marks was very upset that around 200 youths who were hired by Cevons Waste Management had to be laid off, especially at this time of year, because the company cannot afford to continue paying them.

Councillor Oscar Clarke recalled that several attempts were made in the past to garner more funds, including a suggestion to ask residents to pay $100 to empty one barrel.

According to him, if councillors had pushed this recommendation, the council could have garnered some $267M for the year so far. But Clarke recalled that councilors sat there and opposed the suggestion; even Councillor Junior Garrett, whom Clarke said literally died arguing against it.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday November 30, 2018 From page 2

Brazilians promise ... GTA implements plan to manage destination sites in Guyana Guyana, the investors say the multi-billion-dollar investment will see the creation of lots of jobs for Guyanese, the transfer of technology and a boost in science-based agricultural endeavours such as the production of biogas, glycerin, research institute, and general infrastructural development.

THE BENEFITS The investment is also projected to translate to US$50M in foreign currency earnings annually, as much as 1000 jobs in direct employment and another 3000 in indirect employment, in addition to food security.

It is envisaged that once the project gets underway, it will make Guyana self-sufficient within the first year, and by the end of the second year, the yield will be more than enough to supply the regional and international markets.

“Our sustainable agriculture method will seek to integrate three main objectives, which will include a healthy environment, economic profitability and social and economic equity,” said Romeu Amaral, the investors lawyer.

Also coming out of this investment will be contract farming for persons with large plots of land which are currently underutilised in the surrounding areas.

Immediate and long-term economic empowerment will be a positive spinoff through this approach, thus improving the standard of living for the people in the community.

It is also envisaged that with the economic opportunities that will abound in the area, it will become a magnet for Guyanese from all across the country.

Talks are also in progress with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure this project is rolled out in keeping with strict environmental guidelines.

MPI INVOLVEMENT The Ministry of Public Infrastructure will also be integrally involved, as some key infrastructural projects will be vital in aiding this project to meet its full po-

tential.

Minister Jordan said while is enthused about the prospects presented by the investors, it is important that it moves from the concept stage to actual implementation.

Said he: “Oftentimes we see these wonderful presentations, and after a while you hear nothing about it. This is a massive presentation, which can materialise into something wonderful. And I will commit our (government) full support.”

Minister Gaskin noted that the proposal is strategically aligned with the government’s trajectory for agriculture, which currently contributes some 16.2 per cent to the country’s overall GDP, to become a major contributor to the continued growth of the economy.

Minister Holder, who noted that there are already mitigating factors in place to address the issue of climate change, said: “We are conscious of the fact that this is not a rice and sugar area; this is a quantum leap, and we need whatever assistance we can get, as the country, in the longrun will benefit.”

The next step will see the formulation of a working group, which will include representatives of the Government of Guyana and the Brazilian Embassy and the Mano Julio investment group. Subsequently, the drafting of an MOU will be formulated.

The investment group includes representatives from Granterra, NF Agriculture Inc, Castilho Construction and Mano Julio. On the government’s side, there were representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, Ministry of Infrastructure, the EPA and GoInvest.

On Wednesday, the team paid a visit to the Intermediate Savannahs to have a look at the land earmarked for development. Already a high-level delegation visited Brazil and was given a tour of the operations in that country.

The investment group will depart Guyana tomorrow.

THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has embarked on a new action plan to develop and boost tourism in Guyana. This plan is said to be one that targets destination management.

Senior Officer of Product Development and Facilitation at GTA, Kamrul Baksh, told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that they have contracted a company from Switzerland: SwissContact—which will conduct a three-week project to do demand-based destination development and implement a strategic action plan that will

they will have a better idea of where would be best to invest their limited resources.

He shared that the project thus far has only focused on Georgetown and Lethem but they will be expanding to different parts of Guyana.

“To come up with the data we have thus far, we did two workshops, one in Georgetown and one in Lethem. At the workshop, we invited stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to basically tell us where our visitors are coming from. The business travelers for example, take particular routes, so

Persons observing the findings from the survey conducted by GTA and SwissContact

be adopted here Guyana.

“Basically what this exercise will be looking at, is a destination management plan through a methodology called the ‘Strategic Visitor Flow’. This company we contracted (SwissContact), has developed this methodology from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, and has employed it here in destination Guyana, specifically in Georgetown and Rupununi,” Baksh said.

Explaining what this methodology entails, he said that the first step is the mapping process, where they identify various purposes of the influx of tourists, and which part of Guyana they travel for that particular purpose.

After these purposes and areas would have been identified,

we want to map exactly where they come to, how many of them come, and how long they are spending here. The end idea is to see where we can channel our resources to develop the flow that has the most potential,” Baksh explained.

He noted that they have also planned to have the strategy integrated across all ministries, where they will identify what the needs are for the particular flows, what the challenges are, what the potentials are, and from those they will develop a plan which will be cost-cutting and integrated.

“So if we say that there are infrastructural needs here, we work and collaborate with other agencies to ensure that there is an alignment of prior-

Senior Officer of Product development and Facilitation at GTA, Kamrul Baksh

ities and resources, so that we get the most out of our scarce resources that we have here,” he stated.

Also on Tuesday, GTA held a ‘Tourism Destinorama’, where the information that would have been plotted at the two workshops, was available for the public to view and make their input in validating the information.

“We want the entire public to come and validate the information we have on these maps. Tell us what we’ve missed; are there particular flows that we overlooked? Is there a particular group that goes to a particular place that we haven’t captured… and to include it in the map,” Baksh said.

After they would have gotten the feedback from the public, the GTA will then plot the information into an electronic destination management database which will be accessible to persons who may want to know where the best place to visit would be, for what particular purpose.

It also caters for locals who have an interest in traveling and visiting tourist sites in Guyana. They have so far identified 10 flows in Georgetown and 16 in Lethem, but are still in the process of analysing the information.

The GTA is also committed to ensuring that the contracted company carries out a training component for local facilitators so that GTA can be in a better position to roll out the programme in other parts of the country.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

Tackling noise nuisance AS we approach the holiday season, the atmosphere of Christmas is quietly suffusing life. Offices and other public places have begun to decorate and the shops have been transformed in the last several days.

The supermarkets are fully stocked with every type of Christmas goods and shoppers are buoyed by the beautiful colours of the fairy lights and the shining tinsel decorations. Other stores have also begun to put on display ingenious toys and Christmas gifts and the pavement vendors are out in force, offering passersby 'all their Christmas needs'. And the level of noise grows everywhere in a rising crescendo.

Loud music is one of the main elements of the noise which assails the public at this time. Every bar and many restaurants and smaller shops seem to compete with each other in making more noise and so do the minibuses. The minibuses' loud music is probably the nuisance which affects most citizens. It seems that many commercial folks feel that the greater the volume of

noise they generate, the greater the number of customers attracted. The Ministry of Public Security, under whose remit the control of noise in the society falls, have begun their campaign of noise control. They have visited commercial houses, mostly bars, and have them moderate their music. They have been trying to enforce the 2:00 a.m. curfew.

The business community has already begun to complain and though they have officially accepted the 2:00 a.m. curfew, many still complain against it. But there is far more resistance to moderating their noise during the day.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the country's premier business organisation, has shot their first salvo. Mr Indar, President of the GCCI, was reported in the media as having said: " Since the (police) campaign begun last Thursday, a few prominent businesses have been left with no choice but to cease operations until next day; the 2:00 a.m. curfew had an impact on businesses and some of them had to close down. If busi-

nesses are accustomed to open a certain number of hours to bring in revenue and that number becomes shortened, it will obviously impact the business in a negative way".

In the same way that complaints are made about noise generated by businesses, numerous families in thickly populated neighbourhoods have been bitterly complaining of the loud music played by parties, barbecues and dances, many of which are not social but commercial ventures. The GCCI has said that businesses should obey the law and play their music less loudly after a certain hour and have said the business community are committed to controlling their noise levels and cooperating with the police.

The GCCI, as well as many private families, has complained that the police are in dereliction of their duty and selectively enforce the law. The GCCI President and Vice-President have emphatically called upon the police to act responsibly and GCCI President, Mr Indar, declared: "My complaint to the police was they were

enforcing the law unevenly. Some persons are being targeted and have to close down while others were getting away with it".

The Vice-President, Mr Timothy Tucker, was equally emphatic: “The observation of some of our members is that it is not done across the board; they feel that there is a double standard, that their bars are being closed down while others are not being shut down just outside of Georgetown." We would recommend that the police take these complaints seriously.

With the overwhelming majority of the public, however, the greatest noise nuisance they have to suffer almost every day is the loud music played by the minibuses. In fact, to commuters, the minibuses are synonymous with noise and now as the holiday season approaches, they seem to compete with each other in loud music. Noise above 80 decibels begin to be uncomfortable, and when it gets to 100 to 120 decibels, it could impair hearing.

Many bus drivers and conductors have become partially deaf by subjecting themselves to persistent

loud music. Commuters as a whole suffer much from the noise, and if anyone attempts to complain, the drivers and conductors usually and aggressively refuse to tone down the music. Passengers who travel regularly by minibus could, in time, have their hearing impaired.

Several years ago, Parliament enacted a law against any music on the minibuses and authorised the police to remove all noise-making equipment from them. When the law was passed, the police took action for a few months and the noise was eliminated and travelling by minibus became comfortable. The police must once again resuscitate their campaign which the public have been long calling upon them to do. The police would be able to eliminate the noise nuisance as they had done before, and once they have been successful, they should not again relax and allow its resurgence. If they do this they would be improving the quality of life of the public and win their respect and gratitude.

Minister Lawrence addresses public concerns

Dear Editor

VOLDA Lawrence, Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform, stands by her views on the issue of jobs and unemployment, that measures are being put in place for the young and industrious to be afforded the opportunity of becoming self-employed or gaining meaningful employment.

Cde. Lawrence also stands by her views that comrades must educate and position themselves to be in the 20% bracket that will be afforded government contracts. Cde. Lawrence also stands by her views that we must become bi-lingual as

the world is now smaller and Guyana fast becoming a haven to people from countries near and far. Cde. Lawrence emphasised that if the Coalition wants to remain in power after 2020, we must take better care of all Guyanese.

Cde. Lawrence has called for absolute unity, stating categorically that there is no more Joe’s Camp or Basil’s Camp but one Camp led by His Excellency David Arthur Granger. The Chairman also called for an end to the complaining, saying if we project negativity then we would not be able to influence others. The Chairman stated that government has made it possible for everyone to get a chance at succeeding

in their endeavours by giving small contractors 20 per cent of government contracts. The playing field is now level for all Guyanese, the Chairman iterated.

Cde. Lawrence reflects on the number of complaints she had received of leaders who did not put in the work and the feeling of neglect amongst party cadres and stated categorically this must not be!

Cde. Lawrence also wishes to shed light on the issue of attracting support from non-traditional bases and emphasized that she was a Guyanese with mixed heritage and it irked her when she gets reports that little or no work is being done in perceived

strongholds of the People’s Progressive Party /Civic. The Chairman stated we must bring everyone in, whether they looked like her or not.

Cde. Lawrence has a team working to develop an application whereby all Guyanese can make their complaints and these will be forwarded directly to the agencies responsible for remedying complaints. Cde. Lawrence stated that she will ensure that the relevant authorities and agencies respond to these complaints even if she has to go to them herself.

Cde. Lawrence wishes to remind the Guyanese people of many successes of the Coalition Government namely: (1) Increased public servants

salaries by 37%; (2) reduced the PPP imposed VAT from 16 per cent to 14 per cent.

(3) Passed the Telecommunications Bill; (4) Restored decency and cleanliness to Georgetown; (5) Held Local Government Elections; (6) Restored law and order; (7) Established the Public Procurement Commission; (8) Increased Old Age Pension by over 50 per cent from $13,125 to $21,000, now proposed to be over 22,000; (9) Increased minimum wage from $39,540 to $55,000, now proposed to be $64,200; (10) Increased the tax threshold from $50,000 to $60,000; (11) Built and resurfaced roads and bridg-

es all across Guyana?; (12) Restored a credible international image to Guyana; (13) Robustly defended Guyana’s territorial integrity; (14) Passed the Anti-Money Laundering/ Counter-Terrorism Act; (15) Established three new towns; (16) Opened hinterland community radio stations; (17) Reduced the Berbice Bridge toll; (18) Improved potable water access and reliability; (19) Installed pedestrian overpasses; (20) Built Kitty roundabout.

Yours in Guyana’s service Cde. Volda Ann Lawrence Chairman, People’s National Congress Reform

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

Op–ED We need to hear from Scotiabank Dear Editor WE read and heard also about the sale of Scotiabank.

Could the powers that be at Scotia Bank assure its account holders that their money in this matter is safe?

Would Republic Bank also do likewise?

Regards Rooplall Dudhnath

‘When yuh play out all yuh trump cards yuh gat to lose till game done’ Dear Editor, THERE is an old saying in Guyana ‘When yuh play out all yuh trump cards yuh gat to lose till game done’. The City Council is at it again.

The municipality’s workers have not been paid yet for November, and so only heaven knows when they will be paid for December to do their Christmas shopping, as it has been reported that their coffers are empty. This is the tune the old cow died on.

The two major garbage contractors have once again pulled their services after not being paid for months, racking up a huge bill, so the thrash is beginning to pile up all around the city, while the Council is fiddling around with some small contractors.

Clearly, the strategy by the Council is to sit back and await another bail out by the central government, who will use hard-earned taxpayers money to rescue a hopeless city administration again, since the holidays are fast approaching and the capital cannot be left to become one big garbage heap, to greet our visitors.

The Stabroek Market area has become a hotspot zone for epic criminal activity on a daily basis, and what is the City Police doing about it? Well, the outgoing Mayor has an-

nounced that a security policing plan is in place for the Christmas season which will see a greater collaboration between the City Constabulary and the Guyana Police Force (GPF). What does this really mean? It means that the Constabulary, which is supposedly 140 members short, will continue to provide protection to the mayor, former mayors, the on-leave and on-the-job town clerks; will continue to keep its bike patrol unit out of sight, will continue to harass vendors whilst leaving all of the heavy lifting and crime fighting in the city to the national police, whilst they go around picking up their Christmas perks.

The citizens of our capital and workers of the Georgetown Municipality can only hope that Santa brings them a new mayor that travels less and cares more about resolving the problems plaguing the city, a town clerk that focuses less on giving out all of the municipal tasks to contractors without adherence to the national tender process, but rather more on equipping and giving back the tasks to their workers and, most importantly, the return of transparency and accountability to City Hall.

Regards Roseanne Rodgers

Latin America and the Caribbean: The Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration

By Alicia Bárcena (Executive Secretary, ECLAC) THE member States of the United Nations are preparing to adopt in Marrakech the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which has received broad support from the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. This instrument arises as the international community’s response to the challenges and opportunities that migration poses on a global agenda. It is a historic instrument that constitutes an example of renewed multilateral interest.

Today we are witnessing the population’s heightened international mobility. Although this reality has been replicated at other stages in our history, this time the phenomenon involves the largest number of migrants on record (258 million in the world; 30 million in Latin America and the Caribbean), and its diverse expressions have placed the migration issue on the global agenda, which is illustrated by its explicit inclusion among the 2030 Agenda’s sustainable development goals. Although intraregional migration in Latin America and the Caribbean has been increasing significantly, the majority of migrants still set their sights outside the region. The United States is the main destination for Central American emigration: as of 2015, 78 per cent of Central American emigrants resided in that country, a trend that was intensified in the cases of El Salvador (89 per cent), Guatemala (87 per cent) and Honduras (82 per cent).

It must be stressed that migrant persons make positive contributions to the economy, society and culture in

all countries. Their contributions are of such a magnitude that they should encourage a positive image of migration, casting aside the prejudices, risks and vulnerabilities that hamper it: in the United States, for example, the population of Latino origin has played a key role in demographic reproduction and in the labour market. Calculations indicate that 38% of its workforce shortage between 2000 and 2015 was covered

by Latin American immigrants, among whom Mexicans and Central Americans contributed more than 80 per cent.

The complexity of migration in the region has been increasing, as revealed by the movements in Central America and the insufficient responses to so-called mixed flows, including unaccompanied migrant girls and boys; the emigration from Venezuela and the new realities that receiving countries face; the emigration from Haiti and the discrimination suffered by its emigrants; and, as a corollary, the scene of contrasting realities expressed in the myriad adversities that many migrant people face on their journeys.

The region’s countries have also supported initiatives in favour of facilitating migration, as seen in MERCOSUR’s residence agreements, which also seek to reduce migratory irregularity, and the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development of 2013, which defines a strategy for migratory governance founded on the protection of all migrant persons and includes concrete proposals for actions and indicators. In response to problems of vulnerability in emigration, transit and return, Central American countries and Mexico are defining a comprehensive development plan that will aim to of-

fer more opportunities to inhabitants in their communities of origin. This is about creating policies that seek to reduce production and salary gaps and to generate development possibilities that will encourage informed, and not forced, migratory decisions. ECLAC recognizes the full validity of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration for the interest of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Both because of its principles as well as its goals and action proposals, this Compact will contribute with responses and by creating the capacity to anticipate when facing this complex migratory reality. Among its principles, it is relevant to the region that the matters of sustainable development, due process, social inclusion, the child’s best interest and gender- and rights-based approaches are taken into account.

The organization also commends the significant work carried out by diverse entities of the United Nations System, especially the IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF, in their contributions to moving toward this global agreement and for their actions on the ground in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. ECLAC has supported the process of consultations and negotiations on the Compact and it firmly believes in the genuine aspiration to realize its goals, putting whatever collaboration is needed at countries’ disposal. Latin American and Caribbean countries should take advantage of the great opportunity that this instrument represents for the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, from a human rights perspective and with the goal of overcoming inequality.

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Cops to stringently enforce 2:00 am curfew – Ramjattan

AFTER taking into account the effects of alcohol consumption on crime and violence, including domestic violence and traffic accidents, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said that in the best interest of all Guyanese, the Guyana Police Force will be stringently enforcing the existing laws which have mandated that entertainment facilities must close at 2:00 am.

In a media release on Thursday, Ramjattan said

that the move by his ministry has gained wide support from women’s groups, religious groups and a number of other organisations. It should also be noted that such legal restrictions are not uncommon in other countries.

The 2:00 am closing time is provided for in the Music and Dancing Licences (Amendment) Act, Chapter 23:03, Act #12 of 1982, which states at section 9 that: “A place, so kept or used, although so licensed as aforesaid, shall

not be opened for any of the purposes afore said except on the days and between the hours stated on the licence: Provided that the holder of a first class hotel licence may keep open the licensed premises for the purpose of dancing, singing, music or other public entertainment once in every week until the hour of two o’clock in the morning, except on any Sunday.”

The ministry noted that “Place” as used in Section nine means “house, room, garden, or other place” and

will cover bars, clubs and restaurants - also inclusive of open spaces used for dances and entertainment purposes.

The ministry stated that this law is being enforced in the interest of citizens’ security and safety with the aim of suppressing criminal and other offences.

The ministry urges full public support in this process.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan

Former estate manager new Mayor of Rose Hall THE Municipality of Rose Hall, in East Berbice-Corentyne, on Wednesday elected its sixth mayor in its 48 years as a township.

Chattergoon Ramnauth, 69, a former estate manager at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was elected unopposed after the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) councillor, Winston Hope, declined a nomination for the post. Ramnauth, who contested and won in constituency #8- Rose Hall Central East, is promising the ‘good life’ for residents as he outlined his immediate plans for the betterment of the town. Chief among them is the non-increase in rates and taxes, effective garbage collection, better drainage and improved accessibility through upgraded streets.

The elected mayor believes accountability to the residents is paramount and has promised to prepare and post quarterly audited financial statements throughout the town so that all can be aware of what the council is doing and be open to scrutiny. He has also issued a stern warning to defaulting propri-

etors that he will be looking to maximize on revenue collection so that he can execute his plans smoothly. He posited that with increased revenue collection, he will be able to make the town a spectacle to behold that others will seek to emulate.

His deputy will be Deonauth Harrinarine, a businessman who emerged victorious after securing 11 to 5 of the 16 votes against Sandra Chisolm of the APNU. The 16-member council is split 11-5 for the PPP/C and the APNU respectively. The fourteen councillors were sworn in and started performing their duties immediately.

They include Arthur Allan Fraser, Roydel Morgan Lewis, Elvis Fitzgerald Punch, Vedwattie Ramnarain, Arjunen Sammy, Rikhram Srikishen, David Fraser, Quacy Cort, Winston Hope, Boybert Bisram, Gaitree Sheonarain, Ingram Veron Rodney, Dave Budhu and Sandra Chisolm.

Meanwhile, the APNU, in a statement read by Winston Hope, congratulated the mayor, his deputy and all councillors and called for inclusivity in the decision-making process and for

Mayor Chattergoon Ramnauth the council to move away from high-handed decision-making that can be to the detriment of the people.

“We of the APNU are here to work for the development of Rose Hall Town. We will support what we think are programmes that will benefit all the peoples and the town and not one set of people. We would like to see democracy, accountability and respect for the rule of law prevail at this council.”

Mr Hope also urged that all decisions must get the blessings of the full council before being implemented.

(Seated front row) Mayor Chattergoon Ramnauth, (centre) Deputy Mayor Deonauth Harrinarine and Town Clerk Natasha Griffith, along with the newly sworn-in councillors

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

ICAO lauds Guyana’s progress in aviation sector …hails Georgetown conference a major success

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge (fourth and fifth left respectively) with delegates and other local officials, including ministers of government, at the ICAO conference. Standing immediately right of Minister Nagamootoo is ICAO Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu

THE International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Transport has lauded Guyana for the significant progress it has made in the aviation sector, saying that the just concluded meeting and the Third African Diaspora Meeting was held here because of the significant progress this country has been able to achieve in safety oversight, and for being a regional leader in the aviation sector.

This view was expressed by the Council President of the ICAO, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, at the conclusion of the three-day meetings held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre during the period November 2123, 2018, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority said in a release.

“Within the context of our ‘No Country Left Behind initiative’, and in order for us in Montreal to reach all our member states and there are 192-member states, we need

regional leaders, and Guyana has proven to be a regional leader, and that is one of the reasons why we believe that Guyana was able to host such an important meeting” Dr. Aliu said.

Dr. Aliu also said he was pleased with the results of the meetings. “We had two meetings rolled in one; it was the meeting on Air Transport Development for the Caribbean and CARICOM Member States, that went very well.

I think we have achieved the results we were looking for, but also importantly was the meeting between the African Union Member States and the CARICOM Member States… and I think we also achieved very good results” Dr. Aliu said.

The meetings were held under the theme “Promoting Connectivity for Sustainable Air Transport Development” with a primary focus of “turning words into actions” by creating air links between the African Continent and Caribbean States. This commit-

ment from the United Nations body was demonstrated when an Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Guyana and Ghana was signed during the Third African Diaspora Meeting on November 23, 2018. According to the African Union Commission, the Caribbean is considered the sixth region, thus the importance of creating airlinks between the two regions and the signing of the first ASA between the two States, Ghana and Guyana.

“I am happy that the minister responsible for aviation from Ghana was able to attend this meeting in order to bring the perspectives of the two previously held meetings to this one, so to compare, I think the two meetings are successful, it is a continuum and we look forward to better results next time we are able to organise a meeting between the African States and the CARICOM States, but then we’ll be expecting not only discussions but

results of the first two meetings that we have had” Dr. Aliu noted.

During his stay in Guyana, the ICAO Council President also held discussions with CARICOM aviation ministers on ways to enhance the level of safety and security oversight among the member states, air navigation efficiency and capacity which he noted went very well and is pleased with the results.

On the issue of development of aviation infrastructure in Guyana, the ICAO Council President said that all the work that is ongoing for the improvement of the terminal and runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport is good, given that global air transport is forecasted to double within the next fifteen years.

“You have to be ready to accommodate the growth of air traffic safely and efficiently, so in my meeting with the prime minister, I commended the government for taking all the ef-

forts to invest in aviation, to modernise the system, that is the way to go, it is a wise investment because it leads to the social economic development of your country” Dr. Aliu said.

Meanwhile Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field rated the meeting as “very very successful”, noting that many things came out of the meeting that the authority can continue building on. Col. Field noted that the signing of the ASA with Ghana is a demonstration of “turning words into actions”. “The GCAA will continue this process of negotiating and signing more Air Services Agreements with other States. In the near future we will sign an ASA with Nigeria and Tanzania” Col. Field said.

For being recognised as a regional leader in the aviation industry, the director general said that he is proud of the achievements of the GCAA and the operators in

Guyana. “We are regulators, but at the same time we are facilitators, we are here to see the Industry grow and it must be grown in a structured manner, this is what is taking place, and it is recognised not only locally but also regionally that the GCAA is moving to an area of excellence, and the GCAA will continue to strive for excellence and high standards”.

The DG was also in high praise for the team which was formed to organise the ICAO Meetings. He congratulated the members of the National Organising Committee, the GCAA staff and others who were involved in organising the three-day meeting. Guyana hosted the ICAO Air Transport Meeting and the Third African Diaspora Meeting for the first time in its aviation history. The meetings were attended by more than forty ICAO Member States.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

New Kwakwani NDC sworn in …councillors vow to tackle youth empowerment

THE Councillors of the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) on Thursday were sworn in before electing APNU Councillor Ms. Elsie McPherson as Chairwoman and Mr. Cort Simeon of the AFC as Vice Chairman.

The elections were described as a smooth process with voting by way of open ballot which saw eight out of twelve going in favour of McPherson while PPP’s candidate, Sachie Parvation received four votes. Simeon also received eight votes with Ms. Junanita Leacock receiving four.

Attending the simple ceremony was Vice Chairman of Region 10 Elroy Adolph who in his short congratulatory address, encouraged the councillors to work together and to put aside petty politicking and party loyalty and to focus on the interest of the people and on bringing solutions to the issues with a hands on approach. Of the 12 council chairs, four went to the APNU, three to the AFC, three to the Independent Group KUFP and two to the PPP. Chairwoman-elect Elsie

Newly-elected Chairwoman and Vice Chairman of the Kwakwani NDC Elsie McPherson and Cort Simeon (left), pose with Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph

McPherson said that she feels elated to be elected to the position since she always had her community at heart and she plans to work hand in hand with her fellow councillors to produce results for the residents of Kwakwani, whom she also thanked for their votes at the LGEs. She is confident that they will not be disappointed and work has already begun to bring relief to their challenges. One of which is the roaming of cattle in the community, bringing much havoc to the residents.

She will also be working towards developmental change in the community. “We want to bring back Kwakwani to the standard it used to be, we may not get it back to what it used to be during the company time but to bring it back to some resemblance of where we were so we can have pride in our community.

I know that we will also be having the backing of the government and we will be working closely with Central Government to make Kwakwani a better place,” she said.

Vice Chairman Cort Simeon said that he feels good about being elected to the position and it shows that the councillors saw some form of leadership capability in him since he would have also held various port-folios in the community. He plans however, to give up some of his hats so that he can better serve in his position as vice-chairman. In addition to tackling the cattle roaming issue earliest, citing there was an issue recently with cattle being on the airstrip just as a plane was about to land.

Simeon said that the council will also be keenly addressing youth empowerment in the community, something that has been on the fore burner for a while.

There are noticeable issues of teenage pregnancy, school dropout, unemployment amongst others plaguing the youths in Kwakwani. Simeon said that council will also be focusing on improved security with the installation of street lights.

Constituency Four Councillor Latoya Mohammed said that she is now in a

better position to get things done for her community and to address problems such as street lighting, de-bushing and garbage collection.

Constituency Three candidate Maleka Russel also promised to work in the best interest of her community and to do so selflessly and diligently. She also expressed gratitude that the residents had confidence in the youths and elected them to run their communities at this election.

Newly-elected councillors of the Kwakwani NDC

MoE, Bumper-to-Bumper team up on concrete workshop

Attendees of the workshop on concrete overlaying and epoxy finishes

THE Ministry of Education collaborated on an initiative organised by Bumper-to-Bumper Services and Surecrete Design Manufacturing Company located in Florida, to carry out a technical training workshop on concrete over-

laying and epoxy finishes.

This is in an effort to improve the knowledge of builders and enhance the quality of work done in various technical institutes across Guyana, and to improve construction services to the Guyanese market.

The training commenced on Wednesday morning with a formal ceremony in the compound of the Guyana Industrial Training Centre.

In attendance were representatives of the companies and organisations involved, lectures from technical in-

Representative from Surecrete Design Manufacturing Company demonstrating the epoxy application process

stitutes of Guyana as well as representatives of other entities.

At the formal ceremony, the Director of Bumper-toBumper Services, Bobby Katwaroo said that the company would have participated in several training pro-

grammes over the years with the Government Technical Institute, and that they have allotted this workshop not only to introduce high quality products and services to our market place, but primarily to help improve the quality of the finishes for the retrospec-

tive finish products.

This will be done, he said, through imparting technical knowledge and hands-on training, combined with the correct products to the persons attending.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

‘Prepare for an Police destroy ‘ganja’ plot –– at Five-Miles ‘backdam’ evolving future’

11

– Joe Singh tells St. Stanislaus graduates

SAINT Stanislaus College held their annual graduation and prize giving ceremony at the National Cultural Centre on Tuesday, where they acknowledged all their students who would have done well during the 2017/2018 academic year, and paid tribute to those who are leaving.

This year’s feature address was presented by Major General (Ret’d) and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Joseph Singh, who gave the students a number of charges.

Singh started off by highlighting that the student’s completion of this level of education was an accumulative contribution of their disciplined approach to their studies, their diligence during school, the hours of lessons and homework, the commitment and expertise of their teachers, and the love and support of parents and relatives of the extended family.

He urged them to use the foundation they have gained to prepare themselves for an evolving future.

“Prepare for changes.

Do not look at yourself by thinking that the market of today will be the one tomorrow. We are now in the process of constant change, and by the time you get out of the university, the world will be different. New skills will be needed for the society of technology that will be evolving. You therefore have FROM PAGE

to make yourselves marketable for what is to come,” Singh admonished.

He reflected on a speech made by His Excellency President David Granger, who was the feature speaker at last year’s ceremony.

“Last year the President reminded us of the history and tradition of Saint Stanislaus College; and embedded in that tradition is the embodiment of values which are the moral principles and qualities that will shape you as students. He gave the vision of the future of Guyana and the roles the current and future generations will play in providing the leadership of skills to realise that vision.”

Education is a continuing process, he said, “and the college is educating you for eternity, by providing you with the foundation and tools so that you can be ready for next opportunity that presents itself.”

He also encouraged the students to make use of the human resources in Guyana, to get the inspiration they need to keep striving. “Each of life’s experiences prepares us, enriches us and expands us for better or for worse.

I urge you to read widely, to observe and to converse.

If you are looking for role models, you do not have to go very far, we have recently, at the University of Guyana, honoured four icons with honourary doctorates… Google websites obtain profiles of these eminent Guyanese

and be inspired,” he encouraged.

Principal of the school, Fazia Baksh expressed how delighted she and the school are for what they have accomplished in this academic year and the previous ones.

She shared that according to the 2018 CSEC results, the students have done exceptionally well.

They attained passes in additional mathematics – 58 per cent; agricultural science – 100 per cent; biology – 97 per cent; Caribbean history – 100 per cent; chemistry – 82 per cent; economics, EDPM, English A, English B, food and nutrition, geography, human and social biology, information technology, integrated science, technical drawing, mathematics, office administration, principles of business, physical education and sport, Portuguese – all 100 per cent passes. French – 79 per cent; physics, principles of accounts – 97 per cent; social studies – 98 per cent; Spanish – 69 per cent.

Sherlock Langevine was this year’s top student, with 14 Grade Ones. Baksh stated that the school is extremely proud and is anticipating what their students will contribute in the future.

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MoE, Bumper-to-Bumper ...

“I encourage all of you participants, engineers, architects, designers and construction technicians, to benefit to the maximum. Use the knowledge gained to impart it unto others so that we all can improve our quality of work and up our market,” Katwaroo told the participants.

The Acting Chief Education Officer (Technical), Renita Crandon, told the attendees that the whole idea of training is proof that new ways of doing things are being implemented. She urged the participants of the workshop to understand that

training and development encourages and assists both professional and personal growth.

“These trainings help employees to achieve organisational goals as well as personal goals, and it leads to heightening of job satisfaction. Improvements in staff morals and levels of motivation can also be enjoyed. As you embark on this training in concrete overlaying and epoxy finishes, it will enlighten not only our knowledge in construction finishing, but skills as well, which in turn can improve our efficiency.”

She urged the participants not to see themselves as coming to yet another workshop, but to see beyond to the future benefits that this training can offer them as individuals and for their technical institutions.

She reminded that they ensure the knowledge gained be filtered to the students, so that they can function effectively in the work environment.

The workshop is said to last two days, and will be conducted by a representative from Surecrete Design Manufacturing Company.

A section of the cannabis cultivation

ACTING on a tip-off on Wednesday, the police went into the Five-Miles ‘backdam’ on the Upper Demerara River where they found and destroyed a field of some 3000 ‘ganja’ plants.

They also destroyed the make-shift camp with dry ration, cooking utensils and farming tools they found there, after taking samples and photographs of the evidence.

According to the police,

the plants, which were cultivated on approximately one-and-a-half-acres of land, were about two to eight feet in height, and weighed about 400 kilograms in toto.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

Acting Chief Constable warns of Stabroek Square gang

A GROUP of young men, ages 10 to 19, are “wreaking havoc” on the Stabroek Market Square as they continue to operate within a network while committing robberies, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) warned on Thursday.

Acting Chief Constable Laurel Gittens told reporters that around this season, the main areas for crime are located around Stabroek, especially at the ‘Hospital,’ Kitty, Sophia, East Coast and East Bank Demerara bus parks.

“Intelligence on the ground has revealed that there is a gang of young men who are wreaking havoc on the bus parks,” Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis added.

The juveniles have been reportedly snatching cellphones and handbags from unsuspecting citizens; in some cases being when persons were seated next to a mini-bus window, either talking or texting on their phones.

According to Gittens, several reports of foreigners being robbed were received in September, with their passports, ID cards and other important documents being stolen. The gang is said to also be preying on school children.

Gittens noted that along with heightened patrols during this season, officers are working on a shift system and plain clothes officers are also stationed at strategic

points.

Gittens is advising the public not to walk with large sums of money; walk along lonely stretches of areas; and pulling out their expensive phones in the public squares.

Gittens is also encouraging members of the public to stop a constable if they feel that someone is trailing them.

“Most of the criminal activities are being committed by juveniles; young school-leavers. Some of them are well educated, but because they are unemployed they are finding illegal things to do,” Gittens told the Guyana Chronicle in a previous interview.

She noted that the parents of these juveniles are in their 20s and early 30s, and hence find it a challenge to cope.

“Having to deal with these teenagers is not an easy task, because of the opposition they put up. So as a paramilitary organisation and collaboration with the police force, we should have seminars to sensitise the parents of these children so as to get them involved in vocational activities,” she urged.

Substantive Chief Constable Andrew Foo, who proceeded on 42 days of vacation leave earlier this week, had said that a policing plan needs to be in place to deal with the security issues arising as a result of increased shopping during the Christmas season.

Foo said in a recent interview that one of the difficulties being experienced by the City Constabulary is that it has to work with limited resources.

Earlier this year, he reported that the constabulary is short of approximately 140 staff members and that efforts to recruit more workers were not bearing much fruit.

While the constabulary is expected to provide security

Acting Chief Constable Laurel Gittens at last Monday’s statutory meeting. throughout Georgetown, Foo able to do so. So we will said the lack of resources will ensure we confine ourselves mean that the officers will to the commercial areas, have to confine themselves Stabroek and Bourda. All of to the main shopping areas our resources are going to be for Christmas — Bourda and deployed to the Stabroek and Stabroek Markets.

Bourda areas.

“We have a mandate to Those are the areas ensure that we establish a that are heavy in terms of presence in the city. It is commercial activities, and necessary that we have a therefore, it is necessary policing plan to cover the that we have a policing entire city, but we are not presence there,” Foo said.

Crime prevention in CARIFORUM moves forward PRISON Officials and non-governmental organisations working in rehabilitative justice will benefit from a Regional Train-the Trainers Workshop on Restorative Justice to be held on 30 November to 4 December 2018, in Guyana.

The capacity-building initiative is an activity of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Crime and Violence Prevention and Social Development Project under the Caribbean Forum/European Union (CARIFORUM/EU) Crime and Security Programme, the CARICOM Secretariat said in a release.

The five-day workshop begins with an official ceremony to be headlined by Guyana’s Second Vice-President and Minister for Public Security, Hon. Khemraj Ramjattan. As the Caribbean Community continues to strengthen cooperation with Japan, Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque on Wednesday met with Japanese Ambassador to CARICOM, HE Mr. Mitsuhiko Okada. The Secretary-General was joined at the meeting by Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations Ambassador Colin Granderson and other secretariat officials.

Ambassador Okada was accompanied by Mrs. Mari Okada and First Secretary Ms. Chiharu Hoshiai. The meeting was held at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.

The European Union Delegation to Guyana and Suriname, His Excellency Jernej Videti?, and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Dr. Douglas Slater, will also deliver remarks.

Approximately sixty persons from across the Region will participate in the training which utilises the Sycamore Tree Project’s methodology. The project, an in-prison restorative justice programme, brings together unrelated victims and offenders to discuss crime and its impacts.

To this end, prisoners are provided with an opportunity to understand the harm that crime causes both to victims and the community and, at the same time, victims to understand the humanity of prisoners and to reflect on their own experiences in a way that assists healing.

According to Project Manager, Louis Dodson, the training is expected to build national and regional capacity for programming in alternatives to incarceration.

Restorative justice programmes often serve as alternatives to incarceration and are part of a wise correctional strategy that account for the fact that offenders present different levels of risk. Persons who are unlikely to reoffend or who have not committed serious offences should be sentenced to alternative dispositions.

Selected incapacitation will reduce the strain on correctional systems, improve cost-efficiency and protect the public.

Regionally, case processing delays and backlogs, low conviction rates, prison overcrowding and insufficient alternatives to prison, all interconnected, impact the capacity for fairness, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in the justice system, according to the Caribbean Human Development Report (2012).

The official opening of the regional workshop begins at 3pm at the Grand Coastal Inn, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, Guyana.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

BBCI goes to court … seeks order to quash gov't supervision of bridge

THE Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated says it has served notice on Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and the Attorney General that legal proceedings have commenced in the High Court against them for taking over temporary supervision of the bridge which had threatened to hike tolls by over 300 per cent.

The matter has been fixed for hearing on December 5 at 15:00hrs. Amid a dispute over proposed increases of the Berbice Bridge tolls, the government last month moved to take over operation and maintenance of the bridge until an amicable resolution can be met. In a press statement, Minister Patterson had stated that the decision takes immediate effect and is in accordance with the powers conferred upon the minister by Sections 4 (1) and 11 of the Berbice River Bridge Act. A portion of Section 4 (11) states: “A function exercisable by the concessionaire may be exercised by the government — (a) in the event of a national emergency declared by the President; or (b) if the minister determines that – (i) its exercise is necessary or expedient in the interest of public safety; or the concessionaire has defaulted in the performance of its obligations under the Concession Agreement…” An Order regarding such, cited as the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order 2018, was gazetted on November 1, 2018, and signed by the minister.

Patterson’s address took into consideration that the Board of Directors of the Berbice Bridge Company Limited (BBCI) had demanded a 360 per cent increase on the toll for all users, set to take effect from November 12, 2018. Patterson referred to the move as “draconian”, “unreasonable” and “unwarranted”, which will only become burdensome to Berbicians and the public at large.

He further stated that the demand for an increase in toll is based on a “flawed formula and computation” and, as such, the government will

do everything in its powers to alleviate disruption and ensure smooth function. “On the basis of correspondence between both sides as recently as over the past few days, we do not envision a swift resolution to this crisis.

Therefore, in accordance with the powers conferred upon the minister by Sections 4 (1) and 11 of the Berbice River Bridge Act, in the interest of public safety, the minister issued (today) an Order declaring that the functions of the concessionaire to maintain and operate the bridge shall be exercised by the Government of Guyana as of 5th November, 2018 until the date the minister specifies by notice on the cessation of the threat to public safety,” Patterson stated.

He added that no staffing complement, contractors or suppliers would be affected during the temporary arrangement and that the government will be continuing its dialogue with BBCI in expectation of an amicable resolution. “The truth is, too many of our citizens are dependent on the continuous operations and use of the Berbice Bridge and we should not allow anyone to unreasonably and capriciously endanger their livelihood and public order in one of our vital regions.”

“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure would like to assure the citizens of Berbice and the public in general, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, that there will be no change to the present toll structure and all exemptions presently in place will remain in effect,” Patterson said.

Meanwhile, in its statement of claim, BBCI has petitioned the court for several orders, the first being an order of certiorari quashing paragraph 2 of the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order 2018 dated the 1st of November,2018, No. 42 of 2018, made by the first named defendant under the Berbice River Bridge Act Cap 51:06 ordering that the functions of the concessionaire, namely the claimant, to maintain and operate the bridge shall be exercised by the government, the first

named defendant having determined that the exercise of those functions by the government is necessary and expedient in the interest of the public during the period 5th November, 2018, to the date the minister specifies by notice on the cessation of the threat to public safety. (b) An order of certiorari quashing paragraph 3 of the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order 2018, dated the 1st November, 2018, No. 42 of 2018, made by the first named defendant under the Berbice River Bridge Act Cap 51:06 ordering that the tolls levied and collected and any exemptions shall be the same as those levied, collected and exempted immediately before the coming into operation of the said order. (c) An order of prohibition prohibiting the first named defendant or the Government of Guyana from exercising the functions of maintaining and operating the Berbice River Bridge. (d) An order of prohibition prohibiting the first named defendant from ordering that the tolls levied, collected and exempted immediately before the coming into operation of the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order No. 42 of 2018, shall be the same as those levied, collected and exempted before the coming into operation of the said order. (e) A declaration that the first named defendant has no power under the Berbice River Bridge Act, or otherwise, to approve or reject an increase in tolls by the claimant. (f) A declaration that the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order No. 42 of 2018 is ultra vires sections 4 and 12 of the Berbice River Bridge Act. (g) A declaration that the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order, No. 42 of 2018, made by the first named defendant under the Berbice River Bridge Act is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect in that it is tantamount to the compulsory taking of possession or compulsorily acquiring an interest in or right over

property, to wit, the Berbice River Bridge, owned by the claimant without prompt and adequate compensation in violation of article 142(1) of the Constitution of Guyana. (h) A conservatory order prohibiting the defendants, by themselves, their servants and/or agents from assuming the functions of the claimant as the concessionaire to maintain, operate the Berbice River Bridge under the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order No. 42 of

2018 made under the Berbice River Bridge Act, Cap 51:06. (i) A conservatory order prohibiting the defendants by themselves, their servants and/or agents from ordering or continuing to maintain the order that the tolls levied and collected and any exemptions from the payment of tolls shall be the same as those levied, collected and exempted immediately before the coming into operation of the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order No. 42 of

2018 made under the Berbice River Bridge Act, Cap 51:06. (j) An order directing the first named defendant to supply to the claimant as a body affected by the Berbice River Bridge (Public Safety) Toll Order, No. 42 of 2018,a statement setting out the findings on material questions of fact referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based and giving the reasons for the decision.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, November 30, 2018

GEM Granites to start up business here next year THE renowned GEM Granites Group from Tamil Nadu, India expects to start business in Guyana next year, initially exporting granitite stone products and timber, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a release.

GEM Director Mr, Gunasekaran Raju gave this

assurance on Thursday to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, during a courtesy call at the latter’s office. The director was accompanied by Executive Director Mr. Binu Thomas and Mr. Saravanan Krishnan, the company’s Timber Quality Analyst and Consultant for Furniture Design.

The Gem Group is headed by Mr. R. Veeramani, a lawyer who became a leading investor in granite mining, sugar manufacturing, biomass electric power generation, and textile and garment production. The group also has interest in resort health hotels and housing apartments.

GEM Director Mr. Gunasekaran Raju, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Executive Director Mr. Binu Thomas and Mr. Saravanan Krishnan, the company’s Timber Quality Analyst and Consultant for Furniture Design

Mr. Gunasekaran revealed that the GEM Group was positive about investment in Guyana, as he lauded the country’s vast land space, expansive forests and granite potentials. Gem would start business in Guyana once it

locates the right granite for dimensional blocks and calibrated tiles. During their visit, the second for the director, the GEM Group met with several government ministers and forestry and mining officials. The GEM Granite group is in

Guyana in response to an invitation by the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. In his absence, the group members were received by Simona Broomes, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources.

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Indigenous Affairs Ministry seeks extension of land titling project … cites topographical issues as major challenge

IN a move aimed at ensuring all indigenous communities become the legal owners of their lands, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is seeking a second extension to the Amerindian Land Titling

Project.

At the same time, the ministry is working to ensure that the project is completed with zero errors, although the general layout of the landscape in the hinterland makes the job tedious. Thus

far, of the 68 communities targeted since the launch of the project in 2013, twenty demarcations and eighteen titles have been completed in villages to date.

According to a statement from the ministry, Minister

of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock says the extension will ensure communities that were not demarcated and subsequently titled would be given an opportunity to be the legal owners of their traditional lands.

“Meetings continue, with the hope that we can have that extension with no additional cost to the program. We just hope that with support we will be able to convince with our justification for the extension but for how many years we won’t be able to say but we would love to have a five year extension because it is very crucial for doing the work for realising of land titling to our indigenous communities,” Minister Allicock assured.

He said that demarcation is critical to development and for further improvements planned for the indigenous communities.

“This will be something that will help us or make it easier for our people to have their village improvement plans in place. We intend to have better technology in allowing our communities to address land management because we need to look at where we have areas that we could have remain in its pristine if we can have that, that will be a big plus for us,” he added.

Minister Allicock said the task to ensure the 68 communities are demarcated can be challenging. “We have learnt from it, and it was almost impossible for us

to complete 68 communities (their demarcation) within three years because of the topography of the areas and different landscapes some are easier than some. We have seen the mistakes that could be made if you try to rush. Those are the reality of life and we also have to continue talking to the people, educate one another and hopefully we will be able to proceed in a better way.”

The Amerindian Land Titling Project which commenced in 2013 sought to enable the Indigenous Peoples secure their lands and natural resources with a view towards sustainable social and economic development. Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project, which concluded in 2016. In 2017, the ministry requested an extension and a further $165M was earmarked for the advancing of the remaining identified areas for land titling.

It is expected that titling and demarcation will strengthen land tenure security and the expansion of the asset base of Amerindians, thus enabling improved long term planning for their future development.

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Malaysian Investors eye health sector A HIGH-LEVEL business delegation from Malaysia on Thursday met Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Malaysian team comprises Dr. Kenneth Eswaran, Executive Chairman of Pinehill Pacific Berhad and President of Johor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Johor ICCI); and included Vivienne Eswaran, Director of Allgrow Capital; Venkatesh Kumar, CEO of Quantum Medical Solutions and Manicham Subramaniam, Chief Private Secretary to Executive Chairman of Pinehill Pacific Berhad and President of Johor ICCI. Dr. Eswaran had indicated interest in investing in Guyana, when he met Prime Minister Nagamootoo in Pondicherry, South India last month.

The prime minister was at the time attending an investment conference that brought together persons of Tamil Heritage from Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji and North America. At that

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo with Dr. Kenneth Eswaran, Executive Chairman of Pinehill Pacific Berhad and President of Johor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Johor ICCI); Venkatesh Kumar, CEO of Quantum Medical Solutions and Manicham Subramaniam, Chief Private Secretary to Executive Chairman of Pinehill Pacific Berhad and President of Johor ICCI

and previous conferences the prime minister invited Tamil business to visit Guyana.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo, in welcoming the delegation, stressed growing opportunities for investment on the eve of Guyana becoming an oil and gas producing state. Quantum Medicine Solutions (QMS) has interest in providing public hospitals not only with bio-medical equipment but maintenance of the equipment, on a lease basis. QMS also wants to supply a wide range of health care products, including drugs that are manufactured by creditable companies worldwide.

During their five-day stay in Guyana, the Malaysian business team met with several government officials, and toured the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dr. Eswaran thanked the Guyanese Prime Minister for his invitation, and assured support for the country’s effort at providing affordable and accessible health care.

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‘Orange The Runway Vol. 1’

Raising awareness of Gender-Based Violence

F

ASHION shows are about more than just entertainment. They allow designers a chance to showcase their artistic talents. They are a platform that can be used to make a difference. For this reason, the combination of fashion and advocacy can be especially powerful. This will be the case with “Orange The Runway Vol. 1”.

Orange The Runway Vol. 1 is being held on Sunday, December 9 at Herdmanston Lodge. Jamicia Mc Calman, Founder of the Heart to Art Foundation and Orange The Runway, related that the event is a fashion, awards, arts and advocacy show with the main focus being fashion and awards. “It’s an event that’s being held in observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” she said. “We will be awarding activists and advocates who have been championing the cause of women’s issues and [against] gender-based violence,” she added.

Mc Calman noted that international model Juanita Bledman will be awarded as well. Bledman is Guyanese by birth but has been living in the United States for a few years and has been making strides on the international stage, modelling for Sephora and Fenty. “We feel the need to award her for her international achievement,” she said.

The event’s original name was going to be “Purple Runway”, with purple being the colour representing domestic violence awareness. However, it came to Heart to Art’s attention that the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence were approaching.

They realised that focusing on gender-based violence was more all-encompassing given the event’s purpose. Since the theme of the 16 Days this year is “Orange the World, #HearMeToo”, the name “Orange The Runway Vol. 1” was chosen.

Heart to Art Foundation was recently formed with a focus on combating mental health issues through arts advocacy. The aim is to have people use any form of art to cope with whatever mental health struggle they may be going through, according to Mc Calman.

There are a variety of designers whose work will be featured at Orange The Runway. They are Andrea Wilson from the British Vir-

gin Islands, Isaiah Luther from Guyana and Rhoda Dox from Nigeria. Pieces from two boutiques, Rare Finz and That Look Boutique, will also be featured.

It was very much a deliberate choice to create an event combining different elements.

“We didn’t just want it to be a fashion show, we wanted it to be something different,” according to Mc Calman. “It’s a charity fundraising event where a portion of the proceeds will be going towards a new project titled ‘The Safe Project’”.

on partisan gender-based issues against our women and men,” Mc Calman stated. “We want to get into the community and, hopefully, get into the prisons to be able to offer counselling to the men who would have been perpetrators of gender-based violence.”

She said the goal is to help those men reintegrate into society so that they would not relapse when they leave prison.

An awards show will be part of Orange The Runway.

“We know that we have a lot of young people who are

to be recognised outside of Guyana,” she said.

Fashion is a statement by itself. The work that designers put into their fashion creates statement pieces and messages by themselves Mc Calman said. “We can even use fashion as a form of advocacy,” she related. “When you have [fashion and advocacy] come together it’s like water and sugar, it just blends so well,” explained Mc Calman.

Patrons can expect more than a fashion show. “They can expect mind-blowing entertainment,” she said. The am-

Juanita Bledman

Jamicia Mc Calman

(All photos courtesy of Jamicia Mc Calman)

The Safe Project is an organisation being launched in the coming year that will focus on gender-based issues.

“I believe that, in dealing with domestic issues and gender-based violence, we often just look at women and we often neglect the men,” she said. Yet, she noted that it is men who are troubled and commit crimes against women. For this reason, she decided to found The Safe Project with Arian Dahlia Richmond, Miss Bartica Regatta 2018, as president. “In the new year we will be working specifically

out here championing causes and we believe that sometimes people deserve to be recognised for the work that they are doing,” Mc Calman affirmed. The awards being distributed include Male and Female Activist of the Year, Advocate of the Year, the Arts Advocacy Award, the Trailblazer Award and the Award of Excellence for International Achievement. She returned to the award being given to Bledman, noting that we do not appreciate the arts enough. “It’s quite sad that sometimes persons just have

bience that will be set will be a tremendous one she added.

“We want people to have an amazing experience.”

Events such as Orange The Runway are important according to Mc Calman. “We as young people need more than the party, we need more than the fete,” she said. For this reason Orange The Runway is not aimed at just lovers of fashion but young people in general. “We want young people to get involved,” she emphasised. “Sometimes we feel that as young people, to get involved, we need to

have all the knowledge in gender-based violence,” she said. However, activism and advocacy can start by just attending the event. “As young people, we see what’s going on [and] we can continue to be agents of change to these issues.” She added, “It takes a community to help solve these issues that are around us, we can’t depend on one body to help eliminate or to help combat these causes.”

Patrons at Orange The Runway Vol. 1 can expect to experience fashion, advocacy and the arts at their best.

They can also expect wine at its best since Winedays is one of the event’s main sponsors. Admission costs $2,000 for general admission and $5,000 for VIP tickets. Tickets are available at Herdmanston Lodge, That Look Boutique, Rare Finz and Fon Roje’s.

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Aspiring teacher crowned

Miss Berbice 2018

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N aspiring teacher of Islington, East Bank Berbice was crowned Miss Berbice 2018 when the second annual pageant was hosted at the Albion Sports Complex on Saturday evening.

Twenty-one-year-old Rameshwarie Devi Jairam competed among eight other beautiful delegates and walked away with the coveted title. Delegate Number Three, Cintiana Harry of Kilcoy Village, Corentyne emerged the First Runner-Up. She also won Best Costume and Best Evening Gown. Omecia Bindah finished in the Second Runner-Up spot and Jamace Alexis Hinds in the Third Runner-Up position.

The eight delegates enthralled the stage set on the Tarmac of the Albion Sports Complex to showcase their talent, costume, swimsuit and intelligent segment. Their platforms were presented on several pressing social issues as they each tried to their best to convince the judges and entertained the audience.

At the conclusion of the swimsuit, costume and talent segment, each of the delegates graced the stage in their evening dresses designed by local designers. The dresses represented the delegate’s individual platforms and served to highlight and promote to the various issues.

Jairam wore a dress by local designer Jason Shurland. The unique masterpiece designed with crystals and beads was specially created to fit to perfection and for a “powerful woman”. Harry graced the stage with a designer gown by Randy Madray, the exquisite white gown embellished with thousands of emeralds and rhinestones copped the Best Gown prize. Bindah captivated the audience with her “Confidence with no regrets” design by Francois Designs. The blush pink ensemble represented the young lady’s vibrant smile and positive thinking while the gold represented hard work and determination.

Hinds wore a turquoise and red design by Carl Peterkin. The dress was uniquely done to exemplify a woman who is confident, resilient, courageous and talented. Hinds’ platform

was domestic violence, as such, the hint of red on her dress represented the women who are fighting against domestic violence while the turquoise symbolised that there is better tomorrow.

Speaking with The Buzz, Jairam related she intends to continue to advocate using her platform of women empowerment, and will work closely with the other delegates and the Miss Berbice pageant team in an effort to ensure young women are empowered.

Miss Berbice pageant team, her sponsors, designer, Jason Shurland, family and fellow delegates for the support throughout the pageant. She also walked away with the prizes for Miss Congeniality,Best Smile, Miss Intelligent and Best Talent.

She noted that the pageant has been an amazing experience and one that has impacted the lives of many.

She posited the bond shared with the other delegates will always remain as they all

Rameshwarie Jairam with several of her prizes

Newly crowned Miss Berbice 2018 Rameshwarie Devi Jairam is surrounded by First Runner-Up Cintiana Harry (left) Third Runner-Up Jamace Hinds (third right) and Second Runner-Up Omecia Bindah (right) Jairam and First Runner Up Cintiana Harry moments before the announcement

The final question that was directed to the young lady was to explain women empowerment to high school students.

In her response, she explained, “Women empowerment is having a woman recognise her capabilities and her strengths and to explain to high school students about woman empowerment. I would say it is a way of finding a solution and a way to empower yourself in every way possible whether it’s through education, work and it is your mindset on your capabilities and your strengths.”

The answer was met with loud applause from the audience.

The eloquent young lady is currently pursuing studies in Data Operations at the Vryman’s Erven Training Centre and as part of the programme, she currently does work study at the Blood Bank, New Amsterdam Hospital. Jairam, who was sponsored by Top Brands Distributors through its Madelo Beer Brand, expressed profound gratitude to the

vowed to continue to work together.

“After seeing the impact the pageant made and what it did for other girls I decided to enter. I took the opportunity because I knew I wanted to impact lives and wanted to encourage young women like myself to pursue something that would give you an introduction for what you really stand for and what you really want for your life.”

Speaking on why she chose her platform, Jairam explained, “It’s personal to me and I wanted to bring that personal experience to the table…. I wanted a way to show girls that if you put your mind to it then you can do so much and not let people, tradition, culture and bad situations hold you back because it’s something for you so I wanted to show that even though I had so many things that could have held me, I still wanted to make my future better.”

Jairam after being crowned by Miss Earth Guyana 2018 Xamiera Kippins at the Albion Sports Complex

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The culture of spirituality and Eve enchanted by the high priest in 2018

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T STARTED with the natural faculties of sensibilities, our intuitive gifts and the imagination to create interpretations for natural phenomenon.

Our artistic faculties generated the powerful language of symbolism, rites and rituals, that reflected the seasons, the rise and fall of the tide, the relationship of the cosmic cycle relationship to birth, puberty and agriculture, the age of religion had begun. The ancients learned the postures of cosmology and mapped the stars, attributing the names of their Gods to the cosmic territory, their mastery of the physical laws were all enveloped to be gifts of the Gods, Ogun and Vulcan, Yoruba and Roman respectively presided over Blacksmiths.

The spirituality we now call Mythology had become second nature by thousands of years before the term science redefined and seceded the mastery of the natural world of the ancients from their Gods and religion into a new thinking that empowered the human intellect, genius and logical determination, instructing the new ‘will’ that through trial and observation all mystery can be proven. But from the formation of the tribal community, a feature emerged that stratified the role of gender, men were the hunters, warriors, the tribal council, high priests, blacksmiths etc. Women were the weavers of cloth, cooks, custodians of infants, integral in agriculture and gathering of herbs, and obedient wives. But that latter age of the priests, priestesses and gender stratification though dormant is still far from over.

Though the evidence of the scientific approaches envelope us with its dual nature of ‘progress and damnation’ and scientific successes embody the undeniable theme “I told you so”, culture and

religion, however, remain the custodians of hope, where the doctrine of science grapple with customs and traditions embedded in cultural norms defended by the misinterpreted tenets of religion and the logical impulses of age-old customs handcuffed to fear.

The reality beckons that spirituality and science are both subject to the all that humanity is. Neither of the two realms of thinking is indeed separate but are the extension and retention of ‘The One’ there are laws that apply to the day, as there are laws that apply to the night, between the natural influences of the moon and the sun and the conduct of the human body towards its wellbeing.

It is to one such custom that I must dedicate the rest of this column. Some years ago I had a disagreement with a visiting female relative who interfered when I called my youngest child to sit with me and watch Schindler’s List.

She had immediately protested that it was a “Man movie”.

I instructed her that nothing about the events of that era separated genders and the part with the child in the pink coat outstanding in a black and white movie, and the child’s inevitable fate did register on my daughter. Another close female relative at an early age showed an interest in dinosaurs. I provided a collection through gifts for her. It’s all good giving girls dolls and inclining them to the natural and sacredness of being future mothers, but if any female under my bloodline also requests a transformer toy, why not?

The age of prescribed gender roles is gone in theory, so are the role of Priests or Fathers as we used to address these trusted men back in the day.

I had a brief and serious chat with a Bishop recently about the free for all hustlers that have invaded religion.

Their targets are mainly wom-

en. I learnt recently that a certain spiritual church that I have accustomed passing for the past 45 years had grown wealthy taking care of elderly women in exchange for their real estate. This seems to be a persisting ritual habit. A female friend told me that to become progressive she had to do a ritual to free herself from the “Family curse”. This is foolishness straight out of Hollywood, but it’s happening.

Legally this country has got to take a second look at what’s going on in the ‘Belief Realm’. Coming out of Charlestown recently I saw several minibuses pulling up at a location all the passengers were females, 80 percent were middle aged. I enquired from a friend in the street if they were part of some skills training team (sewing, seamstress, craft related?).

He laughed and informed me that it was a church. I’m told some foreign pastor is coming to town and it’s US$150 to be in his presence. The thing is, none of what is happening has anything to do with the Bible; it’s a new chapter, its show business.

Why are women the major vulnerable group? The answer is exposure, lack of post children occupation, when the imagination is checked at dolls, tea parties and the wedding dress and all that passes, what else is there but the enchantment of the afterlife through the enticement of the 2018 high priest? Most of the people who read books on mysticism have seen The Exorcist, The Devil’s Bride and seen every Christopher Lee movie. Girls were discouraged before ‘Twilight’ (which was designed for teenage girls) so were many of the con men and their female colleagues who were witnesses of the hustle. Religion and spirituality are ‘Real’ human faculties, but not

when you’re just part of the audience. The desire to acquire an understanding that enables one to question the

seductive logic of the mystic lure comes from exposure through inquiry. It was The Christ who cautioned us

(male and female) not to look for signs and observations, as “The Kingdom of heaven lies within”.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 30, 2018

Ashley Mohamed

A

is G Division Queen

lthough the crowd favourite was Shequanna Holder of Queenstown Youth Group, it was 16-year-old Ashley Aliyah Mohamed, a student of the Abram Zuil Secondary School in Region Two and Zorg Young Achievers Youth Group, who copped the crown at the Miss G Di-

vision Beauty Pageant. The event was organised by the Guyana Police Force (“G Division”), in partnership with the private and public sector and involved participants from the division’s various youth groups.

Standing before a packed audience at the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School

auditorium, last Saturday, Mohamed wowed the judges when she answered the final question, about what impact the pageant had on her and what she would be taking away from the pageant.

The young lady confidently and enthusiastically answered by saying that the pageant helped her to gain much knowl-

16-year-old Ashley Mohamed, Queen of G Division

The winner flanked by other participants

edge on her platform and has built her self-esteem tremendously. She said the pageant has encouraged her to have good posture, discipline, self-confidence. She went on to elaborate that, should she win the pageant she would work with members of the community, particularly adults, to bridge the gap.

“I believe if the adults understand what we face as youths which causes us to act irresponsibly or in a demoralising way in society’s eye…they will understand to accept us youths regardless of the situation. If youths are accepted and appreciated then we will definitely

have a more productive community,” Mohamed said.

When she was finished answering that question everyone knew she was the winner.

Shequanna Holder was announced as First Runner-up.

Second Runner-up was Denesia Benjamin of Onderneeming Sand Pit; Best Talent was given to Aalyah Bruce; Best Creative Wear was given to Kim Persaud and Best Smile went to Cecelia Evans. The Best Gown was given to Misy James.

The pageant attracted seven beautiful contestants. They participated in five preliminary rounds: Introduction, Talent,

Creative Wear, Evening Wear and Intelligence. For the entire pageant, each delegate was given a platform, all of which appeared to centre around crime reduction and building community and police relationships.

Their talent pieces were all carefully crafted to suit their platforms.

Commander of G Division, Khali Pareshram said that the attendance was beyond expectation. He said adults and the youths from communities across the region came out in full support and there was definitely interaction and unity by all in attendance. He, therefore, thanked the stakeholders for their assistance in curbing youth violence and the use of drugs.

IT’S time for the weekend again, people! There are a few big events going off this weekend including the Schools’ Nationals on the West Coast. So don’t stay cooped up at home.

TODAY

Bliss Point Entertainment presents Party Hard 2 at Club Martini. Part One was lit and Part Two will be mad! It will be like a party in Wakanda.

Everyone free before 21:00hrs. Music by DJ Akeem, DJ Anisah, and Selector Thunda Tower Suites presents Poolside Happy Hour from 17:30hrs to 19:30hrs.

Enjoy a number of combos for just $1,000. Have a beer and burger combo, enjoy a margarita or any of their beer specials, or cutters platters, for that unbeatable cost. You don’t want to miss it.

TOMORROW

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, the biggest costume launch to ever hit Guyana. It’s the launch of Guyana Carnival 2019 at the Giftland Parking Lot. Get up close to the mesmerising costumes. Tickets: $2,000 ($6,000 with free drinks all night) Pulse Entertainment presents Pulse Candy Kane Party at Palm Court.

Head out and experience the Candy Kane Land and enjoy signature holiday-themed shots and cocktails all night. Music by DJ Shizzle, DJ Ryan, DJ Energy. Everyone free before 22:00hrs.

Ultra Saturdays Special Edition presents “Rebelation” featuring for the first time in Guyana DJ Rebel Rango from Trinidad live inside District Ultra Lounge. Tequila specials, buy four shots get one free. Ladies FREE before 21:00hrs. Music by DJ Country Boy The Oxygen Art Gallery presents VISIONS 2018 – Part 1, An exhibition of photographs by independent Guyanese photographers. Works by 15 photographers will be on display including from Keno George, Marceano Narine and Mariah Lall. This is the second curated exhibition of its kind organised through independent Guyanese photographers to exhibit works that showcase the unique and diverse people and landscapes of Guyana The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant & Lounge presents Saturday Fete & Karaoke. Ladies get one free cocktail. Enjoy soca, chutney, reggaeton, dancehall, and electronic mixes.

SUNDAY

Party Sundays continue at Club Privilege. Everybody free before 22:00hrs.

Drink specials all night, free Bacardi shots on entry. Music by fusion DJs, Stereo Sonic DJs, Boom DJs and other DJs passing through.

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Skeete, Roberts complete U-18 sprint doubles in impressive fashion

By Michelangelo Jacobus ON day five of the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships at the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC), Leonora, West Coast Demerara, U-18 sprinters Deshana Skeete (District 10) and Deron Roberts (District 13) completed the sprint double by copping their 200m events respectively.

Roberts, who won the 100m (10.94s) in the Boys’ U-18 category on Wednesday, held off stiff competition from District 11’s Daniel Benjamin and District 5’s Godwin Humphrey.

Benjamin pipped Humphrey to claim silver while the latter had to settle for bronze.

Deshana Skeete comprehensively beat her opposition by at least 6 metres in a time of 25.29s to cop gold in the 200m Girls’ U-18 and closed off the double.

With Skeete’s dominance, the race was on for silver and Aaliyah Kellman (District 14) fended off District 3’s Binka Joseph for silver.

Earlier in the Boys’ U-20 200m event, Shane Haynes (District 10) copped gold ahead of Alwyn Prince (District 4) who claimed silver while District 11’s Anthony Prince had to settle for bronze.

Tonya Rawlins (District 3) easily claimed the 200m Girls’ U-20 event to seal the double, winning emphatically ahead of District 13’s Annalisa Redmond (silver) and District 10’s Leona James (bronze).

In the 1500m events, Ronell Newton (District 10) copped his second gold medal of this year’s Nationals, when he convincingly won the U-20 race.

The outspoken Newton said that he was pleased with his performance noting that he always had the confidence that he would win the event. Newton will once again compete in the 5 000m today where he hopes to make it three out of three.

District 13’s Leyanna Charles also showed her pedigree by winning the 1500m Girls’ U-20 race by some distance.

After making a clean

sweep of the distance events in the U-16 category last year, Murphy Nash avenged his 800m loss by convincingly winning the 1500m U-16 Boys’ race, District 6’s Darel Davis managed to hold off District 9’s Garvin Stephen for the silver.

A n o t h e r L i n d e n e r, Tia Azore (District 10), claimed the Female U-16 1500m event ahead of District 4’s Aaliyah Headley while Tatiana Andrew (District 9) settled for the bronze medal.

POINTS UPDATE The points standings thus far have defending champions District 10 (Upper Demerara/Kwakwani) leading on 416 points while District 3 (West Demerara) are trailing on 290.5 points, with District 4 (East Coast Demerara) third on 280.5 points. District 5 (West Coast Berbice) are currently fourth on 269 points and District 15 fifth with 260 points.

The final day of action is today with the 400m finals and Relay events.

Suriname, Brazil, T&T clubs to feature in GFF/ ExxonMobil/STAG Beer Futsal tournament

By Rawle Toney

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has partnered with ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl to launch an eight-team International Futsal tournament, which will be played from December 27 to 30.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Morvant Caledonia United will head the list of teams from overseas which also features ZV All-Stars from Suriname, and Brazilian side from the state of Sau Paulo.

While in Guyana, the teams will collide with a Guyana select side, along with a team from Linden, East Bank Demerara and West Demerara football associations.

GFF is yet to say where the tournament will be held, but tentatively, the National Park and Cliff Anderson Sports Hall are the venues earmarked to host the first

international Futsal tournament in Guyana.

The winning side will pocket $1.2M, while second through fourth place will go home with $600 000, $300 000 and $100 000 respectively.

Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, in lauding Ansa McAl and ExxonMobil for their support, made a rallying call to futsal fans to support the event, telling reporters that his Federation is looking forward to a tournament that will be worthy of the investment the sponsors are making.

“I want to encourage the general public to support the tournament because we have many days of exciting football with an exciting international flavour and I have every reason to believe that the fans are going to have a great experience,” the GFF boss noted.

Nicholas Yearwood, ExxonMobil Communications Adviser, who pointed out that this is its second involvement in the Futsal arena, having partnered with New Era Entertainment for the tournament in Linden, said the track record and involvement of the Medal of Service recipients Kashif and Shanghai Organisation made it easy for them to make a decision to come on board.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton, who also holds the responsibility for sport, said while he’s happy to see International Futsal being played in Guyana, he would have been more pleased if teams from the hinterland could have been involved.

The Minister wished the GFF well and stated his Government’s support in ensuring that the tournament is run in a smooth manner.

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 30, 2018

Costa Rica to stage matches in expanded CONCACAF tournament

MIAMI, United States (CMC) – Continental governing body, CONCACAF, has announced Costa Rica as a host for matches in next year’s Gold Cup, marking the first time fixtures in the near twodecade-old tournament will be held outside North America.

C O N C A C A F, w h i c h oversees football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, had previously said matches in the expanded tournament would be staged in both Central America and the Caribbean.

The Estadio Nacional in San Jose will now play host to a doubleheader on June

16, 2019, which will feature Costa Rica.

Sixteen teams – an increase of four – will compete in the 15th edition of the biennial championship which runs from June 15 to July 7.

“We are very proud to bring the CONCACAF Gold Cup to Costa Rica, where fans have shown great excitement, passion and love for our game,” said CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani.

“By hosting our premier competition in Central America, we are achieving a core principle of our ONE CONCACAF Vision, which is to increase access to the game,

develop football and ensure our fans experience the highest quality of football in the region.”

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani

Libertadores final to be played in Madrid - reports

By Daniela Desantis ASUNCION, Paraguay (Reuters) - The postponed second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors will be played at Real Madrid’s stadium on December 9, Argentine and Spanish media reported yesterday.

Argentina’s biggest two teams drew the first leg 2-2 at Boca’s ground and were due to play the second match in South America’s equivalent of the Champions League final at River’s Monumental stadium on November 24.

However, Boca’s players were hurt when River fans attacked their coach as it approached the stadium and the

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game was first delayed until Sunday and then postponed indefinitely.

The violence was an embarrassment for Argentina just days before this weekend’s G20 summit in Buenos Aires.

The final decision on staging the game in Madrid is dependent on another ruling by a Disciplinary Tribunal which is hearing Boca’s appeal to be granted a victory because of the violence.

The choice of the Santiago Bernabeu as host venue was taken after CONMEBOL said the match could not take place in Argentina due to fears of more fan violence.

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Costa Rica are one of the six automatic qualifiers for the Gold Cup, by virtue of their participation in the

diums in Brazil and Colombia were among those who offered to stage the game, the biggest in the Libertadores’ 58-year history.

But Spain’s position as a footballing hotbed with excellent flight connections to Latin America swung the decision in Madrid’s favour.

The Libertadores winners will represent CONMEBOL in the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates days later.

The tournament kicks off on December 12 with the South American team due to play their first match on December 18.

European champions Real Madrid are among the clubs taking part.

final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup staged in Russia.

Title-holders United States, along with Mexico, Panama, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago will also qualify directly.

The 10 remaining spots, meanwhile, will be filled through the ongoing Nations League qualifying championship.

“It’s an honour for the Costa Rican Football Federation to have the confidence and support of CONCACAF to host a Gold Cup group stage doubleheader in Costa Rica,” said Costa Rica Football Federation president, Rodolfo Villalobos,

who is also a CONCACAF vice-president.

“This announcement is part of our efforts to transform the Federation into a highly professional entity and a benchmark at the regional level. It is part of the constant and planned efforts to grow our football. We also celebrate the opportunity Costa Ricans will have to enjoy the Gold Cup at home for the first time in its history.”

Matches, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, will be staged across 15 United States venues.

However, the Caribbean venue for the tournament is yet to be announced.

Jumbo Jet Race of Champions race meet

Guyana’s fastest thoroughbreds in action on Sunday at Port Mourant THE country’s fastest thoroughbreds will be in action on Sunday when the Jumbo Jet Racing Stable stages its annual Race of Champions horserace meet at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Corentyne, Berbice.

Among the top horses that will be on show are Vera’s Finally and Just Call Be Boss, both of whom have been registered for the feature C2

and Lower 1300-metre event.

It should be noted that Vera’s Finally, since being imported from Florida, USA, has won the Guyana Cup twice and the President’s Cup on one occasion and has only been defeated once in four starts.

According to organiser Nasrudeen Mohamed, over $8M in cash and prizes will be up for grabs for the 10-race programme

which also involves steeds in the 1500m `F’ Class – for colts, gelding, fillies and mares three years old and up - open to all West Indies-bred horses `F’ and Lower.

There will also be 1500m races for `H’ Class, `I’ Class and `L’ Class, as well as 1300m races for two-year old horses, `I’ Class, `H’ Class `J’ Class and `K’ Class.

Fifties for five India batsmen in Sydney warm-up SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - India had a useful outing on the second day of their only warmup match before the Test series against Australia, with five of their batsmen hitting half-centuries yesterday against a Cricket Australia XI. The opening day of the four-day non-first-class match against an understrength representative side was washed out by torrential rain but the storms abated yesterday.

The Virat Kohli-led tourists suffered a mini collapse towards the end, losing their last five wickets for 11 runs to be dismissed for 358, but will be pleased to have got so much time in the middle for their top and middle orders.

India’s 19-year-old opening batsman Prithvi

Shaw caught the eye with a sparkling 66, hitting 11 boundaries in his 69-ball knock.

off 87 balls.

T h e w o r l d ’s t o p ranked Test batsman hit seven fours and a six in

Prithvi Shaw caught the eye with a sparkling 66.

Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 61 in India’s win in Sydney on Sunday to tie the three-match Twenty20 series, also produced his rich vein of form with a 64

his knock before offering a simple return catch to seamer Aaron Hardie, 19, who finished with 4-50.

Number three Cheteshwar Pujara spent some

quality time at the crease during his knock of 54, while vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane pitched in with 56 before retiring out to let others bat. Middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari made 53.

Rohit Sharma, who made a comeback to the Test squad after a poor show in South Africa earlier this year, did not get to the half-century mark but scored a stroke-filled 40, studded with five fours and a six.

Opening batsman Lokesh Rahul has not been in the best of form and missed out again. He scored three and was the first wicket to fall for India.

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

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 30, 2018

OSCL president calls on players to adhere to rules … Consul General Choo lauds achievements

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Long-standing president of the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) Albert Ramcharran has called on players to adhere to the rules established by the City of Toronto since the league faces the prospect of having its permits cancelled.

In a message, marking the 23rd anniversary of the OSCL which was contained in its brochure for the annual presentation, dinner and dance held last Saturday, Ramcharan took the opportunity to remind members about the zero tolerance policy of the City of Toronto as it relates to the consumption of alcohol on permitted facilities without prior approval.

According to Ramcharran, “The league was again instructed by the authorities that violations of this policy could result in the immediate cancellation of its permits.”

The president pointed out that “we were also advised that group members ensure parklands are maintained and left clean. In view of this, I am pleading with players to adhere to the rules as established by the city since the league stands to lose permits for grounds.”

Speaking on the reintroduction of the white ball, Ramcharran described it as one of the major decisions coming out of the 2018 annual general meeting with the majority of teams voting for the white balls to be used in all three formats (20-over, 15-over and 10-over) this time around. The white ball was previously introduced in 2016 for

the Caribbean Sensation-sponsored 10/10 tournament only.

The OSCL president acknowledged that in 2016, the league embarked on an initiative to assist the needy in Guyana and “I am happy to report that this year, cash donations were made to the Prabhu Sharan Orphanage at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, Guyana. Vice-president Terry Mathura and secretary/ PRO Frederick Halley, who were in Guyana for the staging of the Prime Minister’s Softball Cup and the Guyana Softball Cup did the honours for the league.

Personal donations were also made on behalf of myself and vice-president Mathura.”

During the year, the OSCL participated in the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Independence Cup and the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) Guyana Softball Cup but failed to reach the playoffs in both tournaments.

“It should be noted that despite repeated verbal and written requests for players to participate, the response was very poor, especially for the

latter,” Ramcharran pointed out.

Ramcharran, also took the opportunity to extend congratulations to the winning and runner-up teams and all other participating teams across all formats in the league. “To my hard-working executives, once again a big thank-you for your sterling efforts in sometimes trying and demanding situations.

“You have stood the test of time and I am extremely proud of you. To our several sponsors, I say a hearty thank-you and look forward to your continued assistance.”

Guyana’s Consul General to Toronto, Anyin Choo, in her message, extended warm congratulations to the executive committee, membership and fans. “I wish to highlight that such an achievement speaks of the well-earned success of the league in the industry of sports.”

Choo pointed out that “for decades, the league has prided itself with keeping the game of softball cricket alive for the enjoyment of cricket-lovers and fans in Ontario, Canada and

nurturing as well as promoting good sportsmanship in all its activities.”

Choo also recognised the league’s efforts in promoting educational and cultural activities for the benefit of youths and encourage them to continue to make a positive impact and showcase the diverse culture of the Caribbean and good athletics sportsmanship to future generations. She challenged the executives to encourage the participation of more women among its board.

Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Tibollo, in his message, said his ministry recognises the valuable roles that organisations like the OSCL play in “engaging us in sport and recreation, keeping us active and strengthening our communities.”

Tibollo commended the league’s continuing efforts to promote the sport of softball cricket to participants across the province and for providing opportunities for the cricket community to come together over a shared love of the sport.”

OSCL president Albert Ramcharran addresses the gathering at the presentation ceremony.

PMTC 1 continue dominance in Berbice volleyball THE Port Mourant Training Centre 1 volleyball team continued their dominance of volleyball in Berbice by winning yet another competition recently.

Last Sunday, the team took top honours when they won the 6th Annual Balram Shane inter-club competition which was organised by the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) and Castrol of Demerara.

Five teams contested the senior category, namely PMTC1, PMTC2, Rollers of New Amsterdam, Black Bush Polder and Castrol of Demerara.

After a competitive preliminary round, PMTC1 and Rollers clashed in the final and the former easily brushed aside their opponents 30-21. For the win, PMTC1 collected $20 000 and a trophy, while Rollers received $10 000 for their efforts.

In the Novice category Black Bush, Corriverton Jets and #47 participated and Black Bush Polder defeated Corriverton Jets 30-22 in the final. The winning team received $10 000 and a trophy while Corriverton Jets were rewarded with $5 000.

According to reports, the female match between Berbice and Castrol of Demerara was an exciting and closely fought encounter but Berbice came out on top with a 2-1 win with scores of 25-17, 22-25, 16-14.

The Berbice team collected $10 000 while Castrol received $5 000.

Uniss Yusuf collects one of his awards from Jas Mathura, wife of OSCl vice-president Terry Mathura. Yusuf had an incredible season, scoring 509 runs, including a top score of 116 not out. He was also the MVP for the winning Jaguars team in the annual All Stars feature.

Another top performer, Rovendra Mandolall, receives one of his prizes from Consul General Anyin Choo.

England rule change could see Archer playing at World Cup LONDON, England (Reuters) - Barbados-born all-rounder Jofra Archer will be eligible to play for England at next year’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) following a rule change announced yesterday.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said overseas players would, from January 1, become eligible to play for England after living in the country for three years rather than a previous seven.

Archer would not have been able to play for England until 2022 under the existing rules.

The 23-year-old Sussex player, who has a British father and a British passport, featured for West Indies at

Jofra Archer played for Sussex in the T20 Blast final where they lost to Worcestershire.

Under-19 level and arrived in Britain in 2015.

The Rajasthan Royals paid 72 million Indian rupees (£806,493.46) for him after a fierce bidding war in last January’s Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 auction.

Archer could also be available for England’s Caribbean tour that runs from January to March, and includes matches in Barbados, although other T20 contractual obligations may make that difficult.

“It may or may not happen but I would love to debut in front of my family,” he said on Twitter yesterday.

The ECB said the change brought the body closer to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 30, 2018

Windies stay positive ahead of today’s final Test against Bangladesh DHAKA, India (CMC) – After losing the first Test to Bangladesh inside three days, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is urging his troops to stay positive ahead of today’s second and final Test which will be played here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The Windies went down to the hosts by 64 runs in the opening Test, their first defeat to Bangladesh in seven Tests.

However, in a pre-match press conference, Brathwaite said once his players remained positive he was expecting a series-levelling victory for the tourists.

“Staying positive on this type of wicket is key. The bounce varied a lot in the first Test. The onus is on us to trust our defence and attacking methods. I think the key is to be light on your feet, and treat each ball as it comes,” he said.

While he admitted the Windies would miss pace bowler Shannon Gabriel, who was banned from the second Test after being handed two demerit points in the first, Brathwaite said he was “backing both spin and pace to do a good job,” unsettling Bangladesh.

“There will obviously be a balance. Spin did most of the damage in the first Test but it doesn’t mean pacers can’t take wickets,” Brathwaite said.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan said he was looking forward to a rare Test series victory.

A win in Dhaka will give Bangladesh only their fourth Test series win in history and first since 2014 when they triumphed over Zimbabwe 3-0 at home.

They came close to winning series twice in the past two years,

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite wants his troops to stay positive.

against Australia and Sri Lanka, but on both occasions stumbled at the final hurdle.

“We have a challenge and we believe we can overcome this. Naturally, West Indies will also go into the match more excited. They will give their best to win. We have to perform better than they, more than what we did in Chittagong,” Al Hasan said.

“It will be very special for us if we can win the series 2-0 … whatever it requires we are preparing to do that. If it is not possible to win, our target will be taking the series 1-0, because the ultimate target is winning the series.

“But we don’t want to win the series by playing defensive cricket. We will go into the match with a positive frame of mind,” Al Hasan maintained.

RHT Poonai Pharmacy, PMCC JAAA sets new date for 2019 National Championships set to battle in U-13 final

THE Rose Hall Town (RHT) Poonai Pharmacy and archrivals the Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) will battle in the championship clash of the Berbice Cricket Board/Da Silva Motor Spares U-13 Cricket Tournament tomorrow at the Area ‘H’ ground in Rose Hall Town.

Once concluded, the tourney will become the 21st to be successfully completed by the BCB over the last four months.

RHT Poonai Pharmacy advanced to the final after edging past Blairmont Community Centre by gaining first-innings points while Port Mourant defeated Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club by nine wickets at home.

At the D’Edward ground, RHT found batting difficult after winning the toss. They eventually were bowled out for 54 from 24 overs (25 overs, the quota for the first

innings).

Rawl Dindial 3-9, Romeo Deonarine 3-23 and Kahiem Ashan 2-12 led the Blairmont Community Centre.

FIRST HAT-TRICK Berbice Under-15 off-spinner Matthew Pottaya then produced an outstanding bowling spell of seven wickets for 10 runs to help restrict the Blairmont Community Centre to 42 in 24.1 overs.

Romeo Deonarine was the only batsman to offer any resistance to Pottaya, who also had the distinction of claiming the first hattrick in the competition.

With a lead of 12 runs, RHT Poonai Pharmacy reached 40-3 in the second innings before the game was called off by both teams.

Pottaya returned with the bat to score 18, while R. Gafoor took 2-18 for Blairmont.

In the other semi-final,

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday November 30, 2018)

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TODAY’S QUIZ: Who has the distinction of claiming the first hat-trick in Tests?

Who took the first ODI hattrick?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

Rose Hall Canje batted first at the historic Port Mourant ground and reached 81-5 from their allotted 25 overs. Avishkar Persaud 12 and Romario Ramdihal 11 were the main resistance as Saleem Khan took 3-20.

Port Mourant CC in reply were given a solid 94-run opening partnership by Rampertab Ramnauth and Saleem Khan. Ramnauth led the way with 55 while Khan offered solid support with 35 as the eventual winners ended on 119-3.

With a deficit of 38 runs, Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club scored quickly to reach 99-4, with Sanjay Algoo scoring an unbeaten 50.

Needing to score 52 to register an outright victory, Port Mourant Cricket Club reached 54-1 with Rampertab Ramnauth on 35 and his younger brother Rampersaud on 11.

The Under-13 competition was contested by eight teams” “RHT Poonai Pharmacy, Achievers Youth, Blairmont Community Centre, Tucber Park Cricket Club, Kendall’s Union, Rose Hall Canje, Port Mourant Cricket Club and Albion Community Centre.

The top two teams in the two zones advanced to the semifinals.

BCB president Hilbert Foster stated that the games have unearthed several promising players and a squad of 16 will be named after the final to undergo special training.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – In a move to have the 2019 National Championships held closer to the 2019 IAAF World Championships, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has changed the date of next year’s championships.

With the World Championships set to begin on September 29, the National Senior Championships which are usually held in June, have been pushed back by one month and will now take place at the National Stadium from July 25 to 28, 2019.

The 2019 World Championships start in Doha, Qatar, weeks later than the last day of any previous edition.

The details were presented earlier this week as part of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s (JAAA) schedule for the upcoming season.

“We’ve decided on the end of July, and it’s really to put it as close to the World Championships as possible,” JAAA president Dr Warren Blake explained.

The move was also made to prevent the Nationals being held too far before the World Championships and to be an accurate guide for

team selection.

However, the new date for the National Championships comes close to the schedule for the 18th Pan-American Games, which start in Lima, Peru, on July 26, with athletics starting on August 6.

Notable dates on the schedule include Boys’ and Girls’ Championships, set for March 26-30, the Jamaica Invitational on May 4, the renowned Penn Relays, April 24-27 in Philadelphia, the IAAF World Relays in Yo-

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association Dr Warren Blake

As a result, the JAAA will be staging more meets at home to give athletes competition as well as a pre-Championships camp.

While the details on the pre-World Championships camp aren’t settled yet, All-Comers meets will be held on May 11, 18 and 25, as well as June 1 to keep locally based athletes sharp for the National Senior Championships.

kohama, Japan, May 10-11, and the Racers Grand Prix on June 22.

With the Easter holidays arriving in late April, the CARIFTA Trials will be contested a week after Boys’ and Girls’ Championships, on April 5-7. The CARIFTA Games are back again in the Cayman Islands from April 20 to 22, after being hosted there in 1995 and 2010.

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 30, 2018

GBA names 31-member team minus Allicock for Caribbean Boxing Championship … Safety of boxer a priority - GBA boss

By Michael DaSilva THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) announced a 31-member team to represent the country at this year’s Caribbean Boxing Championship (CBC) scheduled for December 6-9, at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall minus Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist and Caribbean and National bantamweight champion, Keevin Allicock, According to an article appearing in another section of the media on Wednesday, the talented, Allicock was not named in the 31-member team. Instead, Clairmont Gibson, a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Boxing Gym was named as Guyana’s representative to contest the Elite Class bantamweight category.

President of the GBA yesterday confirmed that injury had forced the selectors to relieve the lightning-quick Allicock from national duties.

“The selectors are just following the doctor’s advice. Keevin had injured his right hand during the National Open and the doctor recommended that he rest for three weeks. We all would have loved to see Keevin battling for Guyana during the Caribbean Championships but, the safety and health of the boxer is our priority,” Ninvalle said.

“I am sure that he (Keevin) will return a stronger and better boxer,” the GBA boss added.

At the recently concluded Khalsan PR Inc.-sponsored Terrence Alli National Open Championship, Gibson drew a bye to the final and came face-to-face with Allicock, who caused the referee to stop the contest with one minute two seconds remaining in the first round, after pummelling Gibson with a series of one-two combinations, which caused the referee to issue Gibson with three standing eight counts before ending the lopsided contest.

Allicock won the Youth

Commonwealth Games silver medal in July last year in the Bahamas and five months later moved up to the bantamweight division to win gold at the Caribbean Development Tournament in St Lucia.

According to a GBA release, Guyana will be represented by 10 Elite boxers, four Youth boxers, five Juniors, nine Novices, two Junior Women and one Novice Female at the Caribbean Championship.

This tournament, which was formerly known as the Caribbean Development Tournament, was first hosted here in Guyana in 2015 and for this 2018 edition, the team of coaches responsible for the Guyanese contingent is Terrence Poole, Sebert Blake, Clifton Moore and Gregory Cort.

Meanwhile, French Guiana and US Virgin Islands yesterday confirmed participation bringing the number of countries in the tournament to 11. Trinidad and Tobago will be fielding a team

Keevin Allicock (left) and GBA president Steve Ninvalle earlier in the year

of 38, the largest contingent to the Championship.

The full Guyana team reads (ELITE) Richard Subratee (49kg), Seon Griffith (52kg), Gibson (56kg), Jamal Eastman (60kg), Colin Lewis (64kg), Emanuel Sancho (64kg), Desmond Amsterdam (75kg), Markember Pierre (81kg), Aubrey Headley and Shamear Mingo (91kg).

(YOUTH) Irfan Tiwari (49kg), Shaquille Wright (Christopher Moore (64kg) and Jevon Thomas 975kg).

(JUNIORS) Richard Howard (46kg), Francis Sukhu (52(kg), Christopher Romeo (57(kg), Mar5k Crawford (60kg) and Kevin Mulling (66kg).

(NOVICES) Julius Kesney (52kg), Clinton Clarke (56kg), Delroy

‘Jackie Chan’, ‘Brown Boy’ head GFF shortlist Futsal team GREGORY ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and John ‘Brown Boy’ Waldron are among some of the country’s top futsal players, 40 of them to be exact, who were shortlisted by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to represent Guyana at the December 2730 ExxonMobil/STAG Beer International Futsal tournament.

With Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson as head coach, a select Guyana team will come up against Morvant Caledonia United from Trinidad and Tobago, ZV AllStars of Suriname, a team from

Sao Paulo Brazil, along with a team each from the East Bank, West Demerara and Linden sub-associations.

According to the organisers, six players will come from Linden, 23 from Georgetown, five from West Demerara, three from the East Bank and three from the East Coast.

It was explained that after the three-day (December 5, 8 and 9) trials the team will be selected, while those who were not lucky to make the cut for the ‘Team Guyana’ side, will head back to their respective

Gregory Richardson (L) and John Waldron

Fordyce (60kg), Kevin McKenzie (64kg), Quincy Boyce (60kg), Alex Murray (75kg), Astion Niles (81kg), Sheakeal Damon and Emmerson Farley (91kg).

(JUNIORS, WOMEN) Alesha Jackman (featherweight) and Abiola Jackman (light middleweight).

(NOVICES, WOMEN) Debra Vanderstoop (heavyweight).

… Players asked to report for three-day trials next week

sub-associations and make up their unit.

The winning team at the end of the tournament will pocket $1.2M, while second through fourth places will go home with $600 000, $300 000 and $100 000 respectively.

Linden: John Waldron, Deon Charter, Donovan Francis, Kennard Simon, Colwyn Drakes and Rudy Haley (GK).

Georgetown: Gregory Richardson, Jermain Junor, Eusi Phillips, Sheldon Shepherd, Jamal Pedro, Hubert Pedro, Randolph Wagner, Deon Alfred, Daniel Wilson, Kelsey

Benjamin, Pernell Schultz, King Solomon Austin, Lennox Cort, Roy Cassou, Dwayne McLennan, Benjamin Opara, Kenny, Eon Alleyne, Andy Duke, Leon Yaw, Wickham Sancho, Orin Jones (GK) and Akel Clarke (GK).

West Demerara: Marvin Josiah, Stephen Jupiter, Kayode King, Dexroy Adams and Travis Bess (GK) East Bank Demerara: Casey John, Baby Hope, and Dervyn Stewart East Coast Demerara: Les Charles Critchlow, Phillip Williams and Kevon Garnett.

BCB launches Ivan Madray 100-ball first-division knockout tournament FIRST-division cricketers in the Ancient County will pad up for a historic 100-ball knockout cricket tournament from Sunday, weather permitting.

The tournament, which was launched this week by the vibrant and progressive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the stewardship of Hilbert Foster, with the support of the family of the late Ivan Madray, will see nine teams battle for supremacy.

Madray, who died in 2009, at the age of 74, played for the West Indies in 1958.The leg-spinner, was the third Berbician to play for the West Indies team in the long format of the game. He followed in the footsteps of John Trim and Rohan Kanhai, who also hailed from Port Mourant Cricket Club.

The Ivan Madray 100-Ball Me-

morial First Division Tournament is being supported by the late cricketer’s family and the Chintamani family at the cost of $330 000.

EXTRA SPECIAL Foster said that the tournament is extra special, as it would be honouring one of Berbice cricketing legend and one of the county’s best role models.

After retiring from cricket, Madray migrated to England where he became a successful businessman and was heavily involved in charitable work.

POSITIVE ROLE MODEL Mr Chandradat Chintamani, a nephew of Madray, stated that his uncle was a positive role model and hero to his entire family. Chintamani, who hails from the No.55 Vil-

BCB president Hilbert Foster receives the sponsorship cheque from Chandradat Chintamani.

lage in the Upper Corentyne, is the senior vice-president of Laparkan.

He expressed delight at being able to pay respect to his uncle and to be associated with Berbice cricket, which over the last few months has been setting high standards.

Chintamani added that he was confident that the tournament would be a great success and that it was his intention to make it an annual event if everything goes to plan.

Foster and Chintamani had an extensive discussion on plans for the development of Berbice cricket. The BCB president expressed confidence that the talks would bear fruit early in 2019, to benefit over 80 clubs and numerous youth cricketers in the Ancient County.

Special thanks were expressed to the Madray and Chintamani families for the sponsorship.

TOURNAMENT RULES The tournament would involve both teams batting 100 balls - 14 six-ball overs and two eight-ball overs. The power-play will be six overs, where a maximum of two fielders would be allowed out of the 30-yard circle.

West Berbice, Blairmont Community Centre, Police, Tucber Park, Young Warriors, Rose Hall Canje, Albion Community Centre, Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets and Port Mourant Cricket Club will do battle.

Skeldon Cricket Club has been suspended from Berbice Cricket for the rest of the year, while teams in the Upper Corentyne are focusing on completing the New Building Society 40-Overs Tournament.

NATIONALS 2018

Skeete, Roberts complete U-18 sprint double in impressive fashion Page

27

Deron Roberts (District 13) (third from right) did just enough to claim the Boys’ U-18 200m and the sprint double.

Deshana Skeete (District 10) crosses the finish line to convincingly win the Girls’ U-18 200m and seal the sprint double.

Tonya Rawlins (District 3) wrapped up the U-20 Girls’ sprint double with the 200m gold medal.

Suriname, Brazil, T&T clubs to feature in GFF/ExxonMobil/STAG Beer Futsal tournament

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From left, Aubrey Major; ExxonMobil’s Nicholas Yearwood; Minister of Social Cohesion Dr George Norton; GFF president Wayne Forde and GFF director of competitions Ian Alves at the launch of the GFF/ExxonMobil/STAG Beer Futsal tournament. (Rawle Toney photo)

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THURSSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018