Guyana Chronicle E-paper 12-10-2018

MONDAY 10th December, 2018

Local content is about 10 efficiency, competitiveness PAGE

–– not a sense of entitlement, says GOAG’s Nigel Hughes

Gov’t condemns conman P A G E for fake 08 news on President’s health

Two die in Ogle 08 smash-up

No need to vacate seat No.105484

–– Former Speaker backs Nagamootoo –– says 03 Constitution doesn’t require him to do so

Linden Bridge lights up for Christmas season

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A section of people at the Bridge Light-up and Boat Parade on Sunday evening

No.105483

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

EXPOSED!

OPPOSITION FALSIFIES STATISTICS IN EFFORTS TO SCAREMONGER AND RACE BAIT DURING THE 2019 BUDGET DEBATE The curtains came down on the Budget 2019 debate with the Parliamentary Opposition, OPPOSING everything in the financial papers. Predictably, their presentations were not without DEVASTATING UNTRUTHS, which were RIGHTFULLY REFUTED and DESTROYED by the government side of the House, particularly, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.

These are some of the opposition's LIES, EXPOSED during the debate:

LIES:

EXPOSED:

EXPOSED:

However, Minister Jordan pointed out that 10% of $100,000 is $10,000, 1% of $1,000,000 is $10,000. Therefore 0.5% of $10,000 is $5,000.

The minister noted that this gives the more accurate picture that bottom earners were more favoured in the 2018 salary increases, given by the government.

Members of Parliament, Dr. Frank Anthony and Vishwa Mahadeo allegations of DRUG SHORTAGE SOUNDLY REFUTED with facts, figures and refutation by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence and by senior officials in, at least, one hospital.

LIES:

MP, Dharmkumar Seeraj alleged that farmers have complained of failed germination of GRDB seed paddy

EXPOSED: GRDB called this AN ABSOLUTE FABRICATION. Further, the farmer, identified by Seeraj, denied the claims and presented receipts to show the purchase of the seed paddy from RPA.

LIES:

MP, Irfaan Ali claimed that the Government was incurring expenditure, largely on “PERSONAL SECURITY.”

EXPOSED: There is no chart of account titled personal security in the 2019 Budget estimates. Instead, the line item covers THE PROVISION OF SECURITY TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND FACILITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. The allocation increases from $760MILLION in 2018 to $5.7BILLION in 2019. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan explained that: 60% of the increase covers the provision of security services to schools across the country to keep our children safe in their learning environment; 12% covers the provision of security to the health facilities across the country The remainder provides for security services across the remaining 89 programmes in central government

LIES:

MP, Irfaan Ali attempted to mislead over the price of goods and services, to come up with a WHOPPING 14% increase in household expenditure.

EXPOSED: Minister Jordan noted that inflation price of a typical basket of goods and services consumed increased by 3.0% between 2014 and October 2018.

At the same time, the minister pointed out that the public sector minimum wage increased by over 40% and pension by over 50%.

LIES:

MP, Gillian Burton calculated 0.5% of $1,000, 000 and getting $20,000 to show that in spite of getting a smaller rate of increase than the minimum wage earner, who got 7%, the higher income earners are better off.

LIES:

MP, Vikram Bharat insinuated that the government budgeted $100MILLION for a monument in Linden

EXPOSED: A MERE $5MILLION was budgeted to build a monument in honour of the heroic martyrs who were gunned down in cold blood, protesting for a decent living. Minister Jordan noted this was no ordinary blunder but a deliberate ploy to argue that government was spending wastefully on monuments while sugar workers were picketing for severance.

LIES:

MP, Anil Nandlall claimed that the Coalition Government has doubled the National Debt without offering any shred of evidence, figures or sources.

EXPOSED: The public debt stock has, instead, decreased from $355.8BILLION in 2013 to $345BILLION in 2017. Minister Jordan noted that this is summed up on page 9 of the Annual Debt Report which was recently laid in the National Assembly.

LIES:

MP, Anil Nandlall said that the government has imposed 200 tax measures

EXPOSED: NO NEW TAX MEASURES HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE 2015. Instead, the government has introduced a series of TAX RELIEF CONCESSIONS. These include reducing VAT from 16% to 14%, making more food items VAT FREE, reducing the income tax for non-commercial companies from 30% to 27.5% and from January 1, 2019 to 25%, reducing income tax rate for public servants from 30% to 28%, increasing income tax threshold from $600,000 t $780,000 from January 1, 2019 and removing tax from NIS.

LIES:

MP, Anil Nandlall, speaking on the growth of the economy, said the commercial banks were safe barometers of the economy and that the action of Bank of Baroda and Scotiabank pulling out of the local banking sector, present a negative verdict about the state of the economy.

on the African continent, New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan and Singapore, since they consider doing business in these states, not-profitable because of the risks of money laundering and the stringency of regulations such as AML/CFT. Minister Jordan noted that even with these banks pulling out new businesses are coming on board.

Further, the banks remaining are recording profits; Republic Bank 14.4%, Citizens Bank 51.6% and Demerara Bank, $2BILLION.

LIES:

MP, Irfaan Ali alleged that President David Granger spent $1BILLion on travel.

EXPOSED: REFUTED by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who explained over the period 2015-2018, a total amount of $212.3MILLION was spent on travels by the President’s team. Further, Minister Jordan explained overseas travel expenses over the years as follows: in 2012 - $343M, in 2013 - $412M, in 2014 - $352M, in 2015 - $263M, in 2016 - $232M and in 2017 - $294M. Not even close to $1BILLION.

LIES:

MP, Dr. Vindhya Persaud accused the government of conducting several irrelevant studies because of an allotted $6BILLION for feasibility studies in the 2019 Budget.

EXPOSED: SHOT DOWN by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who noted that a number of projects were done by the previous administration without the benefit of feasibility studies.

According to Minister Patterson, the Parliamentary Opposition spent over US$600MILLION of taxpayers’ monies on failed projects, for which the citizens are paying dearly today. Further, Finance Minister Winston Jordan explained that the government now has to create a Project Bank of initiatives that have had studies conducted instead of seeking funds for projects that have had no studies done.

LIES:

MP and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo said the government is not adding to capital stock, instead, it is merely conducting maintenance.

EXPOSED: According to the Finance Minister Winston Jordan, under the PPP/C administration US$200MILLION was lost through the Skeldon Factory; US$45MILLION used for the Amalia Falls road to nowhere. These projects are not giving the returns that they should today and it’s all due to the missteps of the last administration. Minister Jordan explained that the government is too busy maintaining, to this day, the failed PPP infrastructures that should have been working.

EXPOSED: These banks are pulling out worldwide from other countries, like Trinidad and Tobago, states

@dpiguyana

OTHER LIES EXPOSED INCLUDE GuySuCo severance and payment of wages to the public servants: Minister Jordan explained, now that the government does not have to give the sugar industry $38BILLION in subsidy, find severance to pay sugar workers, $5BILLION plus interest - it can turn its attention to dealing with social services' areas including paying salary and pension increases in 2019.

Opposition’s claims that tax amnesties granted were done to favour friends: Minister Jordan pointed out that most of the taxes paid during the amnesty were from gold miners.

The payment of one-month bonus to members of the disciplined services: Minister Jordan explained the opposition, while in government, used salary increases as A TOOL TO DIVIDE AND RULE SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY and the one-off payment to the discipline services was done at the expense of all public servants who for several years were only given 5% or less in annual salary increases.

Vote buying: The minister reflected on claims that the PPP, while in government, engaged in buying votes to boost its electoral chances. According to the minister, previously, there were several reports of youths and other disadvantaged residents of depressed communities, such as Albouystown and Agricola, being paid to wear PPP T-shirts and cast their ballots in favour of the then government.

On the previous “healthy” state of the economy: Minister Jordan clarified that this was a CRIMINALISED STATE from which many benefitted and where the trade of illegal drugs was not involved and the wholesale giveaway of the national patrimony was involved.

Increase in remissions: The Finance Minister called this out as a LIE, noting that remissions have decreased from a high of $92.4BILLION, in 2014 to $64.3BILLION in 2016. Remissions for 2018 are $85.9BILLION due to the scaling up of oil and gas activities for 2020, he explained.

Government Bonus: Minister Jordan reiterated that the government’s bonus was a one-off payment, and contrary to reports, not all Ministers received 50%. He noted that the Prime Minister got 5%, senior ministers 50%, junior ministers 19%, the other MPs, even smaller. He clarified that the Leader of the Opposition refused the bonus as he could not collect both the parliamentary salary and pensions as a former president. According to the minister, Jagdeo took the TAX-FREE pension, which is the bigger of the two, and further, he raised this BEFORE he left office. Jagdeo’s pension is ⅞ of the current salary of the president, according to Minister Jordan.

Corruption: Minister Jordan noted it has not been an easy task undoing the numerous wrongs of the last administration.

“We are battling with many corrupt and inefficient practices handed down to us. In 2017, Guyana’s country ranking was 91 (less corrupt) in the transparency international corruption index, compared to 124 (more corrupt) in 2014.” 

No need to vacate seat 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

–– Former Speaker backs Nagamootoo

–– says Constitution doesn’t require him to do so FORMER Speaker of the National Assembly and Senior Counsel, Ralph Ramkarran has come out in support of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s views that he cannot be unelected from the House as is contemplated by the Opposition.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo at last Friday’s sitting of the House contended that the prime minister cannot be acting president and still sit in the National Assembly, and said he intends to raise the matter fully today during the consideration of the budget estimates.

Asked for his comments on the matter on Sunday, Ramkarran, a former PPP executive said: “The Prime Minister is correct; it is only if a minister is appointed to perform the functions of the president that the minister has to vacate his parliamentary seat while he is performing the functions of the president.

“The Article in the Constitution requires a minister, if appointed, to vacate his seat. It does not require the prime minister, if similarly appointed, to do so.”

Minister Nagamootoo himself has accused Jagdeo of attempting to sow seeds of discord among the citizenry in an attempt to block the passage of the government’s $300.7B budget.

“I want to put that in context for the Guyanese people to know that the deviousness is what we see playing out; that they’re trying to first divide members of this government and set us up against each other, and then when you believe, as a throwback, as a fallback, you’re now asking for the removal from the House of the prime minister,” he said.

“Because, the intention is to first defeat the $300.7B Budget; to lock down the government; to create a constitutional crisis; and to breathe disaffection and rebellion among the people of this country.

“It is diabolical, and it has to be met squarely. It has to be answered; it has to be defeated,” the Prime Minister, who is also Leader of the House told the National Assembly late Friday.

A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT He further explained that the Constitution provides for the prime minister to be leader of government’s

business in the House, first vice-president and principal adviser to the president.

He said, too, that the president, in or out of Guyana, could authorise the prime minister to carry out “certain functions”, which could be “any function”.

“The Prime Minister, performing any functions, one or more, has never been invited to vacate his membership of the National Assembly.

“The Constitution provides that the president is elected, and once elected, he always remains the president until he is un-elected.

“The prime minister is an elected member of the National Assembly, and I cannot ipso facto un-elect myself. In fact, I cannot act on bad advice to un-elect myself,” Minister Nagamootoo was quoted by Demerarawaves as saying.

Jagdeo had said in his presentation that the prime minister is “squatting” in the National Assembly, as the Constitution clearly states that when a minister is performing presidential duties, or has assumed the office, his or her seat in the National Assembly should be regarded as vacant, and should be temporarily filled until the period expires.

According to Jagdeo, the Constitution makes provision for the president’s absence from Guyana due to illness or any other cause, whereby he or she can authorise any Cabinet member to perform presidential functions.

Said he: “We have had this prime minister come here over and over, when he is acting as president, in violation of our Constitution; squatting in the Parliament, contrary to the practice of the past, and we have allowed this to happen.

“We plan, Mr. Speaker, to raise this on Monday when we come to consider the estimates; his presence will not be missed in the House.”

NO BASIS In response to the foregoing charges, Minister Nagamootoo said that the opposition leader has no basis upon which to rest his personal contention, and therefore made a “feeble” attempt to “invoke the Constitution”.

He also called out Jagdeo for certain remarks made in

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Friday (Adrian Narine photo) the House, which he supposed was done in anticipation of the failure of the no-confidence motion to stand.

“I heard the Leader of the Opposition, in what must be an act of sustained desperation in which you could see not only the perspiration but the fear and the uncertainty... wants to charge the government with issuing threats to members of the Parliament,” he said, adding: “It is only a diabolical mind that would conjure up allegations of that type against honourable members of this House. And to impute that because there was a motion of no confidence tabled in this House that attempts would be made to deal with members of the government side who dare to support such an unpopular motion.”

Today’s sitting of the National Assembly will result in the scrutiny of Budget 2019’s estimates which contain specific programmes and initiatives proposed by the government for the year ahead.

The budget under debate remains the largest to date at $300.7B, and was first presented to the National Assembly on November 26, 2018.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Body of 61-year-old found floating in a ditch …at #22 Village, WCB THE body of a sixty-oneyear old man was discovered floating in a ditch alongside a street in #22 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) early Sunday morning not far from where he lived.

Reports suggest that Glixmont Rogers, aka Tony, of Lot 72 #22 Village, West Coast Berbice, apparently fell into the ditch and drowned while making his way home from a birthday party two

streets away.

Persons who last saw him alive said he left the party around 03:30hrs.

A young woman said that Rogers, who was a popular sexagenarian in the village, had turned down an offer by fellow party-goers for them to escort him home.

“He said he could manage himself to go home. We gave him a box of food. He took it; he said he was good to go and he walked off,” a young lady

recalled tearfully.

The spot where a passerby saw the body lying in a ditch with less than a foot of water in it is located not far from the house where the party was held.

His body was taken to a local funeral parlour pending a post-mortem examination.

Rogers, who was a carpenter/mason by profession, reportedly hailed from Linden where it is said that he has three children and from where he had moved to WCB quite a number of years ago, a close associate of the dead man said.

“He was always a cheerful fellow; always willing to help fellow villagers with

Deceased: Glixmont Rogers, aka ‘Tony’

chores and maintenance or repair works on their homes and so on, sometimes free of cost,” one resident said.

Rogers left to mourn his reputed wife, Grace McAlmont.

Police were up to late yesterday investigating the circumstances under which the man met his demise.

Monday, December 10, 2018 05:00hrs. - 06:30hrs.

Saturday 8, December, 2018

01 05 12 14 26 27 06

7, December, 2018

E

01 04 08 10 17

01, 02, 04, 20, 22

7, 6, 4

8, 7, 5

01, 06, 07, 11, 14

Enough with the lies

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

–– PM breaks silence; nails PPP ‘landslide victory’ boast for what it really is

By Lisa Hamilton

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has a bit of advice for the opposition, and that is that they stop the lies and get their facts right.

His admonition is in response to the People’s Progressine Party (PPP)’s peddling of its own statistics in support of its claim of a “landslide victory” at the recent local government elections (LGEs), and saying that it’s indicative of what to expect come the 2020 general abd regional elections.

It happened on Friday night during the final leg of the 2019 Budget debate, when he had occasion to set the record straight by refuting a PPP Member of Parliament (MP)’s claims, replete with figures, that his party won 61 per cent of the votes cast at the recent LGEs, when in fact all they got was a mere 21 per cent.

Addressing the issue in his ‘My Turn’ column on Sunday, Minister Nagamootoo referred to the lies being peddled by the opposition MP during the debate as nothing but an attempt to “spin a fiction” on the

impact of the LGEs on the Alliance For Change (AFC), and to target him through his home village of Whim.

‘EMPTY BOMBAST’ “I did not want to engage this issue, hoping that it would pass.

But when the PPP took its boast and empty bombast into Parliament during the budget debate, I decided to nail their lies, as my silence did not mean surrender to these false and faked figures!” the prime minister said, adding: “The opposition is in desperation mode and is picking on this small party, as it knows that every single vote for the AFC consigns it eternally to the opposition benches in Parliament.”

Explaining why the 61 per cent “landslide victory” claim should not be taken seriously and ought to be discredited, PM Nagamootoo said that while in general elections, a vote for a party anywhere is counted as a percentage of the total votes cast, with LGEs, a true picture can only be had when the areas that fielded full slates are examined.

And whereas the PPP

had only quoted figures for areas where the AFC contested, full slates or not, Minister Nagamootoo said that the AFC, on the other hand, contested full slates in the municipalities of Georgetown, Linden, Mahdia and Mabaruma, and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) of Bloomfield-Whim, Mocha-Arcadia and Diamond-Grove.

VOTES BY PARTY In terms of votes polled by party in the areas at reference, the APNU got 57.46 per cent, the PPP 30.27, and the AFC 11.40.

In terms of total votes secured by party, as against the 2018 register, the figures show that the PPP actually only secured 21 per cent with only 208,534 or a voter-turnout of 36 per cent.

Minister Nagamootoo said that given that he is one of the leaders in the AFC, his hometown of Whim also became fair

game for the opposition propaganda machinery, with the PPP even going as far as boasting that they had captured the majority of votes there, and that the only votes the AFC was able to get was from “the Nagamootoo family cabal.”

But, seasoned campaigner that he is, PM Nagamootoo was able to bolster his argument with statistics, proving that the APNU+AFC in 2016 secured 31 votes in Whim, while in 2018, the AFC independently contested two constituencies in the village, racking up a total of 62 votes, or an increase of 100 per cent.

HISTORIC IN-ROAD Said he: “The AFC has made an historic inroad into a PPP base, and has breached what has been for it, since 1964, an Indian-dominated ethnic fortress.

“This is what discerning Guyanese, looking for an answer to ethnic polarisation, should cele-

brate; not the empty boast of the triumph of political tribalism.”

However, he said that by comparison, the PPP was unable to acquire a single vote in the Buxton-Friendship constituency where the results were: APNU 1,336; AFC 103 and the PPP none.

“The PPP completely failed to show that it has multi-racial appeal, and that it could defeat the PNC on its African-dominated turf,” the prime minister said, adding: “The objective critics should compare and contrast Whim and Buxton, and examine which party has the greater potential, or even any semblance of popular appeal to impact Guyana’s ethnic and electoral problematic.”

The AFC’s track record shows that it received 35,555 or 10.32 per cent of votes in 2011; 28,366 or 8.4 in 2016 and 3,059 or 10.75 per cent in 2018.

“The critics have used the outcome of the local government elections to

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo put a wedge in the coalition.

They must show that the AFC was weakened, or decimated. But a study of the electoral fortunes of the AFC would show that it remains the most credible, genuinely authentic and consistently strong ‘third force’ in Guyana,” he contended.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

National development and conservation GUYANA is a big country.

Its huge, diverse landscape is habitat to 467 species of fish; 130 species of amphibians; 179 species of reptiles; 814 species of birds; and 225 species of mammals. And those are only the species that scientists have identified; there are also undiscovered species.

The scientists are still arguing about how many thousands of insects and other invertebrates inhabit Guyana’s forests. On the morning of January 12, 2015, Guyana signed the Paris Agreement. That agreement binds our country to conserve our wildlife, preserve their habitats, and reduce carbon emissions; it is the

most ambitious environmental document ever conceived by the human species.

On that occasion, President David Granger said, “Guyana, through the pursuit of a green economy, will spare no effort to contribute to both a sustainable future and to an effective global response to climate change.”

“Guyana is unique; we have species of animal and plant life which are found nowhere else on earth.”

Scientists have documented 21 species of the largest types of animals that are found only in Guyana: the Arapaima, the Black Caiman, the Bullet Ant, the Capybara, the Bushmaster, the Vampire Bat, the Giant Anteater, the Giant Arma-

dillo, the Giant Neotropical Toad, the Giant River Otter, the Giant River Turtle, the Goliath bird-eating Spider, the Green Anaconda, the Harpy Eagle, the Jaburu Stork, the Jaguar, the King Vulture, the Leatherback sea-turtle, the Lowland Tapir, the West India Manatee, and the Red Howler Monkey.

The experts say that we must work actively to preserve our heritage. If we don’t, those beautiful animals will be lost forever.

President David Granger’s vision of a “Green” State includes the conservation of what belongs to the Guyanese people. Nowhere else in the world can anyone say that they have a Giant

Anteater, Capybara, or Giant River Otter. Only Guyanese can say that.

As such, it is the determination of the administration that we preserve and foster our national heritage. Guyana’s Green Development Strategy is not only about conserving our animals and forests; it is about human survival. President David Granger said, “It provides environmental services such as the regulation of the water cycle, quality and pollination. Its forests capture and store carbon, thereby mitigating the greenhouse effect.

We provide environmental and ecological services that are essential to life on earth.”

President Granger made clear that Guyana is, and

will be at the forefront of environmental conservation; he said, “Guyana, through its environmental conservation policies, considers itself one of the guardians of ‘Mother Earth.’ It pledged at the Heads of Government Conference in Malaysia--long before the United Nations Conference and Environment and Development (UNCED) known as the Earth Summit--that Guyana will set aside for posterity and in perpetuity, 371, 000 hectares of our forests as a model of conservation and sustainable forest management.”

President Granger said, and wrote this year, “Guyana has committed itself to preserve its land

assets. We are committed to place an additional two million hectares under conservation and to convert the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation into a world-class biodiversity research facility. President Granger wrote that in his book, “The Green State.”

In his book, he headlined the Paris Agreement, the “Green” economy, the Guyana Shield, the Minamata Convention, Environmental Security, Solar Energy, and protection of our patrimony. The fact that we have a Head of State who takes time to write a book about where we intend to go as a nation, is remarkable.

Min. Lawrence’s statements reflect cold, hard truths Dear Editor MAYBE it was politically incorrect for the chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Volda Lawrence to express publicly that she will only give employment opportunities to supporters of her party, the largest grouping in the coalition government, A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

Of course, criticisms were fast, furious and emanated from all quarters to such a pronouncement.

However discriminatory was her statement, there are some cold, hard truths and realities that it reflects; and as a popular columnist would

have said, “Volda Lawrence merely made public what others do.”

Editor, if it is contended that the low turnout of voter support for APNU in the recently held Local Government Elections (LGEs) has been due to the latter’s neglect to service its support base, then voter reaction to the LGEs has been duly registered, with the message and all that it meant understood very clearly by APNU, especially, the People’s National Congress.

In clear and unambiguous terms, this is a prime example of voter support disenchantment, which warnings had been echoed by many commentators. In clear terms, this means that APNU’S support-

ers are disappointed because of the perceived neglect that they felt, and still do feel.

They vented their feelings by staying away from the polls.

This reaction mirrors a reality as far as the current socio-economic status in relation to of African Guyanese, and there can be no pretension that it does not exist. It is this situation which Volda Lawrence, in her capacity of chairperson of her party, expressed her views.

Editor, it does not take an alien to realise what the former PPP/C government did to African Guyanese in its 23 years of governance, as it evolved a programme that was specifically configured to place African Guyanese, the support base of the

PNC/R, outside of the circle of economic participation and beneficial gain. Even for those of this ethnic grouping, who for one reason or the other gravitated towards the PPP/C, they were never on par in terms of being part of the inner circle of cronies, who grew fat on the opportunities on offer, and even on the criminal spoils that were tailor made for the latter category By the time of the new dispensation, African Guyanese were pushed into the category of non-participants in the socio-economic activities of the nation where there were boundless opportunities for legitimate participation in return for material rewards.

They were denied the oppor-

tunities A perfect example of this outright discrimination that was undisguised, unconcealed, and unmistakably racist in its application, and which defined the political morality of the PPP/C was the manner of its dispensation of state contracts. Not only were the rules conveniently sidestepped, trampled, and overturned for rewarding the ethnicity of their base support, but also the question of the Procurement Commission had been deliberately stymied.

This particular act has left its destructive mark on the national ethnic landscape, where many African-Guyanese contractors were reduced to beggars, strangers,

and mere spectators to an activity that denied them the right to earn, not only for themselves, but also for scores of labourers.

Thus, for Bharrat Jagdeo to label Lawrence as “corrupt” because of her statement, and even threatening legal action has to be yet the biggest political, convenient nonsense, and case of self-induced amnesia that has been emitted from his forked tongue. All that she did was to pronounce the truth on a situation, that was scripted, and tailor made by this most dishonest of political opposition leaders, and which has impacted severely on one segment of the nation.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Linden Bridge lights up for Christmas season

The lit Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge

One of the decorated boats at Sunday’s Boat Parade

THE highly anticipated second Bridge Light-up and Boat Parade drew over 5,000 people together on Sunday evening in the mining town of Linden.

The annual event was hosted by the Linden Youth Leaders group and Linden’s Former Mayor Carwyn Holland, with the aim of promoting cohesiveness within the society and igniting the spirit of Christmas throughout the town. Giving brief remarks was the Mayor of Linden Waneka Arrindell who congratulated Holland and the Linden Youth Leaders for such an initiative.

Arrindell highlighted the significance of the Linden Mackenzie/Wismar bridge, FROM PAGE 6 A visit downtown to the commercial houses, offers another window into the reality of the institutionalised racism that has been enacted against African Guyanese – most stores employ Indo Guyanese, with a number of them never having had a single African on its staff for decades. But that has been a trademark of most sections of the country’s private sector, even against African-Guyanese applicants who have been better qualified than some who are employed within that sector.

Editor, there is no doubt that this government decided on a path of non-discrimination in its governance programme, in a country that has been deliberately been converted into a racist entity by the former PPP/C administration in furtherance of its programme of ethnic dominance. The coalition has proven its message of governing in the best interests of the nation and its entire people, by its numerous socio-economic interventions in communities where it has no support. But we all know that it was never so, during the racist reign of the PPP/C administration – they discriminated against African-dominated communities.

In fact, at a PNC biennual congress, a senior party official in his report had emphasised the fact that its supporters will have to

noting: “This bridge is significant to all of us in Linden, it’s the bridge where we know our heroes stood and our heroes fell in 2012 to make sure that we can maintain the integrity of this town.” She added, “I want tonight as you get the chance to light the bridge, that you’ll remember the strength and the resilience of the people of Linden and that as you light that bridge, a fire will be lit in your heart, a fire of love, a fire of peace and a fire of joy and as we enter this Christmas season I want that same fire to continue.”

Also present at the event was Minister of Public Affairs Dawn Hastings-Williams, who represented the President of Guyana

understand that it is not the only segment of the population that needs the attention of the government. Given the context of what would have been our ethnic realities, and its cumulative experience to date, and concomitant lessons, I have no doubt that it was a realistic position to take, especially given the political dynamics of the country.

However, the reality was of a country in which African Guyanese had been blatantly marginalised, and still looking for a place under the economic sun of Guyana.

The hands of African-Guyanese were not in the national pie as the other ethnic segment was, much being close to dispensing base.

I see nothing wrong in a party in government, tending to and ensuring the needs of its supporters, who would have given its all for having it elected to government, even in a nation that is as ethnically diverse as Guyana. It is a political fact in other states. However, this has to be done in a manner that must offer equal opportunities to other ethnicities, and not the other way around, as was the dictum of the PPP/C administration which had practised institutionalised racism and discrimination.

In reality, no one can accuse the coalition government of racism in its employment policy of Guyanese within the general pub-

lic service. As an example, it has been more than magnanimous in retaining many in public service positions that are staffed by well-known PPP/C adherents, who also ran on the PPP/C slate in 2015 and who are known to be part of a collective that has been stymieing socio-economic programmes which are critical to improving the lives of Guyanese and their communities.

Though Lawrence has apologised for her statements, she is not a racist, since she has been performing her ministerial responsibilities in the best interest of all Guyana and its people.

All that she would have done is to reflect on a delicate situation that pertains to her party supporters, which can no longer be ignored, be postponed, be overlooked, or be swept under the carpet. It has to be remedied without delay. By affirmative action to right the wrongs perpetrated under the PPP/C’s reign.

As an aside, it is the greatest of contradictions to have read the comments from a few political commentators; particularly those from a foremost Africanist Dr David Hinds, well-known for his pro-African views as far as the socio-economic condition of African Guyanese is concerned.

Though Hinds has warned as to the potential effect that Lawrence’s statements can have at the 2020 poll, he must be reminded

David Granger, who could not have been at the event.

Hastings stated, “Linden is a place that is very close to the President’s heart and you know he would have loved to be here with you celebrating your bridge light-up and Boat Parade. Unfortunately, he could not have been here, but I bring you his season’s greetings.”

According to Hastings, the government has included in Budget 2019, funds for the construction of a monument to commemorate the history of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge.

The monument will be built in memory of the lives that were taken at the bridge in Linden’s 2012 shutdown. that in so many of his columns, he was critical of what he has described as the government not tending to the needs of its supporters, especially the circumstances of African Guyanese; while ignoring their unchanged economic conditions and the discontent that such can have for future support. Though one may understand the context of this political scientist’s views, given the need for the government to attract voter support from the other ethnic groups, there has to be measures taken to deal with what is an overwhelming socio-economic imbalance against the African segment of the nation. This columnist must also be reminded of his views on social cohesion, in one of his many opinions on the concept in which he clearly challenged the concept of equality in a nation where there are existing, glaring economic disparities among the two largest ethnic groups. He has queried this coveted goal, given the extant reality. After having pronounced on Volda Lawrence’s statements, it is only fair that he offers suggestions as to how to elevate his fellow African Guyanese.

Editor, as an African Guyanese I have lived in this country all of my life, and has borne witness to the rise and establishment of institutionalised racism that have decimated my fellow African Guyanese, causing many to become unwilling

The crowd was treated to a short programme which included songs, dances and musical renditions after which attendees made their way on to the bridge to get a close look of it being lit.

In addition, an after-concert was held which showcased the talents of local artistes such as Senior Calypso Champion Brandon Harding, Junior Calypso Champion Jason Copeland, and “Lil Colwyn,” amongst others.

Over 1,000 children received presents, while 100 elderly persons were given hampers. The children hailed from all nursery schools and Grade One classes within Linden.

sycophants at the altar of survival; with even they too confined to the outside of the realm of the chosen few. While others have been made to live degraded lives, even though possessing the credentials for meritorious opportunities, others are just merely surviving.

Definitely, they all would have understood what Ms. Lawrence said, simply because it is about their state of existence and the need to improve it. The announced initiative of 20 per cent of contracts for small contractors, is indeed a welcome beginning, for it will offer

opportunities to a category whose capacity to expand were deliberately destroyed, by the former PPP/C administration who decided who got what, and how much.

Finally, in my own humble way, I am prepared to give weight to measures, all measures which will effect a fair and equitable deal for my fellow Africans who have suffered economic pain and martyrdom over the decades, at the hands of a racist PPP/C administration.

Regards Observer

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Maimed woman on road to full recovery

Gov’t condemns conman - for fake news on President’s health THE Ministry of the Presidency has rejected what it described as “the malicious and wicked publishing of false articles” relating to the health of President David Granger by Guyana Guardian, an online media outfit operated by well known conman Dennis Adonis.

The online entity published a story titled, ‘President cannot speak- Cancer is in the throat’ on Sunday.

The Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) said despite issuing several press releases and videos of the Head of State on the issue of his health, the Guyana Guardian continues to spread fake news via its website and Facebook page with the intent of causing public mischief and panic.

“President Granger has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and not throat cancer as is being suggested by the online media outfit. He is currently being treated in the Republic of Cuba by specialists,” the ministry said. In fact, President Granger, along with his wife, First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger, departed Guyana for Cuba to undergo a second round of treatment at the Centro de Investigaciones Médico Quirúrgicas (CIMEQ), the MoTP said.

The MoTP said prior to his departure, the President explained that CIMEQ has drafted a sched-

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger

ule of treatment which will run until May 2019. After his second round of treatment, the President is expected to return to Cuba later this month to begin the third cycle of chemotherapy. “While the Government of Guyana respects the fundamental right of its citizens to freedom of speech, as well as press freedom, it condemns in the strongest possible way, the publishing of misinformation [and] untruths,” the MoTP said.

The Ministry of the Presidency called on members of the public not to be duped by the misinformation. Adonis is no stranger

to controversy. In 2010, he was charged with fraudulently converting $542,000 to his personal use after he had been entrusted with the money to purchase 100 modems. Adonis had also collected money from the wider public a few years ago under the pretext that he was bringing professional World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestlers from the US to Guyana. That scheme collapsed after it was exposed by the media.

Other scams included the promised provision of a wireless communication service, the Royal Antigua money transfer service, which collected people’s money from overseas but failed to deliver same in Guyana; and there were numerous socalled training schemes including a fake institution for training of air stewards.

He had also claimed to be an internationally recognised journalist who contributes to the popular Huffington Post, Yahoo and CNN. The “international journalist” boasted of being among the first wave of journalists on the ground in Liberia during the Ebola crisis, and on the front-lines in Crimea during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He also claims to have authored 20 published books in at least five different languages.

TIGI congratulates Integrity Commission Dear Editor TIGI hereby acknowledges the work of the Integrity Commission in publishing the names of the persons in public life who failed to submit their declarations as required by the Integrity Commission Act. We recognise this as a step in the right direction and also wish to congratulate those

officials who complied with the requirements.

We are encouraged by the public statements of some of those who have been cited for non-compliance and look forward to their satisfaction of that commitment. We call on all Guyanese to support this effort of the Integrity Commission by seeing it as a bright start to holding ourselves – all of us – to

account.

The call for activation of the Integrity Commission has been a long-standing demand from TIGI. Once again, we applaud the commission for the sterling work that it has begun.

Regards Troy Thomas Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc

- following brutal cutlass attack by her ‘child father’ THE mother of six who was brutally chopped multiple times to the neck by her livein partner, who took his own life by hanging, is on the road to recovery, say relatives.

Malicia Andrews is still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where she is said to be out of danger and has since been warded in the female surgical section of the institution.

According to a relative, Carmelita, the 31-year-old is responsive and is fully aware of the circumstances that have led to her hospitalisation; but she is in a lot of pain which is accompanied by high fever.

Following her successful surgery to mend the cutlass-inflicted wounds to her neck, Andrews has been responding well to treatment and medical professionals are optimistic she will make a full recovery.

Doctors, so far, were able to re-attach two of three fingers which were chopped off from one of her hands and both her ears have since been sutured, as well.

Last month, Andrews received multiple chop wounds to the neck which almost severed her head from her body. She was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre after which she was referred to the GPHC. A day later, after surging blood pressure was controlled and she was placed on a life support machine, a surgical operation was performed and she was placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Andrews had left her home after a

On the road to full recovery: Malicia Andrews.

row with her ‘child father’, 39-yearold Ian English with whom she has a three-year-old child. English had reportedly accused her of being unfaithful.

The woman went to her mother’s house a short distance away and English followed. The couple then got into a heated argument when Andrews refused to return home with him; it was then that he inflicted on her multiple chop wounds, mostly on her neck. The man allegedly hanged himself following the cutlass assault.

Two die in Ogle smash-up TWO youngsters on a motorcycle have reportedly died following an accident late Saturday night involving the motorcycle they were riding and a jeep in the vicinity of Ogle, on the lower East Coast.

Dead are 20-year-old Jason Harris, who was riding the motorcycle, CJ 6360, and his 18-year-old friend and pillion rider, Rameshwar Singh.

According to the police, as reported by the Stabroek News, the accident occurred around 23:20hrs and involved motor jeep PGG 8844, which was being driven east along the northern carriageway of the Ogle Public Road.

Eyewitnesses reportedly told the

police that upon approaching the intersection at the Ogle Access Road, the driver of the jeep was about to turn right, when the motorcycle which was travelling west along the public road, ran into it.

Both Harris and Singh who were reportedly knocked off the motorcycle and fell unconscious onto the roadway, were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), but died early Sunday morning.

While a breathalyser test was done on the driver, and no alcohol was detected, he is currently in police custody assisting with the investigation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Local content is about efficiency,competitiveness –– not a sense of entitlement, says GOAG’s Nigel Hughes DIRECTOR in the Guyana Oil and Gas Association Inc. (GOGA) Nigel Hughes has said that the conversation on local content for Guyana’s oil and gas industry should encourage efficiency and competitiveness, instead of encouraging a sense of entitlement to local businesses.

Hughes firmly expressed his view that Guyanese have approached the discussion on local content in the wake of the nascent oil and gas industry from the wrong perspective.

“We have started to look at how much it should [be] protected and guaranteed for locals as opposed to how we get our possible contribution and possible participation in the oil and gas industry efficient and competitive, so that we create a world-class industry for the provision of goods and services in the oil and gas industry,” he stated.

It might be a “tall order” to encourage this efficiency and competitiveness, according to Hughes, but he also stressed that anything else would be “state subsidy for inefficient practice.”

Hughes shared these sentiments as he

delivered feature remarks at the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG)’s Annual Gala and Dinner, held on Saturday evening. The central theme of the evening’s proceedings was: “The benefits of an efficient local content policy in value creation in Guyana’s oil and gas industry.”

Moreover, the director posited that there has been much debate surrounding local content since the discovery of oil in 2015, where the concept of local content has been defined differently for different people.

According to the World Bank, a local content policy-- specifically in the extractive industries-- aims to leverage the extractive value chain to generate sustained and inclusive growth through economic diversification and employment opportunities; its aim is to also generate opportunities for regional integration and international trade, which could gradually reduce countries’ dependence on external aid. The World Bank also states that local content depends on the early engagement and collaboration among government, extractive industry companies,

A section of the gathering at the SAG event on Saturday night. Seated at right is ExxonMobil Guyana’s Country Manager, Rod Henson

and communities.

Hughes contended that in Guyana, local content is viewed with an emphasis on the very words: “Local” and “Content.”

“For some, all the jobs generated in the industry had to be first offered to Guyanese; for some, companies which were incorporated to provide goods and services for the oil and gas industry had to have local directorship; for some, ownership of the companies which operated within the industry had to have significant Guyanese equity, and for others, most of the goods and services supplied to the industry had to originate from Guyana,” he opined.

As such, he also highlighted that local stakeholders began debating local content with that fundamental flaw-- that there was not a clear definition of what this entails.

“One had hoped that for a country which had no history in oil and gas production, that perhaps, we might have been driven to agree on a few baseline definitions and objectives before we started a national conversation on local content,” he said.

And this conversation is exacerbated by a prevailing sense of antagonism, according to the attorney-at-law.

“We ain’t getting it right and we ain’t going to get it right,” is a constant mantra, Hughes said. And for him, this situation places Guyana and Guyanese in a very precarious situation.

“Daily, various experts--whether self-proclaimed or otherwise--offered their analyses in the national newspapers of [how] dire conditions were because of the discovery of oil,” Hughes said and explained that these analyses stemmed from what persons believe were less than optimal results of negotiating with an oil-major on the production agreement and less than adequate preparation for potential disasters.

Resultantly, he further explained that: “The population-- with no database or framework against which they could [navigate] the various dramatic headlines-- were fed a diet of almost constant and certain corruption, exploitation, incompetence and greed which lay ahead of us.

“In the absence of a clearly defined national vision for the future with oil as a significant revenue generator, it was open season on why we collectively as a nation were doomed before we started as an oil and gas producing country.”

He added that the country has also become inundated by experts--both local and international-- with the recommendations of what is needed to be done to avoid every curse known to oil and what is needed to “catch up” with the rest of the world.

But Hughes affirmed: “We don’t just want to catch up, we want to catch up and pass what currently exists in the world.”

And in so doing, he contended that a change of mindset, a change of approach and in some instances, a change in some aspects of the culture are necessary-- not only for development in the oil and gas sector-- but to also guide the national development trajectory for the next quarter-century.

WAY FORWARD Cognisant of the need for Guyana to efficiently manage this emerging industry, Hughes said that in the country’s endeavour to create efficient local content, the areas that will foster real capital growth and development should be identified first.

“The creation of jobs is very sexy to politicians, but in reality the scope for the gen-

GOGA Director Nigel Hughes addressing the SAG Annual Gala and Dinner eration of wealth through the initial stages of production in jobs is miniscule,” he stated.

Instead, concentrated efforts should be made on contributing to the lowering of the cost of production, less lead time and effecting more efficient operations, he said.

Achieving this also requires good political stewardship.

“Instituting local content policies which drive the costs in the opposite direction will not inure to our benefit,” Hughes warned and said the country will pay for these shortcomings sooner or later.

There are some areas which should be concentrated on however, according to him.

These include developing up and downstream industries, associated industries, insurance, maritime and engineering services, manufacturing and assembly of remote operating vehicles, project management, laboratories, research facilities etc.

And importantly, he stressed that developing a “world-class” human resource pool-at all levels of production-- would only augur well for the country.

Earlier this month, oil giant ExxonMobil made its 10th discovery offshore Guyana and increased its estimate of the discovered recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to more than five billion oil-equivalent barrels. “[More than five] billion barrels will afford us the opportunity to not only transform Guyana, but create national development which is unprecedented in the world,” Hughes said.

Additionally, he noted: “The optimal exploitation of this gift requires not only an assessment of where the current gaps exist, but the creation of a long-term development plan which will take us to be the most efficient producer of goods and services in the industry globally.”

And since Guyana does not have a large working population, Hughes affirmed that the goal for employment in Guyana should be “highly skilled, well paid [and] competitive.”

“If we work towards becoming the preferred destination for investment with the best rates of return in the industry while creating the best environment, work and project management force in the world, Guyana will become a first world destination in under 12 years,” he opined.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Another $300M for city restoration initiative –– contracts to go through national procurement system THE Mayor and City Council is set to receive another $300 million for the Georgetown Restoration Programme in the 2019 national budget and the Ministry of Communities (MoC) hopes that having the contracts for the programme go through the national procurement system will curtail certain accountability issues that the fund has been plagued with in the past.

Town Clerk Royston King has been known to award multi-million dollar works at City Hall without the issuing of contracts, and extended the same protocol in the issuing of contracts for the programme, which has had some $700 million injected into it since 2015.

The auditor general in his annual report flagged several accountability issues with the $500 million allotted between 2015 and 2016, including irregularities in the awarding of the contracts.

One contractor--XL Engineering--has come forward to say that they are still owed millions on a contract they had obtained through the programme. There are other questions surrounding the procurement process and how contracts were awarded.

There is at least one case of a single contractor being awarded 12 contracts totalling $21 million, despite the fact that there was a stipulation of a maximum four contracts per contractor.

To avert further cases of this in 2019, the Ministry of Communities promises to utilise the national procurement system, which has policies governing public sector procurement.

“The Ministry of Communities will execute the project using the national procurement system, that way ensuring the procurement system is followed and all engineering standards are met for the execution of the project,” related MoC

Permanent Secretary, Emil McGarrell.

“City Council will identify the project and the government along with the city engineer will prepare the tender document and it will be tendered at the national level; and it will be awarded at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.”

The programme had incremental disbursements of $300 million in 2015, $200 million in 2016 and $200 million in 2018. No money was allocated in 2017.

From the 2016 allocation, the council could not produce any evidence accounting for some $70.489 million out of the $200 million given to them; prior to that, in the 2015 allocation there was no evidence of payments totalling $12.816M. According to a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ministry and the council, the $200 million was scheduled

Eastern Airlines seeks approval to fly Guyana –– Dynamic Airways-rebranded carrier plans to start service shortly EASTERN Airlines has applied to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to provide a once-weekly scheduled service between New York and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

According to a notice which was published in Sunday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle, Eastern Airlines seeks to operate

ed in 2017 and was bought over by Swift Air. Following a range of investment manoeuvring, a document seen by this newspaper indicates that Dynamic International Airways has applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate its Boeing 767 aircraft under the Eastern Airlines name.

The document filed with the U.S. au-

from December 15, 2018. The licence, if granted by the GCAA, will be valid for a three-year period.

Previously, Eastern Airlines which was headquartered in Miami operated a charter service between Guyana and New York through an arrangement with Travel Span and One Guyana. However, Eastern Airlines fold-

thorities states that Kenneth Wolley, a 38% shareholder of Swift Air, the company which bought over Eastern Airlines, became a 100% owner at Dynamic Airways after its exited bankruptcy earlier this year. As a result, Dynamic is able to See page 14

to be spread across a number of rehabilitation projects, including works at the Kitty Market, the Constabulary Training School and headquarters building, City Engineer’s building, and the Albouystown Clinic, as well as the purchase of office materials, equipment and furnishings.

The council failed to comply with special conditions of the MoU which specified that the council was expected to use a special commercial bank account to “keep the financial resources’. The ministry was also expected to authorise all payments charged under this account, but all transactions were authorised by the council. A master inventory was also not maintained.

In 2015, of $300 million,

some $52 million was allocated for de-bushing of Le Repentir Cemetery and $6.2 million was scheduled for the purchase of a vehicle, while $241.637 million went to the Georgetown restoration project. The auditor general concluded that the restoration grant to the council was not utilised as intended.

Of note is the fact that though the M&CC was called to account for $241.637 million, they submitted payment vouchers totalling $247.558 million, $5.921 million more than what they were given.

Additionally, though the city treasurer is required to certify all payments by the council, the city treasurer’s approval was not present on seven vouchers totalling $8 million. Payment vouchers totalling $30 million did not

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communities, Emil McGarrell have the Finance Committee’s full approval.

The Finance Committee’s approval is another requirement for the validation of payments by the council.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Government bailout for City Hall not on the cards

A GOVERNMENT bailout for the grossly indebted Georgetown Mayor and City Council (MCC) is not something that the Central Government would be looking to facilitate, notwithstanding the recommendations for such in the recently released City Hall Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report.

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, says he has not yet fully assessed the revelations and recommen-

dations of the CoI report, however he does not believe a government bailout is imminent, especially in light of money already being channeled to the council by government.

“The government has been providing considerable financial resources by way of subvention to the Georgetown [Mayor and City] Council and it will continue to do so, but on the question of a mass bailout I don’t think that is on the

cards,” Bulkan said in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle earlier this week.

A bailout by Central Government is one of the chief recommendations of the CoI report, which was compiled by Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard, the Chairman of the CoI. The report was handed over to the Local Government Commission (LGC) on November 30.

“I would recommend that there be… a government intervention to settle the outstanding debts,” the report

quotes the Chairman - and sole Commissioner - as saying.

It notes that the bailout should come tied to certain conditions.

The report determines that City Hall owes over $47 billion to varying organisations, businesses, citizens and employees; the chief creditor being the Guyana Power and Light Inc., owed for electrical service.

Millions are also owed to the employees’ credit union, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). The report also includes instances where it recommends compensation for some individuals owed by the council.

“I am in receipt of a copy, I’ve looked at it but I’ve not digested it fully as yet,” Bulkan related.

“I propose to look at it more carefully. There may

be some areas that we will have responsibility for, but this CoI was commissioned by the LGC, and they’re the ones that have responsibility for regulations of the recommendations.”

Instead of looking towards a bailout from the Central Government the focus on is on making City Hall and other local government organs, more self-sufficient through their collection of rates and taxes. Towards this end a countrywide property evaluation has commenced.

“The Central Government is aware of the revenue challenges that face not only City Hall, but other local government organs by virtue of the fact that they’ve been no property valuation since 1995, which results in the absence of reliable and up to date information with regards to property value, one of the principal revenue tools. In recognition

of this and in acceptance of this fact, Central Government has approved a $320 million contract for the countrywide evaluation, which would help to strengthen their ability to apply rates. It would pave the way for sustainability,” Bulkan explained.

This aside, Central Government nonetheless provides massive funding to all municipalities and neighbourhood democratic councils (NDCs) across the country.

In the 2019 budget, some $602 million is put aside for subventions, in the 2018 budget $1.026 billion had been budgeted for. How the local government organs spend the money however has often come in for question.

The 2017 Audit Report cited that most of the NDCs do not have up to date audits; in at least one particular case no audit has been done since 1995.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

seeks approval ...

From page 11

use the ‘Eastern’ brand.

Guyanese travellers are familiar with Dynamic Airways and its troubles. In July 2017, following several instances when passengers were stranded at the CJIA and the JFK airport, the carrier announced that it had filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court.

It stated that it intended to continue its operations here as its principals had restructured plans. The airline noted that its decision to file for bankruptcy protection followed litigation matters resulting from Hajj flights the airline operated in 2014 for Air India.

Later, Dynamic made its final flight out of Guyana in October 2017 and left it to the travel agents here to inform passengers it left behind that they needed to officially write the company requesting refunds for tickets purchased. Several weeks before the announcement, travel agents indicated that they were unable to book flights with the troubled airline.

Dynamic subsequently announced that as of March 8, 2018, it was out of bankruptcy protection and would be developing its ACMI charter business under its Eastern Air Lines brand.

According to documents filed with the United States authorities, Dynamic said in its reorganisation plan that it would continue to provide charter flights to rebuild its finances, since it sees “substantial unmet public/market need for carriers with wide-body convertible aircraft.”

The company has begun seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase its fleet beyond the current limit of five “large aircraft” to 10.

Dynamic was also quoted as saying that they have the infrastructure and ability to operate the 10 aircraft.

Guyana remains an extremely lucrative market for air travel and with the upcoming oil and gas sector set to boost the economy significantly, as well as completion of the expansion of the CJIA to accommodate larger wide-body planes, the country’s strategic location between the Caribbean, South, Central and North America may very well remain an ideal operating destination.

Just last month, American Airlines launched its service here and reports are that a number of other major U.S. carriers, including United Airlines, have expressed an interest in flying here.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Differences aside, we’re still neighbours

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–– Greenidge pledges ‘meaningful functional cooperation’ with Venezuela

NOTWITHSTANDING Guyana’s border controversy with Venezuela and its ongoing case at the International Court of Justice, Guyana is still willing to cooperate with Venezuela whenever necessary, particularly as it pertains to the Spanish-speaking country’s current mass exodus due to economic hardship.

Mr Carl B. Greenidge, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his budget debate remarks before the House on Friday, touched on international relations between Guyana and several countries, particularly our immediate continental neighbours -- Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil.

“Notwithstanding the ICJ process, Guyana remains open to pursuing meaningful functional cooperation wherever the opportunity arises. And we have sought to do just this,” Greenidge explained.

“Venezuela remains our neighbor, so we still have to work closely with them on matters of mutual interest where possible within the framework of several regional and international arrangements, and institutions with which we share common membership.”

Greenidge recognised the current situation of the influx of Venezuelan migrants entering Guyana and noted that Guyana needs to be mindful

of how the situation is handled, even in the handling of those who enter illegally.

“Let’s not forget Guyana itself has been the origin of many migrants to distant and near shores,” Greenidge reminded.

“So in fashioning our own policies and reactions to the movements of persons we have to bear that in mind.

So we’ve sought to address these regular as well as irregular flows by putting in place mechanisms to avoid the undesirable feature of criminalising those migrants forced to move simply for infringement of relatively routine immigrations laws.

Part of our goal here is to use means that while they protect our security and national interest and our citizens do not go overboard, that move for reasons that we can understand politically.”

Relations between Guyana and its western neighbour have always been strained by Venezuela’s continued claim to Guyana’s territory. This border controversy was aggravated in 2015 following Guyana’s discovery of oil.

Venezuela is claiming that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which had given more than 90 per cent of an area to then British Guiana (now Guyana), is null and void. Approximately 118 years after that award was issued, Guyana remains resolute in its position that a

juridical course of action is the only means through which this matter can be permanently resolved.

Earlier this year, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres referred the Guyana/Venezuela controversy to the ICJ.

Touching on Guyana’s relations with its other immediate neighbours, Suriname and Brazil, Greenidge said that relations have been favourable.

Guyana has been working on border relations with Suriname, while Guyana and

Brazil recently celebrated 50 years of bilateral relations.

“Relations with Suriname are a warm relationship with its challenges, but challenges are not without solutions. [They] require political will. Both Suriname and Guyana have much

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl B. Greenidge to gain, and the political will is there,” Greenidge noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Linden Martyrs deserve more

–– Jordan calls on gov’t to do better by their relatives FINANCE Minister Winston Jordan on Friday called on the government to do better by the relatives of the three Linden men who lost their lives back in 2012 during unrest in their community.

The men, Ron Somerset,

tute (LTI) student $3M as well; and that of Somerset, who was just 18 when he died, $1M. Said Minister Jordan when issuing the call for more compensation on Friday: “I am asking my section

in 2012 to send a strong message to the then administration that they had no intention of bowing to the pressure imposed on them by way of a hike in electricity tariffs from $5 per kilowatt to $65.

During the unrest, the

bridges were also destroyed.

The CoI into the incident would later conclude that the bullets which killed the trio came from the guns of law-enforcement officers.

Only recently was it made public that Bouyea’s mother is in dire need of

Shemroy Bouyea and Allan Lewis, were all shot dead on July 18, 2012 during unrest in the mining town of Linden over a proposal by the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government to hike electricity rates there.

Minister Jordan made the call while wrapping up the 2019 National Budget debate on Friday night in the National Assembly, amidst claims that one of the members on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the unrest was paid more money than the total payout made to the families of all three victims.

This is in addition to his announcement last Monday during his presentation of the national budget that monies have been set aside for the erection of a monument in the town in honour of the Linden trio.

Following the findings of the Linden CoI, it was reported that the estate of Lewis was awarded $3M; that of Bouyea, a 24-yearold Linden Technical Insti-

here to revisit the compensation that was given to those people; they were unarmed people protesting for their rights and they were killed.”

Lindeners had taken to the streets for 36 days back

entire township was shut down, while main roads were rendered impassable.

Several government buildings, among them a school, were gutted by fire, while public roads and

help, as she currently lives in a dilapidated apartment under very inhumane conditions.

Several persons have since joined a drive to rehabilitate her home.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

Linden private workers urge stricter enforcement of minimum wage

By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE 2019 budget has made provisions for public servants to benefit from a new minimum wage of $64, 000. Minimum wage for public servants has seen a progressive increase of nearly 52 per cent in two years, from $39,570, in 2015 to $60,000 in 2017.

While this year’s budget has not seen an increase in minimum wage for private workers, leaving it at the present, $44, 200, which was enacted in 2017, private workers employed in the mining town of Linden, are calling for stricter enforcement of this, as they too can enjoy the good life befitting public servants.

Speaking to a few privately employed workers, who continue to earn far below the legally stipulated minimum wage, they all expressed their frustration, not that budget 2019 had nothing in store for them, but that what was in store previously, is not be respected by many employers. “You know sometimes you would get a bit jealous when you

hear public servants getting this and getting that and you not getting it, you still carrying home $27,000 when the month come and is not like you don’t have qualifications like them, but the Government implementing things and not ensuring that we are paid properly,” one employee of a popular drug store in Linden lamented.

One security guard attached to a private firm also lamented low rates in wages and noted that even after working several hours of overtime, his salary is still below the minimum wage.

He is calling for the relevant authorities to ensure that all Guyanese, as longs employed and paying the relevant taxes, should not take home a salary less than $44, 200. “Not because we are not being paid from the government’s coffers mean that we should not be given what is due to us, sometimes two, three months does pass and we don’t get paid,” the security guard said. He revealed that while he supplements his salary with both old age and NIS pensions, there are others who are

receiving only their salary and he sometimes wonder how they survive on same.

“I done old and I fighting up to get a roof over my head, I don’t have minor and them things but I need a roof over my head, that’s why I’m still working, but I does study my squaddie them that young and get wife and children, how they really surviving on thirty something thousand a month, how they really doing it, I don’t know,” the security guard lamented.

He reasoned that employees within the Ministry of Social Protection and the Department of Labour who are sure of getting their salary increases, retroactive tax free payments and so forth, should take their jobs seriously in ensuring that defaulting employers are prosecuted, especially foreign employers (speaking of the Chinese operating supermarkets in Linden) who are exploiting their workers and not giving them their due.

Last year, this publication interviewed several salesgirls in the Mackenzie Market who related several horrifying stories of exploitation.

On Friday, many of them noted that things have not changed.

The salesgirls had related that their salaries are between $8,000 to $9,000 per week. They work six days a week and, if for any reason they miss a day’s work, the pay is cut. One salesgirl said her salary is even cut when a public holiday falls on a work day.

Another salesgirl who has five children and has been working at a variety store for several years, said she does not receive any sick days, or bonuses, her NIS is not being paid and her salary is very low.

This publication was told that social services officials visited the market arena and were soliciting views from

employees, but it was not tactfully done since the employers were right there.

While the wages situation may be debatable, several sections of the labour laws are still being broken, such as workers not being paid for not working on a national holiday or workers NIS not being honoured.

According to the Ministry of Social Protection National Minimum Wage Order, businesses within the private sector are required to pay their employees no less than $44,200 per month.

In accordance with Section 8 of the Labour Act, “the minimum rate of wages payable to an employed person shall not be less than $255.00 per hour or $2,040 per day or $10,200.00 per week or

$44,200.00 per month, as the case may be.”

This order targets persons operating in the food, transportation, manufacturing, social services, health, hospitality and entertainment, security, garment, agriculture and tourism sectors, among others. Workers are stipulated to work 40 hours per week and should not exceed five days per week.

The order further stated that any employer who fails to comply with the provisions of the order will be liable upon summary conviction to a fine of $45,000 for the first offence and for any second or subsequent offence, to a fine of $90,000 and one month’s imprisonment

Two new compactor trucks for Linden MTC GARBAGE collection woes in Linden will be significantly alleviated now that the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) is in receipt of two spanking new compactor trucks gifted to the municipality by Bosai Minerals Group Guyana (BMGG).

assist us greatly in alleviating the problem of solid waste management in our township, and we will make sure that what it is presented for is what it will be used for,” she said.

Holland had mentioned Bosai fulfilling its promise to him as one of his most noted

Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell receiving the keys and registration of the trucks from Bosai’s General Manager Eric Yu. They are flanked by employees of LMTC and Bosai The trucks were officially handed over by Bosai’s General Manager Eric Yu to Mayor of Linden Waneka Arrindell and Town Clerk Orleena Ombermulla, during a simple ceremony on Sunday. While the trucks came to Linden months ago during former Mayor Carwyn Holland’s tenure, as he was the one who had petitioned for same during a trip to China, Eric Yu said that it was only now it could have been handed over, as the paperwork had to be finalised. Yu said that Bosai has always been taking its corporate responsibility seriously and it is always gratifying to share in the development of Linden. Only last Saturday, the company awarded bursaries to the country’s and Region Ten’s top National Grade Six Assessment performers.

After receiving the keys and registrations of the trucks, Mayor Arrindell said that the trucks will assist greatly in the municipality’s effort to manage solid waste. “This truly will

accomplishments during his two-term tenure.

He said that with the two new compactor trucks and the two that the Council also bought during his tenure, should enable the Council to master garbage collection and alleviate Lindeners from going into their pockets to pay a private company for garbage collection.

“It is my belief that Linden people deserve a break from all these bills and all these things that face us, Linden has been impoverished for so long, I believe no one in Linden should be paying for garbage collection once every hold their rates and taxes, once these things coming in, I believe we should provide a service to our community and I think we can become the first town to achieve this,” Holland said.

With the recently newly elected Council, residents have listed garbage collection as a priority in which the councillor should focus on.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 10, 2018

30 local volunteers honoured

THE Department of Youth on Saturday honoured 30 volunteers from across Guyana for their work in contributing to the development of the nation.

The International Volunteer Day for Economic

“no one is left behind” by continuously addressing inequalities and gaps in society.

Speaking to the 30 volunteers that were being recognised and to the hundreds of other volunteers in at-

The volunteers that were recognised by the Department of Youth on Saturday at the Umana Yana share a photo with Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael Haynes (seated second left) and Liaison Officer for The United Nations Population Fund (Guyana) Alder Bynoe (seated third left) Shanette Dey, Onika Frank, Shemar Davis and Esmond Allsopp.

Representing the Department of Youth was Ger-

One volunteer, Gavin Thomas receives his award of recognition from Liaison Officer for The United Nations Population Fund (Guyana) Alder Bynoe and Social Development, more commonly referred to as International Volunteer Day, was observed on December 5. In observance of this, the department decided to honour these outstanding persons.

Speaking at the event held in honour of the volunteers, at the Umana Yana on Saturday, Liaison Officer for The United Nations Population Fund (Guyana) Alder Bynoe highlighted: “Volunteers dedicate their time, service and efforts in supporting the sustainable development of their communities and of course, of this great country.”

Additionally, he noted that volunteers play a pivotal role in ensuring that

tendance, Bynoe posited: “You enhance community knowledge, you allow for resilience in our communities as well as for the overall people-centered development.”

The persons being recognised were: Colin Moore, Kevin Cornette, Tisha Campbell, Edward Singh, Kimberley Kingston, Nolle Readie, Renisha Adams, Tarhish Stanley, Delicia Daly, Nikesha Bacchus, Malisa Peters, Otisha Vanbrook, Chelsie France, Kennisha Halley, Marcia Belle, Chris Lewis, Roland Alexander, Goldie Scott, Shavon Savory, Osbert Nurse, Gavin Thomas, Judine Peters-Welch, Ayana Hinds, Autavia Powers, Marvin Drakes, Diane Pompey,

maine Watson who said, “Today is just a thank you to those faces that are here and those faces that can share many experiences of changing the lives of others.”

He too acknowledged the key importance of volunteers and highlighted, “Volunteers give of their time and service without the expectation of a monetary reward in the end.”

Watson also shared that the awardees were chosen by the various organisations they represent—ranging from those that do work in health, advocacy or skills training—and from the volunteer corps of the department.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

GCC lift Noble House Second-Division Two-day Trophy ...Bailey finishes with 10-wicket match haul A MATCH haul of 10 for 120 from seam bowler, Bernard Bailey, overshadowed an aggressive halfcentury from Paul Tyndell and quality spin bowling from Jason Heyliger as the home team, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), romped to victory after earning first innings points in their two-day championship clash against the Police Sports Club.

Nineteen wickets fell on day two of the Georgetown Cricket Association’s Noble House Seafoods Two-Day Second-Division Cricket final, but despite a spirited fightback from the lawmen, they were unable to make up for their poor batting performance in the first innings, which inevitably decided the outcome.

Scores in the game: Police 107 all out in 47.5 overs and 151-9 declared off 30 overs; GCC 144 in 69.2 overs and 69-3 from 21 overs. Result: match drawn.

GCC secured a first innings lead on Sunday morning through the batting of Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed and Timothy McAlmont. The pair added 49 runs for the fourth wicket before Ali-Mohamed (overnight score of 16) was caught behind for 33.

McAlmont, who had scored two on Saturday afternoon, battled to a score of 42 (3x4s), but he had little support as the last five wickets fell for three runs.

Pernell London, who cleaned up the tail, took three wickets for three runs from two overs, while Hemchand Persaud and Heyliger finished with two

wickets each.

AGGRESSIVE BATTING Police in their second innings started aggressively with Tyndell and Reginald Rodrigues storming to 41 in six overs, but the aggression was not well controlled and GCC used it to their advantage.

Their pacers, Bailey and Ali-Mohamed, were tasked with bowling slightly wide outside the off stump, which forced the visitors to make mistakes—and they did.

Rodrigues (14) was the first to go, as he edged a ball to wicket-keeper, Skipper Khemraj Jaikaran, off the bowling of Bailey.

Tyndell continued his usually aggressive batting, but he had little support.

Kemol Savory also edged a ball to the keeper, while Andrew Lyght (19), who played some nice ground shots, miss-hit a ball that was gobbled up by Mohamed-Ali running in from backward of square.

Bailey picked up Jason Heyligher and London, while Trevor Benn was run out by an excellent direct hit from Joshua Wade on the boundary ropes.

In the end, Bailey finished with 4-84 from 15 overs and Ali-Mohamed 2-60 from 15 overs, while Tyndell was left unbeaten on 73 . His team then attempted to bowl out GCC in 21 overs.

Wade, who opened with Seegobin, took the attack to the lawmen, but the introduction of Heyliger swung the pendulum. The off-spinner extracted bounce and spin from the pitch, which excited the visitors, and they were rewarded. Wade edge one to London at first slip, while Seegobin was struck LBW before Jaikaran was bowled by a beauty of a ball. Ali-Mohamed (27) and McAlmont (06) then batted their team to safety before play ended.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

Spin conundrum for New Zealand ahead of Sri Lanka challenge WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand cricket coach Gary Stead has a conundrum ahead of him as he mulls over the selection of a spinner for the first Test against Sri Lanka, with only one likely to be picked.

Stead and his team returned to New Zealand on Sunday after wrapping up a rare away series victory against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and will rapidly move into preparations for their first test against Sri Lanka next Saturday in Wellington.

Unlike the spin-friendly conditions in the UAE, the Basin Reserve is likely to be more conducive to going with a three-pronged pace attack with Neil Wagner joining Trent Boult and Tim Southee with just a solitary spinner.

New Zealand used two slow bowlers in each of the three tests in the UAE, with left arm spinner Ajaz Patel and offspinner Will Somerville instrumental in the first

and third test victories.

Legspinner Ish Sodhi also appeared in two of the matches.

With Mitch Santner and Todd Astle both injured but likely to return this summer, Stead said the selection of a slow bowler would be difficult.

“We’ll have to pick one - it’s hard and that’s a really good place to be in,” Stead told reporters at Auckland Airport on Sunday. “You look at the likes of Mitch Santner and Todd Astle who are both out as well, and then we’ve had three spinners on this tour with Ish, Ajaz and Will.

“It’s a good place to be in, it’s not easy, but there will be one that’s selected.”

Stead said he would name his squad on Monday for the first of the two matches, which if New Zealand win 2-0 can vault them to number two in the world test rankings.

The former top-order batsman, however, said

rankings would not be motivation for the side.

“I don’t think there will be any need for motivation,” Stead said. “It’s the start of our home summer and we want to do well at home and do well for our fans.

“We have a very good test record at home that we’ll want to maintain and grow.”

Even with a good home record, Stead expected his side to show the same kind of fortitude they had against Pakistan, where at times Sarfraz Ahmed’s team had the upper hand and had they capitalised could have won the series 3-0.

“The whole tour ... were close games, we always knew they were going to be like that,” Stead said.

Trump tosses the coin for the Army-Navy game “I’m really, really proud of the way the guys played the whole tour, and ... it just shows that they’re strong in character. They

Afghanistan suspends officials after women’s football team abuse investigation KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan’s Attorney General has suspended the head of the Afghan Football Federation after a probe into allegations of sexual abuse of members of the national women’s football team, a spokesman for the attorney general said on Sunday.

President Ashraf Ghani ordered an investigation after Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported last week that senior figures linked to the Afghan women’s team alleged that some players had been molested by officials from the football federation.

Jamshid Rasouli, a spokesman for the attorney general, said the officials had been suspended following a recommendation from the team set up to investigate the incident.

According to the Guardian, the alleged abuses took

place inside the federation’s headquarters in Afghanistan as well as at a training camp in Jordan last February.

Ghani called the allegations “shocking and unacceptable to all Afghans”.

Afgahanistan President Ashraf Ghani

An Afghan official said Keramuddin Keram, the powerful head of the Afghan Football Federation and five others had been suspended but added that the investigation is still ongoing to find more details.

Officials representing Keram did not immediately respond to phone calls and text messages seeking comment.

The Afghan Football Federation issued a statement, calling the allegations “groundless” and said it would fully cooperate with any probe.

When the allegations first surfaced, a spokesman at FIFA, the world football federation, said it had a “zero tolerance” policy on abuse and was looking into the Afghan case.

Ranked as one of the most dangerous countries for women, allegations of sexual contact outside marriage can have deadly consequences in Afghanistan. Victims of sexual harassment are often extremely reluctant to come forward for fear that they will be accused of adultery.

have a never say die attitude, and that’s really important.

“As Kiwis, we admire those things as well.”

New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

FIFA task force meets to examine Infantino’s tournament plans PARIS (Reuters) - A task force set up to examine FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plans for a new Club World Cup and a Global Nations League held its first meeting on Sunday to look at possible formats, dates and slot allocations.

Infantino has proposed a revamped Club World Cup, which would be played every four years with up to 24 teams, while his Nations League would take the form of a mini World Cup with an eight-team final tournament every two years.

He has said that his plans are backed by an investment consortium willing to put in $25 billion (£19.6 billion) over a 12-year cycle in return for 49 percent ownership of the competitions.

However, plans have run into opposition and European

governing body UEFA has been among the critics, raising the prospect of a split in the global game.

FIFA said that the task force, which met in Paris, was entrusted with the “technical and sporting el-

ements” of the proposed competitions.

This would include the tournament calendars, start dates and format. For the Club World Cup it would also look at the number of teams and who would qualify.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino

For the Nations League it would consider the impact on qualifying competitions for existing continental competitions and the World Cup. FIFA said the task force consisted of members appointed by the six continental confederations, while a “parallel consultation” would take place with clubs, players and leagues.

Its proposals will be presented to the next FIFA Council meeting in Miami in March.

FIFA’s deputy secretary general Zvonimir Boban, who heads the task force, said it would provide the FIFA Council “with a complete breakdown of the sporting elements to be taken into consideration when making a decision on such an important matter for the future of football”.

Blair and Latif lead Transport to U17 win A fine all-round performance from Jeffery Blair and a good spell of leg-spin bowling from 11-year-old Riyad Latif spurred the Transport Sports Club to a 28-run win over the Demerara Cricket Club when action continued Saturday in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Friends of Cricket Hundred Overs U-17 tournament at the MYO ground.

DCC won the toss in a reduced game (28/22) and sent in Transport to take first strike. A few players reached double figures, including Shamar Yearwood 12 (2x4s), Rashidi Benjamin 14 (1x6), and Nabeel Ali 10 (2x4s), but they did not bat themselves in.

Blair, who has shown good form in recent games, then stabilised the innings with some exquisite strokes.

He struck three fours and a straight-six in a game-high score of 24, to see his team to 99-9 off their allotted 28 overs.

Left-arm spinner Daniel Mootoo, who did the damage to the middle and lower order with three wickets in one over, finished with four wickets for 25 runs from five overs, while opening bowler Kadeem Parris, who got the wicket of Blair, finished with 3-29 from six overs.

Needing to score 100 runs for victory in 22 overs, DCC were on the backfoot from the first over after Ezekiel Wilson lost

his wicket without scoring.

Transport were able to make inroads into the DCC’s batting order via the bowling of Blair and his skipper, Alvin Mohabir, before Latif cleaned up the tail.

The little leg-spinner flighted the ball without fear and was rewarded with four

lower order wickets, and took a stinging return catch to dismiss Parris (2) which ended the innings in 15.4 overs.

Latif finished with figures of 4-20 from five overs while Blair, who also bowled five overs, picked up 3-23.

Top swimmers challenge FINA with lawsuit

FILE PHOTO: 2018 European Championships - 200m Individual Medley Women Final - Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Britain - August 8, 2018 - Katinka Hosszu of Hungary reacts after the race.

REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

(REUTERS) - Three worldclass swimmers have filed a lawsuit in the United States, challenging what they allege is the monopoly world governing body FINA has over the control of international competitions.

The lawsuit, brought on behalf of three-times Olympic gold medallist Katinka Hosszu of Hungary and U.S. world champions Tom Shields and Michael Andrew, followed the cancellation of a new professional swimming event scheduled for Dec. 20-21 in Turin.

“FINA’s insistence that the world’s best swimmers may compete only on FINA’s terms and its efforts to enforce that rule are nakedly anti-competitive,” said the lawsuit which the trio said was filed “on behalf of elite swimmers around the world”.

The Italian federation said FINA had threatened sanctions against those swimmers taking part in the event, which was put together by organisers of the International Swimming League (ISL).

The world governing body, in a statement, said it had taken note of the filings in California.

“As world and Olympic champions, the swimmers in question will understand that FINA’s attention is focussed

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Jeffery Blair struck a game-high 24 then grabbed three wickets for Transport.

Young Riyad Latif was not afraid to flight his leg-spinners.

English Racing Tips Muselburgh

on the 950 swimmers, including two of the athletes in question, from 180 member federations taking part in the 14th World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou,” FINA said.

“FINA will nonetheless give the filings our full attention and mount a robust defence if required to do so.

Meanwhile in Hangzhou, the FINA Athletes Committee will consult with aquatics athletes to continue its work of making sure athlete voices are clearly heard within FINA’s decision-making bodies.

“FINA remains open to proposals that would enhance rather than conflict with - current and planned competition calendars, providing further opportunities for aquatics athletes, and ideally in a manner that benefits the whole sport.”

The governing body had said in November the Turin meeting did not meet their rules requirements.

“The project of the Italian Swimming Federation to organise a swimming competition in Turin at short notice did not meet all the necessary FINA rulebook requirements.”

The ISL is proposing to organise meetings outside the control of FINA and pay higher prize money.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

River Plate snatch Libertadores glory over Boca in Madrid

Ponting: Umpires not looking at no-balls

FORMER Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the first Test between Australia and India proves umpires are not monitoring for front-foot no-balls.

The issue came into focus on day four in Adelaide after Aaron Finch was given out to Ishant Sharma, only for a review to show the India quick had overstepped.

Ponting felt a number of Ishant Sharma’’s other deliveries should have been deemed no-balls but were not signalled.

River Plate players celebrate after winning the Copa Libertadores final REUTERS/Paul Hanna

By Richard Martin MADRID (Reuters) - River Plate battled back from a goal down to beat arch Argentine rivals Boca Juniors 3-1 after extra-time in the rescheduled Copa Libertadores final second leg which was controversially played in Madrid after violence had seen the original game postponed.

Dario Benedetto put Boca ahead on at the end of a bruising first half at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

But River, who also came back twice in the 2-2 draw in the first leg at Boca’s Bombonera stadium, levelled in the 68th minute through striker Lucas Pratto after a superb team move.

River were given a huge advantage when Boca midfielder Wilmar Barrios was sent off in the third minute of extra-time and seized it thanks to a sizzling strike

from Colombia international Juan Fernando Quintero in the 109th minute.

Gonzalo Martinez sealed victory, 5-3 on aggregate, at the death with a tap in after Boca’s entire team had poured forward in search of an equaliser, giving River a fourth Libertadores title and denying Boca a record-equalling seventh.

River’s victory means they will represent South America in the Club World Cup that starts in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 12.

The game was moved 10,000 kilometres away from River’s Monumental stadium to Madrid as Boca’s team bus had been ambushed before the originally scheduled game, leaving several Boca players injured from the impact of the smashed windows and from tear gas that had been fired by police.

It meant that instead of

a home game with the exclusive presence of River supporters, Real Madrid’s Bernabeu was equally-divided between fans of both sides, a highly unusual situation in the Copa Libertadores.

The final, the first in the 58 years of the competition to be played outside of Latin America, provoked furious protests from both clubs, their supporters and leading figures in Argentine football, such as 1978 World Cup winning coach Luis Cesar Menotti who called the switch “an aberration”.

River had decried the loss of home advantage Boca had enjoyed in the first leg, while Boca claimed they should have been awarded the trophy by default, pointing to when they were thrown out of the competition in 2015 when River players were subjected to pepper spray at halftime.

There was also a deep sense of irony at the fact a

competition named in honour of the liberators of south America was to be played in the home of their former rulers.

Despite the controversy, a total of 10,000 fans made the long journey over from Argentina for the occasion, with the nation’s considerable expatriate communities across Europe (250,000 reside in Spain alone) also flooding in to the Spanish capital, creating a carnival atmosphere that was mostly cordial.

Spanish police had mounted the biggest ever security operation for a football match in the country, deploying over 4,000 personnel including more than 2,000 police officers.

The security costs were countered by a considerable windfall for the city, which local government officials put at an estimated minimum 55 million euros (£49.2 million).

India pace bowler sends down a delivery on day four in the Adelaide Test.

Finch only made 11 before falling to Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia were 104-4 and trailing by 219 runs at stumps.

“I’ve said this for a lot of years; I honestly don’t think the umpires look at the front line anymore,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

“Some of the ones we’ve seen … he was 4-6 inches over the line.

“I don’t think the umpires are looking and I certainly don’t think they were looking at those ones because they were blatantly obvious ones.

“And as we know now, they’ll only ever look at them if a wicket falls, which as far as I’m concerned is not right.

“Part of umpiring is to get the no-ball decisions right as well. I’m not asking for everything to be spot on, but if you’re six inches over then surely you can call it.

“If I was the fielding team, I’d want to know. If I was Virat Kohli and I knew that my bowler was bowling a no-ball more often than not, I’d want to know that so I could pull that back in line.”(Sportsmax).

Newspapers help ‘fuel racism’, says Man City’s Sterling (REUTERS) - Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling believes newspapers are helping “fuel racism” and “aggressive behaviour” with their portrayal of young black players.

The 24-year-old made the comments in an Instagram post on Sunday, a day after he faced alleged racist abuse from a supporter during City’s 2-0 Premier League defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Sterling posted two photos, contrasting different newspaper headlines for similar stories involving black and white team mates at City — Tosin Adarabioyo and Phil Foden — who bought new houses this year.

The headline referring to Adarabioyo, who is black, focuses on how he spent 2.25 million pounds ($2.86 million) on a house “despite having never started a Premier League match” while that on Foden says he bought a 2 million pound home “for his mum”.

“You have two players starting out their careers - both play for the same team, both have done the right thing, which is buy a new house for their mothers who have put in a lot of time and love into helping them get where they are,” Sterling wrote.

“But look at how the newspapers get their mes-

sage across for the young black player and then for the young white player.

“I think this is unacceptable, both innocent, have not done a thing wrong but just by the way it has been worded, this young black kid is looked at in a bad light, which helps fuel racism and aggressive behaviour.”

Addressing the alleged abuse he received at Stamford Bridge, Sterling said that he “had to laugh” when he heard the remarks because he expects no better.

Last December, a man was jailed for 16 weeks for racially aggravated common assault on Sterling.

Raheem Sterling was allegedly the victim of racial abuse during Manchester City’s defeat by Chelsea

No arrests were made after Saturday’s league game but the Metropolitan Police and Chelsea said they would review footage to determine whether any racist abuse took place.

Anti-discrimination group Kick it Out said soccer’s leaders could not stay silent on racism.

“Where’s (Premier League chief executive) Richard Scudamore, where is (FA chairman) Greg Clarke, where is Chelsea’s chairman (Bruce Buck) — they should have been talking out last night and it has to be dealt with at the top,” the group’s chairman Herman Ouseley said in a

statement.

“We do not have any leadership at the top of the game to speak out, they just rely on Kick it Out.” The English Football Association condemned the incident on Sunday and called for witnesses to come forward.

“We take allegations of discrimination extremely seriously and will work with the clubs and the relevant authorities to ensure this matter is dealt with appropriately,” the FA said.

City suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday and they dropped to second in the standings behind Liverpool.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

Bangladesh condemn Windies to a five-wicket defeat in ODI opener DHAKA, Bangladesh, (CMC) – A change of format made little difference to West Indies’ fortunes as another timid batting display sent them tumbling to a five-wicket defeat in the opening One-Day International here Sunday.

Choosing to bat first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, the visitors stumbled their way to an uncompetitive 195 for nine off their 50 overs, with opener Shai Hope top-scoring with 43.

West Indies were at snail’s pace as they crawled to 79 for three at the half-way stage of the innings, and they needed busy knocks from Keemo Paul (36) and Roston Chase (32) down the order to lift the tempo.

Seamers Mashrafe Mortaza (3-30) and Mustafizur Rahman (3-35) kept the Windies in check, however, limiting them to their fourth-lowest total against Bangladesh.

In reply, Bangladesh overcame the lost of two early wickets to coast to their target in the 36th over, with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim stroking an unbeaten 55 and Liton Das gathering 41.

Having suffered a 2-0 whitewash in the preceding Test series, West Indies are now staring at yet another series defeat, with the second ODI scheduled for Tuesday at the same venue.

Faced with a slow pitch, the Windies openers struggled from the outset, and Hope and

Kieran Powell (10) needed 48 deliveries for their 29-run stand.

Frustration ultimately led to Powell’s downfall in the eighth over, the left-hander swinging at left-arm spinner Shakib-al-Hasan and holing out to Rubel Hossain running around to cover point.

Darren Bravo, playing his first ODI in two years, also found himself bogged down and his 19 came from a painful 51-ball labour at the crease, in a 36-run second wicket stand with Hope which required 76 balls.

Similar exasperation was behind Bravo’s demise, drilling Mashrafe to long off where Tamim Iqbal took a stunning diving catch in the 21st over.

When Hope, who struck three fours, sliced Mashrafe to point in the 25th over, the Windies were 78 for three and in need of momentum, but five wickets tumbled for 62 runs, to leave the innings in further trouble at 127 for six in the 40th over.

Shimron Hetmyer (6) made too much room and lost his leg stump to off-spinner Mehidy Hasan, captain Rovman Powell (14) picked out mid-off with Mashrafe and Marlon Samuels, whose 25 came from 48 deliveries, holed out to long on with pacer Rubel Hossain.

The revival came through Chase and Paul, the pair adding a brisk 51 from 48 deliveries for the seventh wicket, as West Indies gathered 66 runs from

the last 10 overs.

Paul crunched a four and two sixes in a 28-ball cameo while Chase counted a single four and a six off 38 balls.

In reply, Bangladesh lost

opener Tamim Iqbal cheaply for 12 in the eighth over, and Imrul Kayes followed for four just four balls later in the next over for four, as the innings stuttered to 42 for two in the

ninth.

However, this was the last sign of any real success for the Windies as the right-handed Mushfiqur took the game away by anchoring three critical partnerships.

First, he put on 47 for the third wicket with Das who struck five fours in a 57-ball knock, before adding a further 57 for the fourth wicket with

Shakib whose 30 came from 26 deliveries.

Mushfiqur, who faced 70 balls and counted five fours, posted 29 for the fifth wicket with Soumya Sarkar (19) and eventually struck the winning runs off the first ball of the 36th over when he collected a couple to third man off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

SCOREBOARD Windies Innings K Powell c Rubel b Shakib 10 +S Hope c Mehidy b Mashrafe 43 D Bravo c Tamim b Mashrafe 19 M Samuels c Liton b Rubel 25 S Hetmyer b Mehidy 6 *R Powell c Liton b Mashrafe 14 R Chase c Mehidy b Mustafizur 32 K Paul c Mehidy b Mustafizur 36 K Roach not out 5 D Bishoo c & b Mustafizur 0 O Thomas not out 0 Extras: (lb3, w2) 5 TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 195 Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Powell), 2-65(Bravo), 3-78 (Hope), 4-93 (Hetmyer), 5-119 (Powell), 6-127(Samuels), 7-178 (Chase), 8-194 (Paul), 9-195 (Bishoo) Bowling: Mehidy 10-0-30-1, Shakib 10-0-36-1, Mustafizur 100-35-3, Mashrafe 10-0-30-3 (w1), Rubel 10-0-61-1 (w1)

Man-of-the-Match Mashrafe Mortaza, playing his 200th ODI, then struck twice after a slow stand between Shai Hope and Darren Bravo. He finished with three for 30 (©AFP)

BANGLADESH Innings Tamim Iqbal c Bishoo b Chase 12Liton Das b Paul 41 Imrul Kayes b Thomas 4 +Mushfiqur Rahim not out 55 Shakib Al Hasan c Hope b Powell 30 Soumya Sarkar c Powell b Chase 19 Mahmudullah Riyad not out 14 Extras: (lb6, w13, nb2) 21 TOTAL: (5 wkts, 35.1 overs) 196 Did not bat: Mehidy Hasan, *Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Tamim), 2-42 (Imrul), 3-89 (Liton Das), 4-146 (Sakib), 5-175 (Soumya) Bowling: Roach 6-0-35-0 (w5, nb1), Chase 9-1-47-2 (w2), Thomas 5-0-34-1 (w3, nb1), Paul 8-0-37-1 (w3), Bishoo 6.1-030-0, Powell 1-0-7-1.

India close in on victory after Australia wobble

By Ian Ransom

ADELAIDE (Reuters) - Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and paceman Mohammed Shami com-

bined to tear through Australia’s top order and bring India within six wickets of victory on day four of the series-opening Test on Sunday.

India’s captain Virat Kohli (L) reacts with teammates after the dismissal of Australia’s Peter Shaun Marsh (31 not out) and Travis Head (11 not out) were

Entries for KMTC Boxing Day horse race Meet closes on Sunday ENTRIES for the Kennard Memorial Turf Club’s (KMTC) Annual Boxing Day meet will close on Sunday and race-horse owners and trainers are asked to ensure that their entries are registered, as no late entries will be accepted.

Seven races are carded for

the day and over $3M and a trophy will be up for grabs. The feature event carries a total prize purse of $1.6M with the winner receiving $800,000, while the second, third and fourth place finishers will earn $400,000, $200,000 and $98,000 respectively.

The feature event is

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday December 10, 2018)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: Mervyn Dillon-5/29 (Southampton, 2004) Abdur Razzak-4/39 (Dominica, 2009)

(1) (2)

TODAY’S QUIZ: Who has scored most ODI runs for Bangladesh to date?

Who has registered most ODI runs for the WI to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

opened to horses classified `C and lower’; they will compete over a distance of one mile.

According to a release from the organizing committee of the KMTC, the event will take place at the club’s facility, Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, and will be convened under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.

There will be races for `H1 and Lower’ along with a race for two-year-old and older horses that carries first prizes worth $250,000 and $240,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, the race for two-year-old Guyana-bred horses (maiden) which will be over five furlongs, will see the winner collecting $200,000.

For more information, interested horse owners and trainers can make contact with Niketa Ross (662- 4668), Issac Dalio (689-0629), or Justice Cecil Kennard (623-7609).

left clinging to their wickets after nudging Australia to 104 for four at stumps, after a nerve-jangling final hour at Adelaide Oval.

Australia were 219 runs short of their victory target of 323 and will need to defy history to chase down the total.

The highest successful run chase at Adelaide Oval was in 1902, when the hosts scored 315 for six to beat England.

“We still believe we can win this,” said Australia spinner Nathan Lyon who took 6-122 to help restrict India to 307 in their second innings.

“We just need to go out there and enjoy ourselves and really compete hard and fight our backsides off.”

Since the second World War, no team has bettered West Indies’ successful fourth innings chase of 239 for five, which defeated Australia by five wickets in 1982 at the venue.

India have never won a series-opening test in Australia but Ashwin and Shami set up the platform to break new ground.

Ashwin broke the opening partnership of 28 by having Aaron Finch caught for 11. He later returned to take the prized wicket of Usman Khawaja for eight.

Shami removed opener Marcus

Harris for 26 and number five Peter Handscomb for 14.

All of Australia’s batsmen were culpable in their dismissals.

Harris, Khawaja and Handscomb all fell to loose shots, while Finch might have saved his wicket had he chosen to review the decision.

Nathan Nathan Lyon picked up a six-wicket haul Ashwin’s ball whistled past his glove on the way to a fielder in close but the technology showed no clear evidence to support Finch’s dismissal.

India are in the box seat but also rued blowing a chance to bat Australia right out of the game due to a quick and shambolic collapse after lunch.

Having resumed on 260 for five in complete control, the tourists lost their last four wickets for four

runs in a panicky bout of tail-end slogging.

“We were expecting at least 25 runs from them (the tail) and that is an area where we are continuously looking to improve,” said India batting coach Sanjay Bangar.

“We are just hoping the tailenders, particularly 9-10-11, show a bit more application than they did today.”

There was little to fault Cheteshwar Pujara, who added a 71 to his sparkling 123 which rescued India in the first innings.

Ajinkya Rahane’s 70 also ensured Virat Kohli’s team had a decent total to defend.

Tim Paine’s Australia will look to Dubai for inspiration, when they salvaged a draw from the first test against Pakistan in October after an epic stonewall.

Much is riding on Marsh, the 35-year-old veteran under enormous pressure to keep his place after a run of failures with the bat.

Australia will hope the number four can bring his Sheffield Shield form on day five.

In the most recent Shield match at Adelaide Oval, he scored an unbeaten 163 as Western Australia chased down 313 in the fourth innings to beat South Australia.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 10, 2018

Caribbean `Nuff Cuff’ Boxing Championship

Local amateur boxers continue to ‘blaze the trail’ after three nights of fistic fury ---win eight of 14 bouts, including two of three Elite contests

Guyana’s Alex Murray (right) misses a right hook that was intended for the head of Trinidad’s Nile Mohamed in their novice middleweight contest on Saturday night.

By Michael DaSilva GUYANA’s amateur boxers, in an attempt to reclaim the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Championship which they lost in St. Lucia last year, continued to `blaze the trail’ and after three nights of competition, seem set to achieve their goal.

Of the 14 fights (Youth, Juniors, Novices and Elite) the locals contested on Saturday, they came out victorious in eight of them, winning two of two in the Youth category, one of four in the junior category, three of four in the Novice category and two of three in the Elite category.

Headlining Guyana’s successes on Saturday night were middleweight (Elite) Desmond Amsterdam, light heavyweight (Elite) Markember Pierre and middleweight (Nov-

ice), Alex Murray.

Amsterdam secured a TKO win at two minutes 16 seconds of the first round against Grenada’s Joshua Redhead, while Pierre had to work overtime to win a points decision win against Barbados’ Charles Cox while Murray, after looking unable to make an impression after the first round, stormed back to win his contest against Mohamed.

In the Amsterdam versus Redhead contest, Amsterdam went to the centre of the ring, stalking Redhead and with a left hook from nowhere, connected to his opponent and the referee issued a standing eight-count.

Seconds later, Redhead started to fight back, but Amsterdam was too much for him and the referee was forced to issue a second eight-count and after the second eight-count, the Grenadian

Guyana Jaguars begin Regional title defence with crushing win over Volcanoes DEFENDING champions of the West Indies Four-Day Cricket Championship, the Guyana Jaguars, step closer to their fifth consecutive title after defeating the Windward Islands Volcanoes by 125 runs yesterday, on the final day of their opening game at the Darren Sammy Cricket ground, in St. Lucia.

Needing to score a mammoth 348 for victory, the Volcanoes toiled to 223 before they were bowled out in 76.3 overs.

Left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul led the attack with three wickets for 56 runs from 23 overs, while Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, and Christopher Barnwell supported with two wickets each.

Scores in the match: Guyana 224 in 69.1 overs and 310-4 declared in 108.1 overs; Windward Islands 187 all out in 59.1 overs and 222 all out in 76.3 overs.

Continuing from their overnight score of 54-2, the

Volcanoes pushed their total to 88 before Kavem Hodge (32) became the first victim of Permaul. The Test bowler made further inroads into the Windwards’ batting after picking up the wickets of Ronald Cato and set batsman Taryck Gabriel.

Gabriel, who lost his wicket via the lbw route, struck seven fours in a 124ball score of 57.

Alick Athanaze, who finished not out on 64 (5x4s, 2x6s) was buoyant at the crease as he and Dennis Smith (38), added 88 runs for the sixth wicket, but medium pacer Barnwell broke the partnership when he took the wicket of Delorn Johnson (4), before right-arm fast bowler Shepherd cleaned up the tail.

Meanwhile, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes defeated home team, the Barbados Pride, by 34 runs at the 3W’s Oval in Bridgetown. Needing to score 170 for victory on the final day, the Pride were bowled out for 135.

Guyana’s Desmond Amsterdam ((right) about to charge forward in his middleweight contest against Grenada’s Joshua Redford.

realised that he had had enough and decided to call it quits.

In the Pierre versus Cox affair, both boxers started off cautiously, but after about 45 seconds, Pierre probably thought he had enough of the pawing and turned on the heat on his opponent, forcing him on the ropes and connected with several combinations to his opponents’ body and head and was easily the winner of what can be described as a one-sided affair.

As for the Murray versus Mohamed Novice’s middleweight contest, the Trinidadian went to the centre of the ring in a positive mode and seemed to have the advantage in the early part of the round, but Murray showed his class and started attacking his Trinidadian counterpart with solid one-two combinations and the pattern continued for the remainder of the contest and in

the end, the Guyanese (Murray) was adjudged winner.

Meanwhile, Grenada, which is having a terrible championship, won one of their three fights, while Trinidad won six of ten; Barbados lost all three of their contests; Guadeloupe won one of two; St. Marteen one from one and St. Lucia one from one.

In the Youth category, Trinidad won two from two; Grenada lost one from one and Barbados also lost one of one.

In the junior division, Guyana won one in four; Trinidad three of four and Guadeloupe one of two.

In the novices category, Guadeloupe won one of one; St. Marteen won one of one; Grenada lost one of one; Barbados lost one of one and Trinidad lost three of three.

Jamaica Sports Minister: Windies cricket needs to be protected AS the West Indies cricket team continues to struggle on tour in Bangladesh, Jamaica’s Sports Minister Olivia Grange has repeated her call for West Indies cricket to be protected as it is part of the region’s cultural heritage.

She said the time has come for personalities to be set aside in the interest of saving a sport that has been in decline regionally for the past two decades.

“It is time to forget the egos, to get over ourselves and to focus on fixing and bringing back West Indies cricket,” the minister said during the St Catherine Cricket Association Awards Ceremony held at Chedwin Park on Thursday night.

“There is enough blame to go around. Let us end the blame game and show our commitment to eliminating the problems that prevent West Indies men from consistently producing good results. We must all remember that for our people, cricket is not just a game. It is part of our heritage.

It is part of who we are.

“Let me say, straight up, that I am a lifelong supporter of West Indies cricket,” the minister continued. “I cannot

think of a reason to ever withdraw my support from the West Indies. The Windies represent us. They are a part of who we are. They are a part of me. So you know exactly how I feel when I saw the recent results against Bangladesh.”

intense difficulty and a proud part of our heritage — our cricket — is in danger. And it needs protection,” said Minister Grange.

She drew a contrast between the performance of the men’s team and the women’s team.

so good — even without adequate support? And why aren’t the men doing better?

Is it leadership? Is it talent?

Is it commitment?” Minister Grange questioned.

Minister Grange said it was now urgent for all stakeholders

Bangladesh completed a series sweep against the West Indies in the recent two test series — each time defeating the Windies within three days.

“West Indies cricket, the men’s game, is into a time of

West Indies women were a force to be reckoned with in the recent T-20 World Cup where they went to the semi-finals before falling to the eventual champions Australia.

“Why do the women look

in West Indies cricket to come together to protect the people’s game.

On Sunday, the Windies lost the first of three ODIs against Bangladesh by five wickets.

GUYOIL/Tradewind Tankers Schools Football League

Annandale beat Queen’s College to capture title

Annandale are the champions of the first GUYOIL/Tradewind Tankers Schools Football League.

ANNANDALE Secondary created history as the inaugural winners of the GUYOIL/Tradewind Tankers Schools Football League.

The team secured the title by clobbering Queen’s College 13-2 in the final round of matches at the Ministry of Education ground yesterday.

Omari Glasgow was the chief destroyer, scoring 5 goals in the 14th, 15th 43rd,51st and 56th while there were braces from Jemar Harrington (9th and 68th) and Collin Hendricks (12th and 67th).

There were also single strikes for Markel Matheson (42nd), Deon Haywood (45th), Royden Maxwell (62nd) and Anyika Headley (64th) while Queens College had a brace from Diarra Thomas (21st and 26th).

The large margin meant that Annandale are now two goals ahead on goal difference, but all their nearest competitor, Lodge Secondary, needed to do was to beat Linden’s Christianburg-Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) by a three-goal margin to end the East Coast team’s dream.

This, however, was easier said than done, especially considering that CCWS were the only undefeated team.

Instead, the Linden side, who also saw their championship hope evaporate with Annandale’s win, maintained their unbeaten record in the tournament.

They went on to thump Lodge 2-0, thanks to Felix Inniss’ 18th minute goal and Tyrese Lewis’ 51st minute strike.

The final point standings at the end of the day had Annandale on 30, CCWS on 29 and Lodge on 27.

Other matches for the day saw Uitvlugt registering a 4-0 win over Marian Academy, thanks to Ruben Dainty th (9 and 59th), Anthony Benn (18th) and Mickel Mckend (43rd) while Vergenogen won via walk- over from Dolphin Secondary.

Following the presentation of the championship trophy, Glasgow, who led Annandale’s goal-scoring in the tournament with 15 successful strikes, expressed delight with his team’s success.

“Everyone did their part and we are very happy that our hard work has paid off. We will now be looking to the other KFC tournament where we will have an excellent opportunity to challenge the likes of the extremely talented Shiva team from Trinidad”, Glasgow told the media.

The champions will receive $300,000; the runners-up $200,000; third place$100,000; while fourth place finishers Vergenoegen pocketed $50,000 in the month-long league, which was also supported by Ansa McAl through their Icool, Smalta and Lyrix products.

Both Annandale and CCWS will now join Annai and Trinidad’s Shiva Hindu Boy’s College for the 2018 KFC Goodwill tournament which is set for later this month.

GCC lift Noble House Second-Division Two-day Trophy Page

22

...Bailey finishes with 10-wicket match haul

Khemraj Jaikaran is bowled

by Jason Heyliger.

GCC are 2018 champions of the GCA Noble House second-division two-day competition.

Page

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► Guyana Jaguars begin Regional title defence with crushing win over Volcanoes

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Clinton Pestano MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2018