Guyana chronicle e paper 12 15 2017 by Guyana Chronicle

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No. 105127

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017

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US$15M for legal fees

–– Minister Greenidge says remainder of Exxon bonus for urgent technical training

468 graduate from CPCE –– President urges collaborative work to solve problems in education sector

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Citizens, stabilisation, infrastructure Page 7

–– Jordan outlines three-pronged approach for spending of oil money

New RDC building, river ambulances, bus for Region10 Page 9

President David Granger presents a gift to Best Graduating Student Nirupa Manroop at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) 83rd graduation exercise held at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

‘It’s a very real risk’ –– says foreign affairs minister on signing bonus being made public

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Toddler found dead in Mocha trench Page 12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

US$15M for legal fees

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

–– Minister Greenidge says remainder of Exxon bonus for urgent technical training

By Svetlana Marshall THE David Granger Administration has set aside US$15M, from the US$18M Singing Bonus, for legal fees in the event the Guyana/Venezuela Border Controversy is referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This announcement was made by Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, in the National Assembly Thursday while presenting the facts on the bonus received from USoil giant Exxon Mobil in 2016. He told the House that approval of the negotiated deal that was made with the oil giant was discussed at Cabinet, but the granting of approval for the deposit of the US$18 million signing bonus in an escrow account at Bank of Guyana (BoG) was not done involving the entire Cabinet. Technicians directly involved in the process, the minister stressed, were informed of the intended purpose of the money, due to national security implications. Addressing the august House, amid mild heckling from the Opposition benches, the foreign affairs minister said Guyana negotiated and received US$18M in connection with the signing of a contract for renewal of a petroleum licence, based on a recommendation to Cabinet by Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman. “The sum in question was not US$20M or US$25M, but US$18M,” he emphasised while putting to rest claims by sections of the media that the administration had “secretly” received US$20M. Minister Greenidge said out of concern that adequate funds may not be available in the Consol-

idated Fund for the payment of critical services in the event the Guyana/Venezuela Border Controversy is placed before the ICJ, he as minister of foreign affairs, advised President David Granger to set aside sufficient funds to make payment when needed. To be exact, he requested US$15M of the sum received by the Government from ExxonMobil be earmarked for that purpose. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had an eye on events due in 2018 and, in particular, the need for funds to pay the enlarged team of lawyers that would be required should the UN SG [secretary general] honour his commitment to refer the Guyana case to the ICJ without further procrastination after December 2017,” he posited while pointing out that the cost of a similar United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) case involving Suriname was over US$10M. It was agreed that the remaining US$3M will be set aside for the funding of urgent training of Guyanese in needed skills such as engineering and petroleum geology. The ministry of foreign affairs had also advised that the money be held separately and securely, based on the fact that the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has not yet referred the case to the ICJ. “The background against which this decision was taken is instructive. As we all know, since we have been in office, the Guyana Government has found itself in a very tight fiscal situation, in that its need for funding far exceeds the total cost of the goods and services for which it has to pay. “At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was participating in discussions under the

Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge aegis of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative (UNSGPR) in relation to a resolution of the territorial controversy. There have been times in 2016 and 2017 when we were unable to make timely payments to the legal team advising the Government,” the foreign affairs minister explained. NOT UNUSUAL The earmarking of funds is not unusual in Westminster-type systems, Minister Greenidge said while alluding to monies collected by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) that are not placed into the Consolidated Fund in the first instance, if at all. Since information has surfaced that Government had received and instructed that the signing bonus be placed in a separate account and not the Consolidated Fund, there have been claims of illegality

and deception, but Minister Greenidge told the House there was nothing illegal about Government’s action. “Monies received are sent to the Central Bank, the Central Government’s banker, and located in accounts held there. Those accounts can then be kept separate, separately managed and separately audited in keeping with the rules of those agencies which member states embrace, either when we join the agency or when signing the loan agreement. By contrast, the monies so deposited will be converted into Guyana dollars and transferred to the Consolidated Fund,” he explained. NO BREACH OF CONSTITUTION Pointing to Article 216 of the Constitution, Minister Greenidge stated that it is not mandated that payment be deposited into the Consolidated Fund immediately, as he rubbished claims by Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram that the decision

to put the bonus into a separate account is a “flagrant breach” of the Constitution. It was pointed out that Section 37 (2) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act provides for public monies to be held in Extra-Budgetary Funds and Deposit Funds, among others, until they are credited to the Consolidated Fund. The foreign affairs minister did not spare the media on their reporting on the matter, contending that some actions have been irresponsible, primarily with respect to the border controversy. “Given the purpose for which the funds were to be used and its implications for national security, neither the President nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saw any merit in advertising the matter. In fact, so great was the concern that only those who needed to know were informed as to the purpose of the deposit,” he told the House. He reiterated that only those Cabinet ministers integrally involved and the relevant technicians were

informed. “The fact that those who were investigating this matter could have stumbled on the reason for the holding of the funds and still feel it necessary to make it both public and use it for sensational headlines is testimony to the sense of responsibility in certain sections of our media,” Minister Greenidge said. Alluding to Ghana, he pointed out that the West African country recently won a case at the ICJ in which they had found it necessary to retain no less than 48 international specialist lawyers. “They never broadcast how they were funding those services. Today, some in the Ivory Coast rue the fact that they had not realised the scale of the Ghanaian mobilisation for the ICJ. Obviously, forewarned they would have taken this into account in their strategy,” he posited. With a bit of sarcasm, Minister Greenidge said “let there be no doubt that those who will challenge us in the Court will be very pleased at the airing of this controversy in Guyana by Guyanese themselves,” as he bashed the media. “More disturbingly, the sensational, often misleading disclosures being passed off as exposés in the public interest follow closely on attacks on international companies operating here. Some of these companies have broken no laws here; they owe us no taxes or imposts. They are operating in neighbouring states where they are welcome, but in Guyana some sections of the media demonise them,” he added. Indirectly, the foreign affairs minister called on the media and public commentators to be responsible in their reporting on the matters at hand.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

At least four schoolchildren die

Putin says ‘spymania’ hurting US

--as bus, train collide in France

A TRAIN and a school bus have collided near Perpignan in southern France, killing at least four children, the interior ministry says. Another 24 people were reported to be seriously injured in the accident on a railway crossing between Millas and Saint-Féliud’Amont. The students on the bus are reported to be between the ages of 13 and 17. Pictures from the scene showed the school bus sheared in two by the force of the crash. Around 70 emergency workers and four helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue effort. The crash happened on a section of line between Perpignan and Villefranche-de-Conflent, the local news website, l’Indépendant, reports. A witness, named Barbara, who was on the train,

Friday, December 15, 2017 Saturday, December 16, 2017 Sunday, December 17, 2017

said, “It was a very violent crash; it seemed as if the train would derail.” Casualties were being taken to hospital in Perpignan. Rail travel is severely

(530 miles) south of Paris. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was also heading there. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer will

support students, families, teachers and the entire educational community”. In a tweet, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “All my thoughts

Emergency operations underway yesterday near the crossing where the collision occurred

disrupted. Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne called the crash “a terrible accident”, and said on Twitter that she was going to the scene, about 850km

03:00 hrs

03:30 hrs 04:30 hrs

14:30 hrs 14:30 hrs

DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 2017

for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them.” (BBC)

14:30 hrs -

visit a counselling centre that has been set up at the Christian Bourquin College in Millas on Friday. A statement from his office said he would visit “to

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Thursday, December 14, 2017

RUSSIA’S president has accused opponents of his US counterpart Donald Trump of harming the US by “inventing stories” about contacts with Russia. At his annual news conference, Vladimir Putin said contacts between the Trump team and Russian officials before last year’s election were normal. He said the US opposition was not treating those who elected Mr Trump with respect. The Trump campaign is being investigated for collusion with Russia. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow tried to sway the presidential election in favour of Mr Trump, but Mr Putin denies the allegations. “It’s all invented by those in opposition to Trump to make his work seem illegitimate,” Mr Putin said, when asked about the investigation. He added that Mr Trump was responsible for some “quite serious achievements”, but had not been in a position to improve relations with Russia. He expressed hope that this would happen, adding that globally, “there are many things we can do more effectively”. Earlier, Mr Putin addressed the presidential elections, due to be held next year. He has already said he will stand for a fourth term, but announced that he would stand as an independent candidate rather than from the ruling United Russia party. Asked why he had not faced any effective opponent for the presidency, he said the opposition had to come up with specific proposals to improve people’s lives, and had so far not done so. “It’s not up to me to nurture competitors,” he said. “But, I’ve been thinking that our political environment must be competitive, just like the economic environment. “I hope this will happen, and the sooner the better.” But he said if his oppo-

nents won in the presidential election next March, it would destabilise Russia. “Do you want attempted coups d’etat?” he asked, in response to a question about the opposition. Mr Putin did not mention opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is banned from standing in the elections because of a criminal conviction. The Council of Europe has condemned the conviction as “arbitrary and unfair”. In response to Mr Putin, Mr Navalny tweeted (in Russian) a link to his recently published election programme, with the words: “You’re really trying very hard not to notice this.” Another opposition presidential candidate was noticed by the president, however. Kseniya Sobchak, a celebrity and political talkshow host, has announced she will be running against Mr Putin as a “referendum on trust” so that people can vote against him. She came to the news conference as a journalist for the opposition Dozhd TV, and asked Mr Putin about the repression of the opposition, including Mr Navalny, and whether the authorities were afraid of competitors. He responded by warning of rabble-rousing politicians destabilising the country, and he cited Ukraine as a country where instability was rife. “I’m sure that the overwhelming majority of Russians don’t want this,” he said, adding that he was not afraid of anyone. Mr Putin is known for his marathon performances at his news conferences, where he frequently uses hard-hitting, colourful language. The record for a Putin news conference was set in 2008, at four hours 40 minutes. This year’s, which went on for nearly four hours, has also set a record, with 1,640 journalists said to be accredited for the event. (BBC)

Thursday, December 14, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Strange woman sings in National Assembly --Speaker surprised, some got curious while others offer condemnation By Alva Solomon “GOD is watching us , God is watching us , God is watching us, from a distance,” the lyrics of Nanci Griffith’s famous song could be heard within earshot of the nearest door at the chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday as dramatic events of the 2018 National Budget debates continue. The singer, Natalie Mclennan, stood amidst Government officials at the break for lunch and belted her lyrics, seconds after Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland announced the break from the morning sessions. As some condemned her

The female ‘singer’ as she was escorted down the stairs of Parliament on Thursday

actions, others looked on in curiosity. The Speaker stood surprised, as did other parliamentarians, as the woman sang her song as Members of Parliament (MPs) were leaving the chambers. As she walked alongside the parliamentarians, the woman continued to sing and even ministered to MPs, calling for “healing” as she walked the corridors of Parliament. Coincidentally, as she sang, two men on the corridors nearby were discussing a popular song titled “In the Parliament” by a local singer released a few days ago. The song satirically described Monday’s events in Parliament, which led to

Bird calls it a day ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Sir Lester Bryant Bird, who served as the second prime minister of this Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, has announced his retirement from active politics. Sir Lester, who was born on February 21, 1938, served as prime minister from 1994-2004, replacing his father, Sir Vere Bird. “I know that, in as much as my brain has much to contribute, age has taken its toll on my physical capacity. It would be unfair to impose upon the readiness of the people of Rural East to maintain me as their representative,” Sir Lester told the Parliament on Tuesday. “The time has come for younger legs and more agile hands. That is why I announce today, in this Honourable House, that I will not seek re-election, and that at the end of this term, I will leave representative politics,” said Sir Lester, who was first elected to Parliament in 1976. “I believe our partnership of more than 40 years has been a story of transformation, of accomplishment and of progress. The people of Rural East gave me the opportunity to serve our nation in many important ministerial positions – tourism, energy, economic development, foreign affairs – and

as prime minister.” Sir Lester said that he intends to remain available as an adviser to the government should the need arise, and used the occasion to endorse his niece, Maria BirdBrowne, the wife of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, as his successor.

Sir Lester Bird

“I do not intend to end my representation of the people of Rural East without ensuring that my successor is someone who I personally believe will be good for each of its residents, good for the constituency, and good for the country,” he said. “That is why I commend to the people of St John’s Rural East, Maria BirdBrowne. I do so not only because she is my niece; I do so because she has shown the humility and the

compassion to be a people’s representative,” Sir Lester added, telling legislators he is confident that his successor will stand up for, and with, the people of the constituency and be a credit to the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) government. In 2014, the British-educated lawyer, was one of four persons to be conferred with a knighthood during the Ceremonial Parade to mark the 33rd anniversary of the island’s political independence from Britain. Sir Lester was named Knight of the Most Exalted Order of National Hero (KNH) for his contribution to national development as an outstanding sportsman, lawyer and parliamentarian, and joined the ranks of his father and cricket legend, Sir Vivian Richards, as the only other living national hero. “I feel after years of having made such an input into the development of this country in sports, in law and in other matters pertaining to the development of this country, I am proud that this is being done,” Sir Lester said then. But Sir Lester, whose health has become a matter of concern, was hospitalised in November last year. “He had a bad bout of the flu, was severely dehydrated, and was running a

fever. And because he is extremely diabetic, the doctor is not taking any chances,” his daughter, Rika Bird, later told reporters. In the Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Browne thanked the almost 80-year-old politician for his contribution to the socio-economic development of the two-island state and called for a special sitting of the House to be convened to “celebrate the achievements and contributions. “There is no doubt that Sir Lester would have made the second largest contribution towards the socio-economic development of this country. He has spent over 40 years in this honourable house and we believe, based on his longevity of service, his achievements … that we should offer no less than a special sitting to celebrate his contributions to the development of this country.” Browne also called for the naming of an appropriate monument in Sir Lester’s honour, adding that he had something in mind but would await consensus from his Cabinet colleagues. The next general election is constitutionally due in 2019 but there is widespread speculation that the polls could be held before that date.

police officers entering the chambers in an attempt to remove Opposition MP Juan Edghill, who was ruled “out of order” by the Speaker. On Thursday, the smiling woman sauntered down the stairs of the National Assembly in the company of security officers who led her to the back entrance of the building. The dramatic interruptions began last week when a woman dressed as Santa, entered Parliament ringing a bell and carrying gifts, inclusive of blue soap and a dictionary, which she said was for Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. The woman would be escorted off the premises by security and thus far her identity remains a mystery.

Then on Monday this week, the Parliament was in an uproar as Opposition MP Edghill refused to follow the orders of the Speaker. He was later arrested, released and suspended from the sittings without pay for four sessions. Two days later, several reporters sat uneasy as two men, later identified as “undercover” police officers, had their cover blown. The men later left the chambers. The event at midday on Thursday left everyone in a fit of surprise. “The drama continues,” one person stated while another eagerly anticipated today’s final session which brings an end to the consideration of the estimates for Budget 2018.

St. Lucia denounces Libyan slave trade

St Lucia’s National Security Minister, Mr Hermangild Franci

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The government of St. Lucia has denounced the practice of modern-day slavery in Libya. This was disclosed by National Security Minister, Hermangild Francis who indicated that he will engage Prime Minister Allen Chastanet when he returns on island to further cement an official response on this disturbing issue. Said he: “Like many others, I have seen the video where men were being sold at an auction. In other instances, women are victims. This is the kind of behaviour that we (Government) find to be quite abhorrent. “I think the Government has made its position clear on modern-day slavery and human trafficking. In recent times, my Ministry has held extensive consultations with various groups. I believe in September we held thirteen meetings, along with experts from the International Organisation of

Migration and our own stakeholders.” “This was followed by broad-based training for persons on the issue of Trafficking In Persons and Forced Labour. Next year, we are poised to launch a national awareness campaign on Trafficking In Persons and Forced Labour. I say all this to you to illustrate that Government’s position on these issues is clear.” Francis believes there are take-away lessons for all governments from the unfortunate crisis occurring in Libya. “It tells us we must be very vigilant,” he said, adding: “As Minister, I am pleased that we are in the process of developing and implementing our Border Control Unit to further tighten the security of our borders.” Libya is the main transit point for refugees and migrants who are trying to reach Europe by sea, in search of a better life.

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Engaging the people IN any democracy, Government meeting with the people, listening to their views and concerns and making a concerted effort to help them improve their stations in life constitute key measures in the scheme of good governance. Even though bigger in size, Guyana is smaller in population size compared to some of our top sister Caricom member states, and with 90 per cent of the population concentrated on the coastland, frequent interactions should be a norm. Being a small nation and one which does not wield any great influence, developments in the international arena can negatively impact Guyana, and the Government must be able to communicate these

implications to the people. Communicating through the press has been the traditional way of getting information to the people, but meeting and grounding with the people is a means that should not be placed on the back burner, but should be made a priority. Not so recently, the Government has been fanning out to different parts of the country, listening to the views, concerns and complaints of the people and has been offering solutions of its own. This is a most welcomed step in the right direction. Time and time again governments in general make decisions, but sometimes without much consultation with the people and this has been a main source of their discontent,

especially when they are adversely affected by decisions made. Frequent interactions with the people provide the avenue to alleviate some of these ill-feelings and open up a pathway to build genuine relationships and expand on gains made. This sort of rapport cannot be overstated as people generally when aggravated, gravitate to persons who would listen to them and an absence of the Government in the fields can prove to be an uphill task in effectively getting its message across. People, regardless of where they sit on the fence, have concerns on matters that affect them, their families and communities. Even though Local Government Elections were held about two

years ago after more than two decades, many are still concerned about the state of drainage, roads and bridges in their communities. Most of these issues which should be dealt with at the regional level are not getting the attention they deserve. The manner in which their schools are managed, the operations of health centres in their communities and the negligence of district and regional officials in addressing issues that affect them are still pressing concerns of the people. In some cases, residents in their frustration have given up hope on regional officials bringing any relief to their plight and feel they have no one to whom they could air their grievances.

Government ministers visiting communities and listening to the people will certainly restore some confidence in the people, while at the same time giving them (the ministers) first-hand information on the ground. By connecting with the grassroots, it also gives them a fair sense of how to respond to issues raised. For some time now, the Government has been calling for more persons to get into entrepreneurship and agro-processing. While this call has been welcomed by many farmers and young people, as much as they do have an interest in getting into business, the majority lack

the finance required to do so. This challenge is compounded by inadequate information on accessing financing and training. These are matters which can be raised and discussed in some detail during the ministerial outreaches, since entrepreneurship is a key step in empowerment of the grassroots and beating back rural unemployment. Governments also do not have solutions for all the challenges of the country, and it is important that the masses are regularly engaged. The importance of the ministerial fan-outs cannot be over-elaborated.

PSC has political agenda Dear Editor, LIKE many sectors in this country that were infiltrated and some strategically designed to facilitate this action, so must it be understood about the Private Sector Commission. This body claims to represent the business community of this country and holds a legitimate place at the discussion table regarding, especially, the economic affairs of the country regardless of the governing political party. However, Mr. Editor, it has become very clear that the PSC is not impartial or independent. For

some time now this body has been showing its true colours. They were among the lot preaching doom and gloom of Guyana’s economy, knowing very well the drug and money laundering atmosphere(that) business was being conducted in. The PSC almost condemned every business action taken by the government as they sort to clean up and regularize certain systems and mechanisms that were used to benefit some more than others. They cried about the taxes, they cried about tighter measures and later declared their “lack” of confidence in the govern-

ment because they said the economy was declining. These attacks came from the PSC knowing that Guyana was being purged of its fully functioning parallel economy which was fueled by drug-running, money laundering, political and ethnic affiliations, lots of bribery and other corrupt practices. Mr. Editor, this is the same PSC that flourished during that dark period. This is the same PSC that holds a majority of rich Indian businessmen who came to power and riches with the express assistance of the then PPP administration. Mr. Editor, this

is the same PSC with its own political agenda and political alliance. It is not surprising therefore that when the PSC spoke of the chaos that occurred in Parliament earlier this week, not once did they reprimand the PPP MP for handling the Speaker of the House and deliberately defying his orders to take his seat after his presentation time was over. Not once did the PSC reprimand the PPP MPs for escalating the situation by forming a human shield and preventing law enforcement personnel from removing the MP. The PSC also said nothing regarding the clear assault

on the police, specifically by Harry Gill and other male MPs, some of whom proceeded to scream and yell RAPE by the police in Guyana’s Parliament. It appears to be very true when the government said that the PSC in this time is only prepared to issue “political statements” criticizing them and their management of the economy. Of course they would, they are no longer making easy money. The government is trying to provide a better climate for business and is calling on them to be innovative, to help create jobs and to pull their weight.

It’s our view, Mr. Editor, that a new and genuine body needs to come forth to really represent Guyana’s business community. It is a clique at the PSC; the same faces rotating with the same agenda. Moreover Mr Editor, the PSC is NOT the representative or voice of most, especially the vast majority of small businesses; it represents those chosen and made wealthy by the PPP. NAZEEMA MOHAMED PETER JOSEPH ROY MASON NARESH SINGH

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Citizens, stabilisation, infrastructure -- Jordan outlines three-pronged approach for spending of oil money

By Rabindra Rooplall CABINET has finally given the nod of approval to a three-pronged proposal on how best to utilise the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). This was disclosed on Thursday by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, at the closing of a four-day Workshop for Review of Preliminary Draft of Natural Resource Fund Legislation at the Marriott Hotel. By definition, a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is a State-owned investment fund that is made up of surpluses from official foreign currency operations, proceeds of privatisations, governmental transfer payments, fiscal surpluses and or receipts resulting from resource exports. These monies can be used for investment purposes to benefit the country’s economy and citizens. In Guyana’s case, the proposed fund is intended to enable the country to obtain long-term benefits from its oil and mineral resources. Noting that one of the three recommendations is inter-generational in nature, Minister Jordan said: “This will be saved for a rainy day and the future generation.” The second, he said, is for stabilisation, given the fickle nature of oil prices and the continuous funding of proj-

ects in a stable market if oil prices drop. The third aspect, Jordan said, will be current investments, particularly in infrastructure.

nity to diversify’, Minister Jordan said: “Now, instead of selling raw gold, we can think of a smelter and get into other aspects of gold, such as gold

was produced last year by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and upon review, it was decided that Guyana could benefit from the experience of Ugan-

Finance Minister Winston Jordan (right) speaks at Thursday’s workshop wrap-up in the presence of Dr Daniel Wilde of the Commonwealth Secretariat (left) and Natural Resources Minister, Mr Raphael Trotman (Photo by Rabindra Rooplall)

As he explained: “We don’t have much of an infrastructure at the moment; these funds give us ample opportunity to really modernise Guyana, creating a link between our coast and our hinterland, giving us the opportunity to benefit from significant gas resources, so that our products can become competitive for energy, and give us the opportunity to diversify into more value added activities.” ‘OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY’ In an effort to explain what he meant by ‘opportu-

bars; gold jewellery. “We have manganese, and there are a number of other opportunities that we can get into; the heavy industries, once there is a cheap supply of energy.” By way of a backgrounder, Minister Jordan said the establishment of a SWF has been a subject of discussion since 2015, and that contrary to popular opinion, is not only associated with oil revenues, but pension funds, and mining and agriculture revenues, amongst other uses as well. A preliminary draft of the proposed legislation, he said,

da’s legislation, since that country is almost at a similar stage as Guyana. He said that after Minister Trotman fine-tuned the draft, it was then passed on to the Finance Ministry in January 2017 and Guyana’s international partners, among them the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom and the United States, for comments. In terms of where we’re at presently with the legislation, Minister Jordan said:

“So far, we have accelerated the implementation of it; those comments, with the draft, are with Dr. Wilde, who is reviewing and revising it, and we are thankful for his interest and support.” The official at reference is Dr Daniel Wilde, Economic Adviser at the Oceans and Natural Resources Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, who it was that proposed how the Guyana model of the SWF should be crafted. Minister Jordan said an inter-ministerial committee was established to manage the exercise. These partners are from the Ministry of Finance, Natural Resources, the Guyana Revenue Authority, Bank of Guyana, the Fiscal Bureau, amongst others. He concluded by thanking the participants, while noting that the workshop was a part of the capacity-building exercise. BUILD FURTHER CAPACITY Meanwhile, Minister Trotman said that over the next few years, Guyana will dedicate its energies to building even more capacity. “We are happy that we

are putting in place the rules for the governance of the sector; and those rules have to be supported by institutions; one such being the Petroleum Commission, which has received widespread national and international scrutiny and recommendation were made,” he said. Promising that the Petroleum Commission and the SWF will be in place before the first barrel of oil is poured, Minister Trotman said it’s all thanks to the efforts of the Commonwealth Secretariat as the principal drafter of the legislation. Dr. Daniel Wilde, in turn, commended the Guyana Government for thinking about setting up the Fund beforehand, unlike other countries which do so long after the oil starts flowing. “The fact that the Government has had the foresight to look into the long-term and implemented the law, institutions and fiscal laws in place before production, they should be commended,” Dr. Wilde said. He said the draft legislation is solid, and will go a long way in achieving the aforementioned three main objectives of the SWF.

Consumers should carefully examine the products they buy DEAR Editor, AS USAUAL, during any season, prices seem to increase without a reason and most would say there’s a shortage that’s why. Likewise, there are many companies (that) would have some promotion and prize to giveaway. Because of the tremendous amount of competition, I’ve some serious doubt that some of them actually give away the prizes that they advertise,

because they are not being monitored. These things don’t seem to bother us, but during this season the Bristol have a promotion where you receive a prize that is printed inside the cigarette pack, or if you prove[sic] two empty Bristol festive pack, you get instant prizes of lighter etc. Incidentally, one of the poster advertising the promotion was at a friend’s business place and I had the time to read the ‘fine prints’ and dis-

covered some technical facts that seems as if there will never be a winner. My first observation is that instant prizes are only available if the redemption has in stock. Will they ever have any? The other is that if you win the prize printed in the cigarette pack, the winner will have to answer a ‘technical’ question before they claim the prize. They didn’t say what kind of technical question you have to answer, so my assumption

is that when you claim your prize, if you cannot answer the ‘technical’ question, then no prize. That is my assumption according to what is written on the poster. E d i t o r, c o n s u m e r s should be aware when shopping this season of weight, expired and defective items, because for me, the Bureau of Standards doesn’t seem to be functioning competently, especially with all the educated unemployed

people around. One of my friends was walking recently and she observed many people purchasing bulbs at a store in Water Street and she jumped at the opportunity to purchase some for herself. Her first problem arose when she asked for the bulb to be tested; the store’s policy is not to test bulbs. Nevertheless, she still made her purchase and when she tried them at home, the first bulb blew a few seconds after

turning on the switch. Another one was shaking loosely even before installing and one tube loose off from the housing, leaving it worthless. Again, these things might not bother us, but many people are being inconvenienced and robbed. That is the trend in Guyana; who is getting paid to allow this blatant dishonesty. happy holidays? Yours sincerely, SAHADEO BATES

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

468 graduate from CPCE –– President urges collaborative work to solve problems in education sector

PRESIDENT David Granger on Thursday charged the 2017 graduating class of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to focus their energies on serving and loving their country passionately. He said those who embrace the teaching profession are pivotal to realising the aspiration of quality education and a cohesive nation of “One People, One Nation and One Destiny”. The head of state made these remarks at the CPCE’s 83rdgraduating ceremony, where he announced a 66 per cent and 52 per cent increase in stipend for resident and non-resident students respectively. This increase will see resident trainees receiving $9,160, up from $5,500, while non-resident students will receive $11,440, up from $7,500, a 52 per cent increase for the financial year 2018. The President urged the graduating class to work collaboratively with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the Ministry of Education, Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) and civil society, to solve the problems that still persist in the education sector.

“You the teachers are the foundation of the public education system. Without you we cannot achieve our aim of quality education… My administration’s policy is to ensure that teachers have the tools to be efficient and effective in the classroom,” he said. With education being a key areas of focus, the President encouraged the graduating class not to become complacent, but to pursue higher studies at the University of Guyana and beyond. He made reference to the provisions of the Constitution of Guyana, which guarantees every child free primary and secondary education in schools owned or funded by the State. Further, the Constitution, in Article 27 (2) mandates the State, “to provide education that would include curricula designed to reflect the cultural diversities of Guyana and the disciplines that are necessary to prepare students to deal with social issues and to meet the challenges of the modern technological age.” COMMITTED “It is because I am committed to the Consti-

tution and I am concerned about teacher training, that I came to visit you on July 26. I came to learn from you, I came to listen to you; I came to look at the College to see what the college needed… I have taken, therefore, because of my interactions with the college and my visits to educational institutions around the country, certain decisions for improving the conditions at this college. I’ve realised that improvements have to be made. I have done so because I feel that students must be comfortable in their accommodation, they must be confident in their studies and they must be educated in an environment conducive to academic achievement,” the President said. In this regard, apart from the increased stipend, the Government has directed $50M, which was provided by the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown towards improving CPCE’s science laboratories and procuring equipment. Additionally, the Ministry of the Presidency also made available the sum of $1M in July of this year, to enhance the information technology laboratory. This, along with the

President David Granger delivering the feature address at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) graduation One Laptop Per Teacher (OPLT) programme, which was launched in 2016 at CPCE, are all part of the President’s efforts to push STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) education. “Guyana needs agronomists, biologists, botanists, chemists, engineers and geologists and ICT specialists if we are to develop this

A section of the gathering at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) 83rd graduation exercise at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday

country. This is a beautiful country and I hope that some of you get the opportunity to serve in all of the 10 regions….The teaching profession is one of vast opportunity but it is also one of great responsibility. You are also in a position to lead and serve the next generation,” the President said. Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Ingrid Trotman who offered remarks on behalf of Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, who was taken up with parliamentary duties, reminded the graduating class that they will be at the forefront of the new wave of change that will be taking place in classrooms across the country and will be laying the foundation for future leaders. SHOULD BE PASSIONATE “You make a difference in a child’s life everyday… Your passion for teaching subjects should be infectious, your indepth knowledge of your teaching subjects should permeate every aspect of your being, making you the living one-stop shop for students to learn and be inspired,” she said. Principal of the College, Viola Rowe, in her report informed that the graduation exercise sees a total of 468 graduate teachers (88 per cent are females and 12 per cent are males) being

inducted into the education system. Of this number, 126 are trained in early childhood education, 164 in primary education and 178 in secondary education. Moreover, this year, a total of 36 students graduated with distinction, 423 attained credit and three students graduated with pass. The principal said that “as an educational approach STEAM has much value in guiding inquiry, critical thinking and discussions thereby in resulting in students, who are empowered to be creative, to take risks, to be persistent in problem solving and to engage in experiential learning. It is on this premise that the administration and staff of CPCE asserts that all 468 of you, our novice teachers, are leaving us as developing innovators, learners and leaders. Those attributes, along with the softer skills such as love, respect, tolerance and appreciation that you have developed at the College, are all tools that would help you to nurture your charges to be nutrients for Guyana’s Green Economy,” she added. This year’s best graduating student and recipient of the Presidential Award of Excellence is Nirupa Manroop, who was presented with a plaque, a laptop and printer, a certificate and a $20,000 book voucher. (Ministry of the Presidency)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

New RDC building, river ambulances, bus for Region10

REGION 10 is earmarked to benefit from a 32-seater bus, river ambulances and a number of road repairs in 2018, in addition to a spanking new $267M Regional Democratic Council (RDC) building within two years. This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood as she successfully defended the region’s $3.4B allocation in the 2018 National Budget. Those initiatives are just a small portion of the many programmes and projects catered for in the areas of Regional Administration and Finance, Public Infrastructure, Education Delivery and Health Services for the Region. Approximately $301M has been approved for Regional Administration and Finance, $322 for Public Infrastructure, $2.1B for Education Delivery and $663M for Health Services. Responding to a question posed by People’s Progres-

paired at the cost of $6.9M, while Thomas Street, Kara Kara, Linden will also be rehabilitated using some $10.5. Fraser Road in Kara Kara will also be rehabilitated at the cost of $10.6, Riverside Drive, Watooka Linden – $9.6M, First Street, Four Corner, One Mile Linden – $7M, Tucville in Kwakwani – $12M, Main Street, Amelia’s Ward – $ 10M, and Tucan Drive Amelia’s Ward – 9.3M. Additionally, under Capital Expenditure (Public Infrastructure) another $68.5M have been budgeted for road upgrades. Approximately $11.5M Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood, has been allocated (under defending the $3.4B allocation to Region 10 Public Infrastructure Cursive Party Member of Par- project. Already $65.7M has gion will also be repaired rent Expenditure) for repairs liament (MP) Collin Croal, been spent. using some $70M catered to bridges in Silvertown, Minister Patterson-YearAdditionally, $14.5M for under Recurrent Ex- Sunflower Street and Secwood said while $94.6M has been approved for the penditure – Public Infra- ond Street, Rainbow City in has been budgeted under purchase of a 32-seater structure. Responding to Linden. In an effort to enhance Capital Expenditures for the school bus to operate within a question posed by MP construction of a new RDC Linden, while $19.4M was Kumar, Minister Patter- agriculture activities across Building at Mackenzie, Lin- approved for the purchase son-Yearwood explained the region, $40M has been den, a total of $267M will of river ambulances. that the Police Station Street approved for maintenance be expended on the roll-over Several roads in the re- at Wisroc, Linden will be re- of drainage and irrigation

networks. Additionally, using $4M from the allocations under Current Expenditure, the Ituni Guest House will be repaired using some $3M, while the Amerindian Hotel in Linden will be rehabilitated at an estimated cost of $1M. Meanwhile, MP Kumar in questioning the Minister Patterson-Yearwood on Line Item 6211 (Expenses specific to the Agency) under Regional Administration and Finance (Current Expenditures), queried why the region was allocated $43.9M in 2018 when in 2017 it was only allocated $20M. The Opposition backer bencher sought to compare the allocations made to other regions but the minister made it clear that she was not there to compare regions. Also under Current Expenditures in the area of Health Delivery, $141.5M has been budgeted for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

'It’s a very real risk' –– foreign affairs minister on signing bonus being made public By Alva Solomon GUYANA’S Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has noted the “very real risk” of the US$18M signing bonus being ventilated in the public to Venezuela’s advantage in the border controversy. This is even as the country anxiously awaits the United Nations Secretary General commitment to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Speaking to the press at Parliament on Thursday, Greenidge said if one is engaged in a court case, one’s lawyers would have to design and work on strategy. He said if the opposing party, in this case Venezuela, is made aware of

subjects such as how much money is devoted to the process and the battery of lawyers recruited, that country can structure it’s strategy “to make life difficult” for Guyana . “It is a very real risk,” he told reporters, noting that “it does involve problems”. Greenidge said the Government expected that the matter’s sensitivity would have been kept on the back burner but according to him, the main “parameters” of Guyana’s case has been spelt out to the public. He said people are worried, adding that an Opposition Member of Parliament suggested to him Thursday that another US$2M is hidden somewhere, as he explained the laxity in which the matter

is being treated. Greenidge said Guyana is in the process of trying to attract businesses to these shores, but he decried the manner in which companies such as the multi-national entities are being treated by sections of the media. He said the Government tried to handle the signing bonus issue in a manner that would have minimised “the type of mischief that occurred”. In 2000 when the CGX/Suriname controversy arose, the then PPP Government discussed the matter with lawyers and the oil company paid the lawyers. In this case, he said the APNU+AFC Government decided to ensure that the resources are received and secured and secondly, to ensure that there is an ar-

rangement in place for the use of monies and that it can be accessed “reasonably quickly”. Greenidge, who has years of corporate experience at the international level, told reporters that it was he who advised President David Granger that the signing bonus be treated cautiously regarding its publicity. “In a manner that was, that we do not put it up on the screen right in the beginning,” he said. He reiterated that the receipt of the money from American oil giant, Exxon Mobil was no secret. He said that while a few of his Cabinet colleagues knew of the receipt of the money, only a few would have been formally appraised of its intended use. As regards the border

Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge as he briefed the media on Thursday at Parliament Buildings (Adrian Narine photo) controversy, Greenidge was upbeat about the prospects for Guyana, noting that there is at least one more meeting with the UN’s representative before year-end, one which strikes at dialogues with Venezuela. He said while the UN Secretary General

has committed to take the matter to the ICJ, there are “a set of conditions” which have been mentioned in the letter the official dispatched to Guyana, conditions which focus on dialogue between the two parties in the border dispute.

Scott meets ILO delegation MINISTER of Labour Keith Scott on Thursday morning met with the Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Claudia Coenjaerts, and her delegation from the Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, ahead of the launching of the programme at the Marriott

Hotel today During opening remarks, Assistant Chief Labour Officer, Karen Vansluytman-Corbin said the delegation met with them for the launching of the declaration of the Decent Work Country programme which will be launched at the Marriott Hotel officially today. She related that they

would be presenting the reports of the renewal environment for sustainable enterprises after a culmination of a series of meetings and consultations held with the tripartite constituencies in Guyana. Vansluytman-Corbin said at this point where the ministry will be launching the Decent Work Country

In dialogue – Minister Keith Scott and ILO Director, Claudia Coenjaerts.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

programme, a meeting with the ILO team was necessary. ILO Director Coenjaerts said in remarks that they were looking forward to the launching today which was a product of a lot of work with the ministry and social partners. She added that they will use the programme to ensure further development of Guyana in which the Decent Work agenda plays a very central role and there are three priorities that will be addressed during the launching of the programme. Coenjaerts said the priorities will address improving the working conditions for employees and to ensure that workers’ rights are protected. She noted that the other priorities will relate to the renewal environment for sustainable enterprises in which it will address the issue of creating good environment for the people of Guyana as it relates to work. Coenjaerts stated that

Minister Keith Scott and ILO Director, Claudia Coenjaerts, greeting each other upon her arrival on Thursday at his Brickdam office for a meeting. (photos by Adrian Narine) they will address the need for both workers and employers to work together with governments in finding solutions to problems in the work environment. Prime Minister Moses

Nagamootoo will be at this event at the Marriott Hotel, along with the stakeholders and the ministries to see how they can implement the priorities, she added.

$5.5B approved for Foreign Ministry –– focus being placed on strengthening human resources, says Min. Greenidge

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is engaging other Government agencies in working towards strengthening its human resources capacity in the area of foreign trade. This was noted by Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge on Thursday as the 2018 budget estimates for the Ministry was scrutinised in the National

Assembly. Prior to the Ministry’s total budgetary allocation of $5.577B for Current ($5B) and Capital ($487M) spending in 2018 being approved , Greenidge told the National Assembly that training is an area of focus of the ministry. As he was grilled by Opposition Member of Parliament, Gail Teixeira

on issues relevant to the Ministry, Greenidge said there is dialogue between the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Public Service Commission on boosting the human capacity skills needed in the area of foreign trade. He said the Ministry has recognised the need for experienced persons, qualified in the area of for-

eign trade to carry out the mandate of the ministry. As the estimates were scrutinised, Greenidge updated the National Assembly on the construction of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI),formerly Ramphal House at Shiv Chandarpaul Drive in the City. He informed parliamentarians that monies budgeted for the project are for

further works to the works currently underway at the three-storied structure. The building is being built by Courtney Benn Construction firm and according to the foreign affairs minister, it is expected to be completed before the end of 2018. Meanwhile, the foreign affairs minister informed the House that the sum ear-

marked for the construction of the Guyana Embassy in Brazil will go towards works being undertaken on the project. The embassy is being built over a three-year period and will include three structures to house the Ambassador’s residence, the Chancellery and accommodation for staff.

$2.5B approved for Region Seven REGION Seven residents can expect a boost in health services as an increase in the region’s budget has been approved by the Committee of Supply. During the examinations of the Budget 2018 estimates, a total of $2.5B was allocated for the region from which $2.2B will go towards current expenditures, and $255M will go towards the capital

expenditures. The allocated sums will be spent on regional administration and finance, public infrastructure, education delivery and health services. The sum of $620M will be directed towards the delivery of regional health services. One area in the sector that has seen an increase as outlined by Minister of Communities, Ronald

Bulkan, is that of dietary services. In 2017, the allocated sum for dietary services was $17.5M. In 2018, $25.2M will be spent, reflecting a $7.7M increase. When questioned, the minister explained that the increase caters for the five new locations (hospitals), which now have medical officers. “Namely, Imbaimadai

– two doctors; Waramadong – one doctor; Issano – two doctors; Kako – one doctor; and Jawalla – one doctor. This accounts for the increased allocation for dietary services being sought in 2018,” Minister Bulkan clarified. The minister said the increase is necessary, given that the services offered at the Bartica Hospital Complex have improved sig-

nificantly. Questioned about the provision of fuel and lubricants for the health sector being less than the allocation for the education sector, Minister Bulkan explained that more doctors have been stationed in the region on a full-time basis, delivering a wide range of health services. “There is less need for movement of patients from far-flung locations to a cen-

tral location,” he said. Further improvements slated for the region’s health sector include completion, construction and rehabilitation of health facilities and doctors’ quarters, purchase of a boat, engines and vehicles, and purchase of furniture and equipment. In budget 2017, the sum of $2.3B was allocated for the region.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Stallholders paying 'next to nothing' – deputy mayor says rent to increase in 2018 By Telesha Ramnarine

STALLHOLDERS at the various municipal markets across Georgetown can expect a raise in their fees to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) sometime in 2018. Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran told Guyana Chronicle on Thursday that he agrees with the M&CC on raising the rent because the City Council needs revenue. Stallholders, he said are currently paying “next to nothing”. According to him, the City Council will be looking to do rehabilitation work on the markets and to fix the streets surrounding them. He is not sure, though, if the increase will be applicable before or after the works are done. “We haven’t decided if the increase will affect all the

markets, but I would think so.” The Markets Public Health Committee should have met last week to discuss the issue but the meeting did not happen. “There should be a meeting between now and Christmas. Let’s hope it comes off,” Jaikarran said. Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen had lamented the “lackadaisical” attitude with which the said committee was approaching certain key issues. She made a call recently for all those who treat scheduled committee meetings in a sloppy fashion to make it known to the administration that if they can no longer serve on the committees. The mayor pointed out that certain matters cannot be dealt with only at the statutory meetings of the Council. “You ought to be committed to those meetings. I expect

Georgetown Deputy Mayor, Lionel Jaikarran that this Markets and Public Health Committee will be very serious in the way forward. Another committee that has not been meeting if the Chairman is not present is the City Works Committee. “If there is no chairman, the vice chairman, if there is no vice chairman, among yourselves as long as you have

a quorum, you can choose someone to sit in the chair and conduct those meetings. The City Council cannot be at a standstill for the want of a chairman not attending the meeting. Please let us be serious as we sit around this table and take up responsibility as chairmen and vice chairpersons.” Just last June, the mayor lamented the “lackadaisical” attitude with which the Markets’ Public Health Committee was approaching the relocation of Stabroek Market vendors to facilitate repairs to the wharf. “I am not hearing from the [committee] and I hope that we can start consultations with those persons, so that they will be able to give us ideas of where they can be relocated while the wharf is being constructed,” she said.

M&CC to purchase garbage trucks THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is looking to procure two brand new garbage trucks with a portion of the $200M grant from the Ministry of Communities. The Ministry has not yet handed over the money, but M&CC Public Relations Officer, Debra Lewis told Chronicle that $75M will go towards securing the new trucks. The City Council has said time and again that it wants to be able to provide garbage collection and disposal services without having to depend heavily on contractors. After its two main contractors, Purans Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management, pulled their services last August, the M&CC had said that this new development ‘opened their eyes’ to the possibility of providing the same services competently on their own, so that money can be

saved. Just recently, the Government paid over the bulk of the money owed to Purans and Cevons following a bailout request from the municipality. Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan told Guyana Chronicle that in addition to granting the bailout, the Government through his Ministry and that of the Public Infrastructure Ministry embraced an “emergency short-term support” to re-engage the two contractors for services up to December 31. The contractors had suspended their services since last August because the City Council was not keeping its side of the bargain to keep up with current amounts. The companies had agreed to wait for what was owing to them for 2015 and 2016. The Council then hired three small-time contractors to work along with trucks belonging to the M&CC,

but Head of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine had reported that a number of setbacks were being encountered with the trucks. At one point, trucks belonging to both M&CC and

Lost wallet with important documents A REWARD is being offered for the return of a lost brown Guess wallet containing several bank cards, drivers’ license, an identification card, and a national insurance scheme card, among other documents belonging to Kevin Outridge. The wallet was misplaced in the City between Monday and Thursday this week. Mr Outridge can be contacted on 624-6679.

the private contractors were down at the same time. Collection days had been reduced and the Council started working with an irregular schedule.

Sophia to come under M&CC

THE community of Sophia will soon come under the care of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) so that it can begin benefitting from all of the services that the municipality provides. For years, basic amenities, such as water and electricity, could not be extended to residents of North Pattensen, North Sophia, and Block ‘R’ Extension, among other Sophia, Greater Georgetown communities. A source on Thursday told Guyana Chronicle that the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is currently working out details so that the community can be handed over to the M&CC. Sunday, December 17, has been set tentatively for the official handing over. Town Clerk Royston King had made a call for the process of handing over Sophia to be expedited so that the community can benefit from vital municipal services. “At the moment, it is out of the curtilage of the Council. It’s a large community; it’s a valuable community, and we need to move ahead and have it brought under the careful watch and service of the M&CC,” King had said. Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had supported King’s argument, saying that Sophia has three representatives on the Council, and hence some sort of assistance ought to be granted the community. “Sophia has three representatives in this Council, and I know they will be looking forward to some assistance from us,” she said, adding: “It’s not fair to say it’s off limits; we have to take responsibility of it, security-wise.” Meanwhile, basic amenities that the average Guyanese enjoys can be considered luxuries for those Sophia residents, because they do not benefit from the services of the M&CC. Residents have to foot the bill for everything, including garbage disposal, which can cost as much as $500 each week. But they have had to live with these and other ill conditions, as they are so often reminded that they are just squatters. The communities were not started as structured or regularised areas, and so the residents have to fend for themselves in every instance. President David Granger had signalled his interest in having the community upgraded to the point that it can be handed over to the M&CC. Only three of the eight communities in Constituency Five fall under the purview of the M&CC, namely Bel Air, Turkeyen and Liliendaal. The others are North Pattenson, North Sophia, ‘B’ Field, ‘A’ Field, Plum Park, and Farmer’s Field. In the areas mentioned earlier, theft of electricity and water has become major concerns for the authorities.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Toddler found dead Cops need more time to quiz in Mocha trench suspects in Qualfon teen’s death

THE body of a one-year-old girl cladded in napkin was discovered floating in a trench after her 23-year-old mother reported her missing at the Mocha Police Outpost and Providence Police Station Wednesday night. Dead is Amiah Eastman. Her body was retrieved from a trench at Barnwell North Mocha, East Bank of Demerara, a short distance away from the flat wooden shack where she lived. The mother of three, a domestic worker was taken in custody. Police were told

that the mother left the toddler playing with her three and four-year-old sisters in their home with the door open as she was cleaning the walls of another home in the same yard. After taking a break, she made a check on the children and it was then she discovered Amiah was missing. It was during a police search in the area the body of the child was discovered. The toddler was taken to the East Bank Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

FIVE male suspects remain in custody up to press time while the police have applied for an extension, since the 48-hour holding period has expired. Sleuths said they need to further detain the men for questioning since no one is ‘talking’ yet following the post-mortem on Wednesday which revealed that

the 18-year-old died due to injuries to the face caused by a blunt object. The body of the Qualfon Call Centre receptionist was found on Monday morning in a Muslim cemetery along the Beterverwagting Main Road, East Coast Demerara. Police reported that the body of Raynelle Benfield, a telephone receptionist attached to Qualfon Call Centre, was found about 07:00hrs with her face smashed. The victim was last seen alive about 18:00hrs on Saturday last by her colleagues. Detectives are of the opinion that she was the victim of a heinous crime in which she knew her attacker (s) and was probably held at gunpoint or knifepoint and taken forcefully into the cemetery where she was beaten to the point where her face was smashed in. The face of the young woman was unrecognisable. Sleuths said a handbag, which relatives said be-

Dead: Raynelle Benfield longed to the teen, was retrieved near the body but her cell phone was not among the items in the said handbag. The body was found when a passer-by decided to check after experiencing a strong stench emanating from the cemetery. After the individual made the discovery, the police were summoned and they cordoned off the scene, while the body was removed.

Solider died of multiple injuries – autopsy

AN autopsy on the body of Lance Corporal Marvin Dodson, who was killed by an alleged drunk driver outside a Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara night club on December 10, has indicated he died of multiple injuries. The 22-year-old former Special Forces Squadron soldier of Alexander Village, Georgetown was standing in front of the night club when a speeding minibus struck him down. The vehicle was reportedly driven by a 31-yearold resident of Schoonard, West Bank Demerara and at the time was proceeding south along the eastern carriageway allegedly at a fast rate. The 22-year old, according to his family was in the company of a few friends when the accident occurred. The soldier was dragged some distance away by the speeding vehicle. The driver, who had stopped some distance away, was allegedly assaulted by witnesses before being whisked away by police ranks. Police said his alcohol level, when tested, was found to be above the legal limit. Lance Corporal Dodson was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital by public-spirited persons but was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Police say drunk driver caused death of soldier

A MINIBUS driver was on Thursday charged for the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal, Marvin Dodson who was struck down and killed in front of a popular nightclub at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) last Sunday. Navin Rampersaud (31) of Schoonard, WBD appeared before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrateâ€™s Court charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to render assistance and failure to stop after the accident. Rampersaud pleaded not guilty to all of the

Dead: GDF Lance Corporal, Marvin Dodson charges and was released on $500,000. The matter is adjourned until January 8, 2018.

According to a police report, an intoxicated driver was driving a minibus south along the eastern carriageway allegedly at a fast rate when he collided with the victim who was at the time standing at the side of the roadway with his colleagues. The accident occurred around 03:10hrs on December 10 at Pouderoyen, WBD. Dodson, of Cross Street, Alexander Village, was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital but was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention.

Bandits rob women in home THREE armed bandits entered a flat concrete house in Lamaha Spring, Georgetown and tied up two women before robbing them of cash, electronics and a quantity of gold jewellery in the wee hours of Thursday morning. A 52-year-old teacher and a 50-year-old programme assistant at the United Nations were sleeping when the bandits attacked. Reports indicate that three bandits, two armed with handguns entered the well fenced

yard and gained access to the three bedroom home through a door on the eastern side of the building. The robbers bound the women hands with scotch tape, raided their home before making good their escape. One of the women managed to untie herself after the bandits left and made contact with the police. Crime scene ranks visited the house and took statements as investigations continue.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Murder over a bottle of rum

IT is commonly said that: ‘Alcohol is the root of all evil’ and 36-year-old David Gaskin is finding that out the hard way following his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the murder of his friend over a bottle of rum. Gaskin of Kuru-Kuru, Linden/Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

David Gaskin Particulars of the charge alleged that Gaskin on December 8, at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River murdered Venezuelan boat captain, Owen Williams-John. Gaskin was remanded to prison until March 20, when the matter will be recalled at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court. According to reports the two friends were consuming alcohol when an argument ensued over a bottle of rum. Gaskin became annoyed and allegedly cuffed John in the face. John then fell to the ground and Gaskin is alleged to have stomped him several times and kicked him to the head until he became motionless. The body was left lying on the ground with blooding gushing out his ear and nostrils. Persons in the area reported the matter to the police and the body was found lying on the roadway.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Young businessman granted bail on 'swindle' charges A 21-YEAR-OLD businessman was on Thursday charged and released on $150,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for allegedly swindling Hamid Singh of over $5.8M. Michael Sonaram of Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt was charged with three counts of obtaining money by false pretence. Particulars of the first charge alleges that between September 1 and September 30 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud he obtained the sum of $25,000 from Hamid Singh under the pretence that he was in a position to grant Singh an identification card. It is further alleged that between September 1 and September 30 at Georgetown, Sonaram with intent to defraud obtained the sum of $5.5M from Hamid Singh under the pretence that he was in a position to import a motor pick-up, property of Akash Singh. Lastly, the court heard that between September 1 and September 30 at Georgetown, Sonaram obtained the sum of $300,000 from Hamid Singh under the pretence that he was in a position to grant him a firearm licence and a firearm. Sonaram pleaded not guilty and was released on $150,000 bail. The matter is adjourned until January 11.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Recoup and Rejuvenate! Jackie Jaxx returns to the music scene By Jasmaine Payne

AT the turn of 2017, ‘Jackie Jaxx’ Hanover was as “out there” as any other public figure. After all, that was what her career was all about- being on stage, being seen, and interacting with the public. But somewhere along the road, the hype of popularity became overwhelming, and realising that she needed to take stock of her journey for the good of her career, Jackie took a step back from it all. And after a monthslong hiatus, the vibrant songstress is back with a new sound, new music and some sage advice: sometimes the hype is not all it’s cracked up to be. In an exclusive interview with The Buzz, Jackie confessed that after several years on the local music scene, she felt that she had reached a proverbial dead-end where her career was concerned. “I personally believe that I hit a wall creatively with the plans that I had set before,” Jackie said. “My plans were only made for me to reach a certain level; for me to execute certain things…after managing myself for a few years, learning the industry, getting used to handling the business side of things, I realised that I could no longer deal with what was in front of me. I had a lot of opportunities and I didn’t know how to deal with all that, how to do negotiations, how to handle business meetings. There were a few times I was taken advantage of and where I was not being fair, so those were not healthy business practices.” More than that, Jackie added that the social aspect became a lot for her to handle, and before she knew it, she was unable to effectively deal with the scores of people she was in contact with on a daily basis. Within the years of becoming a performer, the young artist had racked up more than 15,000 followers on social media, many of whom were eager to connect with her because of her music. “You always have people in your inbox, people are always tagging me, so it was too overwhelming- people were opening up to me asking for my advice,” she said. “And I love people! One of the things that helped me so far is because I am a people person but I have learned you need to have healthy boundaries. I am now growing as a person, I am now 27 years old and in my maturity, I am seeing

Guyanese makes you extremely special, we are part of the Caribbean but we are located in South America… as an artist that can cause a type of identity crisis. I realised I had to focus on one thing.”

Jackie Jaxx

things differently.” THE BREAK It was then that Jackie realised that she needed to take a step back if she really wanted to grow her career and stay true to her passion for creating good music. “I felt like I didn’t know how to handle the music business anymore. I was very excited coming into the business. I got a lot of support but met a lot of opposition. Unless you have a mindset to deal with all these things, you will fail, and I think I failed. And music is what I love doing and I didn’t like the idea that I couldn’t function effectively doing what I love doing,” she said. And so, Jackie did what many of us today could not stand to do: she unplugged. There was no more Facebook, Instagram or any other means of socially connecting with the world. She was still using the internet, but only for research and other ways of building herself. It was time to focus on Jackie. “I have been working on my mindset; being more mature in my decision making; challenging myself to learn more. I looked at a lot of motivational videos and I spoke to people very close to me and they told me where I went wrong. I surrounded myself with positive people, read self-help articles. I focused on positivity, introspection, I meditated, I exercised. You see, everything works in tandem- your

spiritual, physical and emotional health and stability and so a healthy respect for people comes from respecting yourself,” she said. NEW MUSIC, NEW SOUND During that time of introspection, Jackie was able to work on herself, and she admits that getting more in tune with that side of life has allowed her to rediscover who she is as a musician. “I have been writing. I bought studio equipment. I record myself at home. I have been learning to use audio editor,” she said. All this work has culminated in a seven-track mixtape, appropriately titled ‘Piece of my Heart’ which she intends to release in April 2018. Leading up to the release, Jackie will give sneak previews of her new sound by releasing three singles. “Before, I didn’t even know what type of artist I was. People put me in their own box but even I didn’t have an identity, I was experimenting. Now I have a deeper understanding and what messages I want to convey. First, I am Guyanese so my next body of work will be based on our culture, our history and the things that make me ‘Jackie’,” she said. “Being

Jackie during a previous performance

NEW DIRECTION Previously, Jackie had also been vocal about her decision to be her own manager due to difficulties she had encountered in the past, but now, seeing just how much of a job it is, she has learned that it is not a show she can lead by herself. “I now see the benefit of having a manager, someone with knowledge of the industry, with enough finance and somebody with passion who believes in me. You don’t always find people with those qualities, but it's finding the right person. I had some unfortunate encounters but I learned a lot from them. I do find a manager to be very valuable at this stage and I look forward to finding someone who can fill those shoes,” she said. And her time away has also taught her some other valuable lessons, including just how much social media can consume our lives. “I would suggest that people challenge themselves to be more involved in life as it is happening… [social media and cell phones are] stealing your time, your life...live life as it is happening,” she said. As for her supporters, all Jackie asks is for forgiveness for disappearing without warning. But she assures the public that now that she is back, it is with a reinforced passion and drive to be her best self, which she is confident will help her to produce the best quality of Guyanese music.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

We have to follow the steps to create the discourse of science NOTHING is wrong with the minds of Guyanese toward their application to scientific dialogue, except that the process in the human consciousness that developed the early foundations of scientific thinking have scantly been a part of our formative daily discourse at any level. I’ve covered aspects of this in previous articles, but my brother Elton McRae’s letter on Science Shyness in the Guyana Chronicle on Monday 20 Nov 2017 has indicated the need for dialogue. Elton’s letter covers a wide area of this problem over a wide historical space, however, despite the fact that we were a colony and conditioned toward the priorities of that status, there were always creole cottage industries before and after emancipation that continued into the colonial subject era. Artisans served the villages and grass root industry sustained the self-employed efforts long after the villages moved away in their majority from the business of cutting cane. With the estates, many of the colonial subjects out-

side of indentured labour would return to the Estates as skilled factory workers. Though agriculture remained a stable force of employment across Old Guyana, other areas akin to the sciences of the day, during the 1890s/1900s occupied reasonable percentages of active employment; Cooperage, Bakeries, Boat and Shipbuilding and Mining among other operations like the Train and Steamer services that required semi-skilled employees. In Georgetown and New Amsterdam the Hackney-Coach services [Taxis of that day] commanded management of both horse and coach, as this service fell into the hands of the colonial subjects, thus a line of local mechanics and service was demanded. By post indentureship, though estate culture maintained its status quo. The industrial revolution, the final division of the old world by Europe placing in Colonising hands their physical and intellectual resources, commenced with the forced colonisation of Africa except for Ethiopia. That colonis-

ing push took the rivalry of those nations down the road to WWI. This period led to the competitive movement of the sciences on a war footing, that would spin off to commercial usage. It must have been realised that in the Old world, much of the engineering, astronomy and metallurgy was encoded in the ancient religions we today refer to as mythologies through the study guilds sacred to certain Gods. I have touched on the nexus between the arts and scientific inspiration before, but not from this perspective, can it be denied that in the modern world the author Mary Shelley’s classic ‘Frankenstein’ did not without intent, herald the physical concept of Genetic Engineering, eclipsing the occult séance and other related beliefs. I spoke with Elton on the absence of sources of local inspiration. Where are the records of professionals who excelled in the practical scientific fields, like the Poole brothers my father and Godfather spoke about? He was aware of them, was sure they were from the East

Coast but neither I nor Elton knew where to start looking. It’s not that the average child is uninterested, it’s that ‘we’, meaning subsequent generations, have failed in this crucial part of nation-building that requires the need to capture the work of these people by attributing their names to institutions in their performance stream which can serve as inspiration. I spoke with a young professional in the media the last week in November and he didn’t know who Dr Giglioli was, much less what he had done. Ignorance can have reasons for existing, but it still is ignorance. It will not be easy to develop patriotism and commitment to nation building without knowing who has done what to build the foundations that we stand upon. No wonder our media and street slangs are either Jamaican or American movie imitations. I worked with a talented and creative welder named Prescott or Prescod. He and his brothers lived in Campbellville and possibly still do. This brother built working models of

moving industrial and military vehicles. He made the newspapers, but to my surprise continued to work at GRB. There didn’t seem to be anyone in authority with the vision to explore his potential other than his talents which were an anomaly. I could remember seeing at a national exhibition a booth manned by the Linden Technical Institute of a model of the operations of the Bauxite mine. It was impressive. I was a teenager, and when I asked an official that was obviously attached to that Linden group, if it wasn’t possible to build models of the operations like this one for schools and for sale as toys, the man responded, ‘No, it was just for the exhibition.’ I walked away, thinking ‘what an idiot.’ I learnt from my daughter that the Motorola flip phone was copied from the design used in the Star Trek Sci-Fi series. The science of comic books is earning reviews from serious science journals like ‘DISCOVER’. I have been and may still be on the list at Midtown comics on 41st and Times Square.

The clientele there is far removed from the stereotype of giggling children. The popular series BIG BANG THEORY is a great example of stimulating a particular social/cultural scientific profile through well-constructed entertainment. We don’t have the museums, nor do we have the volume of teachers or the virtual reality /holographic teaching aid labs for students to explore the basic foundations of the science we want the present generation at the threshold of adulthood to be encouraged into. There are not conversations anywhere they go in our society; no platform has been developed for our young people to stand upon in meaningful numbers to explore science from a career point of view. The atmosphere has to be developed. Our STEM team performance was great and inspirational but a wider movement is needed that only the Arts can provide with the reality of our levels of illiteracy and semi-literate young citizens created over the past 20 years of negligence.

Diana Chapman aims for the stars By Michel Outridge THIS vivacious mother of one is all about being successful and to continue down that path, one must have a positive outlook and the will to succeed. Success is what Diana Chapman strives for above all. The young, ambitious artist is a resident of Amelia’s Ward, Linden and is making strides, among which includes auditioning to appear on the “The Voice” in the United States (US) on February 4, 2018. The songstress is also preparing to release her new

To audition for ‘The Voice’

song “New Day” on January 1, 2018, in support of all the countries that were affected by hurricanes and proceeds from that song which will be sold via iTunes will be donated to the cause. Diana is also a radio announcer/broadcaster on the 90.1FM radio show called “The Mix” from Mondays to Fridays from 13:00hrs16:00hrs. Her audition will be held in the state of Arizona and she is super-excited about securing a spot to appear on

the live talent show. She is also the reigning Calypso Monarch with her song “Put Your House in Order” and is working on releasing a new calypso song in February titled “Something Coming”. Apart from her busy schedule being an artist and a broadcaster, Diana has her ‘work cut out for her’ since she is a full-time second-year student at the University of Guyana (UG) pursuing studies in Communications.

“Being an artist in Guyana is tough because at times you do not get the local support but I get things done and with persistence, it can work out eventually,” Diana told The Buzz. She first went on stage to sing when Carifesta came to Guyana many years ago but she graced the stage before as a dancer, a hobby she still practices. “I see a bright future as it relates to my musical career because I am a true Guyanese, not a ‘wannabe’ no matter where

I go,” Diana said. She is also in the process of collaborating with Jamaican reggae artist Wayne Stephenson for the New Year. For Chapman, 26, she has a lot going on but she is all about ‘making things happen’ and propelling herself forward in terms of singing when she is not tending to her six-year-old son. She told The Buzz that life is simple once you know what you are about and with that in mind she is optimistic that she will achieve a lot.

Diana Chapman, musical artist

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

It seems we’re going to have a lot of Caribbean artistes gracing us with their presence in the Land of Many Waters this weekend, so it’s going to be one pumped up couple of days! And that’s just a few of the things going on this weekend. It all starts with Destra tonight when she returns to Palm Court! Tomorrow it’s going to Skinny Fabulous at Palm Court and Demarco over at 704 The Christmas events, of course, continue too, so Moray House is having their Christmas concert tonight with a nice line up of Guyanese artiste set to perform, so if you have the time head over and check them out! Massy Stores is also spreading some Christmas cheer with a Christmas fair that the kids are going to love! TODAY The Queen of Bacchanal returns to Palm Court! It’s “Closer To You” featuring live out of Trinidad, Destra! DJ entertainment by DJ Alex alongside Palm Court resident DJ Ryan, DJ Anisah and Selector Carl. Enjoy bucket and shot specials! Tickets: $2,000 (pre-sold), $3,000 (at the door) Moray House Trust presents their annual “Moray House Trust Christmas Concert” from 18:00hrs today! The event is organised by Russel Lancaster and will include performances by Gavin Mendonca, Francis Bailey and Nicasey Gordon-Abrams! Caribbean Beat Restaurant and Bar is having it’s anniversary Bar-b-que and Lime! There will be special prices on Stag Beer. Barbeque: $1,000 (served from 12:00hrs) Massy Stores Guyana presents their “Holly Jolly Christmas Fair” to bring good cheer to the children of the Diamond Needs Special School. There’s going to be TONS of fun activities such as Santa on site, Face Painting, Fun Christmas Activities and more! So be sure to bring out the kids to Massy Stores! Youth Basketball Guyana presents Titan Bowl VII: Clash of the Titans at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall! It’s going to be the final battle of the year, with three days of excitement! TOMORROW His talent is versatile pushing the boundaries of Caribbean music around the world! And this Saturday “When the Lights Go Down” Skinny Fabulous performs for the first time at Palm Court! Enjoy bucket and shot specials! Everyone FREE before 22:00hrs! Music by DJ Shizzle, Selector Carl and Selector Diamond! Tickets: $2,000 (pre-sold), $3.000 (at the door)

Could Beyonce Be Wildin’ Out In Trinidad for Carnival 2018? Neal Farrinah, Beyonce’s hairstylist who is Trinbagonian, says he’s been working on getting the international music icon to experience carnival in T&T. Her hairstylist is Trinbagonian native, Neal Farinah of the popular Neal Farinah Salon in New York City. He’s world travelled and has the link to several of the music industry’s top celebs, chief among them, Beyonce Knowles. Last night, in a pretty matter of fact kind of way, Farinah told EBUZZTT that he’s been working on getting Bey to visit T&T for Carnival. How awesome would that be!? Farinah also told us that Beyonce really wants to come, and her sister Solange, too. International music makers and top celebrities have, in the past few years, been seeking that Caribbean fire. They’ve been using samples of the Caribbean’s sound in their records and there’s no doubt that big names like DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj have aided in this sudden craving for what’s hot about the Caribbean by these international top guns. Farinah says he’s been “working on it”, when

asked whether he’d be getting Beyonce to visit for Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival. Beyonce performed in T&T in February 2010, mere days after that year’s carnival festival. The concert appearance was organised by state-owned telecommunications company, TSTT and was in fact frowned upon by many carnival event promoters who simply felt that the stateowned company should have spent the sizable investment on the sponsorship of carnival related events instead. Whether we’ll see JayZ’s wife and maybe the notorious Brooklyn-born rapper too, we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed and wait and see. Maybe Neal will come through for us!

Actresses to Protest Sexual Harassment by Wearing Only Black to the 2018 Golden Globes Women in Hollywood are making a statement. Amid sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood, a source tells E! News that more than 30 female actresses who are

Club 704 presents “Glow” featuring Jamaica Dancehall superstar Demarco! Enjoy specials on Moet White Ice! Music by DJ Tallest, DJ Avalanche, DJ Breeze.

attending and or presenting at the 2018 Golden Globes have vowed to wear all black to this year’s ceremony. The insider shares that it started as a small group but has grown and the women see it as a sign of solidarity. This news was also confirmed on The Morning Breath show by hosts Jackie Oshry and Claudia Oshry on Thursday. “So all of the female actresses and

attendees, or most of them at least, are standing in solidarity together in a form of protest. There all going to be wearing black, obviously to protest the injustices that have been taking place in Hollywood since forever,” the hosts shared. Nominations for the 2018 Golden Globes were announced on Dec. 11. Jessica Chastain, Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan and Emma Stone are just some of the actresses nominated for their work this year. This follows the statement stars at the 2017 Emmys made this past September. Many of the award show attendees wore a blue ribbon to show their support for the American Civil Liberties Union and their “Stand With the ACLU” initiative.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Bramble steals ... back page

Continued from

visitors’ favour as Hemraj, who struck four delectable boundaries in his 25, edged Cornwall to slip where Thomas again obliged with a sharp catch. But Chanderpaul and Bramble then cautiously guided their side through to the first break without further trouble. However, after the break the pair had other ideas as they began the rebuilding process with a steady partnership without major alarm. They gathered the runs at a decent pace - rotating the strike well and putting away the bad balls - as they extended their stand as the session progressed. Bramble was the faster of the two to reach fifty, registering his ninth at this level off just 70 balls, finding the fence on nine occasions, while Chanderpaul, who occasionally came out of his shell with crisp attacking strokes, had no problems in wearing down the tourists’ bowlers, as the pair continued untroubled until the interval. Soon after the interval, Chanderpaul smashed Chesney Hughes for his second six to reach his fifty off 115 balls, but medium pacer Thomas, after getting some reverse swing, then took the

key wicket, trapping the lefthander leg before, at 159-5. Keemo Paul (5) went immediately after, caught off the bowling of left-arm spinner Hughes, but Bramble, who was joined by Sherfane Rutherford continued his resolute knock. The pair put together 64 before Rutherford was trapped leg before wicket to Cornwall for 23. Romario Shepherd (22) joined Bramble, and he too provided valuable support until he was bowled by Gavin Tonge. Play resumes today at 14:00hrs.

SCOREBOARD

GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings T. Chanderpaul c wk Hamilton b Louis 6 C. Hemraj c Thomas b Cornwall 25 L. Johnson lbw b Cornwall 0 V. Singh s Thomas b Matthews 5 S. Chanderpaul lbw b Thomas 51 A. Bramble not out 116 K. Paul c Thomas b Hughes 5 S. Rutherford lbw b Cornwall 23 R. Shepherd b Tonge 22 V. Permaul not out 1 Extras: (w-1, nb-15, lb-6) 22 Total: (for eight wkts; 88 ovrs) 276 Fall of wickets:1-17, 2-21, 3-36, 4-41, 5-159, 6-164, 7-228, 8-263 Bowling: Tonge 12-3-43-1, Matthews 17-10-18-1, Louis 16-6-46-1, Cornwall 21-2-80-3, Warde 9-2-30-0, Thomas 9-030-1, Huges 4-0-23-1

GFF, Chronicle Sport ... the article be misleading, since it never as much insinuated that monies were missing, but rather unaccounted for. “Nowhere in the article was it implicitly or explicitly stated that there were any acts of dishonesty on the part of the GFF. In fact, I only touched the surface of Ram and McRae’s finding,” said Toney. According to Toney, “I never injected my opinion, but rather that of the Auditors. This is not the first time a report of this nature was leaked to the press, and in fact, I ensured that I was offered qualified

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

Malan hits England’s first century of the Ashes series By Ian Ransom

PERTH (Reuters) - Dawid Malan struck England’s first century of this Ashes series as the tourists saw off Australia’s marauding pace attack to emerge on top of an enthralling first day of the third test at the WACA on Thursday. The middle order batsman’s unbeaten 110 anchored a flourishing 174-run stand with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow (75 not out), the pair pushing England to 305 for four at the close of a glorious day in Perth. England captain Joe Root and his predecessor Alastair Cook may have failed with the bat, but the skipper won perhaps the most important contest of the day when he guessed correctly at the toss and opted to bat first. Criticised for electing to bowl in the second test defeat in Adelaide, Root was rewarded this time with three of his batsmen passing 50. Australia’s pacemen were generally superb through much of the day and breathed fire in some

telling spells before the tea interval, but the quicks were let down in the field by three dropped catches. The last of them reprieved Malan on 92 off the first delivery with the second new ball from a frustrated Mitchell Starc late in the day. Coaxing a thick edge

from the England number five, Cameron Bancroft dived across from third slip in front of his captain Steve Smith to grass the chance. Malan survived and raised his maiden Test century in style, pulling paceman Josh Hazlewood to the fence to trigger a standing ovation

David Malan’s maiden Test century lifts England in Perth

from an appreciative crowd. Bairstow, on his return to the city where he drew unwanted attention for ‘head-butting’ Bancroft at a local bar earlier in the tour, played a fine support role as he helped craft England’s biggest partnership of the series. With England resuming on 175-4 after tea, the pair’s ability to survive for nearly two sessions will have inspired Root’s team as the Ashes holders seek to claw back from a 2-0 deficit in the five-match series. They weathered some nervy moments, with Malan slashing a lofted shot just wide of Usman Khawaja at gully to move to 74. DROPPED CATCHES Bairstow, promoted to sixth in the order, all but played onto his stumps during all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s third over when on 39, but the ball skipped just over the bails after rebounding off his pads. The wicketkeeper later played a sublime glance between slip and gully for four to bring up his 18th test half-century.

Earlier, opener Mark Stoneman scored 56 after twice being reprieved when he had just passed his half century. He was first dropped by Mitchell Marsh in the slips when he nicked behind off Hazlewood, before a diving Nathan Lyon was unable to complete a difficult low chance at point when Stoneman fended away another short ball from the same bowler. On the previous ball, the opener was struck on the helmet by a rising Hazlewood delivery and needed several minutes to collect himself under the attention of trainers. Root was out softly for 20, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Tim Paine, and Stoneman followed in controversial circumstances. Paine leapt high to take a fine one-handed catch after Starc appeared to graze Stoneman’s right glove but the caught behind appeal was turned down. Australia reviewed and third umpire Aleem Dar overruled Marais Erasmus on the strength of a noise

picked up on the ‘snicko’ technology. Cook’s 150th test started sourly, the 32-year-old opener lasting just 16 balls before being trapped lbw by Starc for seven. Day one at the WACA was overshadowed by spot-fixing allegations in a British newspaper. The ICC said it took the accusations “seriously” but said there was no evidence to implicate any of the match’s players or officials.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings A. Cook lbw b Starc 7 M. Stoneman c Paine b Starc 56 J. Vince c Paine b Hazlewood 25 J. Root c Paine b Cummins 20 D. Malan not out 110 J. Bairstow not out 75 Extras: (b-8 lb-2 nb-1 w-1) 12 Total: (for 4 wickets, 89 overs) 305 Fall of wickets: 1-26 A. Cook,289 J. Vince,3-115 J. Root,4-131 M. Stoneman To bat: M. Ali, C. Woakes, S. Broad, C. Overton, J. Anderson Bowling: M. Starc 19 - 3 - 79 – 2, J. Hazlewood 20 - 7 - 62 - 1 (nb-1), P. Cummins 21 - 6 - 60 - 1 (w-1), N. Lyon 19 - 4 - 61 – 0, M. Marsh 7 - 1 - 25 – 0, S. Smith 3 - 1 - 8 – 0.

Islam takes first Category A win in Swimmers depart for annual Farfan and Mendes Squash Tourney Suriname invitational meet

DESPITE his excellent retrieval helping him to earn a few exceptional points, new comer to Category A, Samuel Ince-Carvahal still could not overcome the superior execution of Daniel Islam, as he went down in one of two Category A matches in the Farfan and Mendes Junior Skill Level Tournament on Wednesday night at the Georgetown. Claiming the other Category A match of the night was Caribbean champion Taylor Fernandes, as she came out firing against Islam’s brother, Anthony. Daniel easily ruled over Ince-Carvahal to take the first game 11 – 1. Ince-Carvalhal came back fighting in the next two games, but would still go out in straight sets as Daniels’ experienced, shot selection gave him the next two games 11 – 7, 11 – 5. In the Fernandes-Anthony match up, the two battled it out in their first match of the tournament. Both Fernandes and Anthony displayed fluid court movement and excellent control. Anthony worked hard to put the ball past the towering Fernandes but her skill at cutting off his efforts made the task too much and she took

three straight games 11-7, 11-8, 11-9. Meanwhile, in the lower category G, Matthew Daby and Jnae Singh showed resilience and determination in an emotional match with the first game moving from point to point up to a final push by Matthew after levelling at 21, where he took the next two points to win 23-21. The second game looked set to follow the same when the players were at 10 all, then 11 all, before Matthew earned the next two points to end things 13-11. The competition is heating up and each category has displayed great skill, including a stellar performance by Michael Alphonso, great potential from rising stars Rylee Rodrigues and Tiana Gomes in their match, and notable improvements in both Verwey brothers; Nicholas and Joshua. F u l l re s u l t s o f t h e matches played Wednesday evening were as follows: Category A Taylor Fernandes beat Anthony Islam 11-7, 11-8. 11-9 Daniel Islam beat Samuel Ince-Carvalhal 11-1, 11-7, 11-5

Category B Michael Alphonso beat Kirsten Gomes 11-8, 11-1, 11-2 Category D Jahcinta Adams beat Isabella Ramjohn 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 Dhiren Persaud beat Beau Fernandes 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4 Chad DeAbreu beat Aishani Persuad 11-1, 11-9, 11-7 Category E Rayad Boyce beat Arvin Seelall 12-10, 11-9 Lajuan Munroe beat Angel Rahim 11-1, 7-11, 11-5 Jared Saul beat Noah Rahaman 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 Joshua Verwey beat Grant Fernandes 11-5, 14-12 Category F Matthew Spooner beat Brenno DaSilva 3-11, 11-5, 11-6 Rylee Rodrigues beat Tiana Gomes 11-8, 12-10 Leshaunte Berkley beat Kayden Pynaendy 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 Thandi Dean beat Jehan Singh 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 Category G Shriya Persaud beat Nicholas Sawh 11-6, 11-4 Matthew Daby beat Jnae Singh 23-21, 13-11 Safirah Summer beat Alea Ruplal 11-8, 11-5.

THE first batch of the 67 member contingent of swimmers and officials departed Guyana yesterday to participate in the annual Vos End of the Year Invitational Swim Meet, which will run from December 16 – 17 in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Andrew Fowler

Leon Seaton

The team is headed by young Leon Seaton and Aleka Persaud, along with Andrew Fowler, IGG bronze medalist Nikita Fiedtkou, Antonio Rodrigues and the Mahaica siblings, Kenita, Paul and Patrice. The remainder of the team is scheduled to leave today. The team comprises a whopping 55 swimmers and 12 officials. Last year Guyana returned with 11 medals from the country’s performance at the meet, including five gold and four silver medals. Top medalist was little Ariel

Rodrigues who won three gold medals. Rodrigues was one of only three swimmers who managed to medal at the event, the other being Tru-

Aleka Persaud

maine Cole in the boys’ 18 and over category, where he earned two gold, two silver and a bronze medal, while Seaton had a bronze medal in the boys’ 11 – 12 50m freestyle. Although the team comprises a number of new swimmers, team manager, Leon Seaton, says he expects nothing but the best from the swimmers, as it provides a great opportunity for them to gain much needed exposure. “There are some swimmers that are new to competing out of the country and I am sure that they will put their best foot forward in this swim meet. Since this swim meet is geared to develop young swimmers and to expose them to competitions out of Guyana,” Seaton said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

UDFA GT Beer Christmas football..

Defending champions Silver Shattas down Topp XX 3-1, Blueberry needle Amelia’s Ward Panthers 1-0 By Joe Chapman

REIGNING champions Silver Shattas began their defence of the UDFA GT Beer Christmas football title with a splendid 3-1 victory over Topp XX, while Blueberry Hill continued their recent fine showing by beating Amelia’s Ward Panthers in a tense 1-0 win Wednesday night, as the Upper Demerara GT Beer Christmas yearend football championship continued in group play at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. The first game was even but the Panthers, who recently scored a 1-0 win over Blueberry Hill, would have felt they were going to prevail once again. This was not to be and when things were seemingly moving towards a stalemate, Blueberry Hill produced the opening that paved the way for

their close win. It came in the 73rd minute when a cross from Keiron Noble moving down the

right flank into the middle, saw a composed Kwesi Tafawa collecting neatly and in a smooth motion, he turned

Silver Shattas scorers from left Damian Williams, Jomain Samuels and Robin Adams

towards the goal, eluding his marker and with the other defenders in a state of indecision , he planted a crisp drive to the right that gave the goalkeeper no chance; scoring that 1-0 important Blueberry Hill lead. That proved to be the winner for the boys from Blueberry Hill who are basking in their recent rich form after a slow start in the recent league championship. The second game was expected to be very competitive and it was. Defending champions Silver Shattas faced a Topp XX side which had won their opening game and another win would have sent them through to the next round, something the ‘Shattas’ could ill afford. The Topp XX side could have taken the lead in the 12th minute but for a misdirected shot from Travis Waterton who, coming through the mid-

dle, could not find the target. But the Shattas would be first to score when Michael Wilson who was playing and harassing the Topp XX right backs, darted down before squaring for Damian Williams to find the back of the net for a Shattas 1-0 advantage. In the 42nd minute ‘Shattas’ could have doubled that led but the advancing Topp XX goal keeper Carlos Brown was there coming off his line to thwart that effort. But in the 51st minute Jomain Samuels put his side into a 2-0 lead and Topp XX were under pressure. As they fought back gamely they were rewarded in the 64th minute when Marvin Alves sent a free-kick from the right side deep into the box where Tyric McAllister rose, to head home a brilliant goal that flew pass the ‘Shattas’ goal keeper, Kellon Major. With the score 2-1 in fa-

vour of the ‘Shattas’ side, the battle was on as they traded forays. In fact Tyric McAllister was having a good game and in the 66th minute he uncorked a powerful shot that had Major parrying it out and avoiding a possible tied game. That was Topp XX’s best effort to even things and as the tempo rose with the two sides seeking to outdo each other, a ball from inside right was switched to inside left before it was relayed close up, where an alert Robin Adams shot the ball which deflected as Brown was unable to make a successful save and ‘Shattas’ took a 3-1 advantage in the 75th minute. That score would remain when the final whistle came as ‘Shattas’ now have a good chance to move through to the next round when they face Amelia’s Ward Panthers in their final group play.

Brooks, Carter half-centuries carry Pride to 267 for five on day one TAROUBA, Trinidad, (CMC) – Barbados Pride captain Shamarh Brooks narrowly missed out on a hundred and left-hander Jonathan Carter supported with a solid half-century to help their side make a strong start against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in their Regional 4-Day Championship match on Thursday. Brooks survived a couple of chances to hit 96 and Carter made 72, but they were two of three wickets that fell in the final session to leave the Pride on 267

for five at the close, after they decided to bat on the first day of their seventh-round match at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground. Brooks, the West Indies “A” Team “Test” captain in the recent home series against Sri Lanka “A”, and sidelined West Indies One-day batsman Carter shared a third-wicket stand of 170 that dominated most of the day. But they, along with Kenroy Williams were dismissed during the final session, as the Red Force fought back, leaving

Four-day Test to have minimum of 98 overs per day (REUTERS) - A minimum of 98 overs will be played on each day of the inaugural four-day Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe starting later this month in Port Elizabeth. The African neighbours will play the first test match shortened by one day from Dec. 26, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) granting it official status and welcoming countries to experiment with the format. ICC playing conditions deem that a minimum of 90 overs must be bowled per day during a five-day Test match, so play will be extended for an extra 30 minutes to accommodate the additional eight overs. A first-innings lead of 150 will be enough to enforce the follow-on in the day-night fixture in Port Elizabeth, 50 runs less than the runs needed in the five-day format. Test matches, the game’s oldest format, have witnessed a steady decline in attendances in recent years, throwing the door open to a number of novel means to engage fans, including the introduction of day-night tests. The format has come in for stiff competition from the game’s newer, shorter formats, such as Twenty20 internationals and domestic leagues across the globe. Officials and former players have acknowledged the need to make tests four-day affairs instead of five, hoping it would help them become more viewer friendly.

all-rounders Kevin Stoute, not out on 29, and Justin Greaves, not out on 16, to bat through the remainder of the day. Off-spinner Bryan Charles has been the most successful Red Force so far, taking 2-50 from 18 overs. Pride had an unsteady start to the day, when the flashy left-handed opener Anthony Alleyne was caught behind off left-arm fast-medium bowler Daniel St. Clair for 22. Five overs later, Charles struck, when he trapped Shayne Moseley, the other left-handed opener, lbw for 20 to leave Pride 47 for two. But Carter came to the crease and with Brooks eased the tension in the dressing with periods of consolidated broken with typically enterprising strokes. They carried the Pride 88 for two at lunch and continued to score freely after the interval during a period when they both raised their half-centuries with aplomb before leading the visitors to 202 for two at tea. After the break, Carter, whose knock included seven fours and one six from 143 balls, fell within the first half-hour, when he was caught in the deep off Charles. Brooks hit 11 fours from 199 balls and followed four overs later, when he was trapped lbw to left-arm spinner Ricky Jaipaul. Pride suffered another setback, when Williams was stumped for two, charging down the pitch and being de-

ceived by veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan to leave the visitors 234 for five, but Greaves cam,e to the crease and settled the nerves with Stoute. Pride made one change, bringing former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder Shamar Springer in to replace fast bowler Keon Harding. Red Force made three

changes: They brought Jaipaul, Akiel Cooper and Anderson Phillip in to replace Yannic Cariah, Tion Webster and Khary Pierre. Pride started the match placed fifth in the League table

with 56.8 points and have so far added two batting points. Red Force entered the match positioned third with 67.6 points and have so far gained one bowling point, plus 0.2 pace bowling points.

Froome ‘not ashamed’ of using asthma inhaler

Chris Froome

Shamarh Brooks

SCOREBOARD

PRIDE 1st Innings A Alleyne lbw b Charles 20 S Moseley c wkpr Jangoo b St Clair 22 *S Brooks lbw b Jaipaul 96 J Carter c Khan b Charles 72 K Stoute not out 29 K Williams st Jangoo b Khan 2 J Greaves not out 16 Extras (lb2, w3, nb5) 10 TOTAL (5 wkts, 94 overs) 267 Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-47, 3-217, 4-227, 5-234 Bowling: St Clair 13-0-48-1 (w1); Primus 16-5-51-0 (nb5, w2); Charles 18-4-50-2; Khan 32-5-70-1; Jaipaul 15-4-46-1

LONDON (Reuters) - Chris Froome has said his use of an inhaler is “not something to be ashamed of” after a urine test at the Vuelta a Espana in September showed excess levels of an asthma medication. Froome was found to have double the allowed amount of the legal drug Salbutamol in his system in a test after stage 18 of the Vuelta, which he won, on Sept. 7, the International Cycling Union confirmed on Wednesday. Froome tweeted on Thursday: “It’s sad seeing the misconceptions that are out there about athletes & salbutamol use. My hope is that this doesn’t prevent asthmatic athletes from using their inhal-

ers in emergency situations for fear of being judged. It is not something to be ashamed of.” Team Sky rider Froome, 32, risks being banned from cycling, which has struggled for decades with doping scandals, and could lose his Vuelta title if he cannot provide a satisfactory explanation for the adverse test finding. In an interview with Sky Sports, the four times Tour de France winner admitted the finding was “damaging” to his reputation. “It has come as a huge shock to me,” he said. “But at the same time, I know that within me I have fundamentally followed the protocol. I have not overstepped any boundaries.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

GUYANA FOOTBALL FEDERATION INC. (GFF)

Extra Time

“GFF-CORONA SUPER 16 YEAREND CLASSIC” KICKS OFF TODAY AT LINDEN Exciting football will be present at the Mackenzie Sports Complex (MSC) Ground when the GFF-Corona Super 16 Yearend Classic kicks off with a doubleheader.

PLEASE SEE UPDATED FIXTURES BELOW:

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

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

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

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 15, 2017

'Superman' Lewis, 'Stone' Williamson start search for gold on successful note COLIN `Superman’ Lewis and Joel `Stone’ Williamson started Guyana’s hunt for `Gold’ on a positive note on Wednesday evening when the Caribbean Boxing Championships got underway in St. Lucia. Despite being drastically reduced in terms of the compliment of boxers representing Guyana at the championships, the two Guyanese--Lewis (welterweight) and Williamson (lightweight)--were unstoppable as they both finished their `prospecting’ within the three rounds of both their contests against their opponents from Barbados. According to reports, St. Lucia’s Boxing Association’s president, David `Shakes’ Christopher is quoted as saying “The Guyanese puppies’ are bit-

Colin `Superman’ Lewis (left) and Joel `Stone’ Williamson strike a pose after their contests on Wednesday evening.

Guyana drawn in Group A of CBC 2018 Championship in Suriname

By Rawle Toney GUYANA’s senior men’s national team has been drawn in Group A of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships, which will be played in Paramaribo, Suriname, from June 25 – 29. The tournament next year will serve as a qualifier to FIBA’s AmeriCup. The drawing took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, and will see Guyana being grouped with long-time rivals and host Suriname, along with Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Meanwhile, Group B will bring together Haiti, Bermuda, Montserrat, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. Nigel Hinds, president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) said he’s committed to sending

a male and a female team to the championship, since “it is consistent to what we’ve (the GABF) been doing over the past four years.” Guyana has featured at every tournament under Hinds’ tenure at the helm of the GABF, with their best finish being fifth place in 2015, behind former Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks shooting guard, Rawle Marshall. “What we will try to do is bring in, as much as possible, players, those born in Guyana and living overseas. We have some people helping us to identify some players. We know of the James brothers, there are four of them; they’ve played a lot of basketball in Europe,” Hinds said. According to the GABF boss, he’s projecting that the teams--both male and female-should start assembling at least by March, adding “Suriname is

close by and we would really love to medal at this championship. So, right now, we’re working on identifying Guyanese who would’ve played College and semi-professional.” Guyana had a horrid showing at the last CBC tournament, held in the British Virgin Islands, 2015, finishing last in the 10-team tournament, where they failed to pick-up a win.

ing very hot and provided quality entertainment for a hungry St. Lucia crowd, despite arriving in St. Lucia on Wednesday morning.” Adding, “It was quality execution of boxing on display and we are looking forward for such displays. I have said before that Guyana has some of the best boxers in the Region and what we saw tonight (Wednesday) proved that I’m not wrong. Guyana almost missed the championships due to the lack of funding and Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) president, Steve Ninvalle, explained that if it was not for the intervention of Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport, George Norton, the team would have been smaller.

Originally, the GBA wanted to send a full team of 13 boxers, three coaches and two referee/judges, but because of funding, the association could have only sent four boxers, a coach and a referee/judge. The other boxers on the four-man team are; Desmond `Dynamite’ Amsterdam (middleweight) and `Lightning’ Keevin Allicock (bantamweight), while the coach is GBA’s Technical Director, Terrence Poole and the referee/ judge is Lawrence Assanah of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Assanah will be attempting to become the third Guyanese referee/ judge to be certified as an AIBA One Star referee/ judge. Romona Agard and Richard Braithwaite picked up their One Star

badges in Barbados last year. Ninvalle extended gratitude to Minister Norton, the National Sports Commission, the GDF and the Guyana Olympic Association for assisting the six-man team to St. Lucia. Guyana won the inaugural Caribbean Development Tourney when it was hosted here in Guyana in 2015 and made a successful defence of the championship title last year in Barbados; winning 10 gold medals and one silver from an 11-member team. All four of the boxers at this year’s championships won gold medals last year after which Allicock went on to win a silver medal at the Junior Commonwealth Games that were held in The Bahamas earlier this year.

Banks DIH Powerade/Aqua Mist Christmas badminton tourney launched

GBA President, Gokarn Ramdhani (right) receiving the sponsorship package from Banks DIH’s Powerade Brand Manager Errol Nelson

THE Banks DIH Powerade/Aqua Mist Christmas Badminton Singles Tournament, which is set to commence from today at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, was officially launched yesterday

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday December 15, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Shannon Gabriel-4/119 (2) Kraig Braithwaite-66 Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has scored most runs for NZ in Tests to date? (2) Who has taken most wickets for NZ in Tests to date? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

morning at Thirst Park. Attending the launch was President of the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), Gokarn Ramdhani, along with Banks DIH Communications Manager, Troy Peters, Aqua Mist Brand Manager, Clive Pellew and Powerade Brand Manager Errol Nelson. The annual tournament is a collaboration between the GBA and Banks DIH Limited. The tournament is expected to run for three days, concluding on Sunday. To aid in their fund raising activities there will also be a Fund Raising BBQ on Saturday from 12:003:00pm.

The GBA took the opportunity to extend heartfelt gratitude to Banks DIH for coming on board, supporting the development of badminton, and making the sport’s final tournament for the 2017 calendar year a great success. The tournament schedule is as follows: Friday 15th Open Men and Ladies Singles. Time: 5:30pm. Saturday 16th Boys and girls under-11, 15 and 17 Singles. Time: 10:30am. Sunday 17th Seniors and Juniors finals. Time: 11:00am Presentation at 1:00pm.

Colts, Royals through to semi-finals ... Final two spots will be determined tonight GEORGETOWN’s Bounty Colts and Linden’s Victory Valley Royals played undefeated in their respective groups to book their place in the semi-finals of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) National Club Championships. Colts, the defending Champions, picked up 53 points (105 – 52) win over Rosehall Jammers, while the Royals, Linden’s number one team, picked up an entertaining 87 – 75 victory against Pacesetters. In a game where winning would have kept them in a final-four berth hunt, Pacesetters clearly had no answer for the front court pair of Harold Adams and Orlan Glasgow,

as the pair combined for 44 points, as they led from tipoff to the final whistle. Glasgow led all scorers with 23 points, while Adams, one of the tournament’s top scorers, finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Joslyn Crawford had a double-double for Pacesetters, finishing the night with 14 points, 11 rebounds, while Randy Richardson had 13, and Stephan Gillis finished the night with 10 points. The defeat was Pacesetters’ second in the tournament, as they await the result of the Kobras versus Raiders which could potentially be the deciding factor on which team would finish second in

the group. Meanwhile, the Colts versus Jammers game was over since it started, with the tournament’s champions showing the Berbice club why they’re not only the top team in the city, but the Country. Point Guard Dave Causeway held a clinic, pouring in 30 points. Shane Webster was the next best player on the night, scoring 16 points and Shelroy Thomas had 19. Mickel Lewis finished with 16 points, and Michael King had 10 for the Jammers, who would now play their final game of the tournament against the Amelia’s Ward Jets.

The latest standings for the GABF National Club Championships:

Colts, Royals through to pSageee semi-finals 31 WI/PCL Four-day tournament…

Bramble steals the limelight with maiden first- class century By Rajiv Bisnauth

Anthony Bramble acknowledges his teammates after reaching his maiden first class century.

WICKETKEEPER/ batsman Anthony Bramble led the Guyana Jaguars spirited fightback with his maiden first class century and stole the limelight on day one of the seventh round Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day encounter between the title-holders, and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. The 27-year-old Bramble held the innings together after the hosts were reduced to 41-4 at one stage of the Day/ Night encounter at the National Stadium, Providence. Watched by a handful of spectators, the right-hander’s effort with the bat has been instrumental in taking the Jaguars to 276-8 when bails were lifted. However, it was Bramble and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s partnership which ensured the hosts ended the day with a marginal points victory. The pair had manufactured a salvage operation after they had been thrust together with the Jaguars in deep trouble just before the close of the first session. They added 118 for the fifth-wicket, with the ex-West Indies captain contributing 51.

Bramble, who brought up his century when he cut Mervin Matthews through backward point for his 14th boundary, is unbeaten on 116 from 197 balls, hitting 16 fours and three sixes. Veerasammy Permaul is the other not out batsman on one. After opting to bat, the Jaguars were left gasping for breath. Their openers’ Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Chanderpaul Hemraj were off to a sedate start, which resulted in a partnership of just 17 runs off 69 balls. The tourists’ seamers were tight and disciplined, and the dismissal of Chanderpaul was a combination of out-swingers and patience. The 21-year-old struggled once again to rotate the strike and his 35-ball resistance was ended when Jeremiah Louis nipped one away from the opener to have him caught behind for 10. The left-handed Leon Johnson was then trapped leg before wicket to off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall without scoring, and from 21-2 it became 36-3 when Matthews then claimed the wicket of Vishaul Singh (5) with an extra bit of bounce from the track when the batsman edged him to Devon Thomas in the slips. The session turned decisively in the

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Shivnarine Chanderpaul drew on every ounce of his experience and defied a strong Leeward Islands Hurricanes bowling attack.

GFF, Chronicle Sport bump heads over publishing of Audited Financial Statements THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and Chronicle Sport are seemingly divided over the publishing of the Federation’s Audited Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2016, which was done by Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants, Professional Services Firm. In Chronicle Sport’s December 14 Edition, the newspapers reported in the article written by Rawle Toney, that president Wayne Forde and his executives will have lots to answer for, following the revelations of Ram and McRae’s findings and report. Ram and McRae upon completion of the Audit, could

have only offered a “Qualified Opinion”, where they stated that in the “Basis for Qualified Opinion”, the GFF did not maintain adequate documentation of transactions with suppliers and consequently, Ram and McRae were unable to determine the accuracy, validity and completeness of accounts payable and accruals slated at $89,881,316 in the financial statements. Of this amount, a total of 48,320,142 was supported by third party confirmations and other audit evidence. “Additionally, adequate documentation for expenses paid during the year under review, totalling $2,319,499

GFF president Wayne Forde (L) and Rawle Toney

was not provided during our test of controls,” Ram and McRae said in the basis for the qualified opinion. According to the findings of the Financial Audits, the GFF “did not maintain adequate

documentation in respect of game and other income stated at $21,051,698 in the financial statements. Of this amount, a total of $16,834,029 was supported by receipts and other audit evidence.”

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

However, the GFF in a release yesterday believes that the article set out to mislead the public by giving the impression that funds/monies have gone missing. “The qualification on the audited financial statements is a consequence of procedural issues. Many of the procedural errors that have contributed to the qualification have been addressed with continuous improvement of the financial systems and controls being implemented,” the GFF release stated. The Federation noted that the audited financial report will be presented to the members at the Extraordinary Congress

scheduled for tomorrow, during which all pertinent explanations will be given, following which, the audited financial information will be shared with the general public. But Chronicle Sport, and Toney, who is in posession of the report, stated that the article simply reported on the findings of the auditors’ report, and quoted Ram and McRae. The newspaper maintains that the report is accurate and challenges the GFF to highlight one line, or instance in the column, that misrepresented the Auditors’ report and how could

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017